Tag Archives: Antolin Alcaraz

The Canals of Alcaraz

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Player profiles, Reflections and tagged with , , , , , , ,

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In May of 2010 Wigan Athletic supporters were to hear that their club had made a ‘Bosman signing’ of a Paraguayan centre half from a club in Belgium. A month later, on June 10, Antolín Alcaraz was to make himself known on the world stage when he scored a headed goal against Italy in Cape Town. The 1-1 draw helped steer Paraguay into the World Cup quarter finals. But who was Alcaraz and how did he get into his national team despite never playing at senior level in his own country?

Aveiro is a prosperous coastal town in central Portugal. It is often called the  ‘Venice of Portugal’ because of its canals and boats. It aveiro3is home to SC Beira Mar whose crowds rarely reach five fugures. One of their claims to fame is that the great Eusebio played for them for a brief time in 1976. When the 21 year old Antolín Alcaraz joined them in January 2003 they were in the first division, although the club has oscillated between the first and second divisions since then. Alcaraz was to spend four years in Aveiro, cutting his teeth as a professional footballer, becoming Beira Mar’s defensive lynchpin and captain. He was to pick up the first of his 22 caps for Paraguay in his final season at the club.

Antolín Alcaraz comes from a humble background. He was raised in the south of Paraguay in San Roque González, a town of around 12,000 people, some 100 km from the capital Asuncion. After joining Racing Club of Argentina as a teenager he was snapped up by Fiorentina, but at a bad time since the ‘Viola’ were to be relegated to Italian lower leagues because of financial problems. He left, and after a trial with Palermo, headed for Aveiro.

Alcaraz was to leave Aveiro in July 2007 to move to another place famous for its canals, Bruges. Club Brugge were a more well known club than Beira Mar, having reached two European finals and won the Belgian league 13 times. During Alcaraz’ time in that beautiful city the club finished in the top three each year. In the 2008-09 season Alcaraz made six appearances for Club BrugesBrugge in the UEFA Cup, when they were knocked out in the group- phase, although overall they had only lost one match in the competition. He made seven appearances in 2009-10 in the newly formed Europa League. Brugge qualified through the group stage but were to be undone in extra time at Valencia.

Alcaraz has been a regular member of Paraguay’s side since the World Cup, his team reaching the final of the Copa America in 2011, beating Brazil on penalties in the quarter final.

Strangely enough the Leeds-Liverpool canal runs right next to the DW Stadium. It might lack the beauty of those in Aveiro and Bruges, but certainly played its part in the Industrial Revolution and today offers pleasant walks along its paths. Not that Antolin Alcaraz will be too concerned about that. He will be focusing on two things: helping Wigan Athletic avoid relegation and finding himself a new contract for vnext season at 30 years of age.

One has often felt that the best has been yet to come with Alcaraz. He has had his ups and downs with the club, including a controversial red card in December of 2011 for spitting at a Wolves player. He made 34 appearances in his first season, but only 25 in his second due to injury. However, his return to the team in April last year was crucial in providing a solid defensive backbone alongside Gary Caldwell and Maynor Figueroa . A defence that had been leaking like a sieve was to concede only 10 goals in the final 11 league games.

This has been a frustrating season for Antolín Alcaraz, with 6 months out through injury. However, once again his return to the team has stabilised the defence. His partnership with Paul Scharner promises to be something special. For once Wigan have height and pace in the centre of their defence. The way the two players have gelled in the Everton and Newcastle matches has been quite remarkable, given that Scharner had left Wigan when Alcaraz arrived in 2010.

There is no certainty that either Antolín Alcaraz or Paul Scharner will be at Wigan next season. At the moment they are both playing the best football of their Latics careers. If they can continue to do so until the end of the season it could mean Wigan achieving the double goal of Premier League survival and playing in the Europa League.

