Match Preview/Thread: Sporting-Villarreal
Posted by sidarth in Match Previews, Match ThreadVillarreal is back on the road to success, we think. With 9 points out of the last 12, the only blemish a respectable loss in Sevilla, the team looks like it has turned the corner. Nilmar, Rossi, and Llorente have found their scoring touch, the midfield is successfully rotating players, and the backline is improving, if a bit unsteadily. But with only 1 point in 5 away matches so far this season, not everything is fixed.
I’ll admit it: I’m a huge fan of Real Sporting de Gijon. They’re now my second-favorite team in La Liga. Why? Incredibly passionate and knowledgeable fans (who travel to away matches in hordes and are not ultras), an open, attacking style, and a manager who leaves his emotions on the pitch (and just earned himself a two-year extension). After escaping relegation on last season’s final day, the team has become a year wiser in the ways of the Primera. Adding criminally misused Atletico de Madrid youngster Miguel de las Cuevas to Mate Bilic, Barral, and Castro makes for a potent, if unspectacular, group up front. More than talent, hard work is what makes them successful, especially in back. Cheers to a side trying to emulate Villarreal’s ways, the small-town club aspiring to European glory. But their resolve can be put into question by Villarreal’s class.
Here is Ernesto Valverde’s 18-man squad for the match:
GKs (2): Diego López and Oliva.
DFs (5): Ángel, Gonzalo, Godín, Marcano and Capdevila.
MFs (8): Senna, Eguren, Cani, Bruno, Fuster, Ibagaza, Escudero and Pires.
Fs (3): Nilmar, Rossi and Llorente.
Welcome back, Ariel Ibagaza. And Cani also makes the squad, though it sounds like he won’t make but a cameo appearance. Santi Cazorla and Javi Venta miss out through injury, while Fuentes and Jony Pereira were not chosen by Valverde. Per maddi’s inside information, Fuentes’ absence is to be expected, but Pereira’s is surprising. Two possible reasons: Valverde is disenchanted with his form (as compared to the other three strikers), which may suggest Marco Ruben’s call-up to the A team come January. Alternately, this is an anticipated stylistic variation.
Assuming the latter, here is the 4-4-1-1 formation I expect:
Diego Lopez
Capdevila – Gonzalo – Marcano – Angel Lopez
Escudero – Ibagaza – Bruno – Pires
Fuster
Nilmar
Game starts at 12 noon Eastern Time, 6 pm in Spain (in case maddi had too much sangria last night). Endavant Villarreal! I can’t watch the game live, but I’ll be back with comments later on Saturday. Nick, feel free to take over this thread.
Nick : My pleasure! Only just home in time for the second half! Thanks for the recap kqql. Now for a bit of commentary!
47′ – Sporting go close from a header!
49′ – Great control from Bruno in the midfield. Really on form at the moment. Sporting getting stuck in
51′ – As I say that he gives a bad ball and Godin has to make a last ditch challenge. Great commitment from the Uruguayan
52′ – He’s down holding his shoulder, gone off for treatment…
54′ – Back on, still a bit tentative though
58′ – Sporting really racking up the fouls and get their first yellow. No real clear chances so far this half!
60′ – Eguren on for Senna, interesting
62′ – Poor touch from Cani ends a good attack
65′ – Llorente comes on for Nilmar, Mate Bilic comes on for Sporting, he’s a dangerous striker!
72′ – Not much happening, subs haven’t made a real difference
73′ – As I say it Gonzalo gives away a penalty as the last man and gets a red. My god!!!!!!!
74′ – Lopez saves it but we are too slow and Bilic gets the rebound! 1-0
76′ – Ibagaza on for Cani, he sends Llorente through 1 on 1 but he can’t finish!
81′ – Pires gets involved with a Sporting player, gets a yellow for his troubles.
84′ – Sporting waste a good chance
87′ – Eguren leads with his arm on Bilic in the box, another penalty!
88′ – LOPEZ SAVES AGAIN!!! We get the rebound this time!
90′ – 5 min extra time
92′ – Final ball hasn’t been good enough tonight
FT 1-0
Disappointing, Sporting didn’t really deserve the win but on the other hand we created only one good chance in the second half. Ah well!
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Maybe Villarreal are out of intensive care but are they on the road to recovery? Yes 9 points out of the last 12 but the wins came against bottom of the table, Malaga, Tenerife and Vallodolid. Todays match will give us a good picture of whether or not Villarreal have truly recovered. Sporting are unbeaten in their five home matches this season, 3 wins and 2 draws, scoring 7 and conceding just two goals. One of those draws came against Real Madrid.
I can’t see Valverde starting without one of either Senna or Eguren and why break up the Nilmar – Rossi partnership that worked well last week. Ibagaza could be given minutes in the second half.
