With the confusing TV schedules for La Liga in the United States every week, it is quite difficult to figure out who is playing when and on what channel.  Every Friday, I will lay out the TV schedule so that every fan of La Liga has a place to go to see when and where their favorite team will play.  Here is the schedule for Jornada 10 of La Liga:

The times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DIRECTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Nov. 7

Tenerife vs. Málaga – 11:45 AM on DIRECTV channel 456

Getafe vs. Deportivo La Coruña – 11:55 AM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Barcelona vs. Mallorca – 1:55 PM on GOL TV

Atlético Madrid vs. Real Madrid – 3:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Nov. 8

Sporting Gijón vs. Espanyol – 10:45 AM on DIRECTV channel 457

Racing Santander vs. Athletic Bilbao – 10:45 AM on DIRECTV channel 456

Almería vs. Osasuna – 10:55 AM on GOL TV

Valencia vs. Real Zaragoza – 12:55 PM on ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Sevilla vs. Villarreal – 2:55 PM on GOL TV

Sorry for those Real Valladolid and Xerez supporters, their match against each other will not be shown on US TV.

As an extra aside, GOL TV and ESPN will also show second legs of the Copa del Rey Round of 32 in the mid-week, including Alcorcón’s bid to complete the shock of Real Madrid.  Here are those fixtures:

Copa del Rey

Real Madrid vs. Alcorcón – Tuesday, November 10 at 1:55 PM on GOL TV (Real Madrid 0-4 Alcorcón after the first leg)

Barcelona vs. Cultural Leonesa – Tuesday, November 10 at 3:55 on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360 (Barcelona 2-0 Cultural Leonesa afther the first leg)

Athletic Bilbao vs. Rayo Vallecano – Wednesday, November 11 at 2:55 PM on GOL TV (Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Rayo Vallecano after the first leg)

Almería vs. Hércules – Thursday, November 12 at 2:55 on GOL TV (Almería 1-2 Hércules after the first leg)

Related posts:

1. Jornada 1 – Media Schedule The start of La Liga is upon us… As we...
2. ESPN Fútbol Channel? A few years ago there were rumors milling in Bristol,...
3. La Liga 2009-2010: A Season Preview (Part One) With the Spanish football season only two and a half...

Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Real Madrid in the summer and had been a star performer in his Real Madrid shirt before being sidelined by injury and the former Manchester United star has said he would love to see former team mate Wayne Rooney move to the Bernabeu to play alongside him again.

Ronaldo left Manchester United in the summer for a record £8o million transfer fee and although he admits that Rooney is unlikely to follow him to Real Madrid he believes the England striker would fit into the team well.

Wayne would be a sensation out here. I think we could do with Rooney to help us out,” said Ronaldo.

“He would be brilliant if he came. This is the ideal place for the world’s best players and there’s little doubt he is one of them.

“Wayne has all the skill and determination you need to make a fine career here.

“He has shown just how good he is over the last few years in England.

“And there’s no doubt he would be the same sort of player in Spain. It would be lovely to see him here one day at Real Madrid.

“I realise it would take a lot for him to move from England.

“He loves the country, he loves Manchester and he is a Liverpool boy. And United is a good club for him. But you never know what could happen in the future.”

There is no doubt that Rooney is a fantastic player and would be a great addition to any team I just don’t see him leaving Manchester United or in fact Real Madrid deciding that they want to spend another £30+ million on another striker.

Written by Danny Watson a Sports writer who also blogs about football kits.

Related posts:

1. Real Madrid Ronaldo Bid Is Pure Fantasy The headline of this article is very much misleading. Real...
2. Messi Versus Ronaldo! After covering the Barcelona versus Real Madrid topic, it is only logical if Lionel...
3. Who is the key player for Madrid? Real Madrid have scoured Europe for the top talent...

Oscar Ustari can only stare blankly as Gonzalo Higuaín beats him for a second time.

The fashionable district.  The working-class south.  The established.  The disrespected.  Commerce.  Industry.  A comparison between the two top Madrid clubs.  Getafe just wants to be in the conversation.  They are in the city too, they say.  Real Madrid does not disrespect them because they are not in Real’s radar.  With Atlético Madrid struggling to steer their campaign in the right direction, Getafe CF had a chance to be noticed in the capital against Real Madrid at the eminent and illustrious Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.

The recent difficulties for Real Madrid have been well documented.  Outclassed by Sevilla, beaten by AC Milan, mediocre against Sporting Gijón, and embarrassed by Alcorcón.  All told, one win, one draw, and three losses in the last five for Madrid.  It only took until the middle of October for the rumors to start about the future and viability of Manuel Pellegrini at the Bernabéu.  The last event that Pellegrini needed to happen was another slip-up at the hands of their unnoticed cousin from the southern part of the Madrid metropolitan area.

The first half hour of the match saw few chances between the two teams, and the funereal atmosphere within the Santiago Bernabéu did not help in spurring on Real Madrid.  What sparked both the Madridistas and the players occurred in the 28th minute, when Raúl Albiol unjustly received a straight red card.  Apparently, in the eyes of referee Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz, Albiol prevented Getafe striker Roberto Soldado from a direct goal-scoring opportunity.  Albiol did pull the shirt of Soldado somewhat, but they both went for the ball in the air, leading to inevitable contact.  At worst, Mateu Lahoz should have given a yellow card to Albiol, but this highly controversial call gave Getafe the one-man advantage and more hope that they could upset Real Madrid in their own stadium.

