Objective La Liga - Chapter one

Alvaro Cervera's men are at their moment, after the win in Eibar brings them to three in the last four everything is possible 

Photo M. S. 

http://eldia.es/2014-04-19/deportes/deportes15.htm

CD Tenerife has a chance this afternoon to position itself in the fight for the two direct places to go up to the first division

Foto S.M. 

http://www.diariodeavisos.com/2014/04/objetivo-ascenso-capitulo-1/

We hope there will be a good atmosphere in the stadium - Ricardo Leon

http://www.radiomarcatenerife.com/new/2014/04/19/ricardo-la-gente-esta-ilusionada/

José Luis Oltra has Told present CD Tenerife coach - if you give the fans here reason to believe they will help you fly

http://www.laopinion.es/deportes/2014/04/20/superioridad-numerica/537641.html

This seasons captains

The club has announced that this season the captains will be Marc Bertrán, Sergio Aragoneses, Nino, Pablo Sicilia & Luis García.
There are two weeks left to renew season tickets. They can be renewed until the first home game against UD Salamanca on either the 4th or 5th of September. There have been 1000 new season tickets taken up and no more will be sold until the club sees how many season tickets are not renewed. The club announced on Sunday that 9,400 season tickets had been sold until then.

Club president Miguel Concepción commented on Canarias Radio that, " we are excited for the new project that we have put into action. It will help us overcome the bad feelings going down last season left us with". He sated that he was excited for the new season to start and was plaeased with the way the league is now set out. That not only do the clubs have a cahnce to go straight up if they are first or second but also that is they finish between third and sixth they can play in the playoff to have a chance to go up. 

Miguel Concepción explains on Radio Nacional

Miguel Concepción in an interview on Radio Nacional Saturday the 29/05 talked about different themes including the project for the coming season and the feelings after the relegation.

"One needs to look to take the club back to the standard of the fans which is a standard of the first division." stated the maximum authority for the club in response to a question asked by interviewer Domingo Álvarez." We need to look to the future. To work together to place CD Tenerife back where it belongs in the first division. 
When asked about the player Nino he recollected that "he still has a contract with the team and that he will continue playing. I would like him to finish his career here on the island. Marc Bertran also has a contract with us."
I am pleased with the way the team fought throughout the season. But as we didn't win the last two games we are back in the second division." he commented when asked to rate the previous year. "We should be happy with the last season. There were mistakes made and we should learn form them so they are not repeated. Now we need to construct a project to take us into the top positions of the second league." 

Miguel Concepción honoured trainer Jose Luis Oltra saying "Oltra came to us as a trainer we had looked for and he did a great job. He took us to the first division but he couldn't manage to keep us there. With that here in CD Tenerife it was decided the cycle was over. Had he managed to keep the team up then there would have been the option to negotiate a further contract. But our return to the second division made it seem pernicious  his continuity in the club. That said Oltra will always be welcome here.
Resuming his time as president he remembered " the season 2005/2006 was very difficult when I took over the presidency in the club although we managed to save the team and remain in the second division.We then consolidated the following two seasons we renewed the squad and then last year we managed to take the team up to the first division."
When asked if he wanted to send a message to the club and the fans the president said " We need to stick together, to have unity between the club, the fans and the press. I am calling for an effort between us all to return to the maximum football division."
When asked about the immediate future of the club Miguel Concepcion signaled that "we are starting a new project, with many new faces, as much in the technical team as in the players squad. I would like the new trainer here as soon as possible as this will help dissipate any doubts the fans and press have. But many of the trainers are still competing and some are not working. We are having discussions and till now nothing is decided." 
He followed by saying "I have complete confidence in the sports director Santiago Llorente. He has done a good job." He was then asked about the statement made last week that he might retire from being president explaining "I took the position for five years and as many know I do not stop until I have achieved my objectives. At no time will I abandon the club. In February there will be the possibility of elections and the council can be renewed. If there is a group who can show they will continue our lines in both the sporting and the economic areas, then I will be prepared to resign. But I will never turn my back on CD Tenerife."
He finished "We have all suffered and cried about the relegation of the team. We are going to try again. Together we can get there. We should have a team who are competitive and steady. And I call for the fans to keep coming to the stadium."

Wanted - 12th man.

