Villarreal CF - Return to La Liga

[southernmetalhead]

Villarreal CF vs. Xerez CD

Liga Adelante - Segunda División
September 15, 2012

Goals Dry Up In Defeat

After scoring 14 goals in their first 4 games en route to a 4-0-0 start to their Liga Adelante campaign, Villarreal CF was unable to find the back of the net once against 8th place side Xerez CD and dropped their first game of the season in front of disappointed fans at the Estadio El Madrigal by a 1-0 score line. Luis Enrique called the game a "sleepwalk" and one would have to agree as The Yellow Submarine created no dangerous scoring chances during the 90 minutes of play. Xerez almost broke the deadlock in the 60th minute when Rafa Garcia sent a shot on goal from 10 yards out, but Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Mariño was up to the challenge with a quality save. Minutes later however in the 67th minute Xerez would grab the deciding goal when Israel sent a cross into the box that Tato got a glancing header on. The ball dinged off the right post and trickled by the goal line, and that would be enough for the Andalusian club to send Villarreal to their first defeat. With the loss, Villarreal drops from 1st place in the Liga Adelante table to 2nd, 3 points behind 5-0-0 Sporting Gijón.

Sep 15, 2012 - Villarreal CF vs Xerez CD
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
Villarreal CF (4-0-1)	0	0	0
Xerez CD (3-1-1)	0	1	1

Goals
XER - Tato 67'

Bookings
VIL - F. Cavenaghi 7'

Substitutions
VIL - Joan Oriol/Jaume Costa 42'
XER - Jose Vega/Israel 59'
XER - Alain Arroyo/P. Kovacs 63'
VIL - F. Cavenaghi/W. Pandiani 67'
VIL - H. Canteros/Manu Trigueros 76'
XER - Tato/Jose Mari 76'

[southernmetalhead]

Joan Oriol will be out of action for 4 weeks.

Joan Oriol Suffers Injury

September 16, 2012

Villarreal CF's medical staff announced today that starting left back Joan Oriol's sprained ankle that caused him to be substituted out in the 42nd minute of Villarreal's 1-0 loss to Xerez CD yesterday will sideline the 25-year-old Spaniard for 4 weeks. Joan Oriol had played in all 5 of Villarreal's matches up to this point.

The injury occurred when Joan Oriol went for a sliding challenge near the left touchline and collided with a Xerez player. He laid on the pitch in pain for several minutes before having to be substituted out for Jaume Costa.

On news of the severity of the injury, Villarreal manager Luis Enrique commented "Our club will certainly miss Joan Oriol. Anytime you lose a player from your starting XI it is difficult. Players will have to step in and contribute in his absence. We cannot look back however. There are still games to be played."

Joan Oriol's vacated starting XI spot looks to most likely be filled by a combination of Jaume Costa and Luiz Eduardo. Jaume Costa is a natural left back who initially came in for the injured Joan Oriol while Luiz Eduardo is a center back who can also fill in on the left.

[Dodinamo]

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