Four matches between the archrivals of Real Madrid and Barcelona have ended. The first one, the league match (which I did not see because I was barbecuing with friends in Richmond, California), ended 1-1, and with 8-point difference, the league is quite certain to end in Barcelona for the third season in a row.
The final of the Copa del Rey was a 1-0 Real Madrid victory after extra time (I half-watched the match in a bar in Haights, in San Francisco, California). Finally Real Madrid won a title, and to this one must add that it is a title that has eluded them for many years (it was for instance the only title the splendid goalkeeper Iker Casillas had never won). It was in fact a well-deserved victory, and must have given the merengues confidence before the Champions League semifinals, that the entire world was awaiting eagerly.
I watched the first match after (I was at the bottom of the Grand Canyon when it took place). It was a disappointment of a Real Madrid team that did not seem to have confidence after their Copa del Rey victory, too much girly behaviour by the Barca players, and a referee that was good, but whose one mistake proved crucial: Pepe's expulsion. Barcelona won 0-2 in Madrid and the most memorable moment of this match was Lionel Messi's splendid second goal, although many will remember Mourinho's sour face.
Mourinho is surely a provocateur. As if these matches were not always surrounded by tension, he is only too happy to throw gasoline into the fire. In my view, it is part of the football entertainment today, but I am not sure it helps the players; there is simply too much spark in some of the players.
Real Madrid started the second match very well (this one, I watched at home), but as soon as Barcelona gets going with their passing game, the balloon runs out of air. It is characteristic for both the CL matches how superior Barcelona was in possession and in passing, and in spite of the good fight the Madrid side put up, the score was only 0-0 at halftime because of some splendid saves by the world's best goalkeeper, Iker Casillas. Still, 1-1 was enough for Barcelona, who may feel that they got a double revenge: against their archrivals whom they had never eliminated from a European semifinal, and against José Mourinho, who has been provoking them so much, besides coaching Inter when the Italian side eliminated Barcelona in last season's CL.
This foursome will surely go into history, as in a few weeks the ultimate rivalry of these two sides was put to the test. However, it further underlines the enormous problem this is for the "Scottish" Spanish league: it is effectively a two-team league. The rest of the sides are only in it for the spoils of the big ones (both sport-wise and economically). The Spanish league is a bore and it will continue to be, except when these two sides meet, as much as any football fan should love to see them play.
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
What I think and what I wish
The semifinalists for this season's Champions League are ready after some not overly surprising nor exciting matches. The semifinals are as follows:
That the two Spanish giants are playing one another in a couple of weeks on four crucial encounters is completely unprecedented. No matter how it goes, football history is being made. Although Real Madrid will be hungering for success against their eternal rivals, I do believe that in the CL, Barcelona will carry the day and make it to the final.
Schalke 04 are undoubtfully the dark horse in the semifinals after having eliminated the defending champions of Inter Milan with 7-3 on aggregate. Only number 9 in the Bundesliga, nobody had expected them to be where they are, and they will undoubtfully fight their guts out to make it to the final. That said, they won a lot because of Inter's arrogant stupidity, and that is a mistake that Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United is unlikely to make. While it will surely be an interesting encounter, I think this will be the end for Schalke 04.
I predict a repeat of the 2009 final. But that is not necessary what I wish for.
I like Schalke 04, and in sympathy for the little guy, they are my favourite team of the four left. So I would like them to defeat Manchester United.
I always support FC Barcelona against Real Madrid. Not because I am a Barcelona fan (I support Valencia), but more for dislike of Real Madrid. That said, this time, I would like to see the Marengues facing one of the biggest stars of their history (and one of the greatest players in modern football history), Raul, who at his "advanced" age was made to change to Schalke 04. No matter what I think of Real Madrid I have always found Raul an outstanding player and a football gentleman.
Thus, I would love to see a Real Madrid-Schalke 04 final, where Raul scores the winning goal for his new German team against his old Spanish one!
That would be football history!
But there is always a giant leap from what I wish, to what I think!
That the two Spanish giants are playing one another in a couple of weeks on four crucial encounters is completely unprecedented. No matter how it goes, football history is being made. Although Real Madrid will be hungering for success against their eternal rivals, I do believe that in the CL, Barcelona will carry the day and make it to the final.
