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Troubled Valencia enjoy ray of light



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Published Date: 18 April 2008
COPA Del Rey winners Valencia have put their celebrations on hold until after they have secured their Primera Liga safety, club president Agustin Morera said.
Valencia put a miserable few months behind them to beat Getafe 3-1 at the Vicente Calderon on Wednesday to claim their seventh Spanish cup.

But with only five points separating them from the relegation places with six games to go in the league
, this Sunday's trip to face Athletic Bilbao has been given priority.

"We are going to take it calmly. We have to return to Valencia and start preparations for the Bilbao game because we still have work to do in the league," Morera told reporters.

"In principle, we'll postpone the festivities and when everything is a little more settled we'll all celebrate it together."

Getafe's nervous start allowed Valencia to take a two-goal lead through Juan Mata and Alexis inside the opening 12 minutes, which secured them an advantage they were happy to sit on.

Esteban Granero pulled one back from the penalty spot just before the break and the Getafe midfielder rattled the crossbar near the end, but Fernando Morientes' opportunist header sealed the victory seven minutes from time.

The night ended on a low note for Getafe when midfielder Fabio Celestini was sent off just before the final whistle.

Under-fire Valencia coach Ronald Koeman's future has been the subject of much media speculation in the last few days and he has been barracked by fans at recent matches.

But winning them a trophy failed to win over all Los Ches fans. As the team paraded the cup afterwards, some supporters could be heard chanting for him to leave.

"I didn't hear them well. I wasn't sure if they were telling me to stay or go," Koeman said in the post-match press conference. "No one has said anything to me about my future. It isn't in my hands. If they want to tell me something I'll be at home tomorrow afternoon."

He added: "I hope this triumph allows us to continue the rest of the season with a bit more tranquillity.

"We are a big club and when a big club doesn't live up to its billing there is a lot of unease. But we've won the cup and we have to enjoy it and hope that we can build on this."

For Getafe, it was a second consecutive Copa del Rey final defeat after losing last year's 1-0 to Sevilla.

This new setback came just six days after their valiant ten-man display against Bayern Munich in the Uefa Cup quarter-finals, which saw them put out on the away goals rule.

That performance won the hearts of many neutrals for the cup final and even the Valencia supporters chanted the club's name as they went to collect their losers' medals.

"We were too tense at the start of the match and Valencia scored the first time they got to our area," said Getafe coach Michael Laudrup.

"Valencia won the Cup thanks to the first 10 or 15 minutes of the game. We had some good moments in the second half but it wasn't enough.

"In only four years in the top flight Getafe have reached two cup finals, and have done very well in their first Uefa Cup campaign. This team has demonstrated that last year was no fluke and I see no reason to believe it should all end here."

Valencia have struggled badly since Koeman took charge in November but they could hardly have made a better start.

Former Real Madrid midfielder Mata put them ahead in the fourth minute with a well taken header after David Silva had clipped in a great cross from the left.

Getafe were still recovering when they were floored again, their former player Alexis charging in at the far post to fire a bullet header from a corner in the 11th minute.

They struggled to respond as Valencia crowded them out in midfield but were thrown a lifeline when awarded a penalty after Emiliano Moretti brought Cosmin Contra down.

The referee pointed to the spot after consulting his linesman, sparking a storm of protest from the Valencia players.

Granero kept his cool, however, and sent Valencia keeper Timo Hildebrand the wrong way with his spot kick.

Valencia striker David Villa twice went close to restoring his side's advantage at the start of the second half, firing wide after being put in the clear and seeing a goal-bound shot turned over the bar by Argentinean keeper Oscar Ustari.

But Valencia had to withstand heavy pressure and it was not until Morientes nodded in after Ustari made a hash of a long-range free kick from Ruben Baraja that they were able to rest easy.





The full article contains 803 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 17 April 2008 11:08 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Rouleur,

On ma bike 18/04/2008 12:44:57
Michael Laudrup....next Chelsea manager

 

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