Pedro León’s subsequent free kick could not curl enough as it flew a couple yards wide of the right post, but Getafe neglected to use the extra man to their benefit.  Paradoxically, Real Madrid actually played better with more vim and vigor after the red card and constantly threatened the Getafe goal through halftime.  Kaká and Karim Benzema played a two-man game down the left wing in one attack, with Kaká laying a perfect pull-back from the byline to Benzema, but Benzema’s strongly struck shot stung goalkeeper Oscar Ustari’s hands as he parried it away from goal.  Even though it was a 0-0 score at halftime, Real Madrid seemed more likely to open the scoring, while Getafe played a more conservative game after Albiol’s dismissal.  The whistles rained down from the Madridistas, but they aimed their anger more at the referees as they headed into their dressing room for halftime.

When Gonzalo Higuaín broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute to give Real Madrid the 1-0 lead, the run of play dictated that Real deserved to be ahead.  From the left wing, Marcelo whipped in a cross to Higuaín, who split between two defenders in the air, and after chesting the ball down to create space, it was a simple finish as Ustari had no chance to prevent the inevitable.

Getafe only changed their tactics after Higuaín scored.  After the referee sent off Albiol, Getafe continued to tread water rather than go for the lead.  When the goal transpired, panic seized through Getafe manager Míchel and his team, and they decided to be more gung ho in attack.  This tactic backfired three minutes later, when Lassana Diarra created a turnover in midfield, and there were only two Getafe defenders in their own half.  A two versus two battle between Mario and Cata Díaz and Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuaín yielded predictable results.  With the defenders on their heels, Benzema slotted a through ball to Higuaín, who took two touches and side-footed his shot across goal and across Oscar Ustari into the back of the net.  2-0 to the home team and assured three points.

Fabio Celestini had a couple of long-distance efforts that forced Iker Casillas into some good saves, but the second goal took the wind out of Getafe’s sails as they played out the final half hour without any significant scoring chances.  In eighth place starting Round 9 of La Liga, Getafe looked to continue their good form against a reeling Real Madrid side.  In particular, Roberto Soldado, Miguel Torres, Dani Parejo, and Adrián González wanted to prove to their former parent club that they should not have given up on them.  All members of the Real Madrid cantera, they disappointed as they failed to appreciably affect and effect the game to their fullest extent.  Especially when Real Madrid was handicapped with one less man, they did not have the gusto that was required to defeat any Real Madrid side.

To their credit, Real Madrid arguably had their most impressive performance of the season.  It was not necessarily due to stellar football, but it was their resolve and grit to take control of a game when they went a man down and seemingly every call went against them.  The 60/40 ratio of possession in Getafe’s favor meant nothing when observing the game; Getafe was ponderous with the ball, while Real were decisive and efficient after the red card.  Real Madrid expected to win this game, and even when they went a man down, they were the slightest of favorites to come out with a result, but Getafe never tilted the scales in their favor when they had the chance, and for that, they should be utterly frustrated with themselves.

Related posts:

1. First Impressions of Real Madrid and the Second Galacticos Era The much-anticipated return of La Liga began with a...
2. Sevilla FC’s Defeat of Real Madrid Announces Their Presence in the La Liga Title Race In terms of the football played on the pitch, the...
3. Que Mal Que Marca El Madrid Espanyol 0-3 Real Madrid 0-1 Granero, 39’ 0-2 Guti, 77’...

If the Copa del Rey is played, but hardly anyone cares about it, did it really happen?  To say that some of the La Liga teams think of the cup as a nuisance would be quite an understatement.  With the overloaded fixture list consisting of European and domestic matches, the Copa del Rey is near the bottom of the top teams’ priorities.  Spain does not treat the cup with the same disdain as Italy treats their Coppa Italia, but the Copa does not get the respect it deserves from many of the Spanish top-flight clubs.

This type of domestic competition is meant for the underdogs at the bottom of the La Liga table as well as the lower division clubs who want to make a name for themselves with a historic giant killing in their eyes.  Unfortunately, entry into the cup is limited.  The teams eligible are as follows: the twenty teams from La Liga, the twenty-two teams from the Segunda División, twenty-four teams from Segunda División B, and eighteen teams from the Tercera División, leading to a maximum eighty-four teams.  Another quirk in this system involves the reserve squads.  In Spain, reserve teams are allowed to play in the official league pyramid, and a few of them are in the second and third divisions, such as Villarreal CF B, Sevilla Atlético, and Barcelona Atlètic, but they do not have permission to participate in the Copa del Rey.

The FA Cup in England and the Coupe de France in France allow the most teams to participate in their national cups.  Even the overseas departments of France, such as New Caledonia, French Guyana, Guadeloupe, etc., are allowed to enter teams into the Coupe de France.  While the FA Cup is not quite as open as the Coupe de France, teams all the way down to the ninth level of English football have a chance to live their football dreams.

