Nations League Finals: Simon the hero for Spain
Unai Simon made two fantastic saves in a penalty shoot-out as Spain edged out Croatia.
Unai Simon was the hero for Spain as they triumphed over Croatia 5-4 on penalties in the Nations League final.
After a cagey 0-0 draw in Rotterdam on Sunday, Simon came up big for Spain with two fantastic saves in the shoot-out.
Having dived to his left to keep out Lovro Majer’s effort, Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Simon lunged the opposite way to palm Bruno Petkovic’s attempt wide.
Simon’s second save came after Aymeric Laporte had hit the crossbar to send the shoot-out to sudden death. Dani Carvajal, however, subsequently kept his cool with a deft Panenka to seal the deal.
Spain had the better chances of regulation time, with Dominik Livakovic almost fumbling one into his own goal early on, while Ansu Fati had a late strike cleared off the line, while Marcelo Brozovic and Rodri traded long-range efforts in a nervy extra-time period.
The victory marks Spain’s first piece of silverware since their dominant era between 2008 and 2012, when they won successive European Championships and the World Cup.
It also gets new coach Luis de la Fuente off to a strong start, as Spain look to rebuild following a frustrating campaign in Qatar last year.
QUICK QUOTES
Dani Carvajal (via Marca)
“Very happy, for us it was a unique opportunity. We were knocked out early in other tournaments and today we had to take advantage of it. We had confidence in the penalties, I knew how I would take mine and I knew I would be the sixth taker. I gave a motivational talk in the locker room and I got emotional. I wanted to try out a Panenka and it turned out well.”
Rodri (via Marca)
“It was a very difficult game. This generation promises a lot. We have been very strong mentally. There are things to improve, but we [deserved] to win. You have to celebrate it.”
The final came after Italy had defeated the Netherlands 3-2 to seal third place for the second successive Nations League campaign.
Federico Dimarco and Davide Frattesi had Italy 2-0 up by the 20th minute, though substitute Steven Bergwijn pulled one back for the Netherlands midway through the second half.
Parity was short-lived, though, with Frattesi adding an assist to his name when he played in Federico Chiesa, who made no mistake after he was given space by Virgil van Dijk.
Georginio Wijnaldum’s last-minute strike, which came after Wout Weghorst saw a goal disallowed, set up a grandstand finale, but the tournament hosts fell short.
QUICK QUOTES
Roberto Mancini
"We played really well in the first half, but looked very tired after the break. It was important to get the win. Overall, the signs are positive.”
Federico Chiesa (to Sky Italia, via Football Italia)
“We are ready, I think we proved that over the last few years. There is talent in Italy, it just needs to be used properly.
“Mancini has done that with great courage, bringing through players like for example Nicolo Zaniolo for international duty before he had even played a single Serie A match.
“There were some wonderful moments, some less great, but this is football and we can look to the future with positivity.”
By Patric Ridge