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Wigan Athletic v Liverpool Preview

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Match Previews, Other and tagged with , , ,

A year ago, in this same  month of March, a win against Liverpool proved to be a major turning point for Wigan Athletic’s fortunes. The 2-1 surprise result at Anfield was the catalyst that helped kick-start Wigan’s season and to ultimately retain their Premier League status. Can Latics once again raise their game and beat Liverpool in today’s encounter at the DW Stadium?

There was a time when the visit of Liverpool would bring trepidation to the hearts of Wigan Athletic supporters. In fact, during their first four years in the Premier League Wigan lost all of  their home games against the Reds.  However, since then the tide has turned and Wigan have had an unbeaten home run against them in the past four years, albeit with a single 1-0 victory in 2009-2010 through Hugo Rodallega’s volley.

Wigan come into this fixture on the back of an inspiring 3-0 at relegation rivals, Reading. However, their home record this season has been poor, winning only two league games at the DW Stadium up to this point. If they are to stay afloat in the Premier League for another season it is vital that the home record improve. There is some doubt about Maynor Figueroa’s fitness, following the nasty challenge on his ankle  by Pavel Podrgebnyak last week. Antolin Alcaraz is ready to step into the centre of defence if the Honduran does not make it. Otherwise the lineup is likely to be the one that faced Reading last Saturday.

Times have changed since the teams met at Anfield in November. Brendan Rodgers had brought in younger players to revitalize his team and to galvanise  his senior professionals into action. His strategy has largely worked – exit from the Europa League apart – and the ‘old guard’ has responded . Liverpool have steadily climbed up the table and now sit in 8th place. They  have drawn  6 out of 13 away games, as much as any team. Despite their ups and downs over recent years they still have the kind of quality players that are staffed by a wage bill around three times that of Wigan. Steven Gerrard has proved  a thorn in the side so often for Wigan and the home team’s defence will have to find  a way to cope with the spectacular Luis Suarez.

The statistics suggest a draw as a possible  outcome, although the bookmakers’  odds  favour Liverpool. However, Liverpool must have learned from past experience that there is no way that Wigan can be written off. Providing they play at their highest level, a win for the home side remains a distinct possibility.

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A Return to Alcaraz and a Settled Defence?

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Other, Reflections and tagged with , , , ,

Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Wigan Athletic v Chelsea - DW Stadium

Wigan Athletic’s injury woes continue to hit their chances of Premier League survival.  The hamstring injury suffered by Emmerson Boyce in the recent away game at Stoke was another hammer blow to a defensive line already short of Ivan Ramis and Antolin Alcaraz. Add to that Gary Caldwell continuing to take the field despite a hip injury. Injuries have also taken away midfielder Ben Watson and the speedy wingers, Albert Crusat and Ryo Miyaichi. But it is in the defence where the injuries have been most disruptive, with Roberto Martinez constantly having to change his back line over the course of the season. The end result has been a lack of cohesion, with too many soft goals being given away.

The last time Roberto Martinez was able to field together his most cohesive line of central defenders – Antolin Alcaraz, Gary Caldwell and Maynor Figueroa – was at Blackburn in May of 2012. It was that trio that provided the defensive strength and backbone for Wigan to have an outstanding end to the 2011-2012 season.  Alcaraz has only started two games this season.  It has been a long and slow recuperation from his groin injury. There has been speculation among some fans that it is not the injury that has been keeping the big Paraguayan out, but that his contract runs out at the end of the season. Given Wigan’s predicament one hopes that it is not the latter case, although Alcaraz has had long spells out due to injury in each of his three seasons at the club, making it less likely that his contract would be renewed. For the moment Alcaraz is needed to help Wigan stay clear of relegation.

There is a possibility that Alcaraz will make his return in Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Huddersfield. Were he to come through unscathed he would then be available for the crunch game at Reading the following weekend. Certainly Alcaraz’s return would give Martinez the possibility of putting together that back line which gelled so well at a crucial time last season. However, it would also open up options of releasing Paul Scharner and Maynor Figueroa as wing backs.