In the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup, the first round of qualifying in the FA Cup, teams from all across England played hundreds of matches, including one fixture between Cornard United and Gorleston where the official attendance was a colossal 22 people.  It was a rousing match-up of two East Anglian neighbors from Suffolk and Norfolk, respectively… at least that is what the 22 who attended probably thought of the clash (if anyone cares Cornard United lost 0-4 to Gorleston).  Semi-professional and amateur teams have a shot, even if their odds of winning the cup are beyond astronomical.  If the Copa del Rey allowed all the teams of the Tercera División and below to participate, the locals will care much more than they do now.

As this article is currently being written, Alcorcón embarrassed Real Madrid 4-0 at the Municipal de Santo Domingo, and it could have been five or six.  Even though Borja’s brace impressed the football world, he fluffed another two chances that could have sealed his place in the history of the cup.  Madrid did not send out its best team, but none of the starting eleven came from the B team, and the likes of Raúl, Karim Benzema, and Guti were in the starting eleven.  This famous victory, however, does not ensure Alcorcón a spot in the Round of 16, which is another one of the problems with the Copa del Rey.

Unlike most domestic cups in Europe, all rounds of the competition from the moment that the top-flight teams enter are two-legged affairs.  Real Madrid will have the opportunity to reverse this mortifying result at the Santiago Bernabéu in a couple weeks, and it is not outside of the realm of possibility that they do make up the goal difference and move on to the next stage.  It is a fair point to indicate that Los Blancos would have likely played differently and with much more verve had the tie been one leg, but the two-leg rounds do not favor the smaller teams.  They would have a much tougher time maintaining that form over two matches than if it was one match for passage into the next round.

Maybe that is what the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF), the governing body for football in Spain, wants to happen.  The RFEF runs the competition, and the way they currently organize the tournament suggests that they want to ensure that the top clubs make it to the latter stages without too much trouble.  For example, the clubs presently competing in European tournaments face the six teams from Segunda División B and the Tercera División that survived to the Round of 32.  The six Segunda División sides are ensured to play first division teams, and the eight La Liga clubs remaining play each other.  The romance of an open draw does not exist in the Round of 32.  So the hope that a Cultural Leonesa or a Marbella faces one another only occurs if they beat Champions League sides and progress further in the tournament.

Ultimately, it may be for the best that the top teams do not put forth their full effort into this competition.  Athletic Club, who floundered at mid-table in La Liga last year, made the cup their first priority.  The second leg of last year’s semifinal, a 3-0 thrashing of Sevilla to move on to the finals with 4-2 aggregate score, showed the cup at its best.  The Bilbao players were inspired and enthralled from the very first minute, and the San Mamés literally shook with enthusiasm and fervor as they impelled sus leones to perform at a level above their maximum.  Athletic would lose to FC Barcelona in the final 4-1, but since Barcelona already qualified for the UEFA Champions League, the Europa League spot then goes to the runner-up.  Athletic Club has taken full advantage of this opportunity, and now they sit second in their Europa League group, poised to qualify for the knockout stages.  While the Copa del Rey may never be restored to its former illustrious stature, a few tweaks will rejuvenate this eminent competition.

Related posts:

1. Sevilla FC’s Defeat of Real Madrid Announces Their Presence in the La Liga Title Race In terms of the football played on the pitch, the...
2. La Liga in the UEFA Champions League: A Recap Tuesday and Wednesday brought about Match Day 2 in the...
3. Sevilla Flies Underneath the Radar While the press and the media focus most of their...

There is no doubt that on his day Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the most talented footballers in the world but often he is criticised for being lazy and unproductive so his transfer to Barcelona was met with doubt by some Barcelona fans. However the Swedish striker has played well since his move from Inter Milan and has been a stand out player in a Barcelona shirt this season.

Ibrahimovic scored twice in Barcelona’s 6-1 win over Zaragoza at the weekend with one of his goals being from a trademark free kick and he credits his free kick ability to Sinisa Mihajlovic who he spent two years with at Inter Milan.

“I used to train with Sinisa Mihajlovic at Internazionale. He’s a free kick specialist. I had him for one or two years and when you see him take free kicks the only thing you can do is learn from him,”

Ibrahimovic spoke of his delight at playing for Barcelona and how well he has settled.

“I feel very fine at Barcelona.”

“Just a week before the start of the Championship I was able to return to group training.” due to a hand injury Ibrahimovic picked up in pre-season. ” It didn’t helped my integration at Barcelona but I was fortunate to score a goal every match I played.”

Ibrahimovic currently sits joint top scorer in La Liga with seven goals so if he continues his current form e is on course for a very good first season in La Liga.

Written by Danny Watson a Sports writer who also blogs about football kits.

Related posts:

1. Ibrahimovic and Maxwell to Barcelona After a season bordering on perfection, a refreshing thirst...
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic: A Mixed Bag in Barcelona’s 3-0 Victory over Sporting Gijón Writer’s Note: Unfortunately, WordPress does not recognize the “c” with...
3. Honours even at the San Siro Barcelona started off their Champions League campaign away from home...

