Start of the rest of the season

The holidays are always a quiet time. But now things are starting to move again. The team have signed two new players Adriane from Gran Canaria via Leganes and Raul Llorente. The first is a big forward and the second is a left back.
There is talk on the mainland that the club has received an offer for Marcos Rodriguez from second division team Cartageña, but this hasn't been confirmed by the club.

Luna has rescinded his contract and is now playing in Ecuador. His final comments when interviewed were, " I have a clear mind, I have always tried my best. I have seen everything here, I have played and sat on the bench, I have gone up and come down a league and Itake with me the best of those times and will forget the rest".

The team plays tomorrow in Alcala de Henares at 11am Canarian time and is not televised. They are in the middle of the table and an away win would be great. The team hasn't won away for four months so it must be our turn. We will be putting out updates on facebook and on twitter for those who want to keep up with what is going on.

Win against Rayo Vallecano B

They say another day another dollar but here it is another game another win, for home games at least. Rayo B are probably the best team we have seen here in Tenerife this season. They fought hard but never really looked like they were going to score. I felt sorry for Luna as on the pitch it really didn't look like a penalty but having seen the replay I can't see how we can fight this with the federation. So he won't be playing next weekend. We are away to San Sebastian de los Reyes, they are a local team on the outskirts of Madrid. I wish I could make it but as we are going to Toledo I really can't justify going. There will be a good crowd as the university students are close enough to reach there and they don't need to walk miles when they reach the other end as they did for the RM Castilla game. There were just over 9,00 people in the stadium but even so there was a good atmosphere with the two main fan group singing to each other. The Frente Blanquiazul had a great display for the Canarian flag day with small papers which were the right colours across their area so this formed the flag.

  Game notes



CD TENERIFE  3 (1)

RAYO VALLECANO B 1 (0)

CD TENERIFE
Sergio Aragoneses; Cristóbal, Tarantino (Jonay, 55’), Medina, Luna; Zazo, Kitoko, Chechu (Bravo, 55’), Ferrán Tacón; Perona & Kiko Ratón (Marcos, 61’).

RAYO VALLECANO B
Ismael; Aitor (Owusu, 84’), Villarejo, Alcañiz, Guadaño; Diego, Alberto, Sáez (Mata, 61’) Nono; Rayco & Dani (Álvaro Martín, 80’).

REFEREE

Carlos López, from Castilla-La Mancha. Sent off local player Luna (59’), with a direct red card; and visiting coach, Jimeno. Yellow cards for local players Cristóbal, Medina & Calderón; and visitors Aitor Núñez, Guadaño, Sáez, Diego & Mata.

GOALS
1-0: (26’) Perona, from a penalty. 2-0: (58’) Bravo,taking advantage of the ball. 2-1: (60’) Rayco, from a penalty. 3-1: (82’) Víctor Bravo, from a pass by Ferrán Tacón.

INCIDENTS
Played in the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez with the grounds in good condition on a warm morning with 9.343 spectators.  One minutes silence was kept in memory of Andrés Gómez “Cuco”, ex-keeper for CD Tenerife.

Meji calls to the fans to help tomorrow

Meiji is one of the most experienced players in the current CD Tenerife team. The young man talked today in the press room in the El Mundialito training ground about what he sees the season will bring.

Meji began by explaining that "we are at an optimal time to successfully start the first league match. We are eager to start the season well, but we must face every game calmly. It will be important to do well and achieve good results every time we go out on the grass. We will have to work hard to achieve the three points. "

The defender does not hesitate to acknowledge that "I have really wanted and looked forward to trt of the sthis season. One of the goals is that the fans support the team. "

Meji is convinced that sooner or later the work the squad has achieved throughout the summer will show: "The group has progressed a lot in these weeks of the pre-season. This was ideal to make all the pieces fit. "

Another man who spent this Saturday in the pressroom was Ezequiel Luna, who spoke about his future: "I do not know anything, but my head right now is in the CD Tenerife. The intention I had was to continue here and now comes the possibility of changing to another club. "

"This has caught me by surprise, but football has a way of throwing things at you. There seems to be interest from a segunda team. The club always treated me well and everyone knows that I am happy and very comfortable on the island but there is no denying that one hopes to grow. I've said we should wait and see. That clubs look at you is very important for any professional, "he added.
Saturday morning e was the last training session for the week, before the team started the league. Antonio Calderon's men exercised in the Mundialito for about 80 minutes. The practice began at 10.00 hours.

There were warm-up exercises with the ball, tactical movements and football matches in smaller spaces. Outside the group were, Pablo Sicilia and Omar Ramos. All other players are available for this Sunday, in the Heliodoro.

