Valladolid 2 - Oviedo 1

Valladolid: César; Torres Gómez, Heinze, Santamaría, Lozano; Caminero, Jiménez, Rodrigo, Marcos; Víctor, Shoji Jo. 4-4-2.
Oviedo: Esteban; Bango, Onopko, Danjou; Losada, Keita, Pompei, Rabarivony; Juan González; Rubén, Dely Valdés. 3-4-1-2.

Team changes: Valladolid: Lozano, Caminero, Rodrigo for Peña, Chema, Vizcaino / Oviedo: Bango, Keita, Losada, Juan González for Boris, Eskurza, Paulo Bento, Iván Ania.

Goals:
1-0. 34. Shoji Jo. Ran on to pass from Víctor and rounded Danjou before scoring.
2-0. 70. Shoji Jo. Header after cross from Torres Gómez on right.
2-1. 84. Bango. Glancing header from Iván Ania's free kick.

Valladolid fans have a new hero and his name is 'Josillo'. It didn't take long for the home supporters to give Shoji Jo a Spanish nickname, and if Betis fans can call Filipescu 'Felipe', then Valladolid fans are well within their rights to call their recent signing by his new name. After all, as Spanish students will know, Jo in Spanish translates as 'I' or 'me', and there was a lot of confusion on the radio when the local commentator was asked who had scored. In fact Shoji scored two well taken goals to consolidate his position in the side and win the vital three points for his team. This was an important tie for both teams, languishing near the bottom of the table, and Valladolid's victory not only takes them up the table to 15th, but it also gives them a positive direct goal average against one of their possible rivals for relegation. As regular readers of these pages will know, the direct goal average (aggregate of home and away games) counts first if clubs are level at the end of the season. Both teams were forced to make changes, particularly to their defences, where by coincidence two attacking players with similar names were asked to play at full back, Lozano for the home side and Losada for the visitors. Valladolid were glad to have key players Caminero and Rodrigo back in their side, as goals have been hard to come by without the two play makers in their line up. Boris dropped out of Oviedo's line up at the last minute with flu, and Eskurza and Dubovsky also were last minute casualties with injuries in training. A group of 150 Japanese tourists watched the match, and they saw Oviedo create the best chances in the opening minutes. However they went wild when Shoji Jo left Danjou sitting on the ground as he coolly scored the first goal. Luis Aragonés made his now traditional three changes in the few minutes around half time, bringing on the two Iváns, Iglesias and Ania, and Fabio Pinto for Juan González, Pompei and Rubén. Gregorio Manzano then made his traditional change, Eusebio for Caminero, and shortly afterwards his side were in front, again Shoji Jo showing that size doesn't matter as he headed past Esteban. He was taken off eight minutes from time to a standing ovation, being replaced by Peternac, who has been out of favour with his manager and is rumoured to be on his way to Zaragoza next season. Shoji was just putting on his tracksuit as Bango gave Oviedo a late hope of saving the match, but the home defence kept out Danjou near the end to hold on. Oviedo's awful away record continues, having now gone over a year since a victory, and they stay next to bottom looking for a miracle which probably wont arrive. Josillo is here to stay.

Racing Santander 0 - Real Sociedad 0

Racing: Ceballos; Mellberg, Arzeno, Neru, Sietes; Espina, Colsa; Manjarín, Munitis, Amavisca; Salva. 4-2-3-1.
Real Sociedad: Alberto; Fuentes, Gurrutxaga, Loren; Rekarte, Khokhlov, Aranburu, Aranzábal; De Pedro, De Paula, Jankauskas. 3-4-2-1.

Team changes: Racing: Ceballos, Arzeno, Manjarín, Salva for Lemmens, Txema, Vivar Dorado, Rushfeldt / Real: Rekarte, Jankauskas for Guerrero, Sa Pinto.

Goals: None.

Doesn't it always happen? Just when you pick someone for your fantasy football side they stop scoring. Salva's form in the early season earned him visits from Italian scouts and a place in the full national team as he broke the record books. However he has not got a goal in the last six games, and didn't look like repeating his four goals in 25 minutes earlier in the season against a Real Sociedad side that is starting to specialise in score-less draws. This was another match where the referee's actions influenced the game, with Mejuto González sending off two players in the second half, Racing's Neru and Real's Fuentes, as well as showing 10 yellow cards. The game was marred by ugly incidents before the start, with some Real Sociedad supporters loudly breaking the minute's silence for the two people killed by the ETA bombing. Racing's manager Benítez surprising left out first choice keeper Lemmens as a penalty for returning to Belgium midweek without his permission, Ceballos returning to the home side goal. Manjarín was back after an injury, and Salva and Espina after a suspension, with Arzeno coming in for the injured Txema. Javier Clemente had López Rekarte and Jankauskas back after their one match suspension. The match was virtually devoid of goalmouth incidents as both sides appeared to be frightened to lose. Only a couple of shots by Real's De Pedro and a near miss by Munitis broke the boredom, with Ceballos and Alberto not really tested throughout the match. Clemente must have been concerned that De Pedro might break the tranquillity of his meditation, and replaced the international midfielder with Mutiu, on for his first game since playing for Nigeria in the African nations cup. Racing's recent good run leaves them in twelfth place, with Real Sociedad staying in the third relegation spot on 29 points. Mejuto's red and yellow cards mean that five players will next week's games, Real Sociedad's Fuentes and Sa Pinto, and Racing Santander's Neru and two strikers Munitis and Salva. I wonder who I should put in my team? Maybe Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink?