The second win in a row, albeit a very lucky one. Judging by the performance last night Valencia CF didn't deserve to win and it was pure luck that we did in the last seconds of the match.
The play was started by Ever Banega as he released Sergio Canales deep on the left side, this one ran past his marker, managed to enter the penalty area and from the side pass the ball to Jonas who slotted the ball in the goal.
The match was overall close with both teams have few chances on goal, but nothing too serious. Most of the match was played in midfield, with back and forth between the teams. Both teams had quite a large amount of shots towards goal, but most were out of the bounds and only few on each side were on goal.
I'd even go on to say that Granada was a bit more dangerous when attacking, as Valencia CF was void of ideas when going forward and neither the wings, nor through the center were there any chances. The overall build-up play was poor and the players could retain the ball for longer and recycle chances, most of the time the ball was lost close to the 25 meters from goal and Granada transferred into attack.
The closing down was better than we've seen in the past this season, but it still wasn't good enough, there were still some risky situations and lackluster coverage from the midfield and defenders.
Not a match to brag home about, the performance was mediocre, but hopefully gives the players a bit of motivation and self belief. They still need to work hard and show much more, this type of performance won't win us many games in the future.
Technical Details:
Granada CF (0): Roberto, Nyom, Diakhaté, Murillo, B. Angulo, Recio, Iturra, Brahimi, Pereira, Buonanotte (Ighhalo, m. 79) y El Arabi (Riki, m. 68).
Valencia CF (1): Diego Alves, Joao Pereira, Mathieu, Víctor Ruiz, Guardado, Javi Fuego, Éver Banega, Jonas, Pabón (Bernat, m. 64), Fede (Feghouli, m. 71) y Postiga (Canales,m. 70).
Goals: 0-1. M. 90: Jonas.
Player Ratings:
Diego 6 - Had to make several saves, though wasn't really troubled and did well enough.
Joao 5 - Good performance, but not great and was rather poor when going forward. There was no link-up with Fede.
Ruiz 5.5 - More secure performance than I've seen from Rami or R. Costa and I think he should continue to start. Had few tackles in which he stole the ball and was generally on position.
Mathieu 5 - Less secure than Ruiz, but wasn't terrible like some previous matches.
Guardado 5 - Some mistakes in defense and failed to provide appropriate cover, but did go forward to a good extent and provide another man to pass to.
Fuego 5.5 - Went on about his duties quietly and did well defensively, but failed to provide the goods when going forward.
Banega 5.5 - Finally playing in his natural position as a central midfielder and the team is playing better, with more space in the middle and quicker passes, but this was generally a week performance.
Fede 5 - Pretty much invisible until middle in the second half when he went in the middle and had some forward arrays, but a rather weak performance overall.
Jonas 6 - In the right position at the right time and scored a goal to secure the win for Valencia CF. Other than the goal he wasn't very good and didn't even touch the ball too many times.
Pabon 5 - Still playing as a winger and its stifling his ability. Needs to play more centrally and while he has good pace, he is not very good at penetrating the defense from the wing.
Postiga 5 - Doesn't move very much and is mostly fixed in the penalty box, I think Djukic might need to put Pabon in place of Postiga and see what happens.
Subs:
Canales 6 - Provided the assist for Jonas goal and that is all that matters.
Feghouli 5 - I don't know what he is thinking, but his performances have been extremely poor this season and needs to show something, anything.
Valencia CF football club. News, articles, match previews, match reports, team, squad, lineup, results, transfers, information, statistics for valencia cf los che
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Real Betis 3-1 Valencia CF Match Report
Well its been sometime since this match was played, but I just couldn't write a match report after such a devastating loss. I also didn't watch the Europa League match and I was right, I saved myself a lot of trouble.
Against Sevilla we magically won and that gave me a little hope, a little willingness to at least watch the match against Granada which Valencia CF barely won at the last second basically.
Thing is the match against Real Betis was a disaster, the team was changed from the previous match and none of the players who got a chance performed good.
Oriol Romeu was a disaster as a defensive midfielder, Parejo lost the ball time and time again, didn't do anything going forward, the defense was terrible, especially Ricardo Costa and Mathieu wasn't very good either, but a bit better.
Anyways the whole performance was terrible and Valencia CF did manage to score a goal through R. Costa on assist from Ever Banega, but it was too little too late.
Player Ratings:
Diego 7.5 - Was called time and time again and made several saves. Was let down by the defense for the goals and couldn't have done more.
Joao 4.5 - Strangely poor performance by Joao who is usually solid at the back, but his level fell for this match and was beaten often on the wing.
R Costa 3.5 - Absolute trainwreck of a performance, you'd think this is some very young inexperienced defender and not one with decades of experience by this performance.