Jesús Álvaro a B team player hopes to have the chance to play and to win against UD Las Palmas

Ezequiel Luna was one of the two players interviewed on Thursday in the Heliodoro, where he started by discussing the derby against UD Las Palmas. “It is an important game and a special on to play. I have good memories of the three derby’s which I have played. I know how important they are to the fans what ever our position is in the table. I hope to have the chance to be in the first eleven. We want to finish in the best manor possible”.
The CD Tenerife defender from Argentina, also, confirmed that the aim for the squad are the three points in “Siete Palmas”. “The idea is leave the fans with some happiness, although we know this will be difficult, we will need to fight hard. We are sad for all e have lived through this season and a win in Gran Canaria is the best form to finish the season”.
When asked if he will continue to play for the blue and white team, Luna assured that he doesn't know, “what the future will bring. Right now I belong to CD Tenerife and I am calm. If I have to go, I want to go the best way I can. Football has things that are unexpected. Sports wise I had some very good times here, I have always tried to learn from my mistakes and look to the future”, he added.
Lastly, Luna reminded the importance of the last game. “It seems that we have a lot of players who won't play, but there are the lads from the second team to help them. Everyone should pay attention to this game as it is not a standard game, a derby is special”, he finished.
Jesús Álvaro, was also interviewed and he spoke of how happy he was to have trained today with the first team. “I am really happy and pleased to have taken part. It is a privilege to be able to work with the first squad. The players have been really good with me”.
In this way Jesus continued. “If I have the chance this Saturday, it would be a great chance. To be able to play in a derby is the hope of every local player. I don't know if I will have the chance but I hope so”.
To finish, the CD Tenerife B team player talked about how he felt about playing in a derby. “I am hopeful. I am 100% fit and if the coach decided to call me to play, I would give everything. My hope has always been to play for the first team. We will be eleven against eleven. There will be a desire to win on both sides but we hope to win the three points”.

Interviews after the loss against Alcorcon.

David Amaral was positive when he talked about the commitment the players had on the field in spite of the loss suffered against Alcorcón this weekend. The CD Tenerife trainer talked about the specific mistakes which caused the group to lose in Santo Domingo.
Amaral started by explaining “it was hard. We tried to get everything and it isn't normal that games go that way. Specific errors deprived us of the points we so need”.
“The squad is demoralised. Today the lads gave everything. This was a hard blow but life goes on”. Added David Amaral, he continued “the team did everything they should but little mistakes made us lose. In football, when you least expect it things can turn around. If we break this run they this will lift their moral”.
Above all the act that made the 1-1, the island coach commented that “without hiding behind anything, more than the penalty what I want to complain about is the previous foul. I don't know if there was hand ball or not. But the penalty was called and there can be no objection”.
In his analysis of the game, David Amaral counted that, “ after the 1-2 they went all out . They forced us back and their shots at goal arrived after that when we made mistakes”.
When asked about the changing rooms after the loss this weekend, the coach from Arico signalled that “This was a hard blow as twice we were a goal up. Our rival achieved things when they were desperate. We could have finished the game and we didn't”.
Amaral recognised that the team was more solid against Alcorcón than against Huesca, something that “at home we are under more pressure but away we are more free. Against Alcorcón today we went out of the attack. The games were laid out differently. The run has to be stopped so we can start to work. There is nothing else but to pick up little by little, helping each other. The suffering and exhaustion in the group is high. We need to try to compete in a dignified manner”.
David Amaral doesn't want the team to throw in the towel: “We need to fight because we are professionals, because there are options and there may even be an administrative loophole”.
“We can't hope to win a number of games when we haven't yet won a game. Although mentally we are bad the only thing that counts is win so we can help” he concluded.
There are no excuses, the CD Tenerife players feel deceived after the loss on Sunday in Santo Domingo against Alcorcón.

Luna: “The things didn't go. We gave everything and could have won. We tried our hardest to stop their goals. Alcorcón at home is a great team, and today they demonstrated it as they have all season. We are very sad for how things are going. There are no words”.
Melli: “The team tried hard. We were up twice and we had the game under control. In spite of this work we lost the game. I didn't see the penalty that led to the 1-1. We have been the hole year making the same mistakes. A win here would have given us so much confidence. I think the game was planned well and we played it out. Now we need to move on to the next game. We will go on trying”.
Nino: “We are really bad but we need to go on. The games that are still to come need to be played with hard work and commitment. I am cross and when I am cross explanations are internal not external. I think that we are missing things, that some things aren't clear. The options that are left are complicated with only 8 games left. There is nothing more to do but think about the game against Villarreal”.
Antonio Hidalgo: “Football is punishing us. We played the first half well and we were dominating the game for most of the time. Twice we went ahead but all that work wasn't enough to give us a win. We need to keep believing that we can do this until there are no more chances”.

Aitor Nuñez hopes to play this weekend.

