Osasuna-Betis, it's the final countdown

 
Good afternoon, dear Osasunists! After almost 38 articles this season, one for each match of Osasuna, though I know that I missed some of them, this is the most important article in my three years as a blogger. One single match! Osasuna and its future depends on 90 minutes and a result.
Something similar happened yesterday afternoon for the title of La Liga, but when the relegation posts are the issue of the match, it is even more dramatic. Atletico de Madrid, CONGRATULATIONS, and Barça played for the championship at Camp Nou, but apart from a regeneration on the dressing room in Barcelona or a new chapter on their myth "El Pupas" in Atletico, they didn't risk much more.
Osasuna have been playing with fire for a long time. Now they have been in First Division for 14 seasons in a row, and after starting this season very badly and therefore the club changed coach, Javi Gracia took up Mendilibar, the team seemed to play a good football and even they won the actual champion at El Sadar, which actually was the last match that Osasuna won at El Sadar up to now!
Last Saturday, Osasuna had one of their last opportunities to save the season, but again they failed. Some people say that the nerves and the pity of Espanyol coach, Javier Aguirre, and his players saved the team to be already relegated. Besides, the last goal in the 93 minute of this afternoon rival, Betis, against Valladolid helped. Some Osasuna players and supporters now say that Betis players will come relaxed and unmotivated this afternoon, but I think that Betis are playing their best football now that they are relegated. I believe that extramotivation in the sense of money is one of the reasons, but another is that many players need to find a market to keep their salaries as they used to have this season or get a new team to play with the best in La Liga.
There are many comments on the success of the "poors" with Atletico against the powerful Barça or Mandril, but nobody says that Osasuna has got the lowest budget of all the implicated teams in relegation posts. It is clear that Osasuna players and his coach, Javi Gracia, must keep an eye on other teams and stadiums this afternoon, but what I think is that they must learn from yesterday and Atletico as they did their best with all the odds against.
Osasuna must play as there is no future if they lose. Those who are in the kickoff team must be concentrated and prepared to give their 200% and die in the field. Osasuna supporters cannot do anything else but fill in the stadium and push our players with the support we showed for 19 games home and away alike.
As it happens most of the years at the end of the season, there are goodbyes in the stadiums. Today there is a very important and undesired one at El Sadar: Patxi Puñal retires! The Great Captain after Cesar Crutxaga retires, and he wants to leave Osasuna in First Division. Cesar got it and I hope Patxi will do the same.
POSSIBLE KICKOFF TEAMS
Osasuna: Andrés Fernández; Marc Bertrán, Arribas, Miguel Flaño, Damiá; Cejudo, Puñal, Lolo, Roberto Torres; Acuña, Oriol Riera.
Betis: Adán; Juanfran, Perquis, Jordi Figueras, Chica; Lolo Reyes, N'Diaye; Vadillo, Salva Sevilla, Cedrick; Rubén Castro.
GORA OSASUNA! AUPA ROJILLOS!

Osasuna-Malaga, a milestone game for Copa del Rey

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Good evening, dear Osasunists!Osasuna plays against Malaga the second round of 1/16 Copa del Rey tournament at El Sadar, after their draw (3-3) at La Rosaleda, which was a complete surprise for me when at the beginning of the second half, Osasuns was losing 3-0 and everything appeared to be lost and their participation in Copa del Rey almost over.

The confrontation against Malaga is at the best moment for Osasuna, as they also got another important result against Real Madrid on Saturday at El Sadar. But it is also true that it may be a misleading scoring because our players musn't be confident on their tiny advantage with their goals. One goal will be the difference between glory and defeat.

The game will be also historic, individually and for the club itself. The Great Captain,Patxi Puñal, is about to increase his figures in the club. The match against Malaga in Copa will be his 500th in Osasuna, a minestone in the club. On the negative side, Raoul Loe, Sisi, Nino and De las Cuevas can't play the game as the first is sanctioned and the rest are injured. Besides, the club plays the match 1000 at El Sadar this evening, another milestone.

Patxi Puñal, who has been sanctioned for a game after seeing a direct red card against Valencia, is going to play a record match this evening, but he complains that after so many years in First Divison he hasn't got much respect by the referees. He is 38 years old and has been sanctioned five times in his career, but he doesn't consider himself a rude violent player and Osasuna players either. 

Probable Kickoff teams:
Osasuna: Riesgo; Damiá, Flaño, Oier, Joan Oril; Silva, Puñal; José García, Torres, Cejudo; Manuel Onwu.
Málaga: Caballero; Gámez, Angeleri, Weligton, Antunes; Duda, Tissone, Darder, Eliseu; Portillo, Santa Cruz.

