Player Focus: Roger Martí

Player Focus: 

Roger Martí

We may very well be upon the imminent rising of Roger Martí. The young striker has shown many times before that he is capable of rising up to the stage of the First Team and showing his worth.

Both last year and this year, Roger has been called up in decisive games and left his mark.

With his contract renewal already in the books (see Video below), albeit after a long and twisting negotiation, and Obafemi Martins heading for the exit doors, Roger could be looking at getting a real opportunity to make the definitive step to the First Team at Levante.

He has been training with the First Team most of this season already, but Martins’ exit would leave Roger and new arrival Acquafresca as the only natural strikers on Levante’s roster. This will likely mean that Roger will become a fixture in Levante’s 18 man gameday roster and a lock for minutes in home and away games, as coach Juan Ignacio Martínez typically makes very offensive substitutions.

Roger has been having an excellent season so far. Netting 16 goals with the Levante B side Third Division that is amazingly knocking on the door of promotion to the Second Division, something only Real Madrid-Castilla and FC Barcelona B can boast about. He recently scored an amazing over the head goal in a game against Alcoyano in which he scored a hatrick (see Video below). With the First Team, Roger also managed to score an all important goal against Celta de Vigo, giving Levante a last-minute point from the away tie.

From Made In Orriols, we wish the best of luck to Roger as he attempts to enter the hearts of Levante fans and become a fixture with the First Team. Your future looks bright!

Roger signs contract making him a Levante UD player til 2016


Hat-trick and Over-the-head goal against CD Alcoyano

Iborra vs. Busquets (Según las estadísticas)

No tardan ni 24 horas en aparecer detractores que emiten críticas, aunque sí aisladas, injustas e innecesarias a Vicente "1B0" Iborra, después de un partido en el que no ha estado totalmente infalible. Justo hoy en el muro de Sin Tregua, pudimos ver la "aportación" de uno que quiso comparar entre Xavi e Iborra. Basta con un entendimiento básico de las funciones de cada uno en sus respectivos equipos para saber que esa comparación es una gilipollez. Así que para aclarar el tema, hemos querido sacar una comparación razonada entre 1B0 y un jugador que tiene más o menos las mismas funciones que el de Moncada y, como no, en el mismísimo Barça, todo-poderoso. Hablamos de  nadie más ni menos que Busquets, quien además de titular indiscutible en el Barça durante los últimos años, bastante exitosos, también ha sido el mediocentro defensivo titular de la selección española, campeona del mundo y de Europa. Pues bien, procedemos a las estadísticas sacadas desde de la web oficial de la Liga de Fútbol Profesional... (Véase las estadísticas y nuestro análisis) 

This Is Orriols

"This Is Orriols", a saying borrowed from Liverpool Football Club that is commonly used by Levante fans as not only a statement of pride of the neighborhood in Valencia where Levante U.D.'s stadium is located. Fans feel pride and a sense of strength in the defense of their home turf when they use the three word phrase. Levante players have made el Ciutat de Valencia a fortress, where rivals have to bleed to take any points away in their visits to Orriols.

Just ask Real Madrid, who just recently needed to bleed (Quite literally, who hasn't heard about Cristiano's "broken" eyelid or seen pictures of his bloodied face?), battle to the extremes and, frankly, in a word cheat its way to a nailbiting late 1-2 win to scrape by with 3 points.

We do not care to analyze the contoversial decision making of Muñiz Fernandez, the ref last Sunday night. Much more importantly, we would like to recognize just how far Levante have come. Levante have become such a fierce and feared opponent in La Liga to the point that Real Madrid, 32 Liga winners, had to wait three seasons under José Mourinho to win away against Levante, and was only able to do so under some very adverse weather conditions and with some very oportunistic help from the officials, receiving a penalty that probably should have been a free kick, and a late free kick (that produced Morata's winning goal) that certainly should have gone the other way as a foul seconds before against Obafemi Martins.

