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.
UPDATE 2: Villarreal has won the XI Trofeo de la Cerámica 6-5 on penalties.
UPDATE: Jozy’s goal to tie the match at 2.
Much-beloved striker Nihat Kahveci returns to El Madrigal today as Villarreal takes on Besiktas in the XI Trofeo de la Cerámica. Besiktas will bring a number of big names in addition to Nihat, such as manager Bernd Schuster, midfielder Guti, and forward Ricardo Quaresma.
Bringing Nihat back will be a special day for everyone. He was a fan favorite at the club and left on amicable terms. He played three years at Villarreal, with the 2007-2008 term being his best. That year, in 34 appearances, he scored 18 goals. Injuries slowed him down the following year, and he was transferred back to his original club Besiktas prior to the 2009-2010 season. He regained a bit of his form back in Turkey, scoring three goals in 18 appearances.
Jozy Altidore was briefly linked up with Besiktas earlier this summer, and Turkey still seems a likely destination. He was assigned #12 this week, but the quality of his performance and the impression he leaves, if he enters the match, could be suggestive of whether or not he ends up heading to Turkey before the end of the month, whether with Besiktas or another team.
Something you should know before the match starts: Besiktas Jimnastik Kulübü apparently means Besiktas Gymnastic Club in Turkish. Please correct me if I am wrong on that – it is Wikipedia-sourced. I know Besiktas is a great team, but there is something less than intimidating about a club that was formed for purposes of gymnastics….
A few things have been popping around lately, and a couple of them fall on the Sickening Scale right up there with the Godin to Atletico rumors.
As capercat pointed out, Jozy could be on his way to Ajax. Apparently they have made an offer to take him on loan for the year, but Villarreal have determined that his future is not with the club and want an offer to purchase. It has been an up and down ride for him with the Yellow Submarine. I hope for his sake that this gets worked out one way or another.
Santi Cazorla has also been linked to Atletico Madrid. Stop it. Seriously, just stop it. These moves should never, ever happen. And I don’t think that the Cazorla thing has much of a chance. But even if we need the money, you can’t tell me that the club couldn’t find at least a similar offer for the likes of Godin or Cazorla elsewhere, where it won’t give firepower to the likes of Atletico. And, just to refresh my recollection, didn’t Cazorla turn down a move to Real Madrid recently?
There are also rumors out there that Barcelona could be looking the way of Bruno, as a couple of bigger-name defensive midfielders, such as Javier Mascherano, have become too expensive. This is the first rumor I have ever seen (I think) for pulling Bruno away from the club. I would be shocked if an offer came in. But if it did and the price offered was 10m euros, I would be even more shocked if both Villarreal and Bruno didn’t jump at it.
And lastly, the Rossi-to-Italy rumors continue, with Inter being the club mentioned this time. The idea is that he would be called in to replace Mario Balotelli. I do not know if the rumor is based in any sort of fact, but I would think that Rossi could not turn down an offer from Inter. Hopefully he’ll stay, but we will see.
With the World Cup swirling, club football gets lost in the background. Now that the US has been knocked out, my feet are returning to the ground, and while keeping one eye on South Africa, it is almost time to start looking towards next season.
So far, Villarreal’s players in South Africa have been hit-or-miss. Diego Godin has been a force in the back whenever he has been in. Capdevila has been solid, but not especially involved to this point. Nilmar, unfortunately, is facing the likes of Bastos, Robinho, and Kaka among others, and it has been tough for him to find playing time.
Although there has been a lull in Villarreal off-the-pitch news, it has picked up a bit over the last couple of days.
Villarreal have placed a 3m euro price tag on veteran midfielder Marcos Senna, as he looks to be less and less in their plans for the future. There is reported interest from clubs in Brazil, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Turkey. Any deal, apparently, would have to at least be for 2.5m euros. I can see him ending up in Turkey or Brazil, but I am not too sure about the other locales. As of right now, there are no offers, and he plans on reporting to Vila-real on July 12th.
Villarreal are reportedly tracking Dutch keeper Maarten Stekelenburg, who is currently starting for the Netherlands at the World Cup. This is due to the very possible transfer of Diego Lopez in the coming month. It will be interesting to see, if Lopez does go, if Villarreal will be content with Juan Carlos and Xavi Oliva, or if they will go after someone new.
