New York welcomed the Spanish national team with some rain and a lot of heat, who after enjoying the night in Dallas celebrating, without fanfare, the sovereign dance against France in the World Cup semifinals, met again on Wednesday to have lunch, watch the Argentina match and, in the mid-afternoon, take a flight to the most iconic city in the world. However, the team has moved away from Manhattan and all that it entails to gather and be calm in a hotel in New Jersey, actually on the outskirts of New Jersey, 30 kilometers west of Times Square.
From Durban to Dallas, from Gelsenkirchen to Kiev: a route through the legendary matches of the Spanish national team
- Editorial: EDUARDO J. CASTELAO (Special correspondent)New York
The Luis de la Fuente team had no other choice, as FIFA assigned the Melanie Lane Training Ground as their training field for these days, which is even farther away, 50 kilometers from the skyscrapers. The families, of course, are indeed in Manhattan, since since last night, all the team’s focus is on the Sunday final against Argentina, a truly symbolic match after what happened in March with the famous Finalissima. And, within the team, despite the real messages that it was the collective that reached the final and it must be the collective that finishes the heroism, all eyes are on him, whether they want to or not.
Lamine Yamal is missing his big day. Everyone in the delegation is sure that day will come. “I have no doubt, and now there is only one left,” Luis de la Fuente endorsed his words from the previous day, right after finishing the match against France. The delegation is convinced that the youngest boy to debut with the national team (16 years and 57 days, September 2023 in Georgia, with a goal), the kid whose mischievous face flooded the screens of Times Square on Wednesday night (where hundreds of Argentines were already dancing and singing), the star who already is despite just turning 19 must make a big impact in the World Cup.
Almost everything has been said and written about his figure. He has been scrutinized with a magnifying glass since the tournament started, which he arrived at while still recovering from a muscle injury. It was not planned for him to play a single minute in the first match, but the Cape Verde wall brought out the most human side of the coach: if I have the good one for a little while, then I put him in, he must have thought. He put him in and stirred the pot a bit, but the draw stayed there and doubts about his physical condition too.
His stellar breakthrough, the only one so far, was against Saudi Arabia, in the second match. He scored a goal, the first of the match, and dispatched the opponent in a great half hour. He only played the first half. From then on (Uruguay, Austria, Portugal, and Belgium) he has had ups and downs. The coaching staff does not doubt him, among other things because he is the different player on this team. “We have never had a player like this in Spain, unbalancing, dribbling… Or who can give you the final pass. He is differential. Opponents arm themselves based on how they try to defend him,” explain De la Fuente’s staff.
His teammates also know about that different material they have in the locker room. That is why no one blames him for his seriousness after the round of sixteen match against Austria, where the team finally resembled itself and displayed good football obtaining a good victory. But since he had not scored, “he was upset, yes, but this type of player is always like that,” explains a teammate, who compares him to the character of Cristiano, Messi, etc… They are guys who, especially when they are this young, rejoice in the collective triumph, yes, but…
In the Tuesday celebration, still in the Dallas locker room, another teammate, who has a lot of influence over him, said: “We have come this far, now it’s your turn, kid,” and grabbed his head like a shaker. Not being well, because he is not at his best level, not even a step below his best level, Lamine is still the player who has made the most dribbles in the tournament. In total, there are 25 including the four he made in the match against France, precisely the night when the team looked for him the least. The play was focused on the left to always try to leave Lamine one-on-one against Digne, but it was not necessary. Spain progressed well on the other side and Lamine’s appearances were less significant.
That said, he caused the penalty, made a great play with Olmo in the first half that was not a goal by Fabián by a miracle, and scored a goal, that one was his, with all the brilliance he is capable of, although half the side being offside prevented it from being added to the scoreboard. With 51,455 kilometers covered so far in the tournament (the seventh most running in the national team), being the Spanish footballer who commits the most fouls (12, no more no less), which speaks of his commitment in defense, he focuses today on the final after a World Cup where he has been accompanied from the beginning, of course, by his brother and mother, but also two of his best friends, the person who helps him interact with the media, and a photographer accredited to the tournament just to follow him in every match.
He divides his time among all of them, as in Chattanooga, on the first day off, when they went in a luxury van to Nahsville to eat in a shopping center without anyone paying attention to them.
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