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Tenerife Today
Tenerife Today is the interactive news page for Oasis Fm, with all local news and cultural information supplied by the Canarian Weekly newspaper, SPET, and Tenerife Cabildo.
Tenerife derby delight - 01.05.2009 |
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 CD Tenerife 2 Las Palmas 0
IF you are a fan of CD Tenerife this was like your wedding night, birthday and New Year’s Eve all rolled into one. ‘The game that stopped the Canaries’ did just that and, despite some nervous moments, it was Tenerife who ruled the day. The afternoon went as expected with all the usual fire and passion you associate with such an occasion. The 1,000 brave Las Palmas fans were safely tucked into their seats nearly three hours before kick-off, and a massive police presence ensured there was no trouble. The centre of Santa Cruz resembled carnival weekend as the Tenerife fans started their pre-match singing and drinking and the players would not let them down. Some 24,000 fans –Tenerife’s biggest crowd of the Millennium – saw the hosts make the brighter start in a noisy, colourful, swaying Heliodoro. Las Palmas forced the early pace as the occasion seemed to get to the hosts. Chance after chance fell to the boys in yellow, but for all their possession and territory, they failed to test Luis Garcia properly in the Tenerife goal. In fact, Tenerife had the best chance of the first half. A rare Juanlu cross met the head of captain Manolo Martinez, but his fine header was tipped over well by Santamaria. Las Palmas’ game plan was simple and effective. At every opportunity, they sprayed the ball down the left and gave Sanchez the chance to run at Bertran. This often led to a corner but, despite their height advantage, they failed to test the home defence thoroughly. At half-time, all the talk was about the subdued home display, but the fans rightly had a feeling that the best was yet to come. Manager Jose Luis Oltra specialises in half-time team talks, and again, whatever he said worked because Tenerife destroyed their derby opponents in the second 45 minutes. Daniel Kome, chief instigator of the onslaught, scared the life out of the away defence with some superb runs. At times he resembled an old fashioned English winger as he tore down the touchline with the ball on the end of a rope. He would jink left, then right, then left again as the Las Palmas lads chased shadows. It was a masterclass from the popular Cameroon international. Tenerife deservedly took the lead ten minutes after the turn-around. A smart move resulted in a Juanlu cross, which found Richi unmarked six yards out. His finish was simple, but it extinguished the fire in the Gran Canarians’ belly. The Heliodoro eruption gave the men in white renewed energy and they launched wave after wave of attacks. Las Palmas rode their luck, but 12 minutes from time the contest was over. Another sweeping Tenerife move eventually led to Nino collecting the ball on the edge of the area. Stupidly, Juanpa let him come on to his trusted right foot, and the home fans knew what was coming. He thumped the ball past Santamaria into the bottom left-hand corner and the celebrations began. In fact, they might still be going on! The win was crucial, and Tenerife are now five points clear of fourth place, but the significance was not lost on anyone. This was a potential banana skin and it was negotiated in a professional manner. Only someone who follows this league on teletext would say that they are not the real deal. League leaders Xerez visit Santa Cruz in a few weeks and that is the only genuine tough game to come after the trip to Zaragoza tomorrow (Saturday). The league’s big boys have found some form recently and, marshalled by the still-brilliant Roberto Ayala, they are a formidable outfit. Sure, they have lost a few players since fluking a win at the Heliodoro last year, but they are still good enough to win this league. They struggled to get the better of relegation-fodder Eibar last week, but their recent win in Xerez showed what they can do. Jorge Lopez has been among the goals for Zaragoza recently, and he will be the man to keep quiet. But this is not a game for Tenerife to fear. Their away form is excellent, and anything but a defeat would cement their La Liga ambitions. There will be no Richi tomorrow, but Mikel Alonso is a more-than-capable deputy. The match is live on TV Canarias from 5.30pm. Canarian Weekly Ratings
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