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Saturday, November 26, 2011

Goals, Racism and umbrellas


A look at the last weeks action; goals, racism and umbrellas.

Valencia vs Real Madrid delivered in everything aspect of football. Goals, bookings, Mourinho celebrating inanely and controversy. There were 5 goals the pick of the lot being the first from Karim Benzema, so many fouls 10 bookings, Mourinho jumped on Callejons back to celebrate Madrid’s goal to take a 3-1 lead and big penalty appeal by Valencia in the last minute of the game.
Mourinho being...well Mourinho



Madrid won 3-2 and Mourinho got his tactics stop on in this one, which he often does. Sami Khaderia started unusually high and played like a traditional box-to-box midfielder, he’s offensive play was found wanting at times but his shear intensity really unsettled Valencia. Unai Emery on the other handed got his initial tactics wrong. Against Barcelona Matthieu and Jordi Alba right riot down the left as Pep Guardiola decided against playing a right-back, Jose didn’t make the same mistake Arbeloa started there and had a solid game, he tired as Valencia progressed in the second half and Raul Albiol took his place. For me Jonas should have got a start he scored 2 for Brazil last week and can hold the ball up well, better than Feghouli and Paraje who started. Valencia improved with their substitutions but they really missed Ever Banega an all round class act (apart from when he is on his webcam).

Valencia players react to the handball

Madrid were hanging on at 3-2 when deep into stoppage time Iker Casillas made a phenomenal save and in the mêlée that followed Higuain appeared to have stopped Adrian shot with his arm, the whole Valencia team crowded round the referee as he signalled for a corner. In truth it was a tough decision to make, a huge decision, last minute of the game in which tensions had ran high, do you dare give a penalty to against the Madristas?

Meanwhile Barcelona scored a lot of goals at home to an awe-struck side (yawn). Bilbao impressed in an entertaining victory over Sevilla. Athletic are looking like a real contender for the Champions League this year Iker Munian who will hopefully be off for to Euro2012 is looking like a real talent (despite looking like Bart Simpson) was in mesmerising form against a flat Sevilla side. Perhaps more importantly was the inclusion of Iker’s best mate Jonas Ramalho who made his debut and became the first ever black player t play for Bilbao. (Sid Lowe as always provides the goods here http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/sid_lowe/11/23/jonas/index.html).

Bart Simpson?

This ‘nicely’ interlinks last weekends games and racism in Spanish football. When Sepp Blatter said that because the world cup was played in South Africa any form of racism after is classes as banter and can be annulled by shaking hands after the game (maybe not a direct quote) the English media quite rightly went into a frenzy. The next morning I picked up my copies of AS and Marca to see what they had to say, no mention of it anywhere, Marca did suggest that Wilshere was going to Madrid for 40million and AS had a picture from ‘American Curves’ on the back page. This obviously wasn’t a big issue for the Spanish media. When the Granada match was called off mid way through the second half because of an umbrella incident (no not Steve McLaren) Quique Pina suggested that the fan didn’t represent Granada as he was not a season ticket holder and he was Moroccan. Imagine if this was said by a premier league owner? Again this statement went unnoticed by the Spanish media and it was down to the team at www.spanishfootball.info to bring the controversy to light. 

It was a turbulent weekend in La LIga but Real Madrid and Barcelona increased their lead at the top. The three Spanish teams (Villareal have yet to turn up) in the Champions League also impressed whilst the English sides, apart from Arsenal, floundered. Spain scored 16 goals and conceded 4, with that man Soldado getting a hat-trick in the first half the fastest CL hat-trick since Alan Shearer vs Leverkusan in February 2003. However, a last minute goal by Leverkusan means Valencia will need to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

A round up of the matches that finished last weekend.

Monday November 21


Sunday November 20

Saturday November 19









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