Without a doubt if the 12th man was needed in the stadium for a game it would be for tomorrows. CD Tenerife fans have stepped up to the plate. Whilst other teams are selling off tickets cheap to fill their stadiums, CD Tenerife is almost sold out for tomorrows game against Almeria at full price. This morning at 1pm there were only a few seats left in Tribuna with all the other stands full.

 Fans queueing yesterday morning







Ayoze, a home grown player has announced that they will play like this is the last game in their lives. And some would say we should expect this.What I see is a team who have worked hard to the best of their abilities and have played the very best they can. That their best has not always been as good as the fans would have liked is another thing but the team will I am sure leave nothing in the changing room and come out to show the fans we can be proud of them.

Ricardo Melchior president of the Western Canary Isles,  the Cabildo de Tenerife, stated yesterday, It is important for the island to have a first division team and we should all support them. The players coaches and management are all doing their part. This Saturday we play against Almeria and we need the three points. If we can gain the points we have a good chance to stay in Premier the first division in Spain." He continued, " I am convinced that the players will have the unconditional support of the fans in the games that are left this season. Last year the fans were an important factor in the teams ascending form the second division and we should all help them to remain where they are. This has a worldwide repercussion on the island as Spain's league is probably the most important in the world because of the quality of its teams and players. For Tenerife and the Tenerifians whether they are football fans or not it is important for the world to know where we are and First division Spanish football is a great promotion vehicle".

There is again a call for the fans to greet the team tomorrow afternoon. They will be arriving at 18.15 of the Tribuna side of the stadium. The club has asked the fans who have CREEMOS shirts to wear them. They will also be selling the shirts at the symbolic price of 1 euro at the same time. The back of these shirts have the 13 seasons that CD Tenerife have spent in the Spanish first division.

Trainer Jose Luis Oltra has named the following players for tomorrows game: Sergio Aragoneses, Luis García, Marc Bertrán, Culebras, Manolo Martínez, Héctor, Pablo Sicilia, Mikel Alonso, Ricardo, Román, Richi, Juanlu, Ayoze, Alfaro, Nino, Dinei, Omar & Ángel. In his interview today he commented that "every week the game is more important. If we win against Almeria we will have moved a giant step towards salvation. We know our rival will give us nothing and we will need to play our best but always wisely".

Following this theme he continued "We need to gain a victory at the end of the 90 minutes. In my mind are the six points that are left for us and I think we can achieve them. Right now we need to beat Almeria. We can play in one field and our rivals will do what they can. Knowing their trainer they will play a style like Barcelona. They have great style, are technically strong and although they are virtually saved things could be difficult". He then followed this by saying, "lets see if we are in a good position when we get to Valencia and only need to depend on ourselves. We need to apply pressure in the games and our rivals need to realise right from the start that if they want to make a point here they will need to fight."
When asked about the players he said "If there is something this group has it is how to live in difficult times. What the team has shown me is their commitment, sense of responsibility, their desire to win, their union as a group and their strength"
He commented that the fans were spectacular. That they had supported the team continually and that he hoped that at the end the fans would be proud of the team. That together the team and the fans had lived through many dark days and now they deserved to win.

It's our turn to win away. - Pablo Sicilia

"It's our turn to win away." These were the words of Pablo Sicilia in an interview this week. He followed it with the statement that this would help the team save itself. " We need to get out on the field with the same determination we had against Espanyol. The team is good and you can see this in the work we do day by day. We need to look to the future and no one should have any doubts about our comitment in Chapin." He continued that, "the block worked hard defensively last weekend and we need to continue that line. Also we need to make less mistakes so our rival has no chances."

José Luis Oltra trainer for CD Tenerife said in yesterday's interview that the game was very important. "For them it is a live or die game and for us too. We can have no doubts, in the case we win it is a thump on the table.”

When asked about the opposing team the Valencian trainer reminded " That no one has won clearly in Chapin. They are a team with good points and the are playing for everything. Whatever happens we have three games in a week and we are going to try to win the first one."

On the same theme the trainer continued saying "There is very little recuperation time but we have no excuse for this. Anyway right now the only game which interests me is the one against Xerez. The game this Saturday is the only one in the heads of the players and in mine."

Oltra, also talked abpout Xerez "The have changed their style over the course of the league. With Gorosito they won two games and are a convincing team. I hope to see a difficult game with work and hard fought plays. They know they have very little time left."

“What ever happens”, he continued "we need to keep on winning. This is a primordial game for the two sides. We need to go out convinced, with maximum faith and a need to win." Lastly José Luis Oltra talked of the state of mind of the players, "The group is intense, the work we did paid off with the victory last weekend" he added and then concluded " I am concerned with Tenerife and leaving three teams with less points than us. Then I will be the happiest man alive."