4-4-2
López
Ángel, Gonzalo, Godín, Capdevila.
Cani Senna, Bruno, Pires
Nilmar, Rossi
1st half – > Recap
Lopez:
His dump pass nearlly gifted sporting with a goal (hit the goal post)
Defense:
playing well……………..especially Gonzalo……….
Midfield:
Not much being created by Villarreal in terms of goal scoring chance, especially the midfield.
Cani is doing his diappeaing act!, Time for Escudero or Ibagaza.
Bruno took a big knock, but need to be changed, but he playing better then Senna.
I think Senna is too slow for this system
Fwds:
Best chance for Villarreal came when Rossi put Nilmar through on 1v1 vs keeper but was Nilmar was judged offside………..I thought he was onsight.
and Rossi had 1 shot blocked…..
-> need more support for the fwds……………. I would put in Escudero or Ibagaza in
need to creat some chances
-> Sporting should tire…….they run a lot
wow, P>k given by Gonzalo…………..and he had a good game…. till then
Defense asleep/////////on P.k Save by Lopez……..
WHY DIDN”T Valverde play Escudero and stuck w/Cani
76? – Ibagaza on for Cani, he sends Llorente through 1 on 1 but he can’t finish!
Bad sub managment by
Valverde. Why did he leave Cani in for so long, with Escudero and Ibagaza on the bench.
2 P.k Saves by Lopez…
Hey Valverde ————————-> Escudero <——————
Must start over CANI ………..and Llorente w/the miss of the game.
valverde lacks on decision making. escudero shud be sent instead of ibagaza. im dissapointed i really thought we wud win this one.
I don’t think we deserved anything out of the match. You don’t win matches if you don’t score goals, and you don’t score goals if you don’t create chances.
kqql-Why so hard on Cani? he did a lot of work defending. I don’t think that this was the sort of game for Escudero. I thought Ibagaza did well in his short time on the pitch.
Ruhul, I agree and that’s why Valverde IS THE BIG LOSER of the Week.
Anyone could see that Cani side was quite throught the game, I would have brought in Esudero in @ 55″.
Also, the fwds are wasted with all this pressure game………….
Also, w/o possesion in the mid-field chaneces will not be created for fwds against good teams.
Sennna is liabilty u/Valverde
Kenez says:
November 28, 2009 at 2:25 pm
I don’t think we deserved anything out of the match. You don’t win matches if you don’t score goals, and you don’t score goals if you don’t create chances.
kqql-Why so hard on Cani? he did a lot of work defending. I don’t think that this was the sort of game for Escudero. I thought Ibagaza did well in his short time on the pitch.
Cani sucked, this game and vs Sevilla…………he didn’t creat any chances………please go and rewatch the games…………………… his Right side did NADA………………again…..
I would have subbed Escudero for Cani @ 55″ and I bet he would have created more chances………..
.Sorry Kenez your man Cani jobeis more the defend…….as Winger he has to create chanes for the Fwds………….which he has not done vs Sevilla and Sporting…..
It’s a shame Valverde didn’t give a run as sub to Escudero after 3 Assists in 3 games……….
Shame ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Villarreal deserve a Better !
some perspectives on the game:
http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/88/spain/2009/11/28/1653780/sporting-gijon-1-0-villarreal-bilic-strike-sinks-yellow
http://www.marca.com/marcador/futbol/2009_10/primera/jornada_12/spo_vil/
i’ll be back with more on the game early next week.
There’s a reason Valverde didn’t put Escudero on in the second half. Agreed that the job of a midfielder is to create chances but it’s also to defend. My opinion is that Escudero would not have been as effective as Cani in this respect.
Valverde chose Ibagaza instead who did a reasonable job and created a good chance for Llorente.
We’re now virtually a third of the way through the season and Villarreal have 12 points from 12 matches. In the remaining 26 matches they would need to average 2 points a match to reach even the same total as last season. An average that only the most successful teams manage to maintain over a long period. In the final 26 matches of last season Villarreal collected 40 points. A similar result this season would leave them with 52 points and a mid table position, out of next seasons Champions League and even out of the Europa League.
yet again the B team is playing a more interesting game. derby against elche, 1:1 late in the first half. marco ruben’s 7th goal of the season on a penalty drawn by cristobal, tying the score.
villarreal B 2:2 elche. elche scored the 1:2 early in the 2nd half, gerard bordas tied it, then elche had a man sent off. but we could not take advantage of the man up for the full 3 points. next game wednesday at betis.
A good result for the B team against one of the stronger sides in the league.
0-1 Molina (28′)
1-1 Marco Ruben (31′)
1-2 Santos (48′)
2-2 Bordás (63′)
Folks….
