Valencia's Piatti, left, celebrates after scoring against Atletico Madrid, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014.(AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Can Valencia win La Liga?
It’s nice to think they could—that the decade-long Barcelona-Real Madrid duopoly that was interrupted last season by Atletico Madrid could be disturbed yet again, this time by Los Che.
Valencia last won La Liga in 2004.
It was Valencia, don’t forget, who last won the title before Barcelona claimed six and Madrid three of the next nine, and it was their second in three seasons.
Early returns from the current campaign suggest a return to the summit of Spanish football is possible, even if the programme is just seven matches old.
But in those seven matches only Barcelona have recorded more points and conceded fewer goals, and a convincing 3-1 win over holders Atletico the last time out has only further puffed out the chests at Estadio de Mestalla.
It was another match in which everything seemed to go right for Valencia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU3pKz6Hsg8
Top scorer Paco Alcacer, while not finding the back of the net himself, assisted Andre Gomes’ opener. Playmaker Pablo Piatti also set up a goal by Nicolas Otamendi—and Otamendi’s overall performance once again marked him out as one of La Liga’s best defenders this season.
Goalkeeper Diego Alves, who has been sensational in 2014-15, made four saves and stopped a penalty.
“We have beaten a great team—the defending champions—but it’s just three points,” remarked manager Nuno Espirito Santo to AS (h/t Football Espana), as he tried to keep feet on the ground. “Our character is going out to win, and today we did against a great team.”
Since his July appointment, Nuno has been almost singularly responsible for that infusion of character.
Valencia's Nuno Espirito Santo, named La Liga coach of the month for September. Pretty difficult to argue. pic.twitter.com/kWmq9L1Hyt
“In these games and all games we have to give 120 percent. That’s what the coach asks,” defender Antonio Barragan told Super Deporte on Saturday, (h/t Football Espana). “The coach is very demanding, and the truth is we try to give our best in every game.”
In their tenacity, organisation and clearheadedness, Valencia are at least comparable to Atletico, who draw on the energy of their own manager, Diego Simeone. There’s a definite parallel between the two clubs, although you get the feeling the bubble could still burst at the Mestalla.
VALENCIA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 04: A general view of the stadium prior to the La Liga match between Valencia CF and Club Atletico de Madrid at Estadi de Mestalla on October 4, 2014 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images)
This is mostly because the much-anticipated takeover by Peter Lim has yet to be made official, even though the Singapore businessman has been operating as Valencia’s de facto owner for some months.
The billions he plans to pour into the club and the new stadium he vowed to complete could certainly lay the groundwork for a sustained period of competitiveness, but for now his promises remain aspirational rather than real.
Still, the prospect of sturdier financial footing has served to buttress the good feeling coming out of the club at the moment, even if the body of work on the pitch is a mere seven-match unbeaten run.
Quick out the blocks, tenacious. Solid, attentive in defence. Controlled in midfield. Versatile, vibrant in attack = Nuno's Valencia.
But self-belief, as Atletico have proved, can be an unstoppable force when combined with ability, and so far this season Valencia have benefited from the combination.
Can they win La Liga? Probably not. Not yet, anyway. Although what’s happening at the club stands to be the feel-good story its fans have craved for so long.
Rodrigo Moreno: Valencia's €30 Million Loanee No One Talks About
Sep 24, 2014
Benfica's Rodrigo Moreno, from Spain, celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during their Portuguese league soccer match against Beira-Mar at Benfica's Luz stadium in Lisbon, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Valencia right-forward Rodrigo Moreno is on loan from Benfica, yet despite being a €30/£23 million-valued loanee, he is flying under the radar, so what is his story?
When media outlets report Rodrigo is on loan from Benfica, it is only scratching the surface. A more accurate sentence would be: Rodrigo is on loan from Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim.
"Rodrigo's [playing] rights were purchased for €30 million this past January by [Lim's] Meriton [Capital Limited]," per Marca.
Marred in protracted negotiations to take over Valencia, Lim is not the owner (yet).
In an act of goodwill which doubles as a statement of intent outlining Lim's commitment to Valencia, he moved Rodrigo to Los Che.
"He [Lim] has brought players such as Rodrigo and Andre Gomes [on loans from Benfica], helped in managing to acquire Alvaro Negredo [on loan from Manchester City]," Valencia president Amadeo Salvo said, per AS (h/t Football Espana). "Is that not enough to convince people [that] he [Lim] wants to buy Valencia?"
Andre Gomes: "Nobody's told me anything. I dont know whats happening between Valencia & Peter. I need to know about my own future."
Rodrigo is stuck in footballing purgatory. Neither Benfica nor Valencia have majority ownership of Rodrigo's playing rights. Instead, Rodrigo is owned by Lim, whose takeover of Valencia has been delayed.
