Archive for the 'Football' Category
Hard Work At Home For CD Marino

Even allowing for a dreadful referees decision and a soft goal, CD Marino made this 2-1 win over SD Tenisca harder than it should have been. The good news is that despite holiday wins by CD Tenerife B and Granadilla the blues from Las Americas sit proudly in first place with just three regular Tercera games to go before the play offs.

Aaron Darias is always a good source of ammunition coming up from right back, he slung in a great ball for Murci but it was a little high for the striker to get a clean shot. After 15 minutes Marino made the breakthrough, the ball came loose to Airam and he fired a rasping shot into the Tenisca net. A Murci header was close to doubling the lead but strayed wide and the second goal was needed. The La Palma side have an outside chance of making the play offs and Rayco put some swerve on his free kick but Alberto was wise to it and took it well.

Lamine was sharp to pick up the ball when it rebounded off a defender just outside the box, he stumbled a little and it was enough to take the power out of his shot. The slender lead would have done at the break but the ref let Tenisca back in. Mendy made a solid blocking challenge on a Tenisca forward but the ref gave a free kick in shooting distance. Rayco curled the ball over the defensive wall at the top corner of the goal, Alberto got a hand to it but that just took the sting off it and it dropped down for Morcuenda to poke in. 

That goal encouragement put a spring in Tenisca’s step when they returned to the pitch. Chema was through early on, this time Alberto was quick to clear. Marino had to get their authority back and they did quickly, Lamine sent in a hanging cross giving Balduino ample time to head a 2-1 lead. Roberto Carlos started to exploit the right side of the visitors defence, his well worked cross was met by a low header wide from Balduino. The full back was off again a few minutes later, this time setting his cross higher, Pablo got a glancing head to it but missed the target. There was a late trade off, a Marino free kick was stopped by the goalie as it headed for the net, and Lamine cleared  a Tenisca effort off his goal line.

Not the most convincing performance but at this stage of the season it’s all about results and the top spot is the first prize that Marino want to wrap up before taking a tilt at promotion.

 

It’s Time For CD Tenerife Fans To Dream

Aridane’s winning goal in this 1-2 victory at Eibar was a peach, actually it was more than that, it was a peach, a plum, a pineapple, and a pomegranate. Survival in the Segunda, our first objective after coming up in the summer, is now assured, we are nestling in comfortably for a promotion play off spot, and the dream of a top two automatic promotion place is a real possibility.

Seven minutes in at Eibar we were a goal down with no Ayoze Perez to call on but the quality and belief of this squad turned that all around as every player turned it on. The Eibar goal came from a free kick curled in from the byline, it eluded defence and goalie and was toe poked in by Bovedo. Time to get to work, coach Alvaro Cervera again surprised a few experts by starting Nano and Juanjo as the main strikers with Rivero supporting and Edgar on the wing. There was a scare after 14 minutes when the Tenerife defence hacked at the ball but couldn’t clear it, Moyano had the cool head and saw it off.

Morales was the thorn on the home side, he was through for an easy goal before an offside call, Roberto blocked the shot superbly at close range. Tenerife nearly leveled before the break but a crisp shot bounced out off Nano. Our little group in Suters Bar were quite relaxed about going in a goal adrift, that will be the Cervera effect. Less than 10 minutes after the restart Ayoze Diaz had a free kick a good distance out on the left, he floated it over in a similar style to Eibar strike and Bruno put it in the net with a neat flick of his head.

Suso came on for Edgar and was unlucky not to score after Nano picked him out with a cross field ball. Aridane took over from Juanjo and Cristo swapped places with Nano, the youngster did well. Then came that very special goal, Aridane was on the edge of the penalty area with markers ahead of him, he looked up and launched his guided missile into the top corner of the net. There were a few jitters before the end, a back header left Roberto trying to claw the ball back from a corner and an ambitious bicycle kick could have spoilt the party. Eibar missed their easiest chance in stoppage time but fired into the side netting. Fortune favours the brave, this CD Tenerife side and their coach just keep on daring and the fans are having to upgrade their hopes with each game. 

It Just Gets Better For CD Tenerife

Even when free wheeling in the second half CD Tenerife showed plenty of flair and with better finishing should have had thee score board spinning. We really are a spoilt bunch of fans this season, it’s worth the entrance fee just to see the lovely touches from Suso and Ayoze Perez.

