Spain's cup final
Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:44
On Saturday at the ground of the University of Madrid, Cetransa Dismeva El Salvador of Valladolid play against bwin Pozuelo Boadilla CRC of Madrid in the 75th final of the Copa de SM El Rey.
History favours the Valladolid side. They have won the cup five times in recent times - 1993, 1999, 2005, 2006 and 2007. This would be their fourth in succession. It would be the third successive year that they have won three Spanish titles, adding to the Liga and the Supercopa which they have already won.
The Madrid club on the other hand has had but a short history, founded only in 2002. But it is a side full of fight, ending third in the División de Honor this year.
The teams have contributed most players to the Spanish side.
In the E; Salvador side are Spain's captain Iván Criado and Ion Insausti, Manuel Serrano, Sergio Souto, Alfonso Mata, Raúl Turrión, Ignacio Gutiérrez Müller, César Caballero and Carlos Souto.
CRC Madrid have internationals Javier Salazar, César Sempere, Javier Canosa, Juan González, Matías Tudela, Juan Cano, Manuel Olivares, Jorge Prieto and Alejandro Onega.
Both sides have foreign players. El Salvador have the Italo-Argentinian Fabio Gallopa, the Portuguese Nuno Da Cunha and Tiago Girão and New Zealander Gensen Palmers. The Madrid side has New Zealanders Luke Stanley and Eduardo Browner, Australian Martin Darby, Samoan Douglas Sanft and Portuguese Diogo Saldanha.
The teams have met twice this season, El Slavador winning 47-21 at home and 30-13 away.
A week later the players of the two teams will join to play Portugal for Iberian bragging rights.
Referee: José Bogas (Cataluña)
Touch judges: Felix Villegas (Castilla y León), Joan Montoya (País Vasco)
