As of: 06/28/2021 8:33 p.m.
In a crazy European Championship round of 16, Spain prevailed against Croatia. The game begins with a curious mistake by Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon. Luis Enrique’s team then scores twice in extra time.
At the end of the craziest EURO 2020 game to date, Spain cheered. Luis Enrique’s team moved into the quarter-finals on Monday (June 28th, 2021) after a 5: 3 (3: 3) win after extra time. The Spaniards looked like the sure winner until shortly before the end of the 90 minutes. The Croatians fought their way back completely unexpectedly and with enormous will – only to leave the field as a loser. Next Friday (6 p.m.), the Spaniards will meet the winner of the game France against Switzerland in Saint Petersburg.
It was a day that Unai Simon will probably never forget. A game that will burn itself deeply into his memory – and probably also into that of the entire country. Because it was so dramatic. But also because it was so strange. The goalkeeper of the Spanish national team made inglorious history for his country in this round of 16. He and Pedri scored the first own goal in a European Championship finals in a bizarre teamwork – and what a strange one.
Actually a small thing for a football professional
It was one of those gates where the viewer wonders how such a disaster can come about. After 20 minutes, Pedri had played a back pass from the center line to Simon, who was posted about ten meters from the goal line. It was a sharp but purposeful pass that came up to the 24-year-old. Actually a little something for every professional goalkeeper.
While Simon’s team-mates were already freeing themselves again, Simon wanted to stop the ball with his foot in a mixture of deceptive security and lack of concentration. Actually an everyday situation. The ball jumped over Simon’s foot and rolled out of reach into the Spanish goal. UEFA attributed the goal to Pedri, probably because he last touched the ball. Simon’s greater complicity in this was obvious.
Sarabia scores to equalize
It was the surprising 1-0 of the previously defeated Croatians who were lucky not to have fallen behind by then. Koke and Alvaro Morata had previously missed two good opportunities from close range too frivolously. It took the Spaniards a few minutes to recover from the shock before returning to their possession game. And 18 minutes later, Pablo Sarabia furiously thrashed the ball from 16 meters into the mesh of the Croatian goal.
As a result, the Spaniards remained the dominant team. And anyone who believed that Simon would get nervous flutter every time he approached the ball was mistaken. His teammates were still looking for the goalkeeper as a pass. And Simon, who is under contract at Athletic Bilbao on a day-to-day basis, acted as if this momentous mistake had never happened to him.
Simon – from unlucky to hero
He always came out of his goal attentively when the Croatians counterattacked, showed a good positional play and kept calm with his passes. With a shot by the Croatian Josko Gvardiol from seven meters, he saved the interim lead with a brilliant save. From unlucky person to hero – it can happen that fast in football.
Everything seemed to be going well for Spain: Cesar Azpilicueta headed the 2-1 for the Spaniards after 57 minutes. Ferran Torres increased after a counterattack to 3: 1 (77th). The game seemed decided. But: Croatia did not give up. Five minutes before the end, the Croatians scored the 3-2 out of the crowd, Mislav Orsic pushed the ball from one meter over the Spanish goal line. And in stoppage time, Mario Pasalic equalized 3: 3 with a header. Substitutes scored both goals. Goalkeeper Simon was not to blame for either goal.
Spain ice cold twice
The Croatians had reached extra time in the last second, in which they made two fatal mistakes. Alvaro Morata scored after a positional error by Josip Brekalo to make it 4: 3 (100th). Mikel Oyarzabal increased three minutes later after a perfectly carried counterattack to make it 5: 3. Before that, Simon had shown an incredible reflex when Andrej Kramaric shot to prevent the Croatians from making a fourth goal – and smooth the victory for his team. A happy ending for Spain – and for Unai Simon.
Source: sportschau.de