With a nickname like “The Yellow Submarine,” one would assume that Villarreal would be receiving more attention across the world for their feats in Spain’s La Liga. However, in the world of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, not to mention Valencia and Sevilla, catching the eye of neutrals and media is a tough task but if there’s one club that should be an outsider’s sweetheart it should be Villarreal.
If the topic of Villarreal was broached a decade ago, conversation would likely circle around the club’s run into the semifinals of the Champions League where they lost a tightly contested 1-0 aggregate to Arsenal. The club was a known commodity thanks to its regular finishes in the top third of the league table (no finishes lower than seventh place from 2003-2011), even finishing as the league runner-up in 2007-2008. For a side which is housed in a 25,000 seat stadium (El Madrigal) and has only played in the Primera Division since the 1998-1999 season, these results were as impressive as it gets.
However, calamity befell on the club in the 2011-2012 season as they finished in 18th place, one point behind safety and now facing life in the Segunda Division. Despite having a talented squad, they couldn’t overcome the transfer of midfield maestro Santi Cazorla and a series of one goal losses followed. To make matters worse, newly appointed manager Manuel Preciado was hired the following summer only to die the same day of his appointment due to a heart attack. The Yellow Submarine, for lack of a better term, was sinking.
What followed was truly an impressive feat given the tragedy of the summer. Following the passing of Preciado, Villarreal hired B team manager Julio Velázquez but his term was short as he was replaced by current manager Marcelino Garcia Toral in January 2013. Promotion back into the Primera followed and then a rapid rise up the standings in the 2013-2014 season as Villarreal finished in sixth place, qualifying for the Europa League only one season after relegation. While many expected Villarreal to be promoted back into the Primera right away given their talent, keeping the players motivated enough to do so against much weaker sides is an accomplishment on its own, not to mention guiding the club to sixth place as soon as they were back in the top flight again. Now, Villarreal is a legitimate threat to make the top-4 and securing a trip into the Champions League or, at worst, qualify for the Europa League where many see them as a serious threat to win it all.
Villarreal does not have the financial clout of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Valencia, but what it does have is shrewd ownership and one of the league’s best managers in Marcelino. When one thinks of Villarreal, naturally they think of an exciting attacking verve but the club has done a good job in assembling a strong defense which is on par with both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in goals conceded this term.
Sergio Asensio, he of the having lost his spot at Atletico Madrid to a young David De Gea, tends the net and has been in fine form playing behind a back line containing highly-rated Mateo Musacchio (linked in the past with Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United) and Victor Ruiz. While the club did sell strong centerback Gabriel Paulista to Arsenal for a good sum, they replaced him with Eric Bailly, an Ivorian centerback whose potential rivals any defender currently on the squad. Ruiz provides the veteran positional awareness while Musacchio is the defensive playmaker. On either side of these two sit Jaume Costa and Mario Gaspar, players who aren’t flashy but who are more than reliable. Of note is Mario’s combined five plus tackles and interceptions per game, impressive numbers for a fullback on an offensively-oriented club.
The midfield is undoubtedly anchored by Bruno Soriano. The team’s captain and veteran of over 300 matches at the club, Bruno provides a bit of everything for Villarreal. From a combined rate of over five tackles and interceptions, to running the offense, to being a veteran leader on a relatively young squad, Bruno has seen it all for Villarreal. Unfortunately for him and the club, he suffered a fractured tibula in the first leg of the Copa Del Rey against Barcelona which will keep him out until mid-April and the team has already suffered for it with a loss following the Barca match. His partner in the midfield is Manu Trigueros, a 23-year-old who rose through the Villarreal youth ranks. A good shot taker, Trigueros is the primary option alongside Soriano but Marcelino has at time opted for Tomás Pina in his place against the bigger sides.
The star unit of Villarreal, though, is the attack. The team’s dominant playmaker this season has been Denis Cheryshev, the on loan winger from Real Madrid who, barring injuries, will easily register double digit assists in his first year at the club. His ball dominance on the counterattack is drawing attention from his parent club and a return to the Spanish giants should not be ruled out as he’s been integral to Villarreal’s attack. His counterpart on the opposite side of the pitch is Jonathan dos Santos, younger brother of Giovani who also plays at the club. Jonathan plays out wide but as he’s not naturally a winger he generally moves inside and allows Mario to move up from behind him or interchanges with either another midfielder or a striker. Moi Gómez is a midfielder youngster to watch as he’s only 20 but already has four goals and assists to his name this season and has been a regular first-team player the last three seasons despite his age. Expect big things from him once more consistent starting minutes become available.
Regarding the strikers, Villarreal is blessed with having one of the world’s best young ones on their hands in the form of Luciano Vietto. The 21-year-old arrived for a reasonable sum of 8.5 million Euros last summer and has immediately made an impact as he already has 10 goals to his name, including the game winner against Atletico Madrid which showed composure and form beyond his years. Energetic, active and tenacious, it’s easy to see where comparisons to countrymen Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez come from. He’s happy at Villarreal for now, but it’s not difficult to imagine one of Europe’s bigger clubs making an offer for him should this form continue. His partner in action is veteran Ikechukwu Uche, a solid is unspectacular player who can provide a goal now and then but not much else. The more complete assistant for Vietto, however, has been Giovani dos Santos, less of a scorer but much more of a playmaker comfortable with the ball. His scoring form has taken a dip this season but he’s more than capable of providing double digit goal and assist numbers when on form (such as last season where his total goal output was 20).
Depth options include Giovani, Antonio Rukavina at right back, Gerard Moreno at striker (three goals and two assists in limited minutes), Gómez and Pina in central midfield to occasionally partner with Bruno.
In terms of shape, Marcelino has opted for a 4-4-2 which is not only defensively airtight thanks to a disciplined back four and hard-working midfielders, but also provides enough width on the counterattack, namely through Cheryshev’s control and the pace of the forwards. The offense is one of the most potent counterattacking units in the league as only Real Madrid have scored more goals on the counter while the team as a whole sits fourth in the league in terms of shot generation. With a mix of Atletico’s defense with Real’s offense, it’s no surprise that Marcelino is rapidly rising name in job opening discussions at bigger clubs.
Villarreal will likely finish no better than fourth place in the league in the foreseeable future. They’re highly unlikely to win the Champions League with the way the format favors the superclubs. They won’t be attracting any massive names through frivolous spending. However, that shouldn’t be a deterrent for neutrals who are looking for a Liga club to support that isn’t one of the big three. Hard-working, smart-spending and full of stylish play, Villarreal has shown that the relegation they faced in 2012 was only a temporary bump in the road on the way to building a special project stocked with promising young players. One can only hope that this project will stay for good and build upon this season’s success. So far, all signs point to a yes.