The gray area in Rodrigo's case—he started three of Valencia's first four La Liga games—is an emerging trend in European football.
This is why UEFA are planning to "introduce new rules to tackle urgently what it sees as the scourge of third-party ownership of players," per David Conn and Owen Gibson at The Guardian.
Not only is Rodrigo a prominent third-party ownership case study, his "loan" to Valencia is worth more than Manchester United signing Radamel Falcao, on loan from Monaco (€25.6/£20 million, per Mark Ogden at The Telegraph).
Four years ago, Rodrigo was in the vicinity of United.
On loan from Benfica, he was playing up north at Bolton Wanderers in Greater Manchester.
Rodrigo scored only once and registered an assist.
He was nowhere near as impressive as Chelsea loanee Daniel Sturridge, who scored eight goals in 12 Premier League games, foreshadowing his transition into an elite No. 9.
Though, Rodrigo fared better than compatriot Marcos Alonso, a left-back who was the reserve to seasoned pro Paul Robinson.
The problem Rodrigo faced at Bolton was he could not beat out Lee Chung-Yong, who was tied with Johan Elmander for the most assists at the club that season (six), in the right-wing slot.
Undeterred by Rodrigo starting 23.5 percent of Bolton's Premier League games, Benfica were resolute in their decision to retain the Spaniard.
"I have tried everything to push through a deal for Rodrigo, but the president of Benfica [Luis Filipe Vieira] says he [Rodrigo] is not for sale at any price," Bolton chairman Phil Gartside said, per O Jogo (h/t Sky Sports). "I am convinced that, in a few years' time, Rodrigo will be a global star."
BOLTON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Rodrigo Moreno of Bolton Wanderers scores past Chris Kirkland of Wigan Athletic during the Barclays Premier League match between Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic at Reebok Stadium on January 5, 2011 in Bolton, England. (
Benfica shared Gartside's view, but most importantly, Lim was convinced.
Two years and 16 days after Gartside's projection, Lim vindicated Vieira's decision to hold onto Rodrigo, per AFP (h/t Ten Sport):
"A Hong Kong-based company called Meriton Capital Limited has bought 100 percent of the rights to Rodrigo, a Spaniard who was born in Brazil, and is Benfica's joint leading scorer in the [Portuguese] league this season, for €30 million."
Rodrigo's substantial fee is based on the dreaded P word—potential.
Lim may have taken into account the testimony of former Bolton manager Owen Coyle, who believes the Spaniard has "Galactico" quality (Rodrigo played for Real Madrid Castilla).
"I would never rule Rodrigo out of returning to Real Madrid," Coyle said, per Phil Gordon at Scotland's The Herald. "Rodrigo is outstandingly quick, energetic and brave. He is an unbelievable talent."
The feeling is mutual as Rodrigo credits part of his footballing development to Coyle.
"I wasn't a regular starter for Bolton but I did get a lot of minutes. I enjoyed it," Rodrigo said, per Marc Iles at The Bolton News. "It was my first year as a professional in a first team and I'll always be grateful to Owen Coyle for taking me to Bolton."
Rodrigo has displayed glimpses of "unbelievable talent" at Valencia this season.
Receiving a pass from Gomes, Rodrigo effortlessly glided past Espanyol left-back Anaitz Arbilla and squared the ball to Valencia left attacking midfielder Pablo Piatti.
That play encapsulated Rodrigo's "outstandingly quick" twitch muscles Coyle was referencing.
Tussling with Getafe left-back Sergio Escudero, Rodrigo showed imperious technical ability by bringing the ball down and turning in one flowing motion.
Rodrigo flashed playmaking prowess when his through-ball dissected Getafe's defence and created a goal for Valencia centre-forward Paco Alcacer.
Converting a penalty past Getafe goalkeeper Vicente Guaita provided Rodrigo some closure after his feeble penalty was saved by Sevilla goalkeeper Beto in last season's UEFA Europa League final.
Those are positive plays.
What Rodrigo should not be doing is emulating teammate Rodrigo de Paul.
De Paul elbowed Sevilla right attacking midfielder Aleix Vidal 63 seconds after coming on as a substitute in Valencia's 1-1 draw.
Rodrigo lashed out at Escudero in Valencia's 3-0 win over Getafe.
Rodrigo's directness, his upper-echelon skill and willingness to make the impact play have factored into him scoring once and providing two goals in his opening three La Liga games.
Most people are not talking about Rodrigo, but the €30 million loanee is on course to transition into a marquee name.
Billionaire Peter Lim Reportedly Purchases La Liga's Valencia
May 17, 2014
VALENCIA, SPAIN - APRIL 27: Valencia CF and Club Atletico de Madrid players hols a minute of silence in honor of former FC Barcelona head coach Tito Vilnova during the La Liga match between Valencia CF and Club Atletico de Madrid at Estadio Mestalla on April 27, 2014 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Singapore businessman Peter Lim has completed his takeover of Valencia CF after spending the better part of 2014 attempting to reach an agreement with the club.
