Last Week in La Liga
Short but very sweet this week.
Only three games with results significant enough to get major Youtube play:
Four goals for Ruud Van Nistelrooy. There’s really not much else you can say, except “Fat man soon drink Red Bull.” All-in-White also has some important details on Iker Casillas getting hit in the head by a cigarette lighter.
This was a belter of a match. Ronaldinho’s free kick is one for the ages. There was a ton of controversy as Sid Lowe explains:
But then Rafa is, as one columnist put it, the Rafa-iest Rafa of all Rafas, the Phantom of the Opera, Brutus stabbing Caesar with a whistle, Spain’s favourite figure of fun. Because there’s nothing like a bit of controversy - and controversy and Rafa Guerrero go back a long, long way.
Really. Read that whole article. Fascinating stuff. And I was wondering about the joke behind the Youtube user “RafaNoMeJodas”, whose videos have actually appeared in this column.
Of course my team gets off the shnide, and I’m not watching it. Lovely.
Other Results:
Betis 2 - Levante 1
Getafe 1 - Mallorca 0
According to La Liga Loca, Getafe’s keeper, El Pato, has “more clean sheets than a nun’s bedroom.” ZING. That’s why my fantasy team is awesome.
Athletic Bilbao 1 - Valencia 1
Racing Santander 0 - Sevilla 0
Real Sociedad 1 - Espanyol 1
Nastic 0 - Depor 0
Recreativo Huelva 2 - Celta Vigo 1
37 Responses to “Last Week in La Liga”
Nov.17 at 1:43 pm
Boing Dynasty says:
Does anyone read this?
Nov.17 at 1:46 pm
Jake Appleman says:
I think there are 9 legitimate readers of this. But don’t worry about it, it’s just a small part of my plan for world domination.
Nov.17 at 1:59 pm
marcel mutoni says:
i’ve been trying for years to follow the premiership, but i just can’t get myself to wake up that early on saturday mornings. when are these liga games on?
Nov.17 at 2:06 pm
Jake Appleman says:
they’re not. there’s no tv deal, unless you have the GolTV package. and that’s why this column is useful.
Nov.17 at 2:12 pm
Marcel Mutoni says:
after springing for league pass a couple of weeks ago, i’m not sure goltv is in my future plans. i’ll just keep reading this…
Nov.17 at 2:15 pm
Max Airington says:
Jake, this has nothing to do with soccer, but Sam just made me realize that if you don’t watch The Wire, our love affair/plans for world domination will to come to an abrupt halt. Say it is so Jake…
Nov.17 at 2:45 pm
Boing Dynasty says:
yuck.
Nov.17 at 2:48 pm
Boing Dynasty says:
How does someone name thier child Ruud?
Nov.17 at 3:54 pm
H to the izzo says:
Who names their child Boing?!….nahh but seriously they’re dutch they don’t know any better
Nov.17 at 4:02 pm
Boing Dynasty says:
True enough, ho(e)
1
Nov.17 at 4:47 pm
olly says:
the thing that really gets me about Spanish football- and this is the Barce game here- is how all of these ‘men’ are fallin all over the place to cheat, dive and fall over and get anothet guy sent off- it makes me sick- great football but this sh*t needs to be sorted out ‘cos it is ruinin the game- (or makin it according to this dude writin that column- he is totally missin the point tho!)
This sport is for men and watchin that makes me feel embaressed- why fall over like a little girl when anyone touches you- it is starting to creep into our game (UK) as well but luckily we are clamping down- there is NOTHING worse than cheats- especially those who shame themselves in front of millions watchin who can see nothing happened-
as u can tell it pisses me off- and yeah to anyone readin im one of the ‘9′ dedicated readers-
Nov.17 at 6:26 pm
Jake Appleman says:
Slow your roll, Olly. Spanish refs are just really good at highlighting the fact that life isn’t fair. Somtimes this reality works wonders with a culture. Not saying I support the diving or poor reffing, but both are so fundamentally “Spain” that the alternative would be a culture change. Just like defensive stalemates that put you to sleep are fundamentally “Italy” and one team leagues are fundamentally “France”.
Nov.17 at 6:27 pm
Jake Appleman says:
Max, give me time to make it work.
Nov.17 at 7:03 pm
Waters says:
Beautiful free kick. I always enjoyed watching Brazil get a free kick near the box, every member of the team stands over the ball and argues for a few minutes about who will take the free kick. Thankfully Roberto Carlos is no longer around to smash the ball 50 feet over the top of the goal, really, one beautiful free kick does not give you free reign to make any and all free kicks anti-climactic. Let Ronadinho or Juninho take the free kicks and Brazil will be much better off.
