Los jugadores de Villarreal y Manchester United mostraron nervios de acero para protagonizar una tanda para el recuerdo
No se trata de azar. Se dice habitualmente que ganar o perder en una tanda de penaltis depende de tener buena o mala suerte. Pero la realidad es que no es así. Los lanzamientos desde los once metros no tratan de lanzar una moneda al aire. Antiguamente, por cierto, ese era el método utilizado para desempatar un partido de fútbol que necesitaba un vencedor y un vencido siendo incapaz de encontrarlos. Ahora no. En la actualidad se decide desde el punto fatídico. Y aunque los nervios obviamente influyen, al final se trata más de destreza y atino (con el temple haciendo de las suyas) que de simple fortuna. Esta vez ese punto fatídico resultó extraordinaria y maravillosamente halagüeño para el Villarreal.
Ni el más perverso de los guionistas podría haber escrito una tanda como la vivida este miércoles en el Arena Gdansk. En total, 22 lanzamientos. Ejecutaron uno cada uno de los jugadores (porteros incluidos) que estaban sobre el verde cuando sonó el pitido final. Todos los lanzamientos fueron entre los tres palos, y solo el de uno de los guardametas fue frustrado por su homónimo. Una locura.
En este sentido es de recibo destacar que a excepción del de Luke Shaw, que Rulli rozó, y del De Gea, no hubo ni el más mínimo atisbo del efecto que acostumbra a suceder en las tandas. Los nervios del momento hacen que habitualmente se vean disparos más dubitativos que certeros. Muy diferentes a los que acontecen durante un partido en juego. Esta vez no fue así. Todos menos el mencionado estuvieron muy bien tirados. Incluso el de Dani Raba, que pudo parecer que no cuando en realidad lo que pasó es que aplicó a las mil maravillas (y con nervios de acero) lo de esperar la décima de segundo necesaria para saber antes de chutar hacia donde se había lanzado De Gea. El Villarreal fue mejor que el Manchester United en esa tanda de penaltis. No mucho, pero fue mejor. Y por ello, recorriendo el balón 21 veces los once metros que separan el punto de penalti de la línea de gol, encontró el camino hasta la gloria eterna.
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