Club name: JD Somorrostro
Stadium: El Malecón
Level: Tercera División
Ticket Price: 10€
How to arrive: 45 minute train journey from Bilbao plus ten minute walk to the ground
Although this game took place almost two months ago, I have only now had enough time to recount my experience of the event. I apologise to any regular followers of the blog for the huge gap between posts, but you need not worry anymore! My Basque footballing adventure is back on track, and I intend to keep going -work allowing. This is one of two Basque football matches I have seen within the last two months and I shall be posting about the other in due course.
Muskiz is a small town on the very western edge of the Basque Country about 20km away from Bilbao. It is surrounded by beautiful landscapes and it is only a short distance from the northern coast of the country. In recent times the town, with a population of around 7,216, has become most well-known for the gigantic petrol refinery built in the 70’s by petrochemical company Petronor which gives the town something of a rare, but not necessarily unpleasant, odour.
The town’s local team are known as JD Somorrostro. Currently the side are competing in Group 4 of the Tercera División and play their home games at El Malecón, a small but inviting stadium that has a mainstand, a bar and some typically impressive views.
Down to Logistics
Muskiz isn’t the most accesible town in Bizkaia, especially on a Sunday! However, there are regular buses and trains. For my part I decided to take the train as it’s a journey I know well from having worked in a different town on the same line. The trains leave Bilbao about every 30 minutes from the main train station in Abando and the journey which follows the C2 line with Muskiz being the final destination takes about 45 minutes. The trains also leave Muskiz every 30 minutes on the way back, so make sure you check times before you go, you may have to leave the game five minutes early to catch your train. Getting to El Malecon from the station is quite straightfoward. Come out of the station, turn right and walk straight down Estación Kalea until the main road. Here, take a left turn and keep going, go past all the shops and bars until you see a large junction and a medical centre on the other side. Turn right here, you’ll see a small car park and the ground.
The Match
The match may have taken place nearly two months ago but it has certainly left quite the impression on me. It was a match beyond words, but I shall endeavour to depict it anyhow.
CD Getxo have been struggling a fair bit this season, they are a side short on confidence and luck, and Somorrostro took full advantage.
The first goal came within 3 minutes, a long ball forward was met by the head of Borja who sent the ball over the keeper and into the back of the net. In the proceeding twenty minutes both sides had chances but were unable to make the all important breakthrough, that is until the 26th minute when JD Somorrostro scored their second of the game. Somorrostro’s 11 took the ball down the wing, knocking it past his full back running past him and collecting the ball again before turning into the box, he seemed to lose control but just managed to poke the ball across the area for the oncoming Txemi who doubled the score. Matters were made worse for CD Getxo three minutes later when one of their players was sent-off. The rest of the half played out uneventfully as neither side possessed enough to make a further impression.
The second half took ten minutes to get going, but once it started it was quite relentless. Somorrostro killed off the game in the 57th minute when an overlapping full back on the left sent in a cross that was met once again by a forward pushing midfielder, 3-0. (It was also at this point that I noticed Somorrostro would set off a firework work everytime one of their own scored, presumably so that the town would be aware.) The game was lost and CD Getxo knew it, it was definitely a case of when it rains it pours for the poor guys. In the 60th minute, Somorrostro got their 4th goal and 4th firework; a squared ball was played across to Somorrostro’s 9 who was running into the box at pace, he was held back in the box and went down. Up stepped Borja to grab his second and his side’s fourth. The misfortune and misery, unfortunately did not stop their as in the 75th minute Getxo conceded yet another goal. This time a cross was deflected off one of their own into the path of Bittor who coolly finished into the bottom right corner with his left. 5 minutes after Somorrostro continued the battering of the now fully demoralised visitors, a cross from Somorrostro left back was poorly defended allowing subsitute striker Manutxo to grab a goal with practically his first touch of the ball. At this point Getxo were pretty much hanging on hoping for the final whistle, but Somorrostro and Manutxo were not finished yet. In stoppage time the lads from Muskiz got their 7th and final goal of the game, a cross this time from the right was met by the physically imposing Manutxo for his brace.
An extraordinary and inexplicable capitulation from CD Getxo mixed with pure bad luck plus some fantastic finishing and a Somorrostro seemingly out for blood lead to a once in a season game. Fortunately, I was their to witness it.
Conclusion
Getting to Muskiz is a bit of a trek if you’re not local but the ground and club have a lot of charm.
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