Segunda Focus: First Leg Playoff Preview

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Well hello there! Yes, the Segunda Focus has a new home and is happy to be now living on the ForzaFutbol.com IP addresses. I should first thank Kevin Walker who headed up LaLigaWeekly.com for all the support he extended to me in the last several years. I also really appreciate Elisa providing me the opportunity to bring the Segunda Focus to FF. Way back when my Segunda commentary was on the Bienvenido Al Infierno blogspot site, Elisa was the first person ever to leave a comment. In fact, I think she was the ONLY one to ever leave a comment! Ha!

Anyways, let’s move forward to the games.

So all of Galicia is celebrating and guzzling down jugs of albarino and countless bottles of Estrella Galicia after Depor and Celta both achieved promotion. That leaves us with one solitary spot available that will be eyed by four clubs: Valladolid, Hercules, Alcorcon and Cordoba. Both first leg semifinals will be played Wednesday with Hercules-Alcorcon coming at 8pm local time and then Cordoba-Valladolid at 10pm.

Looking at the match in Alicante, Hercules have made a call to the fans to fill up the Estadio Rico Perez and they’re seious about it too offering ticket prices as low as 10 euros. How about that? Hercules are also bolstered by the fact that Samuel, Aganzo and Tiago Gomes will all be back in action. But this has been a hard team to read in the last few months. For every good result (1-0 vs Celta, 1-1 draw at Valladolid), there have been some bad losses such as defeats at home versus Nastic and Numancia. On the flipside, Alcorcon are a team that have picked up 13 points out of their last seven road encounters. Alcorcon boss Juan Antonio Anquela said this week that the fact that Alcorcon are even in the playoff makes him laugh… With another few road results, he’ll be laughing all the way to the bank (if any Spanish banks have any money). The knock that Alcorcon can’t win on the road is no more. In last year’s playoff semifinals the home team each won the first leg but an inconsistent Hercules will get in their own way and the legend of Anquela will only increase. 1-1 DRAW.

Bonito futbol will be on the agenda in the second tilt with Valladolid paying a visit to the Nuevo Arcangel to face Cordoba. Let’s go back to September 2010 when Las Palmas took everyone by surprise and rocketed to the upper regions of the Segunda table playing some of the most eye-appealing futbol you’ll ever see. Suddenly, everyone wanted to watch the dynamic Vitolo and Jonathan Viera play. The man pulling the strings on that side at the time? Current Cordoba coach Paco Jemez. After a while, the Pio Pio defense became too much of a liability and a lack of wins led to Jemez’s firing but he landed well at Cordoba and has the Andalucians playing the same kind of attractive futbol. Just go back and watch this year’s Deportivo-Cordoba game and you can see how breathtaking this side can be. There’s an abundance of talent in the form of Charles, Javi Hervas, Lopez Garai, Pepe Diaz and Borja Garcia who help make up a 4-2-3-1 alignment. Unlike Hercules, ticket prices are higher for the fans in Cordoba who have waited 40 years for a chance to get back to the Primera. The cheapest ticket for walk-ups is 34 euros but that won’t dissuade the faithful. Expect a full house and a Cordoba that will take to the field with their tails on fire. As for Valladolid, losing last year’s playoff semifnal to Elche was an extremely bitter pill to swallow, especially when they were ahead 2-0 on the aggregate only to lose 3-2 on what they felt were some questionable calls favoring Elche (How shocking. Accusations of poor refereeing in critical Spanish games). After starting the season on the sidelines with an injury, striker Javi Guerra has once again picked up this team and put them on his back. Another major factor is the experience the Pucelete have in Jaime as their goakeeper. Jaime was immense last season in net for Elche in the playoffs stopping two last minute PKs against Granada in the first leg playoff final, one of which counted and another that didn’t. I like Cordoba to win the first leg but an away goal will benefit the Pucelete in the return leg. 2-1 HOME WIN.

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Segunda Focus: First Leg Playoff Preview

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