Age was just a number.
Veteran Santi Casorla (41, Real Oviedo) who was born in 1984 showed off his strong performance on the professional stage. Casorla led a 1-1 draw with a golden equalizer in the second leg of the 2024-2025 Spanish La Liga 2 (Segunda División) promotion play-off semi-final against Almeria at Carlos Tartierre in Oviedo, Spain on the 12th (Korea time).
Oviedo, who won 2-1 on the road in the first round, made it to the final with a combined score of 3-2 thanks to Casorla's performance as the team's best player. On the 13th, they will face the winner of the semifinal match between Mirandes and Lashing in the final. In La Liga 2, the first and second places in the final rankings will automatically advance to La Liga, and the third and sixth places will play in the playoffs. On the 16th and 22nd, a team that won the home-and-away final will take the stage in La Liga. Oviedo, who went back and forth between the second and third divisions after relegation in 2001, is trying to promote for the first time in 24 years.
Oviedo finished the first half 0-1 with a penalty kick in the 24th minute to Gonzalo Melero. With the combined score tied 2-2, Oviedo Veliko Faunovic made a special replacement at half-time. Midfielder Jaime SeoHe brought Ane to the bench and put in veteran Kasorla.
Four minutes were enough to see the Casorla replacement effect. In the fourth minute of the second half, a free kick was given in the opponent's penalty arc 'Dangerous Zone'. The kicker is Casoula. Casorla, who played the role of a 'football warrior' at Arsenal in his heyday, had a low free kick with his left foot drawn into the left corner of the goal. Casorla ran in front of the home supporter's seat and enjoyed the joy of scoring with her fans and colleagues. Oviedo kept Casorla's goal to the end and moved one step closer to promotion. After the game, Oviedo fans sang "Our Captain" cheering song for Casorla.
Casorla is a former Oviedo youth and worked from 1996 to 2003. At that time, I watched the professional team be relegated to the second division. In the end, Casorla, who made his professional debut at Villarreal, not Oviedo, went through Malaga and enjoyed his prime at Arsenal. After leading Arsenal to the FA Cup (twice) under the guidance of former coach Arsène Wenger from 2012 to 2018, he returned to 2023 'Friendship' through Villarreal and Alsard.
When he joined the team, it was revealed that he decided to receive 91,000 euros (about 143 million won), the lowest salary in the second division, and was praised by fans. Casora, who played 24 games in his first season, postponed his retirement last summer and extended his contract. He took charge of Oviedo's runner this season and scored three goals in 32 games in La Liga 2, leading the third-place sensation.
Casora, who won Euro 2008 and Euro 2012 as a member of Spain's national team, finished preparing to write a 'Lariga Promotion Fairy Tale' before retirement. Along with Cristiano Ronaldo (40, Al Nasr), who won the European Nations League as a member of the Portuguese national team, Caso proves that his age is just a number.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