I am sorry to tell y’all Valverder was not the right choice for Villarreal.
He’s o.k Manager, but not right for the players Pellegrini had collected and molded
under his system or what Villarreal came to be known as in the last 5 years.
Some players have finally adjusted to the new system, but too many mistakes
are being made under this Pressure / No Possession football.
—> Here is Why Valverde is the wrong choice for Villarreal.
1) His high pressure style / not much possession footnall doesn’t suit Senna and Senna is become a liabilty in his system. (so why use him?)
2) Lack of possession game in the midfield is hurting supply to fwds against
good teams.
3) Villarreal Mgmt was wrong to hire a manager totally in contrast to Pellegrini system, someone with more flare to South American + Europa game would have been the right choice.
(Or Villarreal Mgmt needs to provide Valverde 2 new Midfields and 1-2 new
Defenders)
4) Asking for Nilmar run around chasing long balls or to put pressure @ Sporting goal keeper is waste of his talent. Why even bother purchase him if the midfield will not even supply a descent ball.
5) Valverde is pathetic @ reading the game
(as Ruhul said “valverde lacks on decision making)
6) I am sorry the real reason I see Valverde not putting Escudero in for Cani @
55″ was : Cani is more a pressure football player and Escudero more a 1on 1 / possesion football and that’s why Valverde doesn’t prefer him.
RECAP -> Sporting 1 – Villarreal 0
Villarreal
4-4-2
Angel, *Gonzalo, Godin, Capdevila
Cani (Ibagaza 75″), Senna (Eguren 59″), Bruno, Pires
Nilmar (Llorente 66″), Rossi
Goals
1-0 Bilic @ 74″ (From Rebound on P.k saved by Lopez)
Yellow Cards
Sporting -> Barral 58″
Villarreal -> Pires 81″, Eguren 86″, Capdevila 87″, Bruno 96″
Red Card:
Sporting -> None
Villarreal -> *Gonzalo 73″
P.ks Missed:
Sporting -> Rivera 74″, Bilic 88″
P.ks Saved:
Villarreal -> Lopez 74″, 88″
.
Valverde -> Need more Intensity !……………………………
Kqql -> :rolleyes:
Valverde: “Tenemos que mejorar la intensidad
http://www.elperiodicomediterraneo.com/noticias/noticia.asp?pkid=511214
Marking/Grading the trainer
Su apuesta por un centro del campo con Cani –estaba muy limitado– y Pirès contra un equipo como el Sporting le salió mal.
Además, tardó en reaccionar desde el banquillo. No movió las piezas con inteligencia. Este Villarreal sigue sin funcionar fuera de casa y, además, dio una imagen muy lamentable.
http://www.elperiodicomediterraneo.com/noticias/noticia.asp?pkid=511215
Elche are currently fourth in the Segunda, so that wasn’t too bad a result. They were down to ten men for the last 25 minutes so we could have possibly sneaked a win. Still we’re mid table at the moment. can’t really ask for anymore
The squad for the Europa League match against Levski Sofía next Wednesday, 19.00 is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Diego López and Xavi Oliva.
Defenders: Fuentes, Marcano, Godin, Capdevila and Ángel.
Midfield: Ibagaza, Bruno, David Fuster, Pires, Senna, Eguren, Cani and Escudero.
Forwards: Jonathan Pereira, Rossi y Nilmar.
Santi Cazorla, returns for the first time after his injury. Joseba Llorente was omitted due to suffering a bout of gastroenteritis. Gonzalo is suspended after receiving a red card against Lazio so Fuentes is called up for the first time because Kiko will be required by the B team for the rearranged match against Betis this week
i know valverde is not going b t i hope he imrpoves. spalleti in my opinion wud have been a better choice.
no away win is a bad sign. valverde needs 2 figure out da mid & defense, 0r it will be bad season
The draw for the Copa del Rey was made this morning and Villarreal have been paired with Segunda A team Celta Vigo. (Matches to be played 6 and 13 January)
The draw has been kind to Villarreal as it is possible that they could reach the final without meeting a team in the top half of La Liga.
Full draw at http://www.as.com/futbol/articulo/barcelona-sevilla-principal-atractivo-octavos-copa/dasftb/20091201dasdasftb_13/Tes
Well the B team has already beaten Vigo this season ( I think) so the pressures on! Here’s the highlights from the B teams 2-2 draw with Elche :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J4BQIipRlE
Yes, the B team had a comfortable 2-0 win at Celta Vigo two weeks ago.
the full draw:
http://www.marca.com/2009/12/01/futbol/copa_rey/1259670063.html
[...] and Copa del Rey to make us feel better (thanks to the inferior competition). This recap covers the Sporting and Levski [...]