Gibtelecom Rock Cup Final

ROCK CUP FINAL 2019 GIBRALTAR UNITED FC V EUROPA FC SUNDAY, MAY 26TH 2019 – KICK-OFF 7.00PM

VICTORIA STADIUM

OFFICIAL SOUVENIR MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

02/03

ROCK CUP FINAL 2019:

LET BATTLE COMMENCE and qualifying for the UEFA Europa League in one evening.

It would be their first participation in European club competition.

Dear Supporter, Welcome to the 2019 Gibtelecom Rock Cup Final.

Today promises to be an exciting encounter between two good footballing sides. Both teams are sure to be highly motivated for this game, which we hope will be played in the right spirit.

The current cup holders, Europa FC, have just narrowly missed out on the title but will want to cement their place as Gibraltar’s cup kings. Gibraltar United FC meanwhile has the tantalising prospect of winning the cup

Today’s Cup Final brings the curtain down on club football for this season. As from tomorrow morning, works begin to replace the current pitch at the Victoria Stadium with a new FIFA-quality PRO surface that will ensure we continue to bring international football ‘home’ to Gibraltar for the rest of the European Qualifiers.

Exciting infrastructure changes are also in the pipeline and you will hear more about our plans very soon.

For now, I hope you enjoy the game. Thank you for supporting Gibraltarian club football and may the best team win!

Enjoy the game…

Dennis Beiso GFA General Secretary

Should the scores finish level after 90 minutes, the game will go to extra-time and if that still fails to separate the teams, the game will be decided by a penalty shoot-out. Thank you for your valued support...

ape

Today’s special souvenir Matchday Programme has been produced on behalf of the GFA by

publications Twitter: @APEPublications Email: apepublications@aol.co.uk Web: apepublications.wixsite.com/home

IMAGE: Neil Wilson.

04/05

A MESSAGE FROM

“Gibtelecom recognises the importance of sport in everyday life and its wider benefits for the local community, and is therefore particularly pleased to partner with the GFA in the third edition of the Gibtelecom Rock Cup...”

WELCOME to the Gibtelecom Rock Cup Final, proudly sponsored by Gibraltar’s leading telecommunications provider on The Rock.

Gibtelecom recognises the importance of sport in everyday life and its wider benefits for the local community, and is therefore particularly pleased to partner with the GFA in the third edition of the Gibtelecom Rock Cup, a thrilling knock-out competition that is growing from strength-to-strength.

The work and commitment of

local teams and the GFA in nurturing young talent are values shared by Gibtelecom.

Today is the culmination of this competition which brings together local clubs and gives them an incredible opportunity to represent Gibraltar in Europe.

participating teams this year.

The game will once again be streamed live online and will no doubt attract much interest from viewers at home and from around the globe.

We send our best wishes to both teams, support staff, GFA, supporters and stadium personnel.

This year sees the two finalists, Gibraltar United FC and Europa FC, battling it out for the top spot.

Enjoy the Final - it promises to be a great game...

Gibtelecom applaud their hard work and dedication, as well as that demonstrated by all

ADRIAN OCHELLO Head of Marketing and Business Development, Gibtelecom

06/07

INTRODUCING

GIBRALTAR UNITED

7 Welcome from the President

8/9 Manager’s notes

10/11 Player Interview: Kyle Goldwin

12/13 In conversation with Erin Barnett

14/15 Ones to watch Shirt Sponsor

Gibraltar United FC images courtesy of Neil Wilson

06/07

FROM THE PRESIDENT are prepared to give it our all in order to lift the trophy.

IT GIVES me great pleasure to welcome all of our supporters and those supporting our opponents, Europa FC, to the Victoria Stadium for the Gibtelecom Rock Cup Final.

The attitude around the club has been great over the last few months, and everyone has been looking forward to this day for some time now. It is a new experience for most of us but we are determined to make the most of it.

