#costa rica v spain

[glimmerofawesome]

[mapisupremacy]

[onabatlle-2]

ona’s first world cup game, via weuro’s ig, 21/7/23

[awfcrusso]

Stop coz I messaged the Costa Rica keeper during the match telling her happy birthday and said she’s been brilliant and she’s liked my message 😭😭

[chelscait]

i love how everyone is just saying ‘fuck’ in my feed💀

we all the same

[joaosnovia]

4th times the charm (atp i’m js saying anything) gavi gets transported to morocco for a game, BUT while he’s there thru the shops he sees this BEAUTIFUL moroccan princess and they fall in love 😻🙏

❦ - stadium lights in casablancan nights

summary: gavi is called for international duty against morocco and finds love in the stands.

warnings: none!! however there’s a slight plot chance that was dmed to me afterwards xx

writers note: i love this idea and don’t ‘4th times the charm’ me mate your last 3 requests were diabolical?? who would read culpa mia but w gavi and snow white but gavis the princess?? 😭😭 also did someone say overwriting 😱

word count: 2k

The overwhelming roar of the crowd in Casablanca’s Mohammed V Stadium was quite deafening, but that made gavis pulse raise even more. His heart raced not because of nerves, but for the fact that he wants to prove himself. Back in the world cup 2022 he scored a goal against costa rica that showed that he wasn’t just another kid from la masia, he was truly a star. However, a few matches later his first world cup dream came to a crash. Round of 16 vs morocco.

As the anthems faded to an end and the refs whistle blew, he jogged into place and let the game get into its usual rhythm, clear chances, passes, tackles and fouls. And there it was. a goal! Perfect goal may i add by lamine yamal. The stadium erupted into cheers as gavi made his way to the corner flag to celebrate with his teammate, not only internationally but from his club that’s always been by his side.

However, this wasn’t just a normal celebration, something pulled his gaze upwards, and that’s when he saw it, her. Throughout the wave of opposing fans, one face stood out to him, a gorgeous girl, hands gripping the railing with her jaw dropped. It was obvious she wasn’t cheering for spain though, her kit and flag proved that inference. Yet her gaze found his, holding it for longer than it should’ve.

Eventually, half time pulled around as gavi made his way to the locker room. But that didn’t stop him from looking for her though. She hadn’t moved from that spot, instead she was stood up, laughing with her friends leaning against that very same railing, but her focus wasn’t on her friends. Her gaze was on the pitch, as if she was looking for something, making gavi wonder if it’s him that she’s looking for.

Pedri, who was standing right next to him, nudged him and said, ‘Focus hermano, she’s way out of your league.’, in a teasing tone, making gavi smirk but no response came out of him. He knew this wasn’t the last time their paths would cross.

The final whistle blew, the score ending in a 2-1 narrow victory to Spain, with players exchanging handshakes and shirts. Even though they had a successful match, that didn’t shift his mind from the mystery girl, his eyes shifting to her every couple of minutes.

After plucking up the courage to approach her, he noticed her still laughing with her friends, her smile lighting him up.

Without giving it a second thought, he jumped over the barrier, passing security and approached her. Some may call him cocky for the confidence but she noticed and found it amusing that he tried to get her attention. Although security refused to let him get any closer, he ushered her to come closer, and she complied, with her friends teasing her.

‘Hola, did you enjoy the match?’, he asked in almost a whisper to avoid attention from others.

She tilted her head, and her lips formed into a smile, laughing to herself and replied with, ‘Even though Spain won? I guess so’ she said in a playful tone, with her soft accent coming out.

They exchanged names however it caught Gavi off guard.

‘Wait you don’t know my name?’ asked Gavi in an almost concerned tone.

‘No, I know your name.. I just wanted to hear you say it.’ she said, her soft smile widening.

‘Gavi’ he said, chuckling, in a quiet voice.

Her friends called her from behind and she glanced back, reluctant to leave. ‘Looks like I have to go..’ she said.

‘Wait.’ Gavi said quickly, removing his shirt, and handed it to her, the faint smell of grass clinging to it. ‘Something to remember this match by.’

