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-Celta, to be or not to be!

Good morning, dear Osasunists! Today is the D day, but victory at El Sadar is absent since a long time ago. Last time that the Little Reds won in our stadium was on 23rd February against the now so powerful Atletico de Madrid, which was beaten ( 3-0 ) by a weak about-to-be -relegated team like Osasuna.
 From then up to now, Osasuna lost against Malaga and Sevilla in Pamplona, three teams got a draw at El Sadar (Real Sociedad, Valladolid and Valencia). And today there must be another important decissive victory against Celta to confirm their post for La Liga next season. Although figures say that Osasuna will avoid relegation with three more points, Javi Gracia and his players want to gain the main goal before playing against Espanyol in Barcelona or the last day against a team already in Second Division: Betis.

Unfortunately, Osasuna supporters aren't calm or confident on their team as the team have only won five games at El Sadar in all the season, and on the other hand they lost six games at their home stadium. Osasuna seem to be a better team as a visitor as they got 20 out of their 35 points away from El Sadar.

Everybody has marked this date in red as it is essential to win to achieve that figure which seems to be enough to be safe. Celta won Valladolid last weekend and got to continue in La Liga next season at the same time that they gave Osasuna a hand as they are our enemies to avoid relegation. Osasuna was defeated in Madrid as it was expected, but the image was very poor and that is very worrying for a supporter.
Anyway, Osasuna supporters must go on until the end of the season with their shouting and encouragement with the team. We must fill the stadium and make the rival feel our support to Osasuna. Javie Gracia, Osasuna's coach appeals for a complete unconditional support this evening at El Sadar to get the victory all together. The club has added a video in the social networks to cheer up Osasunists!
Possible Kickoff teams:
Osasuna: Andrés Fernández; Marc Bertrán, Arribas, Miguel Flaño, Damià; Puñal, Silva; Cejudo, De las Cuevas, Roberto Torres; Oriol Riera.
Celta: Sergio Álvarez; Jonny, Cabral, Fontás, Aurtenetxe; Madinda, Alex López, Augusto Fernández; Nolito, Santi Mina, Bermejo.
GORA OSASUNA! AUPA ROJILLOS!

Osasuna Valladolid, a confrontation for Second Division

 
Good evening, dear Osasunists! First I have to apologize for my absence last week against Almeria, but I had to travel urgently and I could just watch the second half when our team suffered to conquer three very important points which will count nothing if the team don't win this evening against Valladolid.
Osasuna put an end to their bad luck when they won at Los Juegos del Mediterraneo stadium ( 1-2 ) against a direct rival to avoid relegation such as Almeria. But Osasuna have another direct rival as a visitor tonight. After getting 4 points in the last possible 21, Osasuna must take into account that there are four games at home out of the last six games of the season.
Valladolid is only two points down from Osasuna and as we won the goalaverage with Almeria, it is important to give a value to the victory at Jose Zorrilla stadium ( 0-1 ) at the beginning of the season.
Another issue is that Osasuna play at El Sadar the next two games: Valladolid and Valencia. El Sadar must be that "boiling pot" ( olla a presión ) which push the team to score when their strength is low and the rivals must feel scared to go closer to the wings or the goals. Javi Gracia, Osasuna's coach, knows the importance of the supporters and it is expected that the stadium will be full of red supporters after a reducing tickets special offer from the club.
Besides, Osasuna players have to bear in mind that their rivals usually play against Real Madrid after playing against "The Reds", but Valladolid will have to put off their confrontation as Ancelotti's team play in the Champions and the confrontation will be next 7th May.
It is clear that at this moment of the season, all teams involved in relegation posts must make their numbers and have an eye on their rivals' confrontations of the week. Osasuna is one of the teams that depend on themselves. Let's continue with the winning streak or the good luck!
Possible kickoff teams:
Osasuna: Andrés Fernández; Marc Bertrán, Loties, Arribas, Damià; Raoul Loé, Silva; Cejudo, De las Cuevas, Roberto Torres; Oriol Riera.
Valladolid: Jaime; Rukavina, Rueda, Valiente, Peña; Rubio, Víctor Pérez, Larsson, Óscar, Bergdich, Javi Guerra.
GORA OSASUNA! AUPA ROJILLOS!

Osasuna-Getafe, do finals start for avoiding relegation?

