Larissa vs. AEK Preview

We play Larissa F.C. tomorrow, Saturday, February 9th, at 9:45 am East Coast Time.  I am very nervous about this match, for the following reasons. 

First, Larissa are no push-overs.  They won the Greek Cup last year and had a okay run in this year’s UEFA Cup, defeating Blackburn of the EPL in the first round before losing all four group stage games to teams like Everton and Nuremberg. 

Second, AEK management is at war with both the EPO (EPO or HFF is the acronym for the Hellenic Football Federation) and the owners of Olympiakos and Panathinaikos.  Over the past week, AEK President Demis Nikolaidis, has publicly chided the EPO over its poor officiating of Super League matches, filed a complaint against the officials who refereed last weekend’s game against Panionios, and threatened to quit AEK if the do not win the League this season.  Also over the past week, AEK vice-president Takis Kanellopoulos verbally attacked Sokratis Kokkalis, the owner of Olympiacos, and Giannis Vardinoyiannis, the owner of Panathinaikos, during the scheduled Greek Super League committee meeting (AEK President, Demis Nikolaidis, did not attend the meeting, further alienating the other club owners).

This public complaining will not help us win tomorrow.  Rather, it is quite likely that referees at tomorrow’s match and future league matches will subtly but surely call matches against us.  Is it fair? No.  But it is human nature.  We’ve lost any goodwill we had with EPO officials.  Also, this can’t be good for the players.  I’m afraid that the league title is slipping away from us.

All hope is not lost, however, as we have Arruabarrena returning from injury and Zikos returning from suspension.  Here is how I think we should line up:

Moretto
Ramos Silva–Alves (Dellas if fit) — Papastathopoulos — Arruabarrena
Zikos—-Nsaliwa
Rivaldo——Lagos
Kallon–Blanco

Then I’d sub Pappas for Rivaldo sometime around the 60th minute, Lyberopoulos for Kallon around the 65th and, depending on how things are going, Edinho for Blanco around the 80th.  Lagos and Papastathopoulos played two friendlies for the Greek National Team this past week, on back to back nights Tuesday and Wednesday, but they are young, so they should be okay by tomorrow.  Having Arruabarrena back is a blessing, as his experience and quiet work ethic will stabilize a defense that has been uncharacteristically shaky lately.

The players will have to play with all their heart tomorrow.  The calls will not go our way.  We will get fouled hard, and we won’t win many free kicks.  Our guys have to be ready for this, and give twice their normal effort.  With that effort, I know we can overcome both Larissa and incompetent/corrupt referees.  Without that effort, we will lose, and we won’t just be losing this game but the league title as well.