Villarreal "tripleheader" on Sunday

Just a heads-up to everyone that not only will we have a gamethread for the visit of Sporting Gijón to El Madrigal (noon kickoff, Spanish time), but we will also have one for the Villarreal B-L'Hospitalet match which begins 4 and 1/2 hours later.  That one will be televised on Villarreal's website (the stream is also available on youtube).

Villarreal C, not to be outdone, hosts Alzira shortly after the B team match ends, I assume on a different pitch surely, but doubtless a simple matter to watch the B team, stroll over and catch the C in action.

L'Hospitalet have struggled on the road of late--Espanyol B trounced them 4-0, Hercules won 2-0 and Alcoyano 3-0--but before that they had some decent 1-0 wins on the road.  They are of course from the Barcelona suburb L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, which is the second largest city in Catalonia with a population of over 250,000, Wikipedia tells me.  The football club is at the moment in lower mid-table; they have pretty much been a Segunda B team for thirty years.  They have a goalkeeper with the magnificent name of Oinatz Aulestia (and as you might suspect, he is an Athletic Bilbao cantera product).

Alzira is a town in Valencia, between Valencia and Alicante, founded by the Moors.  It has a population of about 45,000.  The football club?  They had one season in the Segunda (1988-89) but have bounced around the lower divisions since their founding in 1946.  They have finished in the playoff places the last three years, but haven't made it through.  This year, they are midtable, but only three points behind the C team in 5th.

Alzira has an ex-Villarreal cantera goalkeeper, if Wikipedia can be trusted, Vicente Flor. He played with the C 2006-08, B 2008-11, I don't know why I remember him exactly but I do.  I can't say for sure if he is still there or plays though.

Endavant Villarreal, Villarreal B, and Villarreal C!!!!