Mathieu 4 - A bit better than R. Costa, but that doesn't say much. Got beaten of few occasions way too easily.
Bernat 5 - Did well enough defensively, but failed to provide anything going forward.
Oriol 5 - Failed to pressure the Betis players, was caught out of position several times and generally a poor performance by him.
Parejo 4 - Lost the ball which lead to the first goal and went from weakness to weakness after that.
Pabon 5.5 - Was played out of position, but did have several runs forward and tried to make something happened, unfortunately did not have too many players to combine with.
Banega 6 - Provided the assist for the goal, but that was the highlight for him, otherwise he was average and lost quite a few ball in the middle of the park.
Jonas 5 - As always when played on the left wing he failed to deliver and was largely anonymous
Postiga 5 - I don't think he had even once chance. Was completely separated from the team and no one provided him with any sort of passes in dangerous positions.
Subs:
Feghouli 5 - Went in and was very quiet. Didn't do much and failed to convince for a starting spot.
Canales 5 - Provided some energy in the midfield and tried to get involved, but it just didn't work out in the time he had.
Against Sevilla we magically won and that gave me a little hope, a little willingness to at least watch the match against Granada which Valencia CF barely won at the last second basically.
Thing is the match against Real Betis was a disaster, the team was changed from the previous match and none of the players who got a chance performed good.
Oriol Romeu was a disaster as a defensive midfielder, Parejo lost the ball time and time again, didn't do anything going forward, the defense was terrible, especially Ricardo Costa and Mathieu wasn't very good either, but a bit better.
Anyways the whole performance was terrible and Valencia CF did manage to score a goal through R. Costa on assist from Ever Banega, but it was too little too late.
Player Ratings:
Diego 7.5 - Was called time and time again and made several saves. Was let down by the defense for the goals and couldn't have done more.
Joao 4.5 - Strangely poor performance by Joao who is usually solid at the back, but his level fell for this match and was beaten often on the wing.
R Costa 3.5 - Absolute trainwreck of a performance, you'd think this is some very young inexperienced defender and not one with decades of experience by this performance.
Mathieu 4 - A bit better than R. Costa, but that doesn't say much. Got beaten of few occasions way too easily.
Bernat 5 - Did well enough defensively, but failed to provide anything going forward.
Oriol 5 - Failed to pressure the Betis players, was caught out of position several times and generally a poor performance by him.
Parejo 4 - Lost the ball which lead to the first goal and went from weakness to weakness after that.
Pabon 5.5 - Was played out of position, but did have several runs forward and tried to make something happened, unfortunately did not have too many players to combine with.
Banega 6 - Provided the assist for the goal, but that was the highlight for him, otherwise he was average and lost quite a few ball in the middle of the park.
Jonas 5 - As always when played on the left wing he failed to deliver and was largely anonymous
Postiga 5 - I don't think he had even once chance. Was completely separated from the team and no one provided him with any sort of passes in dangerous positions.
Subs:
Feghouli 5 - Went in and was very quiet. Didn't do much and failed to convince for a starting spot.
Canales 5 - Provided some energy in the midfield and tried to get involved, but it just didn't work out in the time he had.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Valencia CF 3-1 Sevilla FC Match Report
After a terrible string of heavy losses in both La Liga and the Europa League in which 12 goals were conceded within the span of 4 games, Valencia finally step up their game. There were still many faults in certain aspects of the game, especially the defense. However, relative to the previous games, there was plenty of energy, passion and a desire to win.
This result can be misleading though. While Sevilla were in theory direct rivals for the Champions/Europa League in recent years, this year they are an almost completely new squad. Having sold most of their players (most notably Negredo and Navas), they came into this game with two points and without a single win in the league so far. Even though, that could have meant a team with extra conviction, it was a team with no confidence. It's great that Valencia managed a win but the team shouldn't get their hopes too high.
The first half featured energy and potency that was lacking against previous opponents. Valencia managed more chances in the opening 10 minutes, than the entire game against Swansea. The team pressed for every ball and suffocated Sevilla in their own half. At times Valencia was overdoing it and making unnecessary challenges. The other big improvement was possession of the ball. Passes were, for the most part, more carefully made and thankfully much more accurate. The exception to that being the defense, more specifically, Ricardo Costa and much less Mathieu. Costa often messed up passes at the back and left Sevilla players get in one-on-one position that were, thankfully, either dealt with by Diego Alves or were not taken advantage of by Sevilla.
This game also featured noticeable wing-play (finally!!). Fede, who was substituted early against Swansea after Rami's red card, was the main protagonist on the wings. He cut-in, crossed, passed, assisted a goal and at was alternating wings and impressing on both wings (everything that Feghouli has failed to do recently).
