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Rio Ave (a) Friendly
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Date: Saturday 20th July 2013, 6pm Venue: Estadio dos Arcos Conditions: warm and sunny Admission: €3 Programme: none - teamsheet only |
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Rio Ave |
Newcastle United |
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3 - 1 |
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| Half time: | 3 - 0 | |
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| Score Sheet: | ||
Hassan (5) Hassan
(9) Braga
(26)
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Teams |
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Ederson Tarantini Hassan Diego Braga Andre Vilas Boas Andre Dias Marcelo Lionn Del Valle Wakaso |
Alnwick Santon Dummett S.Taylor Yanga-Mbiwa Cabaye Anita Marveaux Gouffran Vuckic Gutierrez |
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| Substitutes: | ||
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(46)
Renato Santos for Braga |
Elliot for Alnwick (46) Tiote for Cabaye (46) Sa.Ameobi for Gutierrez (46) Obertan for Marveaux (46) Sissoko for Vuckic (46) Sh.Ameobi for Gouffran (62) Williamson for Santon (70) Campbell for Anita (76) |
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| Subs not used: | ||
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Bizarro |
None | |
| Bookings: | ||
| None | Sissoko | |
| Dismissals: | ||
| None | None | |
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| Attendance:
Just 1,853 in a stadium that holds 12,000+ despite the reduced entry fee of just €3 for adults
and €1 concessions. The (unsegregated) away support was
counted as ten.
Only the covered main stand was open at this two-sided
ground, with the uncovered seating area on the opposite side of the pitch unused
and the area behind both goals landscaped since the stadium was built in 1985.
It's fair to say that it's not wearing well.
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Goals |
5mins Diego made headway down the Rio right before
cutting the ball back for Ave's number 9 Hassan
to net with a cushioned volley
0-1
9mins Hassan took a short
pass from Braga on the edge of the box before
wrong-footing his marker and
confidently sweeping the ball home 0-2
26mins The hosts took advantage of further defensive hesitation to claim a third, Braga
able to get a toe on the ball and poke it beyond Alnwick after United had
failed to clear the ball. One local reporter later credited Santon with
the final touch 0-3
Half time: Rio 3 United 0
76mins Newcastle finally got
on the scoresheet when Shola Ameobi (on for the
wayward Yoan Gouffran) slipped the ball home after Moussa Sissoko won the ball
in central midfield and set up Obertan to make progress down the right
before delivering a low centre. 3-1
Full time: Rio 3 United 1
We Said |
Alan Pardew said:
"I don't think the result really reflected the game because I think
we bossed about 70 per cent of it, but they had three chances in the first
half and scored them all, which put us right on the back foot. We were a bit
passive for the first 20 or so minutes and, if I'm being honest with you,
they surprised us a bit with their quality.
"I felt sorry for Jak (Alnwick), because really and truly
he didn’t have a chance for the three goals. We were a bit passive defending
around them. We’ll improve on that as we go along. Hopefully, Jak can come in and not concede two or three goals in a
half, which didn’t do him any favours.
"I thought the two wide players – (Gabriel) Obertan and Sammy (Ameobi) – made a big difference. You could tell they were at a bit of a higher level in terms of their fitness than some of our other players.
"(Paul) Dummett, I thought again, did terrifically well. He could have done better for the first goal, but that was probably the only error he’s made. I’m pleased with him again.
"There were some positives: in the second half, Rob (Elliot) came on and he’s got so much confidence from those 10 or 11 Newcastle games he’s had.
"The over-riding worry is Shola, really. Shola’s gone down on his arm, and it looks like he’s having an X-ray. To have no hamstrings and no pulls was a good thing.
"I’m focusing on the team out here, and Joe, Lee Charnley and Graham (Carr) are looking to get someone over the line. At the minute, especially if Shola’s missing, and with no Papiss out here, we’re a little bit light for a Premier League team."I spoke to Joe on Friday, and he has some important meetings (with Mick Harford by the look of it....)
Stats |
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20 year old 'keeper Jak
Alnwick made his second senior friendly
appearance for United and a first start, having featured in the closing
stages of the victory at Hartlepool in August 2012.
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Waffle |
Four months after their ill-fated visit to
Lisbon, Alan Pardew's side returned to Portugal and once again found themselves
on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline.
In contrast to the high emotion of that Benfica game though, the blue-clad
Magpies succumbed to an unfashionable side playing in front of a handful of fans
at their dilapidated ground.
Egyptian striker Ahmed Hassan Mahgoub was the main threat for the home side and twice had rookie goalkeeper Jak Alnwick fishing the ball out his net in the opening ten minutes.
Midfielder Braga then added to the misery before the half hour mark before United had been sighted as an attacking force and although Shola Ameobi later narrowed the deficit, substitute 'keeper Rob Elliot blocked a spot kick effort as Rio Ave threatened to restore their three goal advantage.
With United having barely crossed the halfway line in the opening quarter of the match, a humiliating margin of defeat beckoned when Rio made it 3-0 before the half hour. However a belated assault on the home goal before the half time whistle at least hinted at some sort of a response.
Sylvain Marveaux curled an effort from the edge of the box brilliantly tipped over by Ederson ten minutes before the interval before captain Yohan Cabaye tried his luck from similar distance on three occasions - putting two shots wide before finding his range with the third and crashing the ball off the angle of post and crossbar.
With Cabaye, Marveaux, Haris Vuckic and Jonas Gutierrez failing to appear for the second half, a revamped attack occasionally threatened to create something down the right flank through Gabriel Obertan, with Sammy Ameobi faring less well down the opposite side
However, some poor finishing ensured that the Rio goalkeeper remained a spectator - and had the dubious honour of witnessing Steven Taylor's war dance twice, before free kick opportunities around the box that were both wasted.
The hosts lost momentum following a multitude of substitutions, but an element of niggle crept into the game as it entered the closing stages. That was due in part to some reckless challenges from Cheick Tiote, seemingly incapable of supplying anything positive to proceedings and making laughable attempts at completing the most elementary pass.
After the home side saw a further effort ruled out for offside, Newcastle finally got on the scoresheet through substitute Shola Ameobi.
A dubiously awarded penalty for a challenge on Sandro Lima by Mike Williamson that was clearly outside the box then saw justice done when Elliot blocked Lima's weak spot-kick to keep the deficit down.
To cap a forgettable night though United ended the game a man short when Shola Ameobi tumbled awkwardly in a challenge with an opponent and walked off the field clutching his right wrist.
Biffa