CD Tenerife 2009/10 Match Reports

Real disappointment - Oltra leaves and Nino could follow!
Valencia 1 CD Tenerife 0

Nearly 2,000 loyal Tenerife fans had made the trek to Valencia last Sunday to cheer their heroes to safety. Unfortunately their minds were in the south of Spain as Real Madrid disgracefully surrendered to Malaga.
Going into to the last round of matches the common consensus was Tenerife only needed a point at already-third Valencia. The theory was Barcelona and Real would both beat Valldolid and Malaga, so a draw or better would guarantee safety. But Real's leaky defence hadn't read the script. Duda notched for the hosts after nine minutes and Real spent the rest of the first half trying to avoid shipping a second.
Meanwhile Barcelona were having a party at the Nou Camp, battering poor Valladolid who were themselves going down. Tenerife were stuck in Valencia praying for help. On the field the hosts had most of the play, but Tenerife looked solid enough with Aragoneses' having another blinder in goal.

At half time Tenerife were doing their bit, but Real knew the league title had gone. They got one back early in the second half through Van der Vaart and Tenerife were back in the mix. But Madrid never really chased the winner. Malaga knew what was happening and were more than happy to turn the game into a training match. They knocked the ball across the backline and Real sat and watched them. It was agony for Tenerife.

Ten minutes from time coach Jose Luis Oltra knew Real were not going to win, so he urged his players forward in search of a winner. Valencia tightened up and frustrated the visitors. And then disaster struck. In Injury time Valencia had a corner, Tenerife left three up front and an unmarked Alexis headed home.
It was cruel.
If Real had been winning Tenerife would have parked the bus and got their draw. The full time whistle saw the players crestfallen. It was hard to accept. Some Real fans called Tenerife's relegation as 'payback for the Nineties'. Those with memories will recall how Tenerife twice denied Real the league title on the final day of the season. To those fans I simply say: “Barca”.
In the cold light of day it's easy to point the finger and blame factors for relegation. Our poor away form killed us, as did late equalisers at home to Villarreal and Malaga (where we were two up). Draws with Valladolid and Almeria were harsh and we should have beaten Valencia in January and Real Zaragoza on the opening night. The board were guilty of not splashing some cash and the sporting director failed to strengthen the squad.

But this season should be seen as a glorious failure. The team grew from a naïve side into a genuine La Liga team. Nino, Aragoneses, Ayoze, Betran and dare I say it Culebras, all became top flight players. Omar earned under 21 honours. We were feared in Santa Cruz and the fans were universally praised. Our football was easy on the eye and the side never gave up.
So the future should be bright. But this is CD Tenerife were are talking about. The kings of grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory. The past masters at shooting themselves in the foot.
There is no doubt that this squad is better than it was three months ago. Good enough to go straight back up, baring some kamikaze mission.

24 hours after relegation was confirmed Ayoze signed for Sporting Gijon. He joins them on a free as Tenerife let his contract lapse. Hours later La Liga sides started fluttering their eyelashes at Nino and Bertran. “We will stay if the coach stays” was the comment on Tuesday. “Brilliant” roared the Tenerife faithful. "I want to stay. My family like living here. If I can get a two year contract with a proper long term plan, then I am happy to stay. We have a strong squad and every chance of getting promotion" said coach Jose Luis Oltra on Wednesday morning. Twelve hours later he was effectively fired.
Chairman Miguel Conception held a summit with Oltra and his sporting director Santiago Llorente. Llorente is the man responsible for all the signings, of which Oltra has no influence in. Oltra has been stewing all season over the lack of quality and bodies. They had another massive disagreement and Conception backed Llorente. Oltra was gone.
Now either Conception has something up his sleeve, (in which case why would you hold contract and planning talks with Oltra?) or he has made a massive error. Oltra was approached by several La Liga sides and two 'giant' second division sides before the end of the season. He is well respected and his record is excellent. It's a bit like letting one of your star players like Ayoze go for nothing.....Hang on!
This sacking will signal a massive exodus of players. As it stands Betran is wanted by Real Zaragoza and Valencia. Almeria are the first of what will be many clubs to court Nino. He is from there as well. Angel is off to Espanyol and reserve team striker Airam has joined Villarreal. Culebras is out of contract and is open to the idea of staying. But he has offers from Wigan and Hearts.
Manolo Martinez looks set to go to England with two Premier League sides amongst a chasing pack. He would do great in England.
Richi and Saizar will be released while Dinei and Roman will return to their parent clubs. Aragoneses and Ricardo could also leave, but both are keen to stay for now. The big surprise is Alfaro. I understand he wants to remain in Santa Cruz! Watch this space.
That leaves Kome, Luna, Juanlu, Mikel, Nuñez, Bellvis and Sicilia. Iriome will return from his loan spell at Huesca and Ruben will be promoted from the reserves.

So half a team could leave and the manager has gone. And all because Real Madrid didn't score a second goal in Malaga!

Tenerife have Real problems
CD Tenerife 1 Real Madrid 5

Over twenty thousand souls squeezed into the Heliodoro last Saturday hoping for a post Christmas miracle. What they got was another sharp lesson in taking life's chances, a South American masterclass and further proof that the showpony from Madiera is still a boy in a man's body. In many ways this was a carbon copy of the Barcelona match from December. Except the Cabildo had installed a brand new VIP section right in front of the press box. It had smart grey leather upholstery, security guards, ushers and politicians who had to be reminded to cheer for the men in white. Rather than the men who usually wear white. The sight of Canarians in Real Madrid shirts was a bit sickening pre-match. The fact the souvenir stalls were doing a roaring trade in Kaka and Ronaldo shirts rather than Nino or Omar stuck in the craw. But this was to be expected. Thankfully the real Tenerife fans, rather than the Real Tenerife fans, knew what to do. And they did it magnificently. Plan A – wind up Ronaldo. Plan B – wind up Ronaldo.

Forget what you may have seen on the telly or his two nice backheels which will make Soccer am's showboat. He had a shocker, and we loved it! Every touch, every moan, every tackle was greeted with boos and catcalls. And he couldn't handle it. His workrate is a disgrace. Sure he notched a late penalty, but he didn't deserve it. Tenerife deserve a lot of credit for the way they performed. As I mentioned at the start, this was just like the Barca match with Tenerife starting well, not taking their chances and shipping five. On teletext this looks like a rout. It wasn't. Honest.