Interviews after the Deportivo game with the coach

José Luis Oltra seemed calm in at the press conference on Saturday after the game against Deportivo La Coruña. The blue and whites trainer repeated he was proud of the players and the way they played. He avoided no question and no responsibility.

Oltra started analising the game in the following terms:" We saw the same film as always in an away game. Three shots at goal and three goals by the oposing team. We were good but always some mistake condems us. It has been incredible. It is hard for me to go out and value games like this afternoons. I know it is hard but the team is still there in with a chance. Playing like this the victories will come. The team never gives up, they always fight. Will will be recompensed for this. I believe and am working for that.”

Whan Oltra was asked which route he shopuld take to make the ream react, he responded with a question, "Do we need to follow the same line?, We need to change the results but the way to play away forom home is the way we played today. We were serious and organised, and we had chances. All this would change if we won a gameand the path to follow is the one form this afternoon. That said there are clearly thing to correct.”

When asked about the capability of the team and if he himself could see the salvation, he replied" this sort of valuation needs to be done at the end of the season. Now I believe in the team, I belive they are commited to acheive the objectives. I am the one to blame the one who makes the most mistakes. But I repeat i believe in the way we play. i am confident we will reach our goal.”

When asked about the role of Miguel Concepción, Oltra said that “The president is always with the group. He is a person who organises well, who always supports us. Today he has said nothing specific neither to me nor to the players.”

First final.

Jose Luis Oltra said yesterday in an interview that today's game is the first of 14 finals that CD Tenerife has to play. He also said that the team can make it although it is complicated and the players need to give their all in every game.
The players who went to Galicia last night are the team expected to play Nino, Kome, Alfaro, Ayoze, Ricardo, Richi, Janlu, Pablo Sicilia, Culebras, Manolo and Aragoneses. Also the substitutes Luis Garcia, Hector, Omar, Roman, Mikel Alonso, Angel, and Dinei. The team will be coming home tonight and are off tomorrow and Tuesday.
Deportivo will be a hard rival. They are in 6th place right now and hope to stay there as this position will secure them a Europa League place for next season.

Interview Jose Luis Oltra 27/02/2010

" Even with the loss the line to follow is the one we saw today." This was the phrase that José Luis Oltra announced in the press conference on Saturday night after the CD Tenerife - Real Madrid game. The trainer repeated that he is proud of the players as they never gave up.
The trainer of the blue and whites explained that " every loss hurts and if it is a big score loss this hurts even more. We lost against a great team, a team with wonderful abilities. In the fist half they shot at goal twice and scored two goals. We then managed the 1-2 but their third goal came very quickly. But the team never stopped fighting. There is a great difference between the two teams.”
He continued his analysis of the weekends game. " with the 1-3 most teams would have stopped fighting but we didn't. Even with the score so hard to overcome we had various shots at goal. Real Madrid is very solid in defence. Even with the loss we need to keep on the path we followed today. I continue to believe in the team even with the away results. There are 14 finals left, starting in La Coruña. We are conscious that our options mean we need to win the home games. Not every game is against a team like Real Madrid"
He continued "My job is to see that the team gives their all. There is one club, one Island and one set of fans who respond to us every week. Our goal is to fight. We are going to achieve salvation, with suffering, with pain but we will achieve it." insisted the trainer.
Oltra reminded that the team continues with their head held high: " I try to look for the best way to win. You can blame the team for nothing, today they played the best thy could. What happened is we played a team with different dynamics and with a great ability to score. The difference in the field is not what is reflected in the score. Although that is just an opinion."

"My work and mental effort and that of the group is what will get us out of here. The feeling when you lose is bad. The losses make people sad.” finished the local trainer.

Training intensifies for the game on Monday.

The first team in CD Tenerife continued their trainingon Friday in preparation for Monday nights game against RCD Mallorca. This will be the 22nd round of the lBBV league. The team trained for an hour and 50 minutes in the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium. Amongast other things there was a talk form their chief trainer José Luis Oltra. Then they warmed up and worked both at ball skills and with pressure exercises. The session finshed with a game between two teams. All the players started out at training including the winger Carlos Bellvis but he only took part in some of the group training so he could continue with his recovery plan.

