FRIENDLY MATCH
SATURDAY 16TH JULY, 2022
(8pm local time – 12 noon BST)
(at Suwon Stadium)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1(0) SEVILLA 1(0)
Spurs scorer:-
Kane, 50
Sevilla scorer:-
Rakitic, 64
Attendance:- 43,998
Referee:- Ko Hyung-jin
Teams:-
Spurs (3-4-3):- Lloris (Capt.) (sub Austin, 71); Romero (sub Tanganga, 46), Dier, Sanchez (sub Davies, 46) (sub Fagan-Walcott, 85); Lucas Moura (sub Royal,46), Hojbjerg (sub Sarr, 71), Skipp (sub Bentancur,46), Sessegnon (sub Doherty, 46); Richarlison (sub Kulesevski,46), Kane (sub Parrott, 71), Son (sub Gil, 71)
Subs not used:- Keeley; Sayers; White, Perisic
No bookings
Sevilla (4-1-2-3):- Dmitrovic (sub Flores,46); Montiel (sub Jesus Navas, 46), Rekik (sub Salas,46), Carmona (sub Gudelj, 60), Acuna (sub Perez,46) (sub Sanchez, 85); Fernando (Capt.) (sub Rakitic,46); Gomez (sub Torres,46), Jordan (sub Ortiz,46) (sub Quintana, 82); Lamela (sub Cruz,46) (sub El-Haddadi,70), Rafa Mir (sub Romero, 46), Ocampos (sub Corona, 46)
Sub not used:- Herzig
No bookings
Spurs draw against tough opponents
In similar humid conditions, but in a different venue, Spurs faced tougher opposition and, in the end, did well to come out of the game with a draw. Sevilla are European veterans and potential Champions League opponents in the forthcoming season. Their starting line-up included former Spur Erik Lamela, who hit the post in the first half, and their first half captain was former Manchester City man Francisco Fernando who left for Turkey in 2017 before a transfer to Sevilla. Another former City man Jesus Navas was in the second half team, offering our left side defence a challenge. Another very well-known name – Croatian Ivan Ratikic – once of Barcelona, played in the second half and scored a good goal to equalise an earlier strike by Harry Kane.
Once again, Ivan Perisic was named as a Spurs substitute, but made no appearance. Forster and Bissouma were absent and (presumably) still ill. Lucas Moura played at right wing-back with Richarlison ahead of him, playing to the right of Kane, flanked on the other side by local idol Son Heung-min. The local fans, numbering 43,998 favoured Spurs, who kicked off.
The game was played at a slower pace than that against Team K League, and Sevilla (playing their first pre-season game) offered tougher opposition, both in terms of physicality and skill, with more threat on the Spurs goal in the early stages. The Spanish side won an early free kick after a challenge by Richarlison. Acuna’s kick from the left side was headed over by Carmona.
Spurs’ first threat of note came after 12 minutes following good skill and running by Lucas Moura, who sent Richarlison forward with a pass. Richarlison’s cross was not met by Sessegnon on the far side of goal. Lamela was crowded out by his old team around and just inside the Spurs box when Erik should have passed earlier. The defence cleared.
Oliver Skipp played to the left of Hojbjerg and when he fed ball to Son, an initial cross was blocked and when the ball found its way back to “Sonny” he hit a shot well past the far post across goal. Dmitrovic was out fast to boot clear from the advancing Son after Richarlison had tried to release him with a quick ball.
Acuna and Papa Gomez tended to stand over Sevilla’s attacking free kicks. Son and Skipp combined before a Lucas Moura cross was easily collected by the keeper. Harry Kane hit the net with an excellent 25-yard shot after 25 minutes, but he had been flagged offside. A rebound pass by Hojbjerg had provided the opportunity.
Hugo Lloris got a fingertip touch to a shot by Gomez, following a quick and incisive attack in which Lamela offered the final pass.
After a drinks break, Son met a cross by Ryan Sessegnon with a decent header which was held by Dmitrovic. Skipp persisted and cleared off Lamela’s feet inside the Spurs area, conceding a corner. After the next attack Lamela hit the outside of Lloris’s right post with a 20-yard shot.
Hojbjerg overhit a pass intended for Kane which was picked by the keeper. A two-pronged attack featuring Kane and Lucas Moura was broken up, and striker Rafa Mir fired wide after a poor ball by Hojbjerg at the back. A Lamela cross from the right passed safely across the Spurs area.
Montiel came off worst in a challenge upon Son and needed treatment for a facial wound. Another error by Hojbjerg led to a chance for Gomez, thankfully spurned.
Spurs made five half-time changes whilst Sevilla changed all but one of their players! Within two minutes Kane released Son who fed the ballot Kulusevski to the right of the box. Kulusevski scuffed his shot. Spurs went ahead with an excellent goal. Following good work by Bentancur and a pass to Son on the edge of the area towards the left, “Sonny” deceived defenders with a twist and a turn before feeding the ball to Harry Kane who made no mistake with a left foot shot.
Hojbjerg’s ball to Royal was cut back for Son, but he fired well over the target. Ratikic had a shot go wide at the other end.
Spurs had been pressurised throughout the game when playing out from the back, and at times they were not clearing the ball well. Substitute Perez failed to take advantage of one such chance offered. Pedro Ortiz also had a shot off target after another Spurs effort to break out of defence failed. It was no surprise when Ratikic did equalise from 22 yards with an excellent shot after a cross from the right and a short pass by Cruz.
Kulusevski had a left foot shot pass just over the far post. This effort was similar to his super end of season goal at Norwich. More changes followed, and the Spurs side was weakened with Lloris, Son and Kane leaving the field.
Kulusevski had another shot blocked at the expense of a corner. Ben Davies ultimately had to go off after what appeared to be a clash of heads but may also have been a bad fall late in the game. 21-year-old Sevilla striker Ivan Romero hit a right foot shot wide from a good position.
Pape Matar Sarr tried a right footed shot from distance in added time, and Eric Dier (who played the full 90 minutes), made a couple of very good defensive interventions, as Spurs held on to the draw.
Spurs return home tomorrow and their next friendly game is next Saturday – away to Glasgow Rangers!
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