Archive for the 'Football' Category
Cruz Control Steers CD Tenerife On Winning Course

Not scoring enough goals has threatened to drag CD Tenerife into a relegation scrap. Luismi Cruz, getting a rare start, showed that he can be the man to rescue the season with a late charge for a promotion play off spot. His tenacious play caused problems for visiting Mirandes and created chances for his team mates. Surging past three red shirted defenders, Cruz was brought down and Gallego was able to convert the penalty for a 22nd minute lead. Just seven minutes later there was even more flair to Cruz´s second strike, drawing the defence towards him in the box, he calmly slammed the ball into the back of the net.

That should have been the foundation of a big victory against a poor Mirandes team, but Tenerife didn´t hammer home their advantage as Carlos Martin scored from a penalty after his foot was clipped by a loose home tackle. Arriving late in the box, Cruz had a shot at stretching the lead, only to see a defender deflect the ball wide. Soriano was as always alert at the other end to deny two chances from Mirandes. Waldo made a welcome return to action late in the game, replacing Rahmani, both players worked hard down the wing, but once again Teto was briought on in the dying minutes of the game and made little impact.

It was a mixed day all round. During the pre match announcements, coach Garitano´s name was greeted with boos, he still has a battle to win the hearts of the fans. One of the complaints from the faithful is the coach´s constant tinkering, he´s gone 29 games without repeating a starting line up. The 22 year old Cruz is on loan but Tenerife have  an option to buy. At the other end, outstanding goalie Soriano is coming to the end of his contract and has been linked to a La Liga berth.  Another turn out of 13,762 was pleasing, and amid all the portents of doom, the team have put together a nice little run of seven points from the last three games, fuelling faint hopes of sneaking in the promotion play offs.

Brief Relief For CD Tenerife

Grinding and laboured, the only attractive part of this 1-0 home victory for CD Tenerife was the ceremonial kick off by the Carnaval Queen. It brought some much needed breathing space to the under fire home players and the coach but some of the choices made by Garitano left seeds of doubt simmering for the 13th placed Santa Cruz side.

Jose Leon was the hero with a superb 10th minute header from a Mellot deep dipping cross, the most creative move of the game. Eldense arrived with a reputation for picking up points away from home, that and the desire to hang on for a first victory in 70 days  seemed never far from Tenerifes minds. Aitor Sanz reigned in his more adventurous tackles and played the  tight game of a born leader. Just a minute after the goal, Eldense spurned a chance to level as they watched the ball flash across the goal mouth as desperate boots failed to add the smallest of touches.

Leon tried to double his return by racing in to a tempting cross, the visiting keeper was alert and pushed the ball to safety. Rahmani was caught between power and placement when a loose bvall came his way, so the first half closed with the lead intact. Three away defenders scrambled an early second half raid out of the direction of an oncoming home player as Tenerife lacked potent choices in front of goal. Garitano rang the changes and squeezed the play down, many of the 12,733 crowd were hoping to see one or both of the two 21 year old strikers, promoted to the first team bench from the B team, but they never got a look in. That made the decision to bring on Teto even more baffling, as much as the supporters want to see the home grown forward suceed, he hasn´t got the size or tricks to unlock a steady rearguard. The three points were very welcome but Tenerife will face much tougher challenges in the run down to the end of season.

Angel Blesses CD Tenerife Fans With Divine Intervention

Class always shines through. That old adage is being underlined by 36 year old Angel Rodriguez, born in La Laguna, just a short hop up the road from the CD Tenerife stadium. Back for a second spell at his spiritual home, the big striker netted his sixth goal to earn a home win against bottom team Alcorcon.

It wasn´t a sparkling game, Soriano had an early save to make after Obieto raced into some free space. The game was there for the taking but Tenerife looked a little slow and had no width to their build ups. It was going to take a special moment to light up such a dull game, and Angel was ready to oblige.

After 64 minutes, Anger showed he is not just a powerful forward, his mind was agile as well to lure a visiting defender come towards him before  beating him and catching the goalie equally exposed by the well worked strike. It didn´t ignite a home charge but the team can be forgiven for feeling unsure after picking up so many injuries lately. Sipcic was returning to the centre of the home defence but he pulled up in the second half and had to go off.

The slim margin was enough and fired Tenerife back to 7 th position, a healthy way to sign off the home campaign for 2023. The club have made it clear that they will dabble in the January transfer window to boost the squad. Another mouth watering Copa del Rey fixture at home to Las Palmas will also add to the expectations for better times

 

CD Tenerife Young Guns Blanked By Same Old VAR Errors

Early season injuries were not the biggest problem for bright and breezy CD Tenerife. Jesus Belza made his first senior start on the right, and 21 year old Las Palmas born Alassan added another 13 minutes to his growing tally late in the 0-0 home draw against Levante. Both blended in well, and revelation Luic Williams was like a commanding veteran at the heart of the defence.

However the game was marred by a schoolboy error from the referee after 5 minutes. Sergio Gonzalez had chased the ball into the visitors goal mouth and tucked it over the line but the official referred it to VAR for an offside and then disallowed it for being out of play when it got the final touch.

