GOALS, SWANS AND CATERING VANS – Pre-season fun for Real Betis

By David Smith
Updated: 12 August, 2011

by David Smith

The pre-season tour of England and Wales didn’t start off quite as planned for Real Betis.

Their first scheduled game against Portsmouth had to be cancelled after Pompey’s plane, travelling back from their own pre-season tour of America, was struck by a catering van on the runway.

In the end Betis secured a friendly against Conference South opponents Havant and Waterlooville FC.

Far outclassing their hosts, Betis confidently retaining the majority of the ball as they went on to score seven without conceding.

Ruben Castro scored a hat trick, Jorge Molina grabbed himself a brace and Pereira and Salva Sevilla bagged one each late on to secure a comfortable victory.

Betis strolled to a seven goal victory over non-league minnows Havant and Waterlooville

Betico then travelled to Wales for the remaindered of the tour.

Setting up base camp in Cardiff they arranged two extra games in addition to their main fixture against newly promoted premier opponents Swansea City.

Newport County FC of the Welsh Premier Division gave Betis a slightly sterner test than their previous fixture.

Newport are one of the better teams in the Welsh leagues and held out the score to just 3 – 0 to the green and whites.

Even after Sergio Rodriguez scored the first goal after just 2 minutes; Newport’s keeper and defence played well keeping the scoring down.

Betis maintained their passing game throughout and as the match wore on both Jorge Molina and captain Arzu each netted to seal a comfortable victory.

Another hastily scheduled fixture saw Betis play minnows Gnoll Neath who they beat 8 – 0.

The score line was, surprisingly, not the most extraordinary thing about this game but that Jonathan Pereira blazed in seven of them.

Pereira is considered to be the third choice striker for the up and coming season but has only done himself favours and will be really pushing for a starting place against Seville.

Salva Sivilla scored the last and final goal of the game.

The concluding game was to prove the strongest test for this young Betis side.

Swansea City, as has already been stated in the preview to this tour (http://wp.me/p1Hd5U-hB), are a very good side and know how to play attractive, attacking football.

The Swans duly beat Betis one goal to nil after a strike from new signing Danny Graham.

Betis were always in the game, passing well which impressed many of the Swan’s fans who, of course, are accustomed to seeing good football after last year’s promotion to the premier league.

But ultimately they couldn’t convert their chances against a much stronger defence than previous games.

Overall the pre-season tour went well; they honed their passing game and enable their younger players from the academy to get some match practice too.

This will no doubt be useful with a long season ahead, as the first team squad may well become stretched.

Slightly more composure against Swansea may have seen them win that game to but only conceding one goal in four games must be good for morale, which after all, is half the reason for having these pre-season tours in the first place.

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