It took 20 shots. It took until the second half of extra time. It took Argentina going down a man in stoppage time of regulation. It took all that for Spain to have a chance at defeating the defending champions in the World Cup final.
Then, in the 106th minute, Ferran Torres connected on a shot that went past Emiliano Martinez, allowing Spain to defeat Lionel Messi and Argentina 1-0 at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Spain still needed to hold on for another 15-plus minutes, but defending champion Argentina struggled to create and was held without a shot for most of the game. Argentina’s offensive flurry late did not produce a goal.
