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The Rayo mediapunta, the forgotten goalscoring machine, and troubling Vallecas news (6th April, 2017)

In Rayo's attack, a dizzying array of white and red, it is typically the player who plays "in the hole" who ends up scoring most of the goals, often playing as a deep striker.

In modern times, Emiliano Armenteros will be credited as the first to perform admirably well at this role. His 20 goals in the 2010-11 season proved critical to Rayo's promotion to La Liga. The next season, it was Michu (15 goals). The season after, it was Piti (18) and for another two seasons it was Alberto Bueno (11 and then 17). 

And while And while Michu, Piti and Bueno were already Segunda caliber players, immediately making an impact on La Liga outfit (Rayo), it was Emilio's story that really stood out.

Emilio Armenteros, after having played as a starter from ages 19 to 21 at Independiente, was signed by Sevilla but largely played for the reserves. At 23, in 2009, Armenteros moved to Xerez on loan but only played 1560 minutes as the Andalucians were relegated. He would then move to Segunda outfit Rayo in a highlight season, scoring 20 goals. Even six months at Sevilla, six months in another loan stint at Rayo, and two years at Osasuna failed to bring the spark back. In 2014 he moved from Navarre to Mexico, signing with Chiapas, but after two seasons is now on loan to Santos Laguna.



David Aganzo was one of many players who directly confronted Martín Presa in 2011. He had not been paid for fourteen months, Rayo had just returned to La Liga, and he was being offered 70% less than promised.

He was blunt in his interviews, angry with his situation and left Vallekas, but his sporting achievements must not be overlooked. His physical problems and excessive temperament plagued him at Rayo but he still managed to score more goals per 90 minutes, and sometimes more goals overall, than any other player. In fact, out of 114 league games, he was eligible for just 64, with 50 games lost due to injuries and suspensions.

A Real Madrid graduate, David would spend four consecutive loan spells at CF Extremadura, RCD Espanyol, Real Valladolid and Levante UD before joining La Liga outfit Racing Santander where three seasons, including a loan spell in Isreal at Beitar Jerusalem, yielded few opportunities. He would drop down a division, signing for Alavés, and having a breakout season. He scored 11 goals in 37 league games, but financial problems meant he was released and signed for Rayo in 2008 at the age of 27.

He played 1908 minutes in his first season, rotating with Sergio Pachón and despite playing less minutes was top scorer with 12 goals in 30 games. However, disciplinary problems, which had led to 15 yellow cards and a red at his previous club, never went away - he picked up another 11 yellows and another red. Moreover, he would complete on eight of the 24 matches he started, with six further substitute appearances.

But it was his second season in which he really surprised - injuries meant he played just 19 games and completed just two of them, had nine substitutes appearances and still scored nine goals in 913 minutes of football. He still managed to pick up five yellow cards though.

In the final season, disciplinary problems and injuries took surface once again, and he scored seven goals in 23 games. He started 18 of them, and yet finished only two; he picked up seven yellows and a red; and 1472 minutes of football later he was gone from Rayo at 30 years old.

A failed stint at Hércules, two seasons in Greece and another season at Lugo failed to reap many goals, and he retired at 33. He is now the technical secretary of the AFE



In other news, something that was ridiculous for once did not happen. Day before yesterday, Ahora Madrid withdrew the motion to declare Tebas as persona non grata in Puente de Vallecas, something I wrote about before (click here), just one day before it was supposed to be discussed.

Not like there needs to be an official record of it - Tebas has been unofficially persona non grata for a long time at Vallekas - both of them*.

Speaking of Vallecas, Miguel and Dara were placed on house arrest. They lost their jobs, squatted a house and couldn't pay the 540 euro fine, which is why they were placed on house arrest. They can't take their three-year-old son to school, they can't buy food and they had to evacuate the house and take away the few belongings with which they arrived when the sentence ends on April 5 at midnight. Yes, that was yesterday.

Every day, every other hour, a couple of municipal agents arrive at the house and make them sign. If they were not there, they would incur a felony offense. Dara's mother is helping out with the food and taking the son to school, but there are days when that sort of help isn't available.

Read more here.

*Vallecas is made up of two districts, Puente de Vallecas and Villa de Vallecas.

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