This morning the team again trained in the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium from 10am and after that trainer José Luis Oltra had his usual press conference. The team trained today for 90 minutes this is the penultimate session before the game against Baleric team.

The session started at 10am and the players practised strategies and finshed with shots at goal. The next training will be tomorrow, Sunday in The Heliodoro form 10am

La práctica tuvo lugar en el Heliodoro y dio comienzo pasadas las 10:00 horas. Tras el habitual calentamiento se llevó a cabo trabajo de estrategia y más tarde centros y remates. Se acabó la sesión con series de disparos a portería. Todos los jugadores de la primera plantilla tomaron parte del entrenamiento. After this session trainer Jose Luis Oltra will give the list of the players called up for Monday's game.

Injured in Pamplona

Not us I was just reading about the players who are injured on the Osasuna side. They are missingJuanfran who has just been operated on for apedecitus, also Oier & Delporte and Pandiani didn't tain today as he has flu. You should never be happy about others misfortune but the less players they have available the better our chances for a win have to be.
I have a good feeling about this game. This is going to be the one we win. It ws umoured this week in the newspapers that the reason CD Tenerife didn't buy any new players was because the 10 million euros paid by the TV stations for this season has been co-opted by the Spanish tax man. This seems like a reason not to have bought anyone. It would have been better for the fans if this is true that it had been announced by the club and not leaked but the press. I think it will bring the fans together behind the players the team has and there should be more support. The CDT fans are great for this. An example would be when Sergio Aragoneses was sick last season there was tremendous cheers for Luis Garcia every time he touched the ball.


In an interview today Jose Luis Oltra said “At the begining of the season there were 38 finals and now there are only 18. osasuna is an intense team with great dynamics but we need to ignore that. We need our first away win.I see we have a strong group and we need to demonstrate that." When askd if he felt his decisions were being questioned he replied he felt "respected, supported and backed-up. I have always had faith in the team and just now I belive in them even more if that is possible. We need to look to the future."

Interviews after the Zaragoza game.

When Zaragoza went down two seasons ago I felt then it was an aberation. They have spent loads of money to stay up buying players left right and everywhere. In the last 15 minutes of the game last night it showed. The last 2 goals where scored by players bought in the winter break.
Last season Numancia came up and said they would buy no one new but just enjoy the season. If this was what our president had said I wouldn't be fed up now. BUT he allowed us to dream. He talked about three years and playing for the Europe league. Nothing wrong with dreaming but sometimes it needs to be followed through.
When all is said and done we will have had a year in the first division and earned 8 million euros which we wouldn't have earned without going up which will help the clubs accounts.

I have had my say and here is what our trainer and players had to say:

Jose Luis Oltra
"What hurts most is what might have been, because it is difficult to assume a loss like this one. We scored early and controlled the game. We played a good first half and inspite of that we were 0-0 at half time. I had the sensation that we could go to 2-0 in a counter attack. Our rival had no chances. But they penalty did us a lot of damage and without realising more goals arrived. In eight minutes they scored three goals. It is dificult to explain the result and that is the reality of it".


Ricardo: “The game escaped us after all our hard work. The changing room is destroyed. The team had the game under control, in front of a rival who had no chances. In an isolated play they received a penalty. But we had time to react. The second and third goals were terrible blows. We made an enormous effort to get in the lead and with nothing threw it all away. But we need to keep on trying”.

Mikel: “It is a very painful loss, a 1-3 more than clear. The 1-1 did us tremendous damage. CD Tenerife carried most of the game, but they were lucky, and that is what counts. The results say everything. After we scored we stepped back and had no more clear chances. Our rival reacted because theya re in a difficult situation too. This is why we stepped back. They were very acurate with their shos at goal”.

Juanlu: “The game got away from us in one single play. Then they made two more chances and both went in and we lost the game. We can get to the goal but have no luck when it com,es to scoring. We need to improve this. I scored a goal but it means nothing this time. We need to stay calm and try to put ourselves back together so we can move on to the next game. In the first half we should have scored we deserved to. I belive the penalty was a high price to pay as with that the whole game turned.”.

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.”

Squad for the Valencia Game

After 80 minutes training, which was watched but many fans in the Helidoro rodriguez Lopez Stadium trainer Jose Luis Oltra announced the squad for tomorrows game. Players are Luis García, Sergio Aragoneses, Marc Bertrán, Pablo Sicilia, Juanlu Hens, Ayoze García, Carlos Bellvís, Míkel Alonso, Dinei, Manolo Martínez, Dani Kome, Ezequiel Luna, Román Martínez, Omar Ramos, Ángel Rodríguez, Nino, Richi & Alfaro.