Ezequiel Luna & Aitor Núñez were the two players who met the press on Tuesday, the defender went first and signalled that “We are in a really difficult situation but I think that we can still save the team. We need to add the points however we can in Alcorcon. We can't stay stalled. The fact the fans are cross is normal as things haven't gone right”.
In reference to his possible return to the starting eleven now he has finished his punishment the Argentine confessed that “I always have faith to be in the 11, but I will need to wait and see what the coach decides. We are all thinking positively. I doesn't do us any good to lose”.
“Our capacity is what it is, continued the number “19” CD Tenerife, “and it feels hard what we are going through. We need to train hard to get to the next game in the best form we can”.
When asked about AD Alcorcón, Ezequiel Luna pointed that” the rival, especially at home, is very strong. We know that it will be a difficult game and we need to overcome the obstacles that are there”.
To finish the blue and white defender wanted to make clear that “if things don't work out it is bad for everyone. We are conscious that there is everything in play if we want. Above everything to make the fans happy”.
Aitor Núñez, for his part, started talking about the possibility that he will play. “I am working hard and as Marc Bertran will not be playing I have a better chance to play. I would really like the chance to play. When ever there is always a chance to play, you always feel better”.
The defender from Madrid talked about the arrival of David Amaral on the CD Tenerife bench. “The coach can here with very clear ideas and wanted to send us very clear message. I am excited about this. Everyone knows this. It is hard to look in from outside and see how the team suffers. I know that I need to work even harder if possible. I haven't given up”.
To finish, Núñez alluded to the situation the club finds itself. “There are still chances. We have to go game by game and think about winning that game. We can't go mad. We know we need to play well and we have the ability to do this”.

The club announced on their website that yet again the biggest crowd in the second division with 13.355 fans in the stadium.

Interviews after the game against Elche and on the way home.

In the interviews after the game with 11 games left to play for the end of the competition the CD Tenerife squad has right now the Nastic game and winning there in their mind so they can cut the difference to get out of the relegation zone. “We are going to play the next game like it was the last”, assured Julio Álvarez. In the same terms Ricardo León commented: “We are talking about a really important moment”.

The undeserved loss against Elche (1-0) on Sunday needs to be left behind. The squad will concentrate, from now, all their effort on winning the next three games in play. Points that are vital for the aim to save the team. “right now we are in a bad state of mind” admitted Julio Alvarez, “and we need to play against Nastic like it was the last game on earth”. We need to concentrate on this game and think no further” the midfielder added.

His companion Ricardo León talked much the same way. “Nastic is a direct rival” he reminded, 2and we are talking about a vital game”. “We can't think about a loss but how we are going to win”, he emphasised. “The mentality has to be in how to win the three points”, he underlined.

Still, he couldn't not make a reference to the game against Elche in the Martínez Valero: “It is true that we received a goal in the start of the match, although we had chance to score”. He also noted that “The second half was completely ours” and finished saying that “This is where we are and we need to keep battling on”.

Ricardo & Julio Álvarez both preferred not to comment on the crossed words between them at the end of the last game. “I don't want to comment as in moments of stress things happen after games” said the local player.

“It was just a moment of tension between two players” he explained “and of course no one hit any one”. “If there have been statements as such then they were confused, very confused” he stated.

Julio Álvarez also commented, “It was a discussion like many other in the season” he described. “And if someone said we fought then that is blown out of contention”. “This damages everyone, above all the team when things are so uneasy right now”. He admitted that there was a discussion but, “it needed to stay within the players and nothing more”.

As well he said that ”We are hurt by the situation the team finds itself, It hurts to hear things about the team but more so when they are not true”.

We didn't start very well and make the most of our chances which we clear. The mistakes in the first half are not normal and hurt more so. The position we find ourselves in cause this. We deserved more”. This is how Antonio Tapia started his press conference on Sunday in the Martínez Valero, after the team lost against Elche CF. The chief coach had no excuses for the team and said, “In the first half Elche came out very strongly. Slowly we improved and in the second half we dominated and had chance but we didn't score”.

“After a loss and looking at the table everything looks black. There are still points in play. We need to work and look to win” said the trainer from Andalusia. He continued “in situations like this we need to take responsibility and I have no problem to do that”.

“we played like a team in the bottom half and were imprecise and nervous. Then as we felt surer we improved. We deserved to win”, he added. “I came to Tenerife to work hard and won't throw in the towel” was how he concluded.

Other players commented after the game:

Luna: “Again we lost and need to cry. We are cross after this game and the situation we are in right now. We don't need to talk, just show how we can play. This year football has been unfair with us. Things don't work out and even if we try they seem to go wrong. We cant get back even when the team plays hard. We need to think about the next game and how to win”.

Nino: “In Elche I played eight years of my career. Here we really suffered. Some of the mistakes were ours but sometimes the keeper played well. Our rival scored the first shot at goal. It is much the same as other games. If the game today was a final the one against Nastic is more so. We all want to sort this out for the team. We are here for the good times and the bad ones and we can't afford to give anything away”.

Sergio Aragoneses: “This the the same story. We need to react now. There is nothing but to win nearly all the games that are left. We need to be brave, but this could go wrong. We are part of the squad and we need to be united to solve this. It seems that we till we react things are the same. Every game left is a final. We have no place left for mistakes”.

