CA Osasuna - Athletic Club

Athletic Club hasn’t been able to take anything from Osasuna and lost 2-0 in a match in which it had almost no options to score beyond the nil draw direction in which the match appeared to be headed. Dady, from a free-kick deflected by Amorebieta with his head, and Vela, have scored the goals, both in the second half. The week couldn’t be rebounded off and we hope to be able to recover the smiles in Santander in the Copa and against Barça in the Liga, where the situation is still rather delicate.

There are no real excuses, even though the final result was hasty due to Yeste’s dismissal. After a set-off the referee booked our player with a direct red card and, as it almost always happens, in the later convulsive minutes it was our team that ended up disconcerted.

About the first half, well, very little to say. Athletic aligned the anticipated eleven and for Osasuna Margairaz finally occupied the position that seemed destined for Plasil. The Navarrese came out with a bossy spirit, putting on the pressure and assisted by speed with which Athletic lost the ball, or with the little that was had, depending on how we look at it. They also tried it with the change of wings of Vela and Juanfran, but without true danger.

As it’s reflected, in spite of the territorial domination the attempts were scarce. To mention some, a penalty that was claimed on Amorebieta over Juanfran in the minute 16 (on the field it seemed as such) and a shot by Vela in the minute 39, which Aranzubia stopped rather well. On our part a wide shot, though by barely, with the left by Javi Martinez in minute 21 we can only add arrivals to the area with defects in the final passes. Undoubtedly, most of the approaches arrived after a good run with the ball. On the other hand, neither team took full advantage of strategic plays.

The second half had a similar beginning. Osasuna wanted to but couldn’t and Athletic waited. In that lack of definition, while the mist tried to favour everyone by cooperating so that the contender’s deficiencies would not be clearly seen, both coaches have made their changes. Garmendia replaced David Lopez in the minute 53, Sola came in for Margairaz in the 55th and Héctor Font in for Puñal in the 60th. The men from Navarre wanted to create more damage on top, but the circumstances of the match didn’t let them see if the changes made were headed in the direction they wanted. Yeste heated up in the minute 62 and his lack of distance dismissed him to the changing rooms in a play that didn’t appear as bad and entered in the set-off category.

In spite of everything, it seemed that Athletic was still well placed, although Aduriz had already remained as an island. Nevertheless, after a foul near the area that didn’t seem, Dady has scored after the ball rebounded off Amorebieta’s head. With no time to recover, Dady combed a long ball and Vela who started off off-sides, shot and beat Aranzubia. Two to nil and one less player, fatigue and a blocked situation, rather artificial ball possession and almost no options to overcome, although Susaeta barely shot wide in the minute 70.

Del Horno replaced Javi Martinez and the mid-field took a diamond shape with the recently incorporated in the left flank. Osasuna let the minutes pass without great threats, in spite of a long range shot by Del Horno, a ball that Llorente was unable to finish off and Aitor Ocio’s disallowed goal in the final stages of the match.

Who also didn’t have his day has been the referee. Those in charge of rendering justice have their better and worse days, like the players. At least, with what we’ve seen today, the fallacies about help and cheating are denied. Instead of imparting ‘European’ arbitration, which he knows how to do, he opted for that of the Liga and the match was full of fouls. Athletic, clearly said, didn’t do much to score, but it’s surely not been one of its most rounded matches either: Amorebieta committed a penalty, the foul that preceded the first goal didn’t exist, in the second, Vela started from offside, and if Amorebieta was booked with a yellow, which means dismissal, for accumulation of fouls, Flaño has done his part to see his second yellow and if in the final breath of the match Llorente didn’t touch the ball, Aitor Ocio didn’t seem to be off-sides, even though the goal would have been testimonial; a match to forget.

And, because it’s all about forgetting, we’ll have to recharge our batteries and set the Copa as our next objective. We hope it’s the start of a good week.