Eurosport revealed on Saturday that the deal had been concluded, with beINSport's David Jaca detailing that it's a controlling 70 percent stake the investor has purchased:
It was reported by Spanish newspaper Marca (h/t Goal.com's Ahmad Khan) back in January that Lim had been eliminated from the running to purchase Valencia, who were then filtering through bidders.
Three months later, Spanish newspaper AS (h/t Goal's Bhas Kunju) claimed that Lim had turned his attentions to Serie A, launching a €300 million offer for a 51 percent stake in San Siro giants Milan.
However, club president Silvio Berlusconi is alleged to have only been willing to part with 30 percent of the outfit. Matteo Bonetti of beINSport, a known Milan supporter, was less than supportive of Lim's takeover bid:
However, the Singaporean has finally gotten his wish in heading up a major European outfit and will be expected to follow up on his promise of clearing the La Liga club's debts, not to mention helping with the construction of their new ground, per Khan's report.
VALENCIA, SPAIN - APRIL 27: Valencia CF supporters cheer on their team during the La Liga match between Valencia CF and Club Atletico de Madrid at Estadio Mestalla on April 27, 2014 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Forbes state that Lim's net worth currently sits at $2.4 billion (£1.4 billion), and with such significant financial backing behind them, the club may now hope to bounce back from this season's disappointments and once again return to the Spanish hierarchy.
Juan Antonio Pizzi led Los Che to 10th in La Liga, and although a Europa League semi-final did provide a silver lining, Guillem Balague suggests that the change in ownership may swiftly signal change at the Mestalla:
Lim is a known sports fanatic and was unsuccessful in attempting to purchase Liverpool back in 2010; he also holds links with the motorsport industry.
Those at Valencia can only hope that the businessman's passion for the game lends itself well to his ownership of the club and ensures there are only prosperous times ahead.
New-Look Valencia Get Surprise Early Reward After Rolling the Dice in January
Feb 1, 2014
The January window may well be, historically, the worst time to try to fix your footballing fortunes, but that hasn't stopped Valencia from giving it a go.
While Barcelona and Real Madrid resisted the temptation to do any last-minute shopping, and Atletico Madrid limited themselves to bringing back Diego from Wolfsburg while loaning out Oliver Torres to Villarreal (more on him later) and Josuha Guilavogui to Saint-Etienne, it's at the Mestalla where most of the major surgery has taken place.
After a bitterly disappointing season, with ownership of the club being the major topic of conversation, a cash-strapped Valencia find themselves 17 points adrift of a Champions League spot.
Whether the latest comings and goings represent successful transplant surgery or merely the application of a large sticking plaster, we shall have to wait and see.
Out of the door go a fairly distinctive but, for Valencia at least, underwhelming set of players.
Sergio Canales was at one time being celebrated as the new boy wonder of Spanish football. But an unsuccessful move to Real Madrid, injury problems, and what new manger Juan Antonio Pizzi perceived as a lack of commitment to the cause, means they will be happy to see him go to Real Sociedad in a move that is expected to finally bring in a much-needed €3.5 million.
ELCHE, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 24: Ever Banega of Valencia looks on prior to the start the La Liga match between Elche FC and Valencia CF at Manuel Martinez Valero on November 24, 2013 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images)
Ditto Ever Banega, who—primarily because of too much attitude and too little hunger—never justified the €20 million the club paid Boca Juniors for him. As a result, he finds himself loaned to Newell's Old Boys, back to Argentina and to Rosario, the town where he was born.
Also surplus to requirements and loaned out is Colombian Dorlan Pabon, who heads to Sao Paulo following a three-goal haul in just 14 games—an outlay of around €2.5 million a goal for Los Che.
The same also goes for Portuguese striker Helder Postiga, who heads to Lazio after scoring just three in 15 since his €2.5 million move from Zaragoza, and the Mexican Andres Guardado, who signed for Bayer Leverkusen.
In their stead, Valencia have looked to age and experience to help them climb up the table with a couple of surprising signings.
In central defence, they turned to the 28-year-old Swiss international, Philippe Senderos, who has played more times for his country (50) than he did in the four years he was at Fulham (45). In also comes Mali's veteran midfielder, the 34-year-old Seydou Keita, formerly of Sevilla and Barcelona and back from his travels in China with Dalian Aerbin, on a six-month deal with the option of a further year.
Up front, the club will now look to Chilean forward Eduardo Vargas—on loan following a miserable spell at Napoli where he played just 19 times and never scored—and the 20-year-old Brazilian striker from Cruzeiro, Vinicius Araujo, who has scored seven times in 16 appearances, on a reported five-year deal.
Keep an eye on him, he could be the bargain of the January window.