The forwards proved more dangerous this game, with Postiga having shots on sight and Jonas bagging a brace. The first goal was slotted in from a Fede cross while the other one a long-range effort after a lay off from Pereira.
The final goal came from Ricardo Costa's substitute, Victor Ruiz who impressed in the time he was on. He was more solid at the back than Costa and was much more cautious with his passes.
Sevilla's only goal, which came after Jonas's first, was a result of poor marking. If you leave Gameiro unmarked he's going to finish, so he should obviously be closed down. However, he was left in acres of spaces and had no problem beating Diego Alves from that range.
So overall, huge step-up from previous games but not a reason to celebrate, not yet at least. Still at 9th in the league at 6 points. While it is better than the 16th position which we were in before the game, it's still disappointing. A lot of teams have double the points we do from the same number of games (5 games). A lot of the teams above us are beginning to drop points and this is the chance to climb. Next game is away against Granada, a perfect chance to build up the momentum. It's still a long season however. The question is if it will be one of promise or one of further disappointment.
Technical Details:
Valencia (3): Diego Alves; Joao Pereira, R. Costa (Victor Ruiz, m.58), Mathieu, Guardado; Javi Fuego, Banega, Fede; Jonas (Canales, m.78), Dorlan Pabón (Juan Bernat, m.70), Helder Postiga
Sevilla (1): Beto; Coke, Cala, Navarro, Alberto Moreno; M’Bia (Bryan Rabello, m.76), Rakitic, Jairo, Vitolo (Bacca, m.71), Marko Marin, Kevin Gameiro (Cristoforo, m.63)
Goals: 38min, 1-0, Jonas; 52min, 1-1, Gameiro; 73min, 2-1, Jonas; 83min, 3-1, Victor Ruiz;
Player Ratings:
Diego Alves 6 - Wasn't troubled that often by the Sevilla attack. When he was needed provided two good saves from close range.
Joao 6 - Great runs on the right flank as usual. Good partnership with Fede and was an active part of the forward runs while still maintaining his side of the defense. However, the conceded goal came from his side.
Costa 4 - Lost possession often and was slow to react afterwards. Poor performance overall by the captain. Easily beaten by Sevilla forwards and drawn too easily to the ball.
Mathieu 5.5 - Average display from the Frenchman. Covered for Costa's mistakes but made some of his own. Drawn easily to the ball.
Guardado 5 - Decent coverage at the back. Wasted possession at times with useless crosses when there was barely anyone up front.
Javi Fuego 6 - Was the epitome of the pressing game that Valencia played today. Quick to close down Sevilla attackers.
Banega 6 - Kept possession well for the majority of the game. His cross found Ruiz to clinch the win.
Still a long way from his best form and made a considerable number of careless passes.
Fede 7.5 (MotM)- Great all-round performance by the youngster. Proved his worth over Feghouli and terrorized the Sevilla defenders left, right and center. He was everywhere and even provided Jonas with an assist for the first goal. Should be a regular starter. Great night for him.
Jonas 7 - Stepped up to the plate when needed the most. Was in the right position for the first goal and produced a piece of magic for the second.
Pabón 6 - His pace posed danger to the Sevilla defense but failed to trouble the keeper. He had a really good chance in the first half but other than that he effectively stretched the Sevilla defense.
Postiga 5.5 - Really active in the first half and had many shots but couldn't convert. Pressured well but was almost invisible in the second half.
Subs:
Ruiz 6 - Solid at the back and marked his man well. If today is anything to go by, he should replace Costa as starter. Great positioning at the back post for the match clincher after a cross from Banega.
Bernat 5.5 - Was really quiet for the most part and was overshadowed by Fede who kept appearing on the left wing. When he did get the ball, he provided a few decent crosses.
Canales N/A - Not enough time.
P.S. Deepest apologies for not maintaining the site in the previous weeks. Had some issues to clear up but hopefully we will be able to post as normal.
Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
This result can be misleading though. While Sevilla were in theory direct rivals for the Champions/Europa League in recent years, this year they are an almost completely new squad. Having sold most of their players (most notably Negredo and Navas), they came into this game with two points and without a single win in the league so far. Even though, that could have meant a team with extra conviction, it was a team with no confidence. It's great that Valencia managed a win but the team shouldn't get their hopes too high.
The first half featured energy and potency that was lacking against previous opponents. Valencia managed more chances in the opening 10 minutes, than the entire game against Swansea. The team pressed for every ball and suffocated Sevilla in their own half. At times Valencia was overdoing it and making unnecessary challenges. The other big improvement was possession of the ball. Passes were, for the most part, more carefully made and thankfully much more accurate. The exception to that being the defense, more specifically, Ricardo Costa and much less Mathieu. Costa often messed up passes at the back and left Sevilla players get in one-on-one position that were, thankfully, either dealt with by Diego Alves or were not taken advantage of by Sevilla.
