Mirandes-Osasuna, a game for real supporters

Good afternoon, dear Osasunists!
Apart from the pure sport matters, it is clear that the huge influx of Osasuna supporters going to Miranda for a single football game after the last week events in Madrid and the bad results of our team in the last confrontations away and at El Sadar is a positive fresh breath of air for fans of FOOTBALL, in capital letters and real supporters, not for those who use a sport to get an excuse for their violence and frustration.

It is a good opportunity for the city of Miranda in Burgos that is suffering from an increase of unemployment and as many of their companies close down. Osasuna supporters have many friends in Miranda, like me, and though most people there support either Real Madrid or Barcelona F.C, apart from Alaves or Athletic of Bilbao, I am sure there will be a good atmosphere between both parts: supporters of Osasuna and Mirandes.

There will be around 1,200 Osasunists in Miranda this afternoon. Some will go by coach leaving early in the morning to spend a festivity day with the joy of following their team and passion, others will leave after lunch in their cars as Miranda is only one hour from Pamplona but everyone has a single reason to go to El Municipal stadium: to support their team, Osasuna, sing and feel our colours without a single idea of using violence to defend Osasuna!

It is the first team to take so many people to Miranda. Deportivo La Coruña fans, unfortunately famous last weekend, were 800, Athletic fans at semifinal of Copa del Rey were around 1,000, but neither Alaves nor any other team gathered that amount of people.

It is also important to listen to members of both fan groups, Jovenes Jabatos and Indar Gorri, that there is a great atmosphere and a warm welcome is expected from people in Miranda for Osasuna supporters.

Last time both teams played was 37 years ago, on 8th May 1977, and Osasuna won (0-1) thanks to a goal of Echeverria. Then, Osasuna plays against Mirandes at Anduva this afternoon to reinforce the idea of football against violence. As it is said: " I want to see a pure football game ".

Kickoff teams:
MIRANDES S.D. :  Razak, Kijera, Caneda, Corral, Aitor; Rúper, Álex García, Jordi Pablo, Carnicer, Igor Martínez, Urko Vera.

OSASUNA: Roberto, Javier Flaño, Miguel Flaño, Vujadinovic, Sisi, Kodro, Loé, Nekounam, De las Cuevas, Ansarifard, Nino.

GORA OSASUNA! AUPA ROJILLOS!

Numancia-Osasuna, a new opportunity for supporters

Good afternoon, dear Osasunists! Here we are again to motivate our supporters abroad and broaden our club fame. That is the main goal for any supporter who folloows their team to any city Osasuna plays. But this season Osasuna supporters come back home with a serious angry expression on their faces as the team either lose or get just a draw away ( three lost games in a row away ).

Osasuna only got two draws at the beginning of the season against Llagostera and Zaragoza and now Jan Urban, Osasuna coach, wants to win two games in a row after last week victory against Betis,- remember last season's memories. There is a possibility as he can play with his favourite team except for Loties or Sanjurjo, who are injured for a long period. Besides, next rival is La Ponferradina, andd there will be a problem with the National teams and the friend games abroad.

Anyway, after the good news from last weekend, when no one expected to win the game with 0-2 result at the end of the first half against Betis, we have the same feelings with the defensive area: we don't trust on them, and the team and supporters need it. We can't endure more games like that one, as Urban said.

Probable kickoff teams:
Numancia: Munir; Isidoro, Regalón, Juanma, Ripa; Antonio Tomás, Iñigo Pérez; Natalio, Julio Álvarez, Vicente; Braian Rodríguez.
Osasuna: Santamaría; Echaide, David García, Miguel Flaño, Cadamuro; Nekounam, Loé; Sisinio, De las Cuevas, Kenan Kodro; Nino.

GORA OSASUNA!AUPA ROJILLOS!

Osasuna-C.D.Alaves, an old derby again but in another Liga

Good morning, Osasunists!

As you know I try to write an article every weekend about Osasuna and their match. It's about six or seven years ago when I started this blog for my students and everyone else who wanted to read articles about English culture and other subjects of interest related with English or not. But one of the main topics is football and OSASUNA, the best team in the world, not for their trophies or cups, but for the Philosophy and History as it is the only club, not a S.A. ( a business ) in Spain with the powerful Spanish teams Real Madrid, F.C. Barcelona, and Athletic de Bilbao.

Now Osasuna is in the Second Division, the poor football championship in Spain with many historic clubs which are surviving after a long ago relegation that may lead the club to disappear. This time Osasuna is ruled by a commission of experts who also belong to the club for several years and they will try to manage a short budget to achieve a dream: go back to First Division and stick to reality: a shortage of money to keep good players in the team.

