MATCH THREAD ' SPARTA ROTTERDAM v CARDIFF CITY ' MATCH THREA

Cardiff City Pre-season Friendlies

Sparta Rotterdam v Cardiff City
Friday, July 24, 5.00PM Local Time
This game will be played behind closed doors

The venue has been changed 3 times so no fans can attend it

City have no injury worries

Untitled2.png

Latest News

City will once again field a strong team

The second of Cardiff's two friendlies in Holland will be against Sparta Rotterdam on Friday 24th July.

This game will not be open to the Dutch public or any travelling fans as part of an agreement with the clubs and authorities.

The game against Rotterdam follows Cardiff's match against Isreali side Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona FC where the Bluebirds won 2-0.

Possible Lineups

Cardiff City

Simon Moore
Lee Pelter
Bruno Manga
Matt Connolly
Fabio
Craig Noone
Peter Whittingham
Aron Gunnarsson
Joe Ralls
Alex Revell
Joe Mason.


Last Friendly

Result: Cardiff City 2-0 Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona

The Bluebirds continued their unbeaten pre-season with a 2-0 victory over Israeli Premier League side, Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona.

The two sides met in the Dutch town of Putten, approximately an hour’s drive from the Netherlands capital, Amsterdam. In fine conditions, the game began at a raging tempo, with strong tackling from the Israelis firing up Russell Slade’s men and setting the tone for the game.

Despite initial penetration from Shmona, the Bluebirds soon settled into their own rhythm. In the 18th minute they took the lead – Craig Noone whipping in a second ball from an initial clearance, to find Bruno Manga at the far post. With time in his favour, the centre half composed himself before firing into the roof of the net.

City may have doubled their lead sooner having broken the Shmona defence on a number of occasions. But the deserved second goal finally came in the 84th minute, as Anthony Pilkington powered home a free header on the far post following excellent wing play from Scott Malone.


The Opposition

Sparta Rotterdam is a Dutch professional football club based in Rotterdam. Established on 1 April 1888, Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands. Sparta plays in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch professional football. The club is one of three professional football clubs from Rotterdam, the others being Excelsior (est. 1902) and Feyenoord (1908).


On 1 April 1888 several students from Rotterdam founded a cricket club called Sparta. In July 1888, a football branch of the club was established. In 1890 Sparta played its first real football match, and in 1892 Sparta disbanded the cricket branch. Sparta was promoted to the highest league of Dutch football on 23 April 1893. In 1897, Sparta withdrew from the competition after continuous dubious arbitration of Sparta matches. However, the club continued to exist, and in 1899, the board of Sparta visited a match of Sunderland A.F.C. Impressed with the red-white jersey of the English club, the board decided that Sunderland's colours (red-white striped jersey, black shorts) would henceforth be the colours of Sparta.

In 1905, Sparta initiated and organised the first home match of the Dutch national team, against Belgium. The match, won 4–0 by the Netherlands, was a rematch of a game two weeks prior, when the Netherlands beat Belgium 4–1 in Antwerp, Belgium.

The first match at Sparta's new stadium, Het Kasteel (The Castle), in the Spangen area of west Rotterdam, was played on 14 October 1916. The stadium was renovated in 1999 and is still Sparta's stadium.

Until the 2002–03 season Sparta Rotterdam had always played at the highest level, but they were relegated from the top-level Eredivisie in 2002. Sparta returned to the Eredivisie for the 2005–06 season. They were relegated again in 2010. On 20 August 2010 they equalled Ajax's and Heracles Almelo's Dutch league record win when they defeated Almere City FC 12–1[1] with Johan Voskamp scoring an Eerste Divisie record 8 goals on his debut.

Sparta has won six national titles (1909, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1915 and 1959) and three national cups (1958, 1962 and 1966).


Preseason Results

WED 15 JUL Forest Green Rovers Friendly Att. 1,125 (409) A 1 - 1 D
SAT 18 JUL Shrewsbury Town Friendly Att. 2,446 (782) A 2 - 2 D
TUE 21 JUL Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona Friendly Att. TBC N 2 - 0 W


Upcoming Friendly Matches

Tuesday, July 28: Watford (H). KO 7.45pm
Friday, July 31: Bournemouth (A), KO 7.45pm

Guess the Score

Post your predicted scoreline below. Unfortunately the game will be played behind closed doors, so no attendances this time!

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

2-0 city

Going to be a lot tougher than the other friendly games

2-1 win for City.

Nice! Who scored?

Carlton Cole and Andy Keogh!

Carlton Cole and Andy Keogh!

Dirk Kuyt with the assists?

Is that their real badge? Looks like its been done on ms paint.

Is that their real badge? Looks like its been done on ms paint.

I think that is quite a nice badge actually reminds me a bit of the Ajax one.

City fans in in Holland

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

" 30 CARDIFF CITY FANS "
Link
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=160600

Manga being stretchered off

Manga being stretchered off

???????

City are currently playing Sparta Rotterdam in the Netherlands. It’s 0-0 at half time.

Is Manga ok?

Is Manga ok?

Still waiting to hear

1-0 Pilkington

I'm looking forward to Pilkington this season, I always rated him but he wasn't at his peak when fit last year. Looking sharp in pre-season though, so hopefully he will be very good this year.

Kadeem Harris on

Macheda sent off 90 minutes

City won 1 nil Pilkinghtn

1-0 Pilkington

What can I say? He is a God. Easy choice when it came to 'adopting' a City player on here
25 yarder 1st time apparently too!

City won 1 nil Pilkinghtn

Good result - shame about Manga though

Good result Pilks is on fire Im sure he will bring it into the season and I hope Manga recovers quickly.

Good result Pilks is on fire Im sure he will bring it into the season and I hope Manga recovers quickly.

His goal against the Israeli team was also a great team goal as well

Good that Pilks scored, bricking it about Manga though!

Good that Pilks scored, bricking it about Manga though!

Good result Pilks is on fire Im sure he will bring it into the season and I hope Manga recovers quickly.

Lee peltier didn't play, his wife has gone into labour and he's flown back to Liverpool