Villarreal enters history

Finally. Everything costs, but everything comes. Villarreal, with 98 years of history behind them and a thousand accumulated scars after passing through all the categories of Spanish football, will play its first final on May 26, 2021. An impossible date to erase for the remains in the Mediterranean, where they had begun to get used to living from the illusion and dying on the shore. The Submarine has earned it for his exemplary progression in the 21st century, for his insistence (fifth semifinals) and, above all, for his great game seven days ago against Arsenal at La Cerámica and for his resistance and discipline in the complicated round of London.

His homework done, his day of glory will be lived in Gdansk (Poland) against a giant like Manchester United, with 9,500 fans in the stands, with the possibility of reuniting with 2,000 groguets who will leave their throats cheering in the stadium, with another 50,000 faithful who will push from their homes and with a country behind all of them cheering because the Submarino, who was going to say it, is the only Spanish representative alive in Europe. This time, oddly enough, it was more important to pay off the debts of the soul than those of the showcases, but we must not forget that, beyond the joy, Emery's team has finally won a title that could also grant him an invitation with honors to the Champions League.

Villarreal's starting staging was fabulous. Emery's approach, who was accused of being a conservative in the first leg when he was able to sentence, was decisive. He ordered to press up and have a pause with the ball. With Pau, Parejo and Trigueros everything seems easier. Arsenal appeared with a crooked nose after losing Xhaka in the warm-up. Arteta had to shoot on Tierney's left side, at half throttle due to muscle discomfort. Chukwueze knew how to smell fear and punished him by facing him again and again. It was the Nigerian's first chance of the match with a good thread (5 '). The second was with a foul by Parejo (23 '). With everything under control, despite the fact that, curiously, Villarreal's most decisive player, Gerard, was being the least intoned, everything changed in a single minute. First, with the debut in the game of Aubameyang, whose shot after a scrum hit the post (26 '). And a few moments later with Chukwueze's injury, which gave the Arsenal defense a break while giving Emery a new opportunity to show what he is made of: Of all the options offered by the bench, he chose Yeremy, an 18-year-old youth squad.

The 2-1 aggregate kept Villarreal without suffering although their aspirations were held on a wire. Arsenal returned from the locker room with anxiety levels on the verge of collapsing. Partey was not comfortable organizing the show. Not Odegaard as an entertainer. The extremes, Pépé and Saka, were swallowed up by the self-esteem of Mario and Pedraza, respectively. Even so, the English team improved taking advantage of the fact that Villarreal returned somewhat more confused. Pépé and Smith-Rowe, in Rulli's second rude failure in the game, were able to change the course of the duel. As was Gerard (53 ’) later, who after scoring 26 goals and giving nine assists this season has come to this cross with less brilliance than usual but just as committed. The forward could do a thousand things and chose the worst.

Thus, a heart attack ending was reached in which Aubameyang once again finished off the wood with a great header (79 '). Luckily Villarreal gave a lesson in fortitude with Albiol at the controls and did not air his tremors, and that Arsenal offered a display of impotence. The beads of sweat and suffering in the yellow expedition, finally, were transformed into tears of emotion and pride. The Roig who collapsed with that Riquelme penalty and an unexpected descent to Second became the most radiant president along with another pillar of the project such as his son. Meanwhile, Emery, who lost a Europa League final a couple of years ago that crucified him at Arsenal, already has a rematch in his hand, remembering that it will be his fifth final in this competition and that he already has three cups like this one. We could not see Llaneza, alma mater of this invention and now retired, in any scene, but we imagined him raising his glass and toasting. This achievement is largely yours. As is that tiny group of journalists who always accompany this humble village team, from the fields of 2ªB to the most pompous stadiums of today, and the fans and partners who never fail and others who unfortunately are no longer there. . Villarreal has arrived thanks to them to Olympus where he dreamed. And beware, it will take a lot to wake him up. Endavant! See you in Poland.