Angulo's Olympic experience

Winning a medal at an Olympic Games is something that an athlete does not forget in a hurry. More than 20 years have passed since Miguel Ángel Angulo earned silver with Spain at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, and he provides a precedent for current Valencia CF player Carlos Soler's appearance in the Tokyo 2020 final this weekend.

The Asturian was a starter in the final against Cameroon, which was decided on penalties, and also scored in the semifinal against the USA. Now the coach of VCF Mestalla, he recounts his Olympic experience.

“I have a lot of memories of Sydney 2000, and they are all good. We had a great competition and we were together for almost a month, a group of players who started something that was unknown to us. We thought it was going to be difficult and we did not know how far we could go, and we ended up being lucky enough to play in the final and experience the atmosphere of the Olympics," he recalls.

"It's unique, because as a footballer you only have one opportunity to play in it, and we went there with that opportunity to achieve something historic for Spain."

“It was a match where either team could have won," says Angulo. "We came very close, because we went into halftime with a 2-0 lead. We were the better side, with a lot of possession, and Cameroon did not impose their will. The second half changed things, and they began to take over. They scored, there were red cards and the score went to 2-2. After extra time and penalties, we missed out. That moment was sad and difficult for us, but over time we have come to appreciate that it is really hard to reach an Olympic final and get a silver medal."

As for the current Spain side, Angulo is wishing them success against Brazil.

“We have a great team, a great coach and Carlos Soler, not only at the Olympics but in general, is having a great year. He deserves the reward of a gold medal. I wish him and the entire Spain team luck, and I hope they bring back a gold medal that would be something very nice for this generation of Spanish players."