Athletic Club 3-Racing 0: Well done

A victory back in San Mamés. In spite of the injuries – at the last minute also that of Etxeberria- and the impact of the judgement surrounding the Gurpegi case, Athletic Club has controlled and obtained a full and deserved 3-0 against Racing. All this after a very difficult week in which, after losing in Anoeta, the quality of the squad had been questioned, at least according to what’s been seen and heard.

It is very hard for a reserves club like ours to accept that every fortnight its potential is questioned, no matter how much it is as a result of away losses. Without Aranzubia, Del Horno and Etxeberria as inevitable rotation, eight players forged in Lezama have been aligned for the starting line up: Along with Iraola, Prieto, Murillo, Casas, Gurpegi, Arriaga and Yeste, Pampín, a 20-year-old goalkeeper has been aligned. A goalie that like Gurpegi (a pretty view that of the almost 40,000 placards in the wind) has received all the warmth from the stands and with the help of his own confidence has completed the match without allowing goals, for which we have to go back to the seventh match day.

Perhaps it was that faith in him, as he cut a centre and has quickly kicked out in the minute 7 of play towards Ezquerro. The transition of the yellow leather has been meteoric and in a blink of an eye Ezquerro has received from Urzaiz and has skillfully elevated the ball over Aouate. The party was on the right path and Yeste has had a new occasion in the minute 21, a prologue of Racing’s clearest, a ball that Benayoun has kicked out, but barely.

Who has guessed right has been Gurpegi in the minute 25, after finishing off with a header a great pass by Yeste from a free kick; a goal that has been an escape valve before such injustice, a golden opportunity for those in the stands to again honour the honesty of the player from Navarre, who is in the middle of the unequal fight he is fighting. From that moment and until the half time, the only thing worth mentioning is an occasion by Casas that Aouate has deflected.

The same result as in Anoeta, but this time in San Mamés, a transcendental fact so far in the season. To start with Regueiro has had, by means of a strong header, the first… and last option for Racing in the second half. Nine minutes later, Athletic has elaborated a play to repeat, moving the ball from one side to the other and with final header for a closing on the part of Urzaiz from a centre by Iraola. And the match was over, what is not untimely to remember is that in the eleven that have finished it were a calm Pampín, Iraola, Prieto, Murillo, Casas, Bordas, Arriaga and Azkorra; eight also, but with some new names. The future has to always be worked with patience and more patience, but also necessary will be to defeat Steaua on Wednesday.