Olympic Dream Survivors

This Thursday, 486 days later, 17 of the 33 players who took part in the Spain-Japan match of the semifinals of the Olympic Games of the country of the rising sun may meet again, again face to face, on a pitch. that’s it August 3, 2021 victory smiled on Spain, who prevailed 0-1 thanks to the only goal, in the 115th minute of extra time, from Marco Asensio.

The madridista is one of them 17 heroes of that meeting that will be the clash in which the Spanish and the Japanese seek the same goal: the ticket for eighth at the end of the World Cup, which are Luis Enrique They are closer than Hajime Moriyasu, the national coach of the Asian team.

Seven of the players used by Luis de la Fuente In that match, played behind closed doors at Saitama Stadium, they had a chance to reacquaint themselves with the Japanese. They are the aforementioned Marco Asensio and Unai Simón, Eric García, Pau Torres, Carlos Soler, Dani Olmo and Pedri.

And there could have been a few more if the injuries hadn’t been prevented Mikel OyarzabaIn Qatar now, as he was on August 3 in Saitama.

Of these seven mentioned, up to six started in that semifinal: everyone, except, strangely, the one who would eventually qualify Spain for the final with his goal, Marco Asensio.

Through Japanese sidethe list of players that can be repeated reach 10, where up to seven starters in the Olympic event. It was Sakai, Yoshida, Itakura, Endo, Tanaka, Kubo and Doan, all of whom were starters against La Rojita, and Soma, Maeda and Ueda, who took to the pitch at some point in that semifinal.

Many of them had starred in Japan’s previous matches until their appointment in Spain. Nope Take Kubowho did not play against Costa Rica (0-1 for the Central Americans), to the anger of the Real Sociedad player, who wants to ask for compensation against Spain for this anxiety and, if possible, also, which means to his country will leave the gate of the final of the Games football tournament.