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.

Assorted tidbits:

• Match recaps from the club site, EFE, AS, El Periódico, and El País. Praise is nice.
• Garrido is happy. Borja in for Nilmar was due to World Cup fatigue, and our new signing is comfortable wherever Garrido plays him.
• Nice story on Jefferson Montero. His family couldn’t find a stream either, it seems.
• Fuster’s sale has brought in another €2 million. Not bad.
• Javi Venta is off to Levante. Good luck, champ. Maybe Oliva and Pirès will join him?
• And the B team hosts Serie A side Bari today. Good luck, boys.

I didn’t see it coming a few weeks ago, as the World Cup wound down. I didn’t even really believe it a week and a half ago. But now it looks almost certain that Jozy Altidore is staying with Villarreal for the season. The reasons this assumption can be made now:

• David Fuster, one of his primary rivals for playing time, is on his way to rejoin former boss Ernesto Valverde at Olympiakos in Greece.
• Jozy was given a squad number (12) by the club.
• Jozy has now been included in the squad for the first match of the club’s Europa League campaign.

By my calculation, that all adds up to him being squared away in the squad. How much playing time he will get is still yet to be determined.

On other notes, reports of Gonzalo’s demise were a bit premature. He has apologized to the club, and things seem to have been worked out between him and Garrido. Now we will have a much more solid core going through the center of our back line, with Gonzalo, Marchena, and Musacchio, backed up by the youngsters. That feels pretty good.

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.

It’s not Jozy Altidore’s first goal in a Villarreal uniform:

But his goal yesterday against Besiktas led to a Villarreal win (forward to 5:05):

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.

Great win for the A team. Cazorla made a huge impact– now that he seems to be fit. And Godin is scoring striker-quality goals consistently now: what has gotten into him? Good to see the depth of our squad: Cazorla, Escudero, and Fuster were the 3 substitutes.

Great win for the B team as well. Playing with a man less for 85 minutes, due to the very strange sending-off of Catala, they avenged the A team’s Copa del Rey exit with a double over the Galicians. Jefferson Montero was the difference, as always.

Not too much to see here (thanks to VanHerLaLiga), so consider this an open thread to discuss your thoughts on game 1 of the Garrido era. I’d call the formation a mishmash of Pellegrini’s 4-4-2 and Valverde’s 4-2-3-1; in sum, it was not very effective. Fuster is good at the punta but not in Cani’s midfield position; he was out of place with 2 strikers in front of him. Nilmar and Llorente are our best aerial threats up front, but they didn’t see much service from the wingers. And I don’t think they pair well together.

Some articles to waste time at work on a Monday:

• The new manager is thinking positive. That’s a nice change. And hey, no dour expressions!
• This year’s revelation (Fuster) and regression (Gonzalo) like what they saw in Mallorca. I’m glad someone did.
• The B team’s Cristobal is on cloud nine. If Jefferson Montero set me up that nicely, I would be too.
• Game stories from the club website, Marca, and EFE.
• Opinion piece from the Mediterraneo. Did you know that Garrido is more like Pellegrini than Valverde? Haven’t heard that one before.

It has been discussed in the comments below, but Santi Cazorla is facing four to five weeks out after tearing his right hamstring.  He is set to miss matches against Osasuna, Mallorca, Bilbao, Madrid, and possibly Deportivo.  As we have already demonstrated, that is not an easy stretch even when at full strength.

David Fuster is recovering from the flu and is expected to be ready to go for Sunday’s match against Osasuna.

Javi Venta is getting close to being back at 100 percent, but is not expected to be ready for Sunday’s match.

In other news, La Liga will shortly begin to play matches on Mondays.  This could be a great thing for those watching in the States, as theoretically it opens up another possible TV slot – and clears up the current mass of matches that starts the Sunday matchday.

Thanks to Kenez, here is the squad for tomorrow’s B Team match against locals Levante:

Keepers: Juan Carlos & Vicente Flor.
Defenders: Mario, Kiko, Musacchio, Carlos Tomás, Catalá & Ángel.
Midfield: Matilla, Natxo Insa, David Lázaro, Felipe Manoel, Jefferson Montero, Hernán Pérez & Cristóbal.
Forwards: Joan Tomás, Gerard & Marco Ruben.

Levante sit in 8th place, three points behind Villarreal B.  The match is in Valencia; hopefully the Villarreal boys will put on a better show than the A team’s last trip south.

