Friday, May 18th, 2012
Spain cruised through to the final of the under-19 European Championships for the second time in two years with a 5-0 demolition of Ireland in Chiajna.
Goals from Gerard Deulofeu, Pablo Sarabia, Juanmi and two more for the competition’s top-scorer Álvaro Morata helped put a convincing look upon a game in which the Spaniards were never troubled.
Sergi Gomez nearly opened the scoring with a free-kick that struck the post on the 20 minute mark. Only a matter of minutes later though the first goal did arrive through the dazzling feet of Barcelona wonder-kid Deulofeu, showing his trademark shimmy to cut inside the box and fire wonderfully across Aaron McCarey in the Irish goal.
La Furia Roja were now in full-flow and only a poor finish from Deulofeu and fine keeping from McCarey to deny Sarabia kept the score at 1-0.
However five minutes before half-time the Irish defence was breached again by another fine strike from the edge of the box by Sarabia that left McCarey with no chance.
Any hope of a way back into the match for Ireland was extinguished within 30 seconds of the second-half when after more fine play from Deulofeu he laid the ball across the box for Juanmi to fire high into the roof of the net.
Morata made sure he wasn’t to miss out, slotting his fifth goal of the tournament after a wonderful through-ball from Juanmi set him clear with 10 minutes to go and the Real Madrid striker sealed the rout with a well-taken penalty in stoppage time.
Overall it was another very satisfactory evening for Ginés Meléndez’s men who have now scored 13 goals in the three games in which their strongest eleven have started. A stiffer test in the Czech Republic await in Monday’s final but on this form it is hard to see past Spain hoarding another European trophy.
