Güímar’s Goal‑Fest Turns Hortaleza Into a Spectacle‑School

The Copa del Rey tie turned into a six‑goal thriller that left both benches reaching for the smelling salts. Atlético Unión Güímar and Sporting Hortaleza exchanged blows like two heavyweight boxers who forgot the rules and kept trading knock‑outs. In the end, the referee’s whistle sounded the same for both sides: a draw, and a night that will haunt the tables for weeks.

Atlético’s frontman Carlos Méndez was the first to light the fuse, slipping a low‑driven finish into the bottom corner in the 12th minute. The move set the tone: a side that would never stop looking for the back of the net. Méndez’s restless runs and crisp finishing earned him an 8.2 – the highest grade of the night.

Sporting Hortaleza answered with a clinical strike from their midfield maestro Luis Fernández, who collected the ball on the half‑line, turned inside‑out and curled a beauty past Güímar’s keeper Diego Ramos. Fernández’s vision and composure deserved an 8.5, the only double‑digit rating on the sheet.

The pendulum swung wildly. Güímar’s second goal came from a set‑piece, the header of centre‑back Jorge Alvarez, who also cleared a late danger. Alvarez’s aerial dominance merited a solid 7.8. Hortaleza, refusing to be a one‑man show, saw winger Marco Silva slice through the defense and slot home a low drive, a move that earned him a 7.6.

Both goalkeepers had a night of mixed fortunes. Diego Ramos, despite the early concession, produced a reflex save from Fernández’s second effort and kept the scoreline respectable – 7.4. Hortaleza’s keeper, Álvaro Pérez, was equally busy, punching away a cross and diving for a late equaliser, but a mis‑judged foot‑work left him a 7.2.

Tactically, the game was a lesson in why you never leave a match at 2‑2. Güímar’s high press in the first half forced a mistake that Fernández turned into a goal, while Hortaleza’s switch to a compact block in the second half allowed them to grind out a third‑minute equaliser. Neither manager could find a winning formula, and the lack of a decisive third‑quarter left both benches muttering about “what‑ifs”.

What does a 3‑3 stalemate mean for the league tables? Neither club’s standing shifted; both remain anchored to the position they held before the cup drama. The draw simply adds a point each, preserving the status quo and keeping the mid‑table scramble as tight as a goalkeeper’s glove after a penalty save.

In short, the night belonged to the attackers, the defenders were left to wonder if they’d been invited to a shooting gallery, and the managers walked away with a reminder: in knockout football, a single lapse can turn a boss performance into a circus act.

Player Ratings

Luis Fernández (Sporting Hortaleza, Midfield) – 8.5
Carlos Méndez (Atlético Unión Güímar, Forward) – 8.2
Jorge Alvarez (Atlético Unión Güímar, Centre‑Back) – 7.8
Marco Silva (Sporting Hortaleza, Winger) – 7.6
Diego Ramos (Atlético Unión Güímar, Goalkeeper) – 7.4
Álvaro Pérez (Sporting Hortaleza, Goalkeeper) – 7.2