Apart from the sport issue, Osasuna is on the news because the European Commision has raised an official investigation against seven Spanish Football Clubs on illegal economical aids by the Spanish government. The CLUBS are : Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, Osasuna, Valencia, Hércules and Elche.

We must bear in mind that Osasuna with Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Athletic Club de Bilbao are the only NOT limited companies , S.A. , and they are ruled by their members and not by external companies, and they have different budget rules than the rest, therefore the UE think they may take financial advantage.

GORA OSASUNA!AUPA ROJILLOS!

Sevilla F.C. against C.A. Osauna, el clasico at Sanchez Pizjuan

Añadir leyenda

Good morning, dear Osasunists!
As I used to say from the very beginning of the season we must face the crazy schedule of the games in La Liga during all the year through. Last game it was on a Saturday afternoon and against Sevilla, Osasuna plays on a Sunday morning. At least it isn't in spring or a hot weekend, as we know the weather could be another handicap for our team. Anyway, I think midday is a good time for a supporter goes to the stadium, but a strange one to go to a tavern to watch on TV.

Sevilla and Osasuna meet at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in order to get a desired victory to content their supporters and brush away their doubts on a suspectful style with shadows and bright moments as Osasuna is in relegation posts and Sevilla is only three points ahead.

Unai Emery, Sevilla's coach, is worried as their play is weird with many defence weaks and the lack of leadership, but on the other hand the Hispalis team got four consecutive matches without losing as they won at their stadium against Rayo Vallecano and Almeria, and they got two points in their visits to Donosti and Valladolid.

Osasuna, on the other hand, got a better score than the expected in their last two games as they got a draw against the powerful Barça at El Sadar, and they did their best to win at La Rosaleda in their last game away from Navarra. Their play has improved and they seem to feel more confident playing in different stadiums from their own. They even played their best in their last decade in La Liga. Nevertheless, Osasuna is still in relegation post, but the tenth post is only a victory away.

If we talk about Osasuna away from El Sadar, their results are varied: they lost against Athletic (2-0), Getafe (2-1) and Atletico de Madrid (2-1), and they only got a single but extraordinary victory in Málaga (0-1).

Javi Gracia, Osasuna's coach, can only use 18 players since the rest of the players in the team are either injured or sanctioned: Nino, Armenteros, Sisi, Raoul Loe, Ion Echaide, and Cejudo. The Navarrian coach must change his last kickoff list with a Navarrian ( remember that Osasuna played without any Navarrian in their last confrontation against Barça ) : Patxi Puñal, who will substitute Sisi, a player who won't play any longer this season after his injury at El Sadar. CHEER UP, SISI!!!!

Posible Kickoff teams:

Sevilla: Beto; Diogo Figueiras, Carriço, Nico Pareja, Alberto Moreno; Iborra, Rakitic; Jairo, Víctor Machín, Perotti; Bacca.

Osasuna: Andrés Fernández; Marc Bertrán, Loties, Arribas, Damiá; Lolo, Puñal; De las Cuevas, Torres, Silva; Oriol Riera.
GORA OSASUNA! AUPA ROJILLOS!

Osasuna-Betis, a special match for Puñal

Good evening, dear Osasunists! Today Real Betis Balompie Club is visiting EL Sadar to play against our team Osasuna. Every match is historical, as it enters in the statistics of the club in Pamplona, but this one is special for two people, one is already retires, and the other may go into HISTORY, with capital letters, of OSASUNA. Echeverría, Echeve for Osasuna supporters, is the player with more matches played in Osasuna history, but he will be beat on Sunday by our actual local hero: Patxi Puñal. Etxebe says: " I always thought that record would be difficult to beat", as fidelity to a club nowadays is unusual, he adds. But I think he is happy that it will be another football player from Navarra the one to beat his record. His number 7 was reference for many other players until 1987, when he decided to retire and become the assistant of the former coach Pedro Mari Zabalza. Bear in mind, that after 25 years that record will be beaten and now there are more footnall games than that time. Echeverría played 14 seasons and he says that the idea of belonging and love to the colours must be overprotected in Osasuna! And he emphatizes that children must learn from Puñal's attitudes and not from other football stars from Madrid or Barcelona. "It's better to imitate Patxi than other players", he says. Patxi Puñal is a model of footballer for Echeverría. Patxi is a high level player, he is a good support for Mendilibar in the field, he reflects quietness and order for the rest of his clubmates. The player from Huarte is 37 years old and he is playing his 464 match against Betis and he will become the player with more games in Osasuna. The number 10 will beat number 7, "Puñi" will beat "Etxebe"! Osasuna play against Betis at El Sadar on Sunday at 19.45 ( another change in timetables from FEF, probably because TV channels orders ), and we hope Puñal's mates will want to celebrate with a victory the record of our hero. GORA OSASUNA!AUPA ROJILLOS!