Diego Godin’s strong tournament, on top of his regular good play for Villarreal, is attracting some strong interest, particularly from the city of Milan. Apparently both Internazionale and AC Milan are considering an offer for him. Villarreal have said that they will hold fast to their 20m euro price tag they have for him. I would be shocked if he didn’t end up going, although I would love to see him stay at the club for another year or two.
All the action seems to be in Italy this summer. In one of the crazier rumors I have seen, Jozy Altidore (along with fellow US forward/midfielder Clint Dempsey) has been linked to Napoli. No way that happens. A scenario much more likely would be that he actually stays at Villarreal as a 4th striker (not including Montero).
So far, Villarreal have either sold, loaned or released six players – Llorente (Real Sociedad), Escudero (Boca Juniors), and Marcano (Getafe) to other teams, and Pires, Ibagaza, and Javi Venta set free. A few more could leave over the next month, meaning that we still do not have a great picture of what the club will look like come August.
2 matchdays to recap. I thought Sunday might be the day of the tournament, but Saturday topped it for drama.
Uruguay 2-1 South Korea: In case anyone did not know, Ajax’s Luis Suarez is a fantastic player. His game-winner was perhaps the goal of the tournament. South Korea deserved better, but the knockout rounds are life-or-death. Lee Dong Gook wasted a great chance late on a 1v1 that almost trickled through Muslera’s legs.
USA 1-2 Ghana (a.e.t.): The right result was a tie after 90 minutes, and so it finished. Ghana dominated the first half; the USA the second. From an American perspective, we should have finished off the match in regulation. Once Ghana was able to take a deep breath, Gyan took its first chance, and the voice of Africa helped it ride out the storm. I’m proud to be a USA fan, and I think Brazil 2014 will be our chance to shine.
Germany 4-1 England: A pulsating match for a time. Mesut Ozil and Thomas Muller made England look like old and tired Australia in the back, but Gerrard and Lampard controlled the midfield. Does football need video replay of goals or what? England fans will complain about the result, and rightfully so, but Germany showed its superiority over the 90 minutes.
Argentina 3-1 Mexico: I thought it was Mexico’s chance for revenge for Maxi Rodriguez’s wonder strike in the same round in Germany 2006. But after a twice-offside goal and a horrible error by Ricardo Osorio, the mountain was too steep. I thought Mexico was impressive, but they should have pushed harder to beat Uruguay and top Group A. Sad for CONCACAF: all 3 sides eliminated on consecutive days.
Villarreal news: Jozy Altidore played 90 minutes (I wish it had been 120) in the USA’s extra time loss to Ghana. His effectiveness was limited, but he had a 1v1 late in the second half that flashed just wide of the far post. As always, we see his talent but no consistency. I think the club should keep him around next year.
And Diego Godin played the first half in Uruguay’s 2-1 win over South Korea. Unsuprisingly, the Charruas gave up their first goal of the tournament in the second half. I think he will be available for the full 90 minutes against Ghana on Friday. His asking price keeps going up…
Two matchdays to catch up on quickly. Teams advancing to the last 16 in bold.
Slovakia 3-2 Italy; Paraguay 0-0 New Zealand: The holders are out (Giuseppe Rossi is secretly pleased), and sadly so are the Kiwis. Fantastic return to the World Cup by the All Whites. Paraguay was the class of this group and proved it, barely.
Denmark 1-3 Japan; Cameroon 1-2 Netherlands: Holland continues its recent dominant form, albeit in a very weak group. Keisuke Honda is the only reason Japan is in the last 16, while Cameroon is the early choice for most disappointing team. Only North Korea joined them on 0 points.
Portugal 0-0 Brazil; North Korea 0-3 Cote d’Ivoire: Not much football in either match, though Nilmar did hit the post and played all 90 minutes. This group’s finish sets up a pair of mouth-watering last 16 ties.
Chile 1-2 Spain; Switzerland 0-0 Honduras: After being knocked out of Germany 2006 without conceding a goal, the Swiss do the same in South Africa when playing with 11 men. Better than scoring against Honduras and missing out with 6 points, I guess. The ending of Chile-Spain was anti-football at its finest.
Now the real tournament begins. 2 matches on this Saturday:
Uruguay 2-1 South Korea: All 5 South American teams have qualified for the knockout rounds, a first. Uruguay must like its draw to the “medal round,” though Diego Godin insists his side has achieved nothing yet. Godin again may miss out due to a knock, but look for Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez to fire the Charruas through.
