Deportivo La Coruna Stutters To Life

DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA STUTTER TO LIFE

 

Deportivo La Coruna …..1

Villareal …………………0

Estadio Municipal De Riazor, 27 September 09 Att:  

Monday 28th September 2009.

Deportivo La Coruna stopped Villareal on Sunday evening, courtesy of a stunning free kick from Brazilian summer signing Roberto Juca. Juca who has already scored 2 free kicks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s nil threatens to be La Liga’s premier free kick specialist this season. The only thing that marred this victory was that Juca had to be pulled off owing to an injury very early in the first half.

 

Villareal are second from bottom on the log but once in a while the log lies. Playing away from home Villareal seemed like the home team, they had the lion’s share of ball possession and even scored a goal that was not given because Aranzubia, in goal for Deportivo, scooped it back onto the pitch after it had clearly crossed the line. Villareal have only recently lost their coach Manuel Pellegrini to Real Madrid’s big money project and their promising playmaker Matias Fernandez to Sporting Lisbon but this will not affect them seriously, they are just in a transitional period and they definitely will not go down on the evidence of last night convincing display.

 

The thing to bear in mind in last night game is that Deportivo La Coruna, a giant in hibernation for the past four years, is now fully awake and ready to take up their position as one of the big four in Spain. The Super Depor era effectively ended on 7 April 2004, when Deportivo beat AC Milan 4 – 0 in a Champions League Quarter Finals second leg match. Due to the retirement because of age, of the likes of Djalminha, Fran, Mauro Silva, Molina, Donato and Naybet, Deportivo has ever since been looking for the same balance that made them great. Further damage was caused by Roy Makaay’s departure and Diego Tristan’s excruciating loss of form. It is good fortune that Juan Carlos Valeron, the outstanding playmaker of the Super Depor era, has remained evergreen much likes Ryan Giggs at Manchester United, this has made Deportivo retain its trademark 4- 2- 3 -1 formation and therefore traditional style.   

 

The additions that have made a spectacular difference are the Mexican Andres “El Chico Maravilla” Guardado, the marauding Brazilian left back Luis Filipe, the safe hands of Daniel Aranzubia, the centre half partnership of Ze Castro and Lopo. But special mention has to go to Roberto Juca, he has been the missing link, the three in one player – a kind of Mauro Silva fused with Donato and a little bit of Djalminha. He breaks up plays in midfield and initiates attacks, which gives the Deportivo defence the protection they have not had since Mauro Silva left. By the 7th minute Villareal had been made to find out what Juca’s special weapon is on the pitch – a superb free kick that spun over the wall, then curved away from the outstretched keeper to spin off the post and emphatically hit the back of the net. Wonderful stuff!

 

Within 20 minutes of this free kick going in, Juca had been replaced by Antonio Tomas after a bad tackle had given him a leg injury. Without the protection of Juca, Deportivo suffered a torrent of attacks from Villareal which only stopped when the final whistle blew. Deportivo also have a great counter attack partnership on the left flank with Luis Filipe and Guardado, but one area that still needs work is the striking zone. Deportivo urgently need a hungry finisher, Lassad squandered a chance that was so easy it should carry a jail term for anyone who misses it. This kind of ineptitude is easily punished with a defeat as in the game against Real Madrid on the opening day of the La Liga season, when Valeron contrived to miss a chance that would have taken Deportivo 3 – 2 ahead of Madrid at the Bernabeu, a few minutes later Lass Diarra got the winning goal for the home side. Against Villareal yesterday Riki was also guilty of the same crime in the last 10 minutes, so as Deportivo looks to the next big challenges of Sevilla and Barcelona in the next 5 - 6 weeks they must either get a striker or by some miracle the ones they currently have hit a rich vein of form, somehow!

 

All indications are that, Deportivo La Coruna, the other giant of Spanish football has awoken from a deep slumber, but anyone who understands the game will assure you that a week is a long time in football!

 

LIGA BBVA STANDINGS     

 1. Real Madrid

2.  Barcelona

3.  Sevilla

4. Real Mallorca

5. Deportivo La Coruna