The handshakes broke apart, and the players drifted away from one another slowly.
Red shirts moved towards one half and the blue shirts toward the other.
The noise never settled while the players did.
It rolled around the Akron in waves, one side answering the other before the first had even finished.
Izan adjusted the captain's armband once as he walked, eyes searching around.
Across the centre circle, Valverde was already there.
Neither of them looked particularly interested in the crowd.
Valverde stood with his hands on his hips, staring into Spain's half and as Izan stopped near the centre spot, he glanced up.
Their eyes met briefly, but nothing came of it.
Calling both men acquaintances wouldn't be a stretch because they'd played against each other more than they could count, both when Izan wore a Valencia shirt, or when he wore an Arsenal shirt.
And now that he wore a Spanish shirt.
