Óscar Maya Belchí |
Sports writing (EFE) the final of the European sub-21, the fifth in the last seven editions, on Saturday against England.
Despite not resembling the match that both teams played eight days ago on the last day of the group stage, when coach Santi Denia carried out massive rotations with the already qualified team, he did once again reveal something that already happened in that match: Ukraine’s defensive errors.
And this time Spain did take advantage of them. Of course, before he had to suffer the excellent level of the Chelsea attacker, Mykhaylo Mudryk, who got Víctor Gómez into trouble again and again in each action and in each face-to-face.
After a couple of dangerous shots from Santi Denia’s men, it was Ukraine who did not warn and did score. Mudryk left Víctor Gómez on the ground and served the ball for the entry of Artem Bodnarenko, who made it 0-1 in the 13th minute, in his team’s first dangerous play.
Of course, Spain, which was better from the beginning, did not take long to react. A long ball from Víctor Gómez -suffering behind, but demonstrating his great quality in long services and crosses- was taken advantage of by Abel Ruiz after an error by Volodymyr Brazhko, soft when it came to protecting the ball, and by goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin, who he threw himself, unsuccessfully, at the feet of the Spanish ‘9’ to try to snatch the ball from him.
Abel Ruiz tied, who equaled Gerard Deulofeu against Ukraine as the player with the most caps (35) in the lower categories of Spain, from sub-17 to sub-21. And, barring a setback in the form of injury, he will surpass him in the final.
A final on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. CEST (-2 GMT) against England in which Spain will be thanks, first, to the goal of Oihan Sancet in the 24th minute, only seven after the 1-1.
Juan Miranda climbed up the left wing, Abel Ruiz touched the back-heeled ball and, after brushing against Alex Baena, it reached Oihan Sancet on the edge of the area, who, showing off his ability to score, scored the 2-1 with a good shot, strong, down, with the right leg.
Spain removed the pressure and the doubts after the conceded goal, which only surfaced when Mudryk, desperate for the fouls received, caught the ball. In a Ukrainian team in which the touch game is non-negotiable, Mudryk was the ‘X’ factor.
Arnau Tenas saved the equalizer in the 40th minute with a scissor shot by Danylo Sikan after another action by the Chelsea footballer on the left flank, easily leaving Víctor Gómez behind.
For this reason, Santi Denia changed sides to his wingers and Sergio Gómez, converted to a left back two seasons ago at Belgian Anderlecht although he plays as a winger with Spain under-21, moved to the right side with the aim of helping Víctor Gómez to contain to Mudryk. But the key to Spain was in attack.
Abel Ruiz overflowed with confidence during the match, providing fluidity and extra time for his teammates’ second-row arrivals; and in one of these actions it was 3-1. He held the ball inside the area, shot with his rabona to give continuity to the play and Bondarenko’s poor clearance was picked up by Antonio Blanco to shoot first and double the advantage in the 54th minute.
There are no two without three. And so it happened with the goals from outside the area of Spain. Aimar Oroz signed up for the win with a good shot hitting the long post from the left corner of the area in the 68th minute that dashed the few hopes that a Ukrainian team had that, despite going ahead on the scoreboard, was outclassed for Spain.
Sergio Gómez was in charge of closing the scoring in minute 78, putting the final 5-1 that makes Spain reach its fifth final in the last seven editions of the European Under-21 and that the generation of 2000, trained by Santi Denia, keep chasing a never-before-seen treble, having already won the U-17 and U-19 continental tournament.