We can already say it: Spain is world champion. 16 years later the Spanish national team crowned again against Argentina. The Plaza del Pilar was a setting worthy of a country that has conquered the world with the whole place filled to the rafters to celebrate the second star in our history.
The feeling and longing began to be perceived long before the match with the streets around the Plaza del Pilar were already a tumult of people and you could barely discern little beyond what the eye could see. This an hour before the start of the match and as 9:00 p.m. approached, more people continued to arrive at the meeting point in the Aragonese capital. The image was postcard with an entire Plaza del Pilar overflowing on all sides and each person present only had the dream of the second star in their head.
With the departure of the players of both teams to the field of MetLife Stadium, the shouts of encouragement were deafening from the Zaragoza fans who every time Luis de la Fuente’s team appeared on screen vibrated as if they were in New Jersey. With the Spanish anthem everything came crashing down and with the subsequent initial whistle, all the hearts present in the Plaza del Pilar were already in a fist.
The tension was already noticeable in the early stages of the grand final and with the chance of Lamine Yamal, the «uffs» were heard throughout the square like an echo. All the people of Zaragoza encouraged and protested each action as if it were the last. The image in the Aragonese capital was a real movie.
Spain dominated the match and with the attempts of Oyarzabal and Cucurella they were close to ecstasy, but the ball did not want to go in. Of course, the spirits did not drop at all among the public that continued with that dream of lifting the World Cup for the second time after the first 45 minutes.
TENSION WAS RISING
The game on the edge of the rules by the Argentines drove people crazy and the boos and complaints were constant. But the good work of Luis de la Fuente’s men who continued to dominate the party made the people gathered in the Plaza del Pilar continue to believe. Ferran Torres’ chance is the one that came closest to making the fans explode, but the scenario ended up being the same as during the first hour of the match.
With the entry of Mikel Merino and Nico Williams, the Zaragoza team was encouraged again. Merino’s star to score important goals made the desire and fervor rise, all this added to the fact that there were already 15 minutes to go.
The atmosphere was totally heated with the criminal, and unprofessional, tackle of Enzo Fernández on Cubarsí and the Chelsea midfielder was sent off on the verge of extra time. Added to this was a slight blackout on the main screen of the square that fired people up more to cheer them up even more.
FERRAN BECAME INIESTA
Extra time followed the same paths, but the anger of the crowd at the Pilar was absolute and thunderous with the goal disallowed to Nico Williams for an alleged foul, which clearly was not, by Merino on Otamendi. The alienation was total among the people who were incredulous by the action pointed out by the referee. Hearts were already on the verge of tachycardia with 15 minutes left in the second half of extra time before the fateful penalties.
Those magical minutes of 2010 were entered and Iniesta’s spirit invaded Ferran Torres for the striker to score as soon as the second half of extra time started. Madness took over the whole square, which deafened with its cry of joy and relief because sleep was very close.
Ferran’s disallowed goal was a bucket of cold water because the minutes were eternal waiting for the end to be reached with less than ten minutes to go. But the whistle, not without tension in between, ended up coming and all the tension was released in joy, tears of happiness and jubilation.