MADRID, SPAIN - DECEMBER 18: Oliver Torres of Atletico de Madrid looks on lied on the ground after being tackled during the Copa del Rey Round of 32 second leg match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Sant Andreu at Vivente Calderon Stadium on December 1
About 40 miles due north of Valencia, La Liga returnees Villarreal have also been engaged in some shrewd dealings, not least the on-loan acquisition of the aforementioned 19-year-old Oliver from Atletico.
The arrival of Diego to Madrid would have severely limited his opportunities at the Vicente Calderon, while the Madrigal can be the perfect stage for him to gain experience and show La Liga his undoubted talents.
Barcelona also see Villarreal as the perfect place for 20-year-old winger and former Manchester City Academy player Joan Roman to develop his skills and gain first-team experience at the highest level.
It is Valencia, however, who are really rolling the dice.
If Saturday's 3-2 away victory over Barcelona—the first time Lionel Messi has ever lost at the Nou Camp in a game in which he has scored—is anything to go by, then the wheeling and dealing might, might, just work.
Sergio Canales: From Real Madrid's Next Superstar to Valencia's Unwanted Man
Jan 29, 2014
VALENCIA, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 10: Sergio Canales of Valencia controls the ball during the La Liga match between Valencia CF and Real Valladolid CF at Estadio Mestalla on November 30, 2013 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images)
With the transfer window ticking down, speculation continues apace about the future destination of Valencia's Cantabrian midfielder Sergio Canales.
One of the hottest young properties in Spanish football not long ago, his move from Santander to Real Madrid never really worked out. Instead he went on loan to Valencia at the end of July 2011 before they bought him for €7.5 million before the start of the 2012 season.
Now feeling unwanted by manager Juan Antonio Pizzi, it looks like he's going on his travels again, wanted by Premier League teams and Real Sociedad plus Getafe.
PASADENA, CA - AUGUST 07: Sergio Canales of Real Madrid before the start of the pre-season friendly soccer match against Los Angeles Galaxy on August 7, 2010 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Real Madrid will travel back to Spain after the soccer
With a reputation that precedes him, there are many clubs that would like him in their ranks but at this stage, bearing in mind that they haven't seen him play that much, only on loan. Valencia will be looking to sell him with a view of recouping some, if not all, of the money they paid Real Madrid for him.
Canales, though, is forcing the club to let him go, and it has been leaked to me that he wants to go to Real Sociedad.
ELCHE, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 24: Sergio Canales of Valencia reacts as he fails to score during the La Liga match between Elche FC and Valencia CF at Manuel Martinez Valero on November 24, 2013 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Ima
Pizzi is not impressed with the player's decision to look for the exit door at the first obstacle and would be much more impressed if he would demonstrate a desire to stay and fight for his place at a club that needs, now more than ever, a team prepared to fight together.
But the Canales issue is small potatoes to what's going on behind the scenes over just who is going to be the new owner of the cash-strapped club.
Club president Amadeo Salvo and the foundation who own most of the club shares are desperately keen to sell the club, but more than that, they are keen to be the people who decide who the new owners should be.
And it's here that the club and major club creditor, Bankia, part company unsurprisingly when one considers that the bank are owed something in the region of 260 million euros and as such feel well within the rights to decide who the new owners will be.
Amadeo Salvo's preferred choice is the Singapore businessman Peter Lim, which is a shame for him because it isn't Bankia's. To make matters more complicated, the bank will not divulge who the other bidders are, other than to say that there are more attractive offers on the table.
ELCHE, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 24: President of Valencia Amadeo Salvo looks on prior to the star the La Liga match between Elche FC and Valencia CF at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on November 24, 2013 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/G
There is talk about three other offers and everything is being handled in an atmosphere of intrigue and secrecy. Salvo would like Lim's offer accepted, partly because he believes it's a good deal for the club, partly because he knows the details of the offer, and not forgetting the fact that the Lim deal would keep him at the club.
What he would also like is details of the other offers, but Bankia aren't saying.
Meanwhile the former Valencia player Juan Mata hit the ground running in his debut for Manchester United against Cardiff. Reviews of his performance were generally very good, with the consensus being that this was potentially a match made in heaven
David Moyes will probably play him in a variety of attacking midfield positions, be it as a number 7, 10 or 11. In a window where there has been a distinct lack of top class available, a player of Mata's quality, matched with his hunger, was a rarity.
He will limit the ground that, up to now, Wayne Rooney has felt obliged to patrol, and fundamentally it's all about trying to find that quality in the last third of what is still a very unbalanced team.
Finally people are beginning to realise that, even though United won the league last year, as I said from the beginning of the season, they need six or seven new faces in their lineup.
Scouting Report: Will Napoli's Valencia Loanee Eduardo Vargas Thrive in La Liga?