Orriols, once a ground was belittled, has become one of the toughest places to play in Spain. The way Madrid won is a credit to Levante, its growth, all that it has become as a team and a club. All granotas should be proud of what is being accomplished in such a short period of time, all coming together to chant in unison:

THIS IS ORRIOLS

Levante Club President Quico Catalan poses
with former LFC Manager Rafa Benitez

"Next Year Levante-Liverpool!"
It is no secret that many Levante fans admire Liverpool Football Club and its supporters, the originators of the "This Is..." phrase as well as the "Never Walk Alone" chant, that even played in Oviedo this past weekend. Given the tremendous European success of Liverpool, it would seem it had little in common with Levante. However, both are established in port cities and are known for their  diehard supporters.

What better example than when Levante qualified for Europe last season, one of the chants that fans belted out at the top of there lungs from the Four Stations Fountain celebrations was "Next year, Levante vs. Liverpool!" and indeed just a few years ago when Levante celebrated its 100 year anniversary, club president Quico Catalan travelled all the way to Liverpool just to see about the possibility of scheduling a 100 year celebratory preseason friendly with the Reds in the Ciutat de València stadium. Levante's invitation in the end was declined. Once Rafa Benitez was fired and a host of Spanish players were shipped out, the English club had little interest in visiting Spain.

Who would have thought that just 3 seasons later, Levante conceivably could play Liverpool F.C., and not in some meaningless friendly, but instead on the european stage in a Europa League match?

While Levante await the remote possibility of playing Liverpool in the future, they are certainly earning the right to use the famous phrase patented by Liverpool. So far this season, Real Madrid are the only team to leave Ciutat de València stadium with 3 points.

Player Focus: Míchel

Míchel celebrates his late 0-1 winner against Getafe

Míchel, a young star in the making, has blasted off after only a few months at Levante. Despite his recent arrival and the club he departed, Míchel has entered the hearts of Levante fans at a speed faster than one of his patented long distance strikes.

I will be the first to admit that I knew nothing about Míchel. In fact, I thought we had signed a different "Míchel", specifically Miguel Marcos Madera, also known as Míchel, who currently plays for Getafe. That "Míchel" is better known for being the son of a Real Madrid legend and little else. So, needless to say I was not that excited about the signing until I made the connection that that was not our Míchel.

Once I found out, it was Míchel Herrero that we had signed, a young Valencian player, I began to feel a little bit better about the signing, though it was hard to imagine then that a player coming from the ranks of two of our most hated rivals, Valencia CF and Hércules CF, could ever really win us over. Míchel has definitely accomplished that feat even with La Liga not even having reached the 10 match mark.

"Míchel has entered the hearts of Levante fans at a speed faster than one of his patented, 

long distance strikes."

Míchel posesses the combination of quickness, control, skill and long range shooting that we have not seen in some time in El Ciutat. He offers an excellent alternative to Barkero, a more deliberate and pass-first midfielder.

At the age of 24, Míchel is making his big break this season with Levante. He shows the maturity, poise and confidence of an established player. He has no problem stepping up to snatch a penalty ball from the hands of a Greek god like Theofanis Gekas and convert the chance in a European match. Nor is taking the ball from the halfline, slipping past Málaga defenders before releasing an unstoppable screamer from his right foot.

Hopes are high for Levante's own version of Meireles, as Los granotas will surely be expecting Valencia CF and other clubs to come knocking for this young player ready to leave his mark on La Liga.

