Hercules (Spain)   1   Tottenham Hotspur    1      (Half-time score : 1-1)

Friendly
Venue : -  Jose Rico Perez Stadium
Thursday 24th July 2008
Kick Off :  8.30 p.m. (UK time)
Crowd :   ,
Referee :  - (-)
Weather :  -  Hot, dry
Teams : - 
Hercules (Spain) :

Unai Alba

Dani Carril      
Sergio
Camara
Javi Gonzalez      

Sendoa
Abraham Paz
Exposito
Moran

Adisson
Calero

Subs: 
Calatuyud
Ruz
Rodri
Farinos
Cesar
Dani Bautista
Sergio Diaz
Santacruz
Raul
Luisao
Sergio Serrano
Efren
Kiko
Celso

Tottenham Hotspur :

Gomes

Gunter
Dawson
Woodgate       (Zokora 62)
Assou-Ekotto (O'Hara 62)

Lennon       (Bostock 81)
Jenas (c) (Townsend 81)
Huddlestone      
dos Santos

Bent
Berbatov

Unused subs: 
Jansson
Archibald-Henville
Taarabt
Pekhart

 

Colours : -  (kits courtesy of http://www.colours-of-football.com)
Hercules (Spain)

Tottenham Hotspur
Scorers : -  
Hercules (Spain)

Addison 5

Tottenham Hotspur

Bent 35

Cards : -  
Hercules (Spain)

    
Dani Carril (foul) 13  
Javi Gonzalez (foul) 33   
 

    

Tottenham Hotspur 

    
Huddlestone (foul) 45
Woodgate (foul) 49
Lennon (foul) 79

     

Match Report : -  
Spurs met a tougher challenge than they had previously faced on their Spanish sojourn with Hercules putting up a good show to earn a draw.

Despite going 0-1 down in the fifth minute, Spurs dominated the latter stages of the match and pushed for a win at the end of the game on a warm, sticky evening.

Addison got to Javi Gonzalez's right wing cross first and was fortunate to see the ball come off his shoulder to loop high over Gomes and drop in to give the home side a fifth minute lead.  Gonzalez was finding space and forced Gomes to a save with a 20 yard shot.  Tottenham's first effort came in the 12th minute, with Dawson putting Bent in to play an exchange with dos Santos and curl a shot over the bar. Spurs came even closer in the 17th minute, with Lennon making good progress down the right to cross to Giovani, who headed down, but saw his effort kicked away by Exposito.  Another cross a minute later from Huddlestone saw Bent get over two Hercules defenders to head the ball wide from about 10 yards out.

Gonzalez once more had a good chance to get on the score-sheet, but put it wide from Moran's ball in and on 22 minutes, he fired a shot from 20 yards that Gomes pushed around the post.  The game moved to the other end of the pitch and with dos Santos and Berbatov setting up Tom Huddlestone, he hit a 20 yard drive with his left foot shot that keeper Alba dived to beat out.

A corner in the 35th minute from Aaron Lennon lead to the equaliser.  Both Jonathan Woodgate and Darren Bent jumped for the ball and it went into the top corner with the striker claiming the goal. 

After the sides turned round at 1-1, Heurelho Gomes was quickly in action, as he reacted well to push away a header by Santacruz from Gonzalez's free-kick.  Chris Gunter got forward from full back to attempt to meet Bent's cross, but was baulked, legally according to the ref, by Santacruz back in his defensive role.

With 20 minutes gone, dos Santos hit a shot wide after cutting inside from the right wing, with Bent almost getting a touch to Huddlestone's volley on the end of Lennon's free-kick to the edge of the box.  Dos Santos played in Gunter, coming up in support once more, who hit a shot sat the keeper with five minutes left and two minutes after that effort, Bent and Berbatov linked to provide Giovani with a shooting opportunity that he brought a good save out of Alba in the Hercules goal.

As the game went into time added on, Spurs continued to push to try and get the victory, as O'Hara put in a pacy free-kick, which wasn't cleared and it dropped for John Bostock, who took the shot hastily and put it wide.

A fair result despite the amount of possession Tottenham had and it was the work-out they were looking for before they return to England and the last few warm-up matches ahead of the new season.

PETE STACHIO

 

 

 
 

Reaction : -

 
 

NO RAIN IN SPAIN

 
 
Just back from the game so I thought I'd let you all know what happened.
 
The first thing I noticed was how trim everyone looked ... and yes that does include Tom Huddlestone !  The local papers had been saying that Spurs have been training three times a day.  Ramos is a local boy having played for a number of clubs including Elche and Hercules, so that's why Spurs were up here and not down in La Manga, where most teams go.
 
The team looked fairly much as you'd expect, but no programmes were produced for the game.
 
The team was:- Spurs: Gomes, Gunter, Assou-Ekotto, Dawson, Woodgate, Lennon, Jenas, Huddlestone, dos Santos, Bent, Berbatov.
Subs: Jansson, Zokora, Archibald-Henville, Bostock, O'Hara, Townsend, Taarabt, Pekhart 
 
It was about 25 degrees at kick off and the team did well to play in that heat.  The only one who looked like he was suffering was Lennon.  Keano wasn't there, not playing nor on the bench, so read into that if you will.
 
Up front was Berbie, but he wasn't interested tonight, having one of his sulky days !
He was up front with, I guess, Dos Santos.  He looked sharp.
 
The first half started with us giving away a sloppy goal and there were a few tasty tackles mainly on Lennon.
 
Hercules were giving it their all, whereas Spurs were playing on half throttle.
 
Spurs seemed to control the ball better.  Having a touch, then the confidence to beat a player, followed by a neat crisp short ball to someone else in white.  It was when our passing became longer we were giving it away.  The Hercules centre back had a storming game and won everything in the air and by the same token, Dawson was very impressive by doing the same for us.
 
During the second half O'Hara came on and went straight to left back and immediately started passing the ball to Lennon, who started beating players and running with the ball.  We looked a lot better with this set up.
 
About 10 minutes to go Lennon came off and looked knackered, along with Jenas, who as usual covered the entire pitch.
 
The pressure was really on and it was one way traffic.
 
The final whistle went and the Spurs players who played the full 90 minutes did exceedingly well, as it was hot and humid.  None of them looked at death's door and had all been running around quiet well.
 
Fairly good crowd of both sets of fans.
 
I can say I have not seen Spurs lose this season ... can you ?
 
COYS! 

STEVE WHITE

 
   
 
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