All of us connected with Gibraltar United FC feel extremely proud to have made it to the Final.

It is a feat which has been achieved through hard work on the training ground by all the players and technical team.

This hard work and endeavour is then reflected on the pitch on matchdays.

We will be facing a very strong opponent in Europa FC but we

“The attitude around the club has been great over the last few months, and everyone has been looking forward to this day for some time now. It is a new experience for most of us but we are determined to make the most of it...�

I take this opportunity to thank our sponsors, Quantocoin, for their continued support, as well as those behind-the-scenes who have also worked very hard to help us get to this point.

I hope you all enjoy the match...

ADRIAN BALLESTERO President, Gibraltar United FC

08/09

MANAGER’SVIEW

CUP FINAL day has arrived and the players, technical team and I feel great pride and happiness with the work and effort we have put in over the last five months since I took over the team.

We always play for our families, for our friends, for all the people who love us and especially for those who are always there supporting us; those who wear the Gibraltar United badge with pride and passion.

We know that we have a great responsibility, but at the same time a great opportunity in front of us and we want to make the most of it. We only have one hope and expectation, which is to secure victory and lift the cup.

Since I arrived at the club it has been five months of very intense work which has seen us continue to grow and improve as a team.

This work has been all worthwhile to get us to today’s Final and now if we are to be successful today, we have to display the same values.

I ask our supporters to trust in us!

“We know that we have a great responsibility, but at the same time a great opportunity in front of us and we want to make the most of it. We only have one hope and expectation, which is to secure victory and lift the cup...”

We are strong, brave and competitive – and I know that on our day we have the ability to overcome any opponent.

We want nothing more than to be able to lift and kiss that beautiful Cup at the final whistle today.

Enjoy the match...

FRANCISCO PASCUAL LUNA Manager, Gibraltar United FC

PLAYER INTERVIEW

CHINO BRINGS THE NOISE “We know the rewards that stand before us. As a player to play in European competition at club level is a dream, there are no bigger competitions than the Champions League and Europa League and to play in it for my club is one of my personal targets...”

SOME heroic performances between the posts for both club and country have marked Kyle ‘Chino’ Goldwin out as one of the finest goalkeepers to grace the game on The Rock.

competition at club level is a dream, there are no bigger competitions than the Champions League and Europa League and to play in it for my club is one of my personal targets.

The 34 year-old, who always plays the game with a smile on his face, is an infectious character who is relishing today’s Gibtelecom Rock Cup Final encounter. “ It is very important for a club like Gibraltar United to be in a Cup Final,” he admitted.

“It’s very special for everyone associated with the club and as players it is our reward for the hard work that we have put in throughout the season.

“For now, like the rest of my team-mates, my focus is firmly fixed on the task in hand today. It is about playing the game and not the occasion; we will use it as a positive and go out there with determination to get a winning result.

“We have looked solid in this competition; some will say that we have had an easy run, but we had a tough game against Mons Calpe in the semi-final where we had to dig deep to get through, so I think that we are worthy finalists.

“It will be a tough test for us, there is no doubt about that. Europa are a team full of good players, but having said that, we also have a group of players here that are capable of doing damage to any team on our day.

“We know the rewards that stand before us. As a player to play in European

“We feel that we haven’t had the best of seasons in the League. At the end of the day, the League table doesn’t lie and we know that as a club we should have done better.

“The beautiful thing about this sport, though, is that you always get a second chance and that chance comes for us today.

“To be able to lead out the team will be a very proud moment for me and my family. Hopefully the special memory will be more than just leading the team out; we want to lift that cup, not just for ourselves but also for our families and our supporters.

“My message to those fans is simple and straight to the point – bring the noise and be our 12th man!”

IN CONVERSATION

BARNETT DREAMING BIG inconsistent second half of the season saw us fall down the table. Nevertheless, winning the Gibtelecom Rock Cup Final will turn the season from being a disappointing one, to being an absolutely amazing one, and therefore, that is all that we are thinking of right now! Qualifying for the Europa League and accomplishing our objective.