Manolo Martinez, Alfaro and Nino all had early chances and how Xavi Alonso avoided an early bath only the ref Snr Dominguez knows. Just before the half hour mark he was booked for a meaty challenge and minutes later did another on Ayose. He should have gone. Seconds later, after some good Tenerife pressure, Real scored. Marcelo, who was excellent, tore down the left and as Tenerife stood off he slipped a channel pass to Higuain. The Argentine is on fire right now and he smacked it first time past Aragoneses. It was perfectly in the corner and a prime example of the difference between the two sides. One chance – one goal. As if to hammer the point home, from the restart Juanlu evaded Marcelo and his cross was met by Alfaro whose volley was well saved by Casillas. Minutes before the break it was two nil. Xavi's pass found Granero on the edge of the box. He looked up pulled it back to Higuain who smacked it home first time from the 18 yards.

It was harsh, but whatever Tenerife coach Jose Luis Oltra said at half time worked because straight after the turn around the hosts pulled one back. Real's defence were still in the dressing room as Nino ghosted to the byline. His cross looked comfortable for Casillas as Ayose challanged. But the Spanish captain took his eye off the ball and it hit Ayose on the head and dribbled in. Real appealed, pleaded almost, for a foul but the ref stayed strong. For me the keeper had the ball in his hands, but hey, we will take it! This just angered the Madrid beast. Straight from the kick off Higuain played in Kaka who charged to the edge of the box before smacking the ball past Aragoneses. It was another soft goal and the mountain had to be climbed again. But as always Tenerife refused to give up. They took the match to the world's richest club and had numerous chances to pull one back. One particular goal scramble saw the ball being cleared off the line three times. But with Kaka showing the form that made Real give AC Milan nearly seventy million quid, and Higuain unplayable I always felt the visitors could go through the gears if needed. As it was they settled for a late Raul goal and a Ronaldo penalty to give the scoreline an inflated view.

Oasis Fm ratings:
Tenerife: Aragoneses 5, Marc Bertrán 6, Manolo Martínez 5 (Omar 60min 5), Luna 5, Sicilia 6, Ricardo 6, Richi 5 (Dinei 67min 4), Juanlu 6 (Mikel Alonso 81min), Alfaro 7, Ayoze 7, Nino 6.
Real Madrid: Casillas 7, Sergio Ramos 6, Albiol 6, Garay 6, Marcelo 7, Lassana Diarra 7, Xabi Alonso 6 (Diarra 82min), Granero 5 (Van der Vaart 74min 6), Kaka 9, Ronaldo 6, Higuaín 9 (Raul 77min 7).

Tenerife's magic Monday!
CD Tenerife 1 Mallorca 0

It's strange how one match can change a whole season. Well, the perception of a campaign anyway. This first Monday La Liga game of the millennium was meant to be a recipe for disaster. The fans didn't want it, Mallorca who had to rearrange their flights, didn't want it and scheduling it during rush hour on one of the busiest nights of the carnival was madness.

Yet, in the end, it worked out just great.

A large crowd of nearly 18,000 were entertained in a match that was always enthralling. This was a match that Tenerife needed to get something from after eight winless matches and they attacked their visitors from the very first kick.
Mallorca's home record has been perfect yet for some reason they have been patchy on the road. It didn0t take too long to work out why. They have a solid if unspectacular defence but in midfield they lack creativity. Borja was always a handful going forward but they seemed to lack that little something that is needed to unlock defenses.
Tenerife sensed this early and with Mikel Alonso running the show in midfield they always had the upper hand. Twice in the early exchanges they worked a through ball for Nino to chase down and twice he was offside. But third times a charm, or so they say.

And so it proved.

With fourteen minutes on the clock Ricardo spotted Nino's bending run in between Ayoze and Ramis and he was onto the pass in a flash. Hand on heart sat in the stands it looked offside. The Mallorca arms were up and even Nino seemed to hesitate. But the flag stayed down and Nino was in on goal.
He deftly glanced left and the keeper Aoute covered the move. But this was a trick and Nino slammed the ball right. It flew past Aoute and inside his near post. It was as smart a finish as you will see.
Tenerife used the early goal as a springboard and chased a second. Nino and Alfaro had half chances and before the break Nino again looked to have sprung the trap, but this time the offside flag was raised.
Halftime brought reflection and the general feeling was Tenerife would need a second. Mallorca had had a poor first half and surely a side chasing a Champions League place would improve?
As it turned out they did, but so did the Tenerife defending. Recently they have been a little brittle in defence and with captain Manolo Martinez injured it was odds-on they would again concede.

I've seen a lot of Jose Antonio Culebras over the last few seasons and even though he is a competent centre back, he is error prone. He has played just two La Liga matches this season but on Monday he produced the performance of his career. He was simply magnificent.
Being an old centre back myself he was a joy to watch. He was first to every header, strong in every challenge, always goal side and marshaled partner Luna correctly. He would slip into the cover position, or come into midfield to win the ball.
He never gave Mallorca a sniff and he has given coach Jose Oltra a real selection headache. Culebras's towering display forced Mallorca to change the tactics. They couldn't bulldoze through the middle and had to try and prise a chance from the wings.
Even though substitute Webo looked lively and pacy, he had little support. Towards the end Tenerife were happy to sit back and despite one heart stopping goal mouth scramble, Tenerife were always comfortable even if the fans weren't! They have suffered with late goals and after the Zaragoza defeat they were taking nothing for granted.

But Tenerife saw it out and got the victory they richly deserved.

Oasis Fm ratings:
Tenerife: Aragoneses 7, Betran 7, Culebras 9, Luna 7, Sicilia 7, Juanlu 6 (Richi 70 min 6), Ricardo 7, Mikel Alonso 8, Omar 6 (Ayoze 65min 6), Alfaro 6 (Angel 90min), Nino 7.
Mallorca: Aoute 7, Josemi 6, Nunes 7, Ramis 7, Ayoze 6, Marti 6, Suarez 6 (Pezzolano 72min 6), Borja 7, Aduriz 6 (Varela 82min), Castro 7, Julio 6 (Webo 62min 7).

It was such a vital win as only two sides of the bottom eleven failed to pick up any points. This Sunday they travel to face Athletic Bilbao and it's a great time to be playing the Basque boys.
They had a Europa League match yesterday (Thursday) and will be far from 100 percent. Tenerife enjoyed a comfortable win over Bilbao back in September and recently Bilbao have found life tough after a great start. Sure they beat Real Madrid a few matches back, but they have lost three out of four since. With the Tenerife match sandwiching the Anderlecht tie, they may just be there for the taking.