Call for help from the club

Taken from the club website:

The Liga Adelante competition 2010/11 is moving into the last stretch with everything still to be decided. The bad results that have occurred for CD Tenerife in the last few rounds, leave the club with the need to add points to save their position in the league. What is more with the arrival of Antonio Tapia the team proved themselves capable of moving up the table. Now is the moment to move forward together with more faith than before and to help the team move back up the table.
CD Tenerife finished the first half of the league with 16 points in 22nd position. Their position in the table was in the relegation zone with points to reach salvation. It was urgent that they were able to cut the difference between this position and the 18th which was Las Palmas. With the arrival of Antonio Tapia the team proved they could react. 2 days after the arrival of the new coach the club won their first point (Tenerife, 2; Granada, 2).
Since then the fans thought that the club could maintain their position in the Liga Adelante. In Girona the team added another point with 10 men against Girona (3-3). A week later the team again with 10 men won against Salamanca in the second win away from home this season (1-2).
By then had arrived on the island three new players: Sebastián Dubarbier, Ritchie Kitoko e Igor de Souza. The fans were excited the following weekend when the team managed to win against Rayo Vallecano, who were at that point leaders (2-1).
Antonio Tapia's team at that point had six rounds without a loss. Then in Vigo the team lost in the last minutes (1-0). With this loss the team were sure they would come back and this they did with the win at home against Xerez (2-1). So at that moment the team were eight games in which they had gained points in seven with three victories and four draws.
Then with the team finally outside the relegation positions the tide turned. Right now the team has 12 games to play and is six points away from the team in 18th position.
Right now is the moment that, all together, we need to start again. Antonio Tapia made clear in the interview after the game against Cordoba on Saturday. “We need to fight to the end” he proclaimed. “The fans don't deserve that the team gives up” insisted the coach. In the form the members of the team have proclaimed the same comments. “The solution is to fight to the end” underlined Ricardo Leon, who then added that “we all know of teams who have been written off six or seven games before the end who then saved themselves”.
Along the same line Ezequiel Luna stated: “Talking means nothing, the only thing that counts is to give everything in every game”. He also assured that “the squad have the strength to manage this”. Dani Kome referred to the things that need to be done before the end of the league. “In this house we are not losers” he assured the press. He then continued “the fans in spite of the way we have played up to now, still support us and we need to go on working so we can make all these people happy”.
There are five more games in the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium (Huesca, Villarreal B, Recreativo Hueva, Valladolid y Ponferradina) and seven away (Elche, Nástic de Tarragona, Alcorcón, Granada, Betis, Albacete y Las Palmas). These are all finals, 36 points in play and one single objective: achieve the points to stay in the second division. Together, without differences, this is the moment to start again so we can play next year again in the Liga Adelante. We can achieve this.

Hopes for the game on Saturday by Nino & Luna

Nino was happy this Wednesday that the last yellow card he was given on Saturday against Numancia was rescinded by Comité de Competición. The forward from Almeria admitted that he was, “Happy, The club worked really hard and managed to get this removed. This way I can play on Saturday for this important game if the coach needs me”.
The player said that the game against Córdoba CF “we are playing for more than the three points. More importantly that who starts in the first eleven, We need to win the three points without a shadow of a doubt. We hope to leave a win on the island and close the gap between us and the middle of the table”.

For his part, Ezequiel Luna, who was also interviewed on Wednesday by the press reminded the press of the importance of the game this Saturday: “There are few points left, the time is running out an we are working hard to get there. We will be working hard to win against Cordoba”.

The Argentine defender advised that “this Saturday only a win counts. We need to be positive, although we expect it to be hard. We need to save the situation how ever we can. We are playing with our people at home in the Heliodoro and we will go all out. We need to fight until the end”.

Monday interviews

Gregory Beranger hopes that CD Tenerife maintains the strong line that they have had recently against Xerez. The French defender considered that “right now we are just thinking about Friday. The best think in football is to play games and we need to win a lot of points in as little time as possible to change our position in the table”.
The blue and white footballer stated “the best in the last weeks. This way we hope to see us moving up soon. I hope the fans can enjoy again the play as they did last Sunday against Rayo Vallecano. If we repeat the way we have played, then we have lots of chances to win”.

Above all the game in Balaídos, Beranger explained that “we let in a goal in the last moment and we went home cross from Vigo. Now looking at the match we see we played well and we need to continue this way. It is never a good weekend to win, we tried hard and deserved points”.

For himself, Ezequiel Luna, who was also interviewed by the media today, referred to the same factors as his companion: “We did everything to try to win and not to lose. But football has these things. They scored in the 89th minute when they had done everything to try to score”.

The Argentine defender admitted “we are achieving a good line and if we continue like this we will move up. We are thinking about Xerez and need to do everything to win. We need to be solid in every line and stay strong in the Heliodoro. Here we have to defend our territory and look for the three points”.

Luna carried on analysing the game against Celta de Vigo: “We had our chances and didn't make them. Then in the second part they nearly didn't get to our goal, they then scored. This makes me cross”.

Interviews after the win against Rayo Vallecano

Ezequiel Luna, Antonio Hidalgo & Natalio Lorenzo were the three players from CD Tenerife who passed through the press area on Sunday after the end of the game against Rayo. The blue and white players showed their happiness after the win against the leader of the Liga Adelante.




