Real Sociedad News

Antoine Griezmann The Teen Sensation!

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:42:00 +0000

Before i begin my update i would like to offer my deepest sympathies to the family, friends and team-mates of Espanyol club captain Daniel Jarque who died after he suffered a heart attack following a training session yesterday. My thoughts are with them at this sad time.

Moving onto the title of this update only a couple of weeks ago hardly any Real Sociedad supporters would have heard of Antoine Griezmann since he was in the youth set up and yet to even make the step up to Sanse however with 4 goals in 2 pre-season friendlies he is the talk of San Sebastian. The 18 year old French left winger has impressed everyone who seen him in the games against Anaitasuna and Barakaldo and he is very pleased to be given the chance to impress - "I am very pleased. Clearly i would like to stay with Real Sociedad but I am conscious that I am a youngster that is doing the pre-season with the first-team. I do not believe that have a place in the first team." So where has he came from? The answer is he arrived 4 years ago after a talent scout in France called Eric Olhats seen the potential in him to bring him to the youth setup at Real. Martin Lasarte was keen to keep everyone's feet on the ground by saying he does not want to push any of the youngsters training with the first team before they are ready and clearly thinks Griezmann has alot to do before he is ready to be seriously considered for the first team - "Converting four goals in 90 minutes is not a bad thing. We are in the presence of a good project, but only that", he declared.

Griezmann is in the Real squad to play their 3rd pre-season friendly tonight against newly promoted Tenerife at the Estadio Los Cuartos. The game will be a great test for the lads as they look to keep the momentum going in the build up to the Real Madrid game. After this they play Eibar on the 12th August then Real Madrid at Anoeta on 15th August. The big team news is Imanol Agirretxe has recovered from injury and should play tonight. Real Sociedad squad -

Bravo, Zubikarai, Dani Estrada, Mikel González, Labaka, Ansotegi, Sarasola, De la Bella, Xabi Prieto, Elustondo, Markel, Zurutuza, Illarramendi, Rivas, Johnatan Estrada, Griezmann, Nsue, Agirretxe and Viguera.

Real Sociedad Transfer Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:07:00 +0000

In this update i would like to report on the latest recruits to join txuri urdin this summer so far.

Firstly the man to replace the departed Castillo in the left back position will be Alberto de la Bella who signed from Sevilla Atletico. The full back spoke this week of his surprise in San Sebastián at the passion the fans in the street have for the club and the fact the entire city has a massive desire to be in the top flight again. He also stated he wasn't coming to the club expecting to be first choice in the left back position and mentioned Iñigo Sarasola will provide good competition for him. He also feels the disappointing season he had last year getting relegated will have improved him as a player and is confident this will be a great year. After seeing him in action last season on a couple of occasions i believe Real have a very solid player and am looking forward to seeing him improve in a Real Sociedad shirt.

Next up is striker Emilio Nsue who has signed on loan for the season from Real Mallorca. The 19 year old spent last season on loan to CD Castellón and scored 7 goals in 38 appearances so should bolster the strikeforce after we were light in that department last season. He is a Spanish under 21 international and has represented Spain at various youth levels. His father is from Equatorial Guinea and rejected the chance to play for the national team choosing to represent Spain instead.

I updated a couple of weeks ago about the prospect of Uruguyan sriker Carlos Bueno joining and the move is now much closer with the club expected to finalise his contract and the player to complete a medical in the next few days. The player is in Spain at the moment which is another positive sign but won't train with his new team-mates until a deal is done. Imanol Agirretxe has spoken about the exciting prospect of having having healthy competition for places up front next season with the prospect of having himself, Borja Viguera, Emilio Nsue and the possibility of Carlos Bueno being very healthy for the club.

Three players from Sanse (Real Sociedad B) expected to make an impression this season are Iñigo Sarasola, Iosu Esnaola and Borja Viguera and all are desperate to do well if featured during the pre-season friendlies. As mentioned earlier Iñigo Sarasola will be hoping to give Alberto de la Bella competition at left back after making his debut 2 years ago while Chris Coleman was Manager but barely featured under Lillo. Viguero is a promising striker and has done very well for Sanse over the last couple of seasons.

Xabi Castillo Now Joining Athletic Bilbao?

