Last Week in La Liga
Everything Clasico, and the hottest Spanish hook-up since Penelope Cruz and some dude in “Woman On Top”.
Youtubing 45 minutes of your life
Because you love it too,
Coño
EL CLASICO
Bonus Hype: Pro-Barca, George Lucas swagger-jacking that has aged like fine Catalonian cobblestone.
RECENT HISTORY:
A pro-Barcelona video that chronicles the two 03-04 matches, but mostly highlights Barca’s redemption in the second match.
The two matches from the 04-05 season.
Ronaldinho’s epic performance from last year. And my column from that match. The final tie (What up Oliver?) between the two last year.
Given all that and their lead in the league, you’d think Barcelona would do no worse than a draw at the Bernabeu.
Wrong.
Real Madrid 2 Barcelona 0Extended analysis from each half. By watching those two clips, you can basically watch the match and save 78% of the time it would have taken you to watch the whole thing. This appears to be a coming of age performance for Robinho. And if it’s not, he’ll just end up as the Beanie Sigel of La Liga.
Some perspective.
Sid Lowe: This was the Madrid Capello really wanted to see - not too much in the way of knocking the ball around but aggressive, quick and tight at the back, with spirit and attitude, dangerous on the break. This was the Madrid that their fans wanted to see, too. With the pace of Robinho, with Iván Helguera back in from the cold, with Fabio Cannavaro finding his feet, and with Sergio Ramos moved to right-back where he’s a real asset, Madrid have hope again. Just two points behind Barça, they are starting to look like a side that can compete for the league title.
La Liga Loca: As expected, the heart of their problem is the absence of Samuel Eto’o who has always been the finisher to the team’s midfield work. Without him, Barca are just a group of fairly small footballers passing to each other. Barca’s management are surely going to have to bite the bullet and start playing Javier Saviola from the start. A comfortable looking home match to Recre, next Saturday, is a good place to bounce back.
All in White: Fabio Capello, in the press conference following the end of the game, attributed to himself a large deal of credit for his side’s performance: “we are now a team”. When asked why now and not a week earlier, he replied “because of the talk I had with the players after Getafe”.
The ‘talk’, rumoured to have consisted of a full-blown scream-fest and threats of contract terminations and watching out the season from the stands seems to have had the desired effect. It helped that Steaua, Real’s next opponents, would probably struggle against most teams in the Spanish Primera División and played with a generosity in defence hard to find in the rest of the Champions League. A great morale booster.
Real Madrid up. Atletico down! Of course. Not taking advantage of opportunities. It’s starting to feel like last season…
Scrubalicious tunes to go with this scrubtastic encounter.
Say it with me: Da-veed VEEE-YA! His name is like a goal themed roller coaster. His game is, more literally, a village of goals.
Zaragoza 2 Betis 1Choice cut right there. In this match, Aimar to Milito–or “Payasito a Milito” for those that wanna get lyrical–was like Nash to Marion.
Other Results:
Villareal 1 - Levante 1
Getafe 2 - Recreativo Huelva 1
Celta 1 - Athletic Bilba-0w
Sevilla 2 - Nastic 1
Real Sociedad 0 - Mallorca 0
16 Responses to “Last Week in La Liga”
Oct.27 at 1:31 pm
Dr.Dray says:
barca has no strickers, against chelsea they played with 7 mids, 3 def…saviola should start…being a barca fan first, madrid second, real has made me a believer again, they could make it, unless eto’o comes back early or barca finds a stricker during the winter break
Oct.27 at 1:42 pm
oliver says:
hey dray- last time i checked Eidur Gudjohnsen was a ’striker’…. and he played-
Saviola is to small to play against the (quoting Andy Gray) ‘physical might’ of John Terry- he would get bossed- that’s why they didn’t play him- and yeah ronaldinho was unreal in the last clasico- shame about this time tho huh?
oh and i know its pernickety but its more socially acceptable to say match instead of tie- my ongoing plight to educate continues-
what up jake?
Oct.27 at 2:00 pm
Jake Appleman says:
just wonderin why diego milito and pablo aimar both look like young versions of my dad.
Oct.27 at 2:06 pm
oliver says:
Shame Thierry didn’t go to Barca huh Dray? oh wait no it isn’t-
Ronaldinho who?
Oct.27 at 2:07 pm
oliver says:
your dad has a pressed perm?
Oct.27 at 2:15 pm
Jake Appleman says:
no–thank god–i think it’s more in the facial expression. and you gotta slow your roll on the ronaldinho criticism. he’s going to pick it up. recognize the standard, the eto’o injury, chemistry setback and give him some time.
