"We will try to make things the best way possible in the matches there are left ". That was what Fernando Torres said this week about the attitude of the team until the season ends, and at Mestalla the red-and-white players gave samples of fidelity with this objective adding a point in one of the most complicated fields in the championship: Mestalla.

The work wasn’t easy, Atletico arrived to Valencia with very few chances to go to the Intertoto, and the locals played in front of their own fans for the second position on the table which gave a direct pass to the Champions League. The ‘che’ team began the match in a wild way, overturned on attack and overflowing their rival on every line. The red-and-whites covered the local fast-breaks the best they could, something that they achieved with great difficulty with Regueiro who became a nightmare of the rear during the first 15’ of the game. At 11' Villa went into the area of Leo Franco who knocked him down making a penalty, and the Asturian didn't miss the penalty-kick scoring the first goal of the match.

The stands hoped for a feast of their players. Nothing could be further from reality, Atletico, far from going down, pull of the breed and pride to got progressively control of the game until scoring the goal of the tie. After a long absence, Maxi returned to his appointment with the goal beating Cañizares in a double kick off. Soon later the second goal could arrive when Fernando Torres pass to the Argentinean who was knocked down by Cañizares inside the area. Puentes Leyra didn't point out the penalty, probably thinking that Kezman, who arrived alone from behind, would send the ball to the bottom of the net, but the Serbian missed the shot. Valencia took note of the fright and they withdrawn themselves to avoid the fast-breaks of the red-and-whites, basing their options on some punctual action taking advantage of the speed of Villa or Regueiro, although the scoreboard kept the tie until half time.

The start of the second half arrived with a warning by the 'che' team, when Regueiro shattered a ball at the crossbar. The local danger finished there, and they saw how Atletico became strong in the center of the field keeping in all moment control of the match, something that despaired Valencia’s fans that suffered while the second position on the table was leaving for moments. Neither, the red-and-whites arrived with clarity to the area of Cañizares, once and again Pepe Murcia's players smashed themselves against the solid local defence without finding a hole to arrive to the area. Then, the quality move of the match arrived, although very far from the rival area and next to the right side, Fernando Torres got rid of Ayala with a splendid kick with his heel that surprised the Argentinean veteran defender.

The match was heading to the tie and Pepe Murcia moved his cards, giving entrance to Vara, a youth squad player who debuted at Mestalla playing the last danger action for Atletico, a header that Cañizares saved under the goal line. Nothing else could be watched in the match by the red-and-whites that already have left only 90 minutes for the end of the National Championship League.


Photo: J. A. Sirvent