Abuelo, pasa el balon!

Futbol is a rough game. You look around and most of the players running on pitches every weekend are men in their 20s. Some are even teenagers. There are certainly players in their early 30s, but once you start getting around the age of 35, it's just about time to hang up the boots. Futbol takes a toll on the knees (just look at Ronaldo) and simply put, most players lose their much needed velocity to stay competitive once they get north of 35. There are exceptions, Paolo Maldini at AC Milan is one that immediately comes to mind. But in Spain the player who holds the title of 'abuelo' of Spanish futbol is a man who goes out every week and plays 'al hueso' for Rayo Vallecano in La Segunda Division. He is Carlos Llorens.

Carlos Llorens was born in Alicante back in 1967 and rose through the ranks of futbol in the Comunidad de Valencia. Most of his futbol has been played in La Segunda Division with occasional stops with teams in La Segunda B. Here is the resume:

Tomelloso (91-92), Cartagena (92-93), Elche (93-94), Levante (94-95) ,Lleida (95-97), Leganés (97-98), Rayo Vallecano (98-00), Atlético de Madrid (00-01), Osasuna (00-01), Alavés (01-03), Polideportivo Ejido (03-06) and back to Rayo Vallecano (06-current).

Even if his play was not in La Liga at the first division level, it's still very impressive and is worth respect and admiration. And not only is Carlos still playing, but he performs at a high level at the left back for Rayo. He started all games last year for the Vallecas club and is on track to do the same this year.

He will always be remembered as a hero to Rayo Vallecano fans after Carlos cooly converted the PK that gave Rayo the 1-0 win over Benidorm to ensure promotion from Segunda B to La Segunda. It was during that game where an unforgettable scene played out. The referee whistled the PK in favor of Rayo and of course the savvy veteran Llorens was chosen to take it. Carlos' daughters were in the stands that day in Vallecas and assured all of those around them that their father would not fail, and as stated above, they were right!

So to all of you who are now over 30 and starting to feel some ill effects of aging, especially after engaging in sport, be sure to channel your inner Carlos Llorens! As a tribute to Carlos Llorens, this week's Team of the Week is Rayo Vallecano.

I forgot to post results and La Clasificacion from last week. Xerex esta en racha! The boys from southwestern Andalucia have scored 10 goals in their last two games!

Jornada 12

Sevilla At - Elche 0-2
Xerez - Alavés 5-0
Girona - Hércules 1-0
Castellón - Murcia 2-0
Gimnástic - Zaragoza 0-0
Eibar - Las Palmas 1-2
Tenerife - R.Sociedad 1-1
Huesca - Levante 2-1
Celta - Rayo 0-0
Alicante - Córdoba 2-2
Albacete - Salamanca 2-2

Clasificacion:

1. Salamanca - 24
2. Xerez - 21
3. Hércules - 21
4. Castellón - 20
5. Rayo - 20
6. Zaragoza - 19
7. Huesca - 17
8. Tenerife - 17
9. Albacete - 17
10. Girona -17
11. R.Sociedad - 16
12. Levante - 16
13. Gimnástic - 15
14. Las Palmas - 15
15. Celta - 15
16. Córdoba - 13
17. Eibar - 13
18. Alavés - 13
19. Elche - 11
20. Murcia - 11
21. Alicante - 8
22. Sevilla At - 7

Who is Real Union?

I was all set to write a piece about a certain player in La Segunda Division, but the events of yesterday in the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu take precedence. Let's just go ahead and call it what it was - The greatest upset in the history of the Copa del Rey. So instead of our usual discussion about a team from La Segunda, we're gonna talk about a team from La Segunda B!

Yes I know, there have been surprises before such as the Barcelona meltdown against Figueres. But that was one of those quirky one game only knockout games. What transpired yesterday was a team from the third division of Spanish futbol eliminating the defending La Liga champion by netting three goals in the return leg match in Madrid.

Real Union surprised Madrid up in Irun in the first leg 3-2. A stunning result, no doubt, but there were few who didn't think Madrid would soundly hammer the modest Basque side on their home turf. Well, Madrid scored four goals, but Eneko Romo's header in the 90th minute secured the precious away goal for Real Union that gave them the tiebreaker and formally bounced Real Madrid from the Copa del Rey.

So exactly who is Real Union? Well, for a team so far in the depths of Spanish futbol, they have a rather illustrous past. Situated in the Basque town of Irun, right near the French border, Real Union was one of the trailblazers of Spanish futbol. In fact, the team holds the honor of being a charter member of La Liga back when it started in 1928. The Copa del Rey was played well before then and Real Union won the second of their four Copa del Rey titles against.... Real Madrid (of course!) back in 1918. Real Union has spent only four seasons in La Liga , the latest being 1932. As of late, Real Union has spent the last five season in the Segunda B finishing a respectable 5th or better each time. Perhaps this vitcory against Real Madrid is a springboard towards reaching La Segunda Division. In the meantime, the team will enjoy the wellwishes they receive from Real Madrid haters all over the world. Bien hecho tios!