Oct.27 at 2:44 pm
oliver says:
yeah i know- hes one of the best players i have ever seen- but as a Gooner i hear the old Barcelona dont need thierry henry stuff- newsflash- they do now-
injured eto= a lot less goals
Btw which league does everyone like best? and whos everyones favourite players of all time?
I gotta go with the English league as i get to see it every week and i think theres arguably more competition…. in spain its just Barca and Real (with a bit of Valencia and the occasional challenge from another team- like Mallorca back in the day) in England u got Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and when they feel liek it Spurs- just a bit more comp- as for player Romario when he was at Barcelona was unreal! and hes still playin i think for miami FC last time i heard- he is like …..73 yrs old now though (41 i think)- hes a mess now but back in the day he could ball (like how i threw in a basketball/US bit of slang for football- maybe im learnin)
Oct.27 at 2:56 pm
Jake Appleman says:
indeed you are. i don’t need to tell you which league i like and why, though you might be overlooking la liga’s depth, not that i really blame you–many do this to england’s top flight, myself included sometimes. as i was saying, la liga has decent depth when you look what osasuna did last year and teams this year like depor, atleti and zaragoza–and even a minnow like getafe can make a run at a uefa cup spot. and, yes, that was betis beating chelski in champs. league last year. Favorite players - I’m going to go w/ Ronaldinho from last year, Fernando Torres (when he’s in form), Maldini from his old AC Milan days if only because I was a left back growing up that tried to emulate him–unsuccessfully. And I’ll give you two prem guy: Scott Parker. Go Geordies. And Cesc Fabregas, if only because if I were ever an emcee I’d go by “whatever my name was” aka “Cesc Fabregas”.
Oct.27 at 3:16 pm
oliver says:
Ronaldinho from last yr is a good choice he was unreal. totally shocked by scott parker tho………….. he probably would be as well-
As for cesc- i like him so much i would probably let him squire my sister around town- if i had a sister- good argument for the spanish league i shall use your site to look long and hard at it from now on- my outside bet was Athletico Madrid if only because they signed Sergio ‘Liverpool fan’ Aguero from Argentina- and he is gonna be good- really really good
i still love the premier league tho- and i still hate Serie A- which is a guaranteed early bed time if it ever gets play in my house as it sends me right to sleep-
Any other US fans got opinions i would love to hear them- as long as no 1 says Alexi Lalas or Cobi Jones…..
Oct.27 at 3:43 pm
oliver says:
also b4 i head out for the night- for anybody who missed the greatest moment in footballing history
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWXq_-LdxHk
it really gets brilliant about 45 seconds into it- alex ferguson said it made him ‘physically sick’ just the thought brings a smile to my lips-
enjoy!
Oct.27 at 7:12 pm
albie1kenobi says:
why was that the greatest moment in football history?
Oct.28 at 2:03 pm
olly says:
You obviously dont dislike Manchester United as much as myself albie my good man- if you did u would understand-
ok ill change it from the greatest moment in footballing history to the greatest moment in ‘one mancheser hating Arsenal fans’ footballing history- still a joy to behold though- ruud is a diving, dirty Duttsssch cheat
and Martin Keown angry looks like a caveman!
Oct.30 at 9:21 am
Dr.Dray says:
oliver, being called a stricker and actually being 1 are 2 different things. last year he played more of a wingers role in chelsea…stil hoping they can get the emperor,’cause his talent is being wasted on the inter bench
Oct.30 at 9:50 am
oliver says:
he played a midfield role last yr- Robben, Cole, Duff and Wright Phillips were the wingers-
Still he is a forward- altho a support forward ill agree- he is just versatile
Barca’s managements fault for placin all their eggs in one basket i would say- Adriano is a decent player but short of form- doubt Barcelona will shell out to get him because he will be cup tied for Europe- if there gonna go for someone (not that they can till xmas tranfer window) it will likely be a good player on a team not in European competition-
so any good Spanish forwards strikers not playin in Europe….Jake?
Oct.30 at 1:01 pm
Jake Appleman says:
Erg…I saw this dude for River Plate a few weeks back. He was incredible. But I’m whiffing on his name. Let me check. Not quite a striker, but this could be the man you’re looking for: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzalo_Higua%C3%ADn He’s young enough to become a great striker, no doubt.
Oct.30 at 3:59 pm
olly says:
Nice work -my suggestion is maybe Jesus Navas of Sevilla- dont think Sevilla made champs league- altho they may have and lost in qualifiying- he is supposed to be a bit tasty with a ball at his feet-i have not seen him play but hes gettin raved about and Arsenal were sniffing about him in the transfer window so he cant be bad-