Real problems for Tenerife
CD Tenerife 1 Real Zaragoza 3

In every season there comes a defining moment. You never see it coming, but it asks the sort of questions which should have been direct at Tony Blair during the Iraq Inquiry. Soul searching, character building.
That moment, or week, has arrived in Santa Cruz. Tenerife's capitulation at the hands of a poor Real Zaragoza was unacceptable. A trusted friend of mine summed it up perfectly: “They folded like a pack of cards. There was no heart, no fight, no desire. It was embarrassing. Once they conceded the equaliser it was like they didn't want to be out there. They were a disgrace.”
Strong words.

This was a must win game for Jose Luis Oltra's side and they blew it. Big time. They controlled the match and should have been out of sight long before the end of game ten minute carnage. Juanlu's early second half strike was scant reward for Tenerife's dominance.
Carrizo was in inspired form in the visiting net, but he was helped by some trademark woeful Tenerife finishing. And as I've written numerous times in this column, if you don't take your chances...
Suazo was a handful all day and he was unlucky to have what seemed a fine goal chalked off for a foul on Marc Betran. But he got his revenge fourteen minutes from time after a sweet penalty. And then just as Tenerife were trying to compose themselves they fell behind.
Former Las Palmas striker (why does THAT keep haunting us?) Adrian Colunga fired in a super goal after Suazo's killer ball had split the defence. Three minutes later it was three as another fine strike from Lafita evaded the dive of Aragoneses.
Crash. Bang. Wallop.

So Tenerife swop places with Zaragoza and only Xerez are below us in the league. Worrying times, especially with no signings being made in the transfer window. Apparently a few deals fell through, but to be honest there was never any real buzz about the Spanish game in the window. It's not like in England when sides panic buy. Very few deals were done in La Liga so it's not quite the disaster it seems at first light. So as I mentioned at the top, it's time to find out once for all if this side is good enough.
This weekend they have a very tricky trip to Osasuna who are really starting to fire. Jose Antonio Camacho's side are ninth and they have won their last three games. They are rock solid at home but they do have a few injury concerns over Ludovic Delporte and Walter Pandiani who has had an excellent season. Juanfran will definatly be missing after having his appendix removed on Wednesday.
When these sides met back in September, Tenerife were full value for their 2-1 win thanks to goals from Nino and Ricardo. Pandiani netted that day and he was a real menace for the Tenerife defence. It's no bull to say the Pamplona side are the most physical side in La Liga and at home the locals demand a bit of muscle. Tenerife are packed with Smurfs, so any points will be a real bonus.

Next weekend Tenerife will make a bit of history, although it's something the club are not happy about. Following on from the success of the Premier League the Spanish FA have decided to implement a Monday night La Liga match. This has angered many fans and of course the fact they are bringing this in mid season has only poured petrol on the situation.
Long term it will make financial sense for the clubs, but short term it adds more misery for the fans who try to attend away fixtures. It's been reported that Tenerife were the only side to vote against this so the league have got their revenge in early.
Therefore the first Monday night match will be Tenerife's home game with highflying Mallorca! The battle of the island's will kick off at 8pm. Traffic chaos in Santa Cruz is guaranteed.

More travel trouble for Tenerife
Getafe 2 CD Tenerife 1

The French have a word that sums it up brilliantly. Déjà vu. The Americans who don’t have their own language would call it Groundhog Day. Either way, this is starting to bite for CD Tenerife right now. Another battling away display produced nothing. Yes they worked hard and yes they were always in this match but that won’t prevent a swift return to the Segunda Division.
This defeat was courtesy of a Uruguayan smash n grab raid. Juan Angel Albin was the Getafe hero with two well taken goals. The first came just before the break and minutes after Richi had a goal disallowed for a foul and Nino had hit the bar. Arragoneses had tipped a corner kick onto the bar and while the Tenerife defenders took and afternoon nap Albin smacked the ball into the net.
The second on 68 minutes came from a school boy error by captain Manolo Martinez. He stupidly tried to dribble the ball out of defence but Manu tackled him and released Albin who had a clear run on goal. He took the ball into the box and smashed it past Arragoneses. It must have driven Tenerife coach Jose Luis Oltra mad. Two moments of madness and the whole gameplan comes unstuck.
Tenerife gave themselves a lifeline with a rare Juanlu goal ten minutes from time. Nino’s cross was fumbled by Codina and Juanlu had a six yard tap in. The defeat was not a disaster as all none of the sides around Tenerife won. It means they stay in twelfth place ahead of this Sunday’s glamour match with Atletico Madrid. The 6pm kick off time has pleased the home fans and the match will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports. The coverage will do Tenerife’s tourism no harm at all.

On the field it should be a cracker. Both sides have had their problems recently and Atletico are still very much a team in crisis. They had an awful start to the season but domestically and in the Champions League where they were dumped out with barely a whimper. They did however manage to scrape a draw with Chelsea and that looked to be the spark they nedded to ignite their season. Subsequently a 4-0 win over Espanyol was followed by a comfortably victory at Xerez. But the wheels have again fallen off after two poor home defeats. Porto smashed the 3-0 in the Champions League and last weekend Villareal out muscled them 2-1.
Atletico have an embarrassment of riches and talent at their disposal yet for some reason they cannot gel as a side. This has led to fierce speculation that their star names will be moved on next month. Chelsea and Man City have been tracking Sergio Aguero for months and a forty million pound move looks likely. Top scorer and former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan is also coveted by a variety of English clubs.
Atletico may travel to the Heliodoro without former Arsenal favourite Jose Antonio Reyes. He had a nasty collision with team mate Diego Lopez during the Villareal defeat and he spent a couple of nights in hospital with a neck injury. It would be surprise to see him back on the pitch this week.

Whilst the visitors have issues, Tenerife seemingly have little to lose. At the start of the season every fan would have taken CDT being in 12th place and a point ahead of Madrid at this stage of the season. Mikel Alonso should return to partner Ricardo in central midfield after sitting out the Getafe defeat. This match is the fist of three glamour home matches for the home side to gorge on. After the festive break Barcelona are here, followed by Valencia at the end of January.

