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Gutierrez’ hat trick illuminates the way forward for Emil Athletic Club
Les Baudets emerged from the tunnel with their stunted, hairy tails up, and found little resistance. From the outset, Emil AC had their way in the middle of the park, and several quick exchanges i the early going produced a rocket of a shot from Fouque that Cappone was lucky to save. Just ten minutes into the match, Gutierrez intercepted a sloppy pass and put Castolo through on goal. The Brazilian worked past two defenders before picking a top-corner finish over the outstretched hands of Cappone.
The Lorient defense never looked up to the task, and four minutes later Gutierrez broke his donkey duck when he picked up a finely weighted lay-off from Macco and slotted home from close range. Guti hit the crossbar just before the half, producing loud groans from the away support that have invested so much hope in the young Spainard.
They wouldn’t have long to wait for his second, as just after the half, Castolo again proved problematic for the Lorient defenders, and while they were able to dispossess him, the ball fell nicely for his strike parner, and Gutierrez smashed home his second of the match.
Guti-gol (as certain sections of the support insist he is to be now known) always looked like finishing his hat trick, and after provoking a pair of top-shelf saves from Cappone, drew a line under the affair when Ruskin picked him out for a left-footed bottom-corner blast.
L’Emil Independente gave the hat-trick hero an astronomical 8.5 rating, and called the match “a blueprint for the future.” The next day, the paper ran a double-page spread detailing “10 More Ways the Manager Can Ensure the Opposition Do Not Try Very Hard.”
