Futbol Espanol 2008-09

[Antepli Ejderha]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

A question for all those Spanish football watchers, how have the four Turkish players done this season?

Nihat at Vilarreal
Marco Aurelio at Real Betis
Ibrahim Kas at Getafe
Ersen Martin at Recreativo Huelva

We get two or three games a week, often the Vilarreal one so I sort of can follow Nihat but the others I know nothing of.

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

As far as I'm aware Nihat's had the usual injury problems but can be deadly on his day; Aurelio and Kas have been steady in poor teams; and Martin has had limited opportunities.

[Martin C]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Antepli Ejderha wrote:

A question for all those Spanish football watchers, how have the four Turkish players done this season?

Nihat at Vilarreal
Marco Aurelio at Real Betis
Ibrahim Kas at Getafe
Ersen Martin at Recreativo Huelva

We get two or three games a week, often the Vilarreal one so I sort of can follow Nihat but the others I know nothing of.

As Lodz wrote Nihat's been bothered by nagging injuries and while he's played 17 league games, starting 10 of them, he is scoreless this season!

Mehmet Aurelio is out injured now but for me he was the best Turkish player in Spain this year. A consistent starter in midfield for Betis who formed a good tandem with Achille Emana. Ibrahim Kas has only played a handful of games (7) for Getafe while Martin is a reserve with Recreativo, playing 10 games this season, none as a starter.

[Ant van Oviedo]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Here in Oviedo the whole city is in the grip of Promotion Fever - after a long, tediously predictable regular season where we got 103 points and scored 100 goals to finish 30 points clear of the second-placed team.

Tomorrow we play Mallorca B in the first leg of the play-offs. Should the unthinkable happen and we lose over the two legs, there is a second chance this year, too complicated to relate here, but follow this link if you're interested:
http://www.marca.com/deporte/futbol/mas-futbol/ascensoTercera.html

I went to get my ticket (socios pay 12€) yesterday and the queues were enormous. According to the club website, 21,578 tickets have been sold, so the Carlos tartiere will be close to its 30,000 capacity tomorrow.

We've been waiting for this day for a whole year, ever since last year's debacle against Caravaca. ¡Hala Oviedo!

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

La Sexta's coverage tonight is terribly exciting, flitting live between all the matches going on ... Villarreal (v Valencia) seems to be the only goal so far ... my fingers are crossed, hoping for Osasuna to do the business in the Camp Nou and the hated verdiblancos to bite the dust in Malaga ...

Needless to say, ant, I'll be thinking of the ROCF boys tomorrow evening alongside Sabadell away at Leon ... Volveremos todos!

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

That was a clinical and powerful finish from Forlan, deserves to be applauded ... even if it means that Atletico get into the Champions League

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

And again ...

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Err... and again

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Perotti gol! Sevilla es de Champions! ... now not sure whether to congratulate Jimenez or to continue my lucha for his dismissal ...

[rick derris]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

good luck ant. you must fancy the away leg!

espanyol officially safe by winning 3-0 tonight

[Ant van Oviedo]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Yes - Mrs. Ant is not so keen, though.

The real trouble, though, is nobody is sure where or when the game will be played, making the trip a logistical nightmare. The fans have chartered a couple of planes, but if (as looks likely) the game is played at 19.00 on Sunday, directly after Mallorca-Villarreal, those planes will be hard pushed to get back to Asturias Airport by twelve, when the thing closes for the night!

The other option is to play at midday at Mallorca's training ground - capacity 1,000...in this case we'd get 75(!) tickets.

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

What a night of drama! I ditched the TV and listened on the radio and followed the varios games online. It was a great way to keep up with the excitement from around the league.

These were today's scores:

Athletic 1-4 Atlético
Barcelona 0-1 Osasuna
Sevilla 1-0 Deportivo
Valladolid 1-2 Sporting
Almería 0-3 Espanyol
Getafe 1-0 Numancia
Villarreal 3-1 Valencia
Málaga 1-1 Betis
Recreativo 0-1 Racing

Atletico are only 1 point away from the Champions League after Diego Forlan scored 3 goals, one a penalty, at San Mames. Villarreal behind 2 goals by Joseba Llorente stayed alive in the Champions League fight and eliminated Valencia from next season's CL. Sevilla's 1-0 win over Deportivo assures them 3rd place. Malaga's 1-1 tie with Betis eliminates Malaga from any European play.

Now at the bottom of the table, Numancia and Recreativo are going down. Despite beating a substitute laden Barcelona 1-0, Osasuna are now in the 3rd relegation position even on points with Sporting but behind them in the head to head matchups. Sporting won 2-1 in a dramatic game at Valladolid, game winning goal headed in by Bilic but Sporting's real hero was goalie Cuellar with some incredible saves.

