Lor that penalties were taken from the Spanish team in Moscow, London and Doha gave it to them in Rotterdam. De Kuip, one of those temples of European football that barely resists the passing of the years and that they give it a relief to rest, remains as the stadium in which Spain won the League of Nations for the first time. It was the second attempt. The first saw him escape due to a play of those that put the regulation into question. But the second chance he had, Spain became the heir to Portugal and France to the list of winners.
After a goalless game, the penalty shootout challenged a good part of the players who experienced the defeats against Italy in the Euro semifinals – softened by the great image offered – and that of Morocco in the round of 16 of the World Cup, which bitterly closed the stage of Luis Enrique in front of the selection.
Nations League (Final): Summary and best plays of Croatia 0-0 Spain
It was the first time that Spain played a final from eleven meters. So that nothing was missing, Laporte’s mistake in the fifth minute raised the ghosts that Unai Simón’s save on Majer and Asensio’s subsequent goal seemed to have eliminated. But the invincible Croatian heart seemed to revive. But not this time. Another save by Unai -checked by the VAR- and the Panenka-style penalty from Carvajal ended the agony.
With this League of Nations, the Spanish team becomes the one with the brilliant track record in UEFA competitions for senior teams: three Euro Cups (1964, 2008, 2012) and this Nations. Atrs leaves Germany with its three Euros (1972, 1980 and 1996). But the dominance of the Spanish team is not limited to the absolute. Because what was won in Rotterdam allows Spain to do what only France had previously achieved: win in any of the UEFA categories.
This was the decisive save by Unai and the goal by Carvajal: Paradn and Panenkazo to be champions
The difference is that the volume of titles from Spain has nothing to do with the French: 26 Spanish (four with the absolute and 22 with the red ones) for 14 from Les Bleus (three and eleven). Champion of the world, the U20 World Cup and the Games, what Spain lacks is to win the U17 World Cup, given that the Confederations no longer exist.
Carvajal, De la Fuente…
Spain landed last Tuesday in the Netherlands with the figure of Luis de la Fuente among questions. Today, the Spanish team will land in Madrid with a coach at the helm who joins Villalonga, Luis Aragons and Vicente del Bosque as the only ones who have been able to bring trophies with the absolute title to the City of Football Museum.
And the Rotterdam title will remain in the memory as the goal that Dani Carvajal scored from a penalty. When Ansu or Dani Olmo were expected in the sixth, it was the Real Madrid winger who went to the penalty spot. Luckily, the eleven meters, in which there are no records in his career.
Joy of the Spanish fans in Rotterdam: “They deserve it”
Dani took a deep breath…and shot Panenka style to elevate the ball away from Livakovic. In that penalty was the redemption of everything that Carvajal has experienced with the national team. He made his debut with Spain in September 2014, after the World Cup in Brazil. There a story opened that seemed marked to be a side of the time in the national team, as it is in Madrid.
However, there was nothing good about that story until yesterday. It was the one of a huge collection of injuries, lost final phases and the two he went to (Russia and Qatar) he was not anywhere near his best form.
That changed last night with that penalty full of daring and personality. It is the goal that gives Spain a title, which is something that Carvajal lacked – like 21 of the 23 called up – in a service sheet in which the five Champions League shine with their own light.