She took the shirt, her fingers brushing his for a small second, ‘Gracias, Gavira.’ she said, making his heart race.

There was one thing he knew for certain, he had to see her again.

The next few days in Casablanca was an absolute blur for him, media videos, training sessions and team meeting, but she couldn’t get out of his mind. Her smile, her laugh and how her gaze lasted for longer than even she wanted it to.

That’s when he realised, it wasn’t the match, it was her.

After hours of practice, the team had some downtime before their flight back to Madrid. Gavi found himself roaming the streets with Pedri, just so he didn’t seem like a loner.

‘So you’re really attached to this girl, hermano?’, asked Pedri almost with genuine concern.

Gavi sighed and yet again, didn’t have a reply for that and continued walking.

That’s when he saw her, for the second time, except she was alone in a small cafe.

He hesitated for a moment, Pedri staying outside, as Gavi made his way over.

‘Mind if i join?’ he asked, grabbing a chair from a nearby table.

She looked up, surprised as a smile was spread across her face. ‘Gavi’ she said ‘How come you’re not with your team?’

‘I mean, I was..’ he said, taking a seat opposite her. ‘But I figured i’d explore some more. Seems like I found the right place’

She raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. ‘So you spend your free time chasing random girls that you see during matches?’

He smirked, leaning back into the chair, ‘Only the interesting ones.’

She laughed softly, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the edges of her teacup. ‘Not sure if that’s flattering or too forward’

Gavi’s smile softened, ‘A bit of both, cariño.’

‘Well i’ve seen you play, you’re good. But i’m sure you know that by now.’

He chuckled, ‘I don’t need compliments, but i’ll take them’

She smiled again, ‘So what’s a footballer like you doing in this small cafe in Casablanca?’

He looked out the window for a second, and then back at her, ‘I guess i’m looking for things that matter besides football’

Her gaze softened, ‘And have you found that yet?’

‘I’m getting closer.’ he paused, ‘Listen, I don’t know how long i’m gonna be here, but I want to see you again’

Unsure of how to really respond to that, she said ‘Maybe. If you’re lucky.’ in a mysterious tone.

And that’s when he knew he wouldn’t be leaving this city any time soon.

Due to the weather in Spain, their trip extended a few more days, but she didn’t need to know that.

On the last night of their stay, Gavi slipped away from the hotel and didn’t tell anyone, not even Pedri that he was going back to that very same cafe.

The night air was cooler than he expected but the night life still stayed active.

It wasn’t that long until he saw the cafe again, although it was late, it was still open and a few people were still in there.

He hesitated for a moment before entering again and the owner looked up at him and said,

‘Gavi, right? You’re here for someone I figured, and if so you’re in the right place, habibi.’

Gavi, uncertain by her words, followed her over to the table, where he saw here for the third time.

He sat opposite her, letting his eyes linger on her for a second before she broke the silence.

‘Gavi, I thought you wouldn’t turn up.’, she said, following with the familiar smile that Gavi loved.

‘I couldn’t stay away.’ he replied

And to that she chuckled and said, ‘You’re a lot more complicated than i thought Pablo.’

He grinned, trying to hide his emotions, leaning back into his chair, ‘I’ve been told.’

She stood up and said, ‘Listen Gavi, it’s getting late, I need to get going, and you should too.’

‘Wait,’ Gavi said ‘Can you please see me play again.’, he asked in an almost pleading tone.

She looked back, with an unreadable expression and said, ‘And you think i’ll say yes?’

‘I was hoping that you’ll surprise me.’

‘Maybe.’

And with that, she left.

A few weeks passed by, and the memory of you lingered in his brain. He hadn’t seen her since that night in the cafe, but your time together was the only thing on his mind.

Now he was in the Montjuïc, at a home game for laliga, as the stadium was packed with culers from all over the world as usual. But this match felt different.

As the game kicked off, Gavi instantly fell into the usual match rhythm yet his thought remained on her.

There was a small pause in play, as he re adjusted his socks, someone caught his eye. It was her.

There she was, in the VIP section, her barca scarf tucked around her shoulders.

