Dixie Flatline

Well, it was an amazing match, and I’m still having butterflies just thinking about that second half! I think I could go another thousand days and not see us perform so perfectly like we did in that half! Everything came together and Deportivo had no answers! Everybody from the chairman to the kit manager is ecstatic about this match and with another home game on Wednesday week, where we should have Filipescu, Couto and Morán back to full fitness, we’re looking good to finish top four and nab a Champions’ League spot! Unbelievable but true! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] Lacruz, Rufete and Collymore make the starting eleven of the team of the week, while Redondo sits on the bench.<P>24th of March 2004<P>We drop to fourth after Barcelona claims all three points from Deportivo in a mid-week fixture that is a catch-up game for both clubs. Kluivert scored the only goal in the second half.<P>Keep smiling! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG]
Dixie Flatline

Dixie Flatline

The long drama of Cartagonova picks up again!<P>25th of March 2004<P>The contract of my trusty, capable right hand man, Luis Sosa, enters its last three months, so I call him into my office to make him an officially sanctioned offer to renew his contract with us. But the Uruguayan gets an attack of the ‘Brian Kidd’ something shocking and wants more money than even the highest paid player is on to remain at the club for another three years. We can’t afford to break the bank even over a member of my back-room so it looks like I’ll be spending summer not watching Euro 2004 from Portugal, but rather hunting for a new assistant. Then again, I must just promote Enzo Francescoli to the role. Either way, I’m fine.<P>26th of March 2004<P>Some good news on the injury front as the physios clear Iulian Filipescu to rejoin full training ahead of next week’s match against Málaga.

Dixie Flatline

27th of March 2004<P>Club football takes a back seat to international friendlies played throughout the countries of Europe. Here’s the pick of the results: A second-half goal from Ray Parlour gave England victory over Croatia at the revamped Wembley Stadium in front of 56,000 people. The Arsenal midfielder latched onto the wonderful cross from Ispwich’s Matt Taylor to tuck away a simple finish. Holland’s preparations for Euro 2004 stayed on track this weekend after Louis van Gaal continued unabated as the Dutch defeated the lacklustre Germany 2-0 in the Amsterdam Arena. An early goal from Ajax’s Theo Janssen was complemented by a late strike from Juventus’ combative midfielder, Edgar Davids, but the Dutch were superior for the entire 90 minutes. <P>Italy and France went toe to toe in Rome’s Olimpico stadium in front of more than 71,000 supporters and they were treated to a classic football encounter. The Italians took the lead on 15 minutes thanks to Filippo Inzaghi’s spectacular bicycle kick from Stefano Fiore’s cross, but France’s veteran captain Lilian Thuram equalised right on half-time as he thumped home Patrick Viera’s sizzling through-ball. But an intense period of pressure from the Azzurri was well rewarded on 70 minutes as Inzaghi again converted Fiore’s perfect pass to make the score 2-1 on the night.<P>In Oslo, Denmark was no match for a rampant Norway as Manchester United’s Ronny Johnsen led his men to a 4-0 victory – goals to Chelsea’s Tore Andre Flo, West Ham’s Thorstein Helstad and Bayern München’s Christer George (2) completed the rout. <P>I was at the Nou Camp to watch Spain and the Czech Republic collide and an early goal to HSV’s Marek Heinz settled the contest as both sides struggled to break down each other’s defence. But Pavel Nedved should have scored a penalty in the second half yet his shot was saved by Villarreal’s shot-stopper Javier López Vallejo.<P>On a personal note, Keith O’Neill played half an hour as Ireland defeated Austria 2-1 at Landsdowne Road. Arsenal’s new sensation Graham Barrett kept up his terrific international scoring rate with his fifth goal in his fifth match this year and now boasts thirteen international goals in twenty-five appearances. But there was bad news for Iulian Filipescu, as Romania slumped to a 3-0 defeat to Russia in Moskva.

