BINH DUONG
The Spanish team just beat Croatia in a penalty shootout to win the UEFA Nations League 2023 for the first time. This title may not be important but it will help strengthen the confidence for coach Luis de la Fuente and his team to find success at EURO 2024.
Spain players lift the 2023 Nations League trophy. Photo: Getty Images
The Nations League final at De Kuip Stadium (Netherlands) took place at a high pace but there were not many significant opportunities because both sides were cautious. 90 minutes and then 30 minutes of extra time passed without any goals being scored, forcing the two teams to enter a penalty shootout to determine the champion. In the nerve-wracking "shootout", Spain's central defender Aymeric Laporte missed the 5th kick. But luckily for him, his teammate Unai Simon made excellent saves in the 4th and 6th kicks of Croatia, creating the premise for Spain to win with a score of 5-4.
Spain have thus won the Nations League final for the second time. The Spanish team lost to France in the 2021 final. Having won the World Cup once and the EURO twice in the past 15 years, the latest title may not mean much to the Spanish team. However, this title will bring a lot of hope to Spain ahead of the EURO taking place in Germany in the summer of 2024. The last time Spain won a major title was EURO 2012 under veteran coach Vicente del Bosque.
The early exit from the 2022 World Cup was a disappointment for Spain but there are signs that current coach Luis de la Fuente, who took over after the World Cup, can lead La Roja into a new era of success. In Gavi and Pedri, Fuente has two of the best young midfielders in the world, while Rodri was outstanding in the semi-final and final of this year's Nations League. Rodri played 56 times for Manchester City in 2022-23 and was the hero who scored the winning goal that secured the club's first Champions League title last week, yet still had enough energy to contribute and was named man of the match in the Nations League final. The 26-year-old also became the first player to win man of the match in both the Champions League and Nations League finals. With a total of 4 major titles won with Man City and the Spanish national team this season, fans support Rodri to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or.
Before the recent Nations League final, the Spanish team had lost three times on penalty kicks, including losing to Russia at the 2018 World Cup, losing to Italy at EURO 2020 and losing to Morocco in the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup.
In the 2023 Nations League third-place match, Italy defeated the host team the Netherlands with a score of 3-2.
Source link
![[Photo] Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh receives Mr. Jefferey Perlman, CEO of Warburg Pincus Group (USA)](https://vstatic.vietnam.vn/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/4/18/c37781eeb50342f09d8fe6841db2426c)
![[UPDATE] April 30th parade rehearsal on Le Duan street in front of Independence Palace](https://vstatic.vietnam.vn/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/4/18/8f2604c6bc5648d4b918bd6867d08396)
Comment (0)