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 08:06:00 +0000

After it seemed almost certain Xabi Castillo would be joining Racing Santander its been reported in the Spanish media that Xabi Castillo could make a sensational move to Athletic Bilbao and follow in the footsteps of Iñigo Díaz de Cerio. Athletic are looking for a left back and have been linked with Manchester City's former Real Sociedad full back Javier Garrido and Osasuna's Ignacio Monreal although from speaking to some Athletic fans the general opinion is Monreal would be the preferred option. Saying that reports are saying Athletic are in advanced talks with Castillo and could announce the signing any day as current left back Mikel Balenziaga isn't really ready for the first team yet and there has also been rumours Real Sociedad could take Balenziaga on loan as part of the deal - we will see!

Another player that could eventually be wearing the white and red of Athletic Bilbao is Mikel González. His contract expires next June and Real are miles away from agreeing a new deal. This has alerted Athletic to the possibility of signing him for free next summer as the lure of Liga BBVA football and better money dangles like a carrot over the central defender. The only other player not to have signed a new deal is full back Carlos Martínez however a deal will be done once Real have finished their dealings in the transfer market this summer.

Real Sociedad will kick off the 2009/10 season away to Las Palmas on 30th August after the fixtures were announced yesterday. The full schedule can be found at Soccer Spain.

Real Sociedad Could Move For Carlos Bueno

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:16:00 +0000

Spanish newspaper Marca have reported new coach Martín Lasarte could make Carlos Bueno the man to fire Real Sociedad to promotion next season. Like Sebastian Abreu before him, Carlos Bueno is a Uruguayan International striker with 27 caps and 16 goals to his name. The forward currently plays for Peñarol in his native Uruguay netting 10 times in 14 games for the club he started his career with. In his first spell he scored 73 times in 135 games before trying his luck in Europe with Paris Saint-Germain. This move didn't work out well for him where he barely featured at all only making 12 appearances and not managing to score at all. He was then loaned to Sporting Lisbon for the 2006-07 season and although he struggled to make an impact again, he did manage to score 4 goals in 20 minutes in a February 3, 2007 match against C.D. Nacional in which Sporting won 5-1, this after only playing the final 30 minutes of the game! If reports are to believed then both clubs are keen for a deal to be done and are deep in negotiations. I will of course update as soon as their is any news of a deal being done.

Another striker that Real have been linked to today is Rubén Castro. The Deportivo de La Coruña striker spent last season on loan to SD Huesca and scored 14 goals in 41 games and was pivotal in their efforts to avoid relegation. There are other teams however that are also chasing the player including Elche, Murcia, Cadiz and newly promoted Zaragoza and Xerez so competition for the player is big.

The club were hoping to be parading Johnatan Estrada as their first summer signing but this has been delayed due to the player not receiving his visa yet. I understand the deal is done and dusted and the player only has to follow formalities so it shouldn't be long before he is paraded to the fans.

The video below shows the 4 goals Carlos Bueno scored in one match for Sporting Lisbon.

Real Sociedad To Play Real Madrid

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:41:00 +0000

It was announced yesterday that star studded Real Madrid will visit Anoeta on 15th August to honour the centenary of Real Sociedad. It has also been revealed the visitors will not be charging a penny to play in a fantastic gesture to the cash strapped club and any much needed money raised will be kept by Real Sociedad. Real Madrid have agreed to bring a full strength squad to San Sebastian so hopefully the likes of Kaka and Christiano Ronaldo will feature. It could also potentially see the return of former favourite Xabi Alonso as he is heavily tipped to make a move to Real Madrid sooner or later. No doubt he would receive a warm reception after many happy years with the club during which he was idolised by the fans.

In other news its been reported Xabi Castillo's next club could be Liga BBVA side Deportivo La Coruna after their coach Lotina expressed a desire to sign him. The players contract expired on June 30th so is free to join who he likes but until recently it was Glasgow Celtic who were favourites to sign the player. Lateley English club West Bromwich Albion had thrown their name into the ring.