That would have sapped the spirit of many sides but Tenerife resumed their hunt and showed plenty of creativity against a solid but unspectacular Levante line up. Belza and Waldo worked the flanks well to encourage the spearhead Gallego. Roberto Lopez stoked the fire just behind the big striker, but again it was Alexandre Corredera making the team tick with his vision, hard work, and polished skills.

Gallego has a crisp shot denied by the goalie just into the second half, and his replacement Alassan snatched at a half chance that was covered by the vistors. The loud applause at the end of the home fixture showed that there is plenty of patience for the squad to bind together. Gallego signed a new contract extension to 2025 in the days after the draw, and similar negotiations are ensuring continuity. The biggest crowd so far, 19, 102, underlined that the fans are liking what they are seeing so far.

 

Scorching Form From CD Tenerife

Not even the stiffling hot heat wave, the dust laden calima hanging in the air or the raised expectation level that had been steadily rising made this such a classic 2-1 home win for CD Tenerife over Burgos. It was the shear quality of home play right across the pitch, the passion of the 18,383 crowd, and a belief that anything is possible that propelled the Santa Cruz side to the top of the Segunda table.

Tenerife had to absorb a little early pressure but with goalie Soriano on top form, that was not a problem. Each game now there´s always another player making their mark on the supporters, Medrano showed his defensive alertness and an eye for a quick break from the left back position. Mo Dauda started again, and even with Angel on the bench, there was plenty of threat every time Tenerife surged forward. Just before half time though it was Soriano´s turn for a cameo role as he made a superb low save from a penalty after Mo Dauda had been sent off following a clash of heads and a second booking.

The only surprise of the game was it took 64 minutes to underline the home superiority. Medrano made a power run into spce on the left and teed the ball up perfectly for Roberto Lopez to leave the goalie high and dry. With home tails up, it took just four minutes to increase the lead after defender Mumo fouled sub Gallego, who cooly converted the spot kick.

Despite a late reply from Curro, it was a convincing victory with stand out performances in several positions. The squad is gelling together and their character has shone through in the last two wins after a heavy away defeat. It´s always a tell tale sign of the feel good factor, when neighbours are watching on from the high vantage point balconies outside the ground. Inside the Heliodoro we were sweating like chickens on a rotisserie but clucking happily.

Angel Has CD Tenerife Flying High

For those too young to remenber his previous barn storming displays in the CD Tenerife shirt, Angel Rodriguez smashed two goals past Racing Santander. The visitors could not reply to the nostalgic blasts by the 36 year old from La Laguna, earning his team a return to second place in Spain´s Second Division.Coach Garitano also welcomed the re boot of the team after a 3-0 loss at Eibar earlier in the week.

Gallego led the line from the kick off, Alexandre Corredera was back in midfield as the creative spark with Sergio Gonzalez adding a hard edge alongside him. Waldo had the best first half chance for Tenerife, making space before shooting from the edge of the box. The Racing goalie reacted sharply to turn it aside.

Growing in confidence, Roberto Lopez hit his best form and went close with a wide effort in the second half. AS Tenerife pressed, Luismi Cruz made a dart down the right and was fouled in the box by the goalie Ezkieta. Angel looked confident as he strode up to the spot and cracked it past the stopper for a 63 minute lead.

Just a couple of minutes later, the big striker was at it again, latching onto a telling pass from Roberto before rounding the keeper. The legs may be a little older, but a teenagers spirit beats inside the confident veteran.

There were plenty of other helpful contributions from the white shirted winners. Mo Dauda added width and pace after coming off the bench, and goalie Soriano made a rock solid stop in the final minutes to seal a great evening for the 14,773 crowd.

Hot Stuff CD Tenerife Put RCD Espanyol In The Shade

Fuelling the pre match chat with moans about adjusting to the heat of Tenerife, Espanyol were reeled in by a cool, well organised victory from CD Tenerife. Espanyol are widely expected to quickly regain their Primera statuus but there was plenty of ambition and skill from the home ranks before an ecstatic 18,300 crowd.

 

The visitors tore into Tenerife from the kick off, asking lots of questions. The home side kept calm and soaked up the oncoming waves. Goalie Soriano was on top form, quick to spot danger and race out to make the ball his own. With just 16 minutes on the clock, the Espanyol goalie got himself in a muddle as the ball sat teasingly between his feet. Enric Gallego pounced on his uncertainty and burried the ball in the back of the net.

Tenerife grew in confidence, Waldo was again full of running and ideas, and Alexandre popped up all over the pitch to pose problems for the visitors. In defence there had been some discussion whether to keep faith with rising young centre back Loic Williams, however Amo got the nod and Espanyols breaks floundered on the back four.

There was a niggling feeling that Espanyol would step up a gear towards the end but Tenerife didn´t let their guard drop. The Tenerife squad is shaping up well, another youth product, Jesus Belza, got a short debut in extra time to continue the range and versatility of the squad. Now in third place, the Santa Cruz team have more to give and it´s a pleasure to watch them mature.

