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Racing Santander 1 Bolton Wanderers 2
By Mark Heys July 17 2007
Bolton Wanderers had to come from behind to defeat Spanish side Racing Santander but two well worked Nicolas Anelka goals ensured that the Trotters made their way through to the final as winners of Group A.

It all looked pretty bleak for Bolton at the Goyang Stadium going into the half time interval after midfielder Gonzalo Colsa Abendea had volleyed the Spaniards into a 26th minute lead but some good wing play on either flank allowed Wanderers record signing Anelka to grab his first goals of the tournament.

Bolton manager Sammy Lee gave starts to Anelka, Ian Walker, Abdoulaye Faye and El-Hadji Diouf with youngsters Danny Guthrie, James Sinclair and Zoltan Harsanyi alsokeeping their places.

The Wanderers had a lot of possession in the opening period but it was Racing who had the better of the chances as was evident within the opening thirty minutes.

On nine minutes however, it was Bolton who forced the first save of the game when Santander keeper Tono Martinez punched away an El-Hadji Diouf corner.

Three minutes later Santander's Oscar Serrano fired high and wide and this kind of effort was repeated by Albenda some moments after much to the delight of the experienced Walker in the Bolton goal.

Winger James Sinclair spurned one of the Wanderers best chances of the half when he fired his powerful drive straight at goalkeeper Martinez and it looked to be costly when the balding Albendea gave Racing the lead on 26 minutes.

A beautifully floated ball in from the left flank was only partially cleared away by the Trotters defence and the one time Athletico Madrid star Albendea smashed the ball home first time leaving Walker and the rest of his Bolton team mates stunned.

On the half hour Racing could have doubled their lead thanks to Jorge Lopez but Walker got down well to deny Santander's newest recruit.

It would be fair to say that chances where few and far between for Bolton in the opening 45 minutes but midfielder Abdoulaye Faye found himself presented with an unlikely opportunity when trying to beat Martinez from range.

The changes made by Wanderers manager Lee at half time paid dividends for the club with the experienced Ivan Campo, Kevin Nolan joining striker Vaz-Te as the newcomers for the second half.

Ten minutes into the closing half Portuguese striker Vaz-Te ballooned a free kick well over the Spaniards crossbar but the 20-year old more than made up for it a few minutes after when laying on the Bolton equaliser for Anelka.

Outsprinting and shrugging off his marker, Vaz-Te stormed down the left hand wing before laying off the ball for his fellow striker Anelka who saw his first chance foiled by the Racing defence.

The undeterred Anelka moved quickly in the melee to poke home the rebound for his first goal in the Peace Cup tournament and that strike effectively killed off any Santander challenge.

His second goal seven minutes later was a goal worthy of winning any football game. Utility player Sinclair wormed his way down the right flank and saw his cross cleared seemingly towards safety only for record signing Anelka to hit a first time volley which eclipsed the earlier effort from Albendea.

Bolton tried to get substitute Vaz-Te involved as much as possible in the opening twenty minutes of the second half and it was his good combination work with Nolan which nearly brought about a third Wanderers goal.

Vaz-Te played through the Trotters skipper but his lob over keeper Martinez was dealt with therefore denying him a third goal in three matches.

This chance was pretty much a collectors item as it was a very rare time in the game when Bolton where not penalised by the Korean officials for offside.

By the closing twenty minutes Santander became tired and frustrated and their frustration could have turned the friendly sour as substitute David Aganzo was warned more than once about his dangerous play.

Goalkeeper Ian Walker, Stelios Giannakopoulos, Lubomir Michalik and Ivan Campo where all the victim of some rather unsporting Santander play late on with manager Sammy Lee having to restrain Campo at the games end.

The 12,000 crowd where not as lively as in the opening two games of the tournament but that will not matter for Bolton who qualify for their second Asian final in three years.

BOLTON WANDERERS: Ian Walker, Nicky Hunt, Abdoulaye Meite (Lubomir Michalik), Gerald Cid, Jlloyd Samuel, Danny Guthrie (Gavin McCann), Abdoulaye Faye (Ivan Campo), James Sinclair (Stelios Giannakopoulos), El-Hadji Diouf (Ricardo Vaz-Te), Zoltan Harsanyi (Kevin Nolan), Nicolas Anelka

Subs Not Used: Jussi Jaaskelainen

RACING SANTANDER: Antonio Rodriguez Martinez, Oriol Lozano Farran, Salas, A.Lopez, Pablo Sierra, Oscar Seranno (Fdez), Juan Jose Exposito Ruiz, Albendea (Caro), Pedro Muntinis Alvarez (David Aganzo Mendez), Trueba (Pablo Ibanez),  L.Lopez (Agueras)

Subs Not Used: Cuesta, Ferriera, Ayoze Diaz, Palacios

Referee:

Chong Myung Young

Attendance:

12,007

Booked:

Michalik (Bolton)

 

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