Jan 25, 2014
Chile's Eduardo Vargas stands on the field during a ceremony before the start of a 2014 World Cup qualifying soccer match against Ecuador in Santiago, Chile, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Luis Hidalgo)
Valencia have signed Napoli's 24-year-old Chilean international Eduardo Vargas on loan for the rest of the season, per ValenciaCF.com, so here is a scouting report on Vargas' new team.
Napoli Did Not Trust Vargas
It is astonishing that Napoli did not give Vargas one Serie A start despite spending €13.5 million on him.
In his debut Serie A campaign, he took two shots the entire season which tells you he was out of sync and anonymous. Even reserve centre-back Federico Fernandez registered more shots (five).
Vargas faced an arduous task attempting to usurp either Edinson Cavani, Ezequiel Lavezzi or Marek Hamsik, an attacking triumvirate nicknamed the "Three Tenors" for their free-flowing football.
The trio combined for 41 goals and 17 assists during Vargas' first Serie A season.
When Lavezzi left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2012, it opened the door for Vargas to be a breakout star in his second season for Napoli.
Aside from a hat-trick against AIK in a 4-0 UEFA Europa League win, Vargas spent his time as an impact sub, or warming the benches.
Napoli expected Vargas to be world-class like Neymar.
Who was the challenger to Neymar's 2012 South American footballer of the year title? Vargas, then starring for Universidad de Chile, per Tim Vickery at BBC Sport:
It is this type of talent that has made the 22-year-old [Vargas] the outstanding figure of the last few months of South American football; but not the player of the year.
It was a two-horse race, but Neymar of Brazil and Santos pulled away to win the annual prize organised by the Uruguayan newspaper, El Pais.
Neymar and Vargas going head to head for the player of the Americas title is a good sign. Both are worthy inheritors of a great tradition.
Neymar
Vargas
Games (Starts)
16 (12)
19 (0)
Goals
6
0
Shots Per Goal
6.7
N/A
Assists
8
1
Chances Created Per Game
1.7
0.3
Dribbles Per Game
3.2
0.3
It is no longer a rivalry: Neymar is the world's sixth best footballer, per the Guardian, while Vargas is fighting to keep his European dream alive.
It wasn't until Vargas was loaned out to Gremio that he revealed he had problems coping with being a fringe player.
"I didn't feel good on my debut and played badly," Vargas said, per Adam Digby at ESPN FC. "Then I lost my confidence and was never able to play consistently. I was not happy in Italy."
Vargas was replaying the moment he accidentally passed the ball to Cesena's Stefan Popescu who scored.
You would think Vargas' hat-trick against AIK atoned for his error against Cesena but it didn't in his mind.
Perhaps, Vargas pinpointed that event as the reason why he lost the trust of then Napoli manager Walter Mazzarri, who preferred Goran Pandev and Lorenzo Insigne over Vargas.
Pandev, a reliable veteran, went on to score and create 13 total league goals that season.
The emergence of Insigne, who featured in 37 of the 38 league games, all but ended Vargas' career at Napoli, which precipitated loan moves to Gremio and now Valencia.
Valencia Mess
Does Vargas know what he is getting himself into at Valencia?
The former La Liga champions are in disarray and are currently ranked ninth in the league standings.
Technical director Braulio Vazquez was abruptly dismissed last November, per Inside Spanish Footbal.
Valencia centre-back Adil Rami's criticisms of the club indicated there was squad disharmony. He was suspended, per Dermot Corrigan at ESPN FC and later loaned out to AC Milan.
Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim's attempts of buying Valencia failed, per Marca.
This means Valencia's search for a white knight, who would be willing to take up "€354 million of debt, finish building the new stadium and make €40 million available for signings", per Sid Lowe at the Guardian, continues.
Valencia's managerial revolving door persisted with the sacking of Miroslav Djukic, per BBC Sport. Juan Antonio Pizzi, his successor, needs to swiftly prove his worth, otherwise he will suffer the same fate as Djukic, Mauricio Pellegrino and Ernesto Valverde—the three aforementioned managers failed to serve three seasons.
Though, the announcement of a partnership with MotoGP team Aspar provides some much-needed respite for Valencia, per ValenciaCF.com.
Fittingly, most of Valencia's options out wide are like Vargas—technically gifted but frustratingly inconsistent.
Sofiane Feghouli, RAM, Age: 24
VALENCIA, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 19: Sofiane Feghouli of Valencia CF looks on during the UEFA Europa League Group A match between Valencia CF and Swansea City at Estadi de Mestalla on September 19, 2013 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Levante's left-sided centre-back Issam El Adoua and left-back Nikos Karabelas could not keep up with Feghouli, who had six goalscoring chances during Valencia's 2-0 win over Levante.
Feghouli had an influential cameo appearance during the 1-1 Copa del Rey draw against Atletico Madrid.