 

A Visitors Guide To Finding CD Tenerife Ground And Shop

Armada Sur south based CD Tenerife fan club will always do their best to get supporters to the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez  stadium in the capital of the island. If coaches are full, tickets sold out at ground, or you just want to have a random look at the 23,000 capacity stadium (sorry no inside tours) and club shop, here´s a south to north route guide. If you want match tickets, try official outlets Papelaria Raquel in El Camison, Los Cristianos, or DNI Photo Studio, opposite the police station in Playa de Las Americas , close to Costa Adeje bus station and the slip road up to Siam Park. Open 9.30 am to 2.15 pm.

The green TITSA buses converge on the Costa Adeje (Las Americas) and Los Cristianos bus stations for 55 minute journeys to the Santa Cruz intercambiador three storey travel hub. The 110 bus goes from Costa Adeje but doesn´t stop at Los Cristianos, the 111 serves Costa Adeje but also skips Los Cristianos and takes about 30 minutes longer due to added rural stops, the 112 picks up at Los Cristianos but not Costa Adeje. A one way fare is 9 euros – cash or card when boarding, but an unlimited one day travelcard is just 10 euros, or 50 euros for 7 days movement (plus 2 euros for the plastic card) – you need to buy these in the bus station or from a kiosk before boarding. The card also covers the Santa Cruz to La Laguna tram system.

The tram picks up just outside the Santa Cruz terminal every 10 minutes and costs a standard 1.35 for any trip. The easiest call is the 5th stop of La Paz, turn left, and cross the bridge over the ravine, and left at the small roundabout to reveal the grand facade of the stadium and the nearby club shop a few strides down. If you want to meet up with the Armada Sur, we meet in the small lively plaza just down from the stadium. If its a late night game, the 10.25 and 11.45 are the best bets for a speedy bus back to the south.

Just add crowd for the buzz of a live match, but even empty, you still get a feel of the history and passion of CD Tenerife.

 

CD Tenerife Promise Stifled But It´s Shaping Up Nicely

They came in large numbers to show their support, not just for CD Tenerife but also for the bomberos (fire fighters) who had tamed the raging wild fires. The small clutch of Real Zaragoza supporters among the 18,848 crowd left with a 0-1 victory that owed a generous intervention to the ref who tipped the balance with a harsh sending off for home forward Angel, barely 5 minutes after coming on as a late sub. There were still plenty of good indicators though that Tenerife have assembled a talented squad, and with a few days transfer window fine tuning remaining they can feel confident of adding to their opening two victories.

Zaragoza´s huge budget dwarfs the modest finances of CD Tenerife, but Tenerife showed more desire to play good football. The visitors had a negative style but strong first half shots from Waldo and a cross that flashed temptingly across the Real goal mouth, geve encouragement to the white and blues. Home keeper Soriano was alert to smother a long shot after a hurried clearance.

It´s still ealy days for new Santa Cruz coach Asier Garitano so he was still trying new combinations in his line up. By the later part of the second half, after a Jair goal, it was time to shake up the front line. Mo Dauda added width and trickery on the ball while Teto was lively and unlucky to see a shot canon back off the post. Angel came and departed in quick succession after the ref saw malice in a routine tackle. Nine minutes of play were added under the new fair play rulings, an added strain on a baking hot night. Theatrical play is still thriving, but now we seem doomed to see even more of it, as Zaragoza showed in the added spell.

The night was about bigger matters than just football, an auction of limited edition training tops helped to swell the fire fighting fund with a donation of 94,240 euros.

 

 

Armada Sur Ignite A Tasty New Season For CD Tenerife

Unbeaten, full of hope, beer, and burgers, all things are possible in that dream land of pre season. The CD Tenerife players had just started taking tentative steps onto scales and hoping any out of term over indulgencies would not show. Meanwhile high up in San Miguel, the Armada Sur fan club were limbering up appetites and voices at Cho Pancho barbecue park.

Sandwiched between heat waves that teased at 40 degrees, it was a misty, low cloud setting that greeted our coach from the south as it cork screwed up steep, tight roads. The advance party had been busy since first light to ensure chilled drinks, a stoked up fire, and a liberal sprinkling of banners. These well maintained picnic zones feature in key spots around Tenerife, with sturdy roads for vehicles, but most of us enjoyed walking the last part to sharpen the anticipation. A party of just graduated young students were celebrating just above our welcoming hollow.

There were good reasons for the Armada Sur to look forward to the new campaign. The appointment of a new coach, generous season ticket prices, the return of some island born players, and five new signings to date, plus a much needed revamp of the Heliodoro stadium facillities.

The pine forest was a fitting setting for our pre season reunion. Armada Sur are entering their 31st season of supporting CD Tenerife, and still welcoming new friends all the time. Some well worn barbecue features had to be observed for our “nearest and dearest” rivals from across the waters. as we raised our beers and gave their mascot the warmest of welcomes on the grill. Bring on the season, more good times in the company of good friends…and hopefully plenty of wins. Vamos Tete!