Well we got there in the end

By: Tom B | July 13th, 2009

But it took a 15 year old penalty taker’s cool, calm assured head to slot home in the 89th minute. This kid is a real revelation, and it will be interesting to see how he goes when my two left back/wingback/midfield players come back to full fitness this week. It also meant he signed his new 5 year 30 Euro per week deal, and I might just be able to give the fans their wish and drop Ruiz at centre half.

I was playing against the B team of Villareal, who are stone cold last with a solitary point from their first 8 games. Their squad is paper thin, and missing 5 players. This is excellent news for a Santa Eulalia side with 4 points from its last 2 games, 3 points from exiting the relegation zone, and looking to cement itself in the division after a terribly shaky start. I went in with an unchanged lineup, however I did think twice about including Alfonso as he was in the middle of a goal drought. He was picked, as there was no-one better. Simple.

The match itself started horribly. I couldn’t exert control, Aimar Valdez, my playmaker, couldn’t get a grip, and then to add insult to injury they scored from a powerful long shot in the 27th minute. Then they had a penalty claim disallowed. However, I slowly started to control the game, and set up a few good chances. In the 36th minute I drew level after Alfonso broke his duck and drought by poking in after my right back Garcia Martinez found himself unmarked on the left side of the penalty box and forced the keeper to parry.

My influence grew and grew, and my suspicion about my teams ticker grew and grew, as we were not able to break them down and score. With 10 minutes left, and the game locked at 1-1, and them providing little if any threat to my goal, I substituted Ruiz (to what I imagine were heckles and howls from the away support), brought my wing backs (including Antonio) back to play as full backs, and brought on wispy thin header man Adolfo in a 4-3-1-2 narrow formation. This paid dividends as I was awarded a contentious penalty by the outrageously named Pedro Zamora Romero de Castellon (who I assume got it right because he got a 9/10 rating). Vasquez Garcia hit the post and Luiz Fernandez was adjudged to have felled Adolfo in the box from the ensuing scramble. Antonio, the 15 year old (whos birthday is next week), then stepped up to slot his first league goal. Tempo was then slowed, time wasting increased, and we almost got a 3rd through Garcia Martinez in injury time, but the points were secured, and Pena Deportiva Santa Eulalia were out of the relegation zone for the first time in a month.

Garcia Martinez was again a star performer (gee he’s doing well) and Nieto, Vasquez Garcia and Hector/Fernandez/Hector Blanco bossed the midfield, which created the goals.

This was a great result and I think that 160 people in the crowd didn’t do us justice, but 3 points are in the bag and its on to 5th place Lleida next.

The passing of another month saw me drop a further 12k into the red, but the board are pleased with me and the control I exert over the dressing room. The fans hate Ruiz still. Unfortunately, we’re getting rather broke, and may have to sell one or two players just to break even for the first half of the season. I personally like solvency, and think it really is the best way to run a football club. However, it is an even worse way to run a football club by getting them relegated, and being out of the relegation zone can only be a huge positive.