It’s true Alaves are in a relegation fight and gave goalie Roberto a quiet afternoon but the defence must take some credit for the way they shackled 19 goal striker Viguera, Moyano was back at his outstanding best on the right and Bruno is majestic these days. Ricardo skied an early effort over the goal and Ayoze was making fools of the centre backs. Aridane was out injured, Juanjo came in and filled the deep striking role brilliantly. Ayoze and Suso shared some neat interplay on the right before setting up Juanjo who stroked the ball into the net after 14 minutes.

In the week Ayoze was reading poetry for a government campaign, today his feet were waxing lyrical, the way he tricked two defenders before laying the ball off to incoming Suso deserved a goal but the flying winger slid in just the wrong side of the post. The second goal was from a very dodgy penalty, the ref conjured up a handball from an aerial clash and Ricardo converted the spot kick. I lost count of how many chances went begging for Ayoze, near the end of the first half he cut in and released his low shot, it bobbled along in front of the goal line, if a worm had popped its head up it would have gone in.

Hot, sweaty, and buzzing are not members of a boy band but the way we all felt at half time, this had the makings of an avalanche. It was a slightly subdued performance in the second 45 but Tenerife still made plenty of chances. Cristo curled a testing ball in from the left but Goitia dealt with it fairly easily. Ayoze shaped up for a shot and hit it straight at the keeper as the midfield controlled the game with Aitor Sanz back pulling the strings. Maybe earlier subs could have  breathed fresh life into the game but then again maybe a pin up girl  could have brought me a chilled beer, sometimes you can be too demanding. Edgar replaced Cristo after 73 minutes and was soon followed by Ros for Ricardo and Rivero for Juanjo.

Velez had a cheeky penalty shout when he went down in the Tenerife area, more likely shock at getting to see the goal at close quarters. There were no worries of a comeback, Tenerife were in charge and Alaves were saved late on by a defenders clearance off the goal line. Almost at our survival target and in the promotion play off zone the only disappointment of the day was the 11,554 crowd. This special team deserves even more support as we head to the climax of the season.

 

Two Points Dropped For Off Target CD Marino

If Sosa Espinel’s dug out had been a boxer it would have begged the ref for protection. The CD Marino coach vented his frustration after an evening watching his team spurn chance after chance to draw 1-1 at home to CD Laguna. It should have been a comfortable victory margin but they had to withstand a late rally against their ten men.

With the top spot to hold on to Marino came out fired up, Murci and Balduino both looked sharp, Murci nearly turned the keeper for an early chance and then had a close shot blocked by Dani between the sticks. The build up play from midfield was impressive with Lamine and Airam pushing up to support the attack and Yosimar laid on some good service from the left flank. It took 23 minutes for the breakthrough, another good raid ended with skipper Airam making a strong run to head a Marino lead.

That should have heralded a bucket full but Marino couldn’t convert their dominance into goals, Balduino wrapped himself around a metal support after sliding in from a tight angle only to see his shot hit the post. Kirian brought Balduino crashing down in the penalty area just prior to the break but the ref wouldn’t point to the spot. The chances were still coming in the second half, Lamine rose for a powerful header but it lacked accuracy and Yosimar curled a shot just past the post.

Laguna had hardly troubled Alberto but when Richard dwelt too long on the ball near the corner Gaizka dug it out and crossed for Cristian to get a surprise equalizer after 54 minutes. It woke up Marino and they surged forward again, Murci did well to put the ball across the visitors goal after a corner but there wasn’t any blue shirts on hand to finish the move. Sub Juanmi forced a save just outside the post and Balduino drilled a shot wide with the goal gaping. Lagina goalie Dani rode his luck, he needed a second grab to stop a low shot from Balduino and did worse when dropping the ball, it bounced off a defender to Mendy but his poke shot missed the target. When Richard got sent off after 70 minutes it made the task harder but Marino were still the better side.

Airam blasted another effort wide, Lamine won the ball well only to unleash a soft shot that the keeper smothered and Balduino had another couple of near misses. A break from Laguna saw them shoot over the bar and Alberto denied them when the ball was sailing into the top corner of his net. A draw keeps Marino cemented in the top four places but in two legged play off games they will need to kill teams off at home.

