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The Cómpeta 7-a-side Competition began on Thursday 5th July after ten teams were entered to play. The Grapevine entered a team and as always English hopes and expectations were high. We can win this one! This is it; football’s coming home at last. |
Shirts were printed and The Grapevine strip was to be all white. Not because it was Real Madrid’s colours and they won La Liga but because everyone had a pair of white shorts!
All participating teams, supporters and WAGS congregated at the football pitch at the top of the village to await the all important draw. Two leagues of 5 teams would be drawn and two games would be played that evening depending on the draw. Our very own Jose Luis, the new ‘alcalde’, acted as Trevor Brooking and random ‘celebrities’ were pulled from the throng to pull the folded pieces of paper with each team name on from a sealed Pringles tube. Quality!
Third out of the tube, covered in Pringle crumbs, was, “The Grappe Beene!” (Eng trans: The Grapevine) which meant we would be playing that night. Adrenalin and testosterone started to flow as we psyched ourselves up for the opening match.
The Grapevine vs Canillas de Albaida
The team selected, positions decided and tactics sorted. “Man mark, keep our shape, get into ‘em and let’s win this one boys!” We were off.
It got off to a great start as we took an early lead. It was all going well as we looked organised (I said looked!) and managed to hold our own against a team with an average age and waist size less than our own! They managed to equalize but by half-time we were 2-1 to the good.
It was time to make a few changes to let everyone have a run out. After 20 minutes of running around some of the more senior players were perhaps feeling it! Was that the managerial mistake?
Second half and our shape was lost. The younger members had the fitness but perhaps they couldn’t match the big game experience of the ‘old pros’!! Youthful exuberance over a cool head wasn’t working. 2-2 and a few of the tired ‘old pros’ came back on but all to no avail. 3-2 was the final score. Tony and Stuart had bagged our goals so to Bar David to talk about what might have been!
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Andy "the other Cat" |
Sam |
"The fans go wild" |
The Grapevine vs Canios
You’ve heard of the ‘Thriller in Manilla’ and the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’. Well this match turned out to be the ‘Combate de Cómpeta’!
Canios, we’d heard, were one of the favourites to win the tournament but we could rise to the challenge. Rather than wholesale changes to give everyone a run we’d change the team only if it warranted it or someone was tiring. That’ll be half-time again then!
It all started well as Stuart put us 1-0 up very early in the game. They looked nervous as they competed against each other for the ball. The Grapevine lion hearts were getting to them; they were arguing against themselves. Maybe a warm up for what was to come.
After 5 minutes Steve Twiselton was already taking time to retrieve the ball when it went out of play as we tried to hold onto our early lead. The ref saw through it and he was warned. That’s that tactic out of the window.
Their superiority and strength in the middle started to show as they took shots from just inside our half and found the net. Ali ‘The Cat’ just couldn’t stop them as they fizzed in. Half-time we were behind but still confident we could hold our own.
As we came out for the second half they’d made some changes and then it turned pear shaped! They dominated and as little Danny had a few minor exchanges with one of their players, the next thing he was walking off with a cut above his eye as he was butted! Needless to say their chap got the red card, despite protestations that Danny swore at him! Why would a 30 something man get upset with a 15 year old boy swearing only he would know! The pitch was ‘invaded’ by players from both sides as we shouted and gesticulated about the guys conduct. When things calmed down and in a clear change to FIFA rules the player carded was replaced with a substitute and they continued with 7 men! Shortly after they lost a second player to a red card and again he was replaced! Tony had seen enough and walked off. This just wasn’t cricket. Maybe that’s where we were going wrong!
Despite the chaos we soldiered on and in almost the last kick of the game Steve Twiselton scored one of the goals of the tournament! (He said I’d get a discounted advert if I hammed it up, it so bear with me reader!) As we broke down the right the ball was crossed into the middle. Steve had broken from defence sensing the opportunity (that’s an experienced pro for you!) and as the ball was crossed he sprinted to meet it. Striking the ball on the volley he smashed it home giving the keeper, Jan Schmidt, (and he’s a big lad, reader, so how brave was our Steve?!) no chance of stopping it! We’d lost 9-4 and by a technical knockout! But that goal….!
The Grapevine vs Naranjas
As we turned up for this match the mood at the Cómpeta stadium had changed. Two Policia Local stood outside and the access to the pitch was cordoned off with only players and participants allowed on. The other match played on the pitch next to us the previous night had also exploded into life as not only players but 30-40 spectators had joined the face-off!
Tactics had changed from, “We can win this!” to “Let’s just enjoy it boys, eh?!” Wholesale team changes had been made as a birthday party that night had left us short of a few players. Who said football was more important than life?! (Bill Shankly, actually, if you’re wondering!)
Ali ‘The Cat’ was replaced by Andy ‘The Other Cat’. He couldn’t get a touch of the ball, which for any keeper is disappointing as the idea was to stop it going in the net! We didn’t score first this time but it didn’t make for any good omens. We got as close as 1-1 then they just shaded it by 11-1 at the final whistle.
The Grapevine v Archez
Blind confidence or stupidity made us think we were due an upset and could turn Archez over. Some of their team we’d played against on a Thursday evening in Archez and we knew their weaknesses. They weren’t a big side so if we played the hard English style we could upset them.
It worked. As they passed it across the back I broke from midfield and clearly the sight of a 16 ½ stone lump coming at him upset the defender’s control! I managed to take the ball from him and as the keeper advanced from the goal I coolly slotted it home into the bottom corner!
(“Gooooooooaaaaaaalllll” shouted the TV commentator as I wheeled away to our travelling fans pumping my fists and taking the accolades for a great piece of individual opportunism. Never has the Cómpeta stadium seen such a cool piece of finishing…….. WAKE UP!)
Anyway, 1-0 it was and then a familiar pattern emerged. We were trounced 13-1! They think it’s all over. It is now!
Well done to all who took part for what was the first time a foreign team had entered the Cómpeta Torneo de Fútbol. Thanks to Steve Twiselton for organising the team and kit sponsor. Football won’t be coming home this year! Next year perhaps!
Alick "Chopper" Howard
Todopapel, Competa
