“The city has been crazy since it became known that we were playing against the Atlético”. The phrase was premonitory of what would later be seen in the Prince Philip. A party, what am I saying, a party at a modest club in the Second RFEF, of a city like Caceresfar from First Division football today, which received a tribute with the arrival of the Atlético. Even though there were hundreds of red and white fans, the green tide of the fans of the Cacereño They almost completely filled the extra stands placed.
Those of Simeone They were wrong to underestimate a rival who had already thrown out the Girona, Córdoba o Alcorcon and what he had done to Real Madrid reach the 70′ of their match in this same scenario, to eliminate those of Julio Cobos.
The arrival of the ‘Dragoneta‘ of the Extremaduran team had already been Firstwith flares, smoke canisters, fireworks and scarfing. The local team had had a snack with a motivational video that had made them very excited. The previous one, with a list of music that would triumph in ‘Spotify‘ and an alignment to the rhythm of ‘The eye of the tiger’ of Survivormade people euphoric.
And as the first part progressed, even more so. A stand ‘on fire’ every time Diego one of the red and whites stopped. The stadium exploded when MerencioAfter half an hour, the surprise was signed. Great goal on the counterattack so that all the local fans could sing “yes we can.”
Simeone had seen it coming, in a bad defensive start, with players out of position. He was bracing, asking his people to come back quickly because Gallant was on the attack and Christian He got in there like a flash. With The Norman trying to recover, Azpilicueta on the run and alone Witsel defending, the Cholo He had already visualized the goal against as soon as the green and white team had made the first pass after recovering the ball. “Calm down, calm down!” asked the Argentine coach.
Al Atlético he was getting the same look of astonishment that he had in Leónbefore the Cultural; or in Cataloniabefore him Cornellà. Infamous days in mattress history Copa.
Simeone He no longer knew how to handle every occasion that his people failed. With his back to his typical ‘total black look’, in the first part with a long jacket, in the second, he had no coat left, just a gray tracksuit like the late night, due to the suffocation of what was happening in the green.
The decibels rose as the clock ticked. The stands touched him with their fingers. There were barely ten minutes left for the green dream to become the red-and-white nightmare. But there appeared Lenglet that silenced the stadium. The Frenchman’s tie, added to the immediate expulsion of Sanchofilled the local fans with concern, who confirmed their fears in the cruelest way, in a rebound of a shot from From Paul that misled a Diego which was being the best of the night. Not even the expulsion of Simeone raised the spirits of a crowd that said goodbye to their team with applause, proud of having put the Atlético against the ropes.
Walter Zimmerman
Chema G. Fuente
Chema G. Fuente
