UPDATE:Villarreal has drawn Belgian side Club Brugge K.V. (watch out for Croatian midfielder Ivan Perisic), Croatian champions NK Dinamo Zagreb, and Greek runners-up PAOK F.C. (who eliminated Fenerbahce) in Group D of the Europa League (h/t to capercat). I’m most concerned about PAOK from Thessaloniki, who have quality and experience in Pablo Garcia, Muslimovic, and Salpigidis, not to mention the rabid Greek home support. But we should aim to win the group and go through comfortably.
The B team gets underway today in Valladolid. As manager Javi Gracia says, the Segunda A is a very tight league, so the details make the difference.
Here is the squad for this season’s curtain-raiser:
GKs: Vicente Flor and Diego Mariño. Ds: Mano, Héctor, Carlos Tomás, Dorian Dervite, Jaume Costa, Ángel Ortega and Diego Jiménez. MFs: Marcos Gullón, Natxo Insa, Nico, Hernán Pérez, Facundo Coria and Torres. Fs: Airam, Iago Falqué and Joselu.
Missing out are Kiko and Mario, who started yesterday’s Europa League match in Belarus. I wouldn’t expect them to play much for Javi Gracia. Injured are striker Gerard Bordas, Brazilian midfielder Tiago Dutra, and defender Joan Truyols. Endavant!
In call-up news, Santi Cazorla is the only non-World Cup winner selected by Vicente del Bosque for Spain’s Euro 2012 qualifier in Liechtenstein and friendly in Argentina. Well deserved. That also means Joan Capdevila and Carlos Marchena continue with La Furia Roja. But no Bruno Soriano, though he’ll get more chances.
Another year, another B teamer with his South American selection. Now it’s Hernán Pérez, traveling to Japan and China with the Paraguayan national team. Congrats.
I wonder if Belarus is nice in August…the forecast for Thursday says sunny and mid-60s. As maddi noted, better to play there now than in winter proper.
Expect a radically different starting XI from last Thursday’s 5-0 romp at El Madrigal. Older players like Capdevila and Senna will be rested. If the B team’s campaign did not open on Friday in Valladolid, a few more mainstays could have stayed in Spain. Jozy Altidore featured at the World Cup, but with Nilmar (likely) and Rossi (definitely) on the bench, he should pair with a healthy Marco Ruben in a 4-4-2 alignment.
I’m looking forward to the first European action for a number of last season’s B team players, including Cristóbal, Joan Oriol, Juan Carlos, and Matilla. I don’t see Catalá and Kiko pairing in central defense, and with Senna resting, either Borja or Bruno has to feature. So at least two regulars should start, if not finish, the match.
Garrido’s predicted starting XI: 4-4-2
Juan Carlos
Joan Oriol Musacchio Catalá Mario
Cristóbal Bruno Matilla Montero
Ruben Altidore
Prediction: 1-2 to Villarreal. Goals by Matilla and Ruben. ¡Endavant!
1-0: Great header, but what was the GK doing? Our corners will improve with Borja. 2-0: Cani loves that pass (a saucer in ice hockey). World-class finish by Santi. 3-0: Very unselfish by Cani. I wish he’d be more assertive in general, though. 4-0: Great overlapping movement from the front six, leading to an easy finish for Cani. 5-0: Powerful strike from Nilmar. He’s not lacking in confidence. Not quite: Nice save on Jozy; great skill from Montero. Both should start in Belarus.
It’s not quite the £30 million prize for finishing in 4th place in a major European league, but the Europa League playoff is a financially lucrative tie to Villarreal CF (if not the matches themselves). Hope the weather holds out and that fans come to the first official match of the season at El Madrigal. I doubt our rather unknown opponents from the Transmash region will be a big draw, but the show must go on.
With the return leg only three days before the La Liga opener at the Anoeta, Juan Carlos Garrido would like to take a sizable advantage to Belarus and thereby rest some key players. Expect a strong starting XI on Thursday, similar to the squad that started Saturday’s tune-up against Segunda B side Alzira. No Marco Ruben, but Jozy Altidore and Gonzalo Rodríguez are set to keep their squad numbers.
After the infamous 2006 defeat to Slovenia’s NK Maribor that knocked Villarreal out of the Intertoto Cup and Europe altogether, the club is on notice not to underestimate inferior (on paper) opposition. I think this tie will proceed more along the lines of last season’s 1-3, 6-1 drubbings of Dutch side NAC Breda at the same stage.