Osasuna-Valencia, another morning game!

Good evening, dear Osasunists!I could not write my weekly article before the match this morning! I was invited to go to the stadium by a friend in the last minute and I had no time for this. So, now I am writing the summary of the game. It was supposed to be a difficult rival for Osasuna, as they arrived at the Reyno with the balance of being third in La Liga and only two lost games and a draw, but after the kickoff Valencia players disappeared! The image of Osasuna in their stadium was under suspiction after the match against Racing and their second consecutive lost game home, if we include the Copa del Rey match against Barça. But the midfield and its control was for Osasuna against Valencia for the first 20 minutes of the game, due to the intensity of Osasuna players and, perhaps, the match Valencia had to play against Levante last Thursday! I think that the main problem of Emery is the defense. They played very badly this morning!None seemed to be of the category for that team and its position. But the second half was the moment when the goalkeeper appeared and did two or three good saves for his team. Lekic, Raul and Nekouman had some good opportunities to score before the key minute of the game, just five minutes before the final whistle! It was the minute 84, and Soldado, our loved "Gudari" caught a missed kick and scored in Osasuna's goal, leaving all of us completely mute and dizzy, as if we were knicked with a hard stick! Osasuna had been playing a good football and controlled the game for almost most of the match, but an isolated action could throw away a hard working week in Tajonar and finish the first leg of La Liga with some doubts. Soldado has shown that if Villa is out due to injure reasons, he is a good chance for Del Bosque for the European Championship this summer. He has scored his 10th goal so far. Fortunately, the match wasn't over and Osasuna, with the help of their supporters, all of us, pushed up to the end. Albelda, who I believe he should think of retiring this year, committed a fault and gained a red card from the worst referee I have ever seen in El Sadar: Teixeira! We were lucky after the free kick, as Lolo was free of mark and pushed the ball to score the draw of this morning game! It was the unfair final result of the game. I say it was unfair, as the only team that showed interest to win the game was Osasuna and most of the occasion were of their players. It was only the luck and the quality of a unique player, Soldado, what Valencia F.C. has left in El Reyno de Navarra this morning! Finally, I must say that most players in Osasuna played very well this morning, but it seems clear that Mendilibar mustn't misuse Patxi Puñal and it was a pity that he was unable to play because of his yellow cards against Racing. Neko, Puñal and Raul Garcia distribute the game and make Lekic or Nino get the ball and have good occasions in front of the rival goalkeeper! Gora Osasuna!Aupa Rojillos!
Osasuna 1 Valencia 0 por jordixana

Osasuna-Betis, a remembrance day for Patxi Puñal

Good morning, dear Osasunists!
Today is a historical day, not for the visit of a famous team all over the world,as it is Real Betis, but for the reason that a NAVARRIAN FOOTBALL PLAYER: PATXI PUÑAL is to become the player with more games in history.
Patxi Puñal is going to play his 351 match with Osasuna and is overtaking the record of another famous player for Osasuna supporters: Javier Castañeda.

This event is taking me to my young memories when I used to go to El Sadar from 1980's to the beginning of this century.
When Osasuna was in the Second Division before the 80's I never heard of the team of my city and region, and I was a supporter of F.C. Barcelona,, the team of Johan Cruyff, who was the best player in the 70's, like Messi is now!
Now that the mass media are everywher and I am a teacher of English, I usually tell off my student who support powerful teams like Real Madrid or Barça, and they don't follow a modest honest football team like Osasuna.

I am not in the mind of Puñal, but I suppose that he will bring memories of his first days in Osasuna juvenil ( when he was 11 or 13 years old ) and he started playing football. I think he will come to very good moments
as a proffessional player with the victories in El Bernabeu, Nou Camp or his victories in Europe, but what I am sure he will be proud of is the support of his family, his neighbours and the people of his city, Pamplona, and his region, Navarra, with brave and inconditional supporters in El Sadar.
Congratulations Patxi! NADIE PODRÁ PARAR A PATXI PUÑAL!

Gora Osasuna!Aupa Rojillos!Aurrera Patxi Puñal!
P.S.: I wanted to put some videos about Catañeda and the team of the 80's, but I couldn't find any!