USA 1-2 Ghana (a.e.t.): Full disclosure– I live in the USA and have been a national team supporter for years. I wasn’t sure how far this side could make it without Charlie Davies and with an injured Oguchi Onyewu, but look at the draw. Brazil or Holland in the semifinals, sure, but Ghana and then Uruguay or South Korea isn’t so imposing. Of course, every side in this quadrant is telling itself the same thing.
Ghana now is a solid defensive side, a facet it lacked when it beat the USA in Germany 2006. But without Appiah and Essien, goals have been much harder to come by– only 1 from the run of play in the group stage. Africa will be behind its last hope, but if the USA plays up to its potential, I think this country will be soccer-crazed for another week.
Villarreal news: The teams of Altidore, Capdevila, Godin, and Nilmar all have advanced to the last 16. Still looking for the club’s first World Cup goal. And the club has arranged a friendly in London against Tottenham in late July.
The return of Group E means that I am watching only one full match today. Can Australia put Group D on level terms going into the final matchday?
Netherlands 1-0 Japan: If Japan are to stand a chance, they will need a one-man show from talented midfielder Keisuke Honda. But the Dutch should be too much in the end, and that’s with Arjen Robben on the bench.
Ghana 1-1 Australia: Intriguing matchup in a group blown wide open. Expect the Socceroos to score, but Ghana may be able to gash the Australian defense like the Germans did. Fingers crossed that both Oceania sides make the last 16.
Cameroon 1-2 Denmark: Loser goes home. The Samuel Eto’o saga continues. The Danes are tough, so expect Africa to lose another knockout stage possibility. Can Nicklas Bendtner play and, if he does, get out of his own way to score?
Villarreal watch: Jozy Altidore didn’t do much in the first half against Slovenia, but his knockdown put the ball on a platter for Michael Bradley to bang in the equalizer. He’s the USA’s best threat going forward and has learned from his time in the EPL. Could he be the fifth striker in the rotation if Garrido sticks with a 4-3-3 (Altidore, Montero, Nilmar, Rossi, and Ruben)? But the club may cash in on his play, at least with a loan deal.
And Villarreal B close out the season at home to Salamanca at 12 noon Eastern time. All of the matches are taking place simultaneously, so don’t expect a stream. The squad:
GKs: Juan Carlos and Vicente Flor. Ds: Joan Oriol, Catalá, Kiko, Carlos Tomás, Costa, Velázquez, Óscar Prats and Fran García. MFs: Cristóbal, Marcos Gullón, Natxo Insa, Matilla, Hernán Pérez and Nico. Fs: Joan Tomás and Joselu.
Four C teamers selected: Fran García, Joselu, Nico, and Óscar Prats. Montero, Musacchio, and Ruben already are on vacation, while Mario and Robert Flores are injured.
Groups C and D on today’s docket. Huge games for the USA and our potential last 16 opponent Germany:
Germany 0-1 Serbia: The question is not whether the Germans will play worse, but by how much. Watch for Werder Bremen’s future superstar Mezut Ozil, a nationalized Turk, pulling the strings in the midfield. It’s a must-win for the Serbians, who shot themselves in the foot against Ghana and now face Die Mannschaft in full flight.
Slovenia 2-2 USA: This is the sort of match that troubles the USA. We’ve had recent success against Brazil, England, and Spain, but counterattacking sides Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, and El Salvador have caused problems. A draw would be OK; a loss devastating. Slovenia rode its luck to beat Algeria; will history repeat itself?
England 0-0 Algeria: The Brits are peeved after demonstrating that football is a team sport played on the pitch, not a collection of individuals on paper. Look for Peter Crouch to continue his goal glut against weaker opposition, but who will partner Rooney in the knockout stages? And let’s not get started on Robert Green in goal. Good luck, Algeria.
UEFA has confirmed that Villarreal’s 7th-place finish in La Liga does not merit a Europe League berth. Our faint European dreams now depend on Mallorca’s insolvency. The Spanish league (LFP) already affirmed Mallorca’s presence in Europe, financial difficulties and all, but we know how much such promises are worth. Stay tuned.