Díaz de Cerio Joins Athletic Bilbao

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:18:00 +0000

Iñigo Díaz de Cerio was unveiled as a Athletic Bilbao player today after his Real Sociedad contract officially ended yesterday and has signed on for 4 years with a 50 million euro buy out clause. The player thanked Athletic Club for trusting him after having been sidelined for most of the 2008-9 season due to an injury. It will be a bitter pill for Real fans to swallow with the deep rivalry between the two clubs but Iñigo was keen to show his appreciation to his former club at his press conference. He says he has only "words of gratitude" for Real and tried his best for the club from day one. He said he had joined a very important club in the Spanish League and it was important to be at a club with economic stability - something Real lacks. "I am 25 years old, I am in a key moment of my career and this presented me the opportunity to return to First Division, with the added incentive of the European competition. The economic theme weighs a lot, the sports one also, and the personnel, because I am going to be able to continue in the Basque Country with the family". He went on to say he wasn't sure yet if he would be ready to return to action at the start of the season but is ready to be patient and not rush things as he looks to avoid any setbacks with his injury.

In other news midfielder Gorka Elustundo has been talking about his excitement for next season as he looks to put an injury ravaged season behind him. Martin Lasarte has made it clear Elustundo will be a massive player for Real Sociedad next season. "I go very happy on my holidays, because I have felt again like a footballer. After many months of suffering, I have been able to help the team and I have not noted any inconveniences. Already I am excited about the pre-season. The renewal of my contract until June 30, 2013 has been the perfect cherry and a reason more to return in July with a lot desires".

Elche 1-2 Real Sociedad

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:27:00 +0000

A last minute winner from comeback kid Gorka Elustundo ended Real Sociedad's season on a high and gave Coach Lillo a good end to his tenure after the bitter disappointment of failing to get promotion. Incredibly the win means that txuri urdin finished with more points away from home than at the Anoeta - something that will need to change next season for sure. Both sides struggled to find any fluency to their game in the first half as the stifling heat took its toll. Elche took the lead on 41 minutes through Santos and it was a weary looking Real side that trudged off the pitch.

The second half was only 2 minutes old when a lively Agirretxe scored at the second attempt to cap an impressive season from him. In the final half an hour the game opened up and both teams had chances to score the winner but it was if the script had been written for Elustundo to score the winner after enduring a nightmare season through injury. On 89 minutes he scored and looked delighted with it. All the players rushed to congradulate him and rightly so as he not only completed a full 90 minutes he looked very assured throughout the 90 minutes and will be a huge player for Real next season if he can stay fit.

Elche: Willy Caballero, Oscar Rubio, Zubiaurre, Olmo, Amaya, Acciari, Usero Santos (Fernando Niño, 90 mins), Dani Benítez, Miguel (Saul, 79 mins), Rubén Pérez (Wakasa, 60 mins)

Real Sociedad: Ramirez, Gerardo, Carlos Martínez, Mikel González (Ansotegi, 80 mins), Castillo, Ros, Elustondo, Moha (Alain Eizmendi, 68 mins), Xabi Prieto, Marcos and Agirretxe (Viguera, 85 mins).

So another season is finished and ultimately its been a very poor one to say the least. Too many times (especially at home) the team looked, at best, average. Marcos and Prieto looked dangerous down the flanks but too often the final pass let them down. The injury to de Cerio certainly never helped matters and his replacement Necati wasn't the goal machine us fans expected him to be but he can't be faulted on his commitment to the cause, its just a shame he couldn't have scored more than one solitary goal and he would have been a fans favourite for sure. Boukary Dramé was a strange signing from Lillo for me cos i'm sure he must have seen him play before taking him on loan. I believe (and i could be wrong) he only started 1 game for the club all season which beggars belief in my eyes. I can only assume he was rubbish in training since i never actually seen him play!! I will be following the comings and goings with great interest during the summer as these will be key to our chances next season. With Abreu gone im particularly looking forward to seeing who Martín Lasarte brings in to get the goals next season. If readers of this site hear or see any tranfer rumours over the next couple of months please feel free to post them as i will no doubt miss some of them!!

I would like to end this post by revealing who i think has been player of the seson - Sebastián Abreu! With 11 goals in 18 games he gets my vote with his all action displays and key goals. His magnificent hat-trick against league leaders Xerez was outstanding and the highlight of the season for me. If anyone doesn't agree with this choice then again, please post a comment. Martín Lasarte was officially presented to the media and fans today and i personally have high hopes for him next season. I hope he can get us out this league at the 3rd time of asking and get us back with the big boys where we belong!