Ayoze Shows What Porto Are Missing

A lesser man might have been peeved by the blocking off a big money move to Champions League football with Porto but Ayoze Perez was at his brilliant best as CD Tenerife got a well earned 1-1 draw at Deportivo.

 

Tenerife hardly touched the ball in the first 15 minutes and their hosts took advantage of some hesitant goal keeping by Roberto for a 3rd minute lead by Lopo from a free kick. Ayoze Diaz had a let off when he failed to clear a danger ball, Bergantinos blasted his shot wide. Gradually Tenerife warmed to their task and Ayoze Perez was a real handful for Deportivo, he laid off an inviting pass to Edgar who shot wide. Deportivo looked like a side worthy of their second spot in the table, Roberto did well to palm away a hard shot. Coach Alvaro Cervera broke from his usual cautious away formation by playing Edgar on the left and Suso on the right wing but it left the midfield a bit weak and after 38 minutes the coach replaced Edgar with Rivero.

 

The second half opened with Roberto tipping away a dipping shot and then making a low stop at the post. Ayoze switched to a wider position on the left and Deportivo were reduced to hacking him down when he set off on one of his tricky moves. Marchena gave away with his lunge on Ayoze and Ricardo coolly dispatched the penalty to equalize. There were a few tense late moments, Cristo made a well timed clearance at the post to ensure the point that kept Tenerife 7th place and on course for a promotion play off position.

 

High Five And Hands On A Play Off Spot For CD Tenerife

Someone was going to get a spanking, and Ponferradina were the lucky recipients as CD Tenerife blitzed them 5-0 with Ayoze grabbing a glittering hat trick. It has to be said that the visitors were poor but the power, speed, and lethal finishing of the Tenerife attack would have carved up anyone on this form.

With a near full squad to pick from, Carlos Ruiz edged out Alberto from the heart of defence, Ayoze Diaz held off Raul Camara at left back, and Ricardo and Aitor Sanz returned to fire up the midfield. Tenerife were a little slow out of the blocks but soon found their rhythm. Suso had borrowed Usain Bolts trainers again and streaked down the right to pick out Ayoze after 11 minutes, the youngster flicked the ball to the side of his marker and tucked it in the net. It was going to be a tough afternoon for Ponferradina, especially Pio born Yuri who got plenty of crowd stick. Lara tried to be flash with a couple of practice strokes at a free kick before connecting and wasting their first chance of the half. Tenerife carried on pummeling them, a ball in from Suso passed across their goalmouth as their goalie made a despairing dive.

The second goal arrived from a Cristo corner, Ayoze showed his skills are not just ground based as he scored from a sharp header. It was one way traffic, even some wild tackles and harsh referee calls couldn’t stem the flow. Moyano and Suso linked up well and set up Aridane to add the third. The big man doesn’t always get credit for his contributions, when the ball came to him he had two defenders breathing down his neck but his strength allowed him to hold them off, drag the ball aside and flick it past the keeper – just call him twinkle toes.

Tenerife dozed off a little towards the end of the half, Juande had loads of space as the defence stood still but his shot was feeble. Dare we hope for more in the second half, we certainly did, Aitor Sanz missed a chance to make it 4-0 with a soaring shot, Ayoze was hungry for his triple, two defenders squeezed him and he stumbled but instead of taking a dive he used his momentum to turn and fire the ball in the net. It was richly deserved and he rushed to share the moment with a surge of fans, that’s 16 goals now.

Juanjo replaced Aridane and Edgar swapped with Ayoze Perez and had an impressive 10 minute cameo, he put a pass onto Juanjo’s head, and his nod was a close effort. Then in injury time Edgar cut into the edge of the box, picked his spot and stroked the ball into the top corner to make it 5-0. All five markers would have graced any game, next stop second placed Deportivo. Aitor Sanz will be out after completing another group of five bookings but Diego Rivas will return as back up goalie, a big sigh of relief as we got through his suspension without untried Carlos being exposed to senior action.

 

Full Back Stop To Tenerife Run Of Form

The omens weren’t good, Aitor Sanz suspended, Ricardo and Ayoze Perez down with flu, and just before the game Loro pulled out injured. Even with those odds stacked against them, CD Tenerife looked pretty comfortable in the first half. Self inflicted defensive howlers gifted Mallorca a 2-0 home win, full backs Moyano and Raul Camara both had a mare.

