Another One Bites the Dust

By: Tom B | July 14th, 2009

Before we get to the game, from having zero left sided players, I’ve now got two, with these two having come back within two days of each other.

My next match was against Lleida, who were 5th and I was 5.50 outsiders. However, if you were amongst the 579 who showed up – you were in for a treat.

Unfortunately my two recovering left wing backs each only had condition of 89% and 90% so Borja Villa was only to come on and feature from the substitutes bench. Of which, the even worse than Fan Enemy Number 1 (Jose Ruiz) Diego Bleda was dropped as CB from the bench, which afforded me a little more flexibility in my formation. The starting 11 were as in the last 2 games in my now very effective 5-3-1-1.

We controlled the first 30 minutes, with our best chance falling to Valdez who headed against the outside of the upright. Most players were doing well, except for playmaker Valdez (missed chance aside, he only had a 5.9 rating and had given the ball away plenty). I switched Valdez’s role from holding up the ball to (amazingly) not holding up the ball, which seemed to be the ticket as he strolled through the 2nd half nearly never giving the ball away, and setting up Garcia Martinez (at RWB) who’s pass led to the clearance which Alfonso blocked into the back of the net.

Editor’s Note: This made me feel a little better as in my comeback from a knee injury game on Sunday (In real life) I conceeded a goal when a striker blocked my clearance into the net with his face, but we won 3-1 and I made a string of good saves as well which are quickly forgotten amongst a howler like that.

I then doubled my lead as Nieto curled in a set piece from the left side of the penalty box which met the head of Hector (who again, I quite like) at the back stick largely unmarked, and he slotted the header between the keeper and the man on the post.

With the injury to Nieto on 77 mintues I shut up shop, bringing on Adolfo as a 2nd striker, replacing Antonio, pulling the wing backs to full backs and shifting Manuel (II) to right back. I employed a 4-3-1-2 very narrow, very slow and with a high degree of time wasting.

The match was closed out and we chalked up another satisfying but surprising win,

maintain our unbeaten record,

and move up to 12th in the table.

On an injury note – Garcia Martinez (at RWB) and Nieto both were forced off with injuries

Whilst Garcia Martinez is only out for a couple of weeks, Nieto has joined long forgotted Swedish fishmonger Tomas Jonanssen on the long term injury list, out for 2-3 months. Maybe I won’t be able to sell him after all.