It is difficult not to make Ray Vallecano because he makes his role as the weak against the giants very well: a stadium where the grass is not green and perhaps nor is it grass, a stadium that does not improve because it gives the impression that someone is waiting to give their urban ball, a stand with dignity and with the awareness that he is defending an identity and a brave coach, aesthetic and with character, who planted his team, which he planted with Barcelona. It was several bodies superior to current champion and to which the draw, surely, like almost all the Rayists (almost everyone) the result, that point, must have seemed little.
Because if Barcelona did not win it was because Joan García is one of LaLiga’s great signings. Ter Stegen, in his injury, at home, will be understanding many things, while the former Spanish goalkeeper for. Against Ray, in Vallecas, he did a lot and very well. To Ratiu, who arrived alone, from Frutos, who wanted to haggle, all the Rayists except Fran Martínez, in the second part, after a corner kick, a goal that sounded like justice.
Barcelona had advanced before, in the first part, at the only time in which Lamine Yamal. Chavarria dried him and allowed himself the luxury of arriving by his band. But in the only one, Lamine stirred in the area, seemed to make a place when her score won the position and then hit with Lamine’s knee. The referee whistled penalties and var …
Ah, Var: In Vallecas there is a canvas instead of an area of tier, the Internet does not work to renew fertilizers, the grass, we already said it, it is better to imagine it and, of tip, the VAR worked. It is not known who the fault was, but during the first half the referee was without support, he turned to the football of another era, the one who misses some (or many). And yet, without var, the feeling was of insecurity, that the error was going to reign when it should not, that, in short, we had returned to a past not better. Mateo Busquets Ferrer whistled a penalty and nobody could whisper in his ear to doubt. The VAR may not even enter because there is a final contact in the play. But how he missed him.
The fact is that Barcelona got ahead in a match in which he did not make any merit. Unlike the clash against Levante, Flick did not want experiments in attack: he placed Raphinha on his side, with three above and Jong, Pedri and Dani Olmo behind. Nothing worked. Only Raphinha was looking for depth and only Pedri wanted to control the ball, which should not be easy.
But it is that the ray went for all the time, with the score at zero, with the stop of Joan Garcia, with the score against, with the Stadium silent for strike, with the score against or with the feeling of injustice.
It was exciting to see the small team become big, hurt the bands, hurry the off -game line well or keep the game’s command.
With Ratiu and Chavarria putting highways on his band and with a defense he never hesitated, the ray of an indefatigable Isi did not sink into the break, which would have been easy. He had more speed, more football and more opportunities, but was losing. He tied in the most unexpected way, after a corner kick and never, despite tiredness, he threw back.
You know: better to die standing. Better, not even die.