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In one of the trickiest areas where it fell against Croatia at the World Cup in Qatar against Croatia, the most dominant team in the fate of the limiting moments of extra time, in an environmental caldera against Croatia, Spain was again crowned with a trophy. under the tutelage of a coach who spent weeks in doubt, and with the latest photo of a winger panenka-style scoring the last penalty in the tie-break against Livakovic, the goalkeeper who most dominates this fate along with Argentina’s Dibu Martínez.
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Dominik Livakovic, Perisic, Martin Erlic, Josip Sutalo, Juranovic (Josip Stanisic, min. 111), Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic, Pasalic (Petkovic, min. 61), Luka Ivanusec (Nikola Vlasic, min. 78) and Kramaric (Lovro Mayer, min. 90)
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Unai Simón, Alba, Jesús Navas (Dani Carvajal, min. 96), Laporte, Le Normand (Nacho, min. 78), Fabián (Merino, min. 78), Yeremy Pino (Ansu Fati, min. 66), Rodrigo, Marco Asensio, Gavi (Dani Olmo, min. 86) and Morata (Joselu, min. 66)
Goals
referee Felix Zwayer
Yellow cards: Gavi (min. 80), Petkovic (min. 91), Nacho (min. 96) and Rodrigo (min. 97)
The Nations League isn’t a particularly glamorous tournament, it didn’t even exist when Spain last won their last trophy, Euro 2012, but La Roja have won again, showing signs of making amends. Problems that caused them to stumble in Qatar, for example.
Outclassed by Spain, Croatia pushed the game into overtime with their recent raid. In times of need, he moves like no other. That made it eight since the World Cup in Russia, six of which had won. Prior to that game in Rotterdam, they had only lost once in the quarter-finals of the last European Championship, against Spain.
The course of the game, 0-0, extra time, penalties, could have a certain touch of the last encounter in Qatar against Morocco. But the path to the jump-off in the eleven-meter dash was a completely different one. Spain provided increasing danger as the playing time increased. He entered the penalty area, went around the goal and when he was in the decisive moment of the penalty shootout, he behaved with an impressive attitude that was far from what had been seen in Qatar. Only Laporte missed the crossbar and even that mistake didn’t change course. Unai stopped the next one and Carvajal completed the final with specialist genius.
This new team is taking shape, starting with the line-up, with only two differences compared to the semi-final against Italy and one, the replacement of Rodrigo Moreno by Asensio, due to his physical problems. The other was Fabián for Mikel Merino, one of the regulars in the previous three games. Spain reached a final again, including in the Nations League after losing to France two years ago, and the coach faced what appears to be a stable group for the first time. Spain take that stability and also a measure of Lab with them in a sweltering atmosphere that was lacking in the intensity of Hampden Park when they failed against Scotland in March.
Feyenoord stadium, known for its shape as ‘De Kuip’ (the bathtub), burned more like a cauldron. Croatian fans occupied more than 25,000 of the 41,500 seats allowed. The game was played immersed in the constant waste of their songs. The 6,000 Spaniards barely managed to raise their voices above the din of competition. Beneath that tone between Argentina and the Balkans, peppered with some red flares on both backgrounds, Spain held the pulse with the sovereignty of the old days. The ranks were tighter than Modric’s squad, but La Roja remained in control. And in front of him was one of the most dominant and decisive midfielders of the last five years: Modric, Brozovic and Kovacic.
The first slap was Gavi against Italy. He greedily pounced on a central defender, ripped the ball away from him and the shot just missed him. Spain threatened in the center with the determination of Gavi and the vision of Fabián. His appearance in the XI helped hold Modric a bit and free Rodri a bit, but mostly to advance in attack. Good stance, big stride, sustenance on the scorching hot ground that appears between the lines, and shot.
Croatia waited, which is generally the most worrying situation. It slides over the edge like no other as the parties accelerate towards the cliff. There are no signals that the heart rate is increasing. And so the time passed, with part of the semi-chaotic dance of the three in the middle, that kind of Croatian jazz that’s captivating until it itches.
De la Fuente increased the pressure by throwing Joselu and Ansu onto the field, and later Dani Olmo, and Spain blocked and edged out Croatia as time passed and Modric’s side saw the promising terrain that they almost always see as extension . But there, perhaps in the most inhospitable area, full of bad memories, Spain won another final.
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