Expected starting XI: 4-4-2
Diego López
Capdevila Musacchio Marchena Ángel López
Cazorla Bruno Senna Cani
Nilmar Rossi
Prediction: 5-1 to Villarreal. Goals by Cazorla (2), Rossi (2), and Cani. ¡Endavant!
Note: As this page gets pushed down by future posts, you can find it in the banner as “2010-11 Season Preview.”
Cross-posted on our new partner site Spanishfootball.info. There you will find information on La Liga teams other than Real Madrid and Barcelona. Welcome, new readers!
What happened last year?
In a sentence: Ernesto Valverde, Nilmar, the economic downturn, Juan Carlos Garrido, 7th place in La Liga.
Manuel Pellegrini’s replacement was Ernesto Valverde, who came off a Greek league and cup double with Olympiakos and reached the UEFA Cup final with Espanyol, in addition to a long playing career at Athletic Bilbao. But things went awry from the start: no wins and just 3 points in the opening 7 rounds, including a loss to cellar-dwellers Xerez. Management remained defiant, but the best squad in Villarreal history never gelled. Valverde was fired after a lifeless 0-2 home loss to Osasuna at the end of January.
Honorato da Silva Nilmar was the most expensive signing in Villarreal history, coming over from Brazil’s Internacional for a reported €11 million. It took him a few games to get going, but his class and smile always shone through. A club-leading 11 goals in 33 appearances was a solid debut campaign, but much more is expected of the canarinha.
The economic downturn hit small-town Villarreal CF hard. Sebastián Eguren, Fabricio Fuentes, and Jony Pereira left in the winter transfer window, presaging a further player exodus, and attendance at El Madrigal, sponsorship, and owner Fernando Roig’s ceramics business all suffered. As a goodwill gesture, Roig opened the gates for free to all recently laid-off season ticketholders (and has extended the offer for 2010-11). Most recently, the club has learned that it may need to replace longtime sponsor Aeroport Castelló.
Juan Carlos Garrido replaced Valverde as manager on the heels of Villarreal B’s flying start to life in the Segunda. Critics questioned if Garrido could shake a veteran squad out of its doldrums; despite a few bumps along the way, particularly the club’s away form, Villarreal finished with 56 points, good for 7th place in La Liga. Not a bad result, which earned Garrido the right to select his squad in 2010-11.
What changes have been made- management, players, etc.?
In addition to the search for a new sponsor, B team caretaker Paco Herrera left for Celta de Vigo, so former Cádiz boss Javi Gracia returns to his old playing grounds as manager.
Players In: Carlos Marchena (from Valencia), Borja Valero (West Bromwich Albion). Quality over quantity. Marchena provides steel and experience, and another world champion in the dressing room could not hurt. On loan for 2010-11, Borja Valero was last season’s revelation in La Liga with Mallorca. A €6 million fee is not a bad price, and stealing him from under Sevilla’s nose is sweet. Borja is a Real Madrid youth team product and wanted to stay in Spain after his loan spell. A long-term fill-in for Marcos Senna, expect Borja to play in central midfield with Bruno Soriano for years.
Players Out: Sebastián Eguren (to Sporting de Gijón), Damián Escudero (50% of rights to Boca Juniors), Diego Godín (50% of rights to Atlético Madrid), Ariel Ibagaza (Olympiakos), Joseba Llorente (Real Sociedad), Iván Marcano (on loan to Getafe), Robert Pirès, Javi Venta. The common thread, excluding misfits Escudero and Marcano and cash cow Godín? Older players with high wages who don’t fit into Garrido’s new system. Makes Sr. Roig’s pocketbook happy, but the squad’s youth may be exposed.
Who could break through and make a name for himself?
Safe bets: Jefferson Montero, Mateo Musacchio. A dynamic Ecuadorean striker/winger, Montero has debuted in the Europa League but not in La Liga due to the foreign player limit (a maximum of 3 per team who lack a European passport). With the Argentine Escudero’s departure, Montero is set to unleash his pace and technical ability on Spanish football. Expect some highlight-reel goals and many drawn yellow cards. And Argentine central defender Musacchio will spend his first full year with the A team, but his performances to close out last season made him known to supporters.
Wild card: Cristóbal. The oldest of the 9 promoted from the B team, Cristóbal provides cover at winger, perhaps the team’s shallowest position. A constant threat in the Segunda, Cristóbal could provide a spark with a few assists (in Escudero’s absence) and a stern challenge to Cani’s starting spot. A very important season in his career.
