They had come to enjoy this and they had come to compete too.
And so they did: going at Spain, this competition's most impressive team, giving everything and getting beaten, yes, but by no more than more illustrious footballing nations. A solitary strike from Ferran Torres did it.
Albania 0
Spain 1
Torres 13
Going through to the second round was beyond Albania but they always knew that. They knew it when they were put in a group with Italy, Croatia and Spain and they knew it by the time they arrived in Düsseldorf. The fact that Spain were through might have offered a glimpse of hope but Sylvinho had said that even the seleccion's B team could play the final, and still be favourite. But they came and they played.
Already through as group winners, concerned above all with opportunity and rest, Aymeric Laporte was the only member of Spain's initial lineup to have started a game. Between them, the eleven had played just 250 minutes. David Raya, officially still on loan at Arsenal, was among those getting his first, meaning that there were two Brentford goalkeepers out there. At the other end was Thomas Strakosha, completing an Albania staring XI made up of men playing in England, Spain, Russia, Romania, Turkey, Italy, Czech Republic and South Korea.
This story is from the June 25, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the June 25, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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