Wigan fans will hope that Emmerson Boyce will be fit for the Reading game. The improvement in the 33 year old’s passing since the arrival of Martinez has been huge. Boyce has become an excellent wing back, solid in defence, tireless in approach and even scoring spectacular goals in attack. In his seventh season at the club,  Boyce too has been susceptible to injury in recent years.  He completed 26 games last season and 22 the previous year. A fully fit Emmerson Boyce is another key factor in Wigan’s bid to avoid relegation.

It has been fascinating to watch Paul Scharner settle back so quickly into the Latics team. He looks a natural in that right centre back position, although he still has to work on his alignment with his fellow central defenders. Scharner has always been a useful central defender, if he himself has preferred to play in midfield.  One hopes he can maintain his discipline and resist the urge to commit himself too far forward, putting the defence at risk.

A settled back line is of paramount importance to Wigan Athletic’s chances of staying in the Premier League this season. Let’s hope that the injury jinx will no longer rear its ugly head. Even though Ivan Ramis is out for the reminder of the season, it would help Roberto Martinez greatly if all the other experienced defenders in his squad were to be available.

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A Need for Height?

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Other and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,
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Roman Golobart

In the early 1990s Arsenal had a couple of central  defenders – Tony Adams and Steve Bould – who my father used to call ‘gaspipes’. I never really asked my dad to explain what he meant by that term, but always assumed it had something to do with their height and shape: tall and slim. Adams was 6′ 3″ , Bould an inch taller. Not surprisingly these two central defenders were key to Arsenal’s successes in that era, when the long ball was in vogue. If a high centre were to be launched into the Arsenal box you could bet your bottom dollar that one of the two would be on to it.

Let’s get back to modern day. Brede Hangeland of Fulham is 6′ 61/2″ tall – and that, together with his lean shape  –  would certainly place him in  the ‘gaspipe’ category. Not surprisingly he dominates the air in the penalty boxes at each end of the field, very solid in defence, dangerous from corner kicks. His regular defensive partner, Aaron Hughes,  is a mere 6’0″ tall. Per Mertesacker of Arsenal is the second tallest Premier League defender at 6′ 6″. Both of Stoke City’s uncompromising central defenders, Robert Huth and Ryan Shawcross are 6′ 3 “. The same stats apply to the Liverpool pairing of Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel. By and large Premier League teams typically have two central defenders well above 6 ft tall.

Latics have no gaspipes in their senior squad. According to the club website,  of the central defenders who have played for Wigan this season:  Antolin Alcaraz and Ivan Ramis are the tallest at 6’2”. Maynor Figueroa and Adrian Lopez are 6′ 0 “, Gary Caldwell and Emmerson Boyce  are 5’11”.  The two tallest players, Alcaraz and Ramis,  have played together only twice, in the opening two games of the season.

When Roberto Martinez installed a trio of central defenders midway through last season he bolstered Latics’ aerial defences. All too often over these past years Wigan have been undone with a ‘soft’ headed goal from the opposition at a crucial time in the game. Phil Jagielka’s recent  goal for Everton and Ryan Nelsen’s for QPR are two that most Premier League defences would have prevented. You can add to that Hoolahan’s goal for Norwich, although that was more down to the positioning of defenders than their ability to leap. Latics have lacked that type of tall, rugged centre back who can dominate the aerial defences.

One of the pioneers of recruiting big players in the old Football League was Jimmy Sirrel, a canny Scot who was a successful manager at Notts County for over a decade around the 70s. When asked on television why he recruited so many big players he said “If I have the choice between a good big ‘un and a good little ‘un,  I go for the good big ‘un.” Larry Lloyd’s promotion winning side of 1981-82 was probably the physically biggest team Wigan had ever had. Both Lloyd and Colin Methven in central defence were around the 6’3″ mark. Add to them the 6’5″ centre forward Les Bradd (previously with Sirrel at Notts County), 6’2″ Graham Barrow and the other 6 footers – Joe Hinnegan, Kevin Langley, Peter Houghton – and you can see why they were well prepared to cope with the aerial and physical challenges of the old Division 4.