Halloween will arrive in a few days, but for Atlético Madrid, this season has been a complete nightmare from the beginning.  Los rojiblancos hit their low point with a dull thud on Saturday when they could not fend off a nine-man Mallorca team and settled for a 1-1 draw at the Vicente Calderón.  Even though Abel Resino received a vote of confidence from the Atleti boardroom earlier in the season, those kinds of assurances were fleeting at best, and when Atlético delivered an impotent performance in the 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League, the writing was clearly on the wall for the former Atlético goalkeeper.

More often than not, a mid-season coaching change leads to a temporary spike in results.  Recent examples include Espanyol when Mauricio Pochettino replaced José Manuel Esnal, Real Madrid when Juande Ramos replaced Bernd Schuster, and Abel Resino himself when he replaced Javier Aguirre in the middle of the last campaign.  The jury is still out on the new Quique Sánchez Flores era, but from the showing Atlético Madrid displayed against Mallorca, Sánchez Flores has plenty of work to inspire these dispirited players.

Temporary manager Santi Denia had very little time to prepare this team after the sacking of Abel Resino, but he made a couple of adjustments to the starting eleven by preferring Raúl García over Cléber Santana in the center of midfield as well as starting eighteen year old David de Gea in goal instead of the number one Sergio Asenjo.  That change did not matter much in the early parts of the match as de Gea had little to do.  For the first twenty-five minutes, the atmosphere on and off the pitch was very muted.  Anxiousness permeated the Vicente Calderón as the uncertainty of the future for Atlético made the supporters and the players uneasy and unenthusiastic.  Then the break Atlético Madrid desperately needed fell right into their laps.

Mallorca right back Josemi, trying to prevent a Simão pass from reaching Diego Forlán, struck the ball with his bicep inside the box, and referee César Muñiz Fernández immediately pointed to the penalty spot.  Having already received a yellow card earlier in the match, Muñiz Fernández awarded Josemi a second yellow card for the incident, and Mallorca was down to ten men.  Forlán stepped to the mark, and…

it went wide of the post.  This ominous occurrence only helped in prolonging the growing despair.  With a 0-0 score line at the end of the half, the vociferous whistles rained down on their beloved Atlético, and Mallorca could not have written a better script after the unfortunate ejection of Josemi.

If Atlético Madrid did not want to take advantage of a fortuitous break, Mallorca gave them a second chance when Iván Ramis received a second yellow card for another handball inside the penalty area.  The ball seemed to play the arm rather than vice versa, but nevertheless, Ramis was gone, Mallorca had to play the final 40+ minutes with only nine men, and Atlético was twelve yards away from basically sealing the match.  Unfazed by his earlier penalty miss, Forlán coolly slotted the ball into the back of the net, and it was not if they would win but by how many.

Strangely, Atlético, whether by the instructions of Santi Denia or by the players’ own apprehensions, protected their 1-0 lead instead of trying to increase it.  They dominated the possession, as they should with a two-man advantage, but rarely created significant goal-scoring opportunities that would ruin any chance for Mallorca to get anything out of this match.  Forlán hit the target a couple of times, Simão forced Dudu Aouate into some good saves, and Cléber Santana’s header from a set piece traveled inches over the crossbar, but their attacking play, as a whole, appeared stunted compared to normal circumstances.  Their careful and cautious attitude would prove costly when Mallorca amazingly equalized in the 91st minute to earn a point that should not have been there to retrieve.

From José Luis Martí’s free kick at midfield, Atlético somehow allowed Borja Valero to control the ball with his foot near the byline.  Valero’s ensuing ball was meant to be a cross across the six-yard box to Pierre Webó, but in attempting to smother that cross, David de Gea allowed it to go between his legs.  If the ball went straight through his legs, Webó and Atlético defender Álvaro Domínguez each would have had a 50/50 chance at it, but as the ball squeezed through de Gea’s legs, he diverted the ball off its path with his left heel into goal.  Would Sergio Asenjo have committed the same error?  Call it fate, destiny, the football gods, or any other supernatural event; Atlético Madrid could not win a match that Mallorca tried to give away.

As absurd as this may sound, Mallorca actually deserved to merit a result from this match.  The equalizer transpired from a slice of good fortune, but their tireless work ethic and their unending belief gained many admirers, and they dug themselves out of a hole they created instead of slumping their shoulders and admitting defeat before the match was over.

What does this mean for Atlético Madrid going forward?  Quique Sánchez Flores has had successful spells with Valencia and Benfica, but he faces the most challenging managing job of his career.  Initially competing to retain its Champions League place, Atlético’s goals for the season need to be scaled back slightly.  The sale of John Heitinga in the last minutes of the summer transfer window to Everton may not have been a glaring loss at the outset, but Atlético has employed three different right backs this season, including lifelong central defender Tomáš Ujfaluši.  None filled the position adequately, and a weak link in a defensive line cannot be masked when a decent attacking team puts pressure on them.

For an attacking force that includes Argentine budding superstar Sergio Agüero, Simão Sabrosa, Maxi Rodríguez, Jurado, and current European Golden Shoe winner Diego Forlán, ten goals in eight matches in La Liga as well as zero goals in three Champions League group stage games fall well below their high expectations.  The service from the midfield is of mediocre quality, and the intricate passing game in the final third lacks the fluidity that they showed last season.

