Team spirit spurs Espanyol
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Article summary
Miguel Ángel Lotina said the foundation for RCD Espanyol's Copa del Rey final victory was laid on the team bus as it travelled to the Santiago Bernabéu.
Article body
'Fantastic atmosphere'
"We won the game on the bus journey between the hotel and the stadium," said Lotina. "We saw our fans lining the streets all the way and the players got to their feet and started joining in the songs and the atmosphere was fantastic. You can talk as much as you like about tactics and coaching certificates but the reality of football comes down to things like that. That sort of spirit is what wins cup finals."
UEFA Cup
The Barcelona-based club took the lead through captain Raúl Tamudo in the second minute, and never looked back despite Ewerthon's equaliser. Luis García put Espanyol back in front and Ferrán Corominas made it 3-1 before Zaragoza goalkeeper César Sánchez was dismissed. There was still time for Luis García to score a fourth as Espanyol celebrated a second Spanish Cup success in six years (and fourth overall) and a return to the UEFA Cup.
'Luck'
"We had the luck that has deserted us in the league and that helped us beat a great team," continued Lotina, whose side are two points above the relegation zone with six games to go. "It was important to get the early goal and we certainly had our scoring boots on, but the difference in the scoreline does not reflect the difference between the teams. It was much closer than that."
