Everything to Play for

An extremely open and entertaining match in front of an almost empty stadium in Almería saw Mallorca concede a 4-3 defeat to the Andalusian side this evening. Given that Mallorca twice came from behind to equalise and then pulled themselves back into it once more in the dying minutes after going down 4-2, it represents a fairly positive result for Los Bermellones, who will head back to the Iberostar Estadi with a fair bit of confidence for the second leg.

The game was packed with action from end to end, and Almería will have felt like they almost had a foot in the next round already, especially with Ulloa’s hat-trick. But Mallorca had a competitive attitude tonight and proved extremely resilient, keeping themselves in it until the very end. Laudrup stated before the game that “the match will not end tomorrow”, noting the importance of the second leg. Notching three away goals isn’t a bad return – especially after being two goals down – and despite any anger at a fourth successive defeat in all competitions, he will no doubt feel somewhat pleased with the team’s work to keep the tie alive.

The match featured a marked increase in Mallorca’s attacking capability; a major criticism of them so far this season has been a complete ineffectiveness in the final third, which wasn’t as apparent tonight. Often they seem not to take – or even create – chances, and therefore are unable to kill teams off, but this evening was filled with the potential for goals. Granted, the openness of this match meant that there was a perpetual counter-attack in motion, so there was no stubborn edge to the defence that Los Bermellones were tasked with breaking down, not to mention the fact that Almería, sitting just above the relegation zone, hardly have the most intimidating of defences.

Still, for a lot of the game Mallorca looked fairly threatening from all angles, evidence that there should be more to come from them this season in goal-scoring terms. Jonathan de Guzman was the notable catalyst yet again, as he followed his excellent goal against Villarreal with an almost carbon-copy, half-volleying the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the box. The third goal was a gift but Webó’s cool finish ensured Mallorca grabbed everything they could from this first leg, leaving on a high note despite the defeat.

Unfortunately, the potential for goals existed at both ends. Indeed, the real enemy for Mallorca tonight was its defence, which was caught napping on numerous occasions. Shipping four goals to an average Almería side shouldn’t be on the cards, even in the Copa, and with a genuine chance to progress it’s frustrating that the team’s lack of defensive solidity has given them ground to make up in the second leg. For all of the confidence and progress the team has gained on the attacking front, they took a step back defensively tonight, and one thing’s for certain: Nunes and Ramis were both sorely missed. What’s more, despite a few decent saves here and there Lux’s appearance underlined the important of Dudu Aouate. When these essential players are missing from Mallorca’s backline, they become a far cry from the team that kept Madrid at bay and held Barcelona to a measly single goal.

A question that remains on everyone’s mind surrounds the whereabouts of Fernando Cavenaghi, who yet again was left to watch from the sidelines in a match that seemed tailor-made for him after his lack of league appearances. As I’ve mentioned previously, he seemed to be just what the team needed when he signed in the summer, but as the weeks go by it seems to become more and more certain that Laudrup simply doesn’t have him in his plans. The reason for this is unclear: perhaps he doesn’t want to rely on someone that has been loaned in and prefers to utilise players he will have long-term, or perhaps there has been a disagreement between the two. What is clear is that he has shown in the past to be a finisher and a player with some quality, so his constant exclusion seems baffling when he looks to be the answer to the team’s problems.

With this in mind the frustration with the man taking up his spot, Víctor Casadesús, is understandable, especially in the wake of his penalty miss in the first half. But Víctor played well tonight and may have given himself some more confidence with a vital goal, which made amends for the penalty. Indeed at 3-2 he hit the bar with a good strike that could have changed the complexion of the game entirely, and it cannot be argued that he didn’t have an impact on the match. It’s easy to get annoyed with a situation like this, but a decent player shouldn’t be turned into a scapegoat because of the coach’s decisions.

To break from the game itself for a moment, noteworthy news this week surrounds the upcoming January transfer window, where everyone assumes there will be more departures than arrivals. Counter to all expectation, though, and despite all their financial difficulties, Mallorca have already secured the transfer of a new player! 24 year old Japanese midfielder Akihiro Ienaga will arrive in January on a free transfer, and whilst it’s unfair to judge without giving him a chance, the first impression of him is that he won’t change the dynamic of the team too greatly – especially given the reports that he will go back out on loan immediately. It’s been said that his arrival is a marketing move intended to open the club up to Japanese markets… one wonders what the point is if he never even makes it onto the pitch for Los Bermellones.

There is more important news regarding Gonzalo Castro, however. He played no part in the Copa del Rey fixture with Almería as he had already headed back to Uruguay for Christmas, and you have to wonder whether he will even set foot on the island again after this. Reports have linked him with Sevilla – and I’ve no doubt that his old boss Manzano will be desperate to have him given his extremely poor start coaching Sevilla – but Castro himself has apparently talked up a move to Atlético, who are also rumoured to be interested. Either way, it seems that his exit is growing more and more inevitable, a real shame that caps an immensely lacklustre month for the club.

Whilst not perfect, then, the result against Almería provides the squad with some degree of optimism heading into the Christmas break. Mallorca are certainly still in with a shout in the Copa del Rey and if they can shore up their defence and use some of their attacking momentum against Hercules when the league resumes, they may be able to end an extremely disappointing run of defeats. This may be the lowest moment of the season so far, but there comes a point where the only way to go is up, so Los Bermellones should seek to recover over Christmas and look at the New Year as a fresh start.

- Phil M.