While Sánchez Flores and his technical staff can work out these problems on the training ground, instilling the poise and confidence that Atlético used to possess will be their most arduous task as they try to lift los rojiblancos from the dregs of their current form.  Without these intangible traits at full tilt, they will continue to surrender meekly against their future opponents.  All is doom and gloom at the moment, but fortunately, they will not have too much time to mull over their soul-crushing draw as they have their Round of 32 Copa del Rey cup tie against Segunda División B side UD Marbella on Tuesday.  Atlético Madrid will likely use many of their young and bench players against Marbella, but any potential win at this point can be used as a confidence-booster in their long journey from the abyss.

Fueras del Juego

- It is more of relief than congratulations for Villarreal as they recorded their first victory of the season 2-1 over Málaga on Sunday.  It was also a first for Villarreal record signing Nilmar as he netted his first La Liga goal for the club.

- El Golazo de la Jornada goes to Pablo Hernández, whose forty-yard effort floated over a humiliated Diego Alves as Valencia beat Almería at the Estadio Mediterráneo 0-3 on Sunday.  Alves was clearly out of position, but the foresight and technical skill necessary to execute the shot by Pablo was exquisite.

- Before the Racing de Santander – Osasuna match, there was a minute of silence for the recent death of José Manuel López Alonso, former president of Racing.  Near the end of the minute, referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez was about to blow the whistle when he realized the minute was not quite over.  Luckily, he did not blow the whistle at that moment, but his facial expressions of surprise and embarrassment were priceless.

Related posts:

1. Atlético Madrid Continues Their Stumbling Start Atlético Madrid prolonged their faltering start with a 1-1...
2. La Liga in the Champions League: Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid The group stage of the Champions League began on Tuesday...
3. Valencia Unnecessarily Drops Another Two Points Based on their records coming into this fixture, the...

Last night saw mixed fortunes for Spanish sides as Sevilla made it three wins from three in the Champions League this season but Barcelona lost 2-1 at home to Rubin Kazan and was probably the most unexpected result of the night, in a night that produced more than one surprise scoreline.

Tonight though is the meeting of the two European giants AC Milan and Real Madrid which looks like being the tastiest double header in the Champions League this season. Milan go into the game as underdogs, not just because of the quality of players signed in the summer and pulling on a Real Madrid shirt tonight including Milan legend Kaka, but also because Milan appear to be short of form at the moment.

Real Madrid will not quite be the same force with Cristiano Ronaldo missing but it is highly expected that Real will walk away with all three points tonight. This match on paper certainly has the makings of a classic, however I just worry whether Milan will be able to compete with the high flying Galacticos. Only time will tell if Milan can roll back the years and shows us what they are made of.

Written by Danny Watson a Sports writer who also blogs about football kits.

Related posts:

1. La Liga in the UEFA Champions League: A Recap Tuesday and Wednesday brought about Match Day 2 in the...
2. Gerrard To Miss Champions Clash Against Madrid This is the reason why predictions should not be...
3. La Liga in the Champions League: Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid The group stage of the Champions League began on Tuesday...

Pep Guardiola cannot believe it either.

After a workmanlike 1-0 victory against Almería and a mediocre showing in their 0-0 draw at the Mestalla against Valencia CF on Saturday, FC Barcelona looked to reverse their form in the Champions League against a supposed weaker team in FK Rubin Kazan.  To their credit, Barça did not make any excuses about their performance against Los Che, but they did suffer from the FIFA virus because a vast majority of their players contributed to their respective countries’ national teams across the globe.  Pep Guardiola rested Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lionel Messi flew to and from South America and competed in two crucial and stressful World Cup qualifiers with Argentina, Thierry Henry picked up a thigh injury while playing for Les Bleus, and many others not mentioned here.  Before the match, Seydou Keita spoke about their Ukrainian opponents:

“It won’t be an easy game.  They will come to the Nou Camp to defend like all they do and we’ll have to go out strong to create chances and score.”

Rubin Kazan also entered this contest without playing at their highest standards.  In control of the Russian Premier League through much of the season and with a seven-point lead with eight games to play, the Tatars turned their focus on the Champions League.  Fairly inexperienced in juggling domestic and European responsibilities, the distraction of the Champions League led to a dip in form in Russia, which included a draw and two losses before a routine and pedestrian 2-1 win over hapless FC Khimki on Saturday.  Spartak Moscow took advantage of a faltering Rubin Kazan and shaved the league deficit to a single point with five rounds remaining.  Facing Barcelona at the Camp Nou was one of the last tasks that Rubin Kazan needed.

Rubin Kazan erased any fears of the Catalunyan atmosphere when Aleksandr Ryazantsev delivered a shock thirty-yard strike in the second minute to give the visitors the 0-1 lead.  Immediately after a Barça attack that culminated in an unanswered penalty claim, Rafael Márquez misplayed a goal kick from Sergei Ryzhikov.  The ball headed in the direction of Ryazantsev, who decided to take the shot first time from a country mile away.  His searching effort became one of the goals of the Champions League season as his sweetly struck bullet pierced the top right corner of Victor Valdés’ unsuspecting goal.  The Camp Nou faithful were flabbergasted, the Barcelona players were stunned, and most of all, Ryazantsev’s teammates were astonished by both the shot and the sudden lead.

