Spain came up against a double wall in Lille. One physical, the other historical. The first was dressed in green and is called Andreas Wolff. The German goalkeeper, 33 years old, 1.98m tall, a player from Kielce, was an impenetrable wall for a team that fell in the semi-finals of the Games by 25-24. That is the second barrier. Neither these Spaniards nor their predecessors have ever reached an Olympic final, being knocked out at the penultimate station in 1996, 2000, 2008, 2021 and now 2024. It is also true that they have never lost a match for bronze, and that is the medal they will fight for for the fifth time this Sunday at 9.00 against Slovenia or Denmark (the other semi-final is today at 21.30).
Germany presented their giant Wolff very early on. The goalkeeper, who was the first choice ahead of David Spaeth, grew in size with each play, just as Spain’s nerves grew. One, two, three, four consecutive saves by the goalkeeper sealed the German goal for more than six minutes, an offensive drought that the team paid for with a 3-0 deficit. Pérez de Vargas rushed in to send a very long ball flying that landed on the goal line, and Jordi Ribera summoned his boys to the thinking chair. “Tougher in the clashes!” he demanded. Spain was once again accustomed to agony, a custom at these Games.
The first goal, by Kauldi Odriozola, and a counterattack by Dani Fernandez woke Spain from its nap. Germany responded with its outside artillery, the hammer of Juri Knorr and the dance of the pivot Golla, who was terminal when he pressed the ball (5-2). Wolff continued to be a wall, enormous in the high angles, a foot at the height of the ear as if it were another hand. Pérez de Vargas also showed his stripes in the opposing net, and the match went into a period of exchange of thrusts and a Spanish rebound (6-6). The German team picked up another pace after the exclusion of Maqueta, the Germans skilled in striking through the central zone and in the shot between the lines, a game with hardly any wingers, straight to the heart of Spain (11-7).
Spain had to use its wings, and thus squeezed out a break from a not-so-fresh Germany. A 1-5 run after Alex Dujshebaev’s first shot sent the afternoon into the break with the balance balanced (12-12), a bit of light for the team because Wolff reached the locker room with 50% of saves (11 of 22).
If the team was blocked in the centre, it neglected the wings. Uscins showed his waist and Serdio showed sacrifice by throwing himself to the ground to palm a rebound. And meanwhile, more Wolff. At times it seemed like a contest of saves between the German goalkeeper and Pérez de Vargas, above and below (17-16). Spain added to the counterattack, a blessing in such a tight match. Uscins and Koester added to stretch the rubber a few millimetres, and Tarrafeta emerged with three bingos in a row to keep Spain in the ring (20-19). Ribera also brought Corrales back for a few minutes in search of a higher degree in goal.
A steal by Aleix Gómez and a missed penalty by Uscins allowed Spain to get a foothold. The score was 23-24 with eight minutes left to play. The long-awaited Olympic final was within reach for Spain, but that was precisely what they failed to do. The team did not move its marker, sterile in front of Wolff’s wall. The goalkeeper unhinged Javi Rodríguez and Serdio with three consecutive saves. It was goal or goal due to the clarity and ease of the Spanish takers. There is no pardon when you fail in that way in an Olympic semi-final. Behind a wall dressed in green there was another bigger one, the one in history.
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