Thanks to VAR and Carrasco

Nothing, child, could define the afternoon like that phrase. Mad, bad and dangerous. That last minute. The ball that flies into the Espanyol area and the ball that hits Raúl de Tomás’ left elbow. It is the 99th minute, the referee has already whistled for the end but from the VAR they have called him, he has gone to the screen, he has indicated the penalty spot. Carrasco asks for the ball. Carrasco throws it. Carrasco beats Diego López. The Metropolitan explodes, on your day, that of the children. Mad, mad, mad, child, this is Atleti, precisely this, the inexplicable, the blessed madness filling the air. The screams. Joy. Three points when two were lost. LaLiga de 14 once again unsettled. And that feeling. The new rules of football may require players to enter the areas with their arms unscrewed, as in foosball. Some hands that conditioned the plans of the two coaches.

Vicente Moreno planned the long game, from the beginning, showing his eleven like a master’s board in a chess game. The five defenders with whom Espanyol jumped forced Cholo to twist his wrist: he renounced the 4-4-2 to make a hybrid of Llorente’s motorcycle: in defense to the lane, in attack with freedom to climb. It was one of the few with movement in the first part of a game in which Atleti once again showed all the evils that plague the season. All the earthquakes in the world were concentrated in the rojiblancas legs when Cabrera jumped only to head in a corner and force Oblak to take out the mitt.

Bad. Well, games are like that sometimes, kid. A little bad at first, invitation to nap. That and the seam on the legs. The elimination against City. The extension that was touched after 45 ‘of epic in the 180’ of quarters. An epic that will still be a long time before it appears this afternoon against a well-established Espanyol. Twenty minutes later you can see that man in black shaking his head. Simeone. The center of the ole, ole, ole that sprout from that grandstand full of kids like you, back in the day at the Metropolitano, two seasons and a pandemic later. You don’t see it, you don’t see it. Neither do you children..

The vertical sun, the rojiblancos who asked for the ball at the foot, boy, it’s not always like that, the heroic covers this shield, although this afternoon the most dangerous thing your inexperienced eyes have seen is that header by Cabrera and Oblak cutting a ball against Puado. Only Llorente and Lodi ask for it, they seem to play oblivious to that sun that fills every action with sweat, even if they hardly run, it happens a lot in the areas. Except falls.

Tictac. The clock ticks while nothing happens. Don’t fall asleep child, don’t fall asleep. João asks you while he runs to escape from Calero and catch that long ball from Kondogbia. His left foot goes up. But he moves the air. A little. Don’t sleep, child, don’t sleep. Is not always that way. What happens before your eyes chewing cement gum. Sometimes in the Metropolitan they eat, I confess. The blackboard that he commands is that of Vicente Moreno. Lots of footballers everywhere. The rojiblancos anesthetized. And worse: rest comes with a clack. It’s from Lemar, when trying to control a ball against Puado. And that is bad, bad. He leaves crying. With Cunha and Reinildo as crutches. João with his ankle damaged by a stomp that left the rival in the area without punishment.

Dangerous. That is what Cholo is looking for, even if he resigns from João as soon as the game returns. Triple change. Griezmann, Carrasco and Cunha have entered to generate play between the lines already settled in their 4-4-2. Then you feel it, how the stands explode, the concrete shakes at your feet, cement comes out of his mouth: Oblak sticks out his hand to prevent Darder’s goal and, on the next play, the three who have just entered take the ball to the net for Atleti. Grizi distracts, Cunha assists the hole, Carrasco scores. Soccer boy, this is soccer. From 0-1 to 1-0. Now you don’t close your eyes. Now your team won’t let you. More vertical, with more presence in the area. Espanyol’s permanence already seems to fill its stomach. And that is palpable in football. He continues with a parsimonious rhythm, although at Atlético everything has changed. There is already rhythm, game, win. Raised on the usual shoulders, those of the Kondogbia octopus. And looking for the second. But then comes the real danger.

That change in the rules that makes it punish all hands. The volunteers and those who don’t. Under the latter, Atleti’s afternoon gets tangled up. Kondogbia hits a rebound Darder ball in the area. Second yellow, red, Raúl de Tomás had appeared in the game a few minutes ago, which before seemed to be there but was not, he launched it. Oblak stopped being a saint to end up sneaking the ball. 1-1. Atleti in another game that does not end with eleven. But Llorente has dried up, but Griezmann is also struggling with the goal. And the stands raise their voices and you shout, it’s your day, and you don’t like bad, you don’t want dangerous, only mad. That mad that fills everything when it is no longer expected. The hand of Raúl de Tomás in the area. The VAR call with the time up. Carrasco. But, this, boy, is part of the red and white history. Welcome to the blessed madness. This day was for you. Another hand held it out to you. The one from Raúl de Tomás when you felt the one from Kondogbia like a rope around your neck.