Spanish football is going through its 'sweetest' moment in recent years. After winning the Euro Cup in Germany, Hispanics crowned a 'dream' summer in Paris by winning the gold medal at the Olympic Games. La Rojita knew how to suffer against France, and with the help of a 'monumental' Fermín López (he scored a double), they defeated the locals 3-5 in a 'heart attack' match and won the highest recognition at the international event.
Although the Spanish team was much superior for a good part of the 90 minutes, the game began with everything going against Santi Denia's team. At 10', Enzo Millot received the ball on the side of the area, being forced to take a left foot shot due to pressure from the La Rojita defense. The shot seemed saveable for Arnau Tenas, but the Spanish goalkeeper failed to block it and the ball ended up in the back of the goal.
The match was going 'uphill' for the visitors, but Fermín López dressed as a hero and took charge of the Spanish comeback. At minute 17, the FC Barcelona 'crack' received an assist from Álex Baena at the penalty spot and took a screwed shot to the long post of Restes' goal, who could do nothing against the midfielder's shot. However, the Andalusian's 'task' did not end there.
Just 7 minutes later, Juan Miranda sent a dangerous cross that was finished off at close range by Abel Ruíz. The Girona striker's shot was cleared by Restes, but the French goalkeeper's rebound remained alive in the six-yard box and López, like a 'railway without brakes', arrived from behind to send it to save and turn the score around.
Two minutes later, the emotional 'force' of the Spanish, generated by a phenomenal Fermín, produced a third goal that, at that moment, seemed definitive. Álex Baena joined the party with a free kick on the edge of the area. The Villarreal footballer executed the free kick perfectly, and beat a Restes who could only follow the blow with his eyes. On the stroke of half-time, Arnau Tenas made a miraculous save from Mateta's header and sent the teams to the locker room with land in the middle in Paris for gold.
Miracle in Paris
Upon returning from halftime, the squad led by Santi Denia found themselves trapped in their own field due to the attack of the team managed by Thierry Henry. The French, with little to lose and much to gain, prepared to 'ferociously' attack a Rojita that could only resist the 'attacks' of the Gauls. At 59', Koné sent a header to the crossbar, and 12 minutes later he shot at the goal again, but his shot was repelled by a great save from Tenas.
However, the insistence of the French would get him his reward. In the 79th minute, Michael Olise took a free kick from the edge of the area, which was deflected along the way by Akliouche and dislocated the Spanish goalkeeper, who could do little to avoid the discount. Later, and when Spain was 'tasting' the gold, Turrientes knocked down Kalimuendo in the area and, after reviewing the VAR, the referee awarded a penalty for the locals. From the eleventh step, Mateta beat Tenas and equalized the actions in the 93rd minute, sending the match to extra time.
La Rojita knew how to suffer to win
The French team maintained the trend at the end of the match and pushed to get the comeback goal, but the Spanish defended the result with their nails. Although during the first minutes of the first extra time they could barely cross the middle of the field, Sergio Camello would restore hope to the Santi Denia team and deal a blow to the morale of the French.
It was the 99th minute when Adrián Bernabé filtered a spectacular pass for the Rayo Vallecano forward to uncheck. In a 'burst' of inspiration, the striker finished his one-on-one against Restes by hitting the ball perfectly, remembering Fernando Torres' definition in that 2008 Euro Cup final against Germany. When the match was dying, Camello put the last 'nail' in the 'coffin' of the French with a definition practically identical to that of his first goal, sentencing the victory of a Spain that was determined to win its second major trophy in a summer of 'gold'.