A Look at Míchel's Levante Goals (so far):
Levante @ Málaga - Míchel marched through the Málaga defense after taking the ball near Levante's own half and launched a derrechazo (A right-foot screamer) to the top corner that was impossible to stop. The strike tied up the game at 1-1 before the eventual 2-1 final blow that handed Levante its first away loss.
Levante vs. Espanyol - His cross that took a deflection off a defender was the definitive 3-2 goal in a crazy come from behind win in El Ciutat that sent the home fans into a frenzy of excitement. After losing 0-2, Levante scored 3 in the second half, with Míchel's goal, for added suspense, coming just before the final whistle.
Levante @ Hannover (Europa League) - Converted a penalty in this group match that veteran Theofanis Gekas was ready to take himself. Despite putting Levante up 0-1, Hannover came from behind and won 2-1

Levante @ Getafe - In the 88th minute of a rather poor outing for Levante, devoid of any real offensive buildup, Míchel whipped away all the long faces with a strike from outside the area that caught Getafe keeper Moya well off his line. ¡Un golazo!
Levante vs. Twente (Europa League) - Converted his second penalty in two consecutive Europa League matches, with the previous goal coming away at Hannover.

Player Focus: Juanlu

The devout club football fan is one who appreciates the players who only ever wear their shirt. Who rise through the ranks of the youth teams to fight their way into the first team roster, proving many of their own cynical fans wrong. In theory every club has this prototype player, to greater or lesser extent. We are nurtured on the idea that each club has its own unique philosophy. Not just a philosophy of style of play (as perhaps not all do), but a more all-encompassing cultural philosophy of virtues, values and humanity, that only those who are of pure roots can ever fully embody.

The great clubs have their club symbol, much like an insignia of the club itself, a hometown hero. What Steven Gerrard is to Liverpool, what Xavi Hernández is to Barcelona, what Raúl or Casillas is to Real Madrid, what Sergio Ballesteros is to Levante UD. Behind them in the ranks are the aspirants to the throne, or the captaincy, thecanteranos, each arising in a burst of new hope, anxiety and speculation. Can the latest call-up stick to more than just the practice squad? Football is an ever evolving darwinian ecosystem, where 1 out of tens of thousands battles for years to earn the right to be the standard-bearer for their club. They are legends in the most medieval sense of the word... Click to read full article

Season Preview 2012-13: Can We Do It Again?

Once again here we are, wondering how next season could possibly be any better than last. Levante fans were overjoyed in 2011 to see their team play out to a 0-0 draw in Mestalla against archrivals Valencia CF to mathematically avoid relegation. No one really ventured to place the bar any higher than it already was, though at the start of the 2011-12 season, Levante had clearly made a huge jump in the quality of its roster. At each position, Levante improved drastically and in retrospect in should have been obvious that Levante were going to be looking up and not down. Though the Europa League and a very foreign-filled roster could prove to be major obstacles for the club’s 2012-13 Liga campaign, I am going to venture to say that Levante can be as good and maybe even a little bit better than it was last year. Let’s take a look at how Levante have improved… Click to Read Full Article

Levante move excites Lell

German right-back Cristian Lell arrived in Spain on Sunday afternoon to undergo a medical before he completes a one-year deal with Levante. 

Levante's greatest day #EuroLevante

The Levante players recorded the most important day in the club's history on video.

Match Preview: Levante-Athletic (5 may 2012)

Europe Awaits the Best Levante

This Sunday at 8:00pm in Spain (2:00pm EST), La Liga will play its final round of games, with battles still wide open for european positions as well as salvation. Fates will be decided for many teams, including Levante, the darling little team that has hung around all year with the big boys. Nine months of effort, courage, pride, perserverance and glory come down to 90 minutes. Will Levante be able make the most of those 90 minutes and obtain a European spot?

4. Málaga                     55    HOME versus Sporting de Gijón

5. Atlético Madrid   53    AWAY at Villarreal

6. Mallorca                 52    AWAY at Real Madrid

7. Levante                  52     HOME versus Athletic Bilbao

8. Osasuna                   51    AWAY at Racing de Santander

9. Athletic Bilbao     49    AWAY at Levante

10. Sevilla                   49     AWAY at Espanyol

Currently, Levante is not in a european position (Only top 6 go to Europe). Levante will need to win and hope that one of its European rivals (Málaga, Atlético Madrid and Mallorca) does not take full points. If Levante manages to beat Athletic Bilbao, fresh off a very dissapointing loss to Atlético Madrid in the Europa League final, one would believe that Levante should be able to obtain a European spot as its three opponents do not have easy tasks either. Málaga perhaps has the easiest test, a home bout with all but relegated Sporting. Mallorca has been able to beat Real Madrid in the Bernabéu in the past and will be looking to do it again, although Madrid will certainly not want to have a loss dampen the spirits of its La Liga title celebration (the trophy will be awarded to the team at the conclussion of the game). Atlético Madrid, fresh off the Europa League win, will be heading into El Madrigal, said to be a sellout, sea of yellow, as Villarreal will be fighting to avoid relegation. Osasuna should take 3 points away from already relegated Santander.

