Today, June 22, marks the 20th anniversary of the Spain-South Korea in the 2002 World Cup. One of the biggest robberies, if not the biggest, that the team has suffered in its entire history. the red of camacho The pass to the semifinals of the World Cup was at stake and nobody in Spain wanted to miss that. Something that should be noted because the game was played on a Saturday at 8:30 a.m. on the peninsula. Proof of this is that 11.5 million people watched the penalty shootout of that game.
That team managed to get Spain up early on a Saturday to get in front of the television to watch the game. “You were going to get up on a Saturday at 8 in the morning for something other than football”, was heard in more than one house that day -in mine, for example- in which the fans expected to see The team will go to the semifinals of a World Cup.
Between coffees, toast, buns and the typical breakfast, the fans got ready to see Camacho’s men against South Korea, a rival that seemed inferior to the Red. The spirits, in houses and bars, were high. From there they went to nerves and absolute anger watching the arbitration performance. An anger that became palpable, first, with the goal annulled to Deck of cards for alleged lack of Helguera and, later with another disallowed goal to Dying because according to the referees, the ball was out of the field when Joaquin center. Something that was perfectly seen that it had not been so. The referees were told anything but handsome in the houses and bars of the country.
In spite of everything, the confidence, the faith in the national team remained intact and the fans were convinced that despite the referee, Spain was going to win. Until the penalty shootout. From faith he passed to nerves and then to disappointment after Joaquín’s failure and the goodbye, once again, of the team in the quarterfinals of a great competition. Disappointment and tremendous anger of a crowd that got up early to see a pass to the semifinals of the national team and ended on Saturday thinking that they had robbed us. A feeling that 20 years later is still very much alive.
Manuel Bruna