Colombian Jonathan Estrada To Sign

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:33:00 +0000

Its yet to be officially confirmed but Millonarios left sided midfielder Jonathan Estrada will be heading to San Sebastian at the weekend to sign a season loan deal to join the club next season with an option to make the deal permanent after that. With Martín Lasarte not due to take the reigns until July 1st its clear he is already working in the background as he was coach of Estrada at Millonarios in 2007. At 26 years old he is a powerful midfielder who, in his two years with Millonarios, managed 7 goals in 79 games. He has been capped for Columbia at Under-17, Under-20 and Under-23 level. The last Columbian to play for Real Sociedad was John Viáfara (2005-2006) during a loan spell from Portsmouth. The video below gives a glimpse of what to expect!

Real Sociedad 1-1 Levante

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:37:00 +0000

Real Sociedad were unable to give the home fans the victory they wanted as they bid farewell to coach Lillo and the players who were playing in their final tie at Anoeta before they move to pastures new. It turned out to be a very entertaining game with plenty of chances for both sides (see highlights below). Levante took the lead after Xisco Nadal took advantage of slack play before running into the box and squaring for Rubén to tap into an empty net. The Real Sociedad equaliser came from Abreu with a cool finish after being set up from Estrada. Zubikarai was given a straight red card after running from his box to clear but caught Rubén as well as the ball so their was never any doubt the referee was going to send him off. Toño Ramírez replaced him in goal and would go on to pull off some stunning saves and do his reputation no harm at all.

In the second half there were plenty chances for both teams and Abreu was guilty of missing two great chances to score and win the game. A particular highlight of the second half was the appearance of Elustundo who came on for the last 25 minutes. He received a rapturous applause form the home support after eight months out and its great to see him back! Abreu was also was brought off on 65 minutes and said his farewell after it was revealed he will be joining Greek side Aris Salonika next season. Abreu had became a fans favourite in his short time at the club but it was no secret he would be moving on escpecially since it was announced Lillo would be leaving. Two players who have yet to say they are leaving is Claudio Bravo and Xabi Prieto. Interest is reportedly high in both players with Real Madrid apparently leading the hunt for Bravo. The most likely to leave is Bravo but Prieto has come out to say it will take something very strange to make him leave and said he is focused on Real Sociedad. Whether this is the case during the summer remains to be seen but his love for the club is clear to see.

Real Sociedad: Zubikarai, Gerardo, Carlos Martínez, Labaka, Sarasola (Elustondo, 65 mins), Rivas, Ros (Ramirez, 39 mins), Estrada, Moha, Agirretxe and Abreu (Necati 65 mins).

Levante UD: Manu, Molinero, Ballesteros, Rhodes, Angel, Miguel Perez, Samuel, Larrea (Iborra, 60 mins), Pina (Rubén Sánchez, 63 mins), Reuben, Xisco Nadal.

Rayo Vallecano 4-1 Real Socoedad

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:33:00 +0000

Regular followers of Real Sociedad news will be familiar with the ritual of me taking a few days to update a match after Real Sociedad have suffered a defeat but the fact its now Thursday reflects the pain i felt after the thrashing Rayo dealt out. Things didn't look good after only 3 minutes when Amaya gave Rayo the lead. Things got worse on 13 minutes when Diamé doubled the lead. Real were looking like a very poor team and Lillo's 4-5-1 formation was looking like a very poor choice with Agirretxe looking lively but never looking like troubling the Rayo defence. Agirretxe did pull one back on 31 minutes as the midfield started to get more of the ball.

Any hope of a second half comeback was dashed on 48 minutes as Piti put the game out of reach and the misery was compounded on 76 minutes when Llorens killed the game. Viguera was given a run out for 20 mins as a substitute for Necati after a good season for Sans (Real Sociedad B) so at least that was promising. With promotion hopes now over we must now look forward to next season and hope for much better things. Whats for sure is with the likes of Real Betis and Recreativo joining us in Liga adelante it will be another battle. Rivas has come out in the last couple of days and said he wants the team to win the last two matches to give Lillo a good send off but with nothing to play for it remains to be seen if the Real Sociedad faithful will turn up in their droves to see the Levante game on Sunday. Lillo has revealed he was ofered a contract extension in February which came as a slight surprise to me considering we weren't exactly ripping up the league at that time!

Rayo Vallecano: Cobeño, Tena, Amaya, Llorens, Yuma (Albiol, 73 mins), Diamé, Michel, Jofre (Collantes, 57 mins), Piti, Pachón (Sáez, 77 mins), Rubén Reyes.

