Spain won the strangest match in its history. During the centennial life of the national team, 715 matches have been played. There have been all kinds: friendly, official, thrashing, humiliation … but none like the one played on Tuesday against Lithuania. Vacation players summoned with just a few hours in advance, a single previous training session , ten debutants in the starting eleven and a coach who made his debut on the bench. But if we talk about premieres, he did it until the Butarque stadium, which also hosted his first absolute match in Spain . And all this while the footballers who would have to be on the grass watched it on TV in their hotel rooms in the Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas, confined with the sole thought of continuing to obtain negative results in the PCR tests that are going to be carried out. until the start of the Eurocup .
Because if this match was strange, it was also strange because the players who have played a game in preparation for the Euro Cup are not going to play it (or so it seems). Another thing is that it works for the Olympic Games , because many of them will be in charge of representing Spain in Tokyo … but not all of them. And it was strange because while Sergio Ramos , the player with the most caps in history (180), was at home without calling, the bracelet was worn by a Cucurella who was making his debut with Spain.
🚨 OFFICIAL | WE ALREADY HAVE THE ELEVEN HOLDER !!
👥 These are the players chosen by Luis de la Fuente to jump from the start to the Butarque lawn.
Go for victory, team !! 💪🏻 # SomosEspaña pic.twitter.com/1KQlZy03uE
– Spanish Soccer Team (@SeFutbol) June 8, 2021
That said, it’s time to stand up to applaud the boys and the acting coach, Luis de la Fuente , who just landed in his native Haro from Slovenia did not hesitate, after receiving the call from the RFEF to pack his bags and head to Madrid knowingly missing the festivities of such an important date for him as the day of La Rioja . But nothing was more important or generated as much pride as representing and defending the colors of Spain . So with the Lithuanian reports prepared by Luis Enrique’s team under his arm, he prepared a quick call and “to win”.
Goal at 158 seconds
And with that intention, Spain came out from the beginning. In just two minutes and without Lithuania smelling the ball, the Spanish players brushed the goal twice. First by a shot by Abel Ruiz . Then with another attempt by Bryan Gil that ended in a corner that was going to end in Guillamón’s goal after a good play by Manu García. Just 158 seconds it took the Valencia footballer to leave his name in history.
The game was completely controlled by a Spain , which, given its power, generated a sarcastic question: why doesn’t Luis Enrique summon these players for the European Championship ? The reality is that it was nice to see the Zubimendi, Villar, Brahim and company play. And the second goal was not long in falling. It was precisely the latter, the Madrid player on loan at Milan, with a cross shot inside the area, who beat a Svedkauskas who minutes later avoided the third by stopping a penalty from Abel Ruiz .
After the break, the game followed the same script. De la Fuente gave entry to Pozo and Miranda , who was going to score the third with a great free-kick. The hit of the Betis footballer jumped the barrier and when the Lithuanian goalkeeper wanted to get the ball he was already in the net. Spain could not be more comfortable in a match in which first Álvaro Fernández and then Josep Martínez were mere spectators from the goal.
There was still time for more. This time it was going to be the Espanyol player Javi Puado who was going to score the fourth to close the win in a match in which the improvised players of the National Team passed the test while leaving a message for the present and the future: «Here we’re”.
