Villareal, known in Spain as the Yellow Submarine wasn't able to keep pace with Barcelona and Madrid. Their loss leaves them in third, 4 points adrift of Real and 3 behind Barca.
It would have been good to see U.S. forward Jozy Altidore score a game winning goal. It was not to be.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
FC Barcelona 5 - Sevilla 0: A Question of "Feeling"
When asked why Barcelona would exchange the swift Cameroonian striker, Samuel Eto'o for the agile, athletic Swede, Zlatan Ibrahimovic; Josep Guardiola replied that it was a, "Question of Feeling." Now, a year and a half after Barca's failed forward experiment, Guardiola has Villa. By all signs David Villa does have "feeling" with his coach and his Barcelona teammates and the result was on display Saturday. Barcelona erased Sevilla from the field 5 - 0.
The difference between this and previous Barca matches this year was the intensity the team brought to the field, the movement of David Villa in relation to his teammates, and the accuracy that Barcelona displayed in front of goal.
Those traits, maintained with focus, provided Barcelona with a killer instinct that they haven't shown so far this season. Rather than be content with a 2-0 lead, the Blaugrana were on the hunt for goals up to the very last minute of the game. When Sevilla went down to 10 men early in the second half, Guardiola's troops didn't show any mercy. This ruthless, relentless attitude is necessary for Barcelona to win the league. Their laughable ball-possession can put other teams to sleep but it can also put their own team to sleep. When Barcelona falls asleep, a savvy team with a fast forward can quickly score a goal or two and change the course of a game. When Barcelona displays the killer instinct that they had on Saturday, there are few teams that won't be blown out.
Lionel Messi got things started with a hard, low shot off of a rebound. The tangled human fence of bodies in front of him couldn't stop or slow down Lio's powerful shot.
Nowhere was Barcelona's "feeling" more evident than in the second goal. As Messi received the ball on the right near midfield, David Villa cleared right from his center position to make room for Messi. Lio moved forward and dished the ball off to Villa on the right. As Villa entered the box from the right, it looked like he would attempt to cross. Instead, he slipped past his marker and let loose a perfect shot with his left foot that exploded against the net, just inside the left post.
It was also Villa that put the finishing touches on the evening with a run across the face of goal, outside the box. As he ran from (his) right to left, his shot crossed the goalkeeper to find a home inside the right post of the goal.
Villa's run mimicked that of teammate Messi earlier in the game. Both had the ball for significant time, crossed from right to left and unleashed a shot shortly after passing the middle of the box.
It was this kind of movement that allowed Barcelona to find the scoring chances that they had been lacking earlier in the year. That movement was evident last week as Villa set up Messi twice in Barca's victory over Zaragoza. Against Sevilla, that movement paid off over and over again.
Now that Messi and Villa have developed an understanding, I think you can expect to see a profane amount of goals. These two players are so fast, so generous and so lethal in front of goal; that I expect them to break scoring records. Also, impressive was Pedro's work (see below how he embarrasses Konko out of the game) on the left. Will he be able to move up the goal-scorer's board?
It's good to see Barcelona get that scoring feeling back.
The difference between this and previous Barca matches this year was the intensity the team brought to the field, the movement of David Villa in relation to his teammates, and the accuracy that Barcelona displayed in front of goal.
Those traits, maintained with focus, provided Barcelona with a killer instinct that they haven't shown so far this season. Rather than be content with a 2-0 lead, the Blaugrana were on the hunt for goals up to the very last minute of the game. When Sevilla went down to 10 men early in the second half, Guardiola's troops didn't show any mercy. This ruthless, relentless attitude is necessary for Barcelona to win the league. Their laughable ball-possession can put other teams to sleep but it can also put their own team to sleep. When Barcelona falls asleep, a savvy team with a fast forward can quickly score a goal or two and change the course of a game. When Barcelona displays the killer instinct that they had on Saturday, there are few teams that won't be blown out.
Lionel Messi got things started with a hard, low shot off of a rebound. The tangled human fence of bodies in front of him couldn't stop or slow down Lio's powerful shot.
