Can Católica go full circle?

Can Católica go full circle?

Can Católica go full circle?
Can Católica go full circle? “ By Joel Sked
”
Small moments can have significant consequences. Like one 90 minute game of football – good or bad. The 2011 Chilean Primera División Apertura play-off final second-leg was one of those games; contested...
Can Católica go full circle? “ By Joel Sked
”
Small moments can have significant consequences. Like one 90 minute game of football – good or bad. The 2011 Chilean Primera División Apertura play-off final second-leg was one of those games; contested...
Can Católica go full circle? “ By Joel Sked
”
Small moments can have significant consequences. Like one 90 minute game of football – good or bad. The 2011 Chilean Primera División Apertura play-off final second-leg was one of those games; contested...

Can Católica go full circle?

By Joel Sked

Small moments can have significant consequences. Like one 90 minute game of football – good or bad. The 2011 Chilean Primera División Apertura play-off final second-leg was one of those games; contested between great rivals Universidad de Chile and Universidad Católica.

UC had finished the regular season – 17 games – on top of the league table, where they had finished in 2010 when the league was a single championship of 34 games due to the World Cup in South Africa, and they led 2-0 from the first-leg. But what was about to transpire would see the fortunes of two of Chile’s tres grandes diverge in quite spectacular fashion.

La U, managed by Jorge Sampaoli, would emerge victorious in a dramatic and tempestuous 90 minutes. They took the lead, Católica equalised, La U took the lead again through an own goal, UC went down to 10 men, La U scored again and again, UC had another man sent off, then another before La U went down to ten men.

Los azules had overturned the two goal deficit to win the first of what would be three consecutive Chilean championships under Sampaoli plus the Copa Sudamericana, critical acclaim and the hearts and minds of football fans the world over.

As La U rose to the heights of arguably the best team in South America, los Cruzados slumped with each passing championship. Under the new stewardship of Mario Lepe – taking over from Juan Antonio Pizzi – they fell at the semi-final stage of the 2011 Clausura play-offs to Universidad de Chile. And then came defeat in the quarter-final stage of the 2012 Apertura play-offs to Unión Española.

They had won the 2011 Copa Chile over Primera B side Magallanes to secure qualification to the 2012 Copa Sudamericana, but Lepe would not be in charge to lead them into South America’s Europa League equivalent – minus the league part.

 In came former Real Sociedad manager Martín Lasarte. Look at the Primera División now and UC are riding high at the summit of the Torneo 2013 – a one-off 17 game league with no play-offs. But it has taken quite a journey to get here. A journey that Lasarte did not look likely to complete at times throughout the latter part of 2012. A journey that comes full circle on Sunday when Universidad Católica and Universidad de Chile prepare to do battle as the Primera  División reaches its penultimate weekend with Católica level on points with Unión Espanola at the summit of the league with La U two points further behind in fourth – little more than a week after los azules triumphed over UC in the Copa Chile final.

Lasarte did not have much of an adaption period with little time between the end of the 2012 Apertura and start of the Clausura. Ex-Ipswich Town man Sixto Peralta, Alvaro Ramós, Fernando Cordero, Tomás Costa and Fernando Meneses were added to a squad which had a number of promising talents coming through from their fabled youth system.

He was in charge of a bulging squad, which in itself would take plenty of managing but with UC taking part in the Clausura, Copa Chile and Copa Sudamericana the quantity of players should have acted as a blessing to tackle all three tournaments. Instead it impinged on the side’s progress.

The Clausura did not get off to a great start when Católica fell to Palestino. However, it looked like the game simply acted as an acclimatisation period as UC were defeated only once in the next 11 games and progressed in the Copa Sudamericana. Yet six defeats in seven games, the concluding game of the run being a 2-0 defeat to Colo Colo, had fans questioning not only the management but the leadership at Católica. Criticism was coming in for the way Católica played, often labelled as rigid, uninspiring and most disconcertingly for fans defensive.

Strangely for a team labelled as defensive, defensive problems were endemic most notably from Enzo Andía, while Peralta was coming in for a lot of flak for poor performances in midfield. Simply put Lasarte did not know his best eleven with players like Meneses a shadow of what fans had come to expect.

They had only just hung in the Copa Sudamericana, going through on away goals against Deportes Tolima. Using hindsight Costa’s goal against the Colombian’s would prove extremely decisive in Lasarte’s reign. They progressed to the quarter-finals, again through away goals. But the fact he was still in charge of the team when they visited Atlético GO for the second-leg highlighted the club’s confidence in him as on October 12 Lasarte’s time in charge hit its nadir.

At half-time of the Copa Chile group match at the Estadio Santa Laura against Unión Española los Cruzados were losing 6-0. Despite ‘winning’ 1-0 in the second half Lasarte was at his lowest ebb. He sat in the dressing room disconsolate; the silence was louder than any words, phrases or team talks. He sat until the words came to him.