What does it mean to you and all at Gibraltar United to reach the Gibtelecom Rock Cup Final for the first time in this modern era of domestic football in Gibraltar where winning the trophy means European Qualification?

ERIN BARNETT: To reach the Gibtelecom Rock Cup Final is a great achievement and it means a lot to us as a club. It will be a very proud moment, both personally and collectively, to be able to play in the final as it is fruits of all of the hard work and dedication that has been put in by everyone at the club over many years.

The fact that we missed out last year in the semi-final makes it that extra bit more special to go one step further this year and because the Rock Cup winner automatically qualifies for the Europa League, the Final becomes an even bigger incentive for us. I can assure you that just getting to the Final is definitely not enough for us, though, we need to win it!

Sum up Gibraltar United’s season. How would you say it has been overall?

EB: In terms of how the season has gone for us, to say that it has been a disappointment is an understatement. We began the campaign with very high objectives and aspirations after our excellent season last year. Being top of the League for the first couple of months of the season gave us even greater aspirations, however, an extremely

As a central defender, how does it feel knowing you have reached the Cup Final with such a solid run of results in this competition?

EB: It’s a great feeling to know that we have performed so well in each of our games in this competition and it obviously fills the team, as well as myself, with a lot of confidence going in to today’s game.

We faced a tough test in the semi-final but we came through it with a clean sheet against Mons Calpe and we know that a solid defensive performance will be required today if we are to be successful.

We are realistic and we know that, Mons Calpe aside, the draw in this competition has been kind to us. That’s no disrespect to the sides we have faced along the way, but we will have to be on top of our game today and perform to the best of our abilities if we are to stand any chance of lifting the cup.

Have you dared to dream about European Football?

EB: My team-mates and I have been dreaming about European football for the past two seasons! Missing out in the manner that we did last year still hurts a lot, and it provides us with extra motivation for the Final this year. Having said that, we know that we cannot get ahead of ourselves as we might have done last year. Therefore, all we can think about for now is focusing on our performance once that first whistle goes.

We will then see after the final whistle what happens in terms of European football.

You recently drew 1-1 against Europa in the League - can we read anything into that game in terms of the way you played?

EB: You shouldn’t read anything whatsoever in to that game. A Final is a completely different ball game, and with the stakes so high, I am sure that we will see a very different game to that 1-1 draw in the League. I don’t think my manager would be very pleased with me if I disclosed any further information than that!

What are you expecting from Europa today?

EB: I am expecting an extremely good and technical footballing side who will look to keep the ball for long spells and patiently break us down. We know their strengths, and we know that it will be a tough game.

We have been working hard over the past five weeks, and I feel that we are ready for whatever Europa decides to throw at us today.

“My team-mates and I have been dreaming about European football for the past two seasons! Missing out in the manner that we did last year still hurts a lot, and it provides us with extra motivation for the Final this year. Having said that, we know that we cannot get ahead of ourselves as we might have done last year...”

Do you like the fact, that given recent history and performances domestically, you are somewhat considered the underdogs for today’s Final? Does this suit Gibraltar United?

EB: I absolutely love the fact that we are considered the underdogs for the Final. It definitely suits Gibraltar United in terms of the way we play and our neversay-die attitude. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

On a personal level, what are your immediate ambitions football-wise? Have you already thought about next season yet?

EB: My immediate and only ambitions right now are to perform to my maximum capabilities in today’s Final and to be able to lift the Gibtelecom Rock Cup. That is the only thing that is on my mind right now.

14/15

THELOWDOWN Our friends at Football Gibraltar take a closer look at Gibraltar United...

ROUTE TO THE FINAL Gibraltar United’s route to the Gibtelecom Rock Cup final got underway with a convincing 12-0 win against Manchester 62 in the Second Round, a win which included hattricks for Guido Ratto and Nathan Santos, who could both be in the squad today.