The goal annoyed the blaugrana more than anything, and they continued their assault on the Rubin goal; however, Rubin Kazan’s organization was outstanding, and Barça could not find the breakthrough against this highly disciplined Russian side.  When Ibrahimovic equalized early in the second half with a little spin-o-rama magic of his own, the pervasive feeling was that of inevitability.  It was not if Barcelona would win but by how many.  Apparently, Rubin Kazan did not get the memo, and they continued to persist with their defensive game plan.  Rubin would only have three shots for the entire match, but each one was on target, and their third and final shot proved to be the game winner.  After another Barcelona giveaway, Alejandro Domínguez sped down the Barça half in a blistering counter-attack.  The timing of his through-ball to Gökdeniz Karadeniz was impeccable, and Karadeniz’s one-timer from fifteen yards flashed across the face of goal and bundled the back of the net.

Barcelona’s attempts to make the match all-square were in vain, as two of their efforts hit the frame of the goal and the others handled by Sergei Ryzhikov.  The final statistics compare to a video game: twenty-four shots with thirteen on target, 69% of the possession, eleven corners to one, and a mind-boggling 654 passes at an 86% completion rate.  With these numbers, Barcelona won 5-0, right?  Not on this European night.  The streets of Kazan will flood with joyous supporters who will cherish this night as the night when their beloved Tatars slayed the Catalunyan dragon.

The expectations for Barcelona from the media and the team itself are so astronomical that little blips on the radar become immediate crises.  After the match, Xavi Hernández was at it again, bemoaning Rubin Kazan’s tactics and overall play to the Spanish sports daily Diario AS:

“It was a very dissatisfying match from the start, conceding a goal into the top corner from thirty yards at the very beginning.  Then we had many chances and made it more difficult for them.  We played well at times, we opened up the pitch and had spells.  But it is difficult to measure a team that only defends, especially if you do not find the final pass.  They leave with an undeserved prize.”

Sometimes, humility would be a nice change of pace.  While Xavi gave no credit to Rubin Kazan for their gritty display on Tuesday night, plaudits will rain from many media outlets about this fairly unknown team from Russia and their desire and intensity.  Well done Rubin and the loyal supporters who traveled many miles to the Camp Nou to witness their small slice of history.

What got lost from Xavi’s remarks is a question many will ask tonight and throughout the season.  Did Valencia and Rubin Kazan provide blueprints to earn results against this unrelenting Barça side?  Somewhat.  If a less technically gifted team goes against Barcelona, follow the Rubin Kazan plan: defensive organization, midfield flooding, and opportunistic counter-attacks.  If the team can truly compete with Barcelona’s talent, follow the Valencia plan: keep possession, shackle Dani Alves and Eric Abidal as much as possible, and force Victor Valdés into some contested crosses and shots.  Even if all of these principles are followed, as many teams have tried, it will likely be all for naught.  That is the beauty of this FC Barcelona outfit.  Their single-minded nature to attack and attack and attack eventually crumbles their opposition.  When Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich sacked Luiz Felipe Scolari last season, one of the main reasons was that he did not have a plan B if plan A did not work.  If Barcelona’s plan A does not work, which happens quite rarely, they execute plan A even harder.

President Joan Laporta and the Barcelona supporters need not worry at this point.  Barcelona is on top of La Liga and their congested group in the Champions League.  No team will sail through a season without some difficulties, and these recent struggles might be for the best because if Barcelona started to believe in their own accolades, Pep Guardiola will surely point to their performances against Almería, Valencia, and Rubin Kazan.  Even when Barcelona was at their best, Guardiola kept them on level ground.  The players will listen to him, and they will rise from this temporary setback.

Saques de Esquina:

- With a three-goal lead at Stuttgart, Sevilla FC resorted to time-wasting tactics that an inferior team would do if it could earn a point away from home.  Really?  Stuttgart did pull a goal back from Élson’s whipping free kick, but Sevilla did not need to act as though they were a Tercera División side in a Copa del Rey tie.

Courtesy of halighalie

- Hoping to squeak out a last-minute victory over Dynamo Kyiv, Inter Milan manager José Mourinho sent in defender Marco Materazzi as a battering ram forward, similar to what he did at Chelsea when he would use Robert Huth in the same fashion.  The thought of Touré Yaya or Federico Fazio acting as emergency strikers should strike fear in the hearts of defenders everywhere.

- Is Jens Lehmann always angry with someone?  After Frédéric Kanouté legitimately fell in the penalty box due to a legal sliding challenge from a Stuttgart defender, Lehmann got in Kanouté’s face, likely accusing him of diving.  Lehmann seems to thrive in this role, whether he alienates the opposition or his own teammates.

Related posts:

1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic: A Mixed Bag in Barcelona’s 3-0 Victory over Sporting Gijón Writer’s Note: Unfortunately, WordPress does not recognize the “c” with...
2. Why is Defense So Reviled in Football? The theory is that because of the low amount of...
3. La Liga in the UEFA Champions League: A Recap Tuesday and Wednesday brought about Match Day 2 in the...

