Special Envoy to Yokohama
Updated:07/08/2021 19:26h
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Five years have passed since the Prime Minister of Japan appeared dressed as Super Mario at the closing of Rio 2016. It was his way of welcoming the world to these Tokyo Games, although little could I imagine then that they were going to be celebrated a year late and in the middle of a pandemic. The image that today serves to give a name to a group that has made history remained in the collective imagination. Because although it has not reached the great gold of Barcelona, the fifth of Super Mario returns Spanish football to the podium 21 years later. Silver that hurt, but that, together with the good role of the absolute in the Eurocup, allows you to dream of a big future for the national team.
All generations need great success to be crowned and this of Pedri, Asensio, Oyarzabal or Pau Torres he had his in the Olympic final. A big game, with worldwide repercussion and against a media rival like Brazil. There was nothing lacking in the meeting, but Spain came out timid and had to go in tow. Especially because of his own mistakes, such as Torres in the first goal for Brazil or Vallejo in the second. The goal of Oyarzabal, angry with the world when celebrating the tie. And although Spain improved with him and had chances to have been ahead, he again crashed against his lack of goal and was doomed to an extension (another, an infinite summer of overtime) from which he did not emerge victorious this time.
The goal of Malcom Twelve minutes from the end, Spain did not have time to work a miracle like the day in Côte d’Ivoire and had to settle for money that hurt a lot.
The Spaniards cried on the grass with the final whistle. Many of them like Miranda or Bryan Gil lying on the grass without finding comfort. Vallejo wandered almost aimlessly, signaled by his mistake in the second goal, in search of a friendly arm that he found in the figure of Luis de la Fuente. The technician hugged him and said something in his ear. Words of those that reach the heart. Then he looked for the rest of the players and also the Brazilians, exulting with the second consecutive gold.
Before getting on the podium, Spain got together, the players entwined in an immense hug that tried to assess what they had just achieved. The technician told him and he repeated it too Vallejo, who left his disappointment behind to act as captain. «I have told them that I am very sorry and that it was a shame because we had made a great group and we deserved this gold. We have spent forty days of concentration in which we have created incredible bonds and I have told them that we must give the importance that this money has. That this Olympic experience is only lived once », explained the Aragonese.
As the, Unai Simon he asked for a reflection exercise to give value to the podium achieved. «Now this silver tastes very bitter, but when time passes we will see everything better. I think this generation has a journey ahead and there are very valid players for the future. The words of the goalkeeper, who was also a starter with the absolute in the Eurocup, anticipate that promising future for Spain. Six of the starters in the Olympic final were in the tournament with the absolute and are called to be the base of Luis Enrique’s team.
A team that did very well at the beginning of the summer, eliminated only in the semifinals by the champion and on penalties. After an idle start, Spain took hold with the youth as its flag. With Pedri being captain general, with Olmo as the main overflow and with Simón as insurance in the goal. Consolidated leaders at a very early age who will have to confirm this progression from September, when Spain retakes its classification for the Qatar World Cup 2022.
It remains to be seen if Luis Enrique repeats a call similar to that of the Eurocopa. At the time, many complained because many footballers were semi-unknown, but most have made a name for themselves in this exciting summer that recharged the batteries of the absolute and that has returned the Olympic team to the podium 21 years after that silver in Sydney. It was won by little-known young men who later became giants like Xavi, Capdevila or Puyol.
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