Real Sociedad: Zubikarai, Gerardo, Carlos Martínez, Labaka, Castillo, Rivas, Ros, Prieto, Marcos (Moha, 56 mins), Necati (Viguera, 70 mins)y Agirretxe (Estrada, 77 mins).

Lillo To Leave - Prieto Next?

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:24:00 +0000

At a press conference this afternoon it was confirmed by President Aperribay that Coach Lillo will leave the helm at the end of June and the man to replace him is Uruguyan Martin Lasarte. Aperribay thanked Lillo for the "great work" he had done for the team but ultimately his failure to get into the top 3 has cost him. Lasarte is a coach associated with putting his faith in youth and will take over the reigns on 1st July.

Big news in Spain at the moment (apart from the possible Kaka move to Real Madrid) is the talk that bitter rivals Athletic Bilbao may be set to put in a bid to sign Xabi Prieto. Its been reported Aperribay may struggle to keep the player who will of course be tempted by the prospect of swapping the Liga adelante for the Liga BBVA and of course european football. Only time will tell if they do come in with a bid but it will be bad news for Real Sociedad fans with striker Iñigo Diaz de Cerio already leaving to join them after his contract expires in the summer.

Real Sociedad 0-2 Cordoba

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:57:00 +0000

Real Sociedads hopes of promotion were ended at the weekend after losing 2-0 at home to Cordoba. Been too disgusted to update and the highlights are below for those that want to see the damage being done although it has been a poor season all round and drastic changes will need to be made in the summer as far as i'm concerned. Lillo isnt the man to lead the team and with the club being linked with current Swansea boss Roberto Martinez, (it will never happen) it needs a new man to come in and shake things up!

Salamanca 0 -1 Real Sociedad

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Sun, 24 May 2009 18:31:00 +0000

Real Sociedad will head into the final month of the season with a glimmer of hope for promotion after a very impressive win over Salamanca in a game where the winning margin should have been higher. An Imanol Agirretxe goal on 35 minutes was enough to win the game but unfortunately Zaragoza won again which means we are still hoping for a miracle. A home game against Cordoba awaits next Sunday so another win would keep the pressure on the top teams so for now the dream is still alive - just!

UD Salamanca: Biel Ribas, Gañán, Catalá, Pelegrini, Botelho, Dañobeitia (Álvaro, 77 mins), Bustos, Salva Sevilla, Paulo Sergio (Akinsola, 54 mins), Quique Martín and Miku.

Real Sociedad: Bravo, Labaka, Ansotegi, Castillo, Gerardo Rivas, Markel (Ros, 19 mins), Moha (Estrada, 78 mins), Prieto (Marcos, 71 mins), Necati and Agirretxe.

Real Sociedad 1-0 Albacete

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Sun, 17 May 2009 15:34:00 +0000

Real Sociedad kept their slim hopes of promotion alive yesterday after an own goal by defender Mainz in the 90th minute gave Real a slender 1-0 victory when it looked like being another disappointing result for the hosts. The highlights can be viewed in the video below.

Real Sociedad: Bravo, Carlos Martinez (Gerardo, 28 mins), Labaka, Mikel González (Ansotegi, 56 mins), Castillo, Rivas, Markel, Moha, Prieto, Marcos (Necati, 60 mins) and Abreu.

Albacete: Jonathan Lopez Tortosa, Mainz, Tarantino, Peña, Iker Begoña, Ibon, Xavi Jimenez (Mario Navas, 83 mins), Alberto, Jaime (Alex Perez, 88 mins) and Diego Costa (Tocha, 90 mins) .

Real Sociedad vs Albacete Team News

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:45:00 +0000

Real Sociedad go into Saturdays game with Albacete knowing nothing less than a victory will do at Anoeta as they hope Zaragoza can slip up at home to Celta Vigo and close the gap on them to 5 points. Real have the same squad from last weeks 2-1 win over Alicante (see goals below) to call upon but one surprise is the call up to the first team squad for young midfielder Javi Ros. He featured in the 31st of December friendly against Eibar but this will be his first experience in the squad for the league. Lets hope Real's shakey home form can be a thing of the past on Saturday and show the league Real deserves to be in Liga BBVA with a comfortable win!

- Goalkeepers: Bravo, Zubikarai.

