Puerto del Carmen visited Unión Viera this past Saturday in one of the most complicated matches awaiting the Lanzarote team until the end of the season. The Tiñosero team faced the match with many absences due to injury, and was able to stand up to one of the best teams in the national category.
The absence of important players in the team coached by Jack Talbot forced him to count on many very young players, having an average age of 16'4 years at the start of the match. Given how difficult the rival was, the British coach dared to use a midfield formed by Eira and Marisol, players who are 15 years old, with Laura Guadalupe debuting in the starting team at 14. As if that were not enough, the last-minute absence of Ylenia, who was being carefully monitored, made the feat against the second-placed team even more difficult.
11 minutes into the match, Unión Viera managed to take the lead after a long-range shot that ended up going into the goal defended by Naza.
Despite the goal, the Lanzarote team did not give up and in the 19th minute managed to equalize through Janet. The goal did justice to the work that the Tiñosero team was doing, which had filled itself with courage to face one of the great teams in the category.
In the 38th minute came the play that would change the match. Naza got a long ball with a clear advantage over the Gran Canaria attacker. However, she would do it with her hands and outside the area, being sanctioned for the foul and the visiting team's goalkeeper being sent off despite not being a clear goal-scoring opportunity. This circumstance was strongly protested by the Lanzarote bench.
Given the absence of a substitute goalkeeper in this match, Eva Sánchez had to remember her childhood days and put on the gloves, even if it meant abandoning the forward position, where she had caused so many problems for the rival defense.
With the score at one-all, the two teams went to the locker room. The coach of the red team had to make several movements to try to have more of the ball and not suffer, but the power of the local team meant that all that work was ruined at the start of the second half with a goal from Naiala and another from Leiva shortly after the match resumed.
Despite the fact that Puerto del Carmen battled and fought to try to compete on equal terms, despite playing with one player less, they could not get the ball, having to run a lot after it without creating chances during the second half.
One more goal from Unión Viera sealed the match in the 75th minute, leaving the final score at 4-1. Now the Lanzarote team has this coming weekend off, facing La Garita in 15 days, where they could already have mathematical salvation achieved.
The coach of the Lanzarote team was very proud of his players at the end of the match. "I asked them to have courage and confidence, perfectly fulfilling all the work they did," said Jack Talbot, adding that "they have performed despite the defeat and we have been congratulated by the rival for the work done, so I can only be proud of each and every one of them."
Technical Sheet
Unión Viera (4): Yanira, Paula, Iris ('75 Zuleima), Yesenia, Karen, Paula, Ariadna ('57 Marta), Indira ('57 Patricia), Manuela, Naiala ('70 Ana María) and Leiva ('70 Irena). Coach: Yosias Suárez
FC Puerto del Carmen (1): Naza, Paula, Marisol, Janet, Eva, Judith, Arima, Valentina, Eira ('57 Daniela), Laura ('68 Andrea Martín) and Andrea Pérez. Coach: Jack Talbot
Referee: Christian Agustín Sagredo González assisted on the wings by Luis Alberto Muñoz Guerra and César Miguel Ramírez Luces. He cautioned Judith for the visiting team, sending off Naza in the 38th minute with a direct red card.
Goals
1-0: minute 11, Indira
1-1: minute 19, Janet
2-1: minute 46, Naiala
3-1: minute 49, Leiva
4-1: minute 75, Paula
