Osasuna-Almeria, three key friendly points for Javier Gracia

 
Good afternoon, dear Osasunists! Another Friday night of football, but Osasuna must add the three points against Almeria this Friday evening at El Sadar. It is compulsory because the Navarrians would go back to the urgency we had in September when the club changed of coach as they were in the last position of the classification.

After the disappointing score at Anoeta ( 5-0 ) last weekend ( sorry for the lack of my article, but I was celebrating my birthday ), Osasuna missed the opportunity to climb up in La Liga and also brought back doubts to their supporters about their play in Donostia, overall in the defensive posts of the team. Almería, on the other hand, arrives in Pamplona with the idea of going up in La Liga and after two consecutive victories,against Valencia and Valladolid, they think of leaving the dangerous  relegation posts in Navarre.

Javi Gracia was the coach in Almeria last season and he helped to reach First Division. That was one of the reasons the chairman and his people decided to sign him for Osasuna's bench and his relation with the team of his birthplace. He can't use some of his best men for this key match: Nino and Sisi are injured, and De Las Cuevas and Loties are sanctioned. But the news are Javi is about to use a 16-old-year Navarrian player in this confrontation: José García Maurín.

 
As we said previously, Almeria is just the opposite to Osasuna's situation. Their strength is their defence and after twelve games they got scored at any game, they kept their goal safe in Valencia. It is going to be a tough confrontation that might lead to an urgent complicated month for the loser. Probable kickoff teams: Osasuna: Andrés Fernández; Marc Bertrán, Flaño, Arribas, Damiá; Raoul, Lolo, Cejudo, Torres, Silva, Oriol Riera. UD Almería: Esteban; Nelson, Pellerano, Trujillo, Torsiglieri, Dubarbier; Ramón Azeez, Marcos Tébar; Aleix, Hélder Barbosa; Rodri.

Gora Osasuna!Aupa Rojillos!

Athletic-Osasuna at Anoeta, a derby for three!

Good afternoon, dear Osasunists! Today is Friday,...and? Is my article about holidays? 9 1/2 weeks are almost gone, but no, we still have time to enjoy!No,...It is a football day, and the teles are the ones to blame, apart from the LFP betrayers. Perhaps, the angriest of all must be the supporters from Bilbao, as they not only have to move to Donosti to watch a home game, their most hatred rival stadium will be their stadium for the second time in history, but they also have to leave their city, Bilbao, during the major day of their festivals, Aste Nagusia. Anyway, football is our topic. After the first games of this season, the beginning was different for both teams. Athletic won their match against Valladolid away ( 1-2 ) and they are full of confidence and ready to confront their first derby. On the other hand, Osasuna, the real visitor this game lost their match at El Sadar, against one of their rivals for the season to fulfill their main goal: avoid relegation to Second Division. Don't forget that must be the aim for Osasuna during this year, again and ever. Valverde, Athletic's coach, won't be able to use two of his Navarrians for this game, Iraizoz and Ekiza. You know that was an important issue in the previous confrontations, but it seems to be forgotten, except for the last player who left Osasuna to cross the highway to Bilbao: Kike Sola. Unfortunately for the Bizkaians, Kike is sanctioned too and he won't play against his ex-partners. During these days, as you know, I have been on holidays and most days I stayed in Bilbao and I have bben witness of the demolition of San Mames stadium, the home stadium of Athletic de Bilbao, and the construction of their new stadium: San Mames Berria. It is a pity we couldn't inaugurate the new stadium, I wish we could, but another reality is that they, as locals, only sent 300 tickets for Osasuna supporters and it has been imposible to get one to watch at Anoeta. Osasuna will play the match with many handicaps, more than the necessary for a second game in the season. First,our team lost their game at home against Granada, a direct rival, and second, there will be many players who won't repeat in the kickoff team. Apart from Miguel Flaño, Eneko Satrústegui, Manuel Ortiz "Lolo" and Juan Francisco Martínez, who didn't play the first game, we must add "Nino", injured , Álvaro Cejudo and Miguel De las Cuevas. Mendilibar will replace them with Sisinio González "Sisi" and Oriol Riera. Besides, Francisco "Gato" Silva will substitute Raoul Loé. But what the team need is not only new men in the kickoff team, but overall the strenght and fight that is inner in the name of the club. KICKOFF TEAMS: Athletic: Herrerín; Iraola, Gurpegui, Laporte, Balenziaga; Iturraspe, Beñat, Herrera; Susaeta, Aduriz and Muniain. Osasuna: Andrés Fernández; Marc Bertrán, Loties, Arribas, Joan Oriol; Puñal, Silva; Armenteros, Oriol Riera, Sisi; Ariel Núñez. GORA OSASUNA! AUPA ROJILLOS!

