Archive for August 26th, 2024
Setting Out The Stall For A New CD Tenerife Season

Assess established players, add new signings to the mix, and try to impose your own style and game plans. New coach Oscar Cano´s in tray is brimming over and was not helped by two first half injury departures at home to UD Almeria. There were flickers of hope in the 0-1 home defeat, but coming on the tail of a league opening 2-1 reverse at CD Eldense, it cranked up the anxiety levels for the new boss, whose experience comes from managing in the lower leagues.

Old reliables, Mellot with surging runs from right back, and a typically alert and creative input from Luismi from the other flank, helped to stoke expectations. Only an acrobatic tip over from the visiting kjeeper ensured a blank first half. Almeria are a well backed, free spending club, and expected to be shining at the sharp end of the Segunda by the end of season. The task became a little bit harder with a sending off for Jose Leon after 53 minutes for a last gasp tackle on the last man defender. That pumped up the visitors, and on 64 minutes,  Melamed slotted in the wining goal.

After all conquering sesons from the Tenerife B team,  and the youth squad, many hopes have been expresed for the emergence of home developed talent. David Rodriguez is a prime example, a 24 year old full back, he was on the fringe of the senior squad a couple of years ago, before being loaned out, but he got some valuable time in the second half and impressed. The crowd of 14,383 was a good starting point for the campaign, and even the black clouds sweeping in over the stadium had the decency not to hold their cargo.

With just a few days left of the transfer window, there may be some fine tuning, inevitably its the eye catching players like Mellot and Alexandre whose signatures are most prized. Hopefully new heroes will emerge, Alejandro Cantero got some valuable time in the late stages of the game and the 24 year old former Madrid youth prospect and Levente player showed some promising moves.