Athletic Club - Real Racing Club de Santander

Athletic Club 4-Real Racing Club 3

Athletic Club defeated Real Racing Club (4-3), the goals on behalf our team were scored by Llorente (2, one from penalty), Toquero and Susaeta, while Tchite and Bolado (2) scored on behalf of the Cantabrians. A victory that consolidates Athletic’s place for another week in a European competition qualifying spot with still nine match days left to go before the conclusion of the League, a tight match calendar in the space of a month and a half. All of this in a match that went from strength to strength and had almost all the ingredients that make this sport attractive: good play during quite a few minutes, emotion, gusts of wind, streaks, disputes, a lot of people in the stands despite it being Monday and, especially, a load of goals. And as most of these were in favour of the Red-Whites, hopes are high after being victorious in six out of the last seven engagements played at San Mamés. This time the last game of the match day round ended up with a pleasant aftertaste, and allows us to take advantage of the losses of the others, before our visit to the difficult Camp Nou, but just as we have mentioned on other occasions, let’s enjoy what we have achieved and whatever will be, will be.

To get things going, the annoying and uncomfortable, and even fearsome, southern wind that then gave way to rain that was more welcome at the start of the football game. Along with the change in weather, the first minutes were slow, without very much aim, with sovereignty being uncertain or even null. Nevertheless, in the twinkling of an eye the Red-Whites turned the rain into a storm and Racing spent a quarter of an hour without being able to react and, what’s worse, had two goals scored against them after the downpour was over.

Between Toquero’s rebound from a foul taken by Susaeta in the 8th minute and a classy shot with the heel by Llorente that was caught by Coltorti almost unintentionally in the 23rd, Athletic Club put the match on the right track, first of all by means of a brilliant corner kick taken by Gabilondo that Llorente finished off with a header, strong and furiously, making the goalkeeper’s efforts useless. Then after a throw-in that Llorente received level line with his back to the goal, but he turned around well and after beating Henrique kicked a deadly pass for Toquero to score the second goal (2-0). It was the climax of consistent, powerful, coordinated and at the same time sprawling attack, a circumstance that also helped our team to get the monkey from Vicente Calderón off their back at the time of being accused of being blatantly deficient in sharpness (when it comes to scoring goals).

Two goals at the start of the match, almost one hundred per cent efficacy and the sensation, this time also, of “déjà vu”, just like in those films that exist that are favourable to our interests. Nonetheless the control of the game diluted in the rain and went on to become an excess in confidence, the growing sensation during the placid minutes in which Gabilondo’s wound was sutured after leaping in the air and endured without much ado. In spite of everything, Racing also got into it as soon as they could and Tchité shortened the distance in the 41st after combining well with Colsa. Moreover, things could have been worse if Canales had chosen to be practical instead of looking for an ornament when it came to trying to put an end to a clear counterblow during injury time.

The second part got off to cold start for the locals, although except for a foul taken by Canales and repelled by Iraizoz, the passing of the minutes was synonymous of calmness and at times, also in the first half, the spectators in the stands transmitted the sensation that Athletic were the team that were behind on the scoreboard. Supposedly, simply a question of pressure that unconsciously creates this illusion in the League. A frame of mind, which we would always gladly sign up for.

The shortage of goal scoring opportunities and in hope of more entertaining and productive patches in the near future, substitutions were made. Gurpegi stepped in for Iturraspe for Athletic, Diop replaced Serrano in the Racing team, with Canales being sent to cover the left wing and Colsa with a bit more room to move and things started to look up before Munitis was replaced by Arana. A San José header and a deviated shot at goal by Toquero were the prologue to the second quarter of an hour of goals, on this occasion between minutes 78 and 93, which even doubled the first.

Colsa finished off with a high shot at goal and Iraola’s centre-kick was caught: outside? inside? on the goal line? by Coltorti. This controversy did not last long at all, since a centre by Toquero in minute 77 ended in penalty due to Christian hanging on and pushing Llorente, the penalty was taken by Llorente finding the back of the net. It seemed, for the second time also, that the advantage of two goals was going to be a voucher that could be exchanged for peace of mind. This was not to be. Iván Bolado replaced Tchite before the penalty and Muniain replaced Toquero soon afterwards. The calmness only lasted three minutes, enough for the newcomer to the field Iván Bolado to score their second goal (3-2) with at beautiful scissors kick in the 81st minute.

The sky’s the limit emotion-wise and another ingredient from the few that were still to make an appearance, the one in relation with the controversy over “take these cards away from me”. Following Bolado’s goal, Oriol was shown the yellow card for pushing Iraizoz in a struggle to recuperate the ball as soon as possible, a typical move and a booking that did not seem to be important in the short-term. Curiously in the move that followed the one and only Oriol, a player that doesn’t seem to hold back when it comes to delivery by land, by sea and by air, took his arm for a walk over Llorente’s face and the referee also demonstrated that his reputation of being an merciless giver of second yellow cards is not an urban myth. Not even with the red card was calmness restored, nor after the attempts of Gabilondo and Bolado, Susaeta received a pass from Iraola and face to face with Coltorti beat him with a low shot in the 89th. Bolado continued doing his own thing and after verifying that the words “calmness” and “control” were missing from the Red-White dictionary yesterday, scored another good goal, but it was already minute 93 of the game and the contest had finished just after the ball was put into play in the centre. The match ended as it had began, with rain but at least with three more points.