 

The enforced  changes didn’t work, Nano got his first senior start up front and worked hard with little support from the ineffective midfield. Rivero’s only contribution to the game was his corners, from one early in swinger Bruno rose to head just over the bar. Suso was back on the bench after his wonder show last week and Edgar switched sides to cover his right wing hunting ground. Aridane had a blast that went wide but the danger was growing from Mallorca with Nsue and Thomas looking menacing.The Tenerife full backs were too casual, Camara lost his footing when under pressure and Moyano looked like a novice.

 

The opening goal after 25 minutes came as Mallorca nipped in thee wide open back gate, as the ball sailed across the Tenerife goalmouth Marco Asencio had plenty of time to score. Camara went off after 38 minutes after pulling a muscle and was replaced by Ayoze Diaz on the left. Inigo Ros nearly served up another gift with a silly foul, he owed his team mates a beer or two for their defensive wall that stopped the free kick. Cristo closed the half with a curling shot that wasn’t too far off target. Former Tenerife hero Alfaro hit the post at the start of the second half, Roberto was decisive in charging out of his goal to punch away several chances but he got lucky when he missed completely and Thomas shot past his netting.

 

Aridane was having a poor game, he was even getting knocked off the ball with ease, he should have gone off when Juanjo came on as sub but Edgar got the call instead. It was all slipping away now for Tenerife and Mallorca exploited the wide open midfield to launch another attack, the ball broke to Thomas and he was lethal with his shot – game over. Finally Suso hit the pitch after 79 minutes, it was too late to make any impact and the game fizzled out. Let’s look on the bright side, no sendings off this week and we should have a full squad to pick from next Sunday at home to Ponferradina.  

 

 

 

 

 

CD Tenerife Cats Get The Carnaval Cream

Neither rain, third placed Recreativo, or a lost soul of a ref could stop the charge of CD Tenerife on the closing day of Carnaval in Santa Cruz. The 1-0 score didn’t reflect the superiority of the home team, it could easily have been a landslide.

Nine Canarians lined up for the start of the game, Moyano returned to right back, Ayoze Diaz held the left back spot and Alberto looked at home filling in at the centre of defence for the suspended Carlos Ruiz. Suso had the captains armband and relished the honour, he was at full power all game. It took just 13 minutes for a classy goal to ignite the crowd, a deep ball from Cristo found Suso who interchanged with Aridane to rip open the visiting defence and bulge the back of the net.

The rain made the surface greasy but it was Recreativo who struggled with their footing, their forwards looked poor and were kept shackled by the new look Tenerife back four. Cabrero in the Recreativo goal was a puncher rather than a catcher and worth the odd long range tester, Cristo set his boots a little high and Ricardo had the keeper scrambling to cover his chip over a free kick wall. Aridane had a strong shout for a penalty on the half hour, and Ayoze missed with a shot on the turn. Recreativo were making plenty of errors, Linares slipped in front of goal, of course we didn’t mock him – much, and their goalie skewed a clearance kick that spun wide of his own net.

The referee underwent a personality change at half time, his new outlook on the game was quite bizarre as he started to get simple calls wrong. Cabrero got better and foiled an Aridane header from Suso and then made a low diving stop from the same player. Aitor Sanz got a phantom booking early in the half then after 74 minutes he was brought down but the ref managed to give him another yellow for obstruction so he had to go. Back up goalie Diego Rivas had a go at the ref from the sidelines and got a straight red, his big mistake was getting up from the bench and arguing in the refs face.

A man down could have been a big problem if Tenerife had sat back but they were magnificent in keeping the pressure on Recreativo, Ayoze hit the bar and the post in quick succession. Ros replaced Cristo and Edgar took over from Ayoze who had overcome flu to start the game. The final minutes saw some heroic defending with Suso clearing off the goal line and Roberto taking a highball under pressure. Let’s hope the players managed to grab some well deserved fun later that night with the celebrating carnaval crowds.

Buzzing With Confidence As CD Tenerife Shine In The Rain

Now I’ve seen it all, Aridane the mighty with a strong glancing header to open the scoring and later Aridane the dainty, as his deft little flick put Ayoze through to earn a 2-2 draw at resurgent Real Madrid Castilla.