Luna: “I am happy that we won and above all for a win at home. This second win helps our confidence. Now we need to get back to work for the next game to continue to add points. The team is moving up and this is what we want to do. The group is different now, we see things better. But we still haven't achieved anything we need to continue to fight to move out of relegation. I didn't watch the referee so I can't comment on his calls. But everyone can make mistakes, we are all human after all. As each game passes we feel better. The shame was the goal at the end of the game as we worked very hard not to let in any goals. The fans were a great help today and we thank them”.
Antonio: “The team gets better day by day and this is the line we need to follow. We look more compact right now more like a team. The fans helped us considerably in what was a difficult game. We still have a lot of work to do. Last week the coach tried me in the position Kitoko played at the weekend. He has shown a great deal of confidence in me and I want to thank him for that. Tapia is slowly showing us how we need to play and the results are a confirmation we are doing well. The players have stepped up to the line. When you take a penalty you can have no doubts and this is why I scored twice”.
Natalio: “We know that without working 100% there will be no three points. The trainer talked frequently about the match during the week and the team worked hard to be here. The referee was rigorous, some things were in our favor and some things were not. I am still waiting to score that little goal but I am sure it will come. As we have better results our confidence grows. We were under a lot of pressure but now we are calmer and more relaxed. We are going from less to more but we can't stop now. We need to be ambitious and look up the table”

Then coach Antonio Tapia talked saying “We knew that this would be a hard fought game. We were playing a rival who is on form and leader in the competition. The only way to finish victorious was not to let our guard down. We needed to be good in defence and attack. We should make the most of our chances as we did today. The fans took us with them, their support carried us. Now we have a week in front of us to improve things that can be improved”.
This is how Antonio Tapia commented on the game CD Tenerife won against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday Morning in the Heliodoro. The blue and white trainer emphasised the effort made by the players to beat the leader. The Andalucian coach showed his satisfaction for the result during the press conference which was held after the game during which he made several pointed remarks.
About the refereeing of Pino Zamorano he didn't want to comments much saying “About the referees normally I don't make statements as their job is very hard”. Tapia turned the question around and talked again about his players in the following terms: “The game today was hard fought. We had the chances to win and made the most of them we also managed to neutralise our opponents chances. This was an important victory, against a great rival who is playing well and who has great figures for away wins. This wasn't easy and for this we need to thanks the squad and the fans. On Saturday, in Vigo, we have another complicated game but we need to continue to be humble”.
When asked about the changes in the first eleven, Tapia made clear that, “we will start the players we think will be right for each game. At the end we won this victory. We need to praise those who played and those who didn't as they are all important. We know that still we haven't achieved anything. These were three important points, but there is still a long way to go in the league. We need to remember that our aim is to move out of the relegation zone”.
Antonio Tapia was also questioned about the players he changed and he explained that “we made changes due to the cards given and the needs of the match. Dubarbier was still fit and helping the defence. Sometimes you have to take chances”.
Antonio Tapia then talked about the rival “Rayo also made chances but we neutralised them. This is how our rival only scored one goal. We can't play that our rivals don't score. It isn't the best option for us. Our plan, except at the end when Melli came on is to play the ball, not to close down and play on the other side. We did serious damage with counter attacks”.
“We need to enjoy this victory and disconnect a little. We are still missing rounds to see how the team works out, but I can see we are growing. Today this was clear. We came out of this game positively. This week we will continue ridding ourselves of the heavy weight which is holding us back”, he added.
“We need tot to be euphoric as we have a team with capacity. We need to get out from under with a level of play that permits us efficiency. The idea is to be solid, tight in defence and know how to control specific situations. This Sunday we knew how to control the game against a rival who was more together than we are”, he concluded.

Players talk about the feeling the game was a loss not a draw.

The declarations from the players after the game against UD Las Palmas were about the deception they felt in having drawn. The 1-1 tasted like a loss and their players felt the scoreboard didn't show the way they had played.



Dubarbier: “It was a pity. But there is the whole second round to fix this. It was an up and down game, where a lot of it was near their goal. The goal they scored just before the end was a blow. Football is sometimes cruel. We need to change things. I have been a long time without playing, but I feel OK. The others told me the derby would be special. The atmosphere was great. I am a player who usually plays on the wing but if the coach wants me elsewhere I can do that. We need to be strong for home games”.
Melli: “This feels like a loss. It was an important game, that we needed to win and we let it go. In the second half we were the better team and this allowed us to relax. Then we were blown out of the water with their goal, with only five minutes to play there was no time to score another. Football can be like this and there is nothing you can do but was are all going home sad. We need to look to the next game and think only of the two home games that are coming up. The idea is to get closer to the teams that are out of relegation”.
Luna: “We are sad and fed up. You feel so out of control. I don't know what to say. I don't now what happened. We had the game under control and were playing well but in the last minute we lost it. We need to play harder for the whole 90 minutes. You can't think that everything is done as in any play the opposition can score a goal. Every player needs to take responsibility for his mistakes. We are all very fed up. The most to blame are the players who were on the field. Now we need to think about the next game. There are still many to play and I believe we will be OK”.

