'What we play for': Valencia reunited as Mestalla mourns its flood victims

Yesterday at 01:00 PM

César Tárrega, whose home town was badly hit by the floods, scored the first goal in an emotional defeat of Betis

Somewhere in the mud and the destruction a ball appeared, left there by the flood. Six days after the worst catastrophe in Spanish history had taken 229 lives and devastated thousands more, on a street still caked in sludge a game began. Someone recorded it, sharing a moment's happiness amidst the pain, a little light and hope let in: four boys from the small town of Aldaia covered in dirt, playing among piles of furniture from broken homes. Nineteen days later and seven miles away, a fifth local boy scored the goal of this or any season.

At 2.12pm on Saturday, seven minutes into Valencia's first game since the catastrophe – not so much a football match as an expression of community, one giant, collective embrace – the ball dropped to César Tárrega at the south end of Mestalla. It was a simple finish, but if these fans have seen better goals, they hadn't felt any like this. Suddenly, the silence – and it had been so, so silent – was broken, all those emotions escaping. Tárrega had cried in the quiet before kick off; now he let go, tears returning to his eyes. Then he ran to collect a shirt, holding it high. On the back, a message had been printed: "Tots junts eixirem." Together, we will come through this.