So much will be decided in such a short time span. The tables will surely be shuffling constantly with each goal that is scored this Sunday, and seemingly so will be the narratives that will be written and the histories that will be told about each team. However, for Levante, those narratives and histories should not be any less triumphant or proud of this team and this club if los granotas ultimately do not finish in the Top 6.

This has been a dream season. A first time manager (Juan Ignacio Martinez “JIM”), a forgotten face from Segunda (Barkero), a washed-up striker (Koné), yet another stellar campaign from a 36 year old Centre Back (Ballesteros), the emergence of arguably one of the best midfield tandems in all of La Liga, one a Málaga reject (Xavi Torres) and the other (Iborra), a humble, home-grown player, the Joker (Juanlu), a goalkeeper who ages like a fine uruguayan wine (Munua) and the subtle genius (Valdo), all came together like a perfectly strange puzzle, with all their oddities, years of experience and plenty of interesting story-lines.

In the last thirty-two La Liga fixtures, Levante has only been out of the top 5 in the league standings in two occasions, meaning missing out on Europe would seem like an injustice after such a long, consistent run. Yet, even if Levante does not end up qualifying for Europe, this season will go down as the best season in the history of the club and this team will most certainly be remembered as the best Levante. Los granotas have more than enough reasons to celebrate this season in The Four Stations fountain into the wee hours of the morning with or without Europe. ¡A la fuente!

Four Stations Fountain

Player Focus: Vicente Iborra

Vicente Iborra has arisen like a shining pearl, formed after years of frustrations and very drastic changes in circumstances at Levante. His rise took a lot of patience, hard work and constant support from the club. At age 19, he debuted as a tall and gifted striker with the first team in the King’s Cup and a few days later in La Liga, during the club’s last stint in the top flight since its most recent resurrection. He was one of a handful of players to stay with the club after relegation, though with a new manager in Luis Garcia Plaza came a new position: center midfielder. Now 24 years old, Iborra has embraced his new role and has quickly become one of the best defensive midfielders in Spain.

Why Iborra is Key to Levante’s Success

Iborra has long been the subject of heated debate in Levante forums. Supported and defended loyally  by some supporters, and belittled by others who demand more from him or see more value in other players not formed in the Levante Youth System. This year, thanks in part to those dedicated fans, it has become unmistakable that Iborra is an essential player for Levante.

Fans have run statistical studies on the games he starts to show that, since his reappearance from injury last winter against Almeria, Levante has a much greater win percentage and point total when Iborra plays with any other combination of midfielders than when he is absent. The team rose from the dead last season with his reappearance against Getafe and Almeria, posting two key wins in the promotion campaign. He quickly won back his starting role and the team went on an unprecedented run of points.

In the 2011/12 campaign, Iborra started with incredible form, helping the team to a historic streak of seven straight victories. His sudden absence from the starting 11 led to not only the ending of the streak, but also a downward streak where the team went several months without posting a victory. Manager Juan Ignacio Martinez, aka JIM, finally gave in and benched Farinós against Real Madrid. Iborra posted an incredible first half, frustrating Madrid’s attack again and again. An unfortunate hand ball in the penalty area sent Iborra off and completely changed the game, allowing a struggling Madrid to tie and later take the lead against a numerically inferior Levante side. After serving suspension, Iborra played one of his best games all season against Espanyol, helping the team pull off a shocker and, in his return to a starting role, end the string of games without a win.

