And So It Ends

By: Cesar | May 29th, 2009

And just like that, the season ends.

Today’s it’s the 38th and final match of the season, a home game against Athletic Bilbao.

A point and we’re in Europe’s second tier competition, the UEFA Europa League. A loss and we could conceivably be out of Europe all together.

Call me crazy, but I’m not all that excited about being in the Europa League. I’d hoped we were good enough to make it to the Champions League. But it was not to be.

So let’s take what we can get. A win and we’re a more attractive prospect for would-be transfers. That’s if we have enough money to buy more than a bag of balls.

Tomorrow will also be the final match in a Valencia CF kit for many Valencia players. We already know that Fernando Morientes and Manolo’s Curro Torres are done after tomorrow.

Many can guess that David Albelda, Ruben Baraja, Miguel Angel Angulo, Hugo Viana and Emiliano Moretti won’t be around next season.

But who else could leave?

Good byes could be in order for the world’s best striker David Villa, David Silva, Carlos Marchena, Raul Albiol and Juan Mata.

In short, tomorrow would be a definitive closing of an era in Valencia CF history.

But we’ll see. We’ll know more about that in the coming weeks. Let’s not worry about saying goodbye to Villa and Silva just yet.

For now, it’s a point we need against Athletic Bilbao, who last played at the Mestalla against the world’s best football club, FC Barcelona and were trounced 4-1.

A point would be a sick kind of validation for this season. Last year, we sneaked into the UEFA Cup because we won the Copa Del Rey.

At least this time around, we’ll have qualified the old fashioned way. Still, my belly hurts thinking about the way this season’s ending.

Ruben Baraja will miss out on the last game of the season through injury after he picked up a muscle strain. So no good byes for him if it’s his last match with us. Seems kind of unfair.

Manuel Fernandes, David Silva and Asier del Horno are also out of action with knocks while Mata is suspended and Vicente Guaita and Tiago Carleto are omitted. Hugo Viana is auditioning at Manolo’s.

Bilbao have dipped in form since their final loss, losing 4-1 last weekend to Atletico Madrid and 1-0 the week before to Espanyol.

So let’s hope they’re not energized for their final match of the season. They’re safe, tucked away in mid table. So they’ve nothing but pride to play for.

Prediction?

Valencia maybe inconsistent, but Athletic’s form has gone completely wayward since they lost the Copa del Rey final and there is no reason to see them suddenly picking up when the players are all going on holiday on Monday.

Valencia 3 – 0 Athletic Bilbao

Let’s hope goal.com is right.

Yesterday, coach Unai Emery said the team needs to fight for that last point …

“The first objective was to be in the top four but after that we have to play in a European competition like the new UEFA one[Europa League]. For us, the season finishes tomorrow and the team has a responsibility to play to their best and to finish in Europe. Playing at home we have to give our best to win and so that the fans, after a difficult game last week, will be with us again,” the official club website quoted him as saying.

“The objective continues to be very important as it is the place for Europe and even though it looks as though we will make it, we have to approach it with a high level and with respect to Athletic. It will be fully competitive.”

Emery also used the final pre-match conference of the season to thank the fans for their support during the season.

“The fans have been very good. We are obliged to do well for them. We all feel sad not to be in the Champions League but we can still be in Europe,” he said.

“The fans have a right to show their annoyance and they have a few times, but tomorrow we ask for their support, knowing they could be disappointed. Then perhaps, when the game is finished and the team has given their all, they can show their frustration.”

With regards to why they have not reached the top four, Emery acknowledged that they have not been great away from home.

“Sports wise we have not been good away, we have not had the same identity we have shown at home. We have been better at the Mestalla. The fans have seen us win and they have enjoyed it, but the battle has been lost away. We have still fought for our goal until day 37,” he concluded.

I’m with you, lads. Always and forever.

Do us proud today at the Mestalla.

A day of goodbyes. Let’s hope it’s a goodbye to some and not to others.

We’ll see …