I know it will be a fight, says Luna

Antonio Hidalgo is one of the most experienced players in CD Tenerife when it comes to regional derbies. He talks about his experiences here for the derby against UD Las Palmas. The Catalonian who’s first hand how this sort of game brings passion. The mid fielder talks about the classic game in today’s press conference.
Hidalgo started by explaining that “we have a real desire to play. The week has been great and special for us. No one derby that I have played in has left me with the sensations like the CD Tenerife-UD Las Palmas game. I want to experience these sensations as right now nothing else counts but to win. We have to give the fans something to be happy about. I know they have been there since the first minute and the players are need to remember this”.
“This will be a great match with a hard fight. We need to maintain our calm. There is a lot to do. We need to reverse our situation and take the pride we all have inside us and use it in the moment of necessity. It is an even match but we can't forget that it is in the Heliodoro, with our people”, he added.
Antonio Hidalgo remembered with special happiness “the derby in 2004 and the drive the win gave us to move up”.
Although he is immersed in the atmosphere that a classic game brings, Hidalgo hasn't forgotten the bad moment the team finds itself in. “It really distresses me the situation we find ourselves in. I really feel this and work every day to try to help the group. I know we can move forward”.
Ezequiel Luna was also interviewed today. The Argentine defender talked about the derby and in the first place talked about the two derbies he lived through in the 08/09 season. “It was really special. I had the chance to play in both games and we won them. Las Palmas didn't score. Hopefully this Sunday we can repeat that. This isn't any ordinary game. There is so much in play and everyone involved needs to make the consummate effort. .If I get the chance to play, I will play my heart out but always with my head on to think what is best. Every player has his good and bad points and I know we need to concentrate. We need to be 200 percent there, watching everything”.
When asked about the arrival of compatriot Dubarbier, the defender stated that “Sebastián comes to add to the team. He is very talented and wants to add his grain of sand to CD Tenerife. We have to all pull together and above all right now but this is a classic with great feeling. It helps to know the whole island, our fans is behind us”.
Luna was asked if the bad moment that the team is going through will affect the match this weekend, he answered “when you get on the field, you forget the table. We will have to fight and it will be hard but at the end this Sunday the best team will win”.

Wednesday interviews

Dani Kome & Ezequiel Luna were the two players interviewed this Wednesday in the press room in the El Mundialito training grounds, where they discussed the state of different events in CD Tenerife.

The footballer from Cameroon started, referring the the mind set of the team, "we are more confident now. We are working well and lets see if we can come home after the weekend with three more points. It has been a long time since we won two games in a row”.

When asked about the next game against Villarreal B, Dani Kome commented, “everyone knows how b teams play. We need to be very concentrated from the first minute onwards. We are nearly out of the well at the bottom of the table and to make good on the last win we need to triumph again”, he added.

Lastly, the CD Tenerife player added about the path the team had followed so far this season, “To start with we were also trying but things didn't work out. We are working a lot and the best football always develops as the league is in flow” he concluded.

Ezequiel Luna, for his part, commented on his personal situation. “I am really keen and now I need to work hard to recover my position in the first eleven. I feel good in spite of the weeks at the beginning of the season when I didn't get to play. I am confident in the way we are playing and you can see this”.

In reference to the way to score three points in the Mini Estadi, the Argentine central defender commented that “we will need to defend well and make sure they are not comfortable on the field. It is important that we keep our goal empty again”.

Luna, as the finished, reaffirmed that “any central defender will try to play the best he can, you just need to look at my companions and this benefits the team. I try not to look too much at the table. I just need to concentrate on Villarreal B and our victory against them. We are playing well and little by little we will move up”, he finished.

Strange feeling

It is a weird feeling. The weekend is over, back at work and we still haven't played. I guess we will get used to it but this first time it feels very odd.
The team are ready for tonights game and although rumor is that we always loos in Carnival this is not so. We certainly won last year and the AS newspaper calculated how many losses we had over the years and there were more wins than losses and draws.
In the interviews yesterday Mikel Alonso & Ezequiel Luna were the chosen pair.
They talked about the inportance of tonights game against Mallorca.


Alonso explained to the journalists that " we are being visited by a rival in the champions league zone, and this says everything. Mallorca has great dinamics and we really respect that.”
That said he then commented that "I see CD Tenerife doing well with a strong desire to do well, inspite of their position in the table. With a couple of good results everything will seem different. The fans are free to express their opinions"

"They are very important and they need to know they are important" added Alonso, who then commented "all the team want to do a good job so CD Tenerife can reach this seasons objective."

For his part Ezequiel Luna explained that " we need to end this bad run. We are in a difficult moment and need more stability. We need to be solid in defense and score in front."