Tenerife gain Sporting victory
CD Tenerife 2 Sporting Gijon 1

Tenerife charged up to twelfth place after a thoroughly deserved victory over high flying Sporting Gijon in an absorbing encounter. This was a match to savour. Nearly a thousand Gijon fans had made the long journey from northern Spain and they helped create an intense atmosphere which translated into the players psyche.
In short, this was a thriller!

Tenerife started with a makeshift defence that saw right winger Juanlu Hens starting at full back whilst Hector was given a La Liga debut at left back. Gijon were boosted when Gregory passed a pre-match fitness test and the Frenchman would have a stormer. Tenerife went for the throat from the start and they felt they should have had a goal after just three minutes.
A Juanlu corner to the back post was headed across goal by Kome and Pablo Sicilia powered a header against the underside of the bar. The ball dropped down on the goal line and bounced out. The Heliodoro erupted as Tenerife’s players begged the ref for a goal. But the linesman was not from Azerbaijan. TV replays suggested the officials got it right and as our picture shows, the ball never crossed the line.
But the players and fans didn’t have the benefit of the pictures and continued to complain as play continued. Meanwhile Gijon got on with the match and they broke down the right. Martinez and Sicilia didn’t notice Juanlu and when they stepped up Castro was onside. He coolly took the ball towards the Tenerife area and slammed the ball past Aragoneses. Talk about a double bubble disaster.
It got worse for Tenerife a few minutes later. A well worked move between Nino and Kome saw the Cameroon international slip the Gijon defence. But just as he was about to charge at goal he was pulled back by Botia. It was a cast iron free kick and a red card. However the linesman had already raised his flag so the ref gave the offside decision instead.
It was all too much for the Tenerife coach Jose Luis Oltra. He vented his anger at the fourth official, who in turn grassed him up to the ref. The resultant expulsion to the stands was inevitable and for Oltra, not a first.
Thankfully it didn’t effect the team’s concentration and they dusted themselves down. They forced the pace and took the match to Gijon, but they were continually thwarted by the excellent Gregory. The Frenchman was the proverbial rock at the heart of the defence. Thirty minutes in and Gijon suffered a setback when De Las Cuevas suffered a knee injury. This changed the Gijon shape and ultimately the match. Carmelo was much more defensive minded and this alienated Bilic in attack.

The visitors got through to half time but not much further. The Tenerife players came out for the second half like a team possessed and they produced their best 45 minutes of the season. Ten minutes in, they had their reward. Omar was giving Lora nightmares at right back and it was another one of his crosses that lead to the equaliser. Botia’s headed clearance fell to Ricardo on the edge of the area. His shot took a vicious deflection and wrong footed former Tenerife goalie Juan Pablo. It may have seemed harsh on Gijon but the home fans felt they were due a bit of luck.
This inspired Tenerife and with Gijon visibly wilting, it was only a matter of time before a winner was struck.
On 67 minutes Omar again whipped over a decent cross. Nino’s header looped in the air, Alfaro chested it down and Angel fired a shot at goal. The ball bounced off of Michel, who was being watched by scouts from Birmingham, and it fell to Nino. But the angle seemed impossible. The ball was literally on the line and a cross seemed the only option. And it seemed as though the defenders thought the same as they were drawn off the line. But Nino’s confidence is back and he struck for goal. He caught it sweetly and it flew past Juan Pablo, cannoned off the luckless Gregory, and nestled in the net.
Gijon were beat. They knew it, the fans knew it and Tenerife finished the match trying to steal a third. Deep in added time Angel skipped clear of the defence and was one on one with the keeper. Predictably the youngster fired wide when it was easier to score. But it didn’t matter. The win moves Tenerife well clear of the dropzone and this weekend they have a tricky match at Getafe.

Oasis Fm ratings:
CD Tenerife: Sergio Aragoneses 7, Juanlu Hens 7, Manolo Martínez 8, Pablo Sicilia 7, Héctor 7 (Aitor Nuñez 81min), Omar 8 (Ayoze 76min 6), Ricardo 8, Mikel Alonso 8, Kome 6 (Angel 64min 6), Alfaro 7, Nino 7.
Sporting Gijon: Juan Pablo 6, Lora 7, Botia 7, Gregory 9, Canella 6, Luis Moran 6 (Maldonado 76min. 6), Michel 7, Rivera 6, Diego Castro 7, De las Cuevas 5 (Carmelo 34min 6), Bilic 5 (Barral 50min 6).

Tenerife seal historic comeback
Valladolid 3 CD Tenerife 3

It’s been a gloomy few weeks for Tenerife fans and after an hour at a freezing cold Nuevo Jose Zorrilla stadium the brave away fans would have been forgiven for leaving early to catch their flight home.
It wasn’t just the fact that Valladolid were three goals up. It was the lack of any ideas, thoughts and dare I say it passion. Diego Costa had helped himself to a couple of goals after some sloppy defending and only Mikel Alonso will truly know what he was doing when he concede a penalty that Canobbio smacked home.
Let’s pretend for a minute that you are the manager. Your side have lost every away match this season and here you are three goals down against a fellow struggler. What do you do? Do you shore up the defence and try to avoid a thumping? Or do you throw caution to the wind and fight fire with fire?

Thankfully Tenerife have a manager who believes the glass is half full. Jose Luis Oltra is not averse to playing five attackers and on the hour mark he threw on Angel. Now I’m not the biggest fan of the Tenerife youngster. He has pace, but then again so does Usain Bolt. Angel at times has the touch of the world’s fastest man and if Andy Cole needed seven chances to score then Angel needs more chances than a dozen Monopoly board games.
But this time Angel made a difference and sparked the greatest comeback in Tenerife’s top flight history. They have never levelled from three goals down at the highest level, but comeback they did. Firstly Nino, who looked brighter against Valladolid, smacked home from inside the box after some uncharacteristic schoolboy defending by Luis Prieto.
Eight minutes later and Tenerife had another. Mikel Alonso’s hopeful cross was headed back across goal and into the path of Angel. He struck it first time and the keeper Villar should never have been beaten at his near post.
Tenerife pressed and the home nerves were all too evident. Oltra threw on another striker in Dinei and Tenerife were playing with Nino, Angel, Alfaro, Dinei and Ayose as a forward line. Five minutes from time Valladolid switched off as Tenerife took a short corner and Ayose snuck in his first of the season to stun the home faithful. Tenerife celebrated as though they had won the league and in time added on Angel squandered a glorious chance to seal the greatest comeback since Ian Botham beat the Aussies at Headingley in 1981.

