IRELAND UNDERAGE international John Joe Patrick Finn scored his first senior goal for Getafe as they hammered sixth-tier Tardienta 12-0 in the Copa del Rey first round on Wednesday.
Finn was born and raised in Madrid but qualifies to represent Ireland through his father, who was born in Ballyhaunis, Mayo. He is also eligible to represent Spain, France and Cameroon, where his mother hails from.
The midfielder made his senior La Liga debut for Getafe back in 2020 when he appeared off the bench at the age of just 17.
It meant Finn became the first Irish player to feature in La Liga since Steve Finnan’s brief stint with Espanyol in 2009, while former Atletico Madrid player Matt Doherty has since added to this small contingent.
The youngster went on to make eight appearances in all competitions for the 2020-21 season but has found first-team opportunities hard to come by since then, with the Tardienta clash the first time he has featured during the current campaign — previously, all his appearances this year had come for the club’s B team.
Finn started last night’s game in central midfield and took just seven minutes to open the scoring, paving the way for a comfortable victory.
Meanwhile, Mason Greenwood scored twice as Getafe came close to matching the all-time largest win in the competition’s history, Real Murcia’s 14-0 triumph over Cieza Promesas in 1992.
Greenwood joined Getafe on loan from Manchester United in the summer, with the English club deciding he should continue his career elsewhere following an internal investigation after charges against him, including rape and assault, were dropped in February.
Oscar Rodriguez scored a hat-trick for Getafe in the rout, which is Spain’s biggest cup victory in the 21st century and a club-record triumph in any competition.
Real Betis set their own new club record victory as well with a 12-1 win at Hernan Cortes, also in the sixth tier, in which striker Willian Jose netted four times.
Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Girona and Sevilla progressed to the second round, among other teams.
Spanish Super Cup qualifying sides Real Madrid, who won last season’s Copa del Rey, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Osasuna will not enter the competition until the third round.
Additional reporting by AFP
