The first half finished 1-0 in favour of the home team. The Spanish midfield dominated possession and controlled the game despite high pressure from England. Jordi was at the heart of it, guiding every Spanish action. The scouting reports were littered with praise for his composure and his situational awareness. And all this on his debut!
Coach Gordo's bald head was covered in perspiration as it swivelled to take in the entire dressing room.
"This isn't enough! We had no intensity out there. A goal out of individual brilliance, and you got even more complacent. Wake up, or they'll kill us in the second half!" Coach Gordo walked to the other side in silence. Only then did he continue, "We are losing every duel. I don't know whether you are underestimating them or if you just don't care enough for the badge on your chest. However, I assure you that, barring two, three players, all of you look like shit!"
…
After berating his players for a good few minutes, Coach Gordo went about making some tactical adjustments. Surprisingly, he decided to take Pedri off and bring on Iván Morante. The defensive midfielder was to assist Jordi in defending against the explosive forwards of England. They were now shifting to a 4-2-3-1 formation, with a double pivot, to accommodate the substitution.
As the break came to a close and the players started walking out, Coach Gordo strung an arm around Jordi and walked with him.
"Jordi, I won't even ask how you covered the width so well today. It's only been a week since you started training, but… never mind. I know taking Pedri away is not ideal for you. Your partnership with him is a joy to watch, but they'll attack with everything as soon as the half begins. Just keep doing what you did in the first half."
Before they reached the rest of the team, Coach Gordo quickened his pace and left for the dugout. Jordi, however, was deep in contemplation. He did not like the tactical changes, but he could not pin down the reason. He just felt uncomfortable about the coming half.
"Let's go, Hermano. Score some goals and win us the match." Balde pinched Jordi's arm and sped to the front.
…
47'
Jordi had expected England to come out with intensity, but this was a different pressure. Madueke and Rogers were constantly running at the Spanish defence, while Jones, Patino, and Elliot formed the second line of attack. Never before had Jordi or his teammates faced such pressure.
Moments into the second half, Noni Madueke outmuscled Iván Fresneda off the ball. Then, in a brilliant feint, he was past Isma Armenteros and into the box. He sensed Jordi Lloret closing him down, so Madueke wasted no time and shot. The Spanish keeper could only look on as the ball rocketed into the near top corner.
1-1
Jordi had slid in to block if the shot was directed to the far corner. Unfortunately, he could only watch as the net rippled with the powerful shot. His forehead rested on the ground as he calmed himself down. The players around him were crumbling under pressure, and he did not know how to rally them together.
From his pivot position, he could at most dictate the play, but he had no answer when the players did not react according to his actions. Jordi could read the game of football perfectly, but what if that wasn't enough at times? It was a harsh lesson that he found himself in the middle of. There were times when understanding his teammates was more important than any tactic. Was that not why every footballer of his dreams was such a good leader?
52'
Sure enough, Spain further capitulated under pressure. Jordi's pass to the substitute, Iván Morante, was received with too heavy a touch. Harvey Elliot smelt blood and stepped in to dispossess Morante, who presented no resistance.
Harvey sent a grounded pass through to Madueke, but Jordi was quick to react. He slid into intercept, but nothing was going Spain's way. The ball rebounded from his leg and fell straight to Morgan Rogers. Surprised, but quick to react, Rogers curved the ball into the same top-left corner.
1-2
Jordi found his forehead resting against the grass again. It seemed so unfair, yet it wasn't. England deserved the lead. It was just a shame how they got it. After a deep sigh, Jordi picked himself up. He heard a few half-hearted consolations, with the loudest one coming from Gavi in the dugout. Jordi chuckled. He did not need consolation; he needed to win.
"Vamos, guys! We keep trying, and they'll give us the chance to come back. Focus!" Jordi shouted. He clapped and waved his hands to rouse his teammates. Upon Jordi's prompting, Balde recovered the ball from the net and threw it towards the centre circle.
72'
England decided to settle for a one-goal lead and defended deeper. They had made defensive substitutions to bolster the deep block. To say the least, the last 20 minutes had been frustrating for Spain. They were lacking creativity in front of the goal, which had pushed Jordi to venture up the pitch and play an advanced playmaker role. As Jordi had said, England gave the Los Rojas some openings, but they had failed to take advantage.
Spain came closest in the 72nd minute when Jordi shot from 25 yards. The ball was struck sweetly, but without luck. It hammered the underside of the crossbar, bounced just outside the goal line, and was headed out for a corner by Livramento. A groan escaped Jordi's throat, but he did not mourn his luck. Jordi was off to take the corner kick.
90'
The match was coming to a close, and Spain were still hunting for a goal. Rather, Jordi and a couple more were hunting for the goal, while most had admitted defeat. Jordi was standing, with his right hand on the right flag, for Spain's 9th corner. This was bound to be the last action of the game, and Alberto Sánchez, the Spanish goalkeeper, was jogging over to participate.
As the red and white shirts mingled inside the box, awaiting the keeper's arrival, Jordi heard the referee's whistle. Wait! He looked up, and everyone was idling in the box. Jordi's eyes met Álex Baena's. This was it…
A step back, then Jordi struck the ball. Baena ran unmarked to the near post, nervous to head the ball in, a skill he was not comfortable with. Lucky him, the ball could not have landed more perfectly in front of him. The side of the boot around the ball, and it flew into the top netting. The red and white shirts stood frozen as Baena jumped on Jordi and pushed him to the ground. A pause of 1 second, then 2 seconds, the place exploded. From the pitch and the dugout, the Spanish players bolted towards their two heroes.
2-2!