Paco Luna’s side then followed it up by beating another Second Division side in Olympique 4-2 in a tightly-

fought quarter final, with Gibraltar international defender Aymen Mouelhi getting on the scoresheet.

The semi-final was a repeat of last year as they took on Mons Calpe, but unlike last year they beat their First Division rivals; Fran Alvarez scoring the only goal in a tense 1-0 win.

Gib United will therefore be looking to win the Gibtelecom Rock Cup for the first time since 2001, when they beat Lincoln 4-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

TACTICS As the predicted underdog in today’s final, we would expect Gib United to set up in a disciplined style, with three centre-backs but two wing-backs, meaning their formation can fluidly change between a 3-52 and 5-3-2 depending on the score in the game.

Ribo will likely play just off Alberto Zapata up top, and their pace could cause Europa some issues at the back if they are not totally alert. Should they find themselves behind, expect Gib United to take off a centre-back for an attackminded player and go back to a more conventional 4-3-3.

ONES TO WATCH While everyone will be familiar with the likes of Kyle Goldwin, Erin Barnett and Aymen Mouelhi, who featured in the UEFA Nations League for Gibraltar and in the March internationals, one player to keep an eye out for today could be Chico Rubio.

The former Gibraltar Phoenix and Linense attacking midfielder has been in a rich vein of form in 2019, and scored in the most recent meeting between today’s cup finalists; a 1-1 draw.

Alberto Zapata (pictured) is their top scorer in all competitions this season, despite only signing for the club in January this year, with 11 goals in 15 games at the time of writing. The 30year old has added some firepower to Gib United’s attack in recent months and if they are to get their hands on the trophy, it will most likely him or Rubio who will get the goals.

We’ve mentioned him already, but Kyle Goldwin, who will captain the side in the Final, will likely have a big part to play today. The ‘keeper has put in some heroic performances this season for both club and country, and at 34 will no doubt know that he may not get too many more Cup Finals in his career.

We’d expect the keeper to be as fired up as always, and if he is in the kind of form that he showed against Armenia and Liechtenstein last year, he will be hard to beat.

PREDICTED XI (3-5-2): GOLDWIN

BARNETT

MOUELHI

OLIVERA

ANTONA

GUIJARO

RUBIO PRIETO

PONCE

ALVAREZ

ZAPATA

GIBRALTAR UNITED MANAGER: FRANCISCO PASCUAL LUNA COLOURS: RED, WHITE & BLACK PLD SUB

KYLE ALBERT GOLDWIN 1 GONZALO GUIJARO RODRIGUEZ 3 DAVID GOMEZ PRIETO 4 ERIN ANTHONY BARNETT 5 CARLOS CARRASCO LLORENS 6 ACHRAF NAIT BRAHIM 7 DANIEL PONCE DE LEON GARCIA 10 ERNEST JAMES DE TORRES 11 JORGE MANUEL AVELLANO PEREZ 13 NATHAN ALBERT SANTOS 14 AYMEN MOUELHI 15 FRANCISCO ALVAREZ BENITO 16 JOSE ANTONIO RUBIO QUIROS 17 MICHAEL LEE NEGRETTE 20 GUIDO RATTO 21 MOISES SUAREZ BURGOS 22 JULIO GIL BADO 23 JAMES LOUIS BOSIO 24 JOSE MIGUEL GONZALEZ RODRIGUEZ 25 ALBERTO ZAPATA 26 HECTOR ANTONA GRANADOS 27 NICOLAS MARQUEZ OLIVERA 28 RUFAT ABILOV 33 ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ 35

MATCH OFFICIALS REFEREE: Herbert Warwick : He has been refereeing since 2013 after a playing career as a goalkeeper. Today’s big game will be his 36th appointment as a match official this season.

