<a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/02/Sevilla-Mallorca.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/02/Sevilla-Mallorca.jpg"></a></figure></div>A half-empty stadium.&nbsp; A running track surrounding the pitch that places the fans further away from the action.&nbsp; Supporters that create less noise and din than those at the Vancouver Olympic Centre, where the Olympic Curling competition is contested.&nbsp; The ONO Estadi hardly constitutes as an intimidating atmosphere, but RCD Mallorca has managed to maintain a perfect ten-for-ten home record in La Liga.
Twenty-seven goals scored and three conceded show their dominance on the Balearic island, but whom they beat in this incredible home record somewhat sullies their sparkling home form.&nbsp; Valencia and none of the Champions League teams have visited the ONO Estadi.&nbsp; Defeating Athletic Bilbao, Deportivo La Coruña, and Villarreal created a few notches on Mallorca’s belt, but their horrific standing away from home means that they need to secure positive results against the top teams in La Liga in order to remain in the final Champions League spot.

The late 10:00 PM Saturday kickoff saw Mallorca play Sevilla, one of their direct rivals competing for fourth place.&nbsp; They knew that Deportivo La Coruña came through victoriously over Xerez 2-1 at El Riazor earlier in the evening and climbed one point over them.
Squad rotation in anticipation of Sevilla’s Champions League first leg against CSKA Moskva on Wednesday and injuries meant that they did not present their strongest eleven against Los Barralets.&nbsp; Sevilla manager Manolo Jiménez omitted Diego Perotti, Luís Fabiano, Adriano Correia, and Julien Escudé, whereas Frédéric Kanouté could not pass a late fitness test.
Mallorca, however, fielded their optimal eleven, although their bench was thin due to injuries for Víctor Casadesús, Tuni, and Alhassane Keita.&nbsp; Eager to quiet the skeptics about their weak home strength of schedule to this point, they wanted to regain their leads over Sevilla and Deportivo La Coruña.
Mallorca’s fans did not receive the memo, as the team’s most important match of the season was not enough to tempt them to fill the ONO Estadi.&nbsp; The status quo prevailed for the islanders as the stadium featured many empty seats and unexceptional support from their fans.&nbsp; Unfazed by this, Mallorca did what they have done all season at home: score first.
Ayoze sent a through ball down the left flank for Gonzalo Castro to run onto, and Castro’s cross into the box avoided the head of Sevilla defender Ivica Dragutinović and bounced straight to the unmarked Borja Valero.&nbsp; He could not take the shot first-time, so he controlled it with one touch, but Andrés Palop rushed quickly toward him to take it off his foot.&nbsp; Valero dribbled past Palop, but his touch took him to the brink of the end line, where he cut back a squared pass to Mario Suárez.&nbsp; Suárez tapped it home for the 1-0, 5th minute lead.&nbsp; Replays only showed inconclusiveness about whether the whole of the ball went out before Valero crossed it, but nevertheless, the goal stood.
Dudu Aouate has been a solid goalkeeper all season and directly contributed to Mallorca’s fifth-place defense, twenty-four goals allowed in twenty-two matches.&nbsp; He plays with an aggressive flair, but this cost him in the 23rd minute, when he inexplicably scurried out of his box to clear a long ball from Fernando Navarro.&nbsp; Aouate had no chance of getting to the ball because the breathless speed of Jesús Navas would always arrive first.&nbsp; Navas took a touch around Aouate and guided a left-footed effort into the open net from just inside of the penalty box.
When Álvaro Negredo received a straight red card in the 24th minute for a deliberate kick on José Luís Martí, another Mallorca home triumph seemed imminent.&nbsp; The red card was a little harsh, but Negredo’s petulancy and skulduggery cost his side a man for the final 66+ minutes.&nbsp; Mallorca controlled the rest of the first half, which included a perfect opportunity for an anonymous Aritz Aduriz to boot in a beautiful Borja Valero early cross, but he could not steer it towards goal.&nbsp; Aduriz and Negredo are currently in a battle for the final spot for forwards in the Spanish national team with Dani Güiza, Fernando Llorente, and Roberto Soldado, and neither Aduriz nor Negredo would give national team coach Vicente del Bosque anything to add to their résumés.
