An extraordinary tale has emerged in the latest instalment of the Copa Del Rey. A cup upset with biblical implications – well, sort of. Tercera División side, Unionistas de Salamanca had Villarreal on the ropes in their round of 32 clash. Only for the floodlights to fail, as the game was reaching its climatic conclusion, with the score at 1-1 in extra-time.
Fast-forward 20 hours and the tie had recommenced. In what has to go down as the longest extra-time, ever. You would think that Villarreal would have a chance to regroup, clear their heads, and scrape through to the next round.
However, it was in fact Unionistas, who would get the last laugh. Edging a penalty shootout 7-6, as Villarreal’s Kiko Femenia ballooned the ball over the bar from his spot-kick.
Cue, wild scenes. A rocking stand, intense flag-waving and hugs all-round.
The injustice of Villarreal managing to pressurise the officials into postponing the game, while under the cosh, couldn’t crush the dreams of the underdog.
And it is some underdog story. Unionistas were only founded in 2013 by fans of a dissolved, former La Liga side, UD Salamanca.
The original club was founded in 1923 by Irish international students. Beleaguered with financial issues that accompanied similar shortcomings. UD Salamanca dropped down the divisions, and then dropped off the earth altogether. However, the loyal comrades of the Spanish side were not to be deterred. Unionistas de Salamanca rose like a phoenix from the ashes, and to this day, still relies on membership fees from its devotees.
But amidst temperamental floodlights, the shine of Unionistas cup-run continues to be undimmed. That’s because they welcome FC Barcelona in the next round of the competition.
Genesis 1:3-25: ‘Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.’
The footballing Gods have separated the light of Unionistas’ Copa Del Rey success from the darkness of UD Salamanca’s demise.
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