Spain, another champion eliminated from the 2018 World Cup in Russia

The brave Russian team won 4-3 on penalties and gave the surprise of the day, entering the quarterfinals.

Russian football is going through a revolution because it is becoming more and more a game similar to the history of the nation. Fighting, racing, resistance, suffering and triumph matches against stronger and more capable opponents. In short: the symbol of a country that has shown humanity that the will gives strength and that strength is materialized in desire and ends in deeds. Like this Sunday at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, with 78,011 spectators, mostly Russian, against a Spain who lost with the ball on his feet (79% possession), without hurting, far from it. be the team of South Africa 2010, simple, elegant and efficient, which riddled its rivals and walked without problems, without having any resistance. But that Sunday in the capital, Russia endured the little that everything Fernando Hierro offered, and was charged with the cries of the people who held every shot every clean passage and every reaction, as if it were a goal. (See here our 2018 Special Russia World Cup)

In fact, the support was the same, despite the fact that Sergei Ignashevich started to lose with a goal against his side after a fight in the region with Sergio Ramos. arch defended by Igor Akinfeev. And the breath grew and the fans understood the sacrifice of theirs, the dedication, the order and the passion with which they ran . And although Spain made the match a lethargy, with its boring touch and the heat that called the dream, the locals fired a penalty after a hand of Gerard Piqué in the box. Artem Dzyuba was in charge of generating the roar, the noise in unison and the content of the fans the resonance that modified the eardrum. And, from that moment, Russia itself was its best shield against the pressure, establishing a wall that, despite the small cracks, would not collapse.

Spaniards attack cocharon like waves bursting uncontrollably in a good jarillon. And Hierro, more active than his players, chose to send Andres Iniesta to court to do something different and infect the energy group. But the Barcelona player is left impregnated with the unnecessary break and, with the exception of two games controlled by goalkeeper Akinfeev, he could not create, let alone build . The party becomes repetitive, boring by passages and exciting in others, not by clear options but by the delivery of those led by Stanislav Cherchesov, a fat bald man with a big mustache, with the appearance of a Soviet soldier and who jumps like crazy in the technical zone, while he sneaks into each action. (Read: The last function of Iniesta: he played his last match with Spain)

And Spain discouraged from Hierro, the one that Julen Lopetegui gave up before starting this Cup of World, had no choice but to let time fade and give up the 15 minutes of the first overtime and the other 15 of the second, and the penalties and The conditioning of kicks with the boos and hisses of the people who loaded like a battery, and who charged their players during the 120 minutes the battle lasted. Of the 12 steps, the hierarchy did not weigh, but the courage of the less experienced. Koke missed, or better, the goalkeeper blocked his charge. Smolov, Ignashevich, Golovin and Cheryshev hit their shots, while Aspas sent the ball mid-way through the 32-year-old goalkeeper, Akinfeev, stretching his leg and being the hero. And some put to celebrate thousands. The reality was credible: Russia eliminated Spain and entered the top eight of the World Cup, against all odds

Relive the penalty with which Spain was eliminated from the Cup of the World 2018