An amazing draw in the Copa Del Rey has meant the best Three Kings' gift for thousands of Canarians, a local derby between Tenerife and Gran Canaria, the clash of eternal enemies. A draw that decided that today, January 7th, would be the perfect time to tease and banter with your neighbours from the opposite island, always with sportsmanship and a healthy rivalry in mind.
The Canary Derby is always a heated and intriguing match, regardless of which division the two clubs are in, and today will be no different in the Copa del Rey, Spain’s equivalent of the F.A. Cup.
CD Tenerife v UD Las Palmas is a match that brings back memories of the humiliation the yellow team suffered in their last visit to the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium, with Enric Gallego in stellar form. Numerous incentives surround this new regional rivalry showdown with a single objective: advancing past the Round of 16 in the knockout competition
It wasn't expected that the two teams would meet this season after the yellow team's promotion to La Liga, but they are destined to always keep an eye on each other. The category difference ensures that the clash takes place at a packed Heliodoro in the first match of 2024.
CD Tenerife will arrive well-rested for the encounter, unlike their rivals. The white-and-blue team returned from the Christmas break last Tuesday solely focused on defeating the yellows, whereas Las Palmas had an extra match against the mighty Barcelona.
They endured significant physical and mental exhaustion last Thursday against the current league champions, who secured a narrow 2-1 victory, via a penalty in injury time. Meanwhile, Tenerife had more time to concentrate on what will be their first official match of the new year.
A clash for which Asier Garitano regains key players. The Basque coach will have some previously injured players available, such as Mellot, José León, or Enric Gallego. However, Waldo Rubio isn’t available yet. On the other hand, there are doubts about Mo Dauda due to muscle strain, and Álvaro Jiménez, the first January transfer, may not be eligible yet. The Cordovan might miss the chance to reunite with the team he celebrated promotion with last season.
There’s worse news for Xavi García Pimienta’s Las Palmas team, the game against Barcelona will force him to start less regular players. He said, “There are no excuses, the team will arrive at the match in good condition and ready to fight to advance past this round."
For tonight, he won't have defenders Marvin Park and Eric Curbelo due to injury, while Dutchman Sinkgraven is doubtful due to a flu-like illness. Playing in defence will be a Tenerife native, Juanma Herzog, with Saúl Coco already joining Equatorial Guinea's national team for the Africa Cup.
Other key players in their usual starting eleven, such as forwards Munir El Haddadi and Sandro Ramírez, will be available, although they may not start, unlike Mexican Julián Araujo, who couldn't play against Barcelona as he is on loan from the Catalan team, so he'll regain his usual position as a right-back.
There are still a few tickets available for tonight's derby match between CD Tenerife and UD Las Palmas. The ticket booths continued selling tickets yesterday, but they have not yet run out. The club have informed that this morning from 10:00am, tickets will be available again. There are less than 200 available for Tribune (Upper, Lower, and children), San Sebastián (Lower and children), and Herradura Baja (children) stands.
There will be a light show before the match and the centennial anthem will be sung a cappella, with the lyrics projected on the scoreboard, and a scarf-waving involving all fans. The club are encouraging all supporters to participate in this moment via social media.
From 5:00pm to 8:00pm, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Council has organized a Fan Zone in Plaza José Antonio Barrios. It will feature inflatables, a video game area, food trucks, DJs, foosball, and musical performances. Activities such as face painting, a photo booth area, PlayStation games, and traditional games like "Guess Who," "Parcheesi," "Battleship," and "GoliGol" are also planned. There will also be a stage where prominent artists like Renzzo El Selector, one of the most popular DJs, and singer Caco Senante, the city's favourite son, among others, will perform.
Zaida González, in charge of Health-La Salle, highlighted, "This Fan Zone will coincide with the finals of the Christmas Junior Tournament at the Quico Cabrera Pavilion, scheduled until 3:00pm, and also with a women's volleyball match of Santa Cruz Cuesta Piedra in the afternoon. This ensures a day full of sports and fun activities."