This game also featured noticeable wing-play (finally!!). Fede, who was substituted early against Swansea after Rami's red card, was the main protagonist on the wings. He cut-in, crossed, passed, assisted a goal and at was alternating wings and impressing on both wings (everything that Feghouli has failed to do recently).
The forwards proved more dangerous this game, with Postiga having shots on sight and Jonas bagging a brace. The first goal was slotted in from a Fede cross while the other one a long-range effort after a lay off from Pereira.
The final goal came from Ricardo Costa's substitute, Victor Ruiz who impressed in the time he was on. He was more solid at the back than Costa and was much more cautious with his passes.
Sevilla's only goal, which came after Jonas's first, was a result of poor marking. If you leave Gameiro unmarked he's going to finish, so he should obviously be closed down. However, he was left in acres of spaces and had no problem beating Diego Alves from that range.
So overall, huge step-up from previous games but not a reason to celebrate, not yet at least. Still at 9th in the league at 6 points. While it is better than the 16th position which we were in before the game, it's still disappointing. A lot of teams have double the points we do from the same number of games (5 games). A lot of the teams above us are beginning to drop points and this is the chance to climb. Next game is away against Granada, a perfect chance to build up the momentum. It's still a long season however. The question is if it will be one of promise or one of further disappointment.
Technical Details:
Valencia (3): Diego Alves; Joao Pereira, R. Costa (Victor Ruiz, m.58), Mathieu, Guardado; Javi Fuego, Banega, Fede; Jonas (Canales, m.78), Dorlan Pabón (Juan Bernat, m.70), Helder Postiga
Sevilla (1): Beto; Coke, Cala, Navarro, Alberto Moreno; M’Bia (Bryan Rabello, m.76), Rakitic, Jairo, Vitolo (Bacca, m.71), Marko Marin, Kevin Gameiro (Cristoforo, m.63)
Goals: 38min, 1-0, Jonas; 52min, 1-1, Gameiro; 73min, 2-1, Jonas; 83min, 3-1, Victor Ruiz;
Player Ratings:
Diego Alves 6 - Wasn't troubled that often by the Sevilla attack. When he was needed provided two good saves from close range.
Joao 6 - Great runs on the right flank as usual. Good partnership with Fede and was an active part of the forward runs while still maintaining his side of the defense. However, the conceded goal came from his side.
Costa 4 - Lost possession often and was slow to react afterwards. Poor performance overall by the captain. Easily beaten by Sevilla forwards and drawn too easily to the ball.
Mathieu 5.5 - Average display from the Frenchman. Covered for Costa's mistakes but made some of his own. Drawn easily to the ball.
Guardado 5 - Decent coverage at the back. Wasted possession at times with useless crosses when there was barely anyone up front.
Javi Fuego 6 - Was the epitome of the pressing game that Valencia played today. Quick to close down Sevilla attackers.
Banega 6 - Kept possession well for the majority of the game. His cross found Ruiz to clinch the win.
Still a long way from his best form and made a considerable number of careless passes.
Fede 7.5 (MotM)- Great all-round performance by the youngster. Proved his worth over Feghouli and terrorized the Sevilla defenders left, right and center. He was everywhere and even provided Jonas with an assist for the first goal. Should be a regular starter. Great night for him.
Jonas 7 - Stepped up to the plate when needed the most. Was in the right position for the first goal and produced a piece of magic for the second.
Pabón 6 - His pace posed danger to the Sevilla defense but failed to trouble the keeper. He had a really good chance in the first half but other than that he effectively stretched the Sevilla defense.
Postiga 5.5 - Really active in the first half and had many shots but couldn't convert. Pressured well but was almost invisible in the second half.
Subs:
Ruiz 6 - Solid at the back and marked his man well. If today is anything to go by, he should replace Costa as starter. Great positioning at the back post for the match clincher after a cross from Banega.
Bernat 5.5 - Was really quiet for the most part and was overshadowed by Fede who kept appearing on the left wing. When he did get the ball, he provided a few decent crosses.
Canales N/A - Not enough time.
P.S. Deepest apologies for not maintaining the site in the previous weeks. Had some issues to clear up but hopefully we will be able to post as normal.
Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Valencia attempted to re-sign Mata
Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
Piatti stays
Knowing that he wouldn't be part of Djukic's plans, Piatti searched for another club all summer long. The Argentine winger had interests from Ukranian Club Metalist, Greek champions Olympiacos, Sunderland, Everton, Getafe and Almeria. With Piatti insisting to remain in Spain and agreeing to lower his wages so that Getafe can afford him, a loan move seemed imminent. However, an six-week injury sabotaged the move and forces Piatti to stay at Valencia. As it stands, the squad features 23-players, two players per position except for one with three:
CF: Postiga/Alcacer
LW: Piatti/Pabon
RW: Feghoul/Fede/Canales
CAM: Banega/Jonas
CM: Michel/Parejo
CDM: Fuego/Romeu
LB: Bernat/Guardado
LCB: Mathieu/Rami
RCB: Costa/Ruiz
RB: Pereira/Barragan
GK: Alves/Guaita
*These positions are as they were used in the latest games, some can be shuffled around
Feel free to let us know what you think :)
AMUNT VALENCIA!!!
Monday, September 2, 2013
Valencia CF 2-3 FC Barcelona Match Report
The first of the big matches is over for Valencia CF and if we take this as the crucial test of the team's strength than Valencia CF fails. I think realistically Real Madrid are overall better than Barcelona in that they have a more solid defense and would actually be a tougher opponent for Valencia CF than Barcelona.
Of course Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Real Betis and surprisingly Villarreal this season wait in the wings as the likely remaining champions league spots challengers and there is big competition.
But anyways this match was basically the story of Valencia CF for much of recent history; inconsistent, terrible, brilliant, fighting, disappointing, surprising. All of these things into one match is what is a dual personality Valencia CF.
At one point the team was playing terrible and the next they are making Barcelona look like a low level tier team playing against the champions. At one point the team looks devoid of chances and ideas and the next point they look full of ideas and able to create chances.
The one thing we can definitely conclude after three matches this season is that we have a problem of losing the ball around the middle and our defensive positioning and lack of fast central defenders hurts us in these positions and ends up costing us with goals in our net.
The first goal of FC Barcelona was with one such mistake by either Canales or Michel, couldn't quite make it out from my stream, the second goal for Barcelona was from a lost ball in the middle by Banega and that cost us a goal as well. Third goal was a classic and normal goal I would say, any defense can succumb really, so not as big of a deal, but the two goals before it were preventable and shouldn't have happened.
Now the central defense was bad, but its not terrible, the big problem here is that both Rami and Costa are slow and thus they can't compete when a fast counter attack like that happens and they simply get outrun. Our defensive positioning is also lacking in these type of positions as both the full backs are so far forward in these cases they can't do anything, they can't help in any way.
So, I'd say a combination of poor individual defending, poor defensive positioning and the tendency for the players to lose the ball in midfield is costing Valencia dearly. You don't want to be risky in midfield if you have slow defenders and lackluster defensive positioning, you need to play more careful. I think this is mostly a tactical error as the coach should know the team strengths and weaknesses and advice the players how to play and I strongly believe he needs to advice them to be extremely careful of the passing in the middle, especially when coming out of defense. Its not a problem if the team loses the ball from attack, but when coming out of defense then its a big problem as we've seen.
So yeah, two of the goals were by mistakes made in the middle and the type of defenders that we have who are very slow, but also the defensive positioning overall which has the team with two fullbacks really high up the pitch.
The third goal by Barcelona was generally a good play by their players, though Ricardo Costa maybe could have reacted faster, I also think Fuego generally failed to provide appropriate cover to prevent this type of passes as well and I don't think he was helped much by Canales either who should have been more mindful of covering on the right side there.
Valencia's goals came from rather good play in that the team was really all out attacking and Joao Pereira's cross was accurate towards Postiga and this one was able to score from a good position.
The second goal came from a Banega corner and it was Postiga again who headed the ball into the net and this was all preceded by few good actions in front of Barcelona's goal.
Overall I think Valencia CF lost the first half, but made amends by scoring two goals in a span of 2 minutes of just all out attacking and pressure on Barcelona and the second half belonged to Valencia CF who controlled the match, were more confident, were able to string good number of passes and were able to attack Barcelona and be dangerous to their goal, while Barcelona also had their chances to increase their lead, but their play was overall weaker and they were on the defensive.
I think the game really slowed down for Valencia CF and the team had lower chances of scoring when Feghouli was introduced. He came in for Banega and didn't do anything. His performances this match and overall this season and even in the preseason have been terrible and I would have liked to see him loaned out and Viera staying, but that's another article.
Overall the team recouped from the 3 goals deficit disaster where they could barely move out of their own third and fought back and made the result and loss bearable, but now the team is still on only 3 points from 3 matches and already falling behind in the race for champions league spots. Additionally now there is added pressure of winning and doing good in the next few matches, so that weighs heavily on the players and coach as well.
I think one possibility is that we are going to see a change in the defense, I think Djukic was devastated by the poor defending and even though some of the situations were hard to deal with, if you are a top defender you are going to be able to deal with and that is what makes you good, failing time and time again is a sure sign of poor defending.