He did not misplace a single pass in 31 minutes and made the vital pass to Postiga who netted a late equaliser.
Feghouli's touch is immaculate, his passing is brilliant, and he can be a world-beater but here is the regular theme of his career: dominate for a batch of games, then go missing for a few months.
This is why he has never registered 10 goals or 10 assists in one league season.
Pablo Piatti, LAM, Age: 24
PORTLAND, OR - MAY 23: Pablo Piatti #14 of Valencia is tripped up by Mike Chabala #4 of the Portland Timbers at Jeld-Wen Field on May 23, 2012 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
Piatti is a pocket-rocket who zips past opposing defenders.
But his erratic performances, five goals in his last three La Liga seasons, are why he is in-and-out of the starting XI.
He was diplomatic when asked about his lack of opportunities under Djukic.
"What happens to you in another era serves you well in terms of experience," Piatti said, per Football Espana. "Now we have another person [Pizzi] in charge and the team wants to do its best to achieve its goals."
Dorlan Pabon, LAM, Age: 26
VALENCIA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 12: Dorlan Pabon of Valencia runs with the ball during the UEFA Europa League Group A match between Valencia CF and FC Kuban Krasnodar at Estadi de Mestalla on December 12, 2013 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos
Pabon is dynamic, can create his own chances and shoots on sight.
One criticism of his game is his unwillingness to make incisive passes hence a significant difference between his shots per game (3.6) and chances created per game (0.8).
He is a deep-lying forward masquerading as a winger.
Several Brazilian teams including Sao Paulo are looking to sign Pabon on loan, per Superdeporte (h/t Georges Sessions at Sambafoot.com).
Fede, RAM/LAM, Age: 21
Fede is 0-of-20 in goals to shots taken in La Liga.
That said, he works extremely hard without the ball, making 29 tackles in 12 league games.
He covers so much ground that should his attacking output continue to be below-par, he could be converted into a full-back.
Conclusion
The silver lining in Vargas' decision to choose Valencia, a club in free-fall, is there are no undisputed wide attacking midfielders in the team.
Vargas is a speedy, direct and fleet-footed attacker who was once considered in the same class as Neymar.
A player of Vargas' ability should be given a free-roaming role centrally but that responsibility will only be awarded to him if he can force his way into Valencia's starting XI.
He can rescue his career because he has the technical proficiency to thrive in La Liga.
Scouting Report: How Did Miroslav Djukic's Valencia Shape Up Against Espanyol?
Aug 24, 2013
Up until last season Valencia had held a firm grip on third place in La Liga but, having missed out on Champions League football last time out, Saturday night's 3-1 defeat to Espanyol demonstrated that new manager Miroslav Djukic still has plenty of work to do to return Los Che to the top four.
The former Real Valladolid manager seems intent to build his team around Ever Banega. Sat in front of Javi Fuego and Michel though, the Argentinian was hassled and harried by Espanyol, with Christian Stuani particularly effective in preventing him from controlling the game.
With Banega unable to dictate in the final third, Djukic required one of his other advanced players to create—unfortunately none proved particularly effective.
Jonas drifted inside to collect a through pass and tee up Helder Postiga to give Los Che an undeserved lead, but other than that he and Sofiane Feghouli on the right side, offered little width and little quality.
Postiga will likely score 15 goals for the club this season, but he's unable to affect play. He's a finisher.
Perhaps one encouraging sign for Djukic is Javi Fuego. The summer signing from Rayo Vallecano wasn't at his best against Espanyol—he gave the ball away in a couple of dangerous areas and was caught making more than one cynical foul—but there are obvious signs that indicate he knows his role.
Dropping back between the central defenders, Fuego tries to dictate the play from the back, while also being very vocal—an area where Valencia are lacking.
Alongside him was Michel who, despite plenty of energy and enthusiasm, lacked know-how on the ball and, with Oriol Romeu waiting on the bench, will need to lift his levels to maintain his place in the side.
Jeremy Mathieu was perhaps Djukic's biggest disappointment of the night though. The Frenchman is known to want to play at centre-back, but started at left-back, with Ricardo Costa and Adil Rami preferred inside. It's doubtful that he'll start at left-back again.
In the first half Espanyol enjoyed a lot of joy down their right side, with Pizzi allowed to exploit Mathieu and whip in several good crosses.
More concerns for Djukic defensively are that Espanyol's first two goals came from set plays and that, after only mustering one effort on target in their opening day win over Malaga, his side lacked a cutting edge when chasing the game.
At least Thievy's goal put them out of their misery at the end.
It's not all doom and gloom, though. Despite the defeat at Cornella, Djukic hasn't turned into a bad coach. Fuego will grow more, Banega will have better days and the arrival of Dorlan Pabon will increase the quality and competition for places in attack.
Youngsters like Juan Bernat, Jonathan Viera and Sergio Canales all possess great potential too.