For a beginning, Osasuna has got four points after two games in this division against Barcelona B and a former enemy in First Division with more problems than Osasuna, Real Zaragoza. Now there is another old friend visiting El Sadar: Alaves, a club from the near Vitoria, so it is an old derby in another minor Liga and Alaves was about to get relegated to Second Division B last season and probably about to disappear.

Jan Urban is the coach in Osasuna. A person who was in his job post last Sunday when few hours before he received one of the worst news for a human being: his mother had dead. He stayed with his men on the pitch and when they scored the goal for the draw we realized how much this team have suffered for a survival and the union of a good group of players and their coach team. This union must be the strenght of the club to achieve the main goal: First Division.

Therefore, Osasuna is ready! There is a perfect mixture of veterans and youths, of foreigners and locals from the youth team. Not only Riesgo, Flaño brothers, Nekouman, De las Cuevas or Sisi will be important for a successful match, but also the young David Garcia or Roberto Torres must add their new ideas and eager to win. We know there will be many obstacles and disappointments but we, the real supporters will be with you Osasuna.

And at this point I want to connect my first paragraph with this last one. When I read early this week in the local newspaper the article of one of my favourite students in Salesianos Pamplona and a real fan of Osauna: Miriam Osta, who wrote a sincere sensible article about her feelings with Osasuna and how her father tought her the love for the real, for the passion and for some colours. I know that she also has another human being love, Carlos, but the love for a club like Osasuna is more powerful than the human: RED IS A COLOUR, ROJILLO A FEELING LOVE( Rojo es un color, rojillo un sentimiento ). GORA OSASUNA! AUPA ROJILLOS!

Posible Kickoff teams:
Osasuna: Riesgo; Javier Flaño, David García, Miguel Flaño, Cadamuro; Nekounam, Merino; De las Cuevas, Roberto Torres, Sisi; Nino.
Alavés: Manu Fernández; Galán, Laguardia, Migue, Raúl García; Manu García, Toribio; Sangalli, Juli, Ion Vélez; Manu Barreiro.

Rayo-Osasuna, the Resurrection game

Good afternoon, dear Osasunists! Happy Holy Saturday, the day before Resurrection o Good Sunday! Perhaps, it is the day Osasuna players need a resurrection after last Saturday game against another team from Madrid. Osasuna must stand up after a hangover week of comments and strange tributes in stadiums. Osasuna is in a superior level to those situations and there might be people in higher bureaus who are uncomfortable for the excellent situation of Osasuna in La Liga. It is time to defend our expectations against a similar rival: Rayo Vallecano. The team from Vallecas isn't in their best moment of the season, and they have lost their last thre games in a row. Besides, the club is in an atmosphere of unrest and they have decided to reduce the price of the tickets to fill the stadium with their supporters. They can be in first division next year, but Rayo didn't reach the 40 points yet. Rayo Vallecan seem to be a more dangerous team away than in their stadium. Their coach, Snadoval, is a brave person who knows how to communicate his skills to his players and re who they compete against they follow their aggresive style the three points each round. They have almost got a draw this season, either they won or lost, unlike Osasuna that we always try to get a point, at least!Therefore, Osasuna is called "the King of the Draw"! On the other hand, Osasuna must make a profit of the fact that Rayo Vallecano is a bad team home. They have lost 27 points in their stadium. Rayo Vallecano was in a delicate situation after the end of the first leg of the season, but the went to the winter market and got the transfer of good plyers like Joel, Pulido, Armenteros and Diego Costa. Osasuna must forget last weekend score and extra situations or comments. We, the supporters of Osasuna, must show everywhere our gentleness and education, but on the other hand, some journalist from Madrid may be blamed for any incident in the capital suffered from any Madrid hooligan! Thus, Mendilibar, our coach, is sanctioned with two games after complaining in El Sadar to the referee Muñiz! Who cares of the complaining Mou or offensive Pepe??

It is compulsory for Osasuna to forget everything happened out of the ordinary, and remember there is also a game in the week, next Tuesday against Espanyol, and we must keep the European post after these two games, against Rayo and Espanyol. Mendilibar needs every player very fit and concentrated on a new target: EUROPE! Finally, Osasuna must win to dedicate that victory to those supporters who did not stop chanting and cheering when they were losing 1-5 and keep some mouths shut in Madrid about our education and politeness! Gora Osasuna! Aupa Rojillos!