Nowhere was Barcelona's "feeling" more evident than in the second goal. As Messi received the ball on the right near midfield, David Villa cleared right from his center position to make room for Messi. Lio moved forward and dished the ball off to Villa on the right. As Villa entered the box from the right, it looked like he would attempt to cross. Instead, he slipped past his marker and let loose a perfect shot with his left foot that exploded against the net, just inside the left post.
It was also Villa that put the finishing touches on the evening with a run across the face of goal, outside the box. As he ran from (his) right to left, his shot crossed the goalkeeper to find a home inside the right post of the goal.
Villa's run mimicked that of teammate Messi earlier in the game. Both had the ball for significant time, crossed from right to left and unleashed a shot shortly after passing the middle of the box.
It was this kind of movement that allowed Barcelona to find the scoring chances that they had been lacking earlier in the year. That movement was evident last week as Villa set up Messi twice in Barca's victory over Zaragoza. Against Sevilla, that movement paid off over and over again.
Now that Messi and Villa have developed an understanding, I think you can expect to see a profane amount of goals. These two players are so fast, so generous and so lethal in front of goal; that I expect them to break scoring records. Also, impressive was Pedro's work (see below how he embarrasses Konko out of the game) on the left. Will he be able to move up the goal-scorer's board?
It's good to see Barcelona get that scoring feeling back.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Hércules 1 - Real Madrid 3: The Giant Killers Almost Make it 2
Modest Hércules is a small team from the Spanish coastal town of Alicante. They've only recently made it to Spain's first division, and while they haven't threatened to take position at the top of the league table, they have racked up 2 very impressive results - beating both Barcelona and Sevilla. They almost had a third scalp against Real Madrid.
Their first giant killing took place in no less than Barcelona's Camp Nou, where their impressive display of counterattacking soccer was more impressive than that of Mourinho's 2009 Inter team. The team from Alicante scored 2 on quick Nelson Valdez counterattacks but had opportunities to make it 5 or 6 - 0. Despite have a little over 20% ball possession, they dominated the game.
The rest of the league hasn't been so sunny for the team from the Costa Blanca. Hércules had only 9 points after 8 matches, for a 3rd place in the league. Their match with rival Almeria looked promising, but ended in a 1-1 draw.
So it was surprising to see the team named for Zeus' bastard son go face to face with the galaticos of Real Madrid.
They got off to a great start when Cortés floated a perfect pass from outside the box on the right sideline. The ball landed squarely on the head of David Trezeguet and looped perfectly over Iker Casillas into the upper right corner of the goal. 3 minutes into the game and Madrid had been hit with a bucket of cold water.
Hércules continued their stellar play throughout the first half, attacking with speed and precision. Nelson Valdez almost scored the second with a close shot that San Iker De La Sagrada Camiseta Blanca only just saved.
Los Blancos played better in the second half, holding more possession and taking the sting out of the Alicante attack. A powerful shot from distance by Christiano Ronaldo was bobbled and pounced on by (possibly Madrid's best signing of the year) Di Maria.
In the end, Hércules' third task couldn't be completed. A superb Marcelo run along the end line, left defenders behind and set up a beautiful pull-back pass. Where the first shot was blocked, Christiano Ronaldo put in the rebound. Even Benzema got into the effort, setting up CR 7/9s second goal.
Perhaps the heroes from the Costa Blanca will be able to pull of the upset when they visit Madrid in Bernabeau.
Aside: Is there any more dislikable player than Christiano Ronaldo? His over-the-top victory celebrations, his constant pouting when things go wrong and his intentional kicks of fallen competitors earn him top-douchebag honors in the eyes of this blog. His miserable personality takes all the joy out of watching one of the world's best players. Sad! That's a matter for another post, though.
Their first giant killing took place in no less than Barcelona's Camp Nou, where their impressive display of counterattacking soccer was more impressive than that of Mourinho's 2009 Inter team. The team from Alicante scored 2 on quick Nelson Valdez counterattacks but had opportunities to make it 5 or 6 - 0. Despite have a little over 20% ball possession, they dominated the game.
The rest of the league hasn't been so sunny for the team from the Costa Blanca. Hércules had only 9 points after 8 matches, for a 3rd place in the league. Their match with rival Almeria looked promising, but ended in a 1-1 draw.
So it was surprising to see the team named for Zeus' bastard son go face to face with the galaticos of Real Madrid.