Schalke 04 are undoubtfully the dark horse in the semifinals after having eliminated the defending champions of Inter Milan with 7-3 on aggregate. Only number 9 in the Bundesliga, nobody had expected them to be where they are, and they will undoubtfully fight their guts out to make it to the final. That said, they won a lot because of Inter's arrogant stupidity, and that is a mistake that Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United is unlikely to make. While it will surely be an interesting encounter, I think this will be the end for Schalke 04.
I predict a repeat of the 2009 final. But that is not necessary what I wish for.
I like Schalke 04, and in sympathy for the little guy, they are my favourite team of the four left. So I would like them to defeat Manchester United.
I always support FC Barcelona against Real Madrid. Not because I am a Barcelona fan (I support Valencia), but more for dislike of Real Madrid. That said, this time, I would like to see the Marengues facing one of the biggest stars of their history (and one of the greatest players in modern football history), Raul, who at his "advanced" age was made to change to Schalke 04. No matter what I think of Real Madrid I have always found Raul an outstanding player and a football gentleman.
Thus, I would love to see a Real Madrid-Schalke 04 final, where Raul scores the winning goal for his new German team against his old Spanish one!
That would be football history!
But there is always a giant leap from what I wish, to what I think!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Valencia third!
Valencia and Villarreal were playing today their local derby for third place in the Spanish league. These matches are always difficult, so it could as always go to either side even though Valencia had the advantages: they were three points ahead of Villarreal on third spot, and were playing at home.
Indeed, Valencia played one of their best matches of the season, and won a stunning 5-0. Juan Manuel Mata's goal for 2-0 was particularly beautiful.
This was surely the most important victory of the season for a club whose only objective left for this season is to qualify for the Champions League. And in spite of some difficult matches left, this is indeed a giant step on the way!
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Yawn...
As I was at work, and leaving late, I recorded one match. I didn't know which one in fact, but I made sure I heard no results, and quickly put on the match as I came home.
Chelsea-Manchester United was a bore! Manchester United won 0-1 on a Wayne Rooney goal, and will probably make it to the semifinal, but the most notable thing about the match was how lousy Chelsea played, and Ancelotti's very strange insistence on keeping a toothless little boy called Torres on the pitch, instead of what would seem like a deadly striking force in Drogba and Anelka.
It turned out the other match, between FC Barcelona and Shakhtar Donetsk was much more interesting! Shakhtar Donetsk are usually outstanding at home, so it was important for Barcelona to pull a solid result before going to Ukraine. And indeed they did with a 5-1 victory. No matter how good Shakhtar are at home, it looks like Barcelona and Real Madrid will be facing each other in the CL semifinal. In fact, they will be likely facing one another for a period of ten days in all-crucial matches!
Chelsea-Manchester United was a bore! Manchester United won 0-1 on a Wayne Rooney goal, and will probably make it to the semifinal, but the most notable thing about the match was how lousy Chelsea played, and Ancelotti's very strange insistence on keeping a toothless little boy called Torres on the pitch, instead of what would seem like a deadly striking force in Drogba and Anelka.
It turned out the other match, between FC Barcelona and Shakhtar Donetsk was much more interesting! Shakhtar Donetsk are usually outstanding at home, so it was important for Barcelona to pull a solid result before going to Ukraine. And indeed they did with a 5-1 victory. No matter how good Shakhtar are at home, it looks like Barcelona and Real Madrid will be facing each other in the CL semifinal. In fact, they will be likely facing one another for a period of ten days in all-crucial matches!
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Schalke 04 rules!
I think that Schalke 04 were probably considered the little guys in this season's Champions League, and not many would have put money on the German side as they were to face Inter Milan in the quarterfinals. But today any lack of respect for this German side that it is virtually impossible to sympathize with should be totally absent.
Schalke 04 destroyed the defending champions of Inter 2-5 in Milan and should have one foot in the semifinals of the Champions League!
Shame on Inter, who played a horrible match; such lack of concentration can only be blamed on underestimating their opponents, and their desperate outbursts are very uncharming.
If you fall, fall like a champion, and not like pretty arrogant boys!
When Real Madrid's Raul changed to Schalke 04, many people criticized him for not changing to a "big" team in one of the better leagues. The German league is outstanding, probably one of the most talented in Europe, and when Raul changed, he knew he was changing into a team where he would be more than a well-paid veteran substitute.
Raul, the great footballer he is, knew and wanted to be playing Champions League football, and this has now taken him very close to the semifinal of the Champions League, something he had not achieved since 2002 with Real Madrid!
But besides Raul, there are many reasons to be delighted about Schalke 04's triumph! A great club and great fans not the least!
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