Chapi sweat in comeback thriller

Another tense encounter faced Chapi vets one sunny May Saturday afternoon after a thundery Friday night. On this occasion, El Davo was accompanied by Little El Davito Christopher, AKA 'fatboy', who volunteered to be both still and video camera operator.

Picture: El Davo in characteristically delicate challenge

Another match against the team from the mountains roughly translated as 'clean stones' ensued. As usual Chapi started slowly, presumably to raise tension in the sparse crowd. The introduction of El Davo after 25 minutes prompted the visitors to go ahead with a screamer, amazingly captured on video by star cameraman Christopher.
Picture: goal number three from Marcelo.

It wasn't long before Rafael put Chapi ahead (also on video) and the interval was reached with a fairly comfortable lead of 2-1. A steady start to the second half was blighted by a defensive mishap which allowed the visitors to draw level.

In a final flourish, new boy Marcelo, rolled in the third and Lucas with a speculative cross and Arthur with an outrageous flick from a corner, added two more. A highly disputed late penalty for the guests made the final score 5-3 to Chapi and another step towards immortality in the annals of Sierra de Madrid football.

Pictures below: Arthur hovering with the goal at his mercy and probably (but not quite sure), Lucas's precision cross on it's way over the keeper's head into the top corner..

Pictures below: Arthur's outrageous flicked goal from a corner and pre-match interview between El Davo and fat boy.

Miracle on Chapi Street

Omens are omens and they were not good as Chapi vets prepared for their next foray.

Picture: Luciano (watched by Lewis 2) , pirouetting elegantly - as his name would suggest - pre-match.

First: Only a bare eleven turned up including old lags the two Lewis's and El Davo.
Second: No goal keeper present and after El Davo vociferously declined, Charles 3 took the gloves.
Thirdly: Our opponents, Boadilla del Monte looked young, fit and good, with two or three subs.

The omens continued and after 20 minutes, Chapi were 2-0 down. No hope left, the unbeaten run over, let's try to avoid humiliation, no other option.

Picture: Before the match. Rafael, looking more and more like his Italian artist namesake, with a pensive baby-face.

Well, with the pressure off, Chapi started to play. Baby-face Robert pushed on to his left foot 20 yards from goal, unleashed a rocket that cannoned off the bar and was bundled in by Lucas. Not long after, Boadilla tried repeatedly (and ill-advisedly) to dribble from their own 6-yard area and in the resulting melee, the ball richoched slowly over the line.

More fun to come. Shortly before the break, baby-face found himself free again and in a one-to-one with the keeper, slotted home.

Picture: A disbelieving and knackered George 1 at half-time.

A bemused Chapi, spent half-time wondering how on earth they were winning. But what the hell! The second half proceeded with Chapi holding out despite (or due to) El Davo's tough tackling, and sometimes fouling, around the Chapi box. The final whistle went and Chapi ran out 3-2 winners.

After a break, it's probably time for more profiles. This week Lucas. A cultured defender or mid-fielder, Lucas did complain some months ago for having his 'air hot' pictorally highlighted on the El Davo blog. A quick interview determined that he works in the building trade and is finding it tough with the crisis. Father to a baby (of indeterminate sex) born in March, Lucas was one of the Chapi stars in the wars (along with George above of course - look hard for the joke!), in the Boadilla match going off with a knee injuring but bravely returning to see in the victory.

A weekend off due to some saint or other will hopefullly be followed by another outing shortly.