They got off to a great start when Cortés floated a perfect pass from outside the box on the right sideline. The ball landed squarely on the head of David Trezeguet and looped perfectly over Iker Casillas into the upper right corner of the goal. 3 minutes into the game and Madrid had been hit with a bucket of cold water.
Hércules continued their stellar play throughout the first half, attacking with speed and precision. Nelson Valdez almost scored the second with a close shot that San Iker De La Sagrada Camiseta Blanca only just saved.
Los Blancos played better in the second half, holding more possession and taking the sting out of the Alicante attack. A powerful shot from distance by Christiano Ronaldo was bobbled and pounced on by (possibly Madrid's best signing of the year) Di Maria.
In the end, Hércules' third task couldn't be completed. A superb Marcelo run along the end line, left defenders behind and set up a beautiful pull-back pass. Where the first shot was blocked, Christiano Ronaldo put in the rebound. Even Benzema got into the effort, setting up CR 7/9s second goal.
Perhaps the heroes from the Costa Blanca will be able to pull of the upset when they visit Madrid in Bernabeau.
Aside: Is there any more dislikable player than Christiano Ronaldo? His over-the-top victory celebrations, his constant pouting when things go wrong and his intentional kicks of fallen competitors earn him top-douchebag honors in the eyes of this blog. His miserable personality takes all the joy out of watching one of the world's best players. Sad! That's a matter for another post, though.
Happy Birthday Diego! Maradona celebrates his 50th
Diego Maradona turns 50 today and this blogger would like to wish him a happy 6th century. Maradona was clearly one of the 3 greatest football (soccer) players ever. I didn't have the pleasure of watching "La Pelusa" live but I have enjoyed countless highlights on video and on the internet. Feliz cumpleaños, Diego!
In honor of the man from Villa Fiorito, Argentina, I thought I post one of Maradona's favorite goals - his Copa de la Liga goal against Real Madrid from 1983.
One very accurate commentator pointed out that, "Diego didn't elude you, he humiliated you." He does so here, evading the goalie and a defender who slams his man parts into the goal post - ouch! When Maradona apologized to him, defender Juan José told him to "Vete a tomar por culo" (Go take it up the ass). Here's the full interview on Argentina's Olé.
If you've enjoyed reading this or any other post, please follow this blog. Also, please vote in the surveys at the bottom of the page. Thanks
In honor of the man from Villa Fiorito, Argentina, I thought I post one of Maradona's favorite goals - his Copa de la Liga goal against Real Madrid from 1983.
One very accurate commentator pointed out that, "Diego didn't elude you, he humiliated you." He does so here, evading the goalie and a defender who slams his man parts into the goal post - ouch! When Maradona apologized to him, defender Juan José told him to "Vete a tomar por culo" (Go take it up the ass). Here's the full interview on Argentina's Olé.
If you've enjoyed reading this or any other post, please follow this blog. Also, please vote in the surveys at the bottom of the page. Thanks
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Murcia 0 - Real Madrid 0: Ghosts of Alcorcón
In case the 2010-2011 Copa del Rey lacked drama, Jose Mourinho decided to add more: he announced that Madrid was out to win the competition that had embarrassed them the past few years. He also announced if his starting lineup didn't have the motivation to play in the Copa del Rey, he'd replace them with players from Castilla (Madrid's development squad).
How did Mou's motivational tactics go over? Not very well. Los Merengues could only tie Murcia and didn't play the most brilliant football. Christiano Ronaldo started but couldn't break the game open as he has the past 3 league matches.
Is Madrid still haunted by the Alcorconazo, the humiliating defeat at the hands of a 3rd division (Segunda B) team from the suburbs of Madrid? You bet they are.
That 4-0 defeat, more than any other game, sentenced last year's coach Manuel Pellegrini. It was also probably the death knell for Guti.
I'll explore this a little more in coming days but before I do, here are some of the amazing scenes from last year's King's Cup shocker! I wish I could find the video that showed Alcorcón's warm-up-suit-wearing youth storming the field after the win - that was my favorite part.
How did Mou's motivational tactics go over? Not very well. Los Merengues could only tie Murcia and didn't play the most brilliant football. Christiano Ronaldo started but couldn't break the game open as he has the past 3 league matches.
