Watford win 3-0 in La Manga friendly (From Watford Observer)
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Troy Deeney, Jonathan Hogg and Geoffrey Mujangi Bia score as Watford beat Shanghai East Asia in friendly in La Manga
3:23pm Wednesday 23rd January 2013 in Watford FC News
Almen Abdi in action today
Watford have today beaten Shanghai East Asia 3-0 in a friendly as part of the club's warm-weather training camp in Spain.
Troy Deeney, Jonathan Hogg and Geoffrey Mujangi Bia all scored against Shanghai East, who were recently promoted to the Chinese Super League for the first time.
Shanghai were awarded a penalty around a quarter-of-an-hour into the contest but struck the post with their spot kick.
Watford started to take control as the half wore on and took the lead five minutes before the break through Deeney's powerful header.
There were wholesale changes at the break and the Hornets were dominant during the second period.
The lead was doubled when a goal-mouth scramble ended with the ball being bundled into the net by Jonathan Hogg.
Watford hit the bar and missed three good opportunities before Mujangi Bia rounded off the victory in the final minute with a neat finish.
Fitz Hall was among those who played and Daniel Pudil also featured after missing Saturday's match due to his son's illness.
The Hornets travelled to the five-star La Manga Club, in Murcia, on Monday for a four-day break ahead of their clash with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground due to the poor weather conditions in Hertfordshire.
Watford's touring party consisted of around 40 players and coaches and they are expected to return to England on Thursday.
The Hornets are the latest professional football club to have utilised the training facilities at La Manga Club. More than 60 professional football sides from 20 different countries are expected to visit the luxury Spanish resort before the end of March.
German champions Borussia Dortmund held a seven-day training camp at the resort at the start of the year and Shakhtar Donetsk, their opponents in the last 16 of the Champions League, will follow in their path later this month, with the runaway Ukrainian league leaders set to take part in the Copa del Sol tournament against five other teams as part of their preparations.
International tournaments for men and women, ranging from under-17 to under-23, will see sides representing 16 nations visit the resort, and other top European clubs including CSKA Moscow, FC Copenhagen and reigning Danish champions Nordsjaelland are also set take part in other competitions.
As well as first-class football training facilities – including eight international standard grass pitches – La Manga Club boasts a fully-equipped gym and indoor swimming pool and a rooms and spaces to cater for tactical meetings and private team dining.
Set in 1,400 acres, the venue also has three 18-hole championship golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre and a 2,000sqm spa and fitness centre.
Comments(20)
akureyri
says...
3:59pm Wed 23 Jan 13
Holly68
says...
5:25pm Wed 23 Jan 13
AndyHandShandy
says...
5:36pm Wed 23 Jan 13
stevyweavy
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5:52pm Wed 23 Jan 13
lutondown
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5:56pm Wed 23 Jan 13
Holly68 wrote:Complicated!
Line Ups ????
Eastsussexhornet
says...
6:13pm Wed 23 Jan 13
AndyHandShandy wrote:Quite. I won't comment on him any more as it gets me into trouble. I'm sure there's a joke about Bamboo Shoots here somewhere....
Hogg scored and we all missed it! Oh well, proves he can do it!
jasonwatford
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7:13pm Wed 23 Jan 13
lutondown
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7:15pm Wed 23 Jan 13
jasonwatford wrote:When he come back from injury and was off the boil, all I heard was people moan about him, cue four or five goals later, the whole side malfunctions without him! Fickle fans
vydra didnt score ??? sell him hes rubbish.....
sueinspain
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7:27pm Wed 23 Jan 13
stevyweavy wrote:I thought it was Forestieri who scored, but difficult to see as so mant players in the 6 yard box at the time.
Really good that all the squad are getting the opportunity for additional playing time. These extra arranged matches are keeping the squad players sharp and so when they get their first team opportunities they are able to hit the ground running.
I spoke to a Borussia Dortmund scout at half time!! said he wasn`t scouting this match though! after I gave him my evil look, just taking the opportunity to watch a late scheduled match.
miked2006
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7:27pm Wed 23 Jan 13
lutondown wrote:How much did La Manga pay you for the advertisement??
jasonwatford wrote:When he come back from injury and was off the boil, all I heard was people moan about him, cue four or five goals later, the whole side malfunctions without him! Fickle fans
vydra didnt score ??? sell him hes rubbish.....
I would like to find out whether Bia played at wing back and how well he did, but I will probably have to book a room first.
To be fair my friend has a house out there and it is great, if you want to be in a safe, hot town, consisting entirely of middle-class Brits (in the middle of Spain).
miked2006
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7:28pm Wed 23 Jan 13
DouglasRinaldi the better Brazilian
says...
7:32pm Wed 23 Jan 13
lutondown
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7:34pm Wed 23 Jan 13
miked2006 wrote:So that's where the Brits live now?
lutondown wrote:How much did La Manga pay you for the advertisement??
jasonwatford wrote:When he come back from injury and was off the boil, all I heard was people moan about him, cue four or five goals later, the whole side malfunctions without him! Fickle fans
vydra didnt score ??? sell him hes rubbish.....
I would like to find out whether Bia played at wing back and how well he did, but I will probably have to book a room first.
To be fair my friend has a house out there and it is great, if you want to be in a safe, hot town, consisting entirely of middle-class Brits (in the middle of Spain).
Bringe
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8:50pm Wed 23 Jan 13
bet Gianfranco was out on the golf course, if he keeps practising he might be as good as me one day :D
Sammy Chung
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9:13pm Wed 23 Jan 13
KeithMercer
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9:30pm Wed 23 Jan 13
Sammy Chung wrote:dont give up the day job Sammy!
After playing us Chinese, I hope they ate a nice QUARTER_PANDA.
Roger Joslyn
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10:05pm Wed 23 Jan 13
Harry's Bar
says...
10:22am Thu 24 Jan 13
lutondown wrote:It's like a home counties golf & country club built on scrubland, basically in the middle of nowhere. Amazing what a decent bit of weather can do.
miked2006 wrote:So that's where the Brits live now?lutondown wrote:How much did La Manga pay you for the advertisement?? I would like to find out whether Bia played at wing back and how well he did, but I will probably have to book a room first. To be fair my friend has a house out there and it is great, if you want to be in a safe, hot town, consisting entirely of middle-class Brits (in the middle of Spain).jasonwatford wrote: vydra didnt score ??? sell him hes rubbish.....When he come back from injury and was off the boil, all I heard was people moan about him, cue four or five goals later, the whole side malfunctions without him! Fickle fans
lutondown
says...
10:28am Thu 24 Jan 13
Harry's Bar wrote:Sounds idyllic!
lutondown wrote:It's like a home counties golf & country club built on scrubland, basically in the middle of nowhere. Amazing what a decent bit of weather can do.
miked2006 wrote:So that's where the Brits live now?lutondown wrote:How much did La Manga pay you for the advertisement?? I would like to find out whether Bia played at wing back and how well he did, but I will probably have to book a room first. To be fair my friend has a house out there and it is great, if you want to be in a safe, hot town, consisting entirely of middle-class Brits (in the middle of Spain).jasonwatford wrote: vydra didnt score ??? sell him hes rubbish.....When he come back from injury and was off the boil, all I heard was people moan about him, cue four or five goals later, the whole side malfunctions without him! Fickle fans
Mohandas says...
3:51pm Wed 23 Jan 13