The year 2003 was fruitful in the relationship between the city of Elche and the Royal Spanish Football Federation, since in a matter of three months the Manuel Martínez Valero stadium hosted the Copa del Rey final that Mallorca won against Recreativo de Huelva and the team's third match in the city of palm trees. A duel with the aroma of a eliminatory, since it faced La Roja, directed by Iñaki Sáezwith Ukraine, in the midst of a battle for a ticket to the 2004 Euro Cup.
In that qualifying group the two teams already mentioned coincided with Greecewhich would ultimately be proclaimed, by surprise, continental champion in Portugal in the summer of 2004. Before, however, the Spain-Ukraine match in Elche had many incentives. They were not exactly quiet times around the national team, in which the debate on the suitability of Raúl González Blanco as a team leader.
From behind, other young forwards were already pushing, such as Fernando Torresand the Galacticos era at Real Madrid had also left the team's captain in a complicated situation. Ukraine was also led by Shevchenkowhich would be the Ballon d'Or in 2004. Many ingredients that predicted a difficult match… in which Spain had to win no matter what to secure a play-off place.
Raúl double
And he won. With a double from Raúl. And with Fernando Torres missing a penalty. Elche strengthened the veteran's leadership in the face of the young man's drive, who would have to wait a few years to shine (and win) with the senior team. The renovated franjiverde coliseum, which had undergone a good facelift for the cup final, was filled (36,000 spectators) to be bored, in general, with the game, but vibrate in the final half hour with the goals and the victory of their team.
Before Raúl silenced doubts with the roar of the applause received after each of his two goals, Casillas He had to intervene on a couple of occasions against Voronin and Shevchenko to avoid a 0-1 draw. The then Milan striker also ran into the crossbar in addition to El Santo. The failure of Torres' penalty (59th minute) increased the nerves among the staff… until number 7 appeared. First he scored with his right foot, after receiving inside the area, and then with a header, from a corner kick that the rival goalkeeper ate. Shevchenko, who otherwise would close the gap, in what to this day remains the only goal conceded by Spain at the Martínez Valero.
Tifo at the Martínez Valero to receive the Spanish team in 2003 / INFORMATION
The atmosphere in the stands was spectacular, with an impressive tifo with the red and yellow colors of the national flag sponsored by INFORMACIÓN to receive the footballers, a lot of animation and a grass in perfect condition for which work was done against the clock, after the bad image offered only a few weeks before, in the form of a potato, during the Festa d'Elx against Ronaldinho's Barça. Everything was as expected.
Match sheet
Spain: Boxes; Míchel Salgado, Juanito, Marchena, Puyol, Etxeberria, Xabi Alonso, Baraja (Xavi, 83'), Vicente (Valerón, 64'), Raúl and Fernando Torres (Reyes, 64').
Ukraine: Shovkovskyy; Luzhny, Popov (Serebrennikov, 18 '), Fedorov, Tymoschuk, Vesmachnyy, Dimytrulin (Zubov, 64'), Gorshkov, Voronin (Husyev, 51 '), Vorobeyeyeyeyeyeyey.
Goals: 1-0 (60′) Raúl. 2-0 (72′) Raúl. 2-1 (83′) Shevchenko.
Arbitrator: Terje Hauge. He reprimanded Fedorov and Tymoshchuk.
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