A crushing defeat at home has rocked US Yaiza back on their heels after a glimmer of hope. The team in green now face a brutal battle for survival.
Things had been improving slightly for Yaiza, who won their first points in two months with back-to-back draws in February, before a long-awaited 1-0 win at home against Melilla.
But the southerners were punished harshly when they came up against the second-place team in the second Division RFEF, CF Talavera de la Reina from the heart of Spain, losing 0-4. It was the worst defeat of the season so far, and the first time this year that Yaiza have lost by more than a one-goal margin.
400 spectators, including around 40 Talavera fans from Castilla y León, attended the Munic¡pal Stadium beneath the volcano in Yaiza. The match was all about efficiency in front of the goal, with Talavera taking full advantage of the chances they had, while Unión Sur Yaiza were thwarted by some excellent saves from goalkeeper Joel.
Yaiza had the clearest chances during the first thirty minutes of the match. But it was Talavera who took their chances, scoring two goals in just three minutes. In a quick play, Cambra headed a cross from the right to score the first, and Nahuel had an easy tap-in at the far post to score the second.
Yaiza tried to bring the game to the opposition at the start of the second half, with Trovento making the first dangerous move. But Talavera killed the match off in the 69th minute, when the referee awarded a penalty for a foul on Cambra by Pablo Bolado, earning the Yaiza player a second yellow card and an early bath. Isaiah was tasked with taking the penalty to make it 4-0.
The result leaves Yaiza seven points away from absolute safety and four points away from the relegation play-off place. As if the situation wasn’t bad enough, the news that talismanic goalkeeper Nauzet Pérez is unable to play for the rest of the season due to an injury sustained in the match against Guadalajara places more pressure on the Greens.
The club always knew that life in the national leagues was going to be tough, but the gruelling schedule and consistently high standards of the opposition at this level have still come as a surprise.
FORTHCOMING HOME GAMES AT THE CAMPO DE FUTBÓL MUNICIPAL DE YAIZA
13TH APRIL: REAL MADRID C
20TH APRIL: TENERIFE B
12 noon, Municipal Stadium of Yaiza (check beforehand)
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