 A few of us met in The Buzz Bar at Compostela Beach with relaxed expectations for the second CD Tenerife away game in a week. The pack of traveling fans looked cold as the wind shook the TV cameras and rain splashed on the lens. Coach Cervera sprung another surprise, dropping Aitor Sanz for Inigo Ros in midfield and Ayoze Diaz made a return to a CDT shirt after 11 years away, he filled the left back slot so Raul Camara could return to his natural right side in place of suspended Moyano.

 

What a start, Loro floated over a great corner from the right and Aridane rose above the defence to put Tenerife ahead after just three minutes. Castilla looked comfortable on the ball and made some snappy passes, they went close, hitting the bar after the visiting wall had done its job at a free kick. Ayoze showed his skill on the half hour by beating two defenders and chesting the ball down for a shot but it went wide. Edgar set him up for another effort, this time his chip fell a bit short.

 

Edgar was creating again in the second half, forcing a corner with his determined run and Ricardo tried a hopeful lob that forced a save. It was all level when Aguza netted after 59 minutes, Roberto struggled to get across his goal to cover a long range ball and on a greasy surface it flew in at the post. Suso replaced the injured Edgar and got a stupid booking that keeps him out next week, after that he settled into his usual powerful running down the right, Castilla always carried a threat and some slack defending from Raul Camara in particular allowed them back in with a goal from De Tomas on 70 minutes.

 

Cristo tried his luck with a curling shot but with Ayoze breaking, Aridane found him with the sweetest pass and the young striker roasted the defence and side footed into the net. Tenerife looked the most likely to snatch a winner, Suso shot just wide, in the closing seconds a dangerous home free kick could have proved costly but Roberto smothered the ball perfectly. Four points from two away games is top form, losing Suso and Ruiz through bookings for the Recreativo home game isn’t ideal but there’s plenty of competition in the squad.  

 

 

 

Blue Heaven As Marino And Tenerife Hit Form

The walnut on my whip, the cream on my pudding, fair to say I was rather happy at CD Tenerife’s brilliant sign off goal in the 1-3 win at Lugo. It capped a wonderful day that started with a fourth straight win for CD Marino, this time 1-0 at home to Vecindario.

 

There was a surprise with top scorer Murci dropped to the bench for CD Marino but Balduino was leading the line and the home side soon tested the keeper. The Gran Canaria side struggled to put any good moves together but when the ball broke for them, captain Ruiman managed to show a little desire and Ruben even gave Alberto’s hands a little tickle with his shot.

It was all Marino, Balduino looped an effort over the bar, Airam and Yosimar tormented the Vecindario defence and their goalie looked ill at ease. The best chances came at the end of the first half, Balduino found himself in front of goal with Airam off to his right but he tried his luck and the keeper just about managed to get a hand to stop the shot. Darias took the ball to the byline and passed it back across the goalmouth but it eluded both sets of players.

 

The second half was frustrating for Marino as they tried to turn their superiority into a goal, Josito hit the ball over the bar on the turn and Airam had the visitors panicking, it nearly resulted in an own goal. Richard fired wide of the target but with seven minutes left Pablo saw his shot rebound off a defender and Balduino was on hand to get the vital strike.

 

Other results at the top went well for Marino with Granadilla losing and CD Tenerife B drawing, the Las Americas team are now a solid third just two points behind leaders Granadilla.

CD Tenerife had a dream start in Lugo, Moyano’s ball in from the right after six minutes was ripe for Aridane, he nipped in between two defenders and delivered a fine header for the lead. Lugo came back into the game as Alvaro picked up on a chance made by Renella and found a gap in the Tenerife defence to level. The home keeper had already got a knock and had to go off after a robust challenge from Ayoze and his replacement didn’t have a clue.

 

Just after the restart a defensive mix up released the ball, Ayoze was on it, he didn’t need a couple of brooms to speed him on his way, his pace took him to just outside the box where the sub keeper loitered and he popped the ball between his legs and into the open net.A tight offside call on Carlos Ruiz denied a further goal, and Roberto was back on top form and snapped up any high balls that came in.

Five minutes of injury time was a cruel test but Tenerife were ready with a blaze of glory. A free kick to Lugo was curled around the wall by Pitta but Roberto, partially unsighted, made an instinctive dive and pushed the ball away at the bottom of the post, the ball broke upfield and Ayoze was in sprint mode again easily outstripping his markers, his final move was to round Manu and tuck the ball in the net. Class, pure class.