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 Sunday 30th July 2006, Pre-Season Friendly, The Hawthorns, Kick-Off 3:00pm
Albion: Pascal Zuberbuhler (Tomasz Kuszczak HT), Steve Watson (Martin Albrechtsen HT), Curtis Davies (C), Chris Perry, Paul Robinson, Zoltan Gera, Ronnie Wallwork (Richard Chaplow 61), Nigel Quashie, Jonathan Greening (Darren Carter HT), Nathan Ellington, John Hartson. Sub not used: Junichi Inamoto Real Sociedad: Bravo, Aitor, Ansotegi, Labaka, Garrido (Cifu HT), Gerardo, Prieto, Stevanovic (Rivas 51), Aranburu (Gari 66), Felicio (Novo 56), Kovacevic (de Cerio 75)
Referee: Andy Penn (West Midlands)
Half-Time:
Albion 0-0 Real Sociedad
Attendance: 4,572 Conditions:
Warm and sunny with the occasional rain shower
ALBION
TEAM NEWS: Albion boss
Bryan Robson handed home debuts to Pascal Zuberbuhler, Chris Perry and
John Hartson. Transfer seeking Zoltan Gera is named in the starting line-up
but Polish goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak, recently linked with a move to
Manchester United, has to settle for a place on the substitutes bench.
BORE DRAW AT THE HAWTHORNS
After an absence of three months, football returned to The
Hawthorns with the visit of Spanish La Liga side Real Sociedad.
After friendlies against lower league opposition and Scottish
Premier League opposition the visiting
Spaniards promised to give Bryan Robson’s men a much stiffer test in their
final pre-season warm-up game.
New signings Pascal Zuberbuhler, John Hartson and Chris Perry
were all named in the starting line-up announced thankfully not by Malcom Boyden.
Whilst Boyden’s love for the club cannot be questioned his MC skills most
certainly can be. Unfortunately the pre-match play-list was still
piss-poor..
With the weather good, new signings on show and an opposition
team full of internationals the attendance of under 5,000 was somewhat
disappointing although perhaps most fans remembered just how dull last
season’s pre-season game against Spanish opposition was. The fans that chose
to give this one a miss probably made the right choice.
The first minute of the game saw something all Baggies’ fans
will be hoping to see a lot more of this season - opposition defenders
bouncing off John Hartson. Despite his size and strength though the former
Celtic star showed a surprising amount of skill and close control
throughout. At £500,000 he looks to have been a bargain and as long as he
can remain fit and suspension free - a couple of times he did lose his
temper and lashed out at his markers, referee and Albion fan Andy Penn
thankfully overlooking them - he is sure to be an asset in the Championship.
It was a lively start to the game with both sides looking to
get forward at every opportunity, the visitors first to threaten when
Gerardo's 20-yard free-kick deflected off the Albion wall and spun just wide of Zuberbuhler’s left-hand post.
Albion were next to threaten
when Steve Watson and Zoltan Gera neatly exchanged passes before Watson
found Hartson in the box. Unfortunately the former Celtic’s star’s volley
from 15 yards flew straight at Sociedad keeper Bravo.
Watson again came close to providing an opening for Robson’s
men when an excellent cross-field ball from Ronnie Wallwork found him
unmarked on the edge of the Spaniards penalty area, Watson smartly beat
Garrido only to waste the chance by hitting a tame shot that was easily
cleared.
At times
Albion played some neat and tidy football but without really
looking like breaking the deadlock. As expected the Spaniards also played
some impressive football, again without
really creating any clear-cut chances, perhaps
just as well given that Zuberbuhler was looking less than impressive in the
Baggies’ goal. With a reputation for making costly blunders the Swiss
international unfortunately looks likely to enhance that reputation here at
The Hawthorns.
Zoltan Gera should really have given
Albion the lead in the 25th
minute when he directed a free header over the bar from Watson's deep
free-kick. Hungarian star Gera was most impressive throughout showing the
skills and work rate that were missing from his few performances last
season.
Just before half-time it was that man
Gera again that came close
to opening the scoring with a near-post header from a Jonathan Greening
corner which flashed just past the near post.
There was still enough time left in the half for the visitors
to almost take the lead, Ansotegi heading against the bar from Prieto's
in-swinging free-kick.
Robson made three changes at the interval, Tomasz Kuszczak,
Martin Albrechtsen and Darren Carter coming on for Zuberbuhler, Watson and
Greening.
It was Carter that almost gave
Albion the lead on 52
minutes, unleashing a 20 yard volley after Ellington had flicked the ball up
for him, Sociedad keeper Bravo smartly tipped the effort around the post at
full stretch.
Carter looked a totally different player to the slow and
clumsy one we saw so often last season. Most fans were in agreement that he
looked as though he has lost weight and has subsequently gained some pace.
Carter again came close on 71 minutes with a fine curling shot that was was
turned away by Bravo - the impressive Hartson again figuring heavily in the
build-up.
With the game approaching it’s finale the hosts had a lucky
escape seven minutes from time when substitute Novo's left-wing cross took a wicked
deflection before bouncing off the far post and to safety.
Man-of-the-match
Gera came close to grabbing
a late winner when his 20-yard free-kick deflected off the Sociedad wall and
landed on the roof of the net.
As is probably to be expected
against Spanish opposition the game was marred slightly by a number of
unsavoury incidents, the no-nonsense Paul Robinson seemingly at the centre
of most of them. An ugly flare-up in the dying stages being the highlight of
them.
All in all it was a good work out for Robson’s men and on
reflection a draw was probably a fair result.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Zoltan
Gera
PLAYER RATINGS OUT OF TEN
Zuberbuhler
4 - Looked unsure with
crosses, nearly made a costly mistake with one throw-out.
Watson 6 - Got
forward well but looked suspect defensively.
SUBS:
Kuszczak
5 - Nothing
to do apart from one save, kicking not the best.
REF
WATCH
Andy Penn 6 - Angered the Spaniards but
generally let things flow and kept things sensible.
FAN
WATCH
Bryan Robson: "I thought the shape of the team was good. We looked solid. A couple of defensive lapses at set plays were the only times they looked like scoring against us. "Overall, it was pretty pleasing because the link-up from the midfield to the forwards was good at times. We would have liked to have scored a couple of goals and won the game but at least the chances and movement were there. Some of that was good. "There's still a little bit we've got to work on this week to try to make sure we create a little bit more and finish chances off. "But, overall, there were good performances from some of the players." Source: wba.co.uk
The game is the first ever meeting of the two sides. |
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