CD Acero presents its squad for the return to Tercera Federación
CD Acero presented its new squad on Friday 21 August at El Fornàs stadium in Puerto de Sagunto, ahead of the Alto Horno Trophy friendly, which the team lost 0-2 to CD Buñol.
CD Acero, the football club based in Puerto de Sagunto (the coastal district of Sagunto), formally introduced its new squad on Friday 21 August, during an event at El Fornàs stadium that brought together fans, club members and sponsors. Plenty of supporters turned out to see the players ahead of the new season. The presentation began at 18:45, and just over an hour later, at 20:00, the Alto Horno Trophy friendly match kicked off against CD Buñol, one of the club's future rivals in Group VI of Tercera Federación (the fourth tier of the Spanish football league system). El Fornàs, where CD Acero plays all of its home matches, has capacity for 5,002 spectators, according to Wikipedia.
The event gave fans their first proper look at the squad that will take on the return to this division in the 2026/27 season, following last season's promotion. This is far from the club's first experience at this level: according to the same source, CD Acero has spent a combined 48 seasons across its more than century-long history in Tercera División or Tercera Federación, with its best-ever finish being second place, achieved in the 1995-96 season. That historical context puts the club's current challenge into perspective — the aim now is not simply to survive in the division, but to re-establish itself among the strongest teams in the group.
As for the match itself, the Alto Horno Trophy went to the visitors from CD Buñol this time around. Marcos and Enrique scored the two goals that gave the team the win and the trophy. It was Buñol's second consecutive victory, following a convincing 3-0 win over L'Eliana in their previous friendly. Before that winning run, though, the club had lost to UD Castellonense and drawn 0-0 with CD Olímpic, so Buñol arrives at the new season clearly in better form than it started the summer.
For CD Acero itself, the loss to Buñol closed out an uneven but valuable pre-season with a few bright spots along the way. Preparations began with a 2-0 defeat to Atlético Levante — not the ideal start to the summer. Next came a scoreless draw against Castellón B, a team from a higher division, in a match that proved a tough test of the squad's readiness. The first win did not arrive until the third friendly, and it was a convincing one: a 3-0 victory over CD Roda, with goals from Pinazo, Keita and Morón (the latter converting a penalty). The good run continued from there, with a 3-2 win over CFA Quart, again played at home at El Fornàs. The last two friendlies, however, both ended in defeat for CD Acero — first a 0-3 loss to Atzeneta UE, then the 0-2 defeat to Buñol in the Alto Horno Trophy final. The provisional pre-season record therefore stands at two wins, one draw and three losses across six friendlies played.
That step up in the level of opposition is, in the end, good news for fans in Puerto de Sagunto: the project that earned promotion last season is once again facing stronger rivals, as shown by the draw against Castellón B, a higher-division side, and that trend will continue from the very first official matchday against Crevillente Deportivo. Every friendly played this summer, regardless of the result, has helped gauge how ready the squad really is to sustain that level throughout the coming season.
CD Acero still has one more, final test before the official competition begins. Next Wednesday, 26 August, at 20:00 and again at home at El Fornàs, the club will face Alqueries CF — this match will serve as the last pre-season friendly and should allow the coaching staff to iron out any remaining details. The official season opener is set for the weekend of 6 September, when the team will host Crevillente Deportivo at home in the first matchday of Group VI of Tercera Federación. That fixture will mark the club's genuine, competitive return to the category, after a full season of preparation work in Puerto de Sagunto.
For CD Acero supporters, the squad presentation is not just a protocol formality — it is the real starting point of a new campaign. The club is looking to build on last season's promotion and bring regular Tercera Federación football back to El Fornàs, with the added draw of facing Crevillente Deportivo from matchday one and, later in the calendar, a rematch with Buñol itself and the rest of the Group VI sides. According to golsmedia.com, with additional background from Wikipedia on the club and its stadium.