It capped a decent weekend for Tenerife as results went for them. Xerez threw away an early lead as they were smashed 5-1 at Getafe, Malaga were two goals up at Sevilla but were pegged back 2-2 while Zaragoza, Racing and Villareal all lost.

This Sunday Tenerife host Sporting Gijon in a match that kicks off at 4pm. Gijon have made an excellent start to the season and they are unbeaten in seven matches. This run includes a draw against Real Madrid but they were held to a goalless draw at Xerez a few weeks ago. They are a well drilled side that will cause Tenerife plenty of problems.
They are one of the tallest teams in La Liga and they score a fair few goals from set pieces. They have a couple of injury concerns at the moment and key defender Gregory is a major doubt after tearing a bicep last weekend. In attack Bilic will probably start alongside De Las Cuevas, the pair has seven goals between them, with the dangerous Diego Castro making an impact from the bench.
Tenerife hope to welcome back Kome after injury but the problems in defence continue as Luna is missing through suspension.

Super Sevilla thwart awesome Alonso
CD Tenerife 1 Sevilla 2

After nearly a decade stuck in the twilight zone, last Saturday was worth the wait. Sevilla were the first of the big four to venture to Santa Cruz and a packed Heliodoro crowd enjoyed the early evening feast.
The visitors have made an eyecatching start to the season and their easy on the eye style of football has earned them a new generation of fans. They pitched up without a host of stars: Palop, Escudé, Adriano, Dragutinovic, Sergio Sánchez, Duscher, Koné and Fazio, yet they were still packed with internationals.
Their forward line of former Spurs and West Ham striker Freddie Kanoute and Brazilian Luis Fabiano are worth a combined sixty million pounds. Oh and they had fifteen million pound Spanish international Negredo and twenty million pound Ivory Coast star Romaric on the bench!

But two Tenerife players stole the limelight if not the points. It’s taken him nearly ten months but Mikel Alonso is finally showing Tenerife fans his true worth. He was magnificent against Sevilla and produced his best CDT performance. He was everywhere and the visitors would have won much more comfortably without him. Alonso was well backed up by Omar who was being watched by several scouts in the stands. Omar has obviously taken a great deal of confidence from his debut under twenty one cap for Spain last week as he was never overawed by the occasion.
On a warm evening Sevilla started brightly as Tenerife nervously sat off. Former Spurs midfielder Didi Zakora was pulling the strings in midfield and he helped set up the first Sevilla chance. He broke up a Tenerife attack and searched out the excellent Renato. His first time ball to Fabiano was a peach as it drew Manolo Martinez towards the Tenerife left. The Brazilian’s exquisite left foot pass evaded Luna and Kanoute was in on goal. Aragoneses tried to narrow the angle but with the goal at his mercy there was only one outcome. Or so we thought, because from sixteen yards Kanoute scuffed the shot into the arms of the relieved Aragoneses.
It was a let off but the alarm bells were falling off the wall for home fans. Sevilla went forward in packs and on the half hour they had their reward. Chelsea target Jesus Navas collected a pass from Kanoute and tore down the right wing. He looked up and saw Perotti unmarked at the back post. His cross was inch perfect and the finish as sweet as a nut.
Tenerife tried to get a foothold in the match and Alonso was showing his class with some telling passes but Nino, Juanlu and an out of form Roman were struggling badly. Right at the death of the half some poor defending from a corner gave Tenerife their best chance. But Pablo Sicillia headed wide with a free header from a dozen yards. It was a shocking miss.

Half time brought Tenerife some fire and they attacked Sevilla after the turnaround. Three minutes in and the match was decided. Sevilla were caught in possession in midfield and Alonso stole the ball and sent Nino away. He was through on goal but for some reason he seemed to be preoccupied with the surroundings. He was looking around for a mate rather than charging into the box like he would normally do. This gave Squillaci half a chance and his inch perfect tackle, just as Nino was about to pull the trigger, bundled the attacker to the ground. The crowd erupted; Nino was sprawled on the turf like a squid doing the splits. The ref who was up with play waved on. It was a big decision and for me correct. As Tenerife moaned, Sevilla played on. Kanoute charged down the right, played in Fabiano, whose lay off to Renato was as inviting as a ticket to the Playboy Christmas party.
Renato smacked it first time past Arragoneses and the match was over. It was a splendid goal and a harsh reminder of one of the first things you are taught when you are five. Always play to the whistle.
Tenerife tried valiantly to get a goal back. Omar was terrorizing Konko and Alonso was still finding passes but Sevilla are in the top three for a reason. Just when it seemed Tenerife had given up, they snuck one back. Juanlu’s backpost cross was a little too square but this gave Nino a yard on the defenders and from eight yards he volleyed it past Varas.
This should have signaled a cavalry charge, but Negredo and Romaric were lively up front and the visitors always looked like they had a few extra gears if needed.

This result is no disaster for Tenerife and will not effect their safety effort. However once again there are some problems that need addressing. Nino needs to find some confidence, Roman some form and starting this weekend, some points need to go on the board.
It’s Valladolid this Sunday and Dani Kome will again be missing. He has been desperate to face his former side but he strained a calf in training and is rated doubtful. Alfaro returns after sitting out the match with his parent club.

Oasis Fm ratings:
CD Tenerife: Sergio Aragoneses 7, Pablo Sicilia 6, Manolo Martínez 6, Luna 7, Bellvís 6 (Ayoze 67min 5); Ricardo 6, Mikel Alonso 9, Juanlu 6 (Dinei 82min), Román Martínez 5 (Angel 57min 5) Omar 8, Nino 6.
Sevilla: Javi Varas 7, Konko 6, Marc Valiente 7 (Lolo 66min 6), Squillaci 7, Fernando Navarro 7, Jesús Navas 7, Zokora 8, Renato 8, Perotti 8, Kanoute 7 (Romaric 60min7) Luis Fabiano 7 (Negredo 76min 6).

