In an enormous step towards the comeback of sports worldwide, the Spanish football league, La Liga, has returned. The return happened without fans and under scrutiny, but it has returned nonetheless. It’s no small step for Spain, one of the countries affected most by the COVID-19 pandemic. Though several other sports are returning in the United States and elsewhere, the return of Spanish football is extremely notable. Let me tell you why.
I lived a full two years in Spain, spending half that time in Madrid and six months in Barcelona. Football (fútbol) is everything in Spain – you can find fields and cement courts in every city, and there are well over 150 professional and semi-pro teams. An insanely large amount of children and adults spend their weekends playing with friends and family. Even as someone who has no talent for the sport whatsoever, I gave in immediately to playing pickup games and watching the airings of the big games. So, take my word for it, bringing back La Liga was no small thing to the people in Spain.
The return began with a 2-0 Sevilla victory over rival Real Betis on Thursday. Known as the “El Gran Derbi”, the rivalry is one of the longest-running in sports, dating back to 1915. It’s normally very entertaining, and today was no exception. Despite Betis winning the possession battle 53% to 47%, Sevilla was able to muster 10 shots, four of those on goal. Betis was only able to get one of their nine shots on target, a shot that was well blocked by a Sevilla defender.
Lucas Ocampos of Sevilla shined throughout the game. He broke the ice on the scoreless game by scoring on a penalty shot in the 56th minute after a yellow card was given for obstruction during a corner kick. Ocampos then assisted on the next goal with a beautiful heel-kick to give Fernando Reyes perfect positioning on a header that sailed past the keeper for the 2-0 advantage.
Sevilla’s victory broke a deadlock with Getafe for fourth place in the standings while bringing their point total to 50. Sevilla will take on Levante next on Monday, June 15th. Betis maintains its position in twelfth, with its next game on Monday, June 15th against Granada.
Though the game was exciting, the big note for the day was hope. Spain and the rest of the world is still experiencing pain and frustration caused by the pandemic. However, the mere fact that La Liga has returned is a hopeful experience for many, a sentiment we could all use.
The La Liga campaign continues tomorrow, Friday, June 12 with a pair of matches on tap and seven more scheduled for over the weekend. Barcelona sits on top of the table with 58 points, while rival Real Madrid sit just two points back with 11 matches remaining for both squads. The season is slated to conclude on July 19.
