At the moment, despite the pressures of bothlife goes on the same for Las Palmas and Real Sociedad B. They accumulated merits and chances to get out of the qualifying traffic jam in which they are stuck, but the 0-0 left García Pimienta’s debut on the island bench with little effect and the good intentions of Xabi Alonso’s boys.
Tribute from Las Palmas to Rafa Nadal in the run-up to the match against Real Sociedad B.
Carlos Diaz-Recio (Daily AS)
As befits its local status and top-ranked, began by commanding Las Palmas. Faced with a well-ordered Real B, as Xabi Alonso’s canons dictate, the San Sebastian team limited itself to waiting behind for a team with much more intention than success, perhaps trying to make the new 4-3-3 arrangement a good one that García Pimienta likes so much, in any case the Gran Canaria team is a little green on the matter.
Miraculously, Las Palmas did not take the lead in the 11th minute when Viera, in a brilliant counterattack, gave the ball to Sadiku, one of the local novelties, in front of the area for it to open Cardona, whose death pass was not finished off by Viera himself by just a few centimeters. Real B did not shrink, which barely 120 seconds He didn’t get ahead if it wasn’t for Raúl Fernández and Lemos, who blocked, the second with his body, two good chances from Navarro and Lobete, respectively.
Little by little it went away releasing the visitor formation, which also entangled UD in its own spider web. He played that nothing would happen, and hardly anything happened on the pitch of the Gran Canaria Stadium. Las Palmas, for its part, once the center was blocked, constantly sought to open the field through Jesé and Rober. Precisely, a beautiful long pass from the first to the second left the winger from Mérida alone against Zubiaurre, whom he finished off to the body while Sadiku, a little further on, was screaming for a final pass that never came.
He came out very well against Real Sociedad B, and thus came one of his best chances when, just before half-time, Raúl stretched his left leg to get a more than sung 0-1 from Gabilondo.
With the bravery of youth mixed with infinite quality, Xabi Alonso’s host came out to bite after the break. So much so that, as soon as the game resumed, Raúl Fernández had to show off against Martín and Lobete before a hustler Zubiaurre will take the 1-0 from Rober, to whom he left only a sweetness from Jesé, which seemed like a blown kiss.
Through the ball, as he knows best, Las Palmas began to dominate the game, subduing the beardless Basque team at times. When the leather did not circulate well, there they advanced dodging rivals the two insular stars, Jonathan Viera and Jesse. In fact, the latter, with a trademark dribble over Gabilondo, was about to score a flag goal looking for Zubiaurre’s long post.
In the madness of the last minutes it seemed that the match could be decided from the penalty spot. First Real B claimed a penalty on Sola that was not such while, in the discountClemente committed a flagrant handball after a point-blank shot by Jesé, who was nevertheless offside, therefore well marked, at the start of the play.
When it seemed that everything pointed to 0-0, to increase pulsations on both sides, genius de Lobete planted him in front of Raúl Fernández, who took the ball with the discount, consuming himself to the agony of two teams that, despite the need, remain as they were.
García Pimienta: “I believe in these players”
Garcia Pepper lived his first match as yellow coach, a draw against the Royal Society B after which he stated that “I can’t say I’m happy because we haven’t won, I’m happy with the attitude of the players, due to predisposition. I think what we were looking for was to be protagonists with the ball. We have been, we have had a lot of possession, clear scoring chances in the first half, that if we had gone ahead we would surely be talking about another situation”.
He was concerned with the final chance for Real B that could mean a defeat in his debut “We have to be much more forceful, although we want to go for the match so that this situation does not arise and at least not lose it”. One of the changes regarding Mel’s team was the inclusion of Sadiku, after Mujica“they have made a brutal effort, so it is true that they have not had chances to score a goal. But today Real had a defense with three central defenders and two lanes, so there was less space. They have already done a brutal job when they did not we had the ball and also breaking the space to create spaces for the interiors, which was a bit of the work they had to do”.