Racing's 1-0 win over Recre, goal by Zigic, not only condemned Recreativo but also assured Racing's survival. Espanyol behind 2 goals by Ivan Alonso beat Almeria 3-0 to also ensure their survival as new coach Mauricio Pocchetino pulled off a great turnaround for Espanyol in the final 2 months of the season.

So the table now looks like this:

1 Barcelona 86
2 R. Madrid* 78
3 Sevilla 67
4 Atlético 64
5 Villarreal 62
6 Valencia 59
7 Deportivo 57
8 Málaga 55
9 Mallorca* 48
10 Almería 46
11 Racing 45
12 Espanyol 44
13 Athletic 44
14 Valladolid 42
15 Getafe 41
16 Betis 41
17 Sporting 40
18 Osasuna 40
19 Numancia 35
20 Recreativo 33

* means Real Madrid and Mallorca have played one less game, they play tomorrow.

So the Champions League fight comes down to next week's two matches:

Atletico-Almeria
Mallorca-Villarreal

While the avoidance of relegation involves these matches:

Sporting-Recreativo
Osasuna-Real Madrid
Betis-Valladolid
Racing-Getafe

As Osasuna, Sporting, Betis, Getafe and Valladolid all could still go down. A win for any of them would assure their safety.

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

What happens if Sporting and Osasuna draw, and Betis and Getafe lose?

[Sam]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Merengue wrote:

new coach Mauricio Pocchetino

It had escaped my attention that he'd moved into management. My word.

[Ant van Oviedo]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

It had mine, as well, until relatively recently. When I saw him bellowing instructions on the sidelines at a recent game I just assumed (reasonably enough) that he'd earlier been sent off.

[Senyor Pirotecnic]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Cadiz and Cartagena go up to Segunda, Real Union and Alcoyano take the back door into the last eight along with Sabadell who won 0-1 in Leon and others such as Alcorcon, Jaen and Villarreal B.

Oviedo will take a 1-0 lead to Mallorca.

Valencia got what we deserved last night and mustn't fuck up net week if we are to keep the Europa League spot.

[Ant van Oviedo]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Yes, Oviedo won 1-0 this evening in a tense match, played out in front of over 25,000 in a persistent drizzle that turned into pouring rain as soon as I started my walk home. When I finally made it home, Mrs Ant was convinced I'd been celebrating by swimming in one of the municipal fountains. I was that wet.

The game itself was won by a Diego Cervero penalty 15 minutes from time, after a ludricrous decision by the ref. The whole stadium saw that the foul, if indeed it was (dubious), was committed at least 2 metres outside the box. I can't remember ever seeing such a ridiculous decision. Still, we'll 'ave it.

Congratulations to Lodz are in order as Sabdell progressed to the next phase.

[Ibn Pickthall]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

A great result for Atletico at San Mames last night, I don't think we win there too often. A rather whimpering end for Real though, a 3-1 home defeat to Mallorca, who seem something of a bogey team for Real?

Xerez need one win from their remaining 4 games to be promoted from La Liga Adelante. Unfortunately it looks like Rayo have blown any chance of a return to the Primera.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Fucking hell

all I can say is fucking hell.

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Congrats to Oviedo, and awaiting the next round draw for Sabadell tomorrow...

[Antepli Ejderha]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Lodzubelieveit wrote:

As far as I'm aware Nihat's had the usual injury problems but can be deadly on his day; Aurelio and Kas have been steady in poor teams; and Martin has had limited opportunities.

Thanks a lot to you and Martin C.

Didn't realise that Nihat has not scored all season. He needs a chance to rest and get over the injuries.

Will Aurelio move on to a better side next season?

[Ant van Oviedo]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Right, I've just seen the highlights of the Oviedo game and amazingly, it was a penalty! A push inside the box, and he went flying practically to the touchline, so in the ground it looked a laughable decision. Spot on, the ref.

[Senyor Pirotecnic]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Real Oviedo promoted - congratulations to Ant! Sounds like a nail biting evening for him though - the game went to extra time and penalties.

Half-time in the relegation games in Primera and the teams with nothing to play for have been giving a good account of themselves:

Osasuna 1-1 Madrid
Sporting 0-1 Recre
Betis 0-1 Valladolid
Racing 1-1 Getafe

If they finish like that, Sporting going down.

[Senyor Pirotecnic]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

La Sexta are showing the games in Gijón and Pamplona on the same screen, it’s great entertainment. Latest scores:

Osasuna 2-1 Madrid
Sporting 2-1 Recre
Betis 1-1 Valladolid
Racing 1-1 Getafe

Which would leave Betis down!

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

huntelaar has now been sent off for I think dissent. I can't possibly figure out why. Real now about to lose their fifth consecutive league game. I believe it is the joint worst run in their history.

Betis down. Are they the spanish newcastle, or are they more like birmingham city?