Player interviews after the game in Almeria

Interviews with the players after the game in Almeria included Alfaro, Marc Bertran, Ricardo Nino and Richi:

Alfaro: "This point feels like very little. The game was tough. Some of the time we played a great game but in one encounter they scored a goal. Then we played with one more for their red card and could have won. We finished tired as we ran a lot. Now we need to go on fighting and think how to win the next game".

Marc Bertran: " It was a shame, but we played a full game, we played our best. The 1-1 caught us disorganised. We have at least broken the run of losses and it was an away point against a direct rival. I am happy about the way the team played. Personally I finshed the game very tired, its four months since I played and you can tell".

Ricardo: " We need to go on slowly. Today we tried with all our efforts. We had our chances, with one man more than our rivals we had chances to win. But any point is good without leting go of the fact a win is what really counts".

Nino: They made the most of theis chances when the ball still. We tried to kill the game and this is how Almeria managed to score. We need to keep working the same as we did up to now. I would like to be further up the table, but we knew in advance that this was a year to suffer."

Richi: " It leaves a bad taste after being up 0-1. In the second half we suffered loads but we had a chance for the 0-2. After the sending of we had the ball more under control, but it was difficult to get to the goal. They couldn't get to us but we couldn't get the ball in play. Still it is an away point and the team has reasons you should have confidence in them."


Interestingly in an interview after the Valencia - Villareal game, David Villa counted the points which he expected his team to have at the end of the first half of the season, including 3 more for next weeks game. You know what they say about counting chickens.

1-1 draw in Almeria.

Game Notes

UD ALMERÍA 1 (0)
CD TENERIFE 1 (1)

UD ALMERÍA
Diego Alves; Míchel, Cisma, Chico, Acasiete; Soriano, Bernardello, Piati, Crusat (Ortiz, 86’), Corona (Nieto, 80’); & Goitom (Solari, 89’).

CD TENERIFE
Sergio Aragoneses; Marc Bertrán, Pablo Sicilia, Ezequiel Luna, Manolo Martínez; Ricardo, Mikel Alonso (Ayoze, 73’), Juanlu Hens, Kome (Richi, 61’); Alfaro (Ángel, 86’) & Nino.

REFEREE
Velasco Carballo, from Madrid.Sent off local player Piati (66’), for two yellow cards. Yellow cards for visitors Kome, Marc Bertrán, Ricardo, Luna, Mikel Alonso, Ayoze y Richi.

GOALS
0-1: (1’) Juanlu, from a ball pushed away by the keeper. 1-1: (60’) Goitom, from a cross pass.

INCIDENTS
Played in the Juegos Mediterráneos stadium. Grass was in good condition. Warm afternoonin front of 17.732 espectadores. First time the club had sold out this season.

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.

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"

Thoughts

Tenerife played on Sunday and lost. That is a how game went but it goes no where near describing the effort the players put into the game and the chances they had. The first 20 minutes of the game CD Tenerife dominated the play and had 3 shots at goal, unfortunately they didn't go in. Messi then proved why he was player of the year with a hat trick and additional goals, a suberb header from Puyol and a shot from our home grown Pedro finally knocked in as a home goal by Luna made the final result 0-5 by Barcelona. Nethertheless the CDT players tried their best and fought to the end. All the subs came on and tried hard including Dinei who just doesn't seem to have managed to adapt to Jose Luis Oltra's game. Talking of Dinei I have said before and no doubt will say again that I do not understand why fans would whistle and boo their own players.
The game had a bitter sweet feeling as some of the fans turned on others, shouting and abusing them. This doesn't make for a great atmosphere an is sad in itself. I have read on a couple of forums that no one should have clapped either Messi's third goal or the entrance of Pedro but can't see either myself. If Real Madrid fans can clap Ronaldino in their own stadium when he was a Barcelona player then surely CD Tenerife fans can clap Messi.



As to not supporting Pedro this is just silly. The boy is from here he grew up in Arico played for local team Raqui San Isidro and had the skill to play in FC Barcelona. He has proved this year to be one of the worlds most talented players. The only one to have scored in 6 championships in one year. If supporting him makes me a s*** fan then so be it.

Tenerife B continue to be out of he lst positions with a win against Vecindario and Airam has now scored 21 goals. It is worth bearing in mind his contract runs out in the Summer and I hope Santiago Llorente manages to get him to sign up again.

CD Tenerife 0 - FC Barcelona 5

CD TENERIFE 0 (0)
FC BARCELONA 5 (3)

CD TENERIFE
Sergio Aragones; Juanlu (Culebras, 46’), Bellvis, Sicilia, Luna; Ricardo, Mikel Alonso, Ayoze (Dinei, 65’), Kome (Ángel, 85’); Alfaro & Nino.

FC BARCELONA
Víctor Valdés; Daniel Alves, Maxwell, Rafael Márquez, Carles Puyol (Milito, 85’); Xavi Hernández (Chygrynskiy, 88’), Andrés Iniesta (Pedro, 76’), Sergio Busquets; Messi, Bojan & Thierry Henry.

REFEREE
Pérez Lasa, From Guipúzcoa. Yellow card for local players Luna, Ayoze y Kome; and for visitors Márquez & Puyol.

GOALS
0-1: (35’) Messi, after a play form Bojan. 0-2: (44’) Header from Puyol. 0-3: (45’) Messi, aftr a play by Iniesta. 0-4: (75’) Messi, high ball. 0-5: (88’) Luna, in home goal after a play from Pedro.

INCIDENTS
Played in the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium. Ground was in good condition. Warm evening. In front of 22.510 spectators.

Training for Sunday's game against Barcelona

CD Tenerife started preparation for Sundays game against FC Barcelona in the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium at 20.00 on Wednesday. The Blanquiazules trained in the Mundialito training ground for one hour and 40 minutes after their day off on Tuesday.

The Island team completed their usual warm-up then did some phyisical exercises. After the trainer Jose Luis Oltra formed them into small groups and they played five minute games in four teams of five players

In the session were CD Tenerife B goalkeepers, Toño Ramírez y Luis Arellano and Manolo Martínez, Omar Ramos y Héctor Sánchez took part in the group.Marc Bertrán, though worked out on the side with injury specific exercises.

CD Tenerife's first team are training again today (Thursday) from 10am in the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium.

It may or may not be worth bearing in mind that CD Tenerife has never won a game with referee Miguel Angel Perez Lasa, the referee for Sunday's game. With him CD Tenerife has had three losses and two draws.