A Neil Banfield led Arsenal XI lost to the link club Colorado Rapids in a behind-closed-doors friendly at London Colney this afternoon. The MLS outfit have been taking advantage of the Gunners training complex as they build up to the new season. The Rapids are at Emirates Stadium for tonight’s Champions League match against Porto.
Shea
Coquelin – Ayling – Miquel – Cruise
Frimpong – Eastmond – Henderson
Barazite – Freeman – Watt
Banfield named a strong starting XI which included in the form Luke Freeman and returning loanee Sanchez Watt. Francis Coquelin continued at right back. The Rapid’s grabbed the only goal of the game in the 52nd minute when Conor Casey tapped in from an Omar Cummings delivery. In the second half Arsenal rotated. In came 11 changes including a debut for Damián Martínez between the sticks while Rhys Murphy – who’s loan spell at Brentford was ended prematurely due to injury – also featured.
Martínez
Byles – Obed – Boateng – Evina
Edge – Yennaris – Ozyakup
Aneke – Afobe – Murphy
Having drawn with Ipswich Town on Saturday, the young Gunners are back in action this Saturday with a home game against the Milton Keynes Dons.
Comments
The Rapids perspective of the game :
http://www.coloradorapids.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?NID=OVSeCExvY50=
:)
The official site makes no mention of Martinez
http://www.arsenal.com/news/reserves-news/arsenal-reserves-0-1-colorado-rapids-report
they probably want to keep him under the radar
Would have emailed you directly rather than say it publicly but you have got his name misspelled in the article headline….
A good test for those players, not surprising that the defense was breached in the second half, that is a very inexperienced back four playing in front of a new ‘keeper. Good to see them getting a bit of varied experience.
Unrelated but Breno of Nurnberg has been injured and is out for the season so Nordveit may get back in the squad and get some more game time than he has been getting.
Norvedit wasn’t even in the team against Leverkusen so I think either their coach doesn’t like what he saw in him or they bought a DM in the winter transfer.
Norvedit was suppose to be the most talented defender in Europe I am not sure what happened. If he doesn’t break into the first team next season then I am sure he will be sold.
There no mention of him(Martinez) jus lyk there was no mention of Galindo en Wellington wen dey played against Dag&Red. Wat a game by the Arsenal vs Porto. En dey said we wud miss dat guy wats his name……?
Fabregas ability to keep this team together is why we didn’t fall apart after the stoke and his commitment to the arsenal cause have been truly exemplary.
I mean 13 goal and 15 assists for midfielder in the EPL is unheard off and he has been affected by hamstring all this time.
Remember the villa game where he blew them apart
Cesc you will always be missed.
14 goals in league 17 overall
As usual Arsenal.com are poor. They say Banfield changed the complete team but only listed 10 subs. They also said he made the changes in the 60th minute but didn’t. He did it at half time. Colorado’s site confirms all the information above.
YG
Miquel has made immense strides in arsenal career hasn’t he
He’s still 17-18 and he has played for the reserves and is now in our best 11 for the reserves.
Every former former Barca player has excelled in our academy and I will love to see him in the first team in 2-3 years.
How about Merida??? He’s not involved in anything these days??? There’s been lot of injuries with 1st team midfielders lately, but he has not been needed, not even in the bench??? And he’s not involved with reserves either lately??? What’s his situation, He was doing quite good in reserves and getting some benchtime with 1st team, but now he’s just been vanishing in to the air???
I think Wenger’s just given up on keeping him, hence has not bothered putting him on the bench. Such a shame. I hope I’m wrong mind.
YG
The GK was Emmileas Martinez or
Damián Martínez
Don’t know why they put Emmileas. His full name is Emilano Damian Martinez, but he goes by the name Damian Martinez.
wasn’t he on loan or something.
Is he any good we paid 1.3 million was he worth it
Not on loan, no. It’s a similar arrangement to the Wellington one. We have ownership of him. You can read more about the deal here:
http://younggunsblog.co.uk/2009/11/martinez-speaks-after-important-arsenal-switch/
wow there’s going to be a real tussle for goalkeeping position in the future and I just don’t see Fabianski winning it.
Mannone impressed me especially against Fullham
Wojciech Szczesny looks like he’s ready for the first team and is ready to take the mantle of the best keeper in the world from Casillas or Buffon.
And then we have Shea who is a good keeper but not better than Mannone or Wojciech Szczesny (in talent)
and now Martinez and if wenger was ready to pay 2 million for him then he has to be good if not an outstanding keeper.
J
can you post some videos of Szczesny and Martinez if you can find them
People at Brentford have posted of Tech 9
this is one of the pictures on the posters
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/8930/wojnew595.jpg
wow
YG who do you think will win the race in between Mannone and Szczesny ?
I hope to see both of them either on loan in a Championship or an EPL side or send Fabianski on loan to championship or EPL side and make Mannone as No.2 and Shea or Martinez no.3
I am sure Szczesny wont want to be a reserve keeper he wants to play week in and week out
9 Mar 2010 @ 5:08 pm
comment by James
Fabregas ability to keep this team together is why we didn’t fall apart after the stoke and his commitment to the arsenal cause have been truly exemplary.
I mean 13 goal and 15 assists for midfielder in the EPL is unheard off and he has been affected by hamstring all this time.
Remember the villa game where he blew them apart
Cesc you will always be missed.
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Why are you talking about him as if he’s gone and will not be returning?
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On the subject of this match, it’s no surprse at all that the goal was conceded in the second half while that defense was playing. Now i don’t like slating Arsenal youngsters but Byles, Obed, Boateng and Evina all fail to fill me with much hope for the future and although you can’t just write them off like that it seems unlikely that they’ll warrant a future at Arsnal unless some drastic developments are made.
what I meant was that Fabregas will always be missed in the team if he was ever injured.
I hope he never leaves us, he’s already an arsenal legend if he spends his playing career at arsenal than he will be called Mr. Arsenal like Tony Adams.
Fuck me, did i really spell ‘defence’ like that. Unbelievable.
Great to see “Murphy” back in action even if he had no impact o this game I do like this boy…
he gets injured too much
a lot like Saha
a deadly finisher but very very injury prone
YG any news of Luis Gil
the 16 year old midfielder
Gil signed with MLS
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=744783&sec=mls&cc=5901
why waste his career with MLS
when he could have come to Europe and really become famous
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merida is injured for those who mentioned him slipping away from the bench and the reserves.. and he has yet to sign any extension to his contract which runs out this summer, as of my knowledge.. maybe wenger doesn’t see merida as the future and that i feel is our loss, but IAWWT
I would love to see him sign an extension
he has a flair about him that very few possess and his long shot capability is simply awesome
I think its his agent who’s filling his mind with regular first team football but Merida has to make a smart choice
Okey, thank you for the piece of information about his situation, that makes now more sense about what is happening with him, hope he come back soon and continues right where he left and get the long-term contract with us, like his style and hope to see it more in red and white!!!