The Girona wrote yesterday one of the darkest chapters in its history. Established in professional football for fourteen years and this year competing at a remarkable level a First Divisionthe team signed a grotesque performance yesterday in the field of the cacereñoof Second RFEF, which earned him the elimination of the King’s Cup. One might think that these are things that can happen and that at Barça and at Madrid it has also touched them once. Maybe yes. What is not acceptable is for a team three categories below to go over Girona as Cacereño did yesterday, who qualified for the third round with full merit in a game where the final result could even have be wider Not more Juan Carlos he prevented the wound from getting worse by stopping the chances on the counterattack in the final stretch. Míchel said at the end of the match that his men had not entered with “the mentality that was playing” and that they had taken the match as if it were “preparation”. It was short, because in any friendly you can see more intensity than the one Girona showed from 2-1.
Nor should the grass, in a sorry state, serve as an excuse to justify yesterday’s defeat. Girona said goodbye to the Cup in the worst way, with an unworthy image in front of a rival who saw how all their efforts were rewarded. The way in which he gave up on continuing to smear Girona following the goal ofIvan Fernandez open a folder so far to release what the attitude is like. After a decent first half, where Castellanos, opportunist, had equalized the opening goal of David GrandeGirona’s type of running, jamming and losing balls, saw how Cacereño took the lead again in the restart and showed unforgivable laziness, which made them not enjoy any more opportunities from 2-1.
He had warned Míchel that he would not reserve anything and would take the best starting eleven possible in order to get through the round. The return of Juan Carlos in goal and the presence of Ramon Terrats in the central axis were the most striking notes of a team that formed with Castellanos in attack, accompanied by Toni Villa and Couto on the wings and Iván Martín behind Despite the impractical state of the grass, the Girona players came out to play true to their style of combination, looking to be protagonists with the ball. The flaps and bits of grass didn’t help at all. In fact, they caused that terraces lost a ball in the creation zone in a move that ended with Cacereño’s goal. Grande, pleased because Arnau was late in helping, finished the ball into the back of the net without Juan Carlos being able to do anything about it.
Only a quarter of an hour had passed and Girona already had water at home. Míchel’s people went there and tried, but it cost God and help. Even before the local goal, Arnau de Cap had been close to opening the scoreboard and they had canceled out a goal from Castellanos. The Argentinian striker would be the protagonist in the play of the white-and-red tie by picking up a dead ball after Iván Martín’s attempt to finish and beat the goalkeeper. An opportunist and forward target with sense of smell and instinct. Girona had conceded the blow of 1-0 and provisionally fixed the situation with enough time to recover. Míchel’s team thus prevented the Cacereño from spending too many minutes in front of the scoreboard and grew in confidence. It would be a mirage.
Stuani’s entry seemed like it should be the tipping point that tipped the balance, but it wasn’t to be. The Uruguayan was about to score in the first ball he touched, which the goalkeeper Ivan Moreno he deflected very well for a corner. From here, Girona disappeared. Stuani had forgiven, something Iván Fernández would not do who with a screw from the left corner beat Juan Carlos to make it 2-1. Girona didn’t know, nor did they put much effort into attacking to avoid a local triumph that was never in danger. In fact, only the excellent interventions of Juan Carlos on two occasions of smudge and one from Iván Fernández, prevented the Cacereño from making the wound worse. Eliminated from the Cup, Girona now focuses on the League, where next Thursday they receive Rayo Vallecano in Montilivi with the obligation to offer a very different image.
