The 2014/15 Liga Adelante Ideal XI

Following a thrilling Liga Adelante season consisting of 42 matchdays and two rounds of playoffs, during which Real Betis and R. Sporting gained automatic promotion and UD Las Palmas clinched the final Liga BBVA place, LaLiga.es presents you with the 2014/15 Liga Adelante Ideal XI chosen by the website's editorial team. Girona FC, UD Las Palmas, R. Zaragoza and R. Valladolid CF have a dominant presence on the dream team, with each club boasting two players apiece. Meanwhile, Real Betis, R. Sporting and CD Numancia are all represented by one player.

Goalkeeper
Girona's phenomenal season was built on a foundation of defensive assuredness. A key ingredient to their strong performances at the back was the role played by their man between the sticks, Isaac Becerra. The Catalan shot stopper only conceded 39 goals in 44 games, during which time he racked up the highest number of saves of any keeper in the division: 116. There is no question that his stats have earned him a spot in the team.

Defence
Four sides are represented in the back line. Occupying the right back position is David Simón, who was one of UD Las Palmas' standout performers this season. Slotting in on the other flank is Colombia's Johan Mojica, a player with a great engine and a lot to offer in attack, as the seven goals he notched up for R. Valladolid CF during the campaign pay testament to.

The central defensive partnership is made up of R. Sporting's Bernardo Espinosa and Zaragoza's Jesús Vallejo. The Cali native marshalled the division's tightest defensive unit and also chipped in by scoring three important goals for the Asturians. Meanwhile, the emergence of the Aragonese prodigy as a defensive stalwart has meant the 18-year-old has even gone as far as captaining the La Romareda outfit during this early stage of his career.

Midfield
Good ball control, technique and an ability to join in attacks are the main characteristics that define the midfielders who have been chosen for the Liga Adelante Ideal XI. R. Valladolid CF's top goalscorer, Óscar González, is one such example of these aforementioned attributes. Apart from the 16 goals he racked up throughout the year, his main strengths lie in his abilities to pull the strings for his team and to offer support in behind the front men.

Joining him in the middle of the park is Julio Álvarez. Yet again the CD Numancia man was a leader for his team this season, getting 12 goals and providing multiple assists for the Soria outfit. The final place in midfield goes to Girona FC's Álex Granell. The Catalan wide man was one of the season's outstanding newcomers, taking on a lot of the responsibility for the Montilivi side. To add to his impressive performances, he also found the back of the net on five occasions.

Forwards
The defining feature of the Liga Adelante Ideal XI's forward line is the prolific nature of these three players in front of goal. Rubén Castro closed out the campaign as the top scorer after getting 32 goals for Real Betis. That tally alone earns him a place in the team. Alongside him will be the two players who follow him in the goal-scoring charts. Sergio Araujo (UD Las Palmas) finished the season with 24 goals including the playoffs, while Borja Bastón (R. Zaragoza) ends the campaign on 23. 

The manager
R. Sporting's manager, Abelardo Fernández, has been chosen as the coach of the year by the LaLiga.es writers. The Asturian secured Liga BBVA promotion for the Gijon club. Having installed a rock-solid defensive system and used the Mareo youth academy to good effect, Abelardo lived up to the Sporting’s ambitions. Just two defeats suffered over the whole season as well as 82 points on the board from 42 Liga Adelante fixtures is reason enough to warrant his position in the dugout.

Other players worthy of a mention
While not everyone could make it into the 2014-15 dream team, a number of players deserve a special mention for their good performances over the season. R. Sporting's goalkeeper, Iván Cuéllar, conceded the fewest goals. In defence, Sporting's Alberto Lora as well as Girona's Florian Lejeune and Miguel Ángel Cifuentes played crucial roles for their respective teams.

In midfield, the two ball distributors who achieved automatic promotion with their teams, Dani Ceballos (Betis) and Nacho Cases (Sporting), each had a good claim to be included in the Ideal XI. Elsewhere, David Rodríguez's 20 goals for AD Alcorcón and the outlet that Manuel Jesús Vázquez 'Chuli' provided CD Leganés in attack almost saw both these men make it into the line-up.

There were also a few other worthy candidates for the manager of the season accolade. Pepe Mel (Betis), who won promotion, Pablo Machín (Girona), who came close, and Lluís Carrillo (UE Llagostera), who stirred the season's biggest surprise package, were just pipped to the post by Abelardo Fernández.

* CLICK ON THE NAMES OF THE PLAYERS IN THE IDEAL XI TO SEE THEIR SEASON HIGHLIGHTS