Compact Coruña teach Tenerife a lesson
CD Tenerife 0 Deportivo La Coruña 1

This was the first of three matches Tenerife would play against sides in blue and white stripes, and on paper the hardest. Deportivo came to the island in high spirits and they certainly left feeling on top of the world. This was a thoroughly professional performance from the boys from North West Spain and a lesson in La Liga life for the hosts.
Tenerife lined up without four first choice players: Manolo Martinez, Marc Betran, Ricardo and Juanlu and they were sorely missed.
Pablo Sicilia is a decent centre half, however Tenerife miss the organization Martinez brings to the backline. Nunez is a fine right back, but he doesn’t have the barnstorming runs that are a Bertran feature. Alonso works hard and has an eye for a pass, but Ricardo snaps at the heels and puts his foot in. Kome will dazzle and deceive, but he is better on the left and he doesn’t have Juanlu’s crossing ability. Tenerife’s squad is thin and last Saturday it cost them at least a point.

It was another Santa Cruz Saturday scorcher and the late afternoon heat gave the early exchanges a pre season feel. But from the very first kick it was plain to see that Deportivo were a massive step up on anything that has pitched up at the Heliodoro over the last five years.
They were solid, well disciplined and fit. Very fit. The feeling pre match was, like Osasuna a few weeks ago, they would wilt in the Canarian heat. But they seemed to enjoy the sunshine, and their high work rate was designed to test the home legs. They forced the early pace with a plethora of corners which caused the home defence a mountain of problems. Tenerife has to be the smallest side in the league and whilst Deportivo are hardly a team of Goliath’s they were visibly ‘lumpier’.
However with just Riki in attack, they looked a little toothless. This encouraged Tenerife forward, but they could only glean a series of half chances. Twenty minutes in a gorgeous Nuñez cross looked destined for the head of an unmarked Richi, only for Roman to charge onto the cross and put his header teasingly over the bar.
Nino had his usual half chances and was a little unlucky to find the linesmen raising his flag from what looked a brilliantly timed run towards the Depor keeper on the half hour mark. But for all the Tenerife possession Deportivo only left them scraps. Lopo and Colotto won every header and managed to get some body part on every shot or cross. It was a defensive master class that was ultimately to prove decisive. At the death of the first half the impressive Guardado linked well with Felipe down the Tenerife right. They worked a lovely move which saw Guardado free on the byline. He waited for Lassad’s near post run and his chip evaded Aragoneses. Inexplicably Lassad missed his header with the unmarked goal at his mercy. It was a shocking miss and he was hauled off at halftime for it.
But the change worked in everyone’s favour. Rodriguez is an English style centre forward and his partnership with Riki left the visitors a man short in midfield. This allowed Tenerife a bit of space and opened up the match. However Tenerife never created that gilt edged chance. With Colotto winning every header and Lopo every second phase ball Tenerife were getting frustrated. Kome was quiet, Alfaro rusty and Nino starved of service. Deportivo had done their homework and the plan was worthy of the Italian Job.
But unlike Michael Caine’s boys, Deportivo had mastered their getaway from this smash and grab. Corner number eight brought them the goal as the once again unmarked Colotto slammed his header into the net. The mission was complete as they closed ranks and even though Tenerife finished with five strikers they had no creation in the midfield. In fact former Tenerife favourite Mista should have sealed the match in the last regulation minute when he was one on one with Aragoneses.

Sometimes you just have to admit that your side was not good enough. There was no shame losing to Deportivo, as they will give everyone a match. But this was a reality check for the players and the fans. Hard work will only get you so far. The international rest week will give the coaches a chance to try a few things out. A plan B should be top of the agenda.
Oasis Fm ratings:
Tenerife: Aragoneses 7, Aitor Nuñez 7 (Dinei 64min 6), Luna 7, Sicilia 6, Bellvís 7, Roman Martinez 7, Alonso 6, Alfaro 6, Richi 6 (Omar 60min6), Kome 6 (Angel 83min), Nino 7.
Deportivo: Aranzubía 7, Pablo 7, Lopo 8, Colotto 9, Filipe 7, Sergio 8, Antonio Tomas 7, Alvarez 7 (Mista 80min), Lassad 5 (Rodríguez 46min7), Guardado 8, Riki 7 (Bodipo 71min6).

Tenerife show they are for Real
Real Madrid 3 CD Tenerife 0

If you watched this game on teletext or just saw the result in the paper you might have thought: “Well that was what I expected.” Believe me this scoreline doesn’t do Tenerife justice. Not for a second. Not even close. If the scores were reversed, it would not have been out of place.
TENERIFE WERE EXCELLENT!
Sorry for the caps, but they were. Jose Luis Oltra has to be applauded for the way he set up his side and the players deserve a large pat on the back for the way they played. They were not overawed, star struck or respectful of price tags. They came, they saw, and for long periods, they battered. At one stage just after the hour mark Tenerife had enjoyed nearly sixty percent of the possession.
At times in the first half they made Madrid look like Morecombe. Lassana Diarra and Xabi Alonso were being out hustled by Alonso’s brother Mikel and Roman Martinez. They chased every ball, pick out teammates and scrambled to win second phase ball. Sure they rode their luck at times. Arragoneses’ save from Raul is something you have to see on youtube.
But Tenerife’s gung ho attitude was paying dividends. Alfaro set the tempo with an early effort from the edge of the box which should have sailed past Casillas. Kome had his usual half chances and Nino was troubling the defence through his shear work rate. Time and time again Tenerife scared the life out of the home fans. Richi’s height caused Pepe problems and with Marc Bertran supporting from the back, there was only one side in it. Cristiano Ronaldo was reduced to long range free kicks and one cameo mazy run in a quiet afternoon.
Real’s frustration was encapsulated by Royston Drenthe’s horror challenge on Bertran. He lunged at the Tenerife skipper and caught him full studs on the ankle ball. As our picture shows, it was a shocker. Quite how the referee Muñiz Fernadez could only show a yellow card is beyond me. If it was a Tenerife challenge…
Bertran suffered an injury similar to the one that I did in July and he will not kick a ball this year. In fact, and trust me on this, he will be doing well to play again before Valentines Day.

