Hércules vs. Villarreal: Two Points Wasted

Villarreal visits Hércules this evening at Estadio José Rico Pérez in Alicante. For more on our opponents, Allen profiled Hércules in great detail. Worth a read.

Just a 250-kilometer trip down Spain's eastern coast, and a number of our wonderful supporters have made the trip. Give them hell, orient1.

Team news:

Keepers: Juan Carlos, Mariño.
Defenders: Musacchio, Mario, J. Oriol, Dorado, J. Costa, Íñiguez.
Midfielders: Senna, Bruno, Cani, Farinós, Aquino, Manu, Moi.
Strikers: Jony, Perbet, Gerard M.

Olof Mellberg and Hernán Pérez are suffering from multi-week injuries. Ikechukwu Uche was late in returning from Nigeria's victory in the African Cup of Nations, so he remains in Vila-real. Joining him are Canteros, Juanma, Truyols, and Venta, none of whom are great surprises. Chechu Dorado gives manager Marcelino García Toral flexibility in defense, as the ex-Betis man can play anywhere in the back four (more on this next week).

Marcelino will have a quandary on his hands when Hernán, Mellberg, and Uche return. The most likely to fall out of the squad, save further injuries, are Moi Gómez, Pablo Íñiguez, and Gerard Moreno, respectively. But all three youngsters have shown they deserve a place in the 'A' team.

The match begins at 1 pm Eastern Time. Marca TV will have the coverage, though not for long -- it will disband in June. We need 3 points. Endavant Villarreal!