It is that special time of year when drama unfolds for teams who have been barely noticed all season long due to their inability to string together victories. In Spain's Primera Division, the fate of Recreativo was already sealed going into the final weekend as they will be part of this blog during the 2009-2010 season.
The Pajaritos from Numancia had at outside shot at survival but it was not meant to be. The club that started off its season beating the trichampions FC barcelona 1-0 at their modest little stadium, will be playing in El Infierno next season.
The third team would be playing in El Infierno next season was the one subject to tons of debate. Who would it be? Surely it would be Osasuna who had to beat Real Madrid at home to have any chance at not being relegated. But credit the Pamplona side for overcoming a 0-1 deficit and winning 2-1 setting of pandemonium in the stands at the Estadio Rey de Navarre. Maybe it would be Getafe who had to get a point in Santander against Racing to ensure their survival? Nope. A Granero goal in the first half was all the suburban Madrid team needed and so last year's UEFA Cup quarterfinalist gets to play with the bog bioys next year. What about Sporting? The newly promoted side had the luxury of playing Recre but still the Asturianos had to overcome a 1-0 deficit and won 2-1.
That left us with the Betis-Valladolid match which at first shaped up as one of those *wink* *wink* let's tie this match so we both can stay up. But a funny thing happened on the way to summer vacation. All the teams below them won and so the enxt thing you know, Betis were fighting for their survival because they did not own the tiebreaker against Getafe. The purple men from Castilla y Leon struck first but Betis would equalise in the second half and were desperately seeking the game-winner. Time after time the Betis chances were brushed aside. At the final whistle, disbelief set in at the Ruiz de Lopera as the beticos will now be playing in El Infierno next season. For the Betis fans, some of the most passionate in Spain, it was like a funeral except that with the tears, there were also riots in the streets afterwards and fans yelling at the team president that he was a 'cabron'. Needless to say, betis in El Infierno next year will make things very interesting.
As for our actual Segunda Division teams themselves, props to Xerez for now being just a single point away from promotion. With three weeks left in the season, all they need is a draw in one of those matches. It may not come this week since they travel to second place Tenerife, but depending on what Hercules does at now relegated Alicante in the Alicante derby, both teams could be celebrating promotion out on the island this weekend and what a fun party that would be.
Speaking of Hercules, their draw against Celta now leaves them five points behind Zaragoza in the race for the third and final promotion spot. Making up five points in three weeks is a long shot. Hercules need to beat their crosstown rivals and then hope Zaragoza gets tripped up in Salamanca on Saturday which will be a tough match for the Aragoneses.
So the drama unfolding at the top is starting to look anticlimatic but the drama at the bottom, once an afterthought, is getting serious. Alaves are three points behind Celta in the fight for the last surivival spot. How sad to see two clubs who fared so well in recent years in European play now struggling to avoid relegation to the third level of Spanish futbol. The noose is tight for the Galicians whose nightmarish second half continues. The match of the weekend could very much take place on Saturday when the two teams meet.
Resultados - Jornada 39
R. Sociedad - Cordoba 0-2
Zaragoza - Albacete 3-0
Hércules - Celta 2-2
Alavés - Huesca 3-0
Las Palmas - Salamanca 1-1
Levante - Rayo 1-0
Elche - Castellon 0-1
Murcia - Alicante 3-1
Xerez - Eibar 3-0
Girona - Gimnastic 2-1
Sevilla At - Tenerife 0-4
Clasificacion:
1. Xerez - 78
2. Tenerife - 75
3. Zaragoza - 74
4. Hércules - 69
5. Rayo - 65
6. R. Sociedad - 63
7. Salamanca - 60
8. Levante - 59
9. Castellón - 56
10. Gimnástic - 54
11. Elche - 53
12. Murcia - 48
13. Girona - 48
14. Córdoba - 47
15. Huesca - 47
16. Albacete - 47
17. Las Palmas - 45
18. Celta - 43
19. Alavés - 40
20. Alicante - 34 (Relegated)
21. Eibar - 31 (Relegated)
22. Sevilla At - 17 (Relegated)
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