There is a maxim in football that says that the grades are set in May, but if Sporting had to be rated this summer, it could be said that they are progressing adequately. With an eleven that shows that there is not only a lot of work to do on the mat, but also in the offices, without Jony, or Cali Izquierdoz still in the call, the rojiblancos left a good taste in their mouths in their first game in Asturias of the era Orlegi. They curdled an interesting first half, where Otero, with his strength, and Cristo, with his mobility, were the most prominent on the green, and did not take the victory against Ponferradina due to a mistake by Cuéllar, the only one he had, which led to Berciano’s tying goal when the locals were at their best.
There was a desire in Mareo to see Sporting at home in this new stage after the trips to Cantabria, Alicante and Mallorca, despite the fact that no notable news was expected on the table compared to the previous three games. But it didn’t matter. The number one field of the Soccer School registered a full house, with applause before starting the match for Aitor García, absent yesterday, for Jony and for Babin, who was seen by the rojiblanco barracks as one more spectator of the that filled the stands.
What was striking was in the defense and at the spearhead. In the rearguard, Gragera had to return to act as central, a constant already so far this summer. Upstairs, Djuka and Cristo took command of the artillery. Sporting started well planted on the pitch. First, crawling when it was his turn to have possession of the ball, but then showing that this team has potential and that it already has a few lessons learned to hurt its rival, a Ponferradinaque suffered in the first act.
The first warning was given to all this by Pol Valentín, with a ride that seems to be a trademark of the house. He ended up knocked down in the area and the only explanation for him not giving the referee a penalty was that he was not. From the stands, of course, he seemed so. Zarfino, inescapable when it comes to being the anchor of the team, also showed good manners when it came to unclogging the game. He had it with a header that he connected like a charm after a corner kick and that did not end in a goal at the far post by chance.
The replica put it, who else, Yuri. Ponfe’s striker is something like the Benjamin Button of the Second Division. The older he is, the younger he looks and the more things he does. He tried to dislodge Abelardo’s men by falling to the center of the field and to the band. He had the opening goal with a shot that narrowly missed. This was practically the only action of danger that the bercianos had, beyond the goal.
From here, Mareo seemed to enter Holy Week, because everyone began to notice Christ. The Canary battering ram shone with several dangerous actions. He assisted Juan Otero, with whom he drew a perfect wall on the edge of the area so that the Colombian, alone and at pleasure, could do the first. Sporting entered then in its best version. Cristo, with the mobility of him, returned to assist Otero, who this time did not succeed. They liked those of Abelardo and at times, and if they had been in El Bibio, they could perfectly have escaped an olé from the stands. Djuka, in the center of Zarfino, was about to score the second.
The equalizing goal came from a bad start by Cuéllar, which Espiau found. With the tie and the passage through the changing rooms came the carousel of changes that gave rise to a monotonous second half and with little concern for either of the two frames. In the absence of much work, Sporting shows that they have good manners and left a pleasant feeling in Orlegi’s first match in Gijón.
