Chronicle Spain, of molten silver, loses the final against Brazil
The Cutter Without Martial Arts
With the silver around his neck, there was a tidal wave of feelings, while the downpour little by little dismissed the Tokyo Games. There was the disappointment for that gold so close, impossible to erase so soon. Also the part of success that the runner-up entails for a group that accumulates so many experiences together. And finally, there was a feeling of illusion for the future of a Spain that already leaves a summer with two great notes, the Eurocup and the Games. Although perhaps
Dani Ceballos
, who was unable to participate in most of the tournament due to his injury, could have the moment in his expectations: "This generation deserved gold. This group of players is going to win Euro Cups and World Cups, they are going to give many joys to Spain ".
The selection had been a want and cannot during the 120 minutes of agony at Yokohama Stadium, the third consecutive overtime in the Games (the sixth, including those of the European Championship, of a selection anchored in Groundhog Day). There were barely a couple of moments of clarity and none of them came in an overtime that was tormenting. But if Spain missed the gold, it was mainly due to the specific errors of the defense, for which there was no explanation or consolation, although with the fourth medal in the history of Spanish football, everything was already better faces than when the referee signaled the end.
Because, after the collapse, it was time to value what was achieved.
And it was Ceballos himself, in the middle of the group, injured from the first game, one of the pillars of this generation, who spoke first.
Luis de la Fuente
and even
Rubiales
also spoke
.
And then
Alejandro Blanco
and Captain
Vallejo
, those in charge, all of them, of recovering the morale of a troop after an intense summer, for six of them exhausting after linking the European and the Games.
"I have told them that I was very sorry for the group. And that the time that we stay together here, although it is bittersweet, we value it," acknowledged the center-back, one of the most prominent.
Penalty to the clouds
The first of those individual mistakes that make a difference had been made by
Unai Simón
on an outing outside his small area in which he carried
Cunha
ahead
like a freight truck. After the VAR review, the penalty signaled without hesitation by
Chris Beath
. And the failure of
Richarlison
, who sent the ball to the clouds of Yokohama. Later, in the discount, another series of unfortunate catastrophes in a chain, so that
Dani Alves - he was
going to win, at 38, his 44th title, perhaps the most amazing record in the history of football - would hurry a ball that he did not he came
Cucurella and Pau Torres
was misled in such a way that Cunha himself found himself with a goal that was already a mountain for a team that from minute one was noticed very little fresh.
Around the dressing room came one of those clairvoyant moments, especially with the irruption of
Bryan Gil
, a great guy, pure spark in contrast to
Asensio
. And that
Oyarzabal's goal
was a hymn to beauty, a precise shot to the center by
Carlos Soler
, another of those who improved Spain. And that there were two balls to the crossbar, of the two 'Giles', which could well have changed everything when they died 90 minutes (a center that got poisoned from Oscar and a great left-footer from Bryan). But ruin was just around the corner. And his name was
Malcom
.
The former Barcelona player was Brazil's first change in the entire match and coincided with Vallejo's. They paired up on the left wing. And the torture began. Deadly until the race in which the Madridista's seams were seen and that ended up costing a gold. "We took a corner and they caught us on the counterattack", recalled the action the hand, who could only recognize: "The action has won me Malcom ... I have been playing the entire tournament as a winger, I also did it in Granada. I was prepared to help . You don't have to excuse yourself. "
By the way,
Pedri
, whom Alves greeted affectionately before the ball started rolling, who did not stop all night wiping the sweat from his face with his shirt, ended up, how could it be otherwise, exhausted.
It was his umpteenth game in the course of his professional baptism, 73 with Barça, a European Championship, some Games, a few extra time ... "He was downcast. It's difficult at 18, with all that media attention. We can't blame anything on him. On the contrary, you have to help him ", asked Ceballos to conclude.
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