EAGLES FLY AGAIN
Described as “a feel-good final” at kick-off by commentator Adam Summerton, last night’s Tin Pot decider between Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano could scarcely have been more gloopy. It was a match contested by two clubs that serve as the beating hearts of their respective working class suburbs, while acting as symbols of local identity in different capital cities dominated by the Death Star gravity of superpowers such as Real Madrid or Chelsea. Needless to say, the romance ended there, as Crystal Palace’s vastly superior financial heft ensured they made off with their third trophy in 12 months, further cluttering a silverware cabinet that until last year’s FA Cup final win had consisted solely of a solitary Kent Senior Cup and some thick dust. While both teams were punching above their traditional weight, Palace’s plucky Spanish opponents struggled to lay a glove on the eventual winners and Rayo’s 102-year wait for a trophy goes on. Far from being angry with their team, the tens of thousands of Bukaneros present took Jean-Philippe Mateta’s knockout blow on the chin with commendable stoicism. “I know no greater victory than to be with you in defeat,” read the banner they unfurled within seconds of the final whistle. It was small wonder so many of their players were blubbing salty tears.