EUROPA HEAD COACH: RAFAEL ESCOBAR COLOURS: GREEN & BLACK PLD SUB

1 JAVIER MUNOZ 2 ETHAN JOLLEY 3 NALYS CASTRO 4 OLMO GONZALEZ 5 IBRAHIM AYEW 6 EMIL JORGENSEN 7 LEE MUSCAT 8 ALEJANDRO RODRIGUEZ RIVAS 9 MANUEL ARANA 10 LIAM WALKER 11 TJAY DE BARR 12 RAZAK IDDRISU 14 THOMAS HASTINGS 15 DOMINGO UTRERA 16 MICHAEL YOME 17 URKO ARROYO 18 AARON PAYAS 19 MANUEL DIMAS 20 MUSTAPHA YAHAYA 22 SEAN GILBERT 23 DAYLE COLEING 25 DANIEL TULEDO 43 LANCE CABEZUTTO

ASSISTANT REFEREE: Daniel Gomez: He took up refereeing with the GFA in September 2016 and was appointed to the First Division Assistant Referee Panel in March 2018.

ASSISTANT REFEREE: Michael Gordillo: He has been refereeing since the 2010/11 season. He was appointed to the First Division Assistant Referee Panel during the 2015/16 campaign.

FOURTH OFFICIAL: Jose Antonio Delgado: Registered as a referee with the GFA for the 2017/18 season. He was listed in the First Division Referee Panel at the commencement of the current season.

RESERVE ASSISTANT REFEREE: Kyron Azopardi: He qualified as a referee in December 2011. In March 2015 he was listed in the First Division Assistant Referee Panel.

18/19

INTRODUCING

EUROPAFC

19 Welcome from the President

20-21 Manager’s notes

22-23 Player Interview: Liam Walker

24-25 In conversation with Ethan Jolley

26-27 Ones to watch

Europa FC images courtesy of

Shirt Sponsor

18/19

FROM THE PRESIDENT AFTER a hard year where we as a club had many obstacles to overcome to be able to compete in the League, we still managed to come second in the table, which was a great result for the team and we can’t forget winning the Pepe Reyes Cup at the beginning of the season.

I also have to thank our Club Secretary, Clive Reed, on his great job in getting a UEFA licence once again and finally say a big welcome to our new signing from the National Squad, Jayce Olivero, who will be a great addition to our up-andcoming new young squad.

Therefore we can proudly say that we are playing our third consecutive Cup Final as Cup holders. Not easy in such a competitive competition.

Credit to Eddie Yome, our Director of Football, for closing this great signing for the club and we look forward to seeing Jayce in action during the 2019/20 campaign.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those fans who follow us and give us great support, whether that be on home soil or further afield in European competition where we

are looking towards our sixth consecutive year in Europe with the dream of going past the second round, A big thank you also to all of our sponsors, especially to our main sponsors, La Parrilla, Betfred and Playtech.

May the best team win today!

Thanks and God Bless, PETER CABEZUTTO President, Europa FC

20/21

MANAGER’SVIEW

FIRST of all I would like to thank our fans for the great support that they have given to the team.

With regards to the League, our all-or-nothing match against Lincoln a few weeks ago saw us fail to reach our usual levels on the day and we must congratulate our opponents on their victory and move on.

Hopefully there will be a good attendance today and we can give you an attractive and entertaining match.

For us it’s a very interesting final; we have players within our squad that have won the Rock Cup on multiple occasions, but for the technical team it will be our first final in this competition.

We have a great appetite for this title and as with any competition that we are involved in, we will give it our best to try and win it and be as competitive as possible.

This is an important title for the club. It has been a season full of ups and downs; the club has had to deal with all sorts of issues but the players available have responded and so too have the

ones that we were able to bring in during the January transfer window.

These new faces have brought a competitive edge to the group that has seen us compete for all titles until the end.

In the Gibtelecom Rock Cup we have had an excellent campaign, which began with us eliminating our biggest rivals, Lincoln, at the second round stage and continued with some commanding performances in the rounds that followed.

