Planet Swans ArchivesThere are nights when everything goes your way and from the moment the referee sent off the Valencia defender with less than 10 minutes on the clock this was always going to be one of them for us. We had already started well by that point but with a man advantage our passing game was always likely to be too much for a Valencia team which is in disarray but that should take nothing away from the comprehensiveness of a Swans victory.
Goals from Wilfried Bony and Michu were simply the prelude for a Jonathan De Guzman free kick that even from the gods we had been sat (stood) in we could see was going to hit the back of the net from the moment it left his boot.
They were just the goals that the Swans scored but such was the style in which we completed the rout we had 19 shots on goal with 9 of them on target and 65% possession to boot against a side that a few short years back we would have dreamed of even playing let alone humiliating.
To a man the Swans were magnificent tonight and they were cheered on by thousands of travelling Jacks who had been noisy and good humoured from the late morning as they congregated in the Cathedral square area of the city to enjoy the sub and the build up to the game.
The long walk up to take our seats before the game did little to dampen our spirits and the Swans did not let those good spirits go to waste as they dominated from the first minute of the game. You could argue that the sending off made it easier for the Swans (which of course it did) but when Bony had turned the defender so well there seemed little option for the referee other than to produce the red card which he duly did. I guess there would be an argument that said he was quite some way from goal but Bony was through the middle by this point so it was not a surprise to see the hosts reduced on numbers,
Bony was a danger throughout and he got the Swans first goal when he fired home after good work in the area to send the travelling Jacks wild with celebration and draw the first frustrations from the home crowd. Those frustrations lasted into the second half when a small area of the support emptied as the second half started and left their stand for the first ten minutes of the second half. The good news for them was that they returned just in time to see Michu slam home the second after being put through on goal. At times like that the phrase ‘you’re only here to watch the Swans’ never seemed more apt.
Two became three with De Guzman’s perfect free kick that we should watch time and time again for the majesty it contained and that allowed us the luxury to make tactical substitutions with Sunday;s match at Crystal Palace in mind.
We had more chances and we missed some great opportunities but if I’m being honest right now I really don’t care as this was Swansea at their best and we are well on the way to further progression in Europe as this dream just gets better and better.
Tonight ladies and gentlemen Swansea City really arrived on the European stage and I am so proud I was there to see it and enjoy another part of this remarkable story being writte.
Swansea City – the pride of Wales!