Is Madrid still haunted by the Alcorconazo, the humiliating defeat at the hands of a 3rd division (Segunda B) team from the suburbs of Madrid? You bet they are.
That 4-0 defeat, more than any other game, sentenced last year's coach Manuel Pellegrini. It was also probably the death knell for Guti.
I'll explore this a little more in coming days but before I do, here are some of the amazing scenes from last year's King's Cup shocker! I wish I could find the video that showed Alcorcón's warm-up-suit-wearing youth storming the field after the win - that was my favorite part.
What Is The Copa del Rey? Spain's King's Cup and Why You Should Watch it.
Want to see a real Cinderella story? There's no better place to find it than Spain's Copa del Rey. This annual soccer championship pits 63 teams from Spain's 1st, 2nd and 3rd (Segunda B) division against each other in home and away matches. Played primarily during the work week, the competition ensures that no passionate soccer fan need go 3 days without futból.
The competition began 1902 to celebrate the coronation of Spanish King Alfonso XIII. It was officially named the Copa Del Rey in 1903 and its first title match saw Athletic Bilbao defeat Madrid FC (later Real Madrid).
Originally formed with a representative from each province, the competition has grown to invite many of the top teams from Spain's first 3 divisions.
The competition is a tournament elimination format that pits 2 teams against each other in home and away matches, with the winner being the team with a greater goal total in both games. As with other Cup ties, even goal differential is broken by weighting away goals more heavily.
The exception to the home-away format is the final, regularly played in one of Spain's most prestigious stadiums.
The giant clubs of Spain's first division regularly face off against smaller teams from the lower divisions. This week Barcelona crossed the straights of Gilbraltar to face tiny Ceuta (you get extra credit if you knew that Spain still has territory in Africa apart from the Canary islands). Barça was able to win their "trap" match but Spain's glamor sides regularly fall to small teams in these ties. The most famous example of this was the Alcorconazo: where tiny Alcorcón defeated Real Madrid 4-0 at home. Alcorcón lost the away match 1-0 in Santiago Bernabeau but advanced on the 4-1 goal aggregate.
Small and outclassed as they are, the teams from Spain's lower ranks do have certain advantages. The first and most important advantage is motivation: their team will be excited to prove that they can play with the best in the world while Spain's first division teams regularly rest their "A" team. The result is that the smaller teams often have greater chemistry - their players are used to playing together while the big teams field a patchwork mix of first and second team players - especially early in the competition.
These early games can often be a trap because of field conditions as well. When Spain's large teams play the away leg, they're forced to play on a small, often poorly maintained field. This limits their passing game (especially in Barcelona's case) and speed (especially in Madrid's case). Nevertheless, Spain's large teams do often win out.
The Copa del Rey's most regular victor has been FC Barcelona with 25 victories. Athletíc Bilbao follow closely with a total of 23 cup wins, the last being in 1984. Real Madrid have the third most victories with 17. They haven't won since 1993.
In 2010, the King's Cup has received quite a bit of attention. Real Madrid have announced that they intend to take the Cup more seriously after being embarrassed the last several years. Coach Jose Mourinho is a master of elimination tournaments and won the Coppa Italia in 2009 with Inter Milan.
Teams like Sevilla, Valencia, Athletico, Athletic and Barcelona seem more likely to hoist the King's trophy at the end of the season.
As you follow the action, here's a look back at one of the best finals, the 2009 match between the Copa del Rey's two most storied teams: Barcelona and Athletic.
The competition began 1902 to celebrate the coronation of Spanish King Alfonso XIII. It was officially named the Copa Del Rey in 1903 and its first title match saw Athletic Bilbao defeat Madrid FC (later Real Madrid).
Originally formed with a representative from each province, the competition has grown to invite many of the top teams from Spain's first 3 divisions.
The competition is a tournament elimination format that pits 2 teams against each other in home and away matches, with the winner being the team with a greater goal total in both games. As with other Cup ties, even goal differential is broken by weighting away goals more heavily.
The exception to the home-away format is the final, regularly played in one of Spain's most prestigious stadiums.