At halftime Tenerife’s large and loud fan base gave their heroes a standing ovation, whilst the home fans groaned into the prawn sandwiches. The second half started like the first had ended with chance after chance for Tenerife. Kome was guilty of missing the clearest chances. But there are only so many chances you can squander before the giant wakes up. Sure enough 40million euro man Karim Benzema struck twice in the first twelve minutes after some over adventurous play. Both goals were harsh on Tenerife but the second had a big sting in the tail as talisman Manolo Martinez tore a muscle that will keep him out of action for the whole of October.
But Tenerife didn’t let the goals affect them. They battled back and showed true grit as they chased every lost cause. Kome weaved a spell in the penalty area and Nino had two point blank efforts from six yards brilliantly saved by Casillas. Moments later Omar nearly had something to tell the grandkids as his volley clipped the far post. Tenerife could be playing ‘Fergie Time’ and they still wouldn’t score.
Real added a late Kaka goal, but it didn’t matter as they were outplayed, out sung (the CDT fans were amazing) and lucky. Make no mistake Tenerife will stay up if they show that level of commitment. Coach Oltra could not have asked for more. They will play worse and win on the road this year.

Tomorrow (Saturday) Tenerife welcomes Deportivo La Coruña to Santa Cruz. The Northerners are a shadow of the side from the glory years of the nineties. But they do travel to the Helidoro in fine form. They have won their last two matches and like Tenerife, they gave Real a, err, real battle on the opening day of the season before going down 3-2. They are a handful, especially going forward.
Tenerife’s squad will be stretched to the limit and it will be a patched up side. Bertran and Martinez were always going to be missing and they are joined in the stand by Ricardo whose broken cheek is worse than first thought. Roman Martinez must undergo a late fitness test on a calf he injured in training on Tuesday and Juanlu is at least three weeks away with the injury he sustained in pre season. That’s five first team names missing!
But their problems do give the squad men a chance to shine. Pablo Sicilia will partner Luna at centre half with Nuñez again filling in at right back. It will be Alonso alongside Richi if Roman fails to make it and there is a chance that Dinei will start alongside Nino in a front two. The match kicks off at 5pm and is live on Oasis Fm.

Finally this week I would like to offer my condolences to the family of Jonathan Pitman aka The Poet. He was a much loved member of the Armada Sur and his passing this week from cancer came as a real shock. He was always great company and I shall miss our conversations on the history of speedway, the failings of Fulham and our general CD Tenerife thoughts.

Bilbao battered and now for a Real test!
Mallorca 4 CD Tenerife 0
CD Tenerife 1 Athletic Bilbao 0

As most of you will be aware I am a massive Wolves fan. Last season was amazing with them and Tenerife both being promoted, and in many ways they are in similar situations. They have both underachieved for many years, lack the finances to challenge the big boys and are bookies favourites to go down. But sometimes the experts get it wrong.
Wolves have made an excellent start and are unbeaten at home, despite the odd stuffing away. And Tenerife are doing the same.
Fans will instantly forget last Saturdays defeat at Mallorca. Tenerife are going to get the odd thumping away from Santa Cruz and as is often the case the scoreline can be deceptive. They were behind early to Mario Suavez’s gimme after Aragoneses’ dropped a cross. There was more comedy defending for Aduriz’s second goal five minutes into the second half.
It must have been a big concern for coach Jose Luis Oltra as the sides success has been build on a sturdy defence. As befits an Oltra side Tenerife went off in search of goals. More often than not they succeed but in La Liga you can be punished for such a gung-ho attitude. Sure enough Julio Alvarez added a third before Tenerife saw red.
Twice.

Luna’s sending off for a second yellow card was careless while Marc Betran’s early bath for a pro foul was one of those things. His clumsy challenge was punished by Webo who slammed in the penalty five minutes from time.
This result coupled with another Bilbao win made the home faithful nervous ahead of Wednesday’s match with Athletic. But as I mentioned in this column last week, Bilbao came to the Heliodoro off the back of some exhausting matches. I predicted that they might not be at full strength and there for the taking. I love being right!
Coach Joaquín Caparrós made six changes from the side that beat Villareal and he was left to rue that decision as his team were torn apart by a hungry Canarian pack of dogs.
Over twenty thousand squeezed into a groaning Heliodoro and they were reward with a win, and performance, which will have been noted from Madrid to Barcelona. Again the scoreline is misleading. It could, no, should have been four nil.

Tenerife started brightly and instantly you could tell the visitors were here for a point. They started with just Etxeberria in attack with the toothless Muniain just behind him. But with Yeste so deep in midfield that he looked like a third centre back, they never looked like threatening the home goal. Of course this just gave Tenerife the excuse they needed to launch attack after attack. I was so fierce come the end of the first half that I almost felt sorry for the Bilbao defence.
But they did have the games outstanding player. Goalkeeper Gorka had obviously been reading Churchill’s autobiography because he had a ‘they shall not pass’ attitude all match. Time after time he was called into action. Nino, Richi, Kome, Roman and Alfaro all had efforts that seemed destined to bulge the onion bag. Every time Gorka would respond: “Ohhhhh no…..”
It was a breathtaking display, but I had a feeling it was only a matter of time. Just before the break Ricardo was caught by Iturraspe’s flailing arm and went down heavily. It was clear he had broken his nose, but as we go to print it’s also been revealed he has suffered a fractured cheekbone. If that is the case he will be out for a while and certainly tomorrow’s match at Real Madrid.
He was replaced by Mikel Alonso and little did we know that an hour later it would become such an important switch.

At halftime Caparros decided that he needed to change his shape and he brought on a second forward. Toquero is an ugly British style centre forward and his introduction alongside Etxeberria changed the match. It gave Bilbao a decent outlet and forced Alonso to drop deep to cover the Tenerife back four.
This dried up the supply line and it looked as though Bilbao would get their point. But once again an injury played into Tenerife’s hands. Nuñez was having a fine debut at right back in place of the suspended Betran but with twenty minutes to go he developed severe cramp. With no defender on the bench Oltra had to think fast. He decided to go with just three men at the back and he threw on the striker Dinei.
The Brazilian plays like Freddie Kanoute and his pace scared the life out of a tiring away defence. Suddenly Tenerife seemed to have an extra man and they dominated in a style similar to the first half. However they still couldn’t find a way past Gorka.
With four minutes to go Bilbao left back Castillo stupidly handled a pass intended for Dinei. It was right on the edge of the area and many thought it was inside the box. Either way it was a gilt edged chance for Tenerife.
If he had been on the park Ricardo would have taken it. But in his absence Alfaro had the honour. He drifted it to the back post where an unmarked Mikel Alonso headed in his first for the club. The irony was not lost on a deflated Bilbao, whose players sank to their knees. Alonso and Tenerife celebrated like they had won the league. And who knows, at the end of the season those extra two points might just keep Tenerife in this league.