I call upon everyone involved with the club to give it one big final effort today so that we can add this trophy to our collection.

Our fans have been excellent and we want to repay that support and loyalty with victory today.

Together we can do it and ensure a third consecutive Gibtelecom Rock Cup. We face competitive opponents in Gibraltar United. We will try to impose our game from the outset but we know that it will be a tight game with both teams going for goals and using the weapons at their disposal to get the victory.

RAFAEL ESCOBAR Manager, Europa FC

PLAYER INTERVIEW

WALKER READY FOR BATTLE

IT’S yet another outing on the big stage for Liam Walker as he attempts to lead Europa FC to more Gibtelecom Rock Cup glory.

The 31 year-old has achieved much during his playing career and today he will be hoping to play his part in making it three wins in a row for his club in this competition.

“It’s been good to be back with Europa this season; obviously I was disappointed that we missed out on winning the League but to secure the Rock Cup alongside a guaranteed spot in the Europa League qualifiers would be a big positive for us.

“We’ve been through a lot as a club and as a squad this season. We lost important players early on and the club has done great to bring top players in to replace them and see us take the battle for the title down to the wire.

“It would be nice to end what has been a hard season with some silverware.”

It has been something of a mixed run to the final with a second round victory over rivals, Lincoln, followed by somewhat ‘easier’ victories over Manchester 62 and Gibraltar Phoenix in the quarter-final and semi-final.

“The plan is to make it three Rock Cup wins in a row,” said Walker without hesitation. “It won’t be easy because Gibraltar United are a good team who will put up a strong fight.

“We know that our opponents will see this as an opportunity for them to be involved

IMAGE: Neil Wilson.

“The squad is well up for it,” he admitted.

“We will be going all out to get the win and make it a double in the cup competitions for us this season [Europa lifted the Pepe Reyes Cup at the start of the season].

“We want to win as many titles as we possibly can and the pressure is on both teams today for different reasons...” in European football for the first time and that is a massive incentive for them.

“After a good run in this competition, including knocking out Lincoln, we want to make sure that we finish the job off and win the cup.

“It’s sure to be a hard-fought game; we drew in the League recently so I expect them to come out with a similar strategy today and try to take their chances.

“We want to win as many titles as we possibly can and the pressure is on both teams today for different reasons.

“Our supporters have been brilliant all through the season and the whole team really appreciate their backing and thank them most sincerely.

“I can assure you that we will be giving our all to secure that Gibtelecom Rock Cup.”

IN CONVERSATION

REASONS TO BE JOLLEY

You’ve had a breakthrough season with Europa FC and then making your full international debut. How has it been for you personally?

ETHAN JOLLEY: On a personal note I think I’ve had a good season with some special moments. Getting my international debut has been the best highlight as it’s always a privilege to play for my home country. I feel as if this season has been a tough one with Europa FC for various reasons. The squad has been amazing all season, though; we keep getting better and being a part of it is even more thrilling.

You have received a lot of praise for your performances, does this make you want to do even better and develop further as a footballer?

EJ: As a footballer I will always want to learn and develop further. There are

always things to learn and achieve and when you get some praise on performances during the season, you get the feeling that the hard work put in all season round pays off. So with that said, the praise does help and helps me strive for better performances individually and more silverware as a team.

How has the squad been since missing out on the League title?

EJ: I think the squad have taken it as well as we can. It’s not easy losing by tight margins and bouncing back, but I’m confident the club will bounce back even stronger. No-one likes losing and when we did it hit us hard after the effort we put in all season.

We go game-by-game and are focused for the next challenge today, where we hope to get some more silverware.

Will winning the Gibtelecom Rock Cup go some way to making up for the disappointment of not winning the League title?

EJ:Winning the Gibtelecom Rock Cup will not make up for winning the League, in my opinion. Our aim is to win all three competitions [Pepe Reyes Cup, League, Gibtelecom Rock Cup] and it’s what we train for.