I also hope to see better tactical knowledge and for Djukic to speak to the players where to play safer, where to play more aggressive, that sort of thing to prevent these goals from lost ball situations.
Technical details:
Valencia CF (2): Diego Alves, Joao Pereira, Rami, Ricardo Costa, Guardado; Javi Fuego, Míchel (Dani Parejo, m. 81), Banega (Feghouli, m. 68), Pabón, Canales (Jonas, m. 68) and Postiga.
FC Barcelona (3): Víctor Valdés, Dani Alves, Mascherano, Piqué, Jordi Alba, Busquets, Cesc Fábregas (Dos Santos, m. 78), Iniesta, Pedro (Tello, m. 70), Neymar (Sergi Roberto, m. 90) and Messi.
Goals: 10min, 0-1, Messi; 38min, 0-2, Messi; 41min, 0-3. M, Messi; 44min, 1-3. Postiga; 45min, 2-3, Postiga.
Player Ratings:
Diego 6.5 - Insecure when passing to players and made some bad, risky passes and you could argue could have done more for the first goal for example, but he did made several saves, especially two consecutive saves in the second half where Barcelona could have sealed the deal. Largely let down by the defense though.
Joao 7 - Mostly dealt with the threat of Neymar even though he had big lack of support from Canales and was like a one man army having to deal with everything, he was also the sole wide player on the right and played half as a winger, half as a defender. He had a good night though and provided the assist for the first goal.
Rami 4 - Once again generally insecure performance, slow on the feet, slow to close down, lack of understanding with Costa, you name it. Not a defender that I would trust and be secure with.
R. Costa 4 - Usually the more confident and more stable of the two, this match he was really insecure and generally too unaware and too slow to react. Between the two central defenders Valencia CF could have easily conceived 2-3 more goals.
Guardado 6 - Not troubled by Pedro at all, he covered his position well enough, but was not as adventurous or capable going forwards as Joao. Had one good chance where he shot from close range, but the shot was very inaccurate.
Michel 5.5 - Was a bit better than Canales in his play and more solid defensively, but had a frustrating performance. I think he was the one that lost the ball for the first goal, but either way his score is low enough without it as well that it won't even matter much.
Canales 5 - Largely ineffectual and it was no surprise to me at least as he was playing in a very deep position and he's a very forward midfielder. Was supposed to play as a makeshift right winger and cut inside, but mostly failed to do so.
Fuego 5 - Nothing of notice from the defensive midfield, I feel like he was rather lackluster closing down the Barcelona players and didn't provide much to the game overall. Very simple, easy passes and staying out of the action.
Banega 6.5 - He lost the ball for the second goal very easily, it shouldn't have happened, but was one of the better players overall on the field, especially in the second half where he was the creator of most of the movement and chances. Had one great pass to Pabon in the first half, tried a shot on goal as well and generally contributed well going forward.
Pabon 6 - Very active on the left and gave Barcelona trouble, he had two shots on goal and combined well with the other players. Promising performance for his first match in a Valencia CF shirt after only few training sessions.
Postiga 7.5 - Scored two goals and found himself in good positions, generally fought harder compared to previous matches and was more active.
Subs:
Feghouli 4 - Didn't contribute anything. As good as if he wasn't on the pitch.
Jonas 5.5 - Had one shot that hit the post and contributed in few attacks, but unable to change the outcome of the match.
Parejo N/A - Not enough time.
Of course Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Real Betis and surprisingly Villarreal this season wait in the wings as the likely remaining champions league spots challengers and there is big competition.
But anyways this match was basically the story of Valencia CF for much of recent history; inconsistent, terrible, brilliant, fighting, disappointing, surprising. All of these things into one match is what is a dual personality Valencia CF.
At one point the team was playing terrible and the next they are making Barcelona look like a low level tier team playing against the champions. At one point the team looks devoid of chances and ideas and the next point they look full of ideas and able to create chances.
The first goal of FC Barcelona was with one such mistake by either Canales or Michel, couldn't quite make it out from my stream, the second goal for Barcelona was from a lost ball in the middle by Banega and that cost us a goal as well. Third goal was a classic and normal goal I would say, any defense can succumb really, so not as big of a deal, but the two goals before it were preventable and shouldn't have happened.
Now the central defense was bad, but its not terrible, the big problem here is that both Rami and Costa are slow and thus they can't compete when a fast counter attack like that happens and they simply get outrun. Our defensive positioning is also lacking in these type of positions as both the full backs are so far forward in these cases they can't do anything, they can't help in any way.