Roman is recovered from the injury which has bothered him all week.

Preparation for Valencia

Training yesterday was for 80 minutes and today the team will train in the Heliodoro Rodríguez López form 10 am in preparation for tomorrow Sunday's game against Valencia CF at 4pm Canarian time. After training today trainer Jose Luis Oltra will announce the squad for tomorrows game.

In an interview on Friday tenerife trainer José Luis OltraDiscussed that although he came from Valencia his team was " CD Tenerife, Here they treat me like I was at home. I owe the club a lot and the island and no one should doubt that my greatest wish is that we win tomorrow."
When asked about Valencia he replied "Valencia is competing at the highest level. They are the best away6 team not only in Spain but in the whole of Europe."

He then discussed that the players where not frightened of Valencia that "we need to be effective and think about ourselves. They will certainly be a rival with personality. But also we ned to bear in mind what our rival will let us get away with."
In reference to the absence of Ricardo Leon, the Valencian confessed that " no player missing is alarming, the mid field is well covered here in Tenerife. Each player has their virtues. Although we can't count on Ricardo other players can cover his position."

Marc Bertran back at last.

The right defender Marc Bertran is back to playing for the Club Deportivo Tenerife team for the first time since his injury during the Real Madrid game last September. A broken ankle after a foul by Dutch player Royston Drenthe left him several months on the bench. Trainer Jose Luis Oltra has finally picked him as fit to play for the game in Almeria. The team departed this afternoon for the Costa Brava for the game Sunday afternoon.

"I am good to play or at least I feel fit. I am pleased by the support that I have been show by the fans and the club. I am completely ready with a need to play after so much time off." stated the Catalan player yesterday when interviewed by Marca a Spanish sports paper.

In the time Marc was sick the trainer from Levante has tried various players in his place including Ezequiel Luna and his theoretical substitute the young Aitor Nunez. When this hasn't worked he has taken midfielder Juanlu Hens back to try to fill the place.

Looking for a strong defence.

When the team position is analysed he is concious" we have been missing a little luck, we have not been solid in defense or scored whn we got to the goal." also when asked about tomorrows game he commented "the best would be if we can score an early goal."

Jose Luis Oltra has also recovered Juanlu Hens from the injury bench so the probability is they will play together as this coupling gave great results last season. On the down side Omar Ramos is still not able to play with leg muscle injuries.

There is a certain mmout of superstition in reference to away games with one fan going back to watch the game in a bar where he watched the Valladolid game where CDT scored one point with a draw and two other Armada Sur fans not going to watch the game at all as they didn't watch the Valladoild game. I hope this works out and the team manage by what ever means luck superstition or otherwise to find 3 points to bring back to Tenerife.

Same players

It was like Jose Luis Oltra sent out different players in the second half. The game changed and the level of comitment from the CDT players was 100% more. This was the style of play we saw last week in the final 20 mins against Valladolid and I hope we will see more of it. The players chased every ball and made every play count. Goles were scored by Ricardo and Nino but there was a chance for Angel with a late miss.

In the after game interview Manolo Preciado the trainer for Sporting said thet Tenerife deserved the win because they worked really hard. He said the need to win and the support from the fans caused the players to play their best and therefore win. Sporting he claimed had been unlucky with injuries, both Bilic y de De las Cuevas were changed due to injury.


Jose Luis Oltrastated that the team had perservered and had been superior to their rival. "It needed a great effort after the first play when we nearly scored and then their goal. Especially as they have had seven games in a row without loosing." When asked about his expulsion he replied that he had protested and disrespected the ref, this was bad and so he had been sent off


Game Notes:

CD TENERIFE 2 (0)
REAL SPORTIN DE GIJÓN 1 (1)

CD TENERIFE
Sergio Aragoneses; Juanlu Hens, Manolo Martínez, Pablo Sicilia, Héctor (Aitor Núñez, 81’); Mikel Alonso, Ricardo; Kome (Ángel, 64’), Alfaro, Omar (Ayoze, 76’) & Nino.

