CF Benidorm UK

CF Benidorm began the new Lliga Comunitat season with a dramatic 2-1 victory over CD Jávea at the Guillermo Amor, surviving a frantic final few minutes with just nine players on the pitch.

The opening-day fixture was a competitive encounter from start to finish, with Benidorm starting brightly and taking a deserved lead before Jávea fought their way back into the game. In the end, Álvaro’s second goal proved decisive as Benidorm held on to secure all three points.

Starting XIs

CF Benidorm

• 1. Arcana
• 2. Denzel
• 3. Viti
• 5. Arona
• 7. Green
• 17. Sergi
• 18. Álvaro
• 19. Daniel
• 22. Cuesta
• 23. Castillo
• 30. Cario

CD Jávea

• 1. Izan Gregori
• 4. Pedro
• 5. Serrano
• 6. Signes
• 8. Di Stéfano
• 11. Olmo
• 16. Felipe
• 17. Ponzo
• 20. Paolo
• 21. Chamorro
• 22. Joan

Match Report

The afternoon had already got off to an unusual start before a ball was kicked.

The match was delayed by around 25–30 minutes after the original referee was unable to make it, with a replacement official eventually taking charge.

The heat was another factor on what was a very warm afternoon at the Guillermo Amor. With the delay, both teams had to manage the conditions, with Jávea’s players returning to the changing room for a few minutes to get out of the sun before warming up again.

Once the match finally got underway, CF Benidorm started brightly, creating chances and putting Jávea under pressure from the opening minutes. The home side looked the more dangerous of the two teams and eventually took a deserved lead with a spectacular finish that could already be an early contender for Goal of the Season.

However, Benidorm were dealt an early blow in the 10th minute when Cuesta went down with what appeared to be a nasty injury and was forced to leave the pitch.

Despite the setback, Benidorm continued to look the more dangerous side.

Jávea gradually grew into the match, though, and began finding more joy as the half progressed.

That pressure eventually paid off in first-half injury time as Jávea found a well-taken equaliser to send the two teams into the break level at 1-1.

Benidorm came out for the second half looking to regain control, but the game became increasingly open and physical.

There was another worrying moment around the hour mark when Daniel went down in severe pain and required assistance from the pitch. Players from both sides came together to help carry him off, providing an excellent show of sportsmanship during a difficult moment.

Then came the decisive moment.

Álvaro struck again to put Benidorm 2-1 ahead, completing his brace and giving the home side the lead with 20 minutes still remaining.

But the final stages were anything but comfortable.

With Benidorm trying to protect their advantage, the game descended into a chaotic finish.

Denzel was shown a second yellow card, reducing Benidorm to ten men, before Cobo was shown a red card.

Benidorm were now down to nine men, while Jávea also finished with ten following their own dismissal. Benidorm manager Sergio Mora was also booked during the late commotion.

Despite the pressure and the numerical disadvantage, Benidorm dug deep.

The final whistle eventually brought huge relief as CF Benidorm secured a 2-1 victory and opened their league campaign with three valuable points.

It wasn’t always comfortable, and Jávea deserve credit for the way they grew into the match and pushed Benidorm right until the end.

But ultimately, Benidorm showed the resilience required to see the game out.

Álvaro’s brace. Nine men. Three points.

That’s one hell of a way to start the season.

Post-Match: Julio’s Honest Assessment

Following the final whistle, CD Jávea manager Julio gave a refreshingly honest assessment of his team’s performance and refused to use the unusual circumstances surrounding the match as an excuse.

The Delay and the Heat

The match delay meant both teams had to adjust their preparations.

Julio explained that Jávea’s players were sent back into the changing room for a few minutes to get out of the sun before warming up again.

However, he was clear that the situation was the same for both teams.

“Not. We told the players to go in the changing room some minutes to protect for the sun and later we warmed up again. Same situation for both teams, so no excuse.”

The comments also reflect what was noticeable around the Guillermo Amor, with the afternoon heat making conditions challenging for the players.

Growing Into the Game

After Benidorm controlled much of the opening period, Jávea gradually found their way into the match and eventually equalised just before half-time.

Julio agreed that his side had grown into the game, but was far from satisfied with what he saw.

“that’s true that we were growing in the match but we didn’t play well. I am very dissapointed with our perfomance today.”

He believed Jávea could have made things much more difficult for Benidorm had they played to their own strengths.

“I feel that we could put more difficult if we were played the way thet we want to play. But we didn’t do.”

Play-Off Ambitions

Last season there was a 25-point gap between the two sides, with Benidorm finishing four positions above Jávea.

This time, Jávea pushed Benidorm all the way and came close to taking something from the opening-day fixture.

But when asked whether the performance gave him confidence that Jávea could challenge for the play-offs, Julio was brutally honest.

“Tomorrow maybe I see with different way. Today, like I told you I am dissapointed and if we play bad like today we will play fighting for the bottom.”

It was a remarkably frank assessment from the Jávea manager, particularly given how competitive the match had been.

No Excuses

Julio’s overall message was simple: if Jávea want to beat teams like Benidorm, they need to perform better.

“if we want to win an opponent like Benidorm we have to do the right things. There are no excuses. Our level today was not good enough.”

He also identified an area where he believes his team must improve.

“Our level with the ball must me much better. That’s simple.”

The Late Flashpoint

The closing stages saw plenty of drama, with red cards on the pitch, yellow cards for the benches and Benidorm eventually reduced to nine men.

From Julio’s perspective, however, there was no lasting issue between the teams.

“Really nothing important. This is football: first match, good teams, nervous, adrenaline, everybody want to win…”

He did, however, have a message for the officials.

“I would like that referees would understand this a little more. Red cards are bad for both teams.”

And perhaps most importantly, Julio confirmed that there were no lingering hard feelings after the final whistle.

“After the match everything is ok and We go back to be normal people.”

A Thank You to Julio

Finally, I want to personally thank Julio for taking the time after the match to answer my questions.

He went into a great deal of detail with his answers and gave us an honest insight into his thoughts on the game, the performance and the season ahead. I really appreciate him taking the time to speak with CF Benidorm UK after what was undoubtedly a disappointing result for his side.

Everyone at CF Benidorm UK wishes Julio and everyone at CD Jávea the very best of luck for the remainder of the season.

We’ll certainly be keeping an eye on their results and following their progress throughout the campaign.

Good luck, Julio and Jávea.

Final Thoughts

For CF Benidorm, the result could hardly have been more dramatic.

Three points on the opening day, a brace from Álvaro, an early injury, a late spell playing with just nine men and plenty of adversity to overcome.

There will undoubtedly be things for Sergio Mora and his players to analyse, particularly after Jávea managed to grow into the game and make the final stages so uncomfortable.

But opening-day victories are about results, and Benidorm got the one that mattered.

There was also a fantastic moment of sportsmanship when players from both sides came together to help Daniel from the pitch, reminding everyone that despite the competitive nature of the fixture, there is still respect between the teams.

For Jávea, Julio’s honesty perhaps summed up the afternoon best. He wasn’t looking for excuses. He knows his side can play better and will expect a response.

For Benidorm, though, the message is simple.

Álvaro’s brace. Nine men. Three points.

That’s one hell of a way for CF Benidorm to start the season.