So, I'd say a combination of poor individual defending, poor defensive positioning and the tendency for the players to lose the ball in midfield is costing Valencia dearly. You don't want to be risky in midfield if you have slow defenders and lackluster defensive positioning, you need to play more careful. I think this is mostly a tactical error as the coach should know the team strengths and weaknesses and advice the players how to play and I strongly believe he needs to advice them to be extremely careful of the passing in the middle, especially when coming out of defense. Its not a problem if the team loses the ball from attack, but when coming out of defense then its a big problem as we've seen.
So yeah, two of the goals were by mistakes made in the middle and the type of defenders that we have who are very slow, but also the defensive positioning overall which has the team with two fullbacks really high up the pitch.
The third goal by Barcelona was generally a good play by their players, though Ricardo Costa maybe could have reacted faster, I also think Fuego generally failed to provide appropriate cover to prevent this type of passes as well and I don't think he was helped much by Canales either who should have been more mindful of covering on the right side there.
Valencia's goals came from rather good play in that the team was really all out attacking and Joao Pereira's cross was accurate towards Postiga and this one was able to score from a good position.
The second goal came from a Banega corner and it was Postiga again who headed the ball into the net and this was all preceded by few good actions in front of Barcelona's goal.
Overall I think Valencia CF lost the first half, but made amends by scoring two goals in a span of 2 minutes of just all out attacking and pressure on Barcelona and the second half belonged to Valencia CF who controlled the match, were more confident, were able to string good number of passes and were able to attack Barcelona and be dangerous to their goal, while Barcelona also had their chances to increase their lead, but their play was overall weaker and they were on the defensive.
I think the game really slowed down for Valencia CF and the team had lower chances of scoring when Feghouli was introduced. He came in for Banega and didn't do anything. His performances this match and overall this season and even in the preseason have been terrible and I would have liked to see him loaned out and Viera staying, but that's another article.
Overall the team recouped from the 3 goals deficit disaster where they could barely move out of their own third and fought back and made the result and loss bearable, but now the team is still on only 3 points from 3 matches and already falling behind in the race for champions league spots. Additionally now there is added pressure of winning and doing good in the next few matches, so that weighs heavily on the players and coach as well.
I think one possibility is that we are going to see a change in the defense, I think Djukic was devastated by the poor defending and even though some of the situations were hard to deal with, if you are a top defender you are going to be able to deal with and that is what makes you good, failing time and time again is a sure sign of poor defending.
I also hope to see better tactical knowledge and for Djukic to speak to the players where to play safer, where to play more aggressive, that sort of thing to prevent these goals from lost ball situations.
Technical details:
Valencia CF (2): Diego Alves, Joao Pereira, Rami, Ricardo Costa, Guardado; Javi Fuego, Míchel (Dani Parejo, m. 81), Banega (Feghouli, m. 68), Pabón, Canales (Jonas, m. 68) and Postiga.
FC Barcelona (3): Víctor Valdés, Dani Alves, Mascherano, Piqué, Jordi Alba, Busquets, Cesc Fábregas (Dos Santos, m. 78), Iniesta, Pedro (Tello, m. 70), Neymar (Sergi Roberto, m. 90) and Messi.
Goals: 10min, 0-1, Messi; 38min, 0-2, Messi; 41min, 0-3. M, Messi; 44min, 1-3. Postiga; 45min, 2-3, Postiga.
Player Ratings:
Diego 6.5 - Insecure when passing to players and made some bad, risky passes and you could argue could have done more for the first goal for example, but he did made several saves, especially two consecutive saves in the second half where Barcelona could have sealed the deal. Largely let down by the defense though.
Joao 7 - Mostly dealt with the threat of Neymar even though he had big lack of support from Canales and was like a one man army having to deal with everything, he was also the sole wide player on the right and played half as a winger, half as a defender. He had a good night though and provided the assist for the first goal.
Rami 4 - Once again generally insecure performance, slow on the feet, slow to close down, lack of understanding with Costa, you name it. Not a defender that I would trust and be secure with.
R. Costa 4 - Usually the more confident and more stable of the two, this match he was really insecure and generally too unaware and too slow to react. Between the two central defenders Valencia CF could have easily conceived 2-3 more goals.
Guardado 6 - Not troubled by Pedro at all, he covered his position well enough, but was not as adventurous or capable going forwards as Joao. Had one good chance where he shot from close range, but the shot was very inaccurate.
Michel 5.5 - Was a bit better than Canales in his play and more solid defensively, but had a frustrating performance. I think he was the one that lost the ball for the first goal, but either way his score is low enough without it as well that it won't even matter much.
Canales 5 - Largely ineffectual and it was no surprise to me at least as he was playing in a very deep position and he's a very forward midfielder. Was supposed to play as a makeshift right winger and cut inside, but mostly failed to do so.
Fuego 5 - Nothing of notice from the defensive midfield, I feel like he was rather lackluster closing down the Barcelona players and didn't provide much to the game overall. Very simple, easy passes and staying out of the action.