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28th of March 2004<P>Stephen Tetteh is given the opportunity to shine for his country as Ghana calls him up for its two match World Cup first round qualifier against Mauritania.<P>31st of March 2004<P>Primera Liga – Game 30: Cartagonova v Málaga<P>We begin this evening match in fine style as Rufete finds the galloping Lacruz down the left with a fine ball and the Basque full-back sends over an exquisite cross for Redondo to tuck away after just 45 seconds of play. He lifts up his shirt to reveal a scrawled message on his white T-shirt that says, “Cincuenta de los mejores!� Translated, that means “Fifty of the best!� A few minutes later, Redondo hits the post. Then on 15 minutes the crowd is on their feet baying for a penalty when Contreras blatantly brings down Esnáider in the area. But to the crowd’s complete disbelief, and mine, the referee waves away all appeals, leaving the Argentine midfielder shaking his head in the middle of Málaga’s penalty box. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG] The crowd ‘oooh’ when Rufete fires a sharp shot at Contreras, but the keeper does well to push away the shot. Then Málaga start to threaten when Vidal tips away Zepeda’s free kick on the half-hour. But he is powerless to stop Edgar from lining up the angles and the crowd whistle their relief as the shot rattles the cross bar. But Redondo remains our danger man and he again forces Contreras into a magnificent save just before half-time.<P>I express my disappointment with the fact that we failed to kick on after the first goal and I hope we can turn our dominance into further goals. So you can understand my frustration when Sandro finds a way through Couto and feeds the unmarked Ismael who smashes a powerful shot into the top corner of our net. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG] A double substitution on 66 minutes gives Miranda and Gabrich the opportunity to find the winning goal, at the expense of the tiring Esnáider and Collymore, who doesn’t look too pleased about it. Yet that doesn’t force Málaga onto the back foot and Vidal does superbly to deny Sandro when it seemed another goal was imminent on 70 minutes. Gabrich hits the post on 79 minutes from Michel’s cross but the dismissal of Couto for two yellow cards on 84 minutes kills off our chances. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="frown[/IMG] Then into the injury time at the end of the match, Filipescu is also given his marching orders, and a promising start to the evening turns very sour.<P>Cartagonova (4-3-1-2): Vidal; Lacruz, Filipescu, �lvarez, Ballesteros; Michel, Couto (c), Rufete (Ismael Ruiz 84); Esnáider (Miranda 66); Redondo, Collymore (Gabrich 66).<P>Málaga (1-2-5-2): Contreras; Javi Navarro; Zepeda (c), Ramón; Agostinho, Edgar (Palomino 64), Sandro, Tayfun, Serrizuela; Gomez, Ismael.<P>Final score: Cartagonova 1:1 Málaga
MoM – José Manuel Redondo

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I complain about the poor refereeing to the Spanish FA but I get the standard response which doesn’t help calm me down. So I call in Filipescu and Couto into my office and chew them out for being so reckless when three points and a possible place in next season’s Champions’ League is at stake. I give them both official warnings and send them out of the office to think about what they did. Then Stan Collymore knocks on my door and demands an audience. I usher him into the office and listen patiently as he outlines his desire to return to England to end his career. But he also grumbles about the fact that I substituted him against our last opponent. I explain to him that I felt it was in the best interests of the club’s chances for success that he be replaced. He still isn’t happy and then the inevitable occurs – he demands to be placed on the transfer list. I believe he will only grow more unhappy if he is refused this demand, so I accede to his wish.<P>Somehow, a national newspaper picks up on the so-called discord between Stan and myself and reports in the morning round-up of the friction between us. I hastily call my contacts in the Spanish football media to defend Stan and deny that there is any rift between us.<P>While Málaga and Cartagonova were battling it out for a point at the Estadio Municipál de Cartegena, Barcelona and Real Madrid were fighting in the Nou Camp and it was Barcelona who humbled the mighty Real Madrid – get this – 9-3! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif" alt="eek[/IMG] Seven different Barcelona players got on the scoresheet, with Alfonso and De la Peña scoring doubles. The 105,000+ fans at the Nou Camp certainly go their money’s worth as Barcelona were up 4-1 at half-time and seven more goals were scored in the second half. Needless to say, it broke all sorts of records.<P>The draw sees us drop out of the Champions League spots as Celta Vigo overtakes us on the weekend:<P>

