B16: The spaniards victories after a tight game
ED Moratalez from Spain kept a clean sheet against a strong Latvian team and could celebrate the win after their two goals. Juan Berzosa Meseguer scored the first one and assisted to the other one. ”My own performance was good but I couldn’t have done it without help from the team”, the man of the match says.
The final in Boys 16 turned out to a tight game between two European teams that both have displayed some fine football during the tournament. The Latvians tactic in the match was to find their two top scores Artjoms Puzirevskis (8 goals) and Lukass Vapne (7 goals). Meanwhile the spaniards tried to hurt the Latvians in counterattacks.
”The Latvians was very good but I’m very happy that we won”, Juan Berzosa Meseguer says.
ED Moratalez has had an impressive run on their way to the final. Only two goals conceded in their nine games before the final and it was their defense that ones again proved to be too hard for the opponent to conquer. The Latvians tried and tried. But either the Spanish goal keeper Daniel Gutiérrez Álvarez made good saves or the ball went wide.
”We’ve had a very good defense the whole tournament. And we’ve also scored a lot. I think we are a solid team both offensively and defensively”, Juan Berzosa Meseguer says.
The first goal in the match came after nine minutes. After a throw in the Latvian defense couldn’t decide who was going to take the ball, Juan Berzosa Meseguer took advantage of that and scored his fifth goal of the tournament.
The spaniard had a golden opportunity to extend their lead late in the first half but Meseguers shot from short range went to high. In the second half the spaniards made it hard for the Latvians to produce goal opportunities. Artjoms Puzirevskis had their best chance with ten minutes to go but the Spanish keeper denied the Latvian top scorer.
To be ahead with only one goal is fragile but in the last minute ED Moratalez decideded the game when Meseguer unselfish passed the ball to David Calle Hidalgo who with ease scored. Euphoria both on the pitch and among the spaniards in the stands.
”That was a moment of pure joy”, Meseguer says.
ED Mortalalez sends a team to Gothia Cup in B16 every year. Three years ago they lost the final. This time the stars were in line for the team from Madrid. The coach Juan is proud over his teams effort.
”It’s been high level on the other teams, especially in the playoffs. The players was tired in the legs today but they played with their heart and minds”, he says.
SKF Latvia – ED Moratalaz
0-1 Juan Berzosa Meseguer, 0-2 David Calle Hidalgo
Yellow cards: Klavs Spalva, Lukass Vapne – both SKF Latvia
Red cards: –
MVP: Juan Berzosa Meseguer (ED Moratalez)
