You can’t judge a game from a single moment and jump to conclusions, but any good news can lift Elche CF’s spirits as it works to climb out of its difficult situation.
During their most recent friendlies, the team wrapped up the preparation period in the best possible way. The World Cup break paused fixtures briefly, and the club celebrated two victories against Intercity from the first RFEF, 7-0 in each match, followed by a win over Torrellano from the RFEF in a Tercera division clash.
Fans should assess these results with nuance, since both opponents are younger squads. Scoring that many goals is never effortless. The most meaningful sign is that the Elche squad continues to show green shoots under the guidance of their new coach, Pablo Machín. Confidence is growing, and the players are buying into the game plan. Soriano, in particular, is becoming more involved and adapting to Machín’s system, which uses three central defenders and two wide players.
There were two matches played within eight hours, with Machín rotating heavily and deploying two distinct lineups that shared the same tactical philosophy.
Another encouraging development was seeing players previously sidelined return to football. Fidel and Domingos Quina completed the full 90 minutes, Diego González and Tete Morente played around 70 minutes, and it was confirmed that the injury that had kept him out is healing. Those two cannot return yet are still unavailable due to muscle issues; Enzo Roco is not fully recovered from an Achilles problem; and Pol Lirola remains out with a muscle condition.
In the morning session against Intercity, Machín lined up Axel Werner in goal, with Palacios, Verdu, and Bigas forming the central defense, and Josan and Lautaro Blanco on the wings. Raúl Guti, Gumbau, and Álex Collado operated in midfield, while Lucas Boyé and Roger Martí led the attack. The only alteration came when Josan replaced Gumbau in the 75th minute.
Lucas Boyé emerged as a standout, scoring three goals and contributing two assists. Roger Martí added two goals, while Raúl Guti and Palacios also found the net to bolster the team’s scoring prowess.
Elche beat Intercity starring Boyé (7-0)
In the afternoon match against Torrellano, Machín opted for a different XI and rested the morning starters. The goalkeeper was Edgars Badya, with Tete Morente and Nico Fernández operating as wingers for the youth side. Carles Marco, Diego González, and Carlos Clerc took on central duties. Mascarell, Quina, and Fidel occupied the engine room, while Father Milla and Ponce formed the attacking pair.
Machín made further changes, bringing in several domestic players. Alejandro Alfaro came on in the 59th minute, and Carles replaced Marco. Manu Kokka and Paul Philip joined Diego González and Tete Morente to protect the squad from a risk of overuse.
As the afternoon progressed, Boyé and Roger Martínez continued to pace the attack, while Nico Fernández stood out again with a hat trick from his left-back position. Ponce sought to make his mark with a brace, and Pere Milla and Fidel also raised their hands, signaling their willingness to contribute with more goals.
Elche scores seven more goals against Torrellano (7-0)
Pablo Machín is pleased to see the team steadily approaching the level he desires. The next round of the competition will come soon, and the team hopes to translate this momentum into bigger and better results when the calendar resumes.
Roger Martí emphasizes the importance of regaining confidence. “We must feel the challenge ahead and trust in the work we’ve put in over the past weeks. We have embraced the ideas the coach has asked of us, and we are eager to resume competition.”
Roger: “The team is enthusiastic and convinced to turn the situation around Elche”
The Valencia striker assures that the squad is well prepared and hungry to reverse the current run of results. He adds that the team believes in its capability to change the trajectory and looks forward to the next match as the group continues to chase a positive turnaround against the forthcoming challenge.