What are realistic expectations for the season?
A top-six finish in La Liga, a serious run at the Copa del Rey, and the Europa League quarterfinals. What do you think the club’s goals should be?
Part 3/4 in our player personnel series. Previously featured were the goalkeepers and midfielders. I’m labeling Fuster as a striker and Montero a midfielder based on the preseason, but that designation is subject to change.
Likely starters:
Giuseppe Rossi: Il Bambino has achieved a lot at the tender age of 23. The object of many American fans’ ire (not mine), he was left out of the Italian World Cup squad due to a Serie A-only selection policy. Silly, but it’s just a blip on the radar. With 13, 15, and 17 goals in his 3 seasons at Villarreal, Rossi will shoot for 20 in 2010-11. A versatile player with the ability to both run at defenders and play with his back to them.
Nilmar: A disappointing World Cup (for player and country) did not tarnish a successful return to European football. The canarinha led Villarreal with 11 goals in La Liga, though he scored just once in 11 appearances in the Copa del Rey and Europa League. A slow start was not surprising, considering the acclimatization period; Nilmar really took off as a winger in the 4-3-3. He paired well up front with Rossi, but the other strikers may not be a natural fit.
Likely bench players:
David Fuster: He was a revelation in 2009, not to mention that he ruined Barcelona’s perfect season at home. But with Valverde’s departure and the shift to a 4-3-3, his playing time diminished. He slots in well as a support striker behind Rossi, but no other role has worked. I’d like to see a diamond midfield formation with Fuster behind Rossi and Nilmar, but the local boy from Oliva has only featured as a striker in the preseason. A big season for his future.
Jozy Altidore: Will he stay? If so, how much will he play? Anywhere from a starter in the Copa del Rey and Europa League to a spot in Garrido’s doghouse is possible. I think he and Nilmar could work well, but that partnership will take time to develop. Talent and skill, yes. But is he committed to making things work in Villarreal? Time will tell. If not, he might be off to Turkey, Holland, or England in the winter transfer window.
Marco Ruben: The Argentine was too good for the Segunda, scoring 17 times in 31 appearances. This eye-popping success made him the object of EPL side Wigan Athletic’s desire, but a deal fell through at the last minute. At age 23, it’s time for Ruben to get a real shot with Villarreal. A poacher who relies on positioning and timing, he seems perfect as a late-game substitute (forward to 3:45). He is in line for a bigger role if Nilmar or Rossi leaves after this season.
Part 2/4 in our player personnel series. Part 1 was on goalkeepers; maddi really chose the tough one. I’m labeling Montero as a midfielder and Fuster a striker, based on where they have featured in the preseason. But that designation is subject to Garrido’s whims.
Likely starters:
Borja Valero: The club’s shiny new offseason signing, Borja is a natural for Villarreal’s patented doble pivote; he will be the distributor to Bruno’s ballwinner. It will take some time to adjust to Garrido’s system, especially with his preseason niggles, but a lot of the team’s success rides on Borja’s shoulders. Is he up for the challenge?
Bruno Soriano: The newest member of La Furia Roja, Bruno is a late bloomer at 26. He showed flashes in the past but finally put things together in 2009-10, showing Sebastián Eguren the door. His nonchalant back passes and turns always scare me, but my fear has diminished over time. Let’s see if 2010-11 is a breakout year or sophomore slump.
Rubén Cani: Perhaps the most vulnerable member of the expected starting XI, based on his streakiness. Fairly or not, Cani has earned a reputation as a small-game player; when Real Madrid or Barcelona takes the pitch, he shrinks from the challenge. Cani faces stiff competition from B teamers past and present. A big part of Villarreal’s runner-up finish in 2007-08, Cani could be on the move if this season does not pan out.
Santi Cazorla: The most unassuming star in Spanish football. Beloved by his teammates for his humility and ability, Santi is indisputably the club’s best player. Keeping him on the pitch in 2010-11 is essential to a title run or top-four finish in La Liga. Santi can do it all on the field and is becoming a leader off it. Having resisted Real Madrid’s advances in 2008, expect the 25-year-old to spearhead Villarreal for years.
Likely bench players:
Cristóbal Márquez: An intriguing player. Cristóbal is not as skilled as Cazorla, but he does possess a similar dynamism. Late in a match, he could make the difference. On the other hand, the club has not had success with this sort of player (see Matías Fernández, Damián Escudero). If all goes well, Cristóbal could challenge Cani for a starting spot; if not, he could be on his way out.
