Losing keeper so very proud
Spain arrived at the World Cup convinced they were ready to rule world football again but Sunday’s defeat to Russia in the last-16 has set the 2010 champions back a decade and brought an end to a glorious generation.
The idea that Spain could be sent home by the lowest-ranked team in the tournament would have sounded preposterous just a month ago, but as the minutes ticked by at the Luzhniki Stadium it seemed ever more likely.
Spain’s fate was sealed when goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev booted away Iago Aspas’s spotkick to cap a 4-3 shootout win for the hosts.
Perennial underachievers on the international stage, Spain rid themselves of that tag during a glorious cycle between 2008 and 2012 when they won back-to-back European Championships and a first World Cup.
But where they go from here is far from clear. They are without a coach and are soon set to be without many of the players that have been part of the set-up for so long.
Andres Iniesta confirmed his international retirement immediately after the game and Gerard Pique is set to join him.
“The end of a generation”, said the cover of newspaper AS.
The decision to dispense with long-time coach Julen Lopetegui days before the World Cup after he failed to tell the federation about his move to Real Madrid after the tournament was inevitably brought up.
While the decision, taken by federation president Luis Rubiales, had the backing of large sections of the media and influential former players like Xavi Hernandez, it unsettled the players who had worked with Lopetegui for two years.
Koke, who also missed in the shootout, said it had been hard to lose him.
Interim manager Fernando Hierro’s lack of coaching experience was there for all to see when he flapped on the sidelines, throwing on Dani Carvajal and Andres Iniesta after he had dropped them from the starting line-up.
Hierro seemed unsuited to his sudden transformation from director of football to head coach. –
– Kasper Schmeichel (above) could hardly have done more for his team in their World Cup clash with Croatia on Sunday but the Danish goalkeeper ended up in the unusual position of being both Man-of-theMatch and a loser.
Watched from the stands by his father Peter, Schmeichel saved a Luca Modric penalty late in extra time and another two spot-kicks in the shootout only for Croatia to progress to the quarterfinals.
“It’s a strange feeling – huge disappointment, but also enormous pride in our team,” the 31-year-old told a news conference.
“I’m talking not only about the 11 on the pitch, but everyone involved with the team, those who work for the team.”
After the match finished deadlocked at 1-1 after 120 minutes in large part due to Schmeichel’s save from Modric, Christian Eriksen, Lasse Schone and Nicolai Jorgensen all missed from the spot as Denmark went down 3-2 in the shootout.
The goalkeeper was not about to start apportioning blame, however.
“No, anyone who is brave enough to stand up and take penalty is a hero,” he said.
“Anyone who has the balls to take a penalty has my respect. This is a fantastic team. We will be back. It is important that we remember this feeling now and that we use it in the future.” –