What will you be expecting from Gibraltar United in today’s final?

EJ: I will be expecting a strong Gibraltar United side wanting to win it just as badly as we do. We respect Gibraltar United and give them credit for reaching the final. They are a good team who play good football and are threatening at times. Finals are always exciting where anything can happen, so hopefully we will emerge with the result that we crave.

“As a footballer I will always want to learn and develop further. There are always things to learn and achieve and when you get some praise on performances during the season, you get the feeling that the hard work put in all season round pays off...”

Finally, what are your immediate targets, both personally and on the pitch? Have you set yourself any goals?

EJ: To be honest I haven’t really thought about having any goals on the pitch. I always want to play to the best of my ability and use my strengths for the good of the team. I obviously would like to grow as a footballer; get fitter, stronger, faster, learn the game better in every aspect and I would say these are my immediate and long-term goals which can only be reached by hard work and dedication which I will 110% put in.

26/27

THELOWDOWN Our friends at Football Gibraltar take a closer look at Europa FC...

ROUTE TO THE FINAL Last season’s Gibtelecom Rock Cup winners got their defence of the title underway in the perfect fashion, beating their main competition for the silverware Lincoln 2-1 in the Second Round.

Manuel Arana and Manu Dimas scored the goals to knock out their rivals at the first hurdle of the competition.

The Quarter Finals were an arguably more straightforward affair, as they beat Second Division Champions FCB Magpies 9-1; Tjay De Barr, who is suspended for Europa today, scored an incredible five goals in the match,

which leaves him almost certain to take home the Top Scorer award from this season’s competition.

In the semi-finals, Europa were drawn against Gibraltar Phoenix in what looked a potential banana-skin on paper, however they comfortably won 4-1 in a match that De Barr scored another two in.

Notably though, ‘keeper Dayle Coleing, who has represented the national team at youth level, saved two penalties in that match – should spot-kicks be required this evening, his abilities in this area could come in very useful for the defending champions.

TACTICS Europa very rarely change from a 4-3-3 formation with the front three fluidly changing.

Managed by Rafael Escobar, they have a very clear game plan and stick to it rigidly, trusting their system even if the game isn’t particularly going well for them. Patience will no doubt be key against Gib United’s defence, and Walker will potentially need to be at his best on set-pieces to unlock said backline.

Not having De Barr available is a big blow for them, but it won’t see any change in how the team plays.

ONES TO WATCH With De Barr suspended today, his spot in the team will likely be taken up by Manu Dimas (pictured), who has had a good start to life at Europa since signing back in January. He’ll have a tough battle on his hands against Gibraltar United’s defence, especially their back three, but he does come into the game with good cup form, scoring against both Lincoln and Phoenix.

Ibrahim Ayew has played all but two games for Europa this season in the League, and he’ll be expected to get up and down the line at right-back, supporting Liam Walker as he cuts inside to try and dictate the play.

The Ghanaian defender, brother of wellknown footballers Jordan and Andre Ayew, has played eight times for his national team, and was actually part of their squad for the 2010 World Cup – he brings a lot of experience at the back while also pinning back opposing wingers and full backs with his attacking style.

Finally, if you’re focusing on the local players in Europa’s side, arguably an unsung hero in their side is Ethan Jolley.

The defender, who made his debut for the national side in the final minutes against Estonia, has stepped up to the plate this season and made himself virtually undroppable at times.

The 22 year old is capable of playing at full-back or in the heart of defence, but we would expect him to start at left-back today, and he’ll also play an important role in supplementing the Europa attack when possible.

PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): COLEING

OLMO

JORGENSEN

AYEW

JOLLEY

QUILLO YAHAYA

ARANA

DIMAS WALKER

ARROYO

THE ROCK CUP PAST WINNERS

IMAGES; C. Correa Photography

LAST YEAR’S FINAL

IT WAS Europa who emerged victorious in last season’s Gibtelecom Rock Cup Final after they beat nine-man Mons Calpe 2-1.