Iborra’s statistics also demonstrate his tremendous quality as a footballer. Though he may not score goals or give the last pass that goes down in the books as an assist, he does an incredible amount of work behind the scenes to create offensive chances for his team. For starters, he wins back the ball from the opponent many more times than his competitors in the Levante midfield, Xavi Torres and Farinos, and Iborra gives up possession many times less than both. In the statistic of clearances, Iborra is far in front of both again. These are the two statistics that should be most valued when analyzing the effectiveness of defensive midfielders.

Put simply, Iborra destroys the other team’s attack and launches counter-attacks, a vital asset to a team like Levante with a counterattacking style of play.

National Team Prospects: #IborraSelección
During Levante’s historic run of seven consecutive wins, SuperDeporte reported that national team coach Vicente Del Bosque was scouting Iborra and considering the possibility of naming him in a future team sheet. To earn a spot on the national team, Iborra would have to compete with the likes of Xabi Alonso, Javi Martinez and Sergio Busquets, a very tall task considering all three were on the World Cup Champion roster, and that they are big names and very decorated players. However, Javi Martinez has been playing as a Center-Back for Athletic Bilbao recently and was even listed as a Defender on Del Bosque’s last team sheet. It would not be surprising to see Martinez play there for Spain this summer, as this is a position with less competition: Pique has been in and out of form, Puyol is pushing the age limits already and will surely be in need of rest come June. With Martinez in Defense, it would seem that there is a potential need for another defensive minded midfielder. Keep in mind, though Spain is known for the Xavi and Iniesta, creative midfielder prototype, it was players like Marcos Senna, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets that have also been vital in Spain’s recent success.

In comparing, Iborra’s ratio of winning and losing possession with that of national team starter Xabi Alonso, Iborra actually comes out the victor. Iborra loses the ball much less than Alonso and wins possession at a much higher rate. At 1.40, his ratio is significantly higher than Alonso’s. In a national team that has dominated the world soccer scene with a style of play based on dominating possession, it would seem that this statistic is very important to analyze.

While it still seems unlikely that Iborra would make the Euro roster, one can hope. While Levante’s European aspirations are still in dispute with 7 games remaining, it should be noted that in the past modest clubs such as Villarreal, Getafe and Mallorca have seen their success and European placements were rewarded with their key players being selected to compete in the 2008 EuroCup. With a national team, like Spain, that has enjoyed incredible success in the last few years thanks in large part to the competition within its own ranks, as well as the humble contributions and hard work attitude that characterizes the reserves. Del Bosque would be making not only a bold decision but also, in my opinion, a correct one. Spain is not just Real Madrid and Barcelona, nor is Spain limited to a short list of “Grandes clubes”. Little clubs, like Levante, doing amazing things, thanks to great players like Iborra, deserve this kind of recognition for a job well done.

A Decisive Summer 2012: Will he stay or will he go?

This summer proves to be an interesting one in the Iborra saga. He is overdue for receiving some serious attention from economically more powerful clubs both in and out of Spain. Only this season has his name begun to appear on transfer short lists at clubs like Sevilla FC and Atletico Madrid.

Club President Quico Catalan has spoken out quite emphatically, something not usually seen from a president who prefers not to enter into the sporting realm, leaving those matters to sporting directors and coaches, stating that he wants to make Iborra “The new Ballesteros”, a symbol for the club and a hero for all the fans, a strong marketing image to represent the club in all facets.

This week in an interview with AS, Iborra admitted he would love to assume this role at Levante. Time will tell whether or not Iborra decides to stay and under what conditions. Playing in European competition has to be a factor. If Levante can beat out Sevilla and Atletico Madrid for a spot, it would seem illogical for Iborra to want to leave Levante for a move to those clubs. Beating Atletico 2-0 this past weekend does not hurt either. Indeed, if Iborra stays, it would mean that he does not feel that he needs to leave the club to grow as a player, something that would speak marvels of what Levante has accomplished in such a short time.