From the special reporter of Vijesti
What it looks like when Montenegrin talents "take aim" at Spanish ones - if it is even possible to call it an equal match, considering all the differences that divide these two football countries - could be best seen in Ploesti in the last round of the group stage of the European Championship for players under 19.
What was expected - happened. Spain, nine-time European champions in youth competition, showed no mercy to the debutant at this level and defeated their peers from Montenegro - 5:0. Although painful and difficult, the result is realistic. Simply put, these are two different football planets.
These are two different categories, something that is not comparable. The Spanish style of football, the talent of Spanish players, their training in club academies, their approach to the game, after all, cannot be compared even with the football systems of much larger and, in all respects, stronger footballing countries than Montenegro.
Don't just nine European Youth Championship titles speak for themselves, without even mentioning the other trophies in all categories, or the names of players who, with their unreal talent and then brilliant development programs at clubs, have refined the game of football, making it even more magical?
Therefore, no matter how convincing the defeat was, it is difficult to call it a fiasco, a debacle, or at least - a shame. There is no shame in losing to a better team, perhaps even the best, especially not on your debut at the European Championship, among the eight best teams on the continent.
It should never be forgotten that Montenegro reached the final, that it went through two filters on the way, that it played in the championship without its two best players. Adzic (Juventus) i Bulatović (Lens), without an important player Zeković (Feyenoord), as well as a standard defender Kumburović, and only a few of those in the squad have any playing time in the senior ranks (standard first-team players are members of Montenegrin second-league teams)...
For the Montenegrin youngsters, this level is, however, too high, and only they know whether they gave everything they had against Denmark and Spain, played their best and fought as hard as they could, as they undoubtedly did against Romania at the start of the match in which they succumbed and were left without a point in the last attack.
And against Spain? Unequal from start to finish. The Spaniards - much faster, stronger, technically incomparably superior. It was just a question of when the goleada would begin and when it would end.
In the first half, the masterminds were led by Barca's La Masia student and member of Barca's U19 team, Oláleni. Kim Junyent Casanova, and his teammate Dan Virhili, Betisov Pablo Garcia...
As a consolation, if there is any, our team also had three attempts - two from long range. Ćetković i Savović he defended Simon Garcia (Athletic), while Camajev A great diagonal shot from the right ended just wide of the far post.
Despite the obvious inferiority and difference in class, the Montenegrin youngsters were at times, especially in the first ten minutes, courageous in attack and even threatened three times, through Filipa i Marko Perović, To VlahovicThey didn't do that much in 90 minutes against Denmark...
But reality quickly hit them, because when the Spanish accelerate, there is no escape - Casanova completed a hat-trick in the 65th minute for 5:0. Spain stopped there in this match, but not in the Euros, they are in the semi-finals.
Montenegro will remember its premiere appearance at a major competition and the results that were expected on the elite U19 scene.
MONTENEGRO - SPAIN 0:5 (0:4)
Ploesti - “Ilie Oana” Stadium. Attendance: 1.549. Referee: Menelaos Antoniu (Cyprus). Scorers: Casanova in the 14th, 28th, 65th minutes, Virgili in the 16th, Uestamendia in the 35th minute. Yellow cards: Ćetković (Montenegro), Cuenca (Spain).
Montenegro: Milović (46. Đurović) - Vračar, Damjanović, Tomašević, M. Perović - Ćetković, Savović (53. Đukanović), Vukanic (66. Kostić) - Vlahović (66. Jauković), Camaj (87. Zlatičanin), F. Perović.
Spain: S. Garcia - Pastor, Martin (46th Olmedo), Cuenca (46th Muñoz), Torrent - Marquez, Granado (83rd, Monserrat), Casanova (83rd Casanova) - Virhilli, Westamndia, P. Garcia (63rd Dani Dias).
Bonus video:
