Pablo Marín, the boy from Logroño whose first football memories are playing the drum and trumpet in the stands watching his father play, arrived at Zubieta at 13 years old and was a ball boy in the 2021 semi-final, and yesterday, in an exciting and nail-biting final, he gave Real Sociedad their third Copa del Rey title. A penalty shootout that featured another hero, Unai Marrero, who had already saved a penalty in the League last season from Kylian Mbappé and was key in the round of 16 against Osasuna this season. He did the same against shots from Sörloth and Julián Álvarez. A metaphor for a fateful final for Atlético, always behind, from the first breath to the last. It’s a matter of rewinding (2-2, 3-4 on penalties).
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Pellegrino Matarazzo, that kind of Ted Lasso who has revolutionized the struggling Real Sociedad at the beginning of the season with his method, commented that the last words before stepping onto the pitch at La Cartuja would be spoken by Oyarzabal. Captain, reference, goalscorer, academy product… Any term defines the already historic txuri-urdin player. Given what happened when the referee signaled the start, they must have been impactful. After 16 seconds, 0-1. A long strike from Marrero that Nahuel Molina failed to clear (he misjudged the bounce like a youth player) and Guedes, skillful and lively, crossed to the far post where Barrenetxea, who outjumped a relaxed Ruggieri, headed the ball past Musso. In a blink, the final’s scenery changed. It’s incomprehensible how Atlético, whose concentration is a virtue, started so sluggishly.
The goal unsettled Real, who fell back. Atlético found their revolution in Lookman, who drove Aramburu crazy. Four minutes later, Julián Álvarez tried his luck against Marrero without success, and Simeone called for Jon Martín to be sent off for a foul on the Argentine, a contact that existed when he was the last man, but perhaps more of a struggle. Immediately after, in the 18th minute, Griezmann, a dancer on the pitch, played the ball inside the area to Lookman, who controlled it and with a powerful left-footed shot, crossed the ball so much that it hit the net.
But again, the goal was the anesthesia, in this case for the rojiblancos. Real took a step forward and took advantage of the colchoneros’ lapses, lacking intensity on their flanks. Guedes shot from outside the box and Soler tested a hesitant Musso, a shadow of the goalkeeper who stopped Barça in the Champions League. The match unfolded between Guedes and Lookman, like a western. And the Portuguese earned another merit. He headed a dangerous cross into the area and Musso, who came out late, punched him between the shoulder and head. It was the 45th minute. The ball was going out of play, but his action was punished with a penalty. Oyarzabal did not miss, giving Real the lead at halftime.
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You never show your weaknesses in a final even if you abandon your style. And that’s what Real Sociedad did with the score at 1-2. They dropped back, with all ten players in barely 25 meters, which was an exercise in precision and suffering for Atlético. Jon Martín, the young center-back from Zubieta, neutralized an imprecise Julián Álvarez, and in the 70th minute of the match, with a sluggish pace and Matarazzo’s team dominating the duels, Simeone exhausted his substitutions. Sörloth, Almada, Baena, and Nico González. More firepower to find finishers and fresh talent. The blue and white stands continued to lead the chants until, as the agony approached its final station, the blow arrived.
It wasn’t his best night. Imprecise, well-marked… But Simeone knew that Julián Álvarez was the irreplaceable player for actions like the 2-2 in the 83rd minute. The Argentine received the ball at the edge of the box, cut back by flicking the ball behind his heel, and with a powerful left-footed shot, beat Marrero. Even the coach ran like Guardiola at Stamford Bridge to embrace the Argentine. There was a final. And Atlético seemed more convinced, so much so that Baena, with an open goal, sent another outstanding cross from Llorente into the clouds. Sörloth, Cardoso, and Llorente himself had chances for 3-2, but extra time was inevitable.
As if it were another match, Real gained freshness. They had more possession and dangerously entered Musso’s area, who was a savior in a point-blank shot from Óskarsson, redeemed for other errors of the night. Julián continued to play like Griezmann and Julián, with another right-footed shot that came out like a projectile from his right boot and crashed into the crossbar. There were nerves, cramps, and the widespread feeling that penalties would decide the champion. And so it happened, fortunately for Real in the Copa de Zubieta.
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