Heading toward a 1-1 halftime score, Mallorca defender Iván Ramis tried to retrieve possession away from Didier Zokora and scissor-tackled him from behind in the second minute of stoppage time.&nbsp; Referee Fernando Teixeira Vitienes was not hesitant in flashing the red card, and Mallorca’s advantage withered away.&nbsp; 1-1 halftime.&nbsp; Although the two teams combined for twenty-six fouls, three yellow cards, and two red cards, the play, as a whole, was neither dirty nor overly physical.&nbsp; Spanish referees tend to call the match a little tighter than most referees, but Teixeira Vitienes’ fastidious nature led to many of these calls when they were not necessarily as bad as he saw them.
When Sevilla scored in the 57th minute to take the one-goal advantage, the invincibility that shielded this Mallorca club at home disappeared for the first time all season.&nbsp; Ivica Dragutinović made Aouate look like a fool as his free kick from near the right touchline curled over Aouate’s outstretched hand and into the top left corner of the net.&nbsp; Aouate cheated and took a couple of steps forward and off his line in anticipation of a cross, and he could not recover once he saw that the free kick was heading toward goal.&nbsp; Two goalkeeping mistakes from the Israeli international, and Mallorca could not recoup.
Sevilla would score a third goal six minutes later, but the defeated attitude that Mallorca displayed for most of the second half meant that 1-2 would have been enough for the Andalusians.&nbsp; Mallorca substitute Pierre Webó became one of the few Mallorca players to display the gusto needed to achieve a positive result against Sevilla, but his efforts were in vain as he did not receive the help needed to overturn the two-goal deficit.&nbsp; Paradoxically, Mallorca played with the spirit and desire required of them to defeat top opposition when they fell two goals behind, but as the full time whistle blew, Mallorca suffered its first defeat at the ONO Estadi in the league.
It was not the final whistle, however, as someone in the crowd ridiculously decided to bring his own whistle and declared the match over before Teixeira Vitienes blew his whistle for fulltime.&nbsp; Less than a minute later, the match was officially over, but the whistle in the crowd meant much more than a fan frustrated with his home team’s effort.
Unless Mallorca can ameliorate their enigmatic road form, they will need to secure points against Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, and Atlético Madrid at home in order to maintain a top six spot and be invited into European competition next season.&nbsp; Sevilla righted their ship and are now four points ahead of Deportivo La Coruña and five points ahead of Mallorca for the final Champions League place.&nbsp; Athletic Bilbao crept to within one point of Mallorca with their 4-1 mauling of Tenerife at the San Mamés for the final Europa League spot, so Mallorca cannot afford to be mediocre the rest of the way.
It would be fatuous to declare that Mallorca’s season would be a disappointment if they do not finish in a European place because at this point last season, they were mired in the relegation zone.&nbsp; Their perfect home record was never going to last, but the way in which they conceded the loss to Sevilla unveiled their growing fatigue.&nbsp; Unless they receive a surge of vitality, do not be surprised to see this engaging club fall into mid-table before the season concludes.
Fueras de Juego
– Look at Barcelona’s second goal against Racing Santander to see how not to perform the responsibilities of a player in the wall on a free kick.&nbsp; Thierry Henry’s free kick would have bounced off the middle of the wall if the Racing players were brave enough to take the hit.&nbsp; Instead, the wall broke in the middle as they parted like the Red Sea, and Barcelona was on their way to another easy victory.
– Almería 1-0 Atlético Madrid.&nbsp; Every adjective and description should be and has been used for Los Colchoneros this season.&nbsp; It was almost expected for Atleti to struggle against low-lying Almería after they handed Barcelona its first defeat in La Liga.
– A couple of tributes at the Santiago Bernabéu brought some perspective to the weekly “importance” of football matches.&nbsp; Before kickoff, there was a minute of silence for the death of Real Madrid legend Luis Molowny.&nbsp; Then there was Cristiano Ronaldo’s tribute to his home island Madeira after he scored the opening goal for Real Madrid against Villarreal.&nbsp; He lifted his jersey to reveal the written “Madeira” on his undershirt.&nbsp; A simple and understated message for his homeland, who has endured floods and mudslides that have killed at least forty-three and injured many others with many still missing to this point.&nbsp; He will play in a charity match for the flood victims between FC Porto and an amalgamation of players from the two Madeira-based Portuguese Liga sides, C.S. Marítimo and CD Nacional at a date later to be determined.