He froze for a second, his heart hammering in his chest. She was no longer a memory, she was there in real time. Eventually, he snapped back into focus.

The scoreline was 1-1 and he knew that he needed to be the change that he wanted to see, so he took a risk and shot it in the direction of the net, bracing himself for the result. And there it was, a goal to put barca in the lead.

Pablo sprinted to the corner to celebrate and he looked up to see her in the stands with her hands over her mouth in shock. Then she smiled, her face full of pride. He noticed that, and made a small gesture, pointing towards her.

After the match was over, he saw her waiting with security by the players exit.

‘You made that goal look easy’ she said, her voice with a teasing tilt.

Before he could answer that, he had a question in his head.

‘You came all this way, why?’ He said, his eyes searching for hers.

‘I wanted to see if you’d keep your promise’

‘And did I?’

‘Yes.’ she replied with a subtle smile.

It had gotten to the point where they finally exchanged numbers, making his heart flutter.

The next laliga match was against sociedad which was quite a big match if you think about it. He had just completed his pre game superstitions until he received a message

‘i heard you’re not as bad as they say, wanna prove it? 😉’

He grinned, feeling a rush of excitement.

‘i thought i already did that’ he typed back.

‘okay, meet me at the cafe tomorrow.’

He arrived at the cafe as soon as the match was over and he was lost in thought. What were they? He knew they weren’t a fling but he didn’t know what to label it.

‘You’re early’ she said as she walked in.

‘Came as soon as the match ended’ he replied.

‘Okay Pablo, i’m gonna start off with why i asked you to come here. You’re the first guy who’s come into my life with a smile and a promise. But i’m not interested in that.’ she started.

He leaned in, ‘What’re you interested in then.’

‘Something real.’

‘So am I, and i’m not going anywhere.’

‘So prove it.’

And with those three words, the barrier between them was broken.

They went for a walk on the quiet streets of Barcelona, the night air brushing their faces. Neither of them spoke but the silence was enough for the both of them.

He turned to face her, ‘Listen. I don’t want you to go, just stay.’

She looked back at him and said, ‘Gavi.’

He didn’t let her continue because he felt like he already knew the answer to that and closed the gap between them.

Eventually, she found her way into extending her stay and renting an apartment in Barcelona to stay wiyh Gavi

Months past until they decided to make it official to the public, they both figured it out, the fame and distance.

One evening, they both sat on the balcony until he turned to face her.

‘So this is what i’ve been looking for. I’ve finally found what matters besides football.’ Gavi said.

She smiled back at him, realising that this is all she wanted too.

[andiessoccerblog]

Semifinals

Out of the 32 original teams, only four teams are left, split into two semifinals: Spain v. Sweden, and Australia v. England. This is the culmination of three weeks of joy, passion, and heartbreak…and some really good soccer. These teams have all found their grooves, their momentum, and there is so much on the line now that everyone will be giving it their all. At this point, I don’t know what else I can say about these teams, but I went back through each team’s journey so far to look at the results so far in the tournament. 

Spain, FIFA ranked 7

Won 3-0 over Costa Rica

Won 5-0 over Zambia

Lost 4-0 to Japan

Won 5-1 over Switzerland

Won 2-1 over Netherlands

Sweden, FIFA ranked 3

Won 2-1 over South Africa

Won 5-0 over Italy

Won 2-0 over Argentina

Won in penalties over USA

Won 2-1 over Japan

Australia, FIFA ranked 10

Won 1-0 over Republic of Ireland

Lost 3-2 to Nigeria

Won 4-0 over Australia

Won 2-0 over Denmark

Won in penalties over France

England, FIFA ranked 4

Won 1-0 over Haiti

Won 1-0 over Denmark

Won 6-1 over China

Won in penalties over Nigeria

Won 2-1 over Colombia

I think that both games could go either way, and it would be arrogant and stupid on my part to try and predict anything from here on out. It is a guarantee that we will have a brand-new champion; none of these teams have won a world cup before. England and Sweden have gotten to the semifinals and won medals before, but Spain and Australia are at this point for the first time in program history. 

