“People claimed they would put four past us in the first game, five in the second, and we wouldn’t show up for the third,” Sylvinho, Albabia’s coach, had said, but they did show up, as they have done throughout their 10 days here. Thousands had come to enjoy this and their team had come to compete too, so they did: going at Spain, giving everything and getting beaten, sure, but by no greater scoreline than more than illustrious footballing nations, departing with Sylvinho insisting he was proud: “I lost many nights’ sleep but it was worth it,” he said.
A solitary early strike from Ferran Torres decided it, securing a result that Albania resisted to the last. Then they stood before their fans, a sea of red dotted with white qeleshes, and clapped together, smoke circling. “You can’t imagine what that feels like,” Sylvinho said.
Reaching the second round was beyond them but they always knew that was likely. They knew it when they were put in a group with Italy, Croatia and Spain, teams Sylvinho said could play quarters, semis or the final. And they knew it by the time they arrived here.
Only a win would do and if the fact that Spain were through offered a little hope Sylvinho had said that even the selecciòn’s B team could play the final and still be favourites. Aymeric Laporte was the only member of Spain’s initial lineup to have started a game and between them the XI had played 250 minutes. The talent though remains tremendous.
On a night when another young fan ran on to the pitch and when the flares may bring another fine for a federation already hit with €84,875 (£72,000) worth of them, Albania did not get the victory but the coach left with “gold”: “an experience I wouldn’t change for anything”.
As for Spain, they left with nine points from nine, no goals conceded, for the first time, and with everyone except the third-choice keeper, Álex Remiro, having played.
Albania, who began with players from eight leagues, are the most international team here. They are also a brave one, a side that scored after 23 seconds against Italy and late against Croatia went for Spain. For a short while at the start they appeared determined not to let Spain out. Almost as soon as they did though, it was decisive. Dani Olmo’s clever pass released Ferran Torres, coming in from the right, he swept the ball past Thomas Strakosha and that, it seemed, was that, 13 minutes in.
At that stage Olmo was taking control, always finding the right space. The full-backs were outstanding too. Jesús Navas and Álex Grimaldo may not have the aggressiveness, that hint of nasty that Dani Carvajal and Marc Cucurella do but, boy, can they deliver. Navas, at 38, the oldest Spaniard to appear in this competition, just keeps running. He had already provided a lovely cross from which Mikel Merino might have scored, his header stopped by Strakosha. Another deep ball led to Joselu heading over.
There were flashes from Albania even then, occasional good moments, culminating with David Raya diving to stop Kristjan Asllani’s shot just before half-time. Spain, though, were dominating, the quality and quantity of Grimaldo’s crossing hugely impressive, even if Berat Djimsiti and Albian Ajeti were doing a decent job of minding Joselu.
From one lovely, curling ball in, Torres probably should have scored a second but headed over. From another, pulled back low, Mikel Merino certainly should have, but his shot sliced over.
As soon as the second half began, Grimaldo put in another one. This time Joselu connected with a volley with a touch of the Zlatan about it and flew just past the post. Then a blocked shot from Asllani led to Olmo bursting through the middle and trying a shot from inside the centre circle that, despite a glimpse of the keeper fractionally out of his goal, never properly took flight.
Albania were not going to give up and there was a huge roar when Armando Broja was introduced. It did not take long for him to almost score, Spain caught by Asllani’s quick free kick and Broja suddenly alone before Raya. He struck it well enough on the turn but the keeper made a superb save. A minute later, Asllani had a shot blocked, the volume rising again. Robin Le Normand then took out Broja as he threatened to race through. Not long after that, Asllani’s effort faded just past the far post.
Time was running out and Albania needed two goals to have any chance of progressing and still they roared and still they ran, all the way to the last minute when Broja drew another save from Raya in the din.
Taking a place in the next round was a task too big but they had known that from the start and they resisted reality to the end, leaving early but leaving noisily and proud.