Djukic's values and playing style are clear—even in defeat the system he wanted was obvious—and if he sticks to them Valencia will win more than they lose.
Will it be enough for a return to the Champions League, though?
Valencia's Desperate Fight for 4th Place and the Future
May 15, 2013
Sometimes football supporters do not know what they have got until it has gone. This is especially case with Valencia, whose fans are a particularly grumpy lot.
Young buck Unai Emery did a pretty upstanding job during a four-season spell that came to a halt a year ago. Sure, the current Sevilla boss may have driven his footballers to distraction with endless instructions and insane arm-flapping from the touchlines, but Emery delivered where it mattered.
In the manager’s final three years in Mestalla, the coach plonked Valencia into third place, every single time. With the dominance of Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga, all too overpowering, it was the best that could have been expected from the club. Throw in factors such as David Villa, David Silva and Juan Mata being sold to balance books, books that are in a quite awful state, and Emery should have been given a job for life.
Valencia have a stadium under construction that the club cannot afford to finish. There’s the current Mestalla home that cannot attract any buyers that would fund the new home. And then there’s a debt totaling over €300 million. That figure was racked up both by paying for the New Mestalla and because of awful financial management and disastrous signings from the club’s previous owners that put Valencia’s very existence into doubt.
Emery’s diligence, patience and endless pools of enthusiasm delivered Champions League football to Valencia for three years, which gave the club enough cash reserves to survive and make a shareholder buyout feasible. But a notoriously fickle crowd, perhaps bored of the limbo status of the club, saw Emery moving on after the ending of his contract in June 2012.
In Emery’s place came Mauricio Pellegrino, an appointment that still threatens the wafer-thin stability of the club, despite his subsequent firing in December. Although the Argentinean was a former player at the club, the manager’s coaching experience was limited to assistant coach spells at Liverpool and Inter Milan. That novice nature showed as Valencia plummeted down the table. Not only was Champions League football looking in jeopardy for the next season, but European action of any kind.
Ernesto Valverde, a tough-talking, no-nonsense, classic figure of La Liga has put Valencia back into Champions League contention in a direct battle for fourth place with Real Sociedad. The club would quite like Valverde to stay on past his current deal, which ends at the of the season.
However, an uncertain immediate future for Valencia means that they may miss out. In a Goal.com report from May 2, Valverde said:
"As soon as I know who the president will be, I will talk to him on the same day."
The big issue in Mestalla is that there does not appear to be anyone actively in charge of Valencia. There is a club president, who took over recently when Manuel Llorente resigned having had enough of the pressure. Then there’s the Valencia Foundation, who represent the owners of the club, a group containing banks,the local government and private shareholders.
The situation at Valencia is fluid to say the least, and an awful lot depends on if the club can pip Real Sociedad to fourth with three matches to go. Champions League funding—providing the qualification phase is passed—might encourage Valverde to sign on for another season.
Star players such as striker, Roberto Soldado, may not be sold, and the Foundation and Valencia board might be able to unite behind a common goal.
If Valencia fail, then the summer for a club starved of Champions League funding could be a tough one: another new manager and more in-fighting as rival factions blame each other for the mess the club finds itself in, rather than searching for a solution.
With the season now entering a final sprint, Valencia is not just fighting for fourth spot, the club is fighting for its future.
Valencia vs. Barcelona: What It Will Take to Upset La Liga Leaders
Feb 3, 2013
Barcelona has not done a lot of losing over the past year. However, this squad is not unbeatable.
Despite an overall record of 19-1-1 in La Liga with a goal differential of plus-47, Valencia should have a fighting chance in the upcoming match. However, it will certainly need to perform better than it did in the 5-0 defeat to Real Madrid a few weeks ago.
Valencia has had an up-and-down season, but it will need to follow these keys in order to stick with Barcelona on Sunday.
Make Victor Valdes Work
While Barcelona has one of the best goalkeepers in the world in Victor Valdes, he is not infallible. If he is under pressure, he is certainly capable of making mistakes.
In the squad's only loss of the league season, Real Sociedad scored three goals on 14 shots, six of them on net. Even without a lot having possession for much of the match, the club took chances at the net and were rewarded for the effort.
Instead of waiting for a perfect look at the goal, Valencia needs to be aggressive and take plenty of shots whenever anyone gets a chance.
With a tough defense that will be challenging for the ball throughout the game, this squad cannot afford to lose opportunities. Take shots and good things will happen.
Watch No. 10
There are so many talented offensive players on Barcelona, but none of them are quite as good as Lionel Messi.
While the Argentine's scoring has been up this year, he is getting fewer assists per match with his club team than he did last year. This means that he is getting fewer players involved in the offense.
Valencia needs to know where Messi is on the pitch at all times and do whatever it takes to not let him get the ball.
