CD Tenerife - Athletic Club
Matchday 4
Liga

CD Tenerife - Athletic Club

CD Tenerife
CD Tenerife
10
Athletic Club
Athletic Club
  • 86' Mikel Alonso

LocationHeliodoro Rodríguez López , Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Tenerife 1 – Athletic Club 0: No excuses

Athletic Club has lost against Tenerife 1-0. Mikel Alonso, just before regulation time, scored the…

Athletic Club

Athletic Club has lost against Tenerife 1-0. Mikel Alonso, just before regulation time, scored the only goal of the game. With this loss our team bids farewell to the consecutive winning streak, though it’s still in the top positions on the table with nine points, the same as Sevilla whom they’ll receive on Saturday in San Mamés.

Tenerife’s victory can be considered fair, especially in view of what was seen on the pitch during the first half. Nevertheless, the bitter aftertaste is greater considering Athletic was near to extending their winning streak, all this in spite of not playing a good match. It was one of those matches that show that, even without working as they should, our team is a bad client and in which the performance of one player in particular, in this case the goalkeeper, ends up conceding points.
Athletic Club confronted the match with seven new faces with respect to the Sunday’s starting line-up. That is to say: Ocio, Castillo, Iturraspe, Susaeta, Yeste, Muniain and Etxeberria. What was most peculiar is that after requesting, almost pleading, that the rotations were put into practice in order to dose the effort, somebody, after losing, will ask the coach whether they were not excessive.

On its part, Tenerife came out raring to go and in the 2nd minute Richi finished off a misunderstanding between Iraizoz and Amorebieta with an innocent flat shot. In the minute 8, we should highlight a good centre by Alfaro which Nino was unable to finish off. Once the initial heat of the moment had passed the power was balanced, however, and by all means, Athletic’s attacks carried little danger, at least until from a free-kick by Etxeberria, Gabilondo shot at goal to the near post, but too high. This balance continued until the minute 25. At that point, and as a result of a corner, after a shot by Roman, which Iraizoz did not vindicate as his, Tenerife put all its offensive meat on the spit of Athletic’s area, which suffered plenty until the break.

The opportunities for the home team multiplied, sometimes even unintentionally. After the cited corner was taken, Bellvis warned of a volley, however Iraizoz’ reflexes were present to resolve the conflict. In the following play, Nino made the goalie show off his talent. If that weren’t enough, in the minute 27, Nino’s goal was ruled out for being offside.

The flow of events didn’t vary and in the minute 33, Nino found himself alone before Iraizoz, but the goalie was able to ward off the shot. On the contrary, a quick counterattack by Susaeta, with a low distant shot, made Aragoneses feel like he wasn’t being isolated from the match.

Until the interval, the scenario wasn’t clear: in the minute 41, Mikel Alonso, who in the end decided the outcome of the match, replaced Ricardo, with a broken nose after receiving a strong blow with the head from Iturraspe. At the end of the match, the midfielder, who today made his debut in the current Liga, asked for the player’s mobile number as he was concerned about his condition. After a volley by Alfaro in the minute 42, parried by Iraizoz, the break was fortunately reached.

On re-start of play, Toquero came on for Muniain, however things continued on the same course, since Alfaro connected a strong right, helped with his toe cap, with Iraizoz on hand to clear. Tenerife, on their part, was not giving in. Gurpegi replaced Iturraspe in the minute 50, as he already had a card. Things calmed down and both teams, for one reason or another, exhausted their substitutions. Omar came in for Richi in the minute 61, Kome switched to the right and Alfaro to the midfield. Shortly after, Llorente replaced Etxeberria and, finally, in the minute 68 the discomfort that Aitor Nuñez was dragging forced Oltra to introduce Dinei in his place.

P. Sicily changed to the right back and Mikel Alonso to the centre midfield. The match was headed to deadlock, with an absence of opportunities, though with more comings and goings and shared possession. In spite of it all, Alfaro had a clear opportunity in the 80, but his header barely missed wide.

Suddenly, the match heated up and the cards gained prominence. The work of wise experts will not take much time in this neck of the woods, but Gabilondo was tripped as he was running into the area with really dangerous options and the referee did not signal anything. He did make a call in the 87 when Castillo, it appears involuntarily, handed the ball at the edge of the area and that’s where the definitive 1-0 came when Alonso, totally unmarked, headed in the free-kick from Alfaro. A hard blow when nearly caressing one more point, however, there are no excuses and the result reflects what occurred on the playing field.

There was hardly any time left, but Toquero did take advantage by taking part in two dangerous plays, perhaps the only ones of the match, both saved by Aragoneses. Omar could have also scored a second, but he over-crossed. To summarize, the first defeat and now all there is left, which is no small feat, is to conscientiously prepare the first of three matches that are left before the break on the second weekend of October. As we’ve done to date, step by step and without falling either in triumphant or pessimistic interpretations.