REAL SPORTIN DE GIJÓN
Juan Pablo; Lora, Botía, Gregory, Canella; Michel, Rivera; Luis Morán (Maldonado, 75’), De Las Cuevas (Carmelo, 34’), Diego Castro & Mate Bilis (Barral, 49’)

REFEREE
José Luis González González, Comité Castellano-Leonés. Expelled local trainer, José Luis Oltra (19’), after and action by Sporting not reacted to by the referee. MYellow cards to local players Juanlu Hens (23’), and visitors, Botía (43’), Gregory (87’) & Carmelo (93’).

GOALS
0-1: (3’) Diego Castro, In a irregular position, from a shot by Sergio Aragoneses. 1-1: (54’) Ricardo, from the front, after passing a defender. 2-1: (65’) Nino, with a great shot, between the defenders and touching the goal post of Juan Pablo

INCIDENTS
13th round of the la Liga BBVA in the first division. Played in the Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 19.281 spectators present on a warm afternoon.

Plainful loss

That Villareal is a good team was never in doubt but they have not played very well this season so far. I had hoped this would last until after we layed them but it was not to be. A 5-0 loss hurts. There will always be games like this and they are not a direct rival but still it hurts. The internet is full of negative comments. I think fans sometimes forget it is our role to support in the good times and the bad ones. I loathe when some Spanish fans wave white hankies to show their disaproval for the players. It is games like these when we will see who supports Tenerife and who supports Tenerife a team in the first division. Next Saturday we are at home at 5pm and will need all the support we can get against a direct rival. I hope the stadium will be busy but I am sure the fans who are there will make enough noise how ever many we are.
The game stats are as follows.

VILLARREAL CF 1 (1)
CD TENERIFE 0 (0)

VILLARREAL CF
Diego López; Javi Venta, Godín, Marcano, Capdevila; Cani, Bruno, Eguren, Pires (Escudero, 76'); Rossi (David Fuster, 69’) & Llorente (Jonathan Pereira, 64’).

CD TENERIFE
Aragoneses; Aitor Núñez (Dinei, 56’), Manolo Martínez, Sicilia, Bellvís; Juanlu, Román, Alfaro, Ricardo, Omar; (Saiza, 83’) & Nino.

REFEREE
Fernández Borbalán, Andaluz. Yellow card for Llorente.

GOALS
1-0: (15’) Llorente. 2-0: (47’) Pires. 3-0: (50’) Rossi. 4-0: (51’) Llorente. 5-0: (88‘) Cani.

INCIDENTS
Stadium El Madrigal. Ground in good condition. Warm afternoon. 8.000 Spectators.

Team interviews included:
Pablo Sicilia: “Now is not the moment to blame the defense, it is the moment to look forward, to make conclusions and correct errors. I don't believe the team was uninvolved, we always go out to fight, but somtimes your rival is better then you, as we saw in the second half. The wosrst was certainly the start of the second half”.

Juanlu: “In the second half we were not so good, but in the first half we deserved more. We got into the game and had chances. In the second half the goals came very quickly and we were left unable to react. They came back very strong”.

José Luis Oltra was sad for the loss suffered by the team. He lamented the good play of the players had not yet resulted in an away win. “It has been a punishment. Our rival today had the luck they have been missing up to now. We plyed well in the first half, controlling the game and we had chances. In the second half, in seven minutes, they scored three goals and the game was over. It was a pity, but we need to go on”.

When asked about the teams lack of away points, Oltra explained that “without doubt the home wins are great. Away we make a great showing but haven't yet converted that into points. We have received a lot of goals. I repeat there is nothing else but to go on”.

“In the first half we were the better team and had a lot of chances. Hoy nos medíamos ante un rival de mucho potencial, hecho para estar más arriba”, añadió.

“El equipo ha salido a competir y en el descanso hemos hablado de mejorar. We should count the first half and not the missed chances. The team went out to fight. The 2-0 came very quickly and this caused us a lot of damage. I had told the players we shouldn't receive a second goal”. He continued “This game is nothing like the game we lost in Vigo. The way we lost last Wednesday in the cup hurts me a lo more than this afternoon”.

loss and other things

Well I have to say we lost against Español on Sunday. I was at a baptism and didn't get to watch the game but at least we managed the first away goal and Alfaro managed to score so perhaps we are movong in the right direction
Sundays game is against Xerez. If last years seasons home game is anything to go by this should be a battle of wills. Tickets for the match will go on sale on Thursday.

Quotes from the trainer after last weekends game include "Our rival was more effective than us. We knew that Español was a class team. We need to be more careful with counter attacks. There is nothing else to de but carry on. Everytime you score and don't win the result seems bad. On the positive side we scored away. there are things about our game which need polising. We are being punished for our errors." and finally " we need to gain points away."

