Alexia Putellas received in the three-quarter zone, turned and connected with Irene Guerrero while launching the uncheck vertically. The Andalusian understood the movement and put a chopped pass and with music – it could well be that of Carmina Burana by Carl Orff – over the defense. Alexia lowered the ball with her left foot and with the instep of her right, his bad leg, she signed a Vaseline that ended in a goal. The Spanish player made the plane to receive the heartfelt hug from her teammates, also a bump on the nose after a teammate collided with another and this one with Alexia’s face. But that didn’t hurt. That was holy water because he finally closed the circle on the day of his return with Spain, the night they swept Panama without remission with a resounding 7-0.
Alexia emanated emotion while the hymn was playing, looking straight ahead, clenched jaw and a slight snort, maximum concentration. He was no wonder, since he started for the first time in a tough and suffocating season, since, a professional like few others, she did not know how to fill in the hours during her injury. His thing had always been football, training and competition. But in Avilés, with 11 on his back, his beloved number because it reminds him of his idol Rivaldo, he returned to his home.
SPAIN, 7 – PANAMA 0
Spain: Mass; Batlle, Codina (Gálvez, d. 62), Jana, Carmona; Putellas (Fiamma, d. 62), Guerrero (Oroz, d. 46), María Pérez; Cardona (Del Castillo, m. 62), Esther González (Redondo, m. 46) and Eva Navarro.
Panama: Bailey; Castillo, Espinosa (Salazar, m. 46), Pinzón, Baltrip, Jaén; Montenegro (Quintero, m. 77), Schiandra González; Mills (Cedeño, m. 62), Riley (Hernández, m. 89) and Cox (Tanner, m. 62).
Goals: 1-0. M. 7. Esther González. 2-0. M. 22. Whores. 3-0. M. 29. Espinosa (pp). 4-0. M. 36. Guerrero, penalty. 5-0. M. 42. Esther González. 6-0. M. 43. Eva Navarro. 7-0. M. 67. Del Castillo.
Referee: Eleni Antoniou (Greece).
Roman Sanchez Puerta (Aviles). 3,611 spectators. A minute of silence was observed for the death of Irene Paredes’ father.
Her misfortune happened on July 5 of the previous year, when while trying to haggle with a teammate, she heard a discouraging crack, a crunch in her left knee that left her cruciate ligaments virulé. There were three days left for the Euro Cup to begin and many more for her to see the light, perhaps that February 3 when she touched the ball for the first time and began to cry. Hours in the gym, of sweat, of dignifying the trade with effort and tenacity, of a search to rediscover herself as the best in the world, since hers have been the last two Ballon d’Ors. “I have not felt fear. But it has crossed my mind not to be myself on the field again ”, Putellas resolved, that she has never been very talkative, but that every word she releases makes sense. And in Avilés she clarified that for her soccer is like riding a bike, since after a couple of passes she showed that she had not forgotten, quite the contrary.
It may be that he did not have the necessary rhythm yet – he has barely played a few minutes with Barça in the last duels of the year, none of them as a starter – but he did have football and the game in his head. And he soon explained that there is Alexia for everyone, since any attacking play went through his boots, a borderline required to develop indoor soccer. Located between the lines, capable of shaping up before receiving, adept at finding the gaps with the pass or with the drags, he showed that his influence on the mat is unmatched. Like that pass to Carmona’s career that he ended up in a center that almost did not celebrate a goal. Or like that assistance to the unmarking of Esther González, who finished a little high. He even had his chance after a lateral freekick from Irene Guerrero, alone at the far post and misguided trying to hit the long post with an inside drive that Bailey cleared in time.
But then he got even with Vaseline, the second goal of a Spain that made a monologue against Panama, a team that will also be in the World Cup and that did not even reach the sole of the shoe, a sign that La Roja is among the greats, perhaps with England, Germany, France, Brazil and the United States… Joy, then, was uncorked by Esther González after finishing off a corner kick launched by Guerrero with her head. The omnipresent midfielder, who she also defined from the penalty spot and who catapulted the play that linked Alexia and Olga Carmona, a cross that Espinosa scored into her own goal. But it was non-stop; Esther scored another goal and Eva Navarro holed out after a counter. Six as many as six soles in one act, a game that no longer had history left, perhaps the hunger of a Spain that will soon go to the World Cup in search of El Dorado.
And there was gazuza because Vilda’s final list arrives today, because for many it was the last chance to convince the coach. But Spain, always with the ball tied to their boots, lost their verticality, even though Alba Redondo almost scored with a header and Alexia with a right-footed kick after a cut. The fang was missing and the wheel of changes arrived, so the legs were revitalized, the goal festival was continued by Athenea with a left-footed shot from inside the area.
It was a duel in which Spain clarified that there are no quarrels with the players who in their day chose not to be summoned, but, above all, it was Alexia’s 101th match with the national team —also Jorge Vilda’s 100th on the bench— , his return to ownership before the injury. Changed in the 62nd minute so as not to force, Alexia made her debut for Spain again 10 years and 1 day after his debut. And, happy for the return and for the beating in Panama, he closed the circle.
Vilda gives today the final list of the 23 players for the World Cup
Two weeks have passed since the coach Jorge Vilda offered the list for the World Cup, 30 players who would compete among themselves for the 23 final places to go to New Zealand and Australia, where Spain will face Costa Rica (July 21), Zambia ( 26) and Japan (31). Today, starting at 1:00 p.m., the federation will communicate the list through social networks. An hour later, the technician will offer a press conference to argue his choices.
The team first concentrated in Benidorm for a few days to do sessions on the mat in the morning and in the gym in the afternoon. It was about clarifying the idea of the game, highlighting the tactical aspects, also working on the strategy and, in addition, uniting in a group that suffered after 15 players decided after the last Eurocup to rule out being summoned because they were dissatisfied with the professionalism of the federation and the treatment received by the team. After months of friction, the coach and President Rubiales held talks with the players and peace was reached in many cases, to the point that almost all of them sent an email requesting to return to the team. Among them, Aitana Bonmatí, Mariona Caldentey and Ona Batlle were summoned for the shortlist. And everything seems to indicate that they will also be in the World Cup.
After playing against Panama, Spain will once again concentrate on Las Rozas, as they have done this week, and on July 2 they will leave for Denmark to play one last friendly. On the 7th he will travel to New Zealand.
You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes on Facebook and Twitteror sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.
2023-06-29 21:26:23
#Alexia #Putellas #closes #circle #Spains #win #Panama #Sports