Madrid, April 16. Images from the twenty-ninth day of LaLiga Santander:
. The Fernandez brothers
The image of Álex and Nacho, the Fernández brothers, sitting after the battle on the stairs of the locker room tunnel at the Nuevo Mirandilla stadium in Cádiz is pure football. Real Madrid’s harassment found no reward until the most unexpected goalscorer appeared with Nacho’s shot near the post from the rim.
The goal, another demonstration of the value of a footballer who thinks about his future, is a painful blow for his brother’s team. Cadiz, just four points above the relegation zone, gave up their resistance. Brothers but rivals for 90 minutes, sitting after the fight talking about football and life. Álex saw up close, unable to stop, his brother’s beatings and the joy of a party that was not shared.
. Gimenez’s arm
The game against Atlético de Madrid had earned a previous decision, but in a final burst of pride for UD Almería, two actions led to their protest. Suddenly a center hanging on the side appeared, a defender like Giménez without vision in the jump, an arm which took up space detached from the body and the impact with the ball which changed the trajectory and prevented a shot from a opponent ready to score.
All the merits of a team installed in its best offensive version, could be gone on the field in a few seconds. The referee didn’t see the hand but the protest from all the Almería players was so forceful that it made it clear that the action had to go through VAR. What they didn’t know was that from video refereeing they would see what no one expected. At the start of the game, there was an illegal position of a few centimeters which canceled the penalty action.
. william’s kiss
He ran on the counterattack with the confidence of someone who signed a game to frame, faced Le Normand, came off his good leg with the cut and unleashed a high kick that Álex Remiro did not nothing could do. San Mamés was an explosion of joy. The goal resonated with the strength expressed in the background by each of the Athletic Club supporters, shouting in pride, raising their scarves, flags and arms in the air with their eyes on the goalscorer.
Iñaki Williams savored such a special moment kneeling in front of the back, overwhelmed by the unleashed madness, watching the fans happy to see their eternal rival fall in their stadium. All of his teammates surrounded him congratulating him and when he was able to get up he took the chest shield from his shirt, brought it to his lips and kissed it while throwing the number one in the Bilbao sky with his left hand. .
. El Jamik’s career
He flew into his field, with criteria to cut off a Villarreal attack, and launched a scoreless run, in which Real Valladolid commanded with an early goal. His audacity found the palm by combining with the impudence of a defender in the last meters.
He attacked the space, where Villarreal had left a void without the presence of his full-back, he found the pass to his movement to run from the center of the field with the ball, reach the rival area and define himself as an attacker. Cut and yank to the fillet. The goal of the penalty and a breath of air for a Valladolid which jumped in the classification to move away from relegation by five points.
. Cavani’s anger
A born winner, Edinson Cavani is struggling to assimilate what he has to experience in Valencia. His side were losing and his coach, Rubén Baraja, decided to pull him off the pitch with more than 20 minutes remaining. It wasn’t his best game, below the pulse with two tough Sevilla centre-backs, but the Uruguay forward felt he could contribute a lot more on the pitch until he saw his number on the sheet of change.
Since January 18, he hasn’t scored for Valencia. Since December 31, Cavani has not made any more in La Liga. A mediocre contribution to what was expected of him. Due to his experience, he should have played a leading role in the games his team plays in the season. And he knows it. That’s why he resented his manager’s decision not to play with two pure nines when he replaced him with Hugo Duro. Visibly annoyed, he pushed a team-mate out of his way and said it all as he stepped onto the bench, meeting Baraja and his assistant César Marchena. Difficult times in Mestalla and nerves on the surface. ECE
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