- Defense: Carlos Martinez, Gerardo, Labaka, Mikel González, Ansotegi Castle.

- Midfielders: Xabi Prieto, Estrada Rivas, Markel, Ros, Marcos, Moha.

- Forwards: Abreu, Necati, Agirretxe.

Necati Happy With Goal But Not The Draw

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Fri, 08 May 2009 09:06:00 +0000

Turkish striker Necati Ates spoke to the press yesterday and spoke of his relief at finally finding the back of the net for Real Sociedad but admitted he wasn't happy the goal only resulted in a draw. He said he was very grateful to the fans for the support they provide. Necati has had a long wait to get his goal after being a prolific goalscorer for Galatasaray but his hard work has finally paid off and hopefully it can be the spark for more.

Imanol Agirretxe revealed although the league table isn't looking to good for the club he hasn't given up on getting promotion. He feels if Real can win all the remaining games then they will have a chance and they are not prepared to give up on their dream yet.

Real face an away trip to Alicante on Sunday knowing anything less than a win will virtually end their season.

Real Sociedad 2-2 Celta Vigo

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Sun, 03 May 2009 08:10:00 +0000

Real Sociedad missed out on a fantastic opportunity to close the gap on the leaders after Zaragoza and Tenerife played out a 1-1 draw. Real found themselves 2-0 down in the first half after goals from Dinei (7mins) and Ghil (38 mins). Real pulled a goal back on 59 minutes after Abreu slotted home a penalty after Peña had handled in the box. Peña received a straight red card for the offence. Celta were reduced to 9 men after Dani Abalo received his second yellow card and Real went all out attack. They got the equaliser on 86 minutes through Necati Ates and Anostegi could have won it in injury time but in the end they had to settle for a draw. More bad news followed when it was revealed Mikel Aranburu, who was injured late in the game, suffered a fracture of the fibula in his right leg but will not require surgery. It will mean he will more than likely miss the rest of the season. Only a miracle will see Real return to the top flight as we really needed to win this one.

Real Sociedad: Bravo, Labaka, Ansotegi, Mikel González, Estrada (Necati, 55 mins), Rivas, Aranburu (Agirretxe, 78 mins), Moha, Xabi Prieto, Marcos Abreu.

Celta: Falcón, Edu Moya, Ruben Pena, Lake (Dabilo, 91 mins), Jonathan Vila, Renan, Jordi, Dinei (Fajardo, 73 mins) and Ghil (David, 82 mins).

Huesca 1-2 Real Sociedad

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:25:00 +0000

Real Sociedad picked up a brilliant win at the weekend over Huesca to keep the club in the promotion hunt. A fantastic goal by Abreu in the 1st minute (see video below) was doubled by Aranburu in 31 minutes. Huesca pulled a goal back through Camacho but Real held on despite losing Markel to a red card in the 56th minute. An home game against Celta Vigo awaits on Saturday.

SD Huesca: Eduardo Garcia Toral, Dorado, Corona, Ripa, Helguera (Jokin Esparza, 73 mins), Camacho, Nico Medina (Jonan, 67 mins), Ripa (Edu Roldán, 83 mins), Ruben Castro, Roberto .

Real Sociedad: Bravo, Labaka, Ansotegi, Mikel González, Gerardo Rivas, Markel, Aranburu, Xabi Prieto (Moha, 86 mins), Abreu (Agirretxe, 63 mins) and Marcos (Castillo, 91 mins).

In other news striker Iñigo Díaz de Cerio revealed earlier in the week he won't be renewing his contract when it expires at the end of the season as he wants to play at the highest stage at this point of his career. The favourites at the moment to sign him are Atletico Bilbao but the player has denied he is ready to sign for them.

Huesca vs Real Sociedad Team News

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:24:00 +0000

Xabi Prieto admitted to the press yesterday that the club need to win the remaining nine games if they are to have any chance of promotion and few would argue. Coach Lillo will take a 17 man squad to play Huesca tomorrow afternoon in a must win game. Boukary Dramé had to withdraw from the squad due to injury and Carlos Martinez is suspended after picking up 5 yellow cards. Mikel González returns to the squad after serving a suspension. Come on boys you can do it!!!

Squad for Huesca match :-

- Goalkeepers: Bravo, Zubikarai.