Oasis Fm ratings:
Tenerife: Aragoneses 7, Núñez 7 (Dinei 68min 7), Sicilia 7, Manolo Martínez 9, Bellvis 7, Alfaro 6, Ricardo 6 (Mikel Alonso 41min7), Román Martínez 8, Kome 7, Richi 6 (Omar 60min 7), Nino 7.
Athletic Bilbao: Gorka 9, Iraola 7, Ocio 7, Amorebieta 7, Castillo 6, Susaeta 6, Iturraspe 5 (Gurpegui 50min 6), Yeste 7, Gabilondo 6, Etxeberria 5 (Llorente 64min 6), Muniain 5 (Toquero 46min 7).

On Saturday, Tenerife face a small provincial side called Real Madrid! Plenty of Tenerife fans have made the trip and I’m sure they will enjoy every minute of the match. But Real have hit the ground running and last week they smashed Xerez 5-0 with four goals in the last twelve minutes!

Ricardo’s rocket gives Tenerife vital win.
CD Tenerife 2 Osasuna 1

CD Tenerife are up and running in La Liga after another impressive display in a sweltering Heliodoro stadium. An official crowd of 18,300 witnessed Tenerife putting down a serious marker for the season ahead. If Tenerife are to avoid an instant return to the second division, they need to beat sides like Osasuna. Well they managed that last Sunday, and in some style.
The visitors had been on the back foot all week. The 4pm kick off was extremely controversial and Osasuna were convinced this would put them at a massive disadvantage. Those fears would be well founded.
They lined up in a mirror of Tenerife’s 4-2-3-1 system and the game plan was simple. Snuff out the attack and steal a point. For long spells during a nervy first half it looked like they might manage it. Tenerife’s first touch was poor, final balls lacked quality and they seemed to be a little rusty. But slowly they found their feet.
Tenerife have never been particularly strong from set pieces and corners, but the better chances in the first half came this way. On twenty minutes Eze Luna caused problems for the visiting defence at a corner and after the second phase ball was crossed back into the box he somehow missed a free volley from six yards. Minutes later Alfaro did something similar as he elected to chip the ball over former Man United keeper Ricardo when he was left unmarked eight yards out from another corner.
Richi and Nino would also squander decent chances before the break but the 15 minute sit down would prove vital. Osasuna came out for the second half to find the mercury had risen five Celsius and the task had doubled after a mad first two minutes. From the kick off left back Monreal got himself instantly booked for a clumsy challenge and 45 seconds later was on his way to the bath for a pointless handball. The shrug of the shoulders by ref Velasco Carballo summed it up. It was stupid and the ref had no choice. From the free kick Ricardo chipped the ball over the wall and into the path of a free Nino who volleyed it through the keeper’s legs.
It was a smart finish and a double whammy for the visitors. But the joy was short lived. A few minutes later Luna had to make a vital clearance from a Juanfran cross to deny Walter Pandiani a free header and from the resultant corner the Uruguayan headed in when unmarked at the near post. It was a shocking goal to concede. Tenerife have this habit of switching off at set pieces and at this level they will be punished for it. Last season they did it against Salamanca and Zaragoza at crucial moments.

Osasuna’s leveller gave them heart and for the first time they pushed on in search of a winner. But Tenerife is a counter attack team and they would create a plethora of chances which would all go begging. Just after the hour mark they would finally take one and from an unlikely source. Ricardo has the tools to be a Steven Gerrard type of player but he never seems to use them in front of goal. However his speculative thirty yard effort was every bit as good as any the Liverpool captain has produced and it fizzed past his namesake and into the top of the onion bag.
Osasuna were stunned and when Nekounam was red carded for a cowardly elbow on Roman the game was up. They wilted badly, as expected, in the fierce heat and in truth it could have been any score at the end.

Oasis Fm ratings:
Tenerife: Aragoneses 6, Bertrán 7, Luna 6, Manolo Martínez 9, Bellvis 8, Alfaro 6, Ricardo 8, Román Martínez 8 (Dinei 88min), Kome 7 (Omar 83min), Richi 6 (Mikel Alonso 73min 6), Nino 7.
Osasuna: Ricardo 6, Azpilicueta 7, Sergio 8, Flaño 7, Monreal 5, Juanfran 6 (Ruper 73min 6), Puñal 7, Nekounam 5, Masoud 6 (Calleja 58min 6), Camuñas 6, Pandiani 7 (Portillo 81min).

Tenerife travel to face Mallorca this Saturday for the first of three matches in eight days. On Wednesday they host Athletic Bilbao (kick off 8pm) before the glamour match away to Real Madrid. Coach Jose Luis Oltra would snap your hand off if you offered him four points right now. Mallorca are a strong home side, but Bilbao are certainly beatable. They have made a fine start beating Espanyol and Xerez one nil, but they will certainly not be at full strength. They played a Uefa Cup match last night, host Villareal on Sunday and then have Sevilla after Tenerife!
If you cannot get to Santa Cruz the match is live on Oasis Fm from 7.30pm

Close but no cigar
Real Zaragoza 1 CD Tenerife 0

Tenerife’s first match back in La Liga was always going to be a special occasion for the club’s fans. Whilst the Osasuna game in a weeks time offers the locals a chance to feel like they are back in big time, it was always the opening match that was going to send a tingle down the spine.
Zaragoza have been busy in the transfer market and they were a different side to the one that finished just ahead of Tenerife in the second division last season. If Tenerife had a few question marks hanging over them, then so did the hosts.
Tenerife boss Jose Luis Oltra gave debuts to Bellvis at left back and Roman Martinez in central midfield. Bellvis did rather well. His positioning was spot on and he was given a real examination by Jermaine Pennant who was a new signing from Liverpool for the hosts. The former Arsenal winger had a stormer and was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch.
While Bellvis did well Roman did not. He struggled to win any quality ball and he was being outworked by Ricardo in the middle of the pitch. At times it looked as though Ricardo was carrying the Espanyol signing.
Tenerife started wonderfully well. Zaragoza looked a little nervy in front of their home fans and Tenerife took the advantage. Alfaro carved out an early chance and when he was wide open inside the box it was odds on he would net the opener. By while last season he would have bulged the onion bag, this time he pushed his effort wide. The Sevilla loanee looks a little rusty, so we will forgive him this time.
The early chance gave CDT confidence and they created a plethora of chances. Richi is still working out how he didn’t score shortly after Alfaro’s