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1st of April 2004<P>It’s a bad evening when the Spanish FA tells me that Filipescu will miss four matches in total for his badly mistimed two-footed tackle in the last match. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="frown[/IMG] Now is not a good time to miss out on one of our best defenders.<P>2nd of April 2004<P>Joining Filipescu and Couto on the sidelines for our next match away to Mallorca is Paulo Miranda as he deeply bruises a shin. He will miss ten days. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG]<P>4th of April 2004<P>Primera Liga – Game 31: Mallorca v Cartagonova<P>The search for three points takes us to the island resort of Mallorca to be entertained in front of just over 21,000 fans. We again begin the match well when on 11 minutes, Redondo takes on the Mallorca defence, drawing them to him and opening up the space for Rufete to run onto his pass. Rufete takes the ball onto his right foot and drives the ball past Carlos Roa into the back of the net! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] Even without Filipescu and Couto in the back half, the defence is doing well to combat the threat of Alberto Luque, although he does give us a scare when he sets up Ramirez only for his shot to fly high over the bar. But we play the counter-attacking game to perfection and Collymore is the main beneficiary as he shows his customary turn of pace and then launch a powerful drive that rockets past Roa in goal on 40 minutes! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG] This time, I’m happy with what we did in the first half and I hope the players can continue to do the job. But we concede a corner on 54 minutes, and Castillo manages to turn it in past Vidal to give us a lot to think about. Thankfully, though, the defence does well to shut down Mallorca after that and we calmly glide to a 2-1 victory that made the ferry trip worthwhile.<P>Mallorca (3-5-2): Roa (c); Uribarri, César, Lopo (Merino 68); Ramirez, Castillo, Pirri, Ito, Aguilera; Losada, Luque.<P>Cartagonova (4-1-2-1-2): Vidal (c); Lacruz, Moya, �lvarez, Tetteh; Ballesteros; Michel, Rufete; Morán; Redondo, Collymore.<P>Final score: Mallorca 1:2 Cartagonova
MoM – Rufete

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7th of April 2004<P>Groggily, I look at the clock on my bed-side table while my wife rolls over and tries to ignore the insistent ring of the phone. Picking it up, I say sleepily, “SÃ*?â€�<P>On the other end of a crackly line, a man with a strong Argentine accent says, “You have a player, Iván César Gabrich, on your books there, Señor Flatline?â€�<P>“SÃ*. Why do you ask, Señor?â€� I ask, wakefulness creeping into my consciousness. The man says, “I am Señor Marcelo Biesla, the manager of Argentina, and I want to call up Gabrich for our match with Brazil in a fortnight. You’ll have no problems releasing him to the training camp a day or so before, sÃ*?â€�<P>“Well, of course, Señor Biesla. I’ll personally put Iván on the plane myself!â€� I say excitedly. Putting the phone down, I try to get back to sleep, but I fail, thinking about the possibilities of Iván Gabrich, who can’t even command a regular spot in the side, turning out in the blue and white stripes of Argentina against the famous yellow shirts of Brazil! I can’t wait to tell him about this! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG] [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG]<P>Then the realisation sinks in. What the hell is Argentina, the defending World Cup champion, calling up a thirty-one year old striker who can’t even get a regular game for a provincial side in Spain? [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif" alt="eek[/IMG]

Dixie Flatline

10th of April 2004<P>Primera Liga – Game 32: Cartagonova v Villarreal<P>“… Welcome to Sky Sports’ live coverage of the Spanish Primera Liga. Today we are in attendance at the Estadio Municipál de Cartegena to cover Cartagonova versus Villarreal in the Match of the Day. We can take a look at both teams’ selected lineups for the match and I can tell you that there is not really any major surprises to come from these decisions. And I think we’re set to hand you over to your match commentators, Martin Tyler and Andy Gray…â€�<P>We should have had an early opening goal as after just four minutes, the Morán-Redondo combination works wonders but for the striker’s header flying well wide of the target. With the Spanish international keeper in goal for Villarreal, we need to make every opportunity count this afternoon. Morán’s rustiness, however, is evident when after ghosting past Iván Hurtado, he can’t force López Vallejo into making a save. Then, with basically their first attack on Vidal’s goal, Villarreal’s fans are cheering a goal to Norwegian prodigy, Kristian Tanem. He dribbles his way past Lacruz and Michel before thumping a rocket past Vidal’s out-stretched fingertips and suddenly, against the run of play, we’re behind. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG] Thankfully though the lead lasts just four minutes as a lovely team move culminates in Redondo finding space in the penalty box to try a left foot volley that beats the dive of López Vallejo and the scores are level with Redondo’s 25th goal of the season. It’s not often we receive the opportunity to score a penalty so when Collymore is bundled over in the box clumsily by Arruabarrena, I hope that Redondo can give us the lead… except that he fails to place the ball sufficiently wide enough to evade López Vallejo and we enter the break disappointed to be level at 1-1 apiece.<P>However, Redondo atones for his earlier mistake almost immediately after the break as he feeds strike-partner Collymore and the Englishman heads home his fiftieth league goal of his Cartagonova career! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] Redondo is now playing like a man possessed and he dribbles his way through the Villarreal defence. Unfortunately, his finishing lets him down at the crucial stage but it serves to warn the opponent of his danger. It’s little wonder then that he is crucial to our third goal when he finds Collymore, who puts it in front of Morán. The midfielder launches the cross and on hand is Rufete, steaming in from the right to thunder a powerful low volley into the opposite corner! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG] The crowd is cheering now and even Michel’s injury doesn’t slow us down. Redondo grabs his second goal of the match on 70 minutes to make the score 4-1 and although Villarreal take control of the match in the dying stages, Vidal steps up to keep the scoreline like that.<P>Cartagonova (4-3-1-2): Vidal; Lacruz, Moya (Heinze 66), Ã�lvarez, Ballesteros; Michel (O’Neill 66), Couto (c), Rufete; Morán; Redondo (Gabrich 87), Collymore.<P>Villarreal (3-5-2): López Vallejo (c); Unai (Arruabarrena 2 (Navas 46)), Hurtado, Medina; Parra (Lago 72), Piekarski, Tanem, Cagna, Escoda; Gaitán, VÃ*ctor.<P>Final score: Cartagonova 4:1 Villarreal
MoM – Stan Collymore<P>Keep smiling! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG]
Dixie Flatline