Javi Matilla: With Matilla, it’s a matter of when, not if. He’s a star in the making, possessing great field vision and game management skills. Senna’s age will provide an opening for him and fellow B teamer Marcos Gullón. Matilla was a man among boys in the Segunda, so a year of training with the A team and somewhat sporadic playing time still is best for his development.
Jefferson Montero: Ask a South American soccer fan, and they will tell you about Montero. He didn’t play in the Ecuadorean top flight only because teams were afraid to lose him when European clubs came calling. 9 goals in the Segunda last season was just a glimpse of his immense talent. He needs to curb the tendency to go it alone, but La Liga is in store for a treat. The most exciting Villarreal player since Diego Forlán.
Marcos Senna: Professional football is a cutthroat business. Senna went from starring in Euro 2008 to watching the 2010 World Cup at home. Injuries played a big part, but so did age and diminishing ability. He’s still the captain when on the pitch, but his presence isn’t guaranteed any longer. Enjoy his splendid free kicks this season while you can.
And it asks Sr. Roig and Juan Carlos Garrido a very important question: what is Jozy’s future with Villarreal CF? El Periódico Mediterráneo rightfully highlighted Jefferson Montero, but the club site noted that Jozy was “very active in the game’s final minutes.” The game swung when Jozy came on for David Fuster in the 55th minute.
The contrasts are clear: Marco Ruben and David Fuster lack his strength, and Nilmar cannot match his pace. Jozy would fill Llorente’s void, though Rossi will generally feature at center forward. But should Villarreal stunt his long-term development with spotty playing time at age 20? Not to mention his transfer value after South Africa.
Altidore looks to be motivated, fit, and battle-tested after the EPL and World Cup. His technical ability and attitude must improve, but with his raw talent, the sky’s the limit. Another loan deal makes sense, waiting for Rossi or Nilmar to leave next summer, but an option to buy may push him out the door for good. Montero at winger means that David Fuster is Jozy’s competition for the fourth striker position. So I’m hoping for a Fuster loan deal (Levante? Hércules?) or for Garrido to carry 5 forwards.
If Jozy stays, he will begin as a change of pace substitute. However, if he cannot crack this season’s roster, both sides may wish to part. The club should recoup most (if not all) of his $10 million transfer fee, and Altidore needs to grow before Brazil 2014. Logic says that he should stay, but money and squad size disagree. What do you think?
Winners from yesterday:
Jozy Altidore. Has a role as a true center forward. Poacher’s goal.
Rubén Cani. A goal, an assist, and lots of fouls received. Doing his job.
Jefferson Montero. Explosive. Brilliant assist, laying Cani’s volley on a platter.
Losers:
David Fuster. Creates? Yes. Finishes? No. Has a role on the team? Maybe.
Carlos Marchena. 10% out of form. Just a post-South Africa layoff? I think so.
Nilmar. Also a bit off. May need Rossi to be comfortable.
Mogilev finished 3rd in the Belorussian league, earning a spot in the 1st qualifying round. To reach the play-off, they have defeated KF Laci of Albania, Stabaek Fotball of Norway (on away goals), and FC Banik Ostrava of the Czech Republic. Stabaek was in last season’s Champions League qualifiers and lost to Valencia at this stage of the Europa League, so making it this far is a big achievement for Mogilev.
Villarreal will be without its Spanish internationals this week; otherwise the squad should be at full strength (barring injury). The first leg will be at El Madrigal, so hopefully the team can take a comfortable advantage to the Spartak Stadion. The return leg is the week of the La Liga opener, so it would be nice to rest some key players.
At this stage last season, Villarreal defeated NAC Breda 9-2 on aggregate. Will it be the same story this time around?
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Lots of news from the Ciudad Deportiva:
For the first time ever, Villarreal CF has 4 players in a Spanish national team squad. That’s tied with Real Madrid. Incredible.
Marchena and Capdevila were locks, having won the World Cup, and Cazorla was due. But Bruno Soriano, really?
El Periódico Mediterráneo had hoped for 5, including Senna and Diego López. Sadly, their time may be done, though Diego is more reliable than Pepe Reina.
Speaking of Bruno, he has signed for an additional 4 years. His contract now runs out in 2016, or when Barcelona pays his rescission clause.
The B team has made its “last signing” of the offseason: wingback Jaume Costa, on loan from Valencia.
And from the “Where are they Now?” files: Ernesto Valverde is being considered for manager of the Japanese national team.
An update on our Europa League opponent to come on Friday.
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