GEarn a position based on work and perseverance. This is how the remarkable season he is signing could be summed up Sergio Guardiola with the t-shirt Vallecano Ray. The Balearic striker signed for the red-and-red club just a few days before the arrival of Radamel Falcao was announced with great fanfare. The arrival of the Colombian seemed like it was going to be a step backwards for Guardiola, but the reality has been very different.
The footballer loaned by the Royal Valladolid premiered through the front door with the Strip, being decisive in the visit to City of Valencia on the fourth day. The man from Manaco saved a point at the buzzer thanks to his first goal, with which he began to clear up any doubts. Falcao’s stratospheric start, with 3 goals in 3 games, was a setback for Guardiolawho only added two starts in the following nine days.
The turning point would come on matchday 14. Falcaorecently recovered from the injury he suffered against Real Madrid, would start the match against Mallorca from the bench and Iraola would bet from the start on Guardiola, that he had only added 12 minutes in the last four dates. Barely a quarter of an hour into the game, when Comesana filtered a great pass for the ’16’, who beat Manolo Reina with a great cross shot. That goal, added to the coffee grower’s physical problems, allowed the Balearic Islands to maintain their starting status for 5 days, in which he would score his third league goal against Alavés.
From the 10 days without scoring to two decisive goals
Once the coronavirus was overcome in the Rayo locker room, cup happiness and the league pothole arrived. Iraola’s men have gone in 12 games from being 15 points from safety and in Champions positions to barely ahead of Cádiz in two games. One of the big reasons that has prevented the red-haired team from winning in this second half of the League has been the lack of aim.
After a notable first round in terms of effectiveness, the numbers have been considerably poorer in this second stretch. The people from Madrid, with 6 goals in the last 12 dates, have gone from being the 7th team with the most goals in favor to the 14th, being the least successful since matchday 20.
When scoring crises arrive, the strikers become the center of criticism. However, in Rayo de Iraola this has not been the case. The man from San Sebastian made it clear from the beginning of the season that the work he does is not the exclusive task of the strikers, of whom he not only asks for success in front of goal: “Our way of playing makes us ask him to press, break into space and hit with the centre-backs. Sergi gives us all that. If he also starts scoring goals, the team will have an easier time targeting”, said Iraola after the draw against Valencia.
After his goal against Alavés on December 18, the last red-and-red victory in the League, Guardiola had to go through 10 dry days, in which he started 6 of them. His success in the other facets of the game allowed him to maintain Iraola’s confidence during the crisis of results. Now that work has paid off.
the of Manacor He has been key in the last two points achieved by Rayo. The ’16’ put the 0-2 in Los Cármenes, a goal that would end up being decisive in the future of the match and would prevent the red-haired ones from leaving empty Grenade. The same thing happened last Monday against Valencia. When it seemed that Rayo would get into trouble and would stay closer than ever to relegation, Guardiola he would save the furniture and sign the equalizer with 7 minutes remaining.
With the goal scored against Valencia, the Spaniard has 5 goals in the League, the same as Falcao and Alvaro Garcia, who before the match against Valencia were the team’s top league scorers. Despite difficult beginnings, Guardiola has ended up establishing itself as the great offensive reference of the Lightningwhich except for surprise will remain one more season in First.
A large part of the blame lies with the striker from Manacor, who is also a key player in the good cupbearing role of those from the Stripe. His double against him Girona opened the doors to the quarterfinals. Those two goals convert, with seven goals, to Sergio Guardiola in Rayo’s top scorer of the season, surpassing the six scored between the League and the Cup by Álvaro García. His continuity in Vallecas will depend on the future Real Valladolid in Secondwhat seems obvious is that he has earned a place in the template for the next course.
