El Rayo, before a historic night: “The glory is in this game”

Vallecas is crazy with the Cup. The fans dream of passing the quarterfinal barrier against Mallorca next Wednesday. They stayed at that point six times in their entire history (the years 80, 81, 95, 97, 00 and 02) and only surpassed it in 82, after leaving Parla, Cacereño, Oviedo, Atlético Madrileño —the Atleti subsidiary— and Zaragoza on the way. There, the franjirrojos, fell in the semifinals against Sporting. They have never emulated such a feat. Hence the illusion that is breathed in every corner of the neighborhood, which sees it possible to pass the round with this Rayo de Iraola.

A feeling shared by Miguel Uceda, central defender and captain of that historic semi-final team: “I remember that we eliminated two Primeras. We played very good games at home. With this Ray you can dream. He is playing quite well, so much so that we ruled out relegation. Now in the League it is happening like our Matagigantes, who already know you in the second round and it is more difficult. I highlight the good role of Trejo, Isi… Well, They tell me that Catena looks like me (laughs)“.

Uceda is the second player who has defended the Strip in the most games in history (429, only Cota surpasses him). “I didn’t know and I saw him a few days ago messing with the tablet,” he admits, before talking about his coach at that time, another legend, Peñalva. He took over the reins on matchday sixteen, taking over from Chato González on the bench. “It was always the solution when the equipment did not work. I was very fond of him because when I arrived, he was already with Olmedo in Vallehermoso. He was faithful to Rayo all his life”, describes the legendary defender.

The first leg of that only semifinal was played in Vallecas on March 10, 1982. Then getting a seat cost 2,000 pesetas in the stands, 600 in the case of partners, prohibitive prices that subtracted souls from the stands. Even so, those who were complied, as did Peñalva’s, who cornered the Asturians in many phases of the game. In fact, his goal (the final 0-1) came thanks to a shot from Doria (66′) in a free kick, which slipped between the rayista barrier. Sporting pulled ex officio to maintain the advantage and became an insurmountable wall for a Strip that enjoyed more dominance and chances (Aguilar, Morón, García Jiménez, Juan…). Even the referee Sánchez Arminio avoided a possible penalty due to a push by Pereda to the local Aguilar in minute 61′.

The return dates from March 31. Although the redheads were willing and fighters, they lacked bite, something that the Asturians had left over, who sealed their place in the final with a resounding 3-0. After nine minutes the first fell, after Mesa took advantage of a rebound from the Vallecan defense. Possession belonged to the visitors, but they didn’t get their first chance until 36′, a good personal move by Benito. When many fans began to leave Molinón, Ferrero sent a cross from Joaquín to the back of the net and just a minute later, in the 82nd minute, Abel sentenced with a shot that hits Rocamora and misleads the rayista goalkeeper Mora.

In said quote, Anero played 22 minutes. He, who had been one of the pillars of Matagigantes together with Uceda, was living his last campaign wearing the Franja. “When we went down (79-80) I broke my collarbone at the Camp Nou and the injury left me miserable. I had a terrible time that year, I felt very out of the team, isolated without explanation, mistreated. I smelled that they wanted to separate me to promote other colleagues like Izquierdo and García Jiménez. Peñalva was my defender in Rayo. When I was 18-19 years old, he let me train with the first team. He held me in esteem. Because, With perspective, I sense that there was someone in the club who had something else in mind for me…“, reflects the side.

Diving through his cupbearer memories, it was the rooms, the ones that are most present. “The Zaragoza game in Vallecas! He had studied Aeronautical Engineering and his soccer team got into the final of the university championship for the first time. In the morning I played in the Paraninfo thinking that I wouldn’t have minutes in the afternoon… and I started at 74′. Physically I was like a shot, although my finger hurt from a kick they had given me”, he confesses. Today, just like yesterday, the Cup is the shortest path to success. “And why not? Rayo sometimes has to go through the round and this year they have come in handy. It is a great opportunity and you can mark a milestone“.

That’s when coach Anero comes out, the one who has been directing grassroots football for 30 years: “Footballers should be considered as a parenthesis of the League and as a final. They have to abstract themselves and understand that the glory is in this game. We are like actors and we have to convince them, with arguments of all kinds, to give our best”. This Rayo de Iraola wins and convinces, also the legendary defender: “I was one of those who last year, in Segunda, I wasn’t very convinced that the team had a future, but this course has surprised me for good The coach scores a lot and Iraola seems interesting to me, so moderate, with no desire for prominence… In addition, he has a good team. One of their virtues is that they run faster than the others and seem to multiply. Everyone is very clear about what they play. It is a very consistent proposal.”

Anero recognizes in the spirit of this Ray that of his Matagigantes and reveals his weakness for Fran García, “although Álvaro is very well”. Each name comes up with another cash to highlight. “Trejo is important, Falcao a phenomenon, Comesaña and Óscar form a great network in midfield… Also the defense. This team reminds me of ours, whose hallmark was stealing the ball, running and going up fast, with ambition to score and without conceding. Forts in Vallecas. a physical marvel. We killed ourselves in the Casa de Campo, how could we not do it on the field! In addition, these players also have that ambition of wanting to be someone. I’m not famous or international, but I can break molds and I’m not going to settle. This is how a neighborhood team beat all the greats… The emotional state is fundamental”, he concludes. The one from Vallecas is conducive to building something big.