Hércules CF Continues Downward Spiral, Now Bottom of the League After Teruel Defeat (2-1)

Hércules CF is experiencing one of the worst starts to the league outside professional football. With four defeats in six matches, only four points out of eighteen possible, the team from Alicante finds itself at the bottom of the standings alongside Antequera and Betis B.

The future of coach Rubén Torrecilla is hanging in the balance. President Carlos Parodi and technical secretary Paco Peña held a ten-minute meeting with the coach on the pitch after the match to discuss the situation.

Peña, Portillo, and Ortiz are still deliberating and might consider a change in the coaching position. However, the lack of a reliable replacement and the upcoming home match against Atlético de Madrid B (Friday) might grant the Extremaduran coach an extra week in charge.

The image of Hércules was once again far from that of a team aspiring for promotion. Except for the first 15 minutes where they dominated and had chances with shots from outside the area by Aranda, Ropero, and Mangada, the Alicante team failed to create dangerous opportunities and ended up powerless against Vicente Parras' defensive setup.

The defence, in general, and Rentero, in particular, failed again. Sergio Moreno warned, and Abad's miraculous save prevented the first goal of the afternoon. Moreno, from the ground, put the ball in the net after the rebound from the Hércules goalkeeper, but the referee disallowed the goal for handball. The review confirmed the referee's decision.

That scare filled Torrecilla's men with doubts, who shortly after conceded two consecutive goals. First, Rentero lost a duel with Moreno and left the ball dead at the edge of the area for Teddy's goal.

Then, a throw-in that no central defender cleared resulted in Royo's second goal.

The 2-0 scoreline was an insurmountable mountain for Hércules. Not even the presence of Slavy, Fran Sol, Soldevila, or Rojas in the second half allowed Hércules to dream of a comeback. Only a pass from Solde to local player Galvañ provided some hope in the last quarter of an hour. The youth player shot the one-on-one into the top corner.

But the final minutes were disappointing. Not a single more goal-scoring opportunity. Only a possible penalty claimed by Rojas and nothing more.

Now, two consecutive home games are coming: Atlético de Madrid B and Villarreal B. Will it be Torrecilla who tries to turn this delicate situation around as he did two years ago in La Nucía? Or will a new coach arrive? The club is still deliberating. The answer will be known in the coming hours. Nothing is clear yet.