Samuel Saiz scores winner as Atletico Madrid beat West Ham in HKFC Citibank Sevens final
Madrid skipper scores a golden goal for Spaniards in extra time after his side fight back from 2-0 down
A golden goal from skipper Samuel Saiz gave Atletico Madrid an improbable 3-2 Cup victory over West Ham United in the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens final.
West Ham had victory in their sight with a brace from Jaanai Gordon either side of half-time lifting hopes of a first-ever Cup title in Hong Kong. But with three minutes left, Atletico pulled off a superb comeback scoring two goals in the space of 80 seconds to push the final into extra-time.
And it was naturally their Captain Marvel who produced the finishing touches to give last year's La Liga champions a Cup victory on their debut appearance at the popular tournament, which drew a full house at Hong Kong Football Club.
We knew time was running out but we didn't panic. It feels great to come back like that and win and it feels even better when you score the winning goal. But this was a team effort. Everyone played their part
"We never give up. That is the philosophy of the club and we showed that today," said Saiz, who had been the architect of the side's progress into the final scoring five goals in three matches in the group stages.
"We knew time was running out but we didn't panic. It feels great to come back like that and win and it feels even better when you score the winning goal. But this was a team effort. Everyone played their part," said Saiz.
At 24, he is the oldest player in this development team brought out by Atletico, Spain's third-best supported club behind Real Madrid and Barcelona. Those two giants have never graced this tournament, launched in 1999, but now that Atletico have made their mark, it could pave the way for a Spanish invasion.
