Gothia Cup

Wonder strike seals victory for ED Moratalaz in B16 final

Lillestrøm SK 2 - ED Moratalaz 0–1 (0–0)

Norwegian team Lillestrøm SK’s last two games had to be decided by penalties, and Spanish ED Moratalaz was previously unbeaten in the tournament.

It was a well-matched tie in the B16 final and the game started off flowing from side to side. The Spaniards were predominantly the ones with the pressure, although the Norwegian team managed to break through on some occasions. Towards the end of the first half, Moratalaz had a chance to go ahead with a freekick on goal that went just wide, but there was little to separate the sides.

Both teams picked up where they left off as the second half went underway. 10 minutes into the second half, Moratalaz got another freekick just outside of the penalty box. Haroun Amrani made it 1–0 to the Spaniards as he converted the freekick and although Lillestrøm’s goalkeeper got his fingertips on it, he could not keep the ball out of the net. Minutes later, another effort from Moratalaz goes just wide as they turned up the pressure. It remained tense until the end, but the Spanish team persisted and the 1–0 was enough to be crowned champions.

ED Moratalaz captain Bruno Acosta del Campo is elated over the win.
– Feeling really excited, because it is a difficult tournament and we had a difficult path and I’m so glad we made it, says del Campo.

Despite the difficulties, the team went undefeated through the tournament. The captain says that the secret was a Spanish ingredient.
– Spanish tiki-taka, says del Campo.

Travel plans take precedence over celebration plans.
– We don’t have much time here because we need to fly back to Spain, but we are going to celebrate there, says del Campo.