- Defenders: Mikel González, Gerardo, Labaka, Ansotegi Castle.

- Midfielders: Xabi Prieto, Markel, Rivas, Aranburu, Estrada, Moha, Marcos.

- Forwards: Necati, Abreu, Agirretxe.

Real Sociedad 1-2 Tenerife

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:08:00 +0000

Hello there and apologies for the lack of activity over the last couple of weeks. You will no doubt have noticed i haven't been posting very often but this has been down to me not having access to a computer rather than losing interest in this site. I know there won't be much of a demand for the highlights from last weekends game but the video is below anyway. The defeat was a crushing blow to Real Sociedads hopes of promotion and only a victory will do now on Sunday against Huesca.

Eibar 1-1 Real Sociedad

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 19:03:00 +0000

Real Sociedad could only manage a 1-1 draw against local rivals Eibar this afternoon in a disappointing match that Real Sociedad will feel they should have won.

Real took the lead on 8 minutes when a cross from Xabi Prieto was headed on from Abreu and Aranburu arrived late in the box to fire home as he has done on many occassions already this season. After the early strike Real struggled to control the match as play swung from end to end. The most lively player for Real Sociedad was winger Marcos but too often the wrong passes were played.

Early in the second half Real started to dominate more and Aranburu went close with a drive from outside the box. Markel and Rivas were dominating the midfield but you could sense Eibar were dangerous on the counter attack and a one goal cushion wasn't enough. On 82 minutes disaster struck as Eibar were awarded a penalty. Markel who had came on for the hosts on 70 minutes was fouled by Mikel González and Alan made no mistake from the spot. González was red carded for the fould after picking up 2 yellow cards. With the game nearing an end Real pushed for a winner and Abreu had two fantastic chances to win the game but failed to take them. Necati Ates almost got his first goal for the club deep into injury time but was denied.

A home match against high flying Tenerife is next for Real Sociedad and its now a must win game if they are to keep the promotion dream alive.

SD Eibar: Zigor, Aitor, Añibarro, Biel Medina, Raúl, Txiki Lombraña, Alan, Carlos Rubén (Codina, 72 mins), Arruabarrena (Beltrán, 63 mins), Sutil and Ballesteros (Markel, 70 mins).

Real Sociedad: Bravo, Labaka, Ansotegi, Mikel González, Rivas, Markel, Aranburu, Xabi Prieto, Moha (Estrada, 69 mins), and Marco Abreu (Necati, 86 mins).

Real Sociedad 0-0 Gimnàstic

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 18:42:00 +0000

Real Sociedad and Gimnàstic drew 0-0 this afternoon as Real were denied their fifth straight win. Both teams had chances to win the match but the best chance was missed by Sebastián Abreu as his penalty kick was saved by Rubén Pérez just before half-time. The penalty was awarded after Mairata was deemed to have handled the ball. Zubikarai should be very happy with his display as the keeper was forced into some fantastic saves. All in all i think both teams will be fairly happy with a point as either team could have won this and no-one really deserved to lose. Real Sociedad visit local rivals Eibar next week when hopefully we can get a victory and get the momentum going again.

Real Sociedad: Zubikarai, Labaka, Ansotegi, Mikel González, Gerardo, Markel, Aranburu, Sergio (Agirretxe, 45 mins), Xabi Prieto, Abreu and Marcos.

Gimnàstic: Rubén Pérez, Campano, Medina, Mairata, Mingo, Jose Mari, Diop, D. Bauzá, Jandro, Víctor Casadesús and N'Gal.

Castellón 0-3 Real Sociedad

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:18:00 +0000

Real Sociedad made it four consecutive wins with a 3-0 demolition of Castellón and confirmed their status as genuine promotion candidates. Real showed from start to finish they were the dominant team and only seven minutes were on the clock when they took the lead. Carlos Martinez set up Xabi Prieto after a brilliant pass from Sergio and Prieto swept the ball home with an easy finish. Prieto almost made it 2-0 shortly after but his effort hit the side netting. Real Sociedad were now looking more and more dangerous but Zubikarai had his reflexes tested before Marcos went close. For the last 15 minutes of the first half Real were happy to keep the ball as they probed for openings.

