In Georgia-Portugal, the only one who wants to win the match is Kvara’s team. And she succeeded.
If a match between a team that is already certain of first place and is largely patched up and one that is three points away from writing the football history of its country gave us the suspicion that the motivational aspect could compensate for an important technical gap, less than two minutes are enough to confirm that football, thank goodness, is almost never an exact science. The first 92 seconds of Georgia-Portugal, those that lead to the goal of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, are a declaration of intent, a manifesto of an extremely asymmetrical stake. A ball lost in a somewhat superficial dribble, a voracious and very vertical counterattack, a roaring celebration. Georgia and Portugal are not playing the same game.
The goal at the start of Georgia-Portugal writes an almost apocalyptic score, although quite predictable, which sees Georgia taking refuge right from the start behind a very diligent 5-3-2, exasperated in its attitude by an unexpected advantage situation. The application almost devoted of the men of Sagnol, who look like little soldiers moved by an invisible hand, is bordering on moving in attempting to take away any space for the Lusitanians to unleash their qualities in the attacking midfield. Thus a kind of is formed tuna fishery to protect the door of the excellent Mamardashviliwhich limits the Portuguese initiatives to some feeble conclusions from the outside, opening up spaces on the other side for the gallops of Don’t miss it and of a possessed Khvicha Kvaratskheliawho slips like a skater between the red and green shirts.
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There is a photograph at a precise moment of this match, an image that is probably more significant than any explanation of the Georgians’ will to achieve this result, even more than the goals, even more than the quality play. AND Giorgios Gvelesiani, a thirty-three-year-old defender from Persepolis, who blocks Cristiano Ronaldo’s shot from a few meters away with his body, sending it into a corner. In that gesture there is the almost maniacal competition for attention played by the whole central trioformed by him, by the captain Kashia it’s yes Locoshvili. After Mikautadze’s 2-0, Georgia raises the barricades to bring home a historic result and not only manages not to concede a goal, but they almost never risk conceding it, except for the very last minutes of the game.
On the other hand, obviously, in Georgia-Portugal there is a decidedly underwhelming performance of what should be the second lines of the Portuguese national team. Coach Martinez orders turnovers for everyone except for Cristiano Ronaldo, a difficult choice both in light of the importance of the match and in view of the round of 16. The 7, always looking to improve his personal bests, ends up accumulating only a yellow card and a lot (too much) nervousness, without affecting the match in any way. The one who leaves his mark is instead a wretched Antonio Silva , who against his will enters the action of both Georgian goals, first with a lost ball and then with the foul which earns the penalty of doubling. Not exactly his night.
More generally, Martinez receives little from his reserves who, if they had to use this match as a showcase to carve out more space for themselves in the next phase, ended up wasting the opportunity. As mentioned, Portugal had nothing to play for this evening in Gelsenkirchen, but this performance probably did nothing but consolidate Martinez’s ideas on the men to focus on (and those not to focus on) in the decisive phase of this European Championship. For GeorgiaInstead, the story is already written, with the first historic arrival in the round of 16 of this competition. Sagnol’s men are treated to a prestigious match against Spain, which they will be able to face with the light-heartedness of those who are already beyond their expectations: the challenge is prohibitive, but with tonight’s enthusiasm, their fate is not yet sealed.
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2024-06-26 21:23:37
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