In what was a fiery encounter, Europa grabbed an early lead when Enrique ‘Kike’ Gomez Bernal found the net as he lifted the ball over the ‘keeper.

Undeterred, the underdogs kept battling away and eventually got their reward at the start of the second half when Rubo Blanco did well to set up Pibe who fired home from close range.

The equaliser brought Europa back to life and they went close on a couple of occasions before Mons Calpe were reduced to ten men with the dismissal of Manuel Onega for a second bookable offence.

Worse was to follow for them as not only did they lose goalscorer, Pibe, through injury but also fell behind for the second time in the game when Kike fired home with a sweet strike that gave the ‘keeper no chance.

With Europa turning the screw in search of a killer third goal, Mons Calpe had another man sent off as Andre Dos Santos received a straight red for a reckless challenge on Guillermo Roldan.

As the clock ticked down, Europa were unable to add to their lead but they managed to see the game out without any problems to lift the trophy.

Team

Titles

Last Title

Lincoln Red Imps St Joseph's Europa FC Glacis United Gibraltar United Manchester 62 Britannia XI Gibraltar HMS Hood 2nd BThe King's Regiment A.A.R.A. RAF New Camp 4th Battalion Royal Scott Prince of Wales Manchester 62 Reserve 2nd Battalion RGJ RAF Gibraltar St Theresa's

17 9 7 5 4 4 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2016 2013 2018 1997–98 2000–01 2002–03 1947–48 1894–95 1935–36 1938–39 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1948–49 1973–74 1975–76 1987–88 1994–95

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PAST WINNERS

1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1953–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18

HMS Hood Britannia XI Europa 2nd Battalion The King's Regiment Britannia XI not held A.A.R.A. Royal Air Force New Camp 4th Battalion Royal Scott Europa Gibraltar United Britannia XI Prince of Wales FC. Europa Europa Europa unknown Manchester 62 Reserve Glacis United 2nd Battalion Royal Green Jackets Manchester 62 unknown St Joseph's Manchester 62 Glacis United Glacis United St Joseph's St Joseph's St Joseph's Lincoln St Joseph's Royal Air Force Gibraltar Lincoln Reliance Lincoln unknown St Joseph's Lincoln Lincoln St Theresa's St Joseph's Manchester 62 Glacis United Gibraltar United Gibraltar United Gibraltar United Lincoln Manchester 62 Newcastle* Newcastle* Newcastle* Newcastle* Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln St Joseph's St Joseph's Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln Europa Europa

*Note: Newcastle FC was a temporary name for Lincoln FC.

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THE ROAD TO THE FINAL

THE ROCK CUP

FIRST ROUND 20 January 2019 Leo 0–10 Bruno's Magpies

SECOND ROUND 6 February 2019 St Joseph's 12–0 Hound Dogs 7 February 2019 Mons Calpe 14–0 College 1975 Lincoln Red Imps 1–2 Europa 8 February 2019 Manchester 62 0–12 Gibraltar United 9 February 2019 Lynx 1–3 Gibraltar Phoenix Glacis United 1–1 Lions Gibraltar (Lions win 4-3 on pens) Europa Point 0–2 Olympique 13 10 February 2019 Boca Gibraltar 2–5 Bruno's Magpies

QUARTER-FINALS 12 March 2019 Gibraltar United 4–2 Olympique 13 St Joseph's 1–4 Mons Calpe 13 March 2019 Gibraltar Phoenix 4–0 Lions Gibraltar 13 March 2019 Bruno's Magpies 1–9 Europa

SEMI-FINALS 9 April 2019 Gibraltar Phoenix 1–4 Europa 10 April 2019 Gibraltar United 1–0 Mons Calpe

Pictured we see action from the semi-finals courtesy of Neil Wilson...