Roberto Martinez’ style of football is far from that of the old Notts County and Larry Lloyd’s Wigan team. The current Latics team is typified by its elegance of passing from defensive positions, more than by  its physical and aerial power. The top tier of football in England has moved on from the times of the long-ball game, but there is still a need for strong aerial defence. This season injuries have prevented Wigan from fielding their first choice back three, the result being a lack of cohesion as players have had to be shuffled around. Although the lack of a towering central defender puts Wigan at some disadvantage, it is the lack of  cohesion and defensive discipline that has cost them dearly. Too many penalties and soft goals have been given away. Having an established back three, who play well as a unit, is the key to success in the second half of the season.

Hopefully Antolin Alcaraz will soon return to fortify the centre of defence. Wigan’s best defensive performances have tended to  coincide with his consistent presence in the starting lineup. One for the future is the young Catalan, Roman Golobart, who is 6’4″ and has strong physical presence. Providing he has the necessary pace to match he could become that towering central defender that the defence has been lacking.

CALDWELL IS THE KEY

Posted by JJ (Tony) in Other and tagged with , , ,

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This time a year ago Wigan Athletic were in the doldrums. Fans were getting frustrated and there was some strong talk passing around the electronic and social media. Latics were at rock bottom and really looked like they were going to go down. People were targeting certain players, suggesting they were not good enough for the Premier League. Among those was the captain, Gary Caldwell. By the end of the season Wigan Athletic were 7 points above the relegation zone and Gary Caldwell was voted fans player of the year. Last season Caldwell’s form was the barometer for the performance of the team. Put simply, when Caldwell played well, so did Latics.

In May 2009 Gary Caldwell was voted the Scottish League Football Writer’s Player of the Year. The Daily Mail quoted the 27 year old Caldwell as saying ‘I think I can still improve. I feel as fit as I’ve ever felt. They do say that, nearer to 30, as a centre-back the experience you’ve gained over the years can help you…..I feel I’ve got better every year and that’s what you have to do.’ Caldwell reached 30 in April of this year. His performances during that month were outstanding and helped Wigan keep their place in the Premier League.

Caldwell signed for Wigan on a four and a half year contract in January 2010. During that time his performances have ranged from the excellent to the other extreme that might be called calamitous. He is the kind of player who polarizes fans. Like him or loathe him, he is not one to be ignored. In his early days at Celtic, after arriving on a free transfer from Hibernian, he was given a hard time by a section of the Celtic crowd who said he was not “Celtic class”. He won the nickname of “Heid” and the fans would sing a song about him. It took him time to win them over. A TalkCeltic.net forum in May 2009 asked fans if they thought Caldwell was Celtic class. The responses reveal how much he won over the majority of them.

Gary Caldwell has proved that he has the determination to succeed, despite the criticism he has received at various times in his career. He is the kind of player who will put his body in the firing line. This has meant he has made some amazing blocks of goalbound shots, but then the flipside can be when the ball deflects off him and puts his goalkeeper and fellow defenders off guard. His distribution from the back is as good as that of any central defender in the Premier League. Together with Antolin Alcaraz and Maynor Figueroa they provided the defensive platform that Wigan needed to stay afloat last season. That mutual understanding between the three central defenders was of paramount importance.

Caldwell has had injury problems this year and has not been at his best. Wigan need him fit and performing to maximum capacity if they are to avoid the relegation dogfight. He is the captain who can provide the inspiration and drive to lift his team. With the return of an experienced central defensive trio we will see a major improvement in Wigan Athletic’s performances. Gary Caldwell holds the key to Wigan moving towards mid-table or sinking down into the oblivion.