The Best Game of the Season

By: Cesar | January 10th, 2009

Derbies don’t often disappoint. And the Valencian derby between Valencia CF and Villarreal certainly didn’t, in what has to go down as the Best Game in Spain’s La Liga 2008-09.

Talk about a barbed-wire, steel cage match.
This was a barn burner. A good, old-fashioned Pier 6 brawl with the kitchen sink thrown in for good measure.

It was 90 minutes of pure bliss, neutral or otherwise. Of course, it would have been better had we won. But 3-3 and a delicious spectacle of the Beautiful Game isn’t bad either.

It started off with a slight surprise, as coach Unai Emery decided to use David Albelda as a makeshift right-back, following the suspension of alleged murderer Miguel. Many of the Mestalla faithful groaned, but could you think of any better options? Maduro? Del Horno? Curro Torres?

Off we went and from the start, Valencia looked like Brazil ‘70. With the first attack of the game, Joaquín’s cross from the left found 87-year old Ruben Baraja, who headed home with ease.

But that’s not all. We attacked and attacked, our defense reacting solidly and our offense looking sublime.

Villarreal’s Yellow Submarine weren’t out of it, though. Ariel Ibagaza almost equalized right after the goal. His chip nearly caught Renan out, but the keeper managed to tip over the bar. A melee ensued from the resulting corner, but Valencia somehow managed to clear off the line.

Our offensive wave capitalized in the 10th minute, when Our Beloved got their second. Albelda played David Villa in on the right with an absolutely brilliant pass, and El Guaje faked before shooting in at the near post. An absolutely beautiful goal off an incredible pass … 2-0 after 10 and all looked well at the Mestalla.

But of course, you know how these things have a way of changing …

Chance after chance went off kilter for Valencia. A shot by David Silva flew over the cross bar. Mata came inches from scoring.

The scoreline could have been 5-0. But alas, it was not to be.

In first half extra time, Villarreal’s corner found its way to Fabricio Fuentes, who had only come on for the injured Gonzalo, and he duly headed in from six yards, to set up an intriguing second half.

2-1 and although we were on top, Villarreal looked lean and mean.

The second half told a different tale. The Albelda experiment at left back, which worked so succinctly in the first half, came to a disastrous end, as almost every Yellow attack came down Albelda’s side.

Still, they had nothing to show for it … in the 66th minute, we came close to scoring when a long throw found its way to Mata, whose bicycle kick (chilena) flew just over the cross bar. Five minutes later, Villa should have sealed the game, but he somehow contrived to tap Silva’s cross over the bar.

Unfortunately, we didn’t score. And Santi Cazorla made us pay. The Spanish international with no ambition released Paco Llorente down the left, and while Llorente’s initial shot was blocked by Renan, he pounced on the rebound from an even tighter angle, smashing the ball into the roof of the net.

But not all was lost as Edu came in and not only didn’t injure himself, but headed a pass by Mata into the net. 3-2 and all looked well again. The Mestalla sighed.

Ahh, but this is Valencia. And nothing comes easy to Los Che.

In the 82nd minute, Joaquin attempted to defend Santi Cazorla and inadvertently touched the international, who went down like a sniper shot him. It was a penalty and New Jersey’s own Giuseppe Rossi slotted home for their 3rd goal.

A few chances here, a few chances there and 3-3 was the final in Spain’s best game of the season …

Honestly, we played about as well as we could have, what with Albiol and Moretti leaving injured (or so I think), Miguel in jail, Alexis injured and Curro Torres collecting tips at Manolo’s. In other words, our defense was a shambles.

Our offense picked up the slack for much of the match. Villa was impressive and Silva’s creative touch is something we lacked during long stretches of the first half of the season.

Joaquin looked like the Real Betis Joaquin and even Moretti tried to do his best Cristiano Ronaldo impression, running into the box with the ball.

It was a good effort. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.

We lack that killer instinct, that will to drive the final nail into the other team’s coffin. Still, we played better than we have most of the season.

Give it to Unai and his staff: They’ve made Valencia into an exciting club to watch.

Now why don’t they play this way against the Real Madrid’s and Barcelona’s of the world? Those games, we sit back and wait for them to pressure. Against Villarreal, we took it to them and came away 2-0 up after 10 minutes.

Did we get tired? I don’t know … obviously, something’s missing. Maybe defenders? Still, it was a partidazo for the ages …

So how did we do in our big stretch of the season?

We started against Sevilla and tied 0-0, then hosted Betis, who we beat 3-2.
It was off to the Nou Camp, where we were crushed 4-0 and then we hosted Barca’s other club, Espanyol, who we defeated 2-1.
After that, Real Madrid knicked us 1-0. But we knicked Atletico 3-1 in a fun affair.
Today’s game was 3-3 …

So that’s 3 wins, 2 losses and 2 draws. 11 out of 21 points … aggh … nothing to write home about. But we’re alive, still in the hunt for a Champions League spot …

So what do you all think? Game of the season or a lost opportunity? Or both??