Dixie Flatline

The wagon train keeps on rollin'!<P>11th of April 2004<P>Real Madrid does itself and us a favour by thrashing Celta Vigo 3-0 in Vigo, which leaves us in fourth place and a potential Champions League berth for next season after this weekend of fixtures.<P>Four Cartagonova players make the starting eleven of the Team of the Week – Lacruz at left-back, Rufete on the right wing, Morán in centre midfield and Collymore up front. Vidal, Redondo and Couto make the bench.<P>Finally, some recognition for José Redondo, who is described by a television expert as a ‘goal machine’. Well, 23 goals in 32 league matches this season isn’t a bad return for a player rejected by Real Zaragoza and once again it his talismanic efforts that are propelling us up the Primera Liga ladder. I can’t help but acknowledge the contribution he has made to our campaign this season.

Dixie Flatline

10th of April 2004<P>Copa del Rey – Semi-Final, first leg: Sporting Gijón v Cartagonova<P>It’s the biggest match in Cartagonova’s short history as we have the opportunity to set ourselves up for a tilt at the Copa del Rey against the winner of the other semi-final between Barcelona and Celta Vigo. With Michel out through injury thanks to a crude tackle in the last fixture, Paulo Miranda’s timely return to full fitness sees him slotted into that place as the only change. Still no Filipescu as he managed to get himself suspended for this one too. We’re on the back foot early as Couto gives away a free kick and puts himself in the ref’s little black book. Barselleta, arguably Sporting’s best player, forces a stunning save from Vidal as the young keeper could barely see the fierce shot through the crowd of bodies in our penalty box. On 15 minutes, we have a life as Makelele converts Francisco Farinós’ pass only to be deeply disappointed when the linesman adjudicates him to have been off-side when the pass was played. Do we take advantage? Not really – Morán and Redondo spurn gilt-edged chances while Miranda thuds a free kick against the post just before half-time and we enter the break still deadlocked.<P>After the break, however, the tie changes complexion as Bizzarri brilliantly turns aside Miranda’s free kick and then Sporting sweep the ball down from the errant corner where Farinós is left unmarked at the back post to nod in Rubén’s cross. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG] We go on a rampage, trying everything to break down Bizzarri, but today isn’t our day and chance after chance goes begging. Sporting have that vital edge to take to the Estadio Municipál de Cartagena, while we rue what might have been today. Thankfully, the damage is limited to only one goal, but we played well under-par today. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="frown[/IMG] The only real crumb of comfort is that Brandán will miss the return leg after being sent off for a professional foul late in the match.<P>Sporting Gijón (1-2-5-2): Bizzarri; Crosa; Ettien (Rivarola 86), Barselleta (c); Brandán, Farinós, Makelele, Madsen, ManjarÃ*n (Otero 62); Rubén, Da Silva.<P>Cartagonova (4-1-2-1-2): Vidal; Lacruz, Moya, Ã�lvarez, Ballesteros; Couto (c); Miranda, Rufete; Morán; Redondo, Collymore.<P>Final score: Sporting Gijón 1:0 Cartagonova
MoM – Barselleta