• Classification This is group E

  • Calendar All matches of the championship

A drum did not stop rumbling in the Khalifa International stadium.

It sounded over and over like a heartbeat.

But no, it was a small group of Japanese, with their blue t-shirts, who were trying to blow their men into another march with a clean blow.

But the noise stopped suddenly because of

Álvaro Morata

.

The Japanese defense contemplated the shot by the Spanish striker, only in the six-yard box after Azpilicueta's precise cross, signing his third goal in the tournament and climbing to the long list of top scorers (now there are five).

In the stands, recently arrived from Madrid, were Leonardo, Alessandro and Edoardo, his three children, and his wife Alice, who is waiting for her fourth.

Nothing presaged the terrifying night that was coming.

That for three minutes he was out of the tournament.

That for more than half an hour, he remained with an ear in the Al Bayt, setting sails so that Germany would not slip.

The goal did not sit well with the Japanese, because they did not even get up from their seats when the wave, which started from the north end where the Spaniards were staying, passed through their area.

They were a few minutes of daze without further ado, because the drum sounded again.

Probably even more bad milk.

But Spain, which came to have 80 percent possession, as announced by the giant video scoreboards in the stadium, their pulse began to tremble.

It happened to Sergio Busquets, unperturbed, and the scene was repeated from the feet of Unai Simón, who was walking a meter from his goal line.

The night seemed placid, until the drum of Japan finally woke up.

In three minutes of confusion from Spain, the Asians took the lead.

And Luis Enrique had to take off his jacket.

The heats and such.

Because for close to five minutes (if not more), the stands were waiting for what the VAR decided.

Whether the ball had crossed the end line or not.

The referee interrupted the Japanese celebration and the referee himself untied it again with his arm raised, pointing to the center of the field.

Fear entered the body of the Spanish bench for the first time.

At least, Germany wins, they should think about the Spanish bench.

But moments later, Vargas scored for Costa Rica.

The feat of the Central Americans, received by Luis Enrique's men with a tremendous 7-0, left them out.

For three minutes, between 70 and 73 of the other game, when

Havertz

signed the tie, a chill ran through the body of the bench and the Spanish stands, who would never have imagined such a convoluted script.

The scythe came to whistle the ear of the national team.

In the press box, some even changed the monitor to follow the game that was taking place in distant Al Bayt.

In the stands, each update of the group standings, with Japan and Spain classified, was cause for jubilation.

Things went wrong when Costa Rica scored the second against Germany.

Spain, logically, was in a hurry.

And suddenly, the back where the Spanish supporters were yelled goal again.

Never has a goal from Germany been so celebrated by another team.

When the referee signaled the end, the Japanese ran to hug each other for their deed and those of the Spanish team, still stunned by what had just happened, waiting for the other game to end, only managed to walk like zombies.

For the history of the national team in the World Cups it will remain that once they got into the round of 16 thanks to the goals of a tall German named Havertz.

But, also, that she was dead for three minutes, thrown around on the grass by Japan.

Fortunately, it will be the fifth time in the six editions this century that they have gone beyond the group stage.

Now it is Morocco that awaits on the horizon.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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