Next match, liga, day 24:

Nàstic - Valencia

Sunday 25th February 2007 at 19:00 hours. Nou Estadi.

Gimnàstic (Nàstic) de Tarragona (Wikipedia)

Gimnàstic de Tarragona (Spanish Wikipedia)

Never realized that Nàstic was that old of a team.

Anyway, I'm not sure if Ayala will play, as he had some kind of ankle problem after the Inter match. I did read that Del Horno, or 'Of the furnace' for you babelfish fans, is healthy to play. I doubt that he will start, though a second half substitution will be nice. To be honest, I'm not sure what to expect from Del Horno. I saw many Chelsea matches on t.v., and he just didn't play that well. He was good going forward, but defensively he was a bit of a mess. I remember there was an occasion where he was substituted in the first half because he was playing poorly. Maybe the difficulty for Del Horno was the adjustment to a new league and different language.

Valencia has no right to lose this match, as Nàstic are the cellar dwellers of the table. I'd really like to see Quique start this lineup:


.............Butelle.................
Miguel..Albiol..Ayala..Moretti

......Pallardo...Marchena......
Joaquin....................Silva..

.......Morientes..Villa...........




The reason I'd start Pallardo over Marchena is that he should get some playing time since Albelda will miss the next match against Inter. Also, I really would like Joaquin to start. Before I used to think he was a defensive liability, but he's not that bad. I think it is a matter of confidence with Joaquin, and I don't think he'll get his confidence back by always riding the bench. If Ayala is injured, I'd slip Marchena into defence, put Albelda back on and keep Pallardo. I'd like to see Butelle get another start, but I somewaht doubt Quique will start him. I mean it is Nàstic, and I think Quique can afford to rest some players and experiment a bit.

Sadly, I won't be able to watch this match.

Amunt Valencia!

Albiol misses this match because he has five yellow cards in this season. Probably Navarro substitutes him.

So, the lineup could be:

[align=center]Cañizares

Curro Torres--Ayala-Navarro-Moretti

Joaquin-Marchena-Viana--Vicente

Villa-Silva[/align]


Some players are very tired due to high matches' number, so I think Quique aligns players who don't play usually like Curro Torres or Hugo Viana.

Vicente could play after his injury, but Del Horno has personal problems (his grandfather dies today) so he couldn't play if he isn't well

I hope win this match, Nàstic will be in Second Division next year.

Thanks cyber.

I never realized that Albiol has to serve a suspension due to yellow card accumulation. Also, I thought Vicente might be spared, but if he is healthy, the more of a reason to play him. It's about time Valencia lay a heavy beat-down on an opponent.

I'll say 1-5, final result. Joaquin, Silva, Villa x2, and Viana to score.

Why oh why did Valencia concede a last minute equalizer?

I didn't see the match, but it looks like Nastic played rather dirty. 6 yellow cards. Nice to read that Joaquin scored and as a result, I hope this boosts his confidence. Still, the Joaquin happiness is overshadowed by the dropped 2 points. Valencia could have been 2 points clear of Madrid, but now sit tied. Again. Bleh!

Statistically, they should have beat Nastic handily. Maybe it was a post-Champions League let down. Hopefully Barça suffers a worse fate.

Nàstic 1 - Valencia 1
Gimnastic Secure Point As Valencia Stumble

Joaquin grabbed his first for Valencia which looked like being the only goal of the game as a virtual second string side struggled at bottom club Gimnastic. But an injury time equaliser by Ruben Castro grabbed a fully deserved 1-1 draw, while the hosts put pressure on Los Che in the dying seconds as they went for the win. Portillo’s cross from the left hand side allowed Castro to thump home a header and deny Valencia victory after they had laboured throughout the match. Villa was put through early on and attempted to chip the ‘keeper but his miscued effort was cleared, while Nastic and Chabaud in particular looked dangerous with headers from set-pieces.

With Marchena and Viana making an unfamiliar central midfield partnership Valencia were unable to open up the opposition and provide forwards Villa and Angulo with clear cut chances. Opportunities to score were few and far between in the first period. The closest Nastic managed was when Calvo cut in from the right side and into the penalty area just before halftime, only to ignore the unmarked Portillo hovering around the penalty area. For Valencia, Silva nearly connected to a Viana cross but the little Spanish wizard was unable to stretch far enough.

The first goal arrived in the 63rd minute courtesy of a Viana shot that was saved by Argentine shot-stopper Albano Bizzarri, and for Joaquin to fire home the rebound. After the goal Los Che grew in confidence. Substitute Morientes was unlucky to be called offside after going one on one with Bizzarri, while Joaquin had his second shot on goal cleared off the line. Soon after, Butelle was forced into a save after a cross-cum-shot ricocheted off the bar, and the Frenchman breathed a sigh of relief as Pinilla’s rebound shot led only to a corner. After Silva had dazzled on the left wing but nobody met his teasing cross, it seemed the match was all but over, before Castro’s late leveller.

Los Che will consider this two points dropped given Gimnastic’s position at the foot of the table, and with Barcelona hosting what has been a similarly poor Bilbao this weekend.

I don't really want to comment this match. I'm still upset. How are we going to win the league if we are not able to keep the ball against the last one? What's the coach telling to the players when he substitutes Viana and Joaquin for two defensive players?

After this match, we don't deserve to win this league. I'm sorry but it is like that.

I have the same opinion.

i agree with you Drakul! i'm very disappointed! i excepted a easy win against such a poor team as a Nastic!

I guess it's too hard for the team with the short bench like us to fight on the champions league and the primera division together. It would be easier for us, if we didn't have the chronical injury diseases every year.

Everybody expected an easy win. The problem was that VCF didn't played to win.

what do you mean?
they just played bad, or it seemed like something that was decided out of the pitch?

They speculated too much with the result. They thought the winning goal was going to arrive sooner or later, and didn't assault their opponent' goal.