Jonathan Viera and Jesé Rodríguez they make up the referential couple in the UD. For Gran Canaria, for talent and for charisma. Such qualities, before a derby, are raised to an even greater dimension, and there the yellow box has something of which CD Tenerife lacks. Both the midfielder and the striker have the appointment marked next Sunday (8:30 p.m., Movistar Vamos) as a very special one. Because they want to be part of a new victory for Las Palmas in the Heliodoro more than 20 years later, but also for a personal issue.
Neither one nor the other has won at Rodríguez López, nor has he scoreddo. It is, therefore, a challenge for them to be able to remove two thorns at one stroke, in 90 minutes, within six days. Both were protagonists in the triumph in extremis against the eternal rival on October 16 (2-1), but now they want to leave their mark on the San Sebastián street. Surely, it will taste better to them.
The ’21’, who scored the first goal a few months ago, tied in 2011 on his only visit to the neighboring island
Both Viera and Jesé have played a total of four games against Tenerife, the last one just a few months ago. It was the second victory for the playmaker and the first for the striker. They understood each other perfectly. Very shortly after the start of the clash, the ’21’ gave ’10’ an extraordinary ball in depth to leave him only before the goalkeeper, who stopped the kick; then, in the 26th minute, attendance was reverseds; great pass from ’10’ to ’21’, hand in hand with Juan Soriano and goal with suspense, because the VAR had to ratify it.
Matched and ecstasy
Somehow, the two most hated yellow players on the blue and white sidewalk had stripped Tete in less than half an hour. Later came Elady’s free-kick goal with the invaluable help of the barrier –Raúl Navas deflected the ball and was decisive for it to end in the goal– and that of Lemos, no less bizarre. It caused an ecstasy in Siete Palmas that now the UD wants repeat at Rodríguez López.
Sunday will be the second time that Jonathan Viera steps on the grass of the chicharrero enclosure. The first and last time he did so was in the 2010/11 season, his debut in professional football under the command of Paco Jémez. It happened, specifically, on January 23, 2011, when the Argentine Mauro Quiroga, with a goal in the 87th minute, he silenced Heliodoro and saved a point for Las Palmas (1-1). That day, the Gran Canaria played the whole game.
Since then, they have only faced the blue and white team again three times: that same year, on June 4, with a 1-0 victory for UD with a goal by Sergio Suárez from a penalty; on March 1, 2015, with the result of a tie (1-1), with goal by Hernán Santana, one month before being promoted; and last October 16, with another victory (2-1).
Jesé, for his part, will visit the Tete field for the third time. The first of them took place on March 4, 2012, when he was a member of Real Madrid Castilla. He played every minute and his team lost (3-1). Months before, at the Alfredo Di Stéfano, the victory had stayed at home (3-1). Before the game of the first round of this season, there was a third confrontation between the striker and the Blue and White team: last March, with the result of a draw (1-1) thanks to a goal from Sergio Ruiz.
The ’10’, who gave the assistance to La Feria, lost to Castilla in 2012 and equalized in March
Both will face the eternal rival on Sunday for the fifth time in their careers. Neither has won or scored at Heliodoro, although they both already know what it means to beat Tenerife, and in the case of Viera, twice, and also with a goal in the last of the games. Next weekend’s appointment is marked in red on the calendar.
Beyond the personal component, the You need to win to get closer to Tenerife, third in the standings. For now, they are four places and seven points behind. The difference may lie in the motivation of Jonathan Viera and Jesé.