The second half started as the first had finished with Real looking comfortable on the ball and it was clear a second goal was needed to kill off the hosts. On 63 minutes Carlos Sanchez was picking the ball out of his net again as full back Xabi Castillo ventured forward and crossed for Imanol Agirretxe to head home. Real only needed to wait six minutes to add a third and make the win emphatic as the lively Marcos stole the ball off the defender and beat the keeper clinically. Real Sociedad continued to look lively until the 90th minute as Lillo pushed on his team from the touchline. At full time the players celebrated a convincing victory and made a very decent Castellón side look very average in their own back yard.

Real Sociedad will welcome Gimnàstic to the Anoeta next Saturday as they will look to make it five victories in a row and with Bravo and Abreu returning for that game I certainly wouldn't bet against them doing it with the form they are in. Its hard to believe it was only a few weeks ago i was almost writing Lillo and his troops off but they have turned it around - and how!

Castellon: Carlos Sanchez, Rafita, Dealbert, Mora, Baigorri, López Garai, Mario Rosas, Arana, Omar (Salas, 84 mins), Perico (Nsue, 66 mins), and Ulloa.

Real Sociedad: Zubikarai, Carlos Martinez, Ansotegi, Mikel González, Castillo, Rivas, Aranburu, Marcos (Markel, 80 mins), Sergio (Agirretxe, 59 mins), Moha (Estrada, 72 mins) and Xabi Prieto.

Castellón vs Real Sociedad Build Up

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:32:00 +0000

Coach Lillo gave his weekly press conference today and revealed he isn't obsessing about league positions and is concentrating soley on his next objective - beating Castellón. If Real Sociedad are to win on Saturday they will need to do it without Claudio Bravo and Sebastian Abreu who are both away on international duty. "If there is no law that says that they were going to win, there is no law that says that without them we will not do so. They are the same odds." Lillo also declared he has full faith in Zubikarai who will deputise in goal.

There was more bad news today for midfielder Gorka Elustundo as it was revealed he suffered a partial rupture of the internal lateral ligament and medial ligament in his right knee in training yesterday. This latest injury will rule him out for the rest of the season. Although surgery is not required he can undergo current cell therapy treatments to speed up the recovery but i'm sure fans will share my hope for a speedy recovery as his season has been ruined by injury this year.

Earlier this week a Spanish newspaper reported that Iñigo Díaz de Cerio had signed a pre-contract agreement with bitter rivals Athletic Bilbao but on Tuesday President Jokin Aperribay met the press and denied this - "I have no confirmation. For now, the talks remain open. We have already stated that Diaz de Cerio and Xabier Castillo have offers from Real and we are waiting for answers".

Real Sociedad 2-0 Girona

noreply@blogger.com (Kova) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 18:38:00 +0000

A crowd of 19,177, the highest attendance of the season so far, witnessed Real Sociedad's third straight victory by two goals to nil and move them within five points of third place.

Girona set their stall out to defend straight away as they looked to make themselves very difficult to break down. The home side had to be very patient as chances in the first half were few and far between. Ansotegi was unlucky with a header from a Marcos corner as the first half passed without many efforts on goal.

Marcos had a volleyed effort that went well over the bar as Bravo continued to be a spectator and fans started to wonder if it was going to be their day. The first goal came after a cross from the left by Prieto was cleared by José but only as far as Mikel Aranburu who hit it first time past Ponza in goal - spark wild celebrations. The second goal came shortly after when Segio placed a free-kick past the helpless Ponza and the home fans could start dreaming of promotion again. Girona mounted a late rally but the defence stood firm. Necati and Marcos could have added a third late on but the final whistle sparked wild celebrations as the players were clapped from the field.

This was an excellent victory for Real Sociedad make no bones about it. A few weeks ago the team looked devoid of attacking ideas whilst also looking vulnerable at the back. The team now look like they are playing with great confidence and hunger and you always felt after the first went in that another would follow - not something thats happened too often this season. Its Castellon away next weekend and with a bit of momentum going now it can't come soon enough.

Real Sociedad: Bravo, Labaka, Ansotegi, Mikel González, Markel, Gerardo, Sergio (Moha, 82 mins), Aranburu, Xabi Prieto (Estrada, 87 mins), Abreu (Necati, 76 mins) and Marcos.

Girona: Ponza; Jose Serra, Igor, Amantegi (Arnal, 86 mins); Matamala, Manga (Xumi.65 mins), Dorca; Raúl (Gabri, 65 mins), Igor Felipe.