Centro Español in Beverwijk down after loss against Morocco: ‘Puta madre!’

Around half past three most Spaniards trickle in. Many are wearing something of their country: a shirt, a track jacket or a flag. They are in a good mood, but the tension before the game is also dripping from their faces. It is a colorful mix of older and younger generations of Spaniards from the IJmond.

Many of them have relatives who worked at the blast furnaces. That’s what the Centro Español was founded for, as a meeting place for Spaniards who came to work at the steel factories in the 1970s. But nowadays it is not so busy anymore, says Luís. “In the past, we often turned it into a disco here. But the younger generation no longer knows how to find the Centro. Especially after corona we are often only open one day a week. That’s a shame.”

Jorge and Ramon are behind the bar. The beer and bacon are flying over the counter. The men seem to know everyone, but find the turnout a bit disappointing. “The previous game was much busier, but then we also played in the evening.”

They agree on one thing: it’s going to be a tough game. “The Moroccans are really not bad. But we will still win 2-0.” Five minutes before the start of the game, the hall is full. When the national anthem of Spain sounds, the sound goes a lot louder. A loud cheer goes up as the national anthem ends. The match can begin.

But the Spain supporters are not alone. There are also quite a few young Morocco fans present. Occasionally a comment is thrown their way, but they don’t respond. They don’t feel threatened, right in the lion’s den. “No man, they must be afraid of us”, laughs one. They are realistic about their country’s opportunities. “Everything we achieve from now on is bonus. It is already fantastic that we have reached the next round again.”

“España, España, y nada mas”

“Vamos”, a man shouts at a promising attack from Spain. But unfortunately for him, the game is developing as many people had imagined: the Spaniards have the ball, but they can’t get through Morocco’s stiff defence. It causes frustration in the room. Disposable gestures and Spanish swear words fly through the air. “Puta madre!”

Then suddenly there is a chance, but unfortunately for Spain there is a flag for offside. “España, España, y nada mas”, sing the Spanish fans. Finally the match and the people in the room seem to loosen up a bit. But it was only a brief revival: very little happens on the field in the first half.

In the second half, too, things don’t go smoothly. Fortunately, the tap works properly. This is therefore eagerly used by the public present. The more beer goes into it, the more passionate (and false) the cheers of the Spanish public become. “Yo soy Español, Español, Español”, it sounds.

During the last 10 minutes of the game, the tension in the room starts to rise. Spain has started a final offensive, but Morocco also knows how to become dangerous a number of times. Cheers and boos alternate. Only the ball doesn’t want to go in on both sides, so it’s going to be extended.

In overtime, the game continues to go up and down. One moment the Moroccan fans are jumping from their seats in Centro Español, the next moment the Spanish. “How many chances do they need?!” shouts one of the Spaniards. But the inevitable seems to happen: the game will be decided by penalty kicks.

Empty hands

Everyone is on the edge of their seats during the penalty shootout. On the field, the Spanish players apparently can’t keep their nerves under control either, because they miss one penalty after another. When Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi scores the winning penalty, Morocco’s fans jump, dance, cheer and shout on the tables at the Centro Español. They are overjoyed, because the Atlas lions have reached the quarter-finals of a World Cup for the first time in history.

The Spaniards in the room cannot believe their eyes. Their country, which was seen by many as a contender for the world title, has been eliminated. “This really sucks,” Luís sips. “We should never have let it come down to penalties,” Ramon adds. They have no choice but to clean up the mess in the room and lick their wounds.

Outside the Moroccan fans celebrate. The streets of Beverwijk have been taken over by honking cars containing supporters of De Leeuwen van de Atlas. For them, the World Cup fairy tale continues, the Spaniards leave empty-handed.