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This Saturday in Granada, a Copa de la Reina final takes place that marks the final chapter of several stories. Sandra Ramajo closes a cycle on the 11th of May, and it looks like Jennifer Hermoso is heading the same way.
Every novel has its epilogue. They're not all the same length, but more than one will reach its conclusion in the Nasrid city. Real Sociedad and Atlético de Madrid meet in what looks, on paper, an uneven contest. Yet there are reasons — more to do with the epic than with the strictly footballing — that could level the scales between the txuriurdines and the colchoneras. A Real Sociedad victory, against the odds, would bring a successful chapter to a close for several players at the San Sebastián club. Leaving with a title. The perfect ending.
The hardest thing about dreaming is waking up — that instant when you realise what you experienced wasn't real and you have to keep working for what you long for. That's the feeling Sandra Ramajo, captain of Real Sociedad, describes. With eleven seasons behind her and the armband tied to her left bicep, the Irún-born midfielder brings her time at the club to an end on 30th June. In her final Liga Iberdrola match against Atlético de Madrid, she received a well-deserved tribute at Zubieta. Perhaps after the toss-in-a-blanket from her teammates, the captain began to process the reality of life away from the club. But there are times when you wake from a dream, close your eyes again, and find yourself still inside that adventure where anything is possible. From San Sebastián to Granada. Lifting the Copa de la Reina. Why not?
The main reason to dismiss the Donostian dream is the level Atlético de Madrid have shown. Sánchez Vera's side have only one blemish — the Wolfsburg defeat. Expected, but no less painful for that. Even so, the colchoneras regrouped and have been outstanding in the league. The Madrid side are looking to round off their season by winning the Copa de la Reina, which would complete the double.
Jennifer Hermoso is the key piece in the rojiblanco attack for the title push. The top scorer in the Liga Iberdrola (24 goals) arrived to fill a significant void and has done so in spades. Her time in Paris was unhappy, but she has redeemed herself this season — to the point that Barcelona are keen to bring her back. If that happens, Hermoso's second stint in Madrid will have been as fleeting as it has been productive. Her last great service to the rojiblanco cause may well come this Saturday.
Ramajo and Hermoso won't be the only ones closing a chapter. The market dictates the pace of departures — ever faster — and there's little anyone can do about that. But they are two very clear examples of what is genuinely at stake this weekend in the Zaidín neighbourhood.
This final is part of another turning point in Spanish women's football. The Wanda, the RCDE Stadium, the national team in Alicante and Bilbao, the Under-17 World Cup… At both club and national level, the players have stepped forward. Those not in Granada can follow it on mainstream television. Another tick in the development column. With so many great moments already banked, there's room for one more. And who knows — this summer, the Women's World Cup in France could be the real beginning.
By,
Mario Tena
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