With regard to the end of the winter market, “the squad is perfect for me. Naturally, if there is any market option, we will try to take advantage of it, but it is not something that worries me because I really believe in these players, we cannot bring someone for the sake of bringing them” .
match evaluation: “I can’t say I’m happy because we didn’t win, I’m happy with the attitude of the players, with their predisposition. I think what we were looking for was to be protagonists with the ball. We have been, we’ve had a lot of possession, clear scoring chances in first half, that if we had gotten ahead of ourselves we would surely be talking about another situation. But we know that we had a great rival in front of us, very young guys who are very talented, who compete well, who although they are in the process of training, know what some of them play with experience. Happy because the team gave everything. I think we deserved to win from the first minute to the last. We tried to score the first goal. That also meant that the last action of the game was a clear chance for the of Real Sociedad. But hey, I think that’s the way to go. We’ve only been here a week and I think things will work out little by little”.
The best and the worst of the team: “Well, the best thing is that I think we have tried to have the ball from the first moment, generating superiorities, knowing that it was difficult with Real Sociedad’s line of 5. Even so, I think that although there have been moments that have cost us , especially also when in the first half they had the ball, they created some superiority for us and we had to run backwards. But, although in some situations it was on the counterattack, we created scoring chances. And the second half I think the game was practically ours. Yes, at the beginning of the game they had some approximation in addition to the final play. But the rest of the game there were very clear situations to score the goal. It was not possible and also, of course, In such a difficult category to concede, especially with Real Sociedad’s last chance to score. We have to be much more forceful, even if we want to go for the match, so that this situation does not occur and at least we do not lose rlo”.
How much time do you think you need?: “We have been working for a week. The predisposition of the players is incredible. They just want to learn and improve and do everything possible to win. I think the team played a very good game today, but as I say, you have a young rival up front that runs, that they work well, that they have a lot of quality, that it is also true that they are not afraid of losing, with which they compete very well and that I think it is time to keep insisting. generated scoring chances, we lacked being a little more forceful in the area and in defense too, conceding less because it really could have happened that the last action of the game with such a clear chance you lose the game.That can’t happen if you don’t have your advantage, we have to keep working. As I say, I prefer the attitude of the players, which is the most important thing”.
Closing of the winter market: “Tomorrow I will sit down with the sports director to finish profiling. I have always said that I like the squad, I have doubled positions. Even today players have had to stay out with a little discomfort as well, with which we have the squad perfect for me Naturally, if there is any market option, they will try to take advantage of it, but it is not something that worries me because I really believe in these players we cannot bring someone for the sake of bringing them, it simply has to be someone who really improves what is there. And with the quality that exists in this team, with these players, it will be difficult to improve it, but if it really exists we will talk about it, but it is not something that worries me”.
Sadiku and Mujica match: “Sadiku and Rafa I think they have made a brutal effort, yes it is true that they have not had chances to score a goal. But today Real had a defense with three central defenders and two lanes, with which there was less space. They have made a brutal work when we did not have the ball and also breaking the space to create spaces for the interiors, which was a bit of the work they had to do. I stay with them and working in this way, if we are capable of generating more scoring chances, They’re going to have opportunities to score, I’m not worried because I’ve seen in training that they have plenty of quality to do so”.
Unai Veiga: “We also have a squad with many players. Not everyone fits in. It is true that he is a boy who has not participated much and I can understand that if he decides to leave it would be logical because he has not had minutes and it will be complicated that he may be able to participate, but naturally he is a boy who has a contract and he decides”.
Your plans for the closing of the market: “Naturally I would like nobody to get injured because we don’t know what’s going to happen, but if the squad is what we have, I’m not going to make any kind of excuse. I think we have plenty of players. In other words, a practically complete squad number with guys from the reserve team who are going to help us. I have no doubts and if we are able to improve it, there are only 24 hours left. It is difficult, but in the event that we stayed with the squad as we have it, there was no trouble”.