Pride in Defeat

Almería may be through to the next round of the Copa del Rey after their 4-3 victory this afternoon, but Mallorca fans have a real reason to be proud of their team after a spirited effort saw them reduce the deficit and at least bring a degree of respectability to the eventual 8-6 aggregate scoreline.

With the visitors cruising through on the back of a 4-0 lead, Los Bermellones could have been forgiven for throwing in the towel completely and allowing Almería to romp to an utterly embarrassing victory. But three goals in seven minutes as the game built to its climax – one from Michael Pereira and a brace from Fernando Cavenaghi – saw Mallorca fight until the very last minute, desperate to take something from the game. They knew there was no chance of progressing; they were playing only for pride.

The truth is that Mallorca turned up late for their own party and they paid a heavy price for it. Almería jarred the home side’s nerves with a goal inside the first minute, and before they had a chance to recover the visitors scored again, ensuring the tie was all but over within the first three minutes of the game.

In fairness to Mallorca, they responded well, and the complexion of the tie would have been changed completely had Nsue’s shot not hit the post, or had Cavenaghi’s first effort not bounced just over the crossbar in agonisingly slow motion.

This sense of pride overshadowing the result does not extend to Mallorca’s defence, though, where Els Barralets simply were not good enough. More shambolic defending allowed Almería to notch two more goals before heading into the half time break, leaving Mallorquinistas frustrated, ashamed and embarrassed. The only question on their minds was how many more the Andalucíans would amass before the end of the game; they were lucky not to see their side go 5-0 down when Lux denied Piatti his hat-trick after Almería were allowed the time and space to carve out another perfect opportunity just after the restart.

It summed up Mallorca’s defence, which was completely abysmal throughout the entire match. They were almost literally absent in the first few minutes as they displayed a complete incompetence to defend, whilst the remainder of the game was characterised by a distinct lack of defensive desire. This failing at the back is a real shame because in attack Los Bermellones looked decent – and took full advantage of Almería’s nerves in a blitzing finale – and with more defensive solidity the team would have had every chance of getting through to the next round.

With this in mind, perhaps even more disappointing is the fact that Almería will now go on to play Deportivo la Coruña in the quarter-finals, and had this been Mallorca they would have had a real chance to progress to the semi-final and then maybe even further. With Madrid and Barcelona still in the tournament it’s a shame that Los Bermellones haven’t been able to take advantage of a kind run of draws that has seen them avoid the top teams. This could have been a memorable year in the Copa; instead it’s been drawn to a shocking and premature end.

So Mallorca must pick up the pieces and take what they can from the match, and top of the list is the spirit and determination they showed towards the end to at least try to make a game of it. It takes heart to carry on playing when many other teams would simply fold, and that is a real positive for the team and for the fans. If nothing else, it reduced the feeling of embarrassment that had pervaded the game from the first whistle.

Another huge positive, though, and perhaps it warrants a chorus of ‘we told you so’ from Mallorquinistas the world over, was Cavenaghi’s double strike, and he was extremely unlucky not to get a hat-trick with his last act of the game. The Argentine was far and away Los Bermellones’ man of the match with an excellent performance up front, where he formed a good partnership with Víctor and provided the spark that propelled the team forwards when all seemed lost. He was finally given a chance by the manager and he grabbed it with both hands; Laudrup would be a fool to remove him from the equation in the league, where he has now proved beyond a doubt that he deserves a chance to lead the attack. If Laudrup does opt to drop him, he had better be ready for a real backlash from the fans.

Despite a positive conclusion to the game, the club at the end of the day remain left only with the bitter taste of defeat, and the knowledge that despite showing some resilience it remained a shameful performance. Luckily for Los Bermellones, they have the perfect chance to make amends this weekend in a rematch with Almería, again on the island, this time in the league. It will take a vastly improved performance – especially in defence – but if Mallorca can continue with the attacking momentum they gained in the final throws of this afternoon’s match, then they may well have the last laugh.

by Phil Montgomery