User:OEWL24/sandbox/Denmark v Spain (UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying)

The Denmark v Spain was an European Qualifier match that occurred on 13 October 2007 as part of the Euro 2008 Qualifying. It was held at NRGi Park, In Aarhus, Denmark

Background
That qualifying round for Spain was marked by defeats in Belfast against Northern Ireland (3-2) and in Stockholm against Sweden (2-0). Two defeats in three games left Spain and Luís Aragonés with no margin for error. The 2-1 victory over Denmark at the Bernabéu and three other consecutive wins set the course. However a draw in Iceland 1-1. Everything was pending what happened in Denmark.

The defeat against Northern Ireland marked the end of Raúl in the national team. Before the game he claimed a series of demands that Luís Aragonés took as a mutiny on board. After losing in Belfast, the coach removed the 《hard core》 of that team (Cañizares, Raúl and Salgado) and decided to start a new stage. Coexistence improved in the national team and based on agonizing victories and bad football, the decisive match against Denmark was reached alive.

Match
In the hours leading up to the decisive match in Aarhus, David Villa falls injured. The press takes advantage of Guaje's absence to fantasize about Raúl's possible return to the national team, but Luís Aragonés decides to call Raúl Tamudo. In the training before the game, it is Fernando Torres who is injured, giving ownership to the newly arrived Espanyol attacker. Without his two starting center forwards and with the added absences of Silva and Puyol, Luis sets up an eleven full of midfielders. Iniesta, Xavi and Cesc Fàbregas coincided in the ideal eleven for the first time in the Aragonese stage.

It was not easy for Spain to maintain the advantage when Denmark, forced by emergencies, turned towards Casillas' goal. The Nordics claimed one more possible penalty by Cesc and created several scoring opportunities that could change the course of the match. Denmark wasted their chances and Spain began to take pleasure in having the ball.

Before the break, the Spanish team staged their new style with a new goal that started a new era, that of Tiki-Taka. 28 touches and just over a minute later, Sergio Ramos finished a historic play. That goal not only put them with a foot and a half in the Eurocup, but finally gave them a style of play, a route to follow in search of triumphs.

In the second part Denmark continued to insist in search of the comeback. The Danes created many opportunities, smashing two balls into the posts and making Casillas the best player of the night. Thomasson's goal in the 87th minute jeopardized the victory of Spain, who had some fortune in that game. Only two minutes later Riera, who debuted that night. he scored a great goal from outside the area to leave the match sentenced (1-3)

Details


Aftermath
After Aarhus, Spain finished first in the group in qualifying. Players like Tamudo, Riera or Albeda fell from that list in Aarhus. In their place came others with more talent such as Senna, Xabi Alonso, Cazorla or the injured that night (Silva, Puyol, Villa and Torres). With them and the 3 midfielders from La Masia (Xavi, Cesc and Iniesta), Luís Aragonés formed a perfect group in which the ball was the most important element of a team in which the privileges and egos of the past disappeared.

In Austria the team was superior to all its rivals, overcame the quarter-final complex against Italy and would lift the trophy the European champion trophy 44 years later. In Vienna the work of Aragonés would finish, who offered the witness to Vicente del Bosque so that he could finish the job. With the Salamanca coach they became World Champions and European Champions again. Without a doubt, in Aarhus the legend of the Spain of Tiki Taka began.