Banega 6.5 - He lost the ball for the second goal very easily, it shouldn't have happened, but was one of the better players overall on the field, especially in the second half where he was the creator of most of the movement and chances. Had one great pass to Pabon in the first half, tried a shot on goal as well and generally contributed well going forward.
Pabon 6 - Very active on the left and gave Barcelona trouble, he had two shots on goal and combined well with the other players. Promising performance for his first match in a Valencia CF shirt after only few training sessions.
Postiga 7.5 - Scored two goals and found himself in good positions, generally fought harder compared to previous matches and was more active.
Subs:
Feghouli 4 - Didn't contribute anything. As good as if he wasn't on the pitch.
Jonas 5.5 - Had one shot that hit the post and contributed in few attacks, but unable to change the outcome of the match.
Parejo N/A - Not enough time.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Valencia CF vs FC Barcelona Match Preview
Valencia CF vs FC Barcelona Match Preview
Stadium: Mestalla
Date: 01.09.2013; 21:00 CET
3rd matchday, La Liga
Coaches: Miroslav Djukic and Gerardo Martino
Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia CF are coming to this match after a miserable 3-1 loss to RCD Espanyol in which the team played terrible and deservedly lost the match by three goals to one, with a forgetful and miserable performance of a low tier relegation fighting team.
The match against FC Barcelona will be the chance for the players to overcome the last match and prove that they are capable of challenging Barcelona and that they are better than was they shown last match, but realistically I personally doubt they can really do much against Barcelona.
Atletico Madrid proved that FC Barcelona are vulnerable and can be beaten, but their organization and defending was impeccable and much of it is how good Atletico Madrid played, rather than Barcelona being weak or anything like that. So for Valencia CF to have a close game all of the players would have to step up their game significantly and team play has to be impeccable.
Latest news from the Valencia CF camp are that Jonathan Viera our best preseason player has been loaned out to Rayo Vallecano in what is absurdly strange decision. I mean the team is getting weaker and weaker by the minute, we barely have any real wingers, our two matches this season we barely scored 2 goals with just huge luck and our wing play has been virtually nonexistent. So to sell Viera at this point in time and with a squad so low on wingers is really questionable, especially since Viera was one of the best preseason players.
This match will show us a lot though, it will show us the tactics, the team play, the ability, the desire, the work, etc... of whether the overall staff in Valencia CF know what they are doing or they are absolutely clueless. If we lose significantly against Barcelona at home in the Mestalla, then the team will likely have no chance for Champions League football and I would even be surprised if it reaches European League positions.
Valencia CF squad:
Technical Details Valencia CF (probable setups):
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Line-up: Alves; Joao, Rami, R. Costa, Bernat; Fuego, Parejo, Feghouli; Banega, Guardado; Postiga.
Tactics: Medium defensive line, own half pressure, low frequency wing attacks, low short passing, high pressure
FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona are coming to this match after a hard fought victory against Atletico Madrid in which they won the Spanish Super cop, in which they barely secured the win on away goals. No matter the way they won the team will be pleased with their achievement and they are starting the season with a big win and a trophy under their wings. This is most likely going to give them increased confidence and renewed desire for more silverware.
FC Barcelona are kind of low on defenders, especially in the center so they are relying on most of them staying fit and not getting injured, which could be problematic, but this early in the season it won't have any effect on the match against Barcelona, though I'd think what would have an effect is fatigue on some of their midfielders like Xavi who isn't getting any younger and can't play 80+ matches per season.
As far as Barcelona's attack they are actually quite staked there with Neymar arriving for a 60 million fee and having rather good success in the matches he's played, then they obviously have the old and reliable Pedro, Alexis is there are willing to prove himself, then they have the youthful duo of Tello and Cuenca and of course Lionel Messi.
For me I'm expecting a close race for first position this season between Real Madrid and Barcelona, but I don't expect either of them to reach the 90+ points mark set by the last couple of seasons and I think overall they are going to have harder time winning, but I'm still expecting towards the end to be a two horse race with Real and Barca close on points and likely to keep overtaking each other.
FC Barcelona squad:
Technical Details FC Barcelona (probable setups):
Formation: 4-3-3
Line-up: Valdes; Alves, Mascherano, Pique, Alba; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Fabregas, Messi, Pedro.
Tactics: High defensive line, all round pressure, keep possession, mostly short circular passing, doubling up on the wings.
Result prediction
Valencia CF 0-3 FC Barcelona
I expect Barcelona to come in with their renewed confidence and morals by the latest cup win and from the first minute start dominating the match and having good number of chances. I expect Valencia CF to defend up to a certain point, but the attacks and pressure would be too much and once a goal goes in I can see Barcelona easily scoring 3 goals.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)