One thing that most people won’t know is that the players on these teams have all played together on club teams, becoming friends, and even dating. England’s Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh play in Barcelona with nine of Spain’s players, and Sweden’s Fridolina Rolfo. Australia’s Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord play for Arsenal with England’s Lotte Wubben-Moy, while Australia’s Sam Kerr plays for Chelsea with four players from England, and three players from Sweden. No matter which teams go through, players will witness their friends and colleagues triumphs and losses–a bittersweet end to a world cup that has been full of rich, new, powerful experiences.

[that-soccer-guru]

Week 1 World Cup Recap

Well hello everyone. Will this be proof that player interactions will get more notes than sports talk? We shall see!

Week one is over and we got a LOT of surprises, so without further ado here's the points table by group. (Yes, I made my own bracket tracker, let me live)((yes more opinions and notes no one asked for but I AM GONNA GIVE ANYWAYS BC WORLD CUP TIME IS MY TIME BABEEY))

Group A with a lil sprinkle of Week 2 for good measure. Norway absolutely showed some nerves at being in this world stage, and the Philippines is one of the few teams who I feel played better than the scoreboard reflects. There was a lot of beautiful tactical acumen in that game, and no spoilers for week 2 conversations but well... you can see the score there. Philippines is absolutely presenting us with a beautiful project and they do NOT want to be left behind. Group A is most definitely getting hairy out here.

Group B. No Sam Kerr for Australia didn't slow them down half as much as I think the pundits expected, and they managed a solid if not a little uninspired win over Ireland. There was a lot of physicality that allows ME to laugh in the face of that "the game was too physical" nonsense Ireland pulled with Colombia ahead of the cup. Canada very predictably is crumbling under their own weight--is it tactics (and their coaching), an aging squad, the quality of the other teams? Who's to say, but it shows. And Nigeria, I feel, only narrowly missed on a goal or two that would've made this score reflect the game a lot more.

Group C again with a spoiler for week 2 (by now the Spain and Canada games in week 2 have been played but I'm rewatching my recorded games bc I am an ADULT and cannot stay up/wake up early for these crazy schedules and be productive, so here we are). Spain had the good luck of getting to step into the cup with a relatively weaker team--they got the ideal game to settle into the fact that they're missing a lot of key pieces but they hit the ground RUNNING. It also showed that it might be time for Costa Rica to look for a different coaching strategy, and I say this as someone who's a BIG fan of Valverde. This team is leaving WAY too much space and playing all to the ball and not to the players looking for space and it showed in both the Spain game and the Week 2 Japan game.

I'll admit I didn't watch the Zambia game but I am not at all surprised that a squad full of speed and discipline kicked ass like they did. Rip Zambia there, do better damn it, I've seen the quality and grit in this team and I want to see it next week.

Group D. HOLY SPIRIT OF FUTBOL, BATMAN! That Haiti game was BEAUTIFUL. Of course England comes in with a lot of missing pieces into the cup, but Haiti capitalized on everything. Speed, decisiveness, dribbling, spaces, passes, it was beautiful. A dumb handball and a penalty really did them in. Sadly they're missing some decisiveness up-front, especially in that last kick at goal, but they showed they belong and they're here to stay.

China deserved better than what happened with that miracle goal. Denmark played a very weak game and China had every opportunity to win it, unfortunately this game is cruel and there's no such thing as "deserve", there is goal scoring, and that failed them. Excited for that China vs Haiti, and wishing a speedy recovery to Jennyfer Limage, ACL tears are brutal and getting to this stage and be taken out by such a bitch of an injury is painful for everyone involved.

Group E. I also didn't watch the US game, my apologies, but I won't be a hypocrite and say "well what happened with the team that won 13-0 last world cup?" because this is more a symptom that the gaps are closing between the superpowers of this game and the rest of the world, and I for one love to see it. (Yes, I choose to watch Oppenheimer over the game, no I am not sorry).

Portugal v Netherlands was a VERY physical game, and the Netherlands is showing cracks, especially in the midfield, but you can't argue with results and you definitely can't argue with the initiative in plays and the SPEED the midfielders kick off with to run at goal. That said, Portugal played with a lot of heart, but they're missing that final 3rd pass/game. Once they find it? They're gonna be amazing!

