A farewell to frame

It was a farewell and he had to be happy. Because it was at home and the season has been so good at Cartagonova that no other scenario was contemplated. Amorebieta, moreover, was a virtually relegated rival and, throughout the year, has been a propitious visitor. An Efesé that has worked so well at home had to beat an Amorebieta that has done so poorly as a visitor. And of course that’s what happened. It did not even matter that one did not play anything and the other was forced to add the three points to avoid relegation. It was a walk for those of Carrión, who did not even have to step on the accelerator fully to thrash a Basque team whose dream in professional football has only lasted a year. Normal. For a town of 19,000 inhabitants that has not even been able to use its field, it was a chimerical goal to be able to extend its stay in Second for one more season.

What’s more, Haritz Mújika’s boys jumped onto the pitch at Cartagonova delivered, without any intensity or confidence. They weren’t even encouraged when they found out that Málaga were losing to Burgos and could make it to the last day of the championship alive. They never believed in the miracle. The Basques did not trust the carom, with Asier Goiria in the box and the illustrious Mikel San José in the field. Efesé played at will, starting the party before the ball rolled, when Alberto de la Bella’s children and wife stepped onto the pitch to take the kick-off. The Colombian winger, who had a placid last night on the shores of Benipila, was entertained by Paco Belmonte in the run-up to a match that only lacked an audience. And this must be looked at because it is becoming a regular trend at Cartagonova.

The local team did what they wanted from the first moment, with Bodiger and Boateng keeping the ball and Amorebieta looking for a counterattack that never came. Delmás put a delicious cross to the near post and Boateng, with a subtle touch, knocked down Óscar Gil, who gave him a penalty so clearly that he did not even protest. Rubén Castro took the ball and did not forgive. Efesé relaxed after the 1-0 and Amorebieta, in an exercise of pure survival, stretched their lines in search of a goal that they could achieve with several long shots that were always well saved by Marc Martínez, very sure in which he could be his last game at Cartagonova. The Catalan goalkeeper later pulled out a great hand to deny the equalizer to Guruzeta, who seemed to start offside.

He had left because Cartagena did not want to make too much blood. But the story ended on the brink of rest. Bodiger asked for a ball on the edge, after a great transition from the locals, and released a left-footed shot that entered the top corner of an impotent Unai. The Frenchman, together with De Blasis, the best footballer in Cartagena this season, sent kisses to the stands and said goodbye through the front door of a hobby that will take time to forget you. At the break there was no game. Amorebieta knew they had been relegated and Cartagena took advantage of the first leg of the second period to feast.

It was the night for Rubén Castro to make history. And that’s what he did. He signed a ‘hat-trick’ that allows him to beat Sívori, chase Toché with 39 goals (adding those that the Santomeranian scored in the Copa del Rey) and become the oldest footballer capable of scoring a goal in football Spanish professional. Efesé also became the third top scorer in the league and surpassed the mark achieved by Juan Ignacio Martínez’s great team in the 2009-10 season, when they almost went up to the First Division. For the seventh time, Cartagena won this season in front of their fans by a difference of three or more goals. He will finish ninth or tenth in an excellent season, where he only lacked more competitiveness away from home to have been fighting for the ‘playoff’ until the last moment.

Gallar scored the third, after a great save by Unai on Rubén Castro. The fourth came immediately, materialized by the canary after a great inside combination between Boateng and De Blasis. And De la Bella, before his emotional exit from the field, joined the party giving the last assist of his career. It was nice that his friend Rubén Castro received it, who easily pushed the gift from the former winger for Real Sociedad and Las Palmas, among other teams, into the net.

With the 5-0, the home team understood that there was no reason to continue punishing Amorebieta in which all his players collapsed at the same time. They knew that they could go down in Cartagena, but they did not expect such an albinegra discharge. Then came the time for tributes. Carrión removed Bodiger and the stadium began to fall. Then De Blasis and De la Bella left and he fell completely. “De Blasis, stay!” They sang over and over again to ‘Chiquito’, who reciprocated with greetings and putting his hand to his heart.

The game ended and the party continued. While the visiting players were recomposing themselves and one after another they ended up leaving broken to the locker room, the locals kept up and made a corridor for De la Bella. Afterwards they gave a lap of honor to the field in which De Blasis, Mo Dauda and Boateng did not stop saying goodbye. Rubén Castro, with a ball under his arm, stayed a step behind him, assuming a secondary role. From now on we have to build a new team. It will be necessary to cover absences that will be very noticeable, but of course a good starting point is to start knowing that you have one of the greatest scorers in the history of Spanish football on your team. At 41, yes. And with his 20 goals per season, too.