The B team put up a valiant effort but lost 2-1 away to leaders Real Sociedad. Sociedad took the lead, completely against the run of play, on an awful penalty call against Catala. Though Marco Ruben leveled the score from the spot, we never fully recovered. And Montero wreaked havoc again for the 6th-place team in Segunda. Not bad.
Add another reason to root against Spain: Joan Capdevila may not be in Vicente del Bosque’s starting XI. His replacement: Real Madrid center back Alvaro Arbeloa. Hopefully Mati Fernandez will give him fits.
I will go ahead and address some news that is well known at this point.
Most importantly, Villarreal have rewarded Juan Carlos Garrido with a one-year extension following the turnaround he brought to the club. In fourteen matches, Garrido has accumulated 26 points – the same number of points Valverde earned in 20 matches. I believe this was an excellent move. We all know that a number of top-level players will be sold, and some B players will be brought up. Garrido knows these players well, and will be excellent at incorporating their strengths into the A team.
Jozy Altidore will write the script for his future this summer. He has not started the lead-in to the World Cup well for himself (or for Villarreal). This past weekend, he stupidly headbutted a player (who obviously deserved it, but you still can’t do that), and has earned himself a loan termination by Hull City. If you ask me, this was a sketchy move by the England side, who is facing relegation and trying to save some money. Poor form by them. Now, we have to hope Jozy has a huge summer. I, unlike my friend Sidarth and a few others, see almost no possibility of Altidore playing here in the future, so we need to see good work out of him to get top dollar. I think we might have to look at his purchase as a total bust.
In other news and notes:
As Villarreal stunningly have yet to have a penalty called in their favor, finally there is at least a little relief. To be 100 percent correct, Sunday’s match against Racing did involve a penalty called in favor of Villarreal. The problem was that it was shockingly taken away by the side judge, who saw a ghost handball by Nilmar. Villarreal can seek solace in the fact that the side judge has been suspended for a match. Want to know the last time a Liga team went an entire year without receiving a penalty? Osasuna in 1993-1994.
Villarreal value Diego Godin. They value him 25 million euros’ worth. That is the price that the club has placed on Godin, as a number of clubs are sure to come calling this summer. I would not be surprised to see him go, but it will be a sad day if it happens. I am sure, by the way, that his value has gone up about 5 million following the recent three-goal outburst!
I know Kenez mentioned it the other week, but has anyone else been paying much attention to the rise of Villarreal C? They are in the Tercera, and currently find themselves in third place in Group 6 (ignore that it says 2009-2010, as it is actually current). The top 4 teams in each group make the promotion playoffs. The most incredible part of this? They have gone unbeaten in 12, and have won 10 of those matches. Wow. If they attained promotion, Villarreal would have a team in the top three divisions in Spain. No one else can even match us now having teams in the top two divisions. This would really be special. Here are the last 12 match scores.
J. 25 Villarreal C 3–0 Ribarroja
J. 26 Villarreal C 3–0 Catarroja
J. 27 Jove Español 0–1 Villarreal C
J. 28 Villarreal C 2–1 Onda
J. 29 Levante B 0-0 Villarreal C
J. 30 Villarreal C 1–0 Torrellano Illice
J. 31 Eldense 0-2 Villarreal C
J. 32 Villarreal C 5–1 Burjassot
J. 33 Alzira 0-2 Villarreal C
J. 34 Villarreal C 2–2 Olímpic Xàtiva
J. 35 Torrevieja 0-1 Villarreal C
J. 36 Villarreal C 2–1 Crevillente Deportivo
I was granted a break from work tomorrow to go to a bar and catch the Barcelona-Inter Milan match, which is sure to be incredible. Unfortunately, I have to head back to work afterward, so no drinking for me! I hope Barcelona are focusing all of their thoughts and energies on this match, and have forgotten about the trip to El Madrigal. This could be a great advantage for Villarreal, especially when you consider Barcelona’s troubles as visitors over the last nine years – they have had only three wins, while falling to five losses.
Welcome fellow fans of Villarreal CF, especially those in the United States! This is the website of VillarrealUSA, the official United States penya (supporters group) for Villarreal. The penya is primarily based in the US, but incorporates views, and welcomes members, from around the world.
You can contact the authors on this site by email: maddi - maddi [at] villarrealusa [dot] org, nick - noc [at] villarrealusa [dot] org, or sidarth - sidarth [at] villarrealusa [dot] org.
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