The giant clubs of Spain's first division regularly face off against smaller teams from the lower divisions. This week Barcelona crossed the straights of Gilbraltar to face tiny Ceuta (you get extra credit if you knew that Spain still has territory in Africa apart from the Canary islands). Barça was able to win their "trap" match but Spain's glamor sides regularly fall to small teams in these ties. The most famous example of this was the Alcorconazo: where tiny Alcorcón defeated Real Madrid 4-0 at home. Alcorcón lost the away match 1-0 in Santiago Bernabeau but advanced on the 4-1 goal aggregate.
Small and outclassed as they are, the teams from Spain's lower ranks do have certain advantages. The first and most important advantage is motivation: their team will be excited to prove that they can play with the best in the world while Spain's first division teams regularly rest their "A" team. The result is that the smaller teams often have greater chemistry - their players are used to playing together while the big teams field a patchwork mix of first and second team players - especially early in the competition.
These early games can often be a trap because of field conditions as well. When Spain's large teams play the away leg, they're forced to play on a small, often poorly maintained field. This limits their passing game (especially in Barcelona's case) and speed (especially in Madrid's case). Nevertheless, Spain's large teams do often win out.
The Copa del Rey's most regular victor has been FC Barcelona with 25 victories. Athletíc Bilbao follow closely with a total of 23 cup wins, the last being in 1984. Real Madrid have the third most victories with 17. They haven't won since 1993.
In 2010, the King's Cup has received quite a bit of attention. Real Madrid have announced that they intend to take the Cup more seriously after being embarrassed the last several years. Coach Jose Mourinho is a master of elimination tournaments and won the Coppa Italia in 2009 with Inter Milan.
Teams like Sevilla, Valencia, Athletico, Athletic and Barcelona seem more likely to hoist the King's trophy at the end of the season.
As you follow the action, here's a look back at one of the best finals, the 2009 match between the Copa del Rey's two most storied teams: Barcelona and Athletic.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Zaragoza 0 - FC Barcelona 2: Barça and the Away-Field Advantage
FC Barcelona won on Saturday. They won as they have often in the last month or so, missing opportunity after opportunity while dominating a clearly inferior opponent.
They did however have many more opportunities to show themselves on Saturday than they have in some of their recent home matches. Which brings us to an interesting issue: is Barcelona better on the road than they are at home?
It sounds strange. Usually teams think of their home stadium as a stronghold and play better in front of boisterous, aggressive and occasionally downright dangerous home fans. Yet this year's Barca squad seems to be doing the opposite: the struggle to beat lesser teams at home and get to show off on the road.
One theory is that the home team can't hide as well: when a team plays Barcelona in the Nou Camp (in Barcelona) it's expected to lose; the visiting team can park 9-10 players by the goal and do everything it can to block real, constructive football.
When a team plays Barça at home, it has a responsibility to its fans to show a minimum of offensive competency. Holding 10 players back is sure to draw cat calls from the fans and even letters asking for the coach to be fired. So the home team plays Barcelona more aggressively - and pays the price for their pride.
I didn't come up with this idea: it was a pearl of an explanation put forth by Ray Hudson on GolTV. This guy makes soccer fun and exciting and drops some real wisdom during the game. Check him out and check out Spain's La Liga (and Barcelona) on GolTV.
For those that don't have GolTV, here are the highlights:
They did however have many more opportunities to show themselves on Saturday than they have in some of their recent home matches. Which brings us to an interesting issue: is Barcelona better on the road than they are at home?
It sounds strange. Usually teams think of their home stadium as a stronghold and play better in front of boisterous, aggressive and occasionally downright dangerous home fans. Yet this year's Barca squad seems to be doing the opposite: the struggle to beat lesser teams at home and get to show off on the road.
One theory is that the home team can't hide as well: when a team plays Barcelona in the Nou Camp (in Barcelona) it's expected to lose; the visiting team can park 9-10 players by the goal and do everything it can to block real, constructive football.
When a team plays Barça at home, it has a responsibility to its fans to show a minimum of offensive competency. Holding 10 players back is sure to draw cat calls from the fans and even letters asking for the coach to be fired. So the home team plays Barcelona more aggressively - and pays the price for their pride.
I didn't come up with this idea: it was a pearl of an explanation put forth by Ray Hudson on GolTV. This guy makes soccer fun and exciting and drops some real wisdom during the game. Check him out and check out Spain's La Liga (and Barcelona) on GolTV.
For those that don't have GolTV, here are the highlights:
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