An impressive 1-0 win by Deportivo La Coruña over Sevilla on Saturday raises Depor to a tie of third place with Sevilla at fifteen points, four points behind league leaders FC Barcelona.  Los blanquiazules have won five of their first seven matches this season, and their only two losses came at the hands of Espanyol 2-3 and Real Madrid 2-3.  Depor has built their success this season on their quick counter-attacking ability and their positional defense.  Besides their 0-3 drubbing of lowly Xerez at Chapín, Depor’s other four victories ended in 1-0 score lines in favor the Galician club.

The Depor – Sevilla match was a microcosm of how Deportivo La Coruña continued their solid form.  For the first fifteen minutes, Depor canceled out any semblance of a Sevilla attack.  Sevilla was somewhat handicapped by injuries and the previous week’s World Cup qualifiers.  A majority of Sevilla’s players performed in the international break, including their stalwart central defender Sébastien Squillaci, who missed the Depor match with a calf injury sustained while playing for France, and Luís Fabiano, who was not included in the match day squad because of his long travels from South America with the Seleção.  Andrés Palop, unrelated to the World Cup qualifiers, also had a calf injury and was forced to miss the clash with Depor.

The breakthrough came in the 38th minute when Juan Rodríguez absolutely uncorked a low-range missile from twenty-five yards that struck the frame and sneaked into goal to beat deputy goalkeeper Javi Varas on his near post.  From a long diagonal ball, Depor flicked it on towards goal, but with no teammate in the area, it was a simple clearance for the left back Fernando Navarro, but he scuffed it right into the direction of Rodríguez.  Rodríguez settled the ball, took one touch forward, and sent a lash of fury past a defenseless Javi Varas.

Rather than retreating into a shell after capturing the lead, Deportivo La Coruña actively sought after the second goal to seal the three points.  In the first minute of stoppage time to end the first half, Iván Pérez swung a free kick from near the edge of the penalty area, and Riki created space for himself to make contact on the free kick.  Riki struck his header cleanly, but Javi Varas exhibited his cat-like quickness and batted the ball wide of his left near post.  Even though Sevilla possessed the ball for 59% of the half, they hardly did anything with it.  They did not have a shot on goal, while Depor seemed to have more impetus in all phases of the game.  Depor deserved the 1-0 lead.  Whether Sevilla’s phlegmatic play and lack of vitality were due to injuries or general fatigue from World Cup qualifiers, they inexcusably ghosted through the first half.

Sevilla picked up their play in the second half and pinned Deportivo La Coruña in their own half of the pitch for a majority of the time, but Sevilla managed only one shot on target, and Daniel Aranzubia routinely tipped Álvaro Negredo’s shot over the crossbar.  At the end of the match, with Depor hanging on to their one-goal advantage, Mexican international Andrés Guardado exemplified his team’s unending work rate and fighting spirit.  Guardado did not have a particularly great game and did not influence the Depor attack in accordance with his usual high standards, but his mediocre performance was not due to a dearth of energy.

In the 93rd minute, Depor was eating the seconds away at this point, and Guardado was sent on a long run down the right wing.  The diagonal ball was well past Guardado, and it would have been excusable if he let the ball go into touch, but Guardado ran at full speed and slid to keep the ball in play.  That touch was a little heavy, and the ball headed toward the end line, but Guardado picked himself up and made another slide to prevent a goal kick.  At most, his efforts cost Sevilla five or six seconds, but those precious seconds were paramount with Sevilla trying to equalize late in the game, and this unselfish attitude was evident throughout the squad.

With Deportivo La Coruña’s inspiring start to this season’s campaign, there will be inevitable comparisons to the success of the Super Depor teams of the late 1990s and early 2000s.  One glaring difference between the two eras is the attacking talent and skill.  With “Das Phantom” Roy Makaay, Diego Tristán, and “El Rifle” Walter Pandiani up front, Deportivo La Coruña continually was one of the top scoring teams in La Liga.  No one will mistake Riki, Adrián, and Iván Pérez for the former trio, but they are capable of scoring the important goals if not necessarily a high quantity of goals.

Andrés Guardado is fast becoming a force in La Liga with his pace and skill, similar to former Depor wingers Albert Luque and Fran González.  Juan Rodríguez admirably fills the defensive midfielder role previously occupied by Aldo Duscher and Depor legend Mauro Silva.  The back line remains a strength as current right back and captain Manuel Pablo lends his leadership and skills to his defensive mates.  He was a main part of those former Depor teams, so he has the experience of witnessing Depor at their stratospheric heights.  The other two holdovers from the Super Depor days are box-to-box midfielder Sergio González and the midfield playmaker Juan Carlos Valerón.

With the limited budget that Deportivo La Coruña currently works under these days, they cannot afford to bring in expensive talent as they did ten years ago.  They have to rely more on industry and guile than the flair and style to what they became accustomed when Javier Irureta roamed the technical area.  Current entrenador Miguel Ángel Lotina keeps this modest squad in the top half of the table, and with the backing of club president Augusto Lendoiro, Lotina’s only worries pertain to the improvement of the team and its results rather than always looking behind his shoulder.  A renaissance to domestic and European glory is obviously premature, but the building blocks are currently in place for Depor to continue their slow and steady ascent toward their former perch as one of the leading lights of Spanish football.

Related posts:

1. First Impressions of Real Madrid and the Second Galacticos Era The much-anticipated return of La Liga began with a...
2. Sevilla FC’s Defeat of Real Madrid Announces Their Presence in the La Liga Title Race In terms of the football played on the pitch, the...
3. Sevilla Flies Underneath the Radar While the press and the media focus most of their...