 
Good morning, dear Osasunists! We have a new football day in Pamplona on a Sunday morning, which I considered the best time for the youngest supporters and their families to go to the stadiums. One issue that was in the press room this week when Javi Gracia wanted us, the supporters, to be in El Sadar as he knows La Liga goes ahead.

The visitor at El Sadar today is Getafe, a team that has got the same figures as Osasuna and the new year has been a bad beginning as they haven't won a single match yet. They aren't good scorers either as they haven't scored a goal in their last five games. The difference between Osasuna and Getafe is just three points and three goals ahead for the team in Madrid and the game this morning is a key onfrontation for both team as if Osasuna win, they will reach Getafe in the Liga Classification.

Players and coach in Osasuna know that this game is very important for the future and as the relegation posts are two points ahead and Rayo and Almeria won yesterday, the gap is becoming even narrower. We must consider this confrontation as the matches against the powerful teams of Real madrid and Barça, as they suffered in El Sadar and just got a draw, and other weaker teams got the three points.

Javi Gracia mustn't take this game as another training season or a revolution in the kickoff team. The championship is ahead enough to have a "desired" team for a coach, and apart from injured or sanctioned players, it is time to use the most prepared fit players with a high level of commitment in the target and the meaning of Osasuna in La Liga. Orion Riera must be in the kickoff team and Patxi Puñal too. Remember Osasuna lost 2-1 at El Coliseum in Getafe, for the goalaverage and so.

GORA OSASUNA!AUPA ROJILLOS!

A possible kickoff teams:
Osasuna: Andrés; Marc, Lotiès, Arribas y Damià; Silva, Lolo; Cejudo, De las Cuevas, Armenteros; Riera.
Getafe: Moyá; Arroyo, Rafa, Lisandro, Lago; Borja, Mosquera; Pedro León, Sarabia, Castro; Ciprian.

Osasuna-Sevilla, THE MATCH

Good afternoon, dear Osasunists! Our club need us, all Osasuna supporters and lovers. It's all or nothing, the last game in El Sadar this season and against one of the most hatred teams in the last decade: SEVILLA F.C. They are coming to Pamplona in their last chance to go to Europe and Sevilla supporters still have some bad memories from their visits to our stadium. After three weeks and the same number of matches, Osasuna is at the same situation that Mendilibar defined with a sentence: we are the best of the candidates to relegate in Second Division. The only thing we must do is TO WIN. We depend on ourselves, but it is the last chance to keep in First Division, as Osasuna play at El Santiago bernabeu the last match of the season and nobody will give a chance for Osasuna there. Mendilibar's team will have our support today from the very beginning of the match till the final whistle of the referee, by the way, he is Muñiz Fernandez, bad memories recall his name. The stadium will be crowded and we will go with our team towards the victory. Our rivals to avoid relegation have similar hard confrontations, as both Deportivo and Zaragoza play away from their stadiums and against Malaga and Betis, that they are struggling for a post to Europe. The handicap of Osasuna is endemic: the sanctioned and injured players. However, Mendilibar can use the captain Patxi Puñal again, there are many players out: Nino, Nano, Lolo, Sisi, Annan, and the second captain, Miguel Flaño. One of the strongest lines in history for Osasuna is the weakest this season: defense. Ruben and Arribas seem to be in the centre with the help of Marc and Damia in both wings. The footballers are very tense as we noticed at the end of the week with the fight between Armenteros and Timor, but the rival isn't at home, they come from Sevilla. There are many games to remember to look for revenge in both teams. We hope to help the other team in Sevilla, MUCHO BETIS, for their goal for this season: to play in the European League. There are some positive facts for Osasuna to get a victory this evening, as Sevilla F.C. didn't win many games away this season, just one against Deportivo last September, but in their last three games away they got three consecutive draws against Betis, Valladolid and Malaga. Probable kickoff teams: Club Atlético Osasuna: Andrés Fernández; Marc Bertrán, Rubén, Arribas, Damià; Puñal, Silva; Cejudo, Armenteros, De las Cuevas; y Kike Sola. Sevilla Fútbol Club: Beto; Coke, Cala, Botía, Fernando Navarro; Medel, Kongogbia; Jesús Navas, Rakitic, Perotti; y Negredo. GORA OSASUNA!AUPA ROJILLOS!