Uche’s goals inspire Villarreal back to La Liga

Ikechukwu Uche with his 14 league goals has powered Villarreal back to La Liga after their ignominious demotion from the top tier last season.


The former Getafe player took a while before opening his goals account for the 2012/13 season but six games into the campaign he finally got on the score sheet for Villarreal with a 90th minute strike in the 2-0 win over Cordoba on September 29.

Three games later, he returned to scoring ways for the Yellow Submarines, grabbing both goals in their 2-0 win over Mirandes on October 27.

And, in what was beginning to appear as a trend for the Nigerian, he then had to wait three more games before getting his name back on the score sheet for his club, and with yet another brace this time around in Villarreal’s 3-0 win at Racing Santander on November 17 to bring his tally to five goals.

And, once again, after going two games without a goal, against Lugo and Elche, Uche found the back of the net once as Villarreal stormed to a 4-0 over Alcoron on December 9.

Uche missed most of his side’s games in January and February owing to his involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, where he failed to get a goal as the Super Eagles marched to their first Cup of Nations victory in 19 years. And he was, as a result, not around to witness the arrival of a new coach, Garcia Toral, who replaced Julio Velazquez, who was relieved of his duties on January 13 following a 1–1 away draw against Almeria.



He returned to the starting line-up on February 24 in the 1-1 draw against Las Palmas, failing to get on the score sheet, but by his third game (yet again) he grabbed two goals in the 2-1 win over Sporting Gijon on April 10, a game in which he was also named the game’s stand-out player.



Those two goals against Gijon were Uche’s only goals from four games in the month of March, and in April, he was only able to get on the score sheet once for the Yellow Submarines, in the 6-1 demolition of Numancia on April 7.

But he capped off the month with another Man of the Match performance in his side’s goalless draw at Lugo on April 27 before scoring scored in four successive matches in the month of May to help the former UEFA Champions League semi-finalists make a swift return to the Spanish top tier.

Uche scored on May 5 against Elche, another against Alcorcon on May 12, two against Girona on May 18 and his last league goal came against Xerez on May 27, a game where he was awarded Man of the Match honours.