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Mexicans Abroad Recap: Vela's show against Sevilla highlights quiet week
Days after indicating his desire to stay at Real Sociedad on a permanent basis, Carlos Vela picked up a goal and an assist to lead his team away from the relegation zone.
Feb 13, 2012 6:09:00 PM
By Nick Rosano
Taufic Guarch Rubio, Carlos Vela, Jonathan Dos Santos, Edson Rivera, Ulises Dávila Plascencia, Francisco Guillermo Ochoa, Pablo Edson Barrera, Efraín Juárez, Mario García, Francisco Javier Rodríguez, Giovani dos Santos, Antonio Michael Pedroza, N. Castillo, Héctor Alfredo Moreno, Jose Andrés Guardado
Getty
Carlos Vela headlined an otherwise quiet week for Mexicans abroad, and has greatly endeared himself to Real Sociedad fans in the process.
Last Wednesday, he expressed his desire to stay at the club on a permanent basis and his unhappiness from his time at Arsenal, which owns the players rights.
"I would stay at Real," Vela told El Diario Vasco. "I am happy and the people support me. I owe Arsenal affection and gratitude for the opportunity they gave me, but I was not happy there and this affected my work."
Though he had to wait until Monday to take the field once more for his team, Vela made the most of his starting opportunity against Sevilla. After being frustrated by the woodwork in the first half, Vela made the most of his chances in the second half.
He fired his team into the lead in the 65th minute with a well-taken volley before adding an assist just minutes later when he laid the ball off for Ruben Pardo's blast that made it 2-0. He was substituted in the 90th minute as the team held out for a victory that moved it away from the relegation zone and closer to the top half of the table.
Little of note elsewhere in Spain
Hector Moreno's Espanyol hosted Pablo Barrera's Real Zaragoza. While the away side scored a shock win, Barrera did not even feature on the bench. Moreno started for Espanyol and played the full 90 minutes.
After a run in the senior team, Jonathan dos Santos did not see playing time for Barcelona over the course of the week. He was named to the bench but did not feature in Barcelona's 2-0 victory over Valencia that sent the club to the Copa del Rey final, while he was not called to the team that fell 3-2 at Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday.
Andres Guardado's Deportivo La Coruna side is having its way in the second division, as it rolled to its eighth straight victory, a 4-1 win at Hercules. Though Guardado was not involved in any of the goals, he played 82 minutes before leaving the game with the score at 2-1, as Deportivo scored twice late. If Deportivo does not lose at home next weekend to Barcelona B, it will be three months without a loss in the league for the Galician side.
Elsewhere in the lower leagues, Anibal Zurdo started and played the full 90 minutes for Guadalajara, picking up a yellow card, but his team lost 1-2 at home to Xerez. Taufic Guarch did not feature in Espanyol B's 0-0 home draw against Gramenet.
Quiet week in Britain
After scoring the equalizer in Manchester United's stunning comeback against Chelsea last weekend, Javier Hernandez had to watch all game from the bench as his team defeated Liverpool 2-1.
Elsewhere in Britain, Giovani dos Santos was not named in the team for Tottenham's 5-0 rout of Newcastle. Antonio Pedroza and Crystal Palace had their home game against Doncaster Rovers postponed to to weather, and Efrain Juarez was not called to the Celtic teams that won 4-0 at Hearts on Wednesday or 1-0 vs. Inverness on Saturday.
No luck for Castillo, Ochoa, Garcia
Nery Castillo's five-game scoring run has come to an end. The in-form striker played the full 90 minutes in Aris' 1-1 tie with Ergotelis, but could not find the back of the net. He picked up a late yellow card as well.
Guillermo Ochoa's Ajaccio side had its six-game league unbeaten run abruptly snapped as it fell 3-0 at high-flying Montpellier. Ochoa started and played the full game, but the home side scored three goals in the second half to keep its title chase at full steam.
In Colombia, Mario Garcia played the full 90 minutes for Boyaca Chico, but was powerless to stop his side from falling 4-0 at a strong Atletico Nacional. The team has now gone winless in its first three games of the season.
Left out
In Germany, Stuttgart achieved its biggest win in over a year, thrashing Hertha Berlin 5-0. However, Francisco Rodriguez had to be content with watching from the bench.
Braga cruised to a 3-0 win over Vitoria Setubal to cement third place in Portugal, but Edson Rivera was not called into the squad. Ulises Davila was also absent from the team as his Vitesse side fell 3-1 at an in-form Feyenoord side in the Dutch Eredivisie.
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