Group F. HOLY SPIRIT OF FOOTBALL PART 2, BATMAN! Jamaica man, what a fucking team! Starting from the beautiful kits and the spirit they played with, they absolutely nullified France. They were very patient, waited for France to get frantic and make mistakes, which they did, and absolutely went for this very VERY important tie. This absolutely keeps them in the running to make it out of group stages and, honestly, I wouldn't count them out. Heartbreaker double yellow but that's on poor team management, the bench needs to start learning to sub out cautioned players, but what else is new.

Brazil man, BRAZIL WITH EL JOGO BONITO. Dream world cup debut for Ary, roaring into the competition with a beautiful hatty. If they can stay healthy and show patience and willingness to stick with the strategy, they can go far. Exciting game up ahead in week 2!

Group G. What a fucking game that Sweden v South Africa game was! Honestly I thought South Africa had them for a moment. It became a matter of fatigue and the little mistakes that this can lead to in the end. Sweden needs to take this victory as a salve from the heavens and make some adjustments, and South Africa needs to shake this, because they absolutely have what it takes to make it out of this group.

I am not going to lie, I am heartbroken AND angry for/with Argentina. They played a good game from the midfield down, really good defensive lines, but what the FUCK happened in the final third? Banini was, as Andres Cantor likes to say "alone against the world", making amazing runs and having 0 support in the area for any crosses. If the midfield and the forward line don't start to play through her, as one Jamie Tartt taught us, this is gonna be a quick and painful ending for SUCH a talented and promising team. Get it together, this game could've been a win if there was better connection up ahead.

Group H. This one is, I think, the game that DEFINITELY isn't reflected by the final score. Morocco is really freaking good? Good through passes, very talented wingers, their defense, of course, needs a lot of work, especially in recognizing clear and present danger which the Germans absolutely exploited, but overall this ass kicking is not what I would've expected from the team I watched. Germany played their best edition of their game, let the other team hold the ball and batter themselves against your lines, exploit mistakes, use height and speed, and start knocking on heaven's door early and decisively. No notes. Alexandra Popp is the moment. The German team also have an ADORABLE crochet koala bear as their team mascot and I love it.

And now the moment I've been waiting for. Ehem. CAMPEON, COLOMBIA CAMPEON!!! Please tell me the English streams talked about Abadia serving a 2 game suspension because NOTHING says Colombia more than "the cup hasn't even started and your coach is already suspended" (he's was suspended following the Copa America final and this is the first time he can serve the games, but it's hysterical seeing him, sitting with the audience with his white board, angry as hell). Clearly they're shaking the nerves off, and Colombia gave South Korea a LOT of latitude. There were a lot of stupid mistakes (wtf was that ninja kick, miss Vanegas!?), they played a very physical game in the beginning (we will never win anything on fairplay and I've accepted this), but when it came time to put on the screws they delivered. What can I say about the Wunderkind too. Linda didn't even pick up her head for that senior world cup goal, she just knew it was right, and she was correct. They exploited South Korea's weaknesses and delivered results. Tighter lines and better discipline for the game against Germany and we might just make it very freaking far y'all!

This cup is giving us SO MUCH entertainment, incredible games, and a show of how quickly the world is advancing. Excited for week 2!

[saucetail-hasanewblog]

OK I did not get to catch the nigeria v canada and philipines v switzerland or spain v costa rica because I was sleeping (this world cup has some really bad timing for me noooo) but salute emoji philipines you were cheated out of that goal

[wyn-n-tonic]

rewatching Spain v. Costa Rica and preparing a pot of coffee to stay up and watch US v. Vietnam. it's silly, goofy time.

[shivshaktimachtech]

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[glimmerofawesome]

[mapisupremacy]

[onabatlle-2]

🥳, via sefutbolfem’s ig, 21/7/23

[awfcrusso]

Yeah she may have conceded 3 goals but the Costa Rica keeper is keeping them in this game I mean and she saved a penalty 🏆🏆

[chelscait]

spain with the 25 shots and costa rica with 1💀