Real Sociedad-C.A.Osasuna, Black Friday at Anoeta?

Good evening, dear Osasunists! This article is historical as it is the first time that Osasuna will play on Friday and it's my first article about a football game on that day of the week. Osasuna will play two games on Friday in this season, as they play against Rayo Vallecano next Friday at El Sadar. But let's talk about this evening match. Osasuna is visiting Real Sociedad at Anoeta stadium and it is a very difficult derby as Montanier's players have won the last two games and Osasuna, in the relegation posts, have obtained four out of six points. The next two games are essential for the future of Osasuna. Not only because they only got 9 points in 12 games, but also because they will play against direct rivals in their struggle to avoid relegation: Real Sociedad and Rayo Vallecano. Osasuna started the right way to leave the most dangerous post in La Liga when they won Espanyol ( 0-3 ) two weeks ago. They also improved their style in their last game at EL Sadar against Malaga, but they were unlucky to achieve a goal. Osasuna have improved in three key positions. First, defense. Despite their continuous defeats, Osasuna have the same number of goals against as Barça. And Osasuna's goalkeeper didn't get any goal in the last two games.The second is the strength and the equality of the confrontation between both teams, and there is a unbeatable proof: only a goal in the last two years. Finally, Mendilibar is a good coach for Osasuna in spite of the critics he had in the last month. Anoeta is a good fortress for Real Sociedad and the average of goals in their stadium is high ( 2 goals ) for the "Donostiarran" ( people from San Sebastian ). There is a change in Moncoutier's team: Jose Angel instead of the injured Markel, but they will play as similar as when they won Malaga at their stadium or after scoring four goals against Rayo Vallecano on Monday. Possible kickoff teams: Real Sociedad: Bravo; Estrada, Mikel Gonzalez, Iñigo Martínez, De la Bella; Illarramendi, Pardo, Ifrán, Vela; Xabi Prieto and Griezmann. Osasuna: Andrés Fernández, Damiá, Flaño, Arribas, Nano, Cejudo, Raoul Loe, Oier, Sisi, Armenteros and Kike Sola. It will be broadcast on Marca TV ( 21.30 )

Real Sociedad-C.A.Osasuna, "the pintxo match"

Good afternoon, dear Osasunists!Today we are back to those loving derbies we really enjoy: Real Sociedad-Osasuna, which always implies a visit to a comfortable friendly city: San Sebastián, for me, Donosti.

Real Sociedad was back to First Division this season and it's fulfilling a very brilliant one in the noble positions and they will try to leave behind and down to Osasuna, a direct rival in the struggle to avoid relegation.

Osasuna players still have some duties to fulfill: to win away this season, for example. This is again a good opportunity to finally obtain it. There is a good feeling in Osasuna supporters after the victory against Real Madrid, but the last draw against Mallorca made us feel upset again.

Real Sociedad has always been a team in my heart. Perhaps, the main is that I have got many friends there, but they also represent the values I usually defend. The visit of Osasuna is a good opportunity for eveyone to show the brotherhood between both supporters. I am happy they are back in First Division, as I know they were when we promoted from last relegation. A good excuse to visit Donosti is the match against Real Sociedad, and a good reason to taste the delicious "pintxos" in downtown.

Today Real Sociedad players are struggling to achieve the European positions in the League, while Osasuna players have to struggle to avoid the last three position which relegate the teams to Second Division.

Osasuna need to win this game, for many reasons, but overall because I think it's enough time to wait for a year to watch a victory away. I'm sure there won't be many teams in the world whose chairman and conseliers let a coach keep their post with a statistic like the one of Camacho's. Maybe the economical situation in the club cannot afford to substitute the coach, but I hope there will be a change next season on the bench of Osasuna: CAMACHO GO HOME!!!!

Here are those Camacho's figures: eight consecutive games without a victory, 4 points out of six in the last two games at home, and of course, a date to remember: 31/01/10, the last victory away home. Camacho's players have only got two out of 33 points in their games as visitors this season.

I hope I will have to swallow my words in this article if they win, as I had to do after my comments before the match against Real Madrid. Perhaps, the players need an extra motivation to play well, and for Osasuna supporters this is one of the most deired matches to watch, after Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao confrontations, of course!!!

Probable kickoff teams:

Real Sociedad: Bravo; Estrada, Ansotegi, Mikel González, De la Bella; Rivas, Aranburu, Griezmann, Sarpong, Zurutuza; Tamudo.

Osasuna: Ricardo; Damiá, Lolo, Miguel Flaño, Monreal; Puñal, Nekounam; Lekic, Pandiani, Camuñas; y Masoud.