This is the kind of space Xavi thinks he deserves.

The theory is that because of the low amount of scoring in football, using particularly protective and cynical tactics ruins the sport whose nature inhibits a high amount of goals per match.  Football’s common nickname is “The Beautiful Game,” but from where did that phrase initially originate?  Credit is usually given to 50’s and 60’s Brazilian star Waldyr Pereira, universally known as Didi, and those Seleção teams spoiled the world with their slick passing, their showmanship, and their creativity.  In today’s football, FC Barcelona would be the team that most resembles this vision of Joga Bonito.  Barcelona survived a 1-0 victory over feisty Almería on Saturday to maintain their perfect start and their position at the top of the table.  While the game itself was not that interesting, the postscript afterward brought attention to a long-standing feud between defensive tactics and football.  Xavi Hernández, the main orchestrator of the Barça attack, had some bold statements regarding Almería manager Hugo Sánchez’s strategy to stifle Barcelona’s flow:

“We will have to get used to it.  It’s a shame that they come here to pack the defense.  I’ve never been marked like that.  It was madness, obsessive.  Even when they had the ball or when I was going to take the corner they marked me.  (Coach) Pep (Guardiola) told me to use the wings to create space so that Busi (Sergio Busquets) and (Lionel) Messi could get the upper hand in the middle.  I practically had to leave the game.  It was very boring for me.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who played in the Italian Serie A for the last five years, was far less incensed with Almería’s style of play:

“It’s difficult to play against five defenders.  We didn’t play well, but we’ve won.  This is also important.  I’ve not scored, but I’ve made another.  This is important.”

The tight marking of Almería was something Ibrahimovic faced in Italy weekly, so he was not as frustrated as Xavi.  Ibrahimovic also keyed on a point that Xavi failed to address: Barcelona did not play that well.  Xavi deflected the criticism of their play by pointing out how Almería did not let them play their football.  Does Xavi make legitimate claims concerning the opposition?  Last year, Almería lost both meetings to Barcelona, 5-0 at the Camp Nou and 0-2 at home.  Almería wants to win just as much as Barcelona, and there is no doubt Hugo Sánchez remembered those matches and was wary of what Barcelona could do to his team.  In terms of pure technical ability, there is no argument that Barcelona has the most technical ability in Europe and uses it to the fullest extent, so a team like Almería, who does not have the resources or the players like Barcelona, has to be much more pragmatic with their approach.  Every team wants to entertain and provide a spectacle for their supporters, but results are most important, and sometimes, they have to make sacrifices in order to get the outcome they want.

Even European powers like Chelsea and Manchester United knew that trying to fight fire with fire would only lead to their demise.  They swallowed their pride and played with nine to ten men behind the ball for the majority of the time, not worrying about the chastisement they would receive from the fans and the media.  Manchester United pulled off a 1-0 aggregate victory over Barcelona in the 2008  UEFA Champions League semifinal, and Chelsea was a couple of minutes from completing the same task as Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League semifinal before Andrés Iniesta banged home the equalizer and the 1-1 victory on away goals.

So how is defense treated in other sports?  In baseball, while a home run fest excites many fans, a pitcher’s duel with great defensive plays is equally appreciated.  Two of the most storied teams in American pro football history are the 1985 Chicago Bears and the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who each had tenacious defenses and held their opponents to less than thirteen points per game.  Hard tackles and tough defense are paramount in succeeding in rugby union.  The closest sport that would identify with association football’s loathing of ultra-defensive tactics is hockey.  The New Jersey Devils won a few Stanley Cups with their employment of the neutral zone trap, but many criticized the Devils for this scheme because it drastically reduced scoring and made their games boring in the eyes of fans.  The NHL took action during the 2004-2005 lockout by implementing changes in the rulebook to penalize teams who employ such methods.

Unfortunately, for Xavi, unless FIFA changes its rules, Barcelona will most likely face opponents that employ Almería’s tactics to limit Barcelona’s goal-scoring machine.  What Xavi fails to recognize is that there is more than one way to play football.  The sexy football that Barcelona plays is an ideal that almost no teams can accomplish.  If teams want to play like Bolton Wanderers or Stoke City and use their physicality and direct style to stymie Barcelona, then it is up to Pep Guardiola and the team to figure out how to unlock the defense.  If clubs like Villarreal and Valencia want to compete with their passing football, it will likely be a better display for the fans, but the task is still the same: to unlock the defense.  Barcelona has a very good chance to retain all three crowns from last year as well as adding other trophies to outdo last season’s treble-winning season.  Worrying less about their opponents’ tactics and focusing on their own game will greatly benefit Barcelona in the long run.

Related posts:

1. With Rubin Kazan’s Deserved Victory, FC Barcelona Suffers a Minor Setback After a workmanlike 1-0 victory against Almería and a mediocre...
2. Atlético Madrid Hits Rock Bottom Halloween will arrive in a few days, but for Atlético...
3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic: A Mixed Bag in Barcelona’s 3-0 Victory over Sporting Gijón Writer’s Note: Unfortunately, WordPress does not recognize the “c” with...