As he made his way across the Santa Laura car park he was confronted by an irate Católica hincha demanding an explanation as to what went wrong. “¡Esta es la UC y no se puede perder así!” the fan shouted. “This is UC and it is not possible to lose this way!”

If it wasn’t for the presence of José María Buljubasich and a trio of security guards Lasarte would have done something which there would have been no coming back from in terms of his job in Las Condes. Unsurprisingly Lasarte’s advisor, José Miguel Muñoz, later said: “2012 in Chile was certainly the most difficult year of his career.”

Yet, he could have ended it by picking up the club’s first ever continental trophy. As they continued to squeeze through each round of the Copa Sudamericana confidence grew.  In the quarter-finals UC travelled to Argentine giants Independiente and drew 2-2 with Nicolás Castillo and the team putting in a wonderful performance.

Lasarte had finally stumbled onto a system, a formation and way of playing, while keeping the same spine of the team. In the Sudamericana they were reactive; ceding position with two banks of four before breaking with pace and directness. Castillo was the ideal striker to occupy the opposition centre-backs as a deeper forward acted as a link between him and the rest of the team.

A 2-1 home win over the Argentine’s saw UC move stealthily into the semi-final and set up a tie with Universidad de Chile conquerors São Paulo. The Brazilians had taken advantage of La U’s naivety winning 7-0 on aggregate. Little chance was given to UC, but what wasn’t taken into account was the methodical way they had been playing. They would not allow for space in behind defence, with a solid midfield five adding an extra layer of protection. Over 180 minutes they matched São Paulo and their glittering array of stars, drawing both games. But in a cruel twist of irony it was UC who would fall to the away goals rule.

The run in the Sudamericana resulted in a distinct upturn in their domestic form, but too many draws would see Católica miss out on a place in the end of season play-offs on the final week of the season for the first time since the 2004 Apertura. Lasarte admitted that his team were simply not strong enough to cope with the two tournaments and also confessed to making mistakes, but the run to the semi-finals, especially the last four games, plus an emotional embrace with Michael Ríos had convinced him this is the team he wants to manage.

As part of his vacation, before pre-season started, Lasarte took in 11 games in 12 days in Spain – a measure of the passion for football that runs hot in his veins. A period of rest followed in Montevideo and then it was time to get to work. Under coach Pablo Balbi the team were whipped into shape to prepare them for playing a more attacking and proactive game.

Lasarte concentrated on two aspects: team shape and personnel. The team needed shredding with too many players. A number were freed, sent on loan or in terms of Paraguayan striker Roberto Ovelar – signed on a reasonable contract - told there would be no place for them in the squad.

There were overtures to defenders but what Lasarte wanted more than most was two strikers. And to put many teams to shame both Ismael Sosa and Carlos Bueno were recruited promptly to leave Lasarte contemplating whether to switch to a back three or continue with the back four UC used in 2012. With the squad he had at his disposal tactical flexibility was possible.

Lasarte was given the added bonus of Católica hero, and former captain, Milovan Mirosevic returning to the San Carlos after a drawn out transfer saga, before even more impressively former Blackburn Rovers player and Chilean internationalist Carlos Villanueva appeared.

However, before they could even be integrated, and as Colo Colo and Universidad de Chile, got off to solid and then spectacular start. A tight 1-0 win and disappointing 1-1 home draw were followed by 11 goals in three games as the team clicked with the new 3-4-1-2 system.

Players like Andía, Meneses Costa and Peralta were rejuvenated, while Toselli continues to prove why there is more to Primera División goalkeepers than the ones that take penalties and attract controversy.

Despite poor home form, which has threatened to derail their title push, there is a real menace about Católica. Hans Martínez is arguably the best central defender in the country when fit, while the two strikers have formed a partnership which has proved difficult for the highly-rated striking Castillo to break having returned from the Sub20 South American Championships in which he starred. One of the goals of the season saw the duo link up to devastating effect against Cobreloa – between them they have plundered 12 league goals.

While once there was speculation linking others to the UC job, in recent months it has involved linking Lasarte with a move back to Spain. In February he rejected the offer of taking over at Xerez in the Spanish Segunda División and he has also seen his name mentioned in relation to the management job at both Villarreal and Deportivo La Coruña.

“I rejected the offer because I am confident in the project that I lead at Universidad Católica. I’m happy here, I don’t want to go. We have worked very hard to be able to reach this level. I am happy because the players understand our message,” said Lasarte who has a contract until June 2014.

But the demanding nature of managing one of the tres grandes is highlighted by the fact that he is expected to win the league to continue on a contract which last until June 2014.

Ninety minutes in the Clásico Universitario on Sunday will go along way to determining whether UC have come full circle or will have to reshape once again at the tournament end.

This piece was written by Joel Sked, an expert in Chilean football. You can follow Joel on Twitter at @Sked21. Comments below please.