"Mallorca will be a difficult rival but we need to find our best game to beat them" commented the Tenerife player. "The fans is responding well and a win needs to come soon"

Interviews after the game

Trainer Jose Luis Oltra was interviewed after the game on Sunday against Valencia in the press room of the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez stadium. "A point against Valencia has to be judged by its merits. I want to thank the team for their effort and the fans for their support. That was how he started his interview with the press. He lamented the bad luck the team had with their shots at goal but final lack of goal.
"Cesar deprived us of a win." he added. "We were better than our rival in places exceptionally. We had more chances. We had the ability to reach the goal and shots on goal. Last season we had games where we were lucky, but this year you can't say that about any game. I hope this run will change. Football has a debt to CD Tenerife. But we can do little more to win and more so against a team like Valencia. We are strong at home and have shown that again today."
" I am happy that the players have gone out to compete. The defence line has worked more and even that Valencia has a great set of forwards. Our rival had chances they made themselves not that we gifted them" explained the Tenerife trainer.

Following this line Oltra said "I am happy with the play by Alfaro and Nino who both had chances. Alfaro played today perhaps his best game. Last year he could score with his eyes closed and this year it is harder because we are in a league with better keepers and better defenders. I can't reproach Nino for anything either"

“I know Unai said we have the team to be higher in the league. Others think the same”, stated José Luis Oltra.

“In the end talk of Justice or injustice is very subjective. But I believe that the clear occasions were for us. We were close to a victory. I understand that Valencia will go home with happy with the point. We are too, but less than them”, he finished.

The players commented:
Marc Bertrán: “We showed the best defence, above all in front of a rival with a rival with speed and quality. We are content with the game. I believe we deserved to win. We had three clear chances. We need to keep on working and have confidence that luck will come. defensively in Almeria we were good and today was the same. The pity is the missed chances. No team comes to Tenerife for an easy game. I am starting to pick up rhythm, litle by little recovering sensations”.

Luna: “We could have won in spite of playing the Great Valencia. We knew how to wait out our rival and had great chances. We left our goal clear.We need to go on working. Now we have nothing to do but think about the next game and continue fighting to carry on. CD Tenerife played a great game in every line and was only missing a goal. We put to the test a great rival with great players and it came at a moment when we were in great form”.

Román: “I felt good and was confortable out there. Today we gave everything to the game. We can look ourselves in the eye and say we played a great game. We are left with a bitter taste because we deserved the three points. I train every day to be called for the squad. It could be that it was the best CD Tenerife game this season, good in every line but we were unlucky. But this is the right path. Next week will be a great game.”.

Ángel: “We are sad to leave today as we deserved more. It is not easy to have so many chances against a team like Valencia. Against Barcelona more or less the same thing happened. The chance Alfaro had was the clearest.I hope soon we will have a run of luck. If any of these shots had gone in the game would have been ours above all because we were completely solid in the back today. Now we need three points against Zaragoza which are very important.”

Almeria

This weeks game will be played in the Estadio Juegos Mediterráneos on Sunday the 17th of January at 4pm CET. The referee is Velasco Carballo, who CD Tenerife have won twice and drawn once with.
The players will be flying to the mainland on Saturday and returning after the game on Sunday. The charter plane was also available to fans for 199 euros.

Wednesday' player interviews were with Pablo Sicilia & Ricardo León In the press room in the Mundialito training ground. Their main comment was the need to move on and concentrate on Sunday's upcoming game

Pablo Sicilia commented on the fact that away they had only managed one draw and that they need to change the run of bad luck they have had away as soon as possible. He affirmed the need to compete at the highest level and look for a positive result.
When he was asked about various injured players he cold only reply "we need to respect the decisions that our trainer makes " continuing that "my first goal is still to come this season. I hope it will come soon and be part of our victory"

Ricardo León, on the other hand started talking about the fact the team was up to now in the same position and still not in relegation, He hoped that they would stay where they are and not go down this year. he then said " Almeria is a very motivated team with their new coach, they have had great results with the new trainer"
Lastly the player from Tenerife commented that their style of play wouldn't change " We don't look further then the next rival. I don't think that we should change our game as visitors. We need to remain true to our style of play"

On Thursday Juanlu Hens & Ezequiel Luna were interviewed in The press room in the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium. Both the player from Cordoba and the Argentinian talked of Sundays game and their hopes for a win.

"We need to travel with clear minds and just think in a positive result" declared Juanlu hens. The tenerife footballer confessed that " we gain nothing thinking about the bad run we have had away. Now we are going to Almeria, a direct rival, and this is an important game. So we are going to make the best of it."

Juanlu then commented on " the dynamics of the season is how you escape the relegation positions and race to the end." when asked about his injuries he commented that he was " optimistic and hope to be ready when the trainer picks me"

For his part Ezequiel Luna explained that " we are working well and are thinking about Almeria. Both teams need the points and I hope we will be coming home with them. The numbers tell that we need to improve away, but we always go out to win and things just haven't worked out the way we wanted so far.

The Argentine defender hoped " the bad run we have had will end as soon as possible. In the changing rooms you need to fight for your position to play each week, but you also need to be patient and go on working. Any mistake can cost us a gaol and then everything is more difficult"

Island Dream or Island Horror

Island Dream or Island Horror yesterday it depended which Island you came from. Mallorca had a wonderful time with a 4-0 win and Tenerife came away battered with 2 sent off and a dire loss.
Supporting a team will always bring days like yesterday when you want to go away and cry but tomorrow is another day and Wednesday's game will hopefully bring better results.

Video from Zonablanquiazul in Spanish but you can see their highlights

In his blog Colin Kirby said Defence? it’s a swear word to CD Tenerife. There is no doubt our defence needs to concentrate more and passes need to be more accurate. The game was not all bad and the second part of the first half showed some great play. There were chances from

In his interview Jose Luis Oltra bluntly said "This was a game where we were not comfortable on the field a goal was scored against us and then we had some good chances. At the start of the second half we went back out to try to play up then the next 2 goals came and we tried to row against the current. The team wasn't very accurate today. You can always find good points" he continued " This is the first division and we need to be aware of the quality of play at this level. We have had 2 good games but today wasn't like that. I didn't like the way the team started, but we reacted well to Mallorca's goal. There were 20 good minutes with chances to score. In the second half the 2 other goals really killed us and then we were 10 men and at the end we were 9

When asked about the absence of Luna and Marc Bertran for the game against Atletic de Bilbao he commented that the squad is good and there are various players who can cover these positions. He would not make a comment about the referee when asked. His final statement was that "he tries not to be affected by euphoria or pessimism. We need to correct our errors and we need to work hard."

Interview with the team members included:

Ricardo who said "it hurts to lose, the first goal affected us a lot and I think Sergio (Aragoneses) was fouled. In the second half they were clearly better and we were lucky they didn't score more then the 4 goals".

Marc said "This was a lousy result we need to try to forget it and move on to the next game" He also said he hoped the club would lodge a complaint against his red card.

Manolo said " This wasn't so good. we have good and bad points but Mallorca had a good game plan and without too much effort they beat us easily. we need to think about the game about Bilbao. We need to continue to work hard. The little details have a way of costing teams a game".

Luna was sure that the first card wasn't a yellow card he said he went for the ball clearly with no intention to foul and the second he stated that maybe he touched the Mallorca player but if so it was an accident.

Notes from the game


REAL MALLORCA 4 (1)
CD TENERIFE 0 (0)

REAL MALLORCA
Aouate; Josemi, Ramis, Nunes, Ayoze; Julio Álvarez, Mario Suárez, Borja Valero, Tuni (Martí, 83’); Víctor Casadesús (Pezzolano, 57’) & Aduriz (Webó, 77’).

CD TENERIFE
Aragoneses; Bertrán, Luna, Manolo Martínez, Bellvis (Ayoze, 61’); Ricardo, Román Martínez (Dinei, 54’); Alfaro, Kome (Ángel, 70’); Richi; & Nino.

Referee
Rubinos Pérez, from Madrid. Sent off Luna, from Tenerife, fro double yellow (74’) & Marc Bertrán with a direct red card (86’). Yellow cards for Aragoneses, Dinei y Borja Valero.

GOalS
1-0: (17’) Mario, took advantage of a defensive error. 2-0: (51’) Aduriz, from a cross ball. 3-0: (59’) Julio Álvarez from an indecisive moment of the Tenerife players. 4-0: (87’) Webó, penalty shot.


The game was played in the Ono Estadi. The grass was in average condition, slightly hard going due to the heavy rain of the previous days. A sunny afternoon with 10,000 spectators.

Mallorca V. CD Tenerife

The game this afternoon is at 5pm Canarian(UK) time. It is being shown on Pay Per View on Canal Plus which we are lucky enough to have at home and although I am not sure what they are charging I am going to watch it anyway. The Armada Sur fans are going together to watch it in Suters Bar, Parque de La Reina, Tenerife.

The Club is looking for their first away points in the Ono Stadium. They are sure that the great form they have been showing until now will stand them in great stead for gaining the 3 points available in this afternoon's game.
In an interview yesterday afternoon in Los Rodeos airport Ezequiel Luna stated "we are very excited we have worked hard all week to correct the mistakes we made in Sunday's game We will be concentrating hard for the 90 minutes of tomorrows game so we won't be making any more mistakes. In this category if you make a mistake it can cost you a goal and you lose the game."
Richie said Mallorca is a good rival, they have great players and are not going to be easy to beat, we are going to the match with our game plan and expect to play well and gain a good result. We know it has been raining a lot in Mallorca but the ground condition will be the same for both teams.
Jose Luis Oltra in his interview announced “You need to keep both feet on the ground. We aren't inferior to any team, but we are not superior either. Mallorca has 2 good results so far, but we are confident the team can show their good side.”
Miguel Concepción will be at the Mallorca v. CD Tenerife game. This is the second away game the president has managed to attend.
The team will be staying at the Hotel Tryp Bellver, in Palma de Mallorca the Capital.

Dani Kome who played for Mallorca commented that "we are going with the aim to gain 3 points. We are a humble team but we are keen to show our skills and we will continue to follow the trainers instructions." He has been injured this week but stated that is the Mister called for him to play he would be enchanted to play against Mallorca
He finished his interview saying that although he didn't play many games for Mallorca during the 2006/07 season he had enjoyed his time there and was looking forward to going back to show how well he can play.