Athletic Club - Real Racing Club de Santander
Matchday 33
Liga

Athletic Club - Real Racing Club de Santander

Athletic Club
Athletic Club
21
Real Racing Club de Santander
Real Racing Club de Santander
  • 21' Llorente
  • 41' David López (p.)
  • Pinillos (p.) 56'

LocationSan Mamés , Bilbo

Athletic Club 2 – Racing 1: Festival of Cards

Athletic Club has obtained a very important victory after defeating (2-1) Real Racing Club; with…

Athletic Club

Athletic Club has obtained a very important victory after defeating (2-1) Real Racing Club; with goals in the first half the work of Llorente’s great header, and David Lopez, from a penalty committed on the forward from Irun. Pinillos, also from a penalty, although more questionable and which cost Yeste’s send off, at the beginning of the second half, narrowed the distance. All this in a match that Athletic Club deserved to leave sentenced in the first half and that in the second was marked by a festival of cards until accumulating in the end 17 yellow cards and 5 reds. For our team this means that Yeste and Orbaiz will not be in Gijon, our next appointment with mathematics in order to confirm numerical survival. On the other hand, Javi Martinez and Aitor Ocio will be returning, while also worthy of noting is the debut of Eneko Bóveda, for a total of 29 players used so far this Liga.

The first half has been an exhibition by our team. From kickoff to the half-time whistle all the occasions have been for the rojiblancos and the two-goal advantage at the end of the first period felt scarce. At the first quarter hour Llorente had already headed the bar, Coltorti had ruined an attempt by a fireproof Toquero and Llorente had finished off at the gloves of the Racing keeper; all this in the middle of an endless cascade of corners.

The prize arrived in the minute 21, when a ball opened down the left wing by Yeste was centred by Koikili and Llorente unquestionably headed into the net. Athletic Club didn’t take the foot off the gas, though it did take things somewhat calmer, and continued keeping Racing away from its area. Llorente shot wide in the minute 24, two minutes later Iraola has been unable to push with his knee a free kick by Yeste from near the line and the following attempt has been clearer still after a great pass by Toquero to Susaeta, his shot was parried off by Coltorti and the rebound mistakenly hit Susaeta and ended up on Llorente’s head, but his header was just over the bar. The prize to the offensive soccer unfolding arrived shortly before the break after an individual play by Llorente, who after doing the most difficult was left with no room or oxygen in the area, but Lacen brought him down without a hint of doubt. David Lopez easily converts the penalty.

The game was on track, but all matches, especially lately for Athletic are ‘molto longo’ and that’s what happened on re-start. For starters Muñiz, Racing’s Manager, not the referee, introduced Colsa and Johnatan Pereira in for Moratón and Serrano to equip the midfield line with more control and add more depth to the already populated forward line with dangerous players such as Zigic and Tchité. However, it has been Marcano who had the first occasion of the match for the visitors, saved by Iraizoz, after a corner and in spite of the rojiblanca response in the play which Llorente has been unable to finish off, Lacen shot to the crossbar in the 53, although what was worse, at least when it came to suffering, was yet to come. Two minutes later, Yeste went into the area to cover a counterattack by Pereira and although it didn’t seem like a penalty, the referee called it and Pinillos shortened the distance. The beloved and wise experts who follow us so much have extra work this week, because from that point on it’s been nonstop jotting down of numbers and cards, which is why surely some will be more than questionable, or at least appealable.

With a new game underway, quite honestly, it’s been seven uneasy minutes from the time Yeste was sent off to Marcano’s expulsion. It was a question of time before Racing saw its line reduced given the collection of warnings it loaded in its knapsack and that’s what happened in the minute 62. The red card delayed the debut of Eneko Bóveda, 20 year old from Bilbao, who was already waiting next to the fourth official, but minutes later he substituted David Lopez and was placed in the right midfield. Murillo also returned to play after replacing an injured Etxeita and that’s where we were when Susaeta’s speed brought about a second yellow for Pinillos making the rival’s attempt to equalize even more difficult, and although all strengths are equalled in strategy the Cantabrians have been unable to create more danger for Iraizoz.

With no game pace, with cards everywhere, without continuity, with no game flow and with the desire to finish and breathe the minutes elapsed. Etxeberria had to come in for a limping Iraola and even so there was still time for first Orbaiz, direct red, and soon Pereira, two yellows, to be sent off to the showers prematurely. Finally, three golden points, third from relegation by seven points and it appears that the last two teams are already too far when there’re only fifteen points still at play.