Pablo Sicilia said yesterday in an interview that the priority needs to be the direct rival ie Xerez. That doesn't make it different from any other game. We know we need to be strong at home. He also commented how comfortable he felt in the left side. "As well as being a defensive position I could also go forward to give the game everything"

The club has again asked the federation for equality for the times of the games. Every other team gets to play at 5pm but here in the Canaries where it is hottest thsy have to play at 4pm. I am afraid it is not until a player has sunstroke or worse that anything will be changed.

Training for the rest of the week includes:

Thursday	10:00	Heliodoro	Training
Friday	10:00	El Mundialito	Training
Friday	-	El Mundialito	press conference JL Oltra
Saturday	10:00	Heliodoro	Training
Saturday	-	-	List of players for Sunday
Sunday	16:00	Heliodoro	CD Tenerife-Xerez CD

Interviews

In an Interview after the game Jose Luis Oltra said " We knew Deportivo were an organised team and they had the last 2 games not received a goal. They are a solid group who hadn't received a goal. In the first half we had chances to score but in the second half we played more with our hearts than our heads and were less dangerous. We were not fluid and couldn't equalise. They won with very little effort, just the one play".

This was the first game lost at home this season. A game where we didn't play particularly well. Certainly not the way we have played in other games. When asked about the players changed after half time. He stated " I changed the players at more or less the same time because we were 0-1 down. It is true that I changed Omar and Dinei within 4 minutes of each other but then I saw now change in the play and then I decided to make another change risking a bit more. Sometimes change works and sometimes not. That is football"

He then continued, " In the first half we couldn't score, the ball came all the way to the goal but their defence were there and the players couldn't come through. We didn't get a rhythm going and were not consistent. In the second half their changes also influenced play. Perhaps we were not at our best football but I am not unhappy with the way the team played. I would like to send my congratulations to Depo. Now we need to think about the next game. I am grateful to the fans but we all knew this would be a year to suffer. We are all angry when we lose and more so a game where we really didn't deserve to. Nethertheless to talk of fair or not fair isn't football. You just have to go on, now we need to have confidence in the team and trust that goals will come.

The team members comments included:
Richi who commented that the team had played well in general in the first half but after the goal in the second half they were not so controlled.

Aitor Nuñez discussed the fact it was the first loss at home, he then commented on the fact the trainer always plays to win and often takes off defenders to put on more forwards. When asked about himself he replied that"I am happy to keep playing minutes though you never go home happy after a loss"

Finally Mikel Alonso spoke saying " This was the first loss at home and hurts more as we are not used to losing here. We were not lucky. The worst thing is after the goal we had the feeling that we could come back but their defenders stood back. We were around the goal area but couldn't come through"

Flight

I really ought to go to bed as we need to get up at 4am for tomorrows flight but I am so excited that I can't sleep. So I will write about a few things I found out and then try again.
Ricardo will be out for 5 weeks it is expected. He was treated yesterday and came out fine

José Luis Oltra, said yesterday of Real Madrid “ Real Madrid has great individual players and a tremendous ability to score. They have had three games without letting in a goal this league. To add it up a great team”.this said he added that CD Tenerife will make tham sweat if Madrid wants to win.

The team trained this afternoon at the Ciudad Deportiva de Valdebebas from 17:30 for an hour to warm up for tomorrows game.
They flew in in the morning from Los Rodeos in Tenerife at 13:30. They are staying in Madrid, at the Hotel NH Abascal.

The players in Madrid are Luis García, Sergio Aragoneses; Marc Bertrán, Pablo Sicilia, Ezequiel Luna, Manolo Martínez, Bellvís; Gaizka Saizar, Richi, Míkel Alonso, Román Martínez, Alfaro, Ayoze, Kome; Ángel, Dinei, Nino & Omar.

More than 700 fans have bought away tickets plus many have bought tickets for other areas of the stadium. The players will be able to hear their fans even though they are sitting in the Gods in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. The club website talks of the great support the team has from the fans who once again have shown this loyalty to the team by moving en masse to the capital. The club publically thanks the fans for this effort.

When interviewed Marc bertran commented that he wouldn't be surprised if Real Madrid got a surprise in tomorrows game. This really would be great. but win or lose I am sure they will play thier best and give their all which is all we can ask.