The Spanish men’s football team beat the Dominican Republic (1-3) on Saturday in the second day of the group stage of the Paris 2024 men’s Olympic tournament, thanks to goals from Fermín, Álex Baena and Miguel Gutiérrez, thus certifying their passage to the quarter-finals with the third match of the group still to be played.
1
Enrique Bösl, João Urbáez, Edgar Pujol, Luiyi de Lucas, Nelson Lemaire (Rafael Núñez, min. 59), Omar de la Cruz (Óscar Ureña, min. 59), Ángel Montes de Oca, Francisco Marizán (José de León, min . 78), Heinz Mörschel (Josué Báez, min. 89), Nowend Lorenzo (Peter González, min. 45) and Edison Azcona
3
Arnau Tenas, Eric García, Pau Cubarsí (Jon Pacheco, min. 65), Juan Miranda (Miguel Gutiérrez, min. 65), Juanlu Sánchez, Fermín López (Beñat Turrientes, min. 76), Álex Baena (Diego López, min. 77), Sergio Gómez, Aimar Oroz, Pablo Barrios (Adrián Bernabé, min. 65) and Abel Ruiz
Goals
0-1 min. 23: Fermin Lopez. 1-1 min. 37: Ángel Montes de Oca. 1-2 min. 54: Alex Baena. 1-3 min. 69: Miguel Gutierrez
Referee Adel Ali Ahmed Khamis Al Naqbi
Yellow cards
Pau Cubarsí (min. 46), Jon Pacheco (min. 92)
Red cards
Edison Azcona (min. 45)
Santi Denia’s men lived up to expectations by beating Ibai Gómez’s team in the second match of the men’s Olympic tournament, who had Spain in trouble until Azcona was sent off for assaulting Cubarsi in the 45th minute of the match. Thus, ‘La Rojita’ is in the quarter-finals for the second consecutive Olympic Games. In addition, the good news of qualification could be even better if Egypt fails to beat Uzbekistan, as that would confirm Spain’s first place in Group C.
Spain started the match with a lot of control of the ball but without creating any danger on goal. As in the opening match against Uzbekistan, Santi Denia’s men were having a hard time finding depth in their game, even more so against a Dominican Republic team that was heavily defended by a line of five. Thus, the first great chance for ‘La Rojita’ would come in the 18th minute after a serious error by goalkeeper Bosl, who failed to get the ball out, giving a clear ball to Abel Ruiz who, however, did not get the shot right.
It would be the prelude to the first goal of the match. Once again, Spain put pressure on the Dominican goalkeeper, and he made a mistake. This time his effort ended up in the boots of Fermín López, who scored in a one-on-one situation with a low cross shot to put Spain ahead on the scoreboard in the 24th minute of the match. A goal that made the difference.
well done to Santi Denia’s men who had the chance to make it 2-0 with headers from Álex Baena and Abel Ruiz, a cross from inside the area.
Despite Spain’s dominance and lack of offensive ideas, the Dominicans were only one goal behind in the match. And so, after a mistake by Juanlu in the ball’s exit, a corner awarded by Santi Denia’s men would equalise the match. The set piece taken from the corner by Edison Azcona was headed by Montes de Oca into the back of Arnau Tenas’ goal, who could do nothing to stop it.
Spain’s reaction to the goal was good and, through the boots of Abel Ruiz and Sergio Gómez, the Spaniards would once again trouble Bosl’s goal. Although the most significant play before the break would not be a chance, but the aggression of the Dominican assistant who equalised on Pau Cubarsí that left Ibai Gómez’s team with fewer than one man on the stroke of half-time. An action that also led to a yellow card for Cubarsí, who will miss the match against Egypt due to an accumulation of cards.
The break seemed to have cleared Spain’s mind and the first chance to break the deadlock came just six minutes after the restart. A cross from Miranda, one of Spain’s best players in the match, ended with a shot slightly off target by Fermín. And just five minutes later, in the 56th minute, a shot from outside the area by Álex
Baena, deflected by a Dominican defender, ended up in the back of the net. Spain was ahead again on the scoreboard, this time with things even more in their favour thanks to their numerical superiority.
Already ahead on the scoreboard, Spain began to slow down the game, taking fewer risks with their passes, although without giving up on attacking. And in the 72nd minute of the match, a choral play by the Spanish team ended with a low cross from the right by Fermín that ended up falling at the far post to the recently incorporated Miguel Gutiérrez, who only had to push the ball in to make it 3-1 in the match.
A goal that relaxed Spain in the final stretch of the match, where the best combinations of the Denia team were seen, who had the chance to score the fourth goal of the match with a header from Eric García that went just a few centimetres over the crossbar, as well as with a shot from inside the area by Diego López that was met with intervention by the Dominican goalkeeper.
Finally, a 1-3 victory for Spain, which makes it the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals, and which makes the third group stage match against Egypt a mere formality, allowing Santi Denia to give rest to key players, as well as minutes to those who have had fewer opportunities in the first two games.
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