Mallorca Loses Its Home Invincibility to Sevilla FC - World Soccer Talk

Mallorca Loses Its Home Invincibility to Sevilla FC

<div id="attachment_2462" style="width: 209px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div>Gonzalo Castro celebrating his game-winning goal.</div>
At the crossroads of the Pyrenees and the fruitful Ebro valley lays the Estadio Reyno de Navarra in Pamplona, where RCD Mallorca visited Osasuna in Round 14 of La Liga.&nbsp; A cold, crisp night with a wintry wind whipping through the bones of the players and the supporters, the below freezing weather suits no team but especially the not the islanders, who continue to experience the last bit of Fall conditions on the Mediterranean Sea.
This Sunday evening in Navarre was meant to sit around the fireplace with brandy in hand rather than sit in the exposed seats of Reyno de Navarra and bundle up in blankets, coats, and other people.&nbsp; Regardless of the conditions, Mallorca was on a mission.&nbsp; Winless in six away matches this season, Mallorca wanted to right this wrong at a place notorious for visitors trying to achieve a positive result.
Just as walking through Navarrería, the Casco Viejo (old city) part of Pamplona, emotes a completely different atmosphere from the fashionable and modern Barrio de San Juan in the western section of the city, Mallorca’s performances at home in the ONO Estadi are in stark contrast to their away form.&nbsp; Starting this weekend’s matches in sixth place, their high position is solely due to a perfect seven for seven record in Palma de Mallorca, accounting for twenty-one of their twenty-four points.&nbsp; Although the toughest opponent they beat at home was mid-table Getafe, a team worthy of a European place should defeat the teams below them in the ladder at home.
Whereas the city of Pamplona is known for its languid, leisurely pace, the first half of the Osasuna – Mallorca match was anything but slow.&nbsp; Both teams created few significant chances, and the twenty-two combined fouls duly described the physical nature of this encounter.
Osasuna’s Walter Pandiani and Nacho Monreal missed the match due to injury, and Mallorca did not have the services of Borja Valero due to a thigh injury in last week’s match against Real Zaragoza.&nbsp; These three players provide attacking inspiration for their respective sides, and their absences were painfully obvious because the best chance to score in the first half came from Osasuna, when a swift counter-attack in the second minute of stoppage sent substitute Jorge Galán on a run down the right flank with trailing defenders only hoping to track him down.&nbsp; When he cut into the box, he had ample opportunities to trouble Israeli international goalkeeper Dudu Aouate, but what transpired was a weak roller that Aouate scooped up easily.
Mallorca, although creating few chances, likely was the happier team heading into the dressing room because their away form has been atrocious compared to their 100% home record.&nbsp; Keeping a clean sheet for forty-five minutes when they had conceded thirteen goals in six away matches should have pleased entrenador Gregorio Manzano.
<div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2471" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20091214_WST_2458_Running-of-the-Bulls.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=285" alt="Running of the Bulls" width="500" height="285"></figure></div>Pamplona’s call to worldwide fame is the San Fermín festival, held every year in early July.&nbsp; The most prominent event of this festival is the Running of the Bulls, where locals and foreigners alike navigate and scramble through the streets of Pamplona in the traditional and iconic white shirt and pants with the red waistband and neckerchief to avoid the onrushing bulls as they enter the bullring.
Akin to this spectacle, the first fifteen minutes of the second half seemed as though the shackles were lifted, and the players allowed each other to generate attacking opportunities.&nbsp; This open style favored Mallorca, and although Osasuna produced decent chances themselves, Mallorca broke the deadlock in the 61st minute with a wonder strike from Gonzalo Castro.&nbsp; Slashing into the penalty area, Castro had the option of squaring the ball across the box to Aritz Aduriz, who looked as though he had an easy tap-in.&nbsp; Aduriz’s high-level form this season initiated whispers of a possible spot on the Spanish national team for World Cup 2010, so the possibility of Aduriz scoring from that position was quite high.&nbsp; Castro, however, decided to take one more dribble laterally and unleashed all the might in his left leg into the ball.&nbsp; Osasuna keeper Ricardo had no chance as it punished the top left corner of the net.
Once Mallorca grabbed the lead, they reverted to their first half philosophy and flooded the midfield to stunt an Osasuna comeback.&nbsp; Two of their substitutions included the insertions of midfielder Paulo Pezzolano and right back Felipe Mattioni in place of attacking forces Pierre Webó and Gonzalo Castro.&nbsp; Gregorio Manzano’s gameplan and tactics worked to perfection, with Osasuna failing to bother Dudu Aouate in the final half-hour.&nbsp; Mallorca secured their first win on their travels against a worthy foe on a bitterly chilly dusk.
<div id="attachment_2476" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2476" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-2476" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20091214_WST_2458_Cafe-Iruna.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=375" alt="Cafe Iruna" width="500" height="375"></figure></div>Café Iruña</div>
This Mallorca campaign started out as a nice early season story, but now as the league continues toward the Christmas break, their supposedly inevitable fall has not happened.&nbsp; Currently, they stand fifth in the table; the last time they finished in the top five was the 2000/01 season, when a young Cameroonian striker from Real Madrid Castilla named Samuel Eto’o led their forward line and completed their second third-place finish in three years.&nbsp; After a numbing and glacial two hours in the Navarre winter, the Mallorca players and staff deserved a small token of appreciation for their workmanlike performance.
The beautiful art deco Café Iruña, a Pamplona institution, is a perfect place to relax and dine on some sumptuous tapas.&nbsp; Might this writer recommend the Paella Valenciana as a first course, Escalope de Jamon y Queso con Patatas Fritas as a second course, and Flan Casero al Caramelo for dessert.&nbsp; Wash this down with the local Navarre tinto, and this will conclude a fitting capper to a pleasant Sunday evening.&nbsp; At least for the Mallorcans, but even for the Osasuna fans who braved the elements.&nbsp; Commiseration and celebration always merits exquisite food and drink.

Mallorca Earns Their First Win Away from Home - World Soccer Talk

Mallorca Earns Their First Win Away from Home

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Mallorca Loses Its Home Invincibility to Sevilla FC

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Mallorca Earns Their First Win Away from Home