Marco Ruben is in the squad.  I hope he will be able to shrug off his disappointment at not making it to England during the break and will come out ready to prove a point.  But, according to some reports, a few English Premiership scouts will be in the stands in Valencia tomorrow.   So that might not be over just yet.

Great point today at the Camp Nou.  Villarreal played quality football and kept the pressure on Barcelona for most of the match, and fully earned a valuable point.  Full match highlights:

And if you just want highlights of Fuster’s goal, here you go:

Villarreal will breathe a bit of a sigh of relief this week, as Javi Venta has had a couple of pain-free days, and looks to be fit for Sunday’s matchup against Atletico. Despite their embarrassment today, Atletico Madrid generally have no problem scoring goals, so having a first-team defense – including Javi Venta – is very important.

Villarreal also expect to have Gonzalo and Fuster available on Sunday. Neither one is quite 100 percent, but with another four days to go, they are expected to be in full health for the trip. Gonzalo currently has a strained soleus, which is a muscle in the calf just beneath the primary calf muscle. Fuster is still recovering from the strained hamstring he picked up against Levski Sofia last week.

Unfortunately, Ibagaza looks to be out another week. The spark he provided will have to be found somewhere else, because his bruised right thigh does not look to be ready for Sunday.

Also, of course, Villarreal are dealing with the suspended players, Angel and Cani. Villarreal are hoping to be successful with an appeal of Cani’s straight red, as replays show pretty clearly that he was merely a passive bystander on the “foul” he committed in the box – he was shoved by Javier Casquero, and then bounced off of Angel onto Casquero’s legs.

Another worthwhile note: Nilmar’s goal against Corinthians (while he was still with Internacional) is one of ten goals nominated by FIFA for the new Premio Puskus, an award for goal of the year. For those who don’t remember:

I haven’t yet been able to post pictures and video from my trip to Vila-real, but it will all be coming shortly. Sorry for the delay!

Villarreal’s up and down season has continued over the last couple of weeks, seeing the 3-1 victory over Valladolid followed by the ugly 1-0 loss to Gijon. Villarreal played well midweek to advance in the Europa League. They now have to put all of that aside and make a serious effort over the next month to climb the La Liga ladder and get into competition for the European spots.

Getafe are an enigma. So far on the season, they have six wins and six losses. They have some impressive wins – over Valencia and Athletic Bilbao – but also a disappointing loss against Almeria. What is most intriguing is their goal-scoring trends. In five matches, they have been held scoreless, but in their other seven matches, have totaled 19 goals, including an opening 1-4 away thrashing of Racing, and most recently, a 5-1 drubbing of Xerez. Most notably, perhaps, for the first time all season, Getafe are following up on back-to-back wins. They now sit comfortably in ninth place, only two points out of Europe.

Villarreal have the general feel of improvement over the last few matches, but things are still shaky. They have won three of the last five, showing the first signs of life after a listless start. Despite this, there is no question that at any moment, they can completely fail to show up on the pitch, like last week’s heartless 1-0 loss at Sporting Gijon.

Villarreal will be missing a few players for the match. Gonzalo is out because, of course, he is coming off a red card. It is at the point that perhaps it should only be mentioned when he is not coming off a red card! Also in defense, Javi Venta has not recovered from the muscle he pulled against Valladolid. Unfortunately, both David Fuster and Ariel Ibagaza – two players that seem to bring out the best in Valverde’s playing style – are out. Fuster is still out after going down against Levski Sofia in midweek. Ibagaza suffered a bruise to the right thigh, and is expected to be back for the Atletico match. Joseba Llorente made the lineup, but he is coming off a few days of gastroenteritis, so don’t expect him to get the start, or have much energy if he makes it onto the pitch. The squad:

Keepers: Diego López and Xavi Oliva.
Defenders: Marcano, Ángel, Godín, Capdevila and Fuentes.
Midfielders: Cani, Eguren, Marcos Senna, Santi Cazorla, Bruno, Pires and Escudero.
Forwards: Jonathan Pereira, Nilmar, Rossi and Llorente.

I really do not know what Valverde will bring today. I can’t imagine him wanting to put Senna and Bruno/Eguren in midfield, but without Fuster and Ibagaza, he might look back to the traditional double-pivot and play a bit conservatively. Theoretically, with Santi back, he could put Pires in as a withdrawn striker, with Cazorla on the left and Cani on the right.

Important note for today: the match is on GolTV at 1pm, and today you should be able to see the VillarrealUSA banner up behind the goal to the right, when viewing on your television screen, next to the banner for Els Flamencs Grocs.