Nov.17 at 7:22 pm
Maha10k says:
Barca game was intense. Ronaldinho goal got me off the couch. Amazing how much pushing and shoving can go on during arguments. The first red card was a joke, dude was hit in the chest not the face. I wish there was more televised soccer in the US, especially in HD. World Sport shows Barca a ton so they’ve become my team for now. Eto’o is the man. Whenever I watch GolTV, it’s always Uruguay or some league like that and I don’t know any players. The french Soccer Academy show is good though.
Nov.17 at 7:29 pm
Waters says:
In the mid 90s ESPN used to show Ajax Sunday mornings, that was always a good time. For awhile Fox Sports Net on Dish Network showed Boca Juniors, that was when they had Martin Palermo and Riquelme, that team never lost. The only close games would be the ones against River Plate. Whatever happened to Palermo after the wall fell on him and he broke his leg? Palermo is actually in the Guiness Book of World records for most missed penalty kicks in one game (3 vs. Columbia)
Nov.17 at 9:02 pm
Jason says:
You now have 10 dedicated readers. Jay
Nov.17 at 10:52 pm
olly says:
interesting point jake- well put-
Still agravating as hell tho when we play chaps lge and the bloody Spaniards and argies and other long haired peoples of the world are falling over themselves to get other players sent off….
Maybe it is the hair.. interesting theory- im goin to look into it for nxt week
Nov.18 at 3:20 am
Garreth says:
11
Nov.18 at 8:13 am
Ned says:
Jake! you may not have been watching, but to make up for it i was there!.. it was BiG, (although i did have a sinking feeling when they took the lead)Almost cracked my head when they scored the third, but the banter of my neighbours made up for any potential injuries, nothing like a mashed Atleti fan insulting opposition players or in this case the ref. Unfortunately there is no direct translation for “the ref-ereees a W*an-ker!”
.. Anyway that makes Atletico 2 from 2 when i go to the games.. not to boost my leprechaun like powers or anything…
Nov.18 at 8:18 am
Ned says:
oh and their goalie made some absurd saves.. am hoping the room last summer that he was on his way to arsenal picks up again!
Nov.18 at 8:43 pm
BETCATS says:
I am wondering, if a goalie made a goal on the opposing team would it count?
Nov.19 at 1:04 am
Jake Appleman says:
Yes
Nov.19 at 10:33 am
Ryan Jones says:
BETCATS, think of it this way — it’s just like if, say, Eddy Curry or Kwame Brown hit a 17-foot jump shot. It’s incredibly unlikely, and you wouldn’t believe your eyes, but it still counts as a basket.
Nov.19 at 10:35 am
Ryan Jones says:
Actually, never mind. No way Kwame will ever score from that distance. Sorry for the confusing analogy.
Nov.19 at 10:35 am
Ryan Jones says:
Oh, and Everton unbeaten in one.
Nov.19 at 12:06 pm
Jake Appleman says:
How about if Curry threw a pump fake that wasn’t aortal in nature? Anyone? Anyone?
Nov.19 at 7:01 pm
BETCATS says:
That would sure as hell not happen but has the goalie thing occured before?
Nov.19 at 8:28 pm
Ryan Jones says:
BETCATS it is very rare but not unheard of. Two most likely ways it could happens: 1, If a team was trailing by a goal in the closing seconds and got a corner kick at the other team’s end, they might bring their own goalkeeper all the way up field to try and score off the corner kick. Keepers tend to be tall, so they’ve got a half-decent chance of scoring on a header in that situation. 2, A goalkeeper with a strong leg and the wind at his back could theoretically take a goal kick from his own end and, with some luck, a good bounce and catching the opposing keeper too far off his goal line, actually score from in front of his own goal. Having said all this, I know it has happened, even at high levels of the game, but I can’t think of an example right now… Jake, I trust you’ll bail me out here.
Nov.19 at 8:51 pm
Jake Appleman says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ0bfndkoUU Silence is beautiful sometimes.
Nov.19 at 9:14 pm
Waters says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-OrMODRZm0 It happens sometimes
Nov.19 at 9:33 pm
Waters says:
Although nowehre near as bad as some of these own goals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPsqQLDgpI4 By far my fav. own goal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE76uw_MIm8
Nov.20 at 2:49 am
Ryan Jones says:
Well done lads… especially that last one, Waters. I almost cried.
Nov.20 at 8:29 am
Carmelo says:
What about this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsU_0jCemsc
Nov.20 at 11:21 am
Bimbo Coles says:
Fernando Torres is the dwade of soccer.
Nov.20 at 12:14 pm
Jake Appleman says:
Do you mean that in the GQ sense, the falling to ground sense, or both?
Nov.21 at 3:03 am
Bimbo Coles says:
wifey only watches sports when the heat are on tnt and when atletico madrid is on the pitch. and yea, both. the ‘cant do nothin wrong on or off the court or field’ type swagger that they both oddly possess.