CD Acero hosts SC Torrevieja in a clash of two promoted teams
On Saturday 19 September at 18:00, El Fornás hosts the clash between CD Acero and SC Torrevieja, both promoted to Tercera Federación this summer, in matchday three of Group VI.
In Puerto de Sagunto (coastal district), every CD Acero match at El Fornás carries more than three points at stake: the red-and-white shirt taking the field this Saturday is still tied to the neighbourhood's industrial memory. Founded in 1919 as Sporting Club, the local side adopted the colours of Athletic Club (Bilbao) as a tribute to Altos Hornos de Vizcaya, the Basque steelmaker that supported the port area's young industry; the current name came later, after the Spanish Civil War, when a law banning foreign names forced the change to Club Deportivo Acero. That history is still present every time the team walks out onto the pitch of a stadium with room for 5,002 spectators. That link between sport and steelmaking still colours how CD Acero is seen around Puerto de Sagunto, a district whose identity has long been tied to its industrial past.
Against that backdrop, matchday three of Group VI in Tercera Federación — organised nationally into 18 groups of 18 teams each — arrives this Saturday 19 September at 18:00: time to host SC Torrevieja, another club that, like CD Acero, returned to national football this season after time in the Lliga Comunitat (Valencian regional league) — though each side took a very different route to get here.
Coach Rubén Furió's CD Acero have one point from two matches: they opened with a 0-1 home defeat to Crevillente Deportivo and then drew 1-1 away at La Celadilla against CD Utiel. Their current 14th place stands in contrast with last season's dominance, when the team won Group North of the Lliga Comunitat and sealed promotion before the competition even ended, after two full seasons in regional football.
The visitors arrive with a different recent story. Diego Piquero led Torrevieja to third place in Group South of the Lliga Comunitat — not enough for direct promotion — so the coastal club had to earn its place through the play-offs: first eliminating Riba-roja in the semi-finals, then coming from behind to beat Benidorm 1-3 in the final, played at the Guillermo Amor stadium. Ten years after their last spell in national football, the Alicante side returned to Tercera Federación the hard way.
That effort, however, has not yet translated into a strong start. Torrevieja won their opener 1-2 at Hércules B, but lost 0-2 at home to UD Vall de Uxó at the Nelson Mandela stadium. The scoreline was misleading: they created clear chances in the first half and hit the post in the second, but a red card left them with ten men for much of the game and ultimately outweighed the opportunities they created. With three points, they now sit 10th, just ahead of CD Acero in the table.
The level both sides are competing at demands quick adaptation: two squads fresh from the Lliga Comunitat must already face more experienced Tercera Federación opponents, with no room in the calendar to settle in gradually. In that context, every point counts double for teams trying to avoid a difficult first year back in national football, and a prolonged stumble in the opening weeks can shape a newly promoted side's entire first half of the season.
For CD Acero, winning on Saturday would mean their first victory of the season in front of their own fans — something they have not yet managed this campaign. For Torrevieja, it would confirm that their play-off ticket from May was no fluke. The match at El Fornás, in short, pits two projects that share the same goal but arrive at matchday three with very different feelings. According to Golsmedia, with additional background from Wikipedia on the history of CD Acero.