The success of Alaves will have a direct impact on the success of the Victory. Alaves just had a big 1-0 win over 2nd place Xerez. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team?id=96&cc=5901
Huge win as they have been struggling of late. This gives them some breathing room above the relegation zone. I still don't fancy their chances of winning promotion to La Liga.
They have a nice rest for a while. Then they are back to 3 games in 7 days. Sun 1/7 - @ Valladolid 15:00 ET Segunda División Wed 1/10 - @ Barcelona TBD Copa del Rey Sun 1/14 - vs. Lorca CF 15:00 ET Segunda División
DA has already said they'd like to send 5 players to the Victory. If DA struggles, then the players sent to the Victory will be shite. Also if DA gets relegated the Victory might have to fold.
I doubt the Victory would fold if DA gets demoted. They'll just play with local talent rather then import players.
It's just like any other business model. The better a business does, the more it can expand its resources. I don't think San Francisco will have an effect on Alaves because it is looked upon as an American farm team of an European product. However, if Alaves does well. It will raise the level of San Francisco a bit. A+B=C
A 1-0 loss today to Valladolid. No shame in an away defeat as Valladolid is top of the table, but not a good way to start off 2007 for a team that is closer to relegation than promotion.
Surprise, surprise, surprise... Spanish second division side Alaves, run by controversial president Dimitri Piterman, have appointed Fabri Gonzalez to be their third coach this season. This guy is brutal!
Where does he recruit his coaches from? I would think most Primera and Segunda level coaches would avoid him like the plague, and hold out for the next opportunity or sign on as somebody's assistant.
Not sure where he finds his coaches, but the guy he just canned was a 'yes man'. Damned if you, damned if you don't. Saw this tidbit in the write-up after their loss to Barca in Copa Rey today: Alavés supporters held another protest against club president, Dmitri Piterman, as they clashed with police inside the stadium and chanted demands for the supremo to resign. Things are starting to get ugly in Vitoria...
Did anyone watch the replay on GolTV? It was pretty crazy with firecrackers going off multiple times in the games and the chants against Piterman almost non-stop. Several times the players just stopped and ran out of the cloud of smoke. The Alaves players seemed tentative, and the Barca players seemed to be showing them some mercy.
Dmitry Kanpora (Dmitry Out!!) More fan protests ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWgJSIcI3Yg&mode=related&search= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cf50_oRhRk&mode=related&search= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IAA8an5ckA&mode=related&search= 100 voices against Piterman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD0X-TzpWdY&NR Piterman not sorry for insulting a player: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwPQRD-pAR4&mode=related&search= (if you understand Spanish, holy crap! Piterman crossed the line!)
Alaves remains in 12th place. Smack dab in the middle of the table; 7 points adrift of the promotion zone and 7 points clear of the relegation zone.
1-0 loss to Elche, who are below them in the standings. Alaves blew a great chance to move up to 8th in the table and only 4 points out of the 3rd and final promotion spot. Now they remain in 12th place still 7 points out of 3rd.
Alaves tied Real Madrid's B team this weekend and now is in 14th place, only 3 points from relegation, while falling 12 points behind the last promotion spot. Piterman really has his hands full with: unruly fans, attendance is down, the Basque government threatening to suspend subsidies to the club, and then of course his worst enemy...his mouth. This may explain why we haven't heard much news on the Victory. Looks like Dmitry is so busy fighting for survival in Spain that the affiliate in the States is being ignored.
I'm assuming the link up between Alaves and the Victory is due to Pietrman being a Ukrainian-America. Pietrman is definately a brutal and controversial figure! Very outspoken and very direct. However, I'm intrigued by the Victory's association and I do hope to see some Alaves youngsters loaned out to California. I would also hope Alaves would host the team and visa versa.
Alaves back in the hunt (sorta), well they are back in the middle of the table with a helpful draw and victory.
Isn't Piterman the owner who was particularly controversial in Spain for trying to all but coach the team himself?