A last unforeseen event before the final
A thunderstorm forces the Spanish selection to cancel the last training session
BarcelonaThe security protocol in New York State in case of an electrical storm is very strict and prevents any outdoor activity if there are less than 30 seconds between a lightning strike and the accompanying thunder. Furthermore, activities cannot resume until at least half an hour has passed since the last thunder. For this reason, the Spanish team was unable to hold its last training session before the World Cup final. The team coached by Luis de la Fuente could not step onto the pitch at the Melanie Lane Training Ground in New Jersey and had to settle for an activation session in the gym. Argentina had better luck. In their case, they only had to postpone training by 45 minutes at the Red Bull Academy in Morristown: it rained on them, but they were able to train without further impediments.
It was the last setback of a World Cup that has felt eternal for the finalists, who were tasked with playing the last of 104 matches in a competition that has lasted 39 days, more than ever before. With heat, time zone changes, many kilometers by plane, mandatory hydration breaks, and a musical show at halftime of the final that will extend the break beyond the usual 15 minutes. "Before starting, I met with the players and explained how this unique World Cup would unfold. And I told them: 'Gentlemen, things are as they are.' Since we cannot change it, we must accept it, adapt, and enjoy it," confessed De la Fuente on the eve of a match that will be played at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey with the Slovenian Slavko Vincic as the main referee. "I only ask for one thing, that he is not permissive," he added.
The Spanish coach, winner of a European Championship and a Nations League, could be the first manager to achieve the treble of titles – it should be noted that the Nations League is a tournament created in 2018. And he does so by leading a golden generation that has Lamine Yamal as its spearhead. The winger from Rocafonda, despite not being able to play the World Cup at 100% due to the muscle injury he suffered a month and a half before the start, has been decisive in all matches of a red team that has amazed with solid, attractive, and always offensive play. "We will fight with all our weapons and with our virtues to try to minimize the opponent," he explained, while proudly speaking of his team's footballers: "The secret, above all, is to feel well accompanied".
There is only one doubt in Spain's starting eleven: whether Pedri or Fabián will play. There are no doubts in goal, in the hands of Unai Simón, nor in defense, where Pedro Porro and Pau Cubarsí have amazed the world, well accompanied by Laporte and Cucurella. Nor in the starting position of a Rodri who is experiencing a second youth, nor in Olmo in the attacking midfield or the attacking trio formed by Lamine, Oyarzabal and a Baena who, due to a succession of injuries, has hit the jackpot and has ended up being the reference on the left wing. The coach will have to decide whether to trust the Barcelona midfielder again, who had not been precise in the first matches, or to trust Fabián again, who, with two goals, helped the national team qualify for the grand final.
Spain seeks its second star
It would be the second star for Spain, the symbol embroidered on the shield to identify the times a national team has won the World Cup. The first was in 2010 and since then, la roja had not progressed beyond the group stage (2014) or the round of 16 (2018, 2022). It is the second time they have contested the title match and they do so as favorites, even though neither the coach nor the players seem to accept this role.
Argentina has three stars. The reigning champion has reached the final against all odds. No one expected this performance from a team that, in relation to the Qatar tournament, seemed to have taken a step back in competitive terms. But albiceleste is measured not only by their play but also by their courage, which helped them to come back from 2-0 down against Egypt in the last 15 minutes or to overturn a 0-1 deficit against England in the final five minutes. "When you see the people, how happy they are with our victories, how they celebrate... it touches your heart. We play for them. In a World Cup, unity is fundamental," commented Lionel Scaloni.
Spain and Argentina were already set to face each other in the Finalissima, a match between the champions of Europe and South America that was to be played in Qatar, but which was suspended due to the conflict in Iran. Scaloni explained that they had already thoroughly analyzed the game of la roja at the time and that he knew how to "exploit the Argentine virtues" and "harm the areas where [Spain] may suffer". But it doesn't seem easy for them to contest possession of the ball, so the great hope for albiceleste will once again be the uncontainable Leo Messi, who is vying to be the World Cup's top scorer.