When you face Barcelona, you know what is coming. Of course, stopping it is a different story. Keying on Messi is not exactly a new idea, but it needs to be done in this match.
Utilize Home-Field Advantage
Despite the fact that Valencia has struggled on the road this year, things have been much better at Estadio Mestalla.
Of the club's 33 league points, 22 of them were earned at home. The squad simply seems to play with more energy in front of the home crowd.
Barcelona is coming off a disappointing draw against Real Madrid. This group might come out slow as the focus might still be on the Copa del Rey match.
Valencia needs to come out with a lot of energy in this match in order to be able to pull off the upset.
Real Madrid vs. Valencia Copa del Rey Quarterfinal: Full Match Recap
Jan 15, 2013
Real Madrid beat Valencia 2-0 in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinal, with goals from Benzema and a dubious own goal by Guardado.
Far from being a vintage performance by los Blancos, they still seemed to recover some of the intensity they lacked in their last encounter against Osasuna.
First Half
Cristiano Ronaldo was back from suspension and looked to make an immediate impact on the game, firing a free kick just inches wide of Guaita’s right post in the first minute.
However, straight from the start Valencia showed their bold approach to the game, proving the most fluid team in attack. As a result, they had the best chances in the early stages of the game.
In the ninth minute Rami was left unmarked on the penalty box for a free header, only to fire it straight at Iker Casillas. Just a few minutes later, Tino Costa would unleash one of the typical long-range shots that gave him his nickname, “The Bombardier.” Casillas flew across his goal to punch the ball wide and clear the danger.
One minute later Roberto Soldado drew another good save from Casillas with a close-range header. In the 22nd minute, Soldado, almost on the halfway line, broke the offside trap and sped off for a one-on-one with the Madrid goalkeeper. Seconds later, he was pulled back by the referee after his linesman wrongly flagged the Valencia striker offside.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it_y4J5-iuw
We were just midway through the first half, and Valencia had already had four clear chances to score. Jonas would add a fifth in the 33rd minute with a shot from just outside the left side of the box. Casillas was grateful to see the ball sail just a few inches over his bar; had it been on target there would have been little he could have done.
Three minutes later, Jonas made Casillas work again, this time forcing an excellent block from close range. The goalkeeper’s intervention was the first touch of the counterattack that would result in Real Madrid’s first goal.
The trio of Michael Essien, Karim Benzema and Sami Khedira immediately sprinted upfield and overwhelmed the backtracking Valencia defense. Essien opened the ball to Khedira in the left channel, who delivered it first-time to Benzema charging down the centre. The Frenchman made no mistake and buried the ball past Guaita.
Valencia would have one more chance before the break, with Tino Costa firing a low shot just wide of Casillas’ post. However, Valencia went into the dressing room empty-handed and one goal down, despite having more possession, more shots and more shots on target than Real Madrid.
Second Half
The second half started similar to the first, despite a certain drop in the intensity of play. Valencia still controlled the game but were creating less chances.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhC5gZUycPQ
This in part may have come from José Mourinho’s half-time decision to replace Marcelo by Fabio Coentrao on the left flank of his defense, the area that had seemed most vulnerable in the first 45 minutes.
In the 59th minute, in an almost identical situation as that in the first half, Soldado was once again denied a one-on-one with Casillas by the linesman's flag. Again the replays showed the striker clearly onside.
Just seven minutes later, history repeated itself for the third time in the match, as Soldado was wrongly flagged offside, this time at much closer range. In frustration, he took his shot anyway and it bounced off Casillas’ crossbar.
A minute later and from a similar position, Soldado found the space to strike a powerful shot at Madrid’s goal. Casillas went down quickly and only managed to parry the ball straight into Jonas’ path, only for the Brazilian to inexplicably fire wide of the empty goal.
That was perhaps the turning point of the game, if not the entire tie. Just six minutes later, Madrid substitute Angel di María, delivered a ball for Coentrao to cross in from the left side of Valencia’s box. The Portuguese’s low cross deflected first on Guardado and then possibly off Gonzalo Higuain’s hand and rolled into the net.
That was the blow that crushed Valencia’s hopes, and the 20 minutes that followed were clearly to Madrid’s advantage. The only reason the scoreline did not change any further was a spectacular late performance from Valencia goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.
On two occasions, Guaita denied Ronaldo in chances on which you would have bet anything on the certainty of the Portuguese finishing them off. The first came after Higuain unselfishly put the ball on a plate for Ronaldo after a counterattack. The second was of Ronaldo’s own making, as he caught Adel Rami in possession on the edge of his box, only for Guaita’s fingertips to deny what seemed an inevitable goal.
Valencia will feel extremely hard done by with the result, and a number of refereeing decisions went against them. However, if they show this intensity and quality in next week’s match at the Mestalla, then Guaita’s heroics might yet prove to be valuable.
