Its derbi time boys and girls, and the derbi madrileno could not have come at a more intriguing time for either Madrid team. The colchoneros find themselves in a rather precarious position in that they just fired their coach after a run of poor results that find them knocked out of the Champions League and sitting in the relegation zone in La Liga. Real Madrid have faired a little better, but have shown some indifferent results as of late that coincided with the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo and the media pressure on coach Manuel Pellegrini. In the past seven matches, Real has only won 2 matches, with the embarrassment of the route against Alcorcon sandwiched in their for good measure.

Considering both teams have not met their fans expectations for the season this year, the derbi becomes even more important, as a win against the cross town rival could ease the pain of being in the relegation zone, or being knocked out of the Copa del Rey by a team that looses to the reserve squad regularly. This derbi is usually important, but with a disillusioned Atletico fan base, it may take on even more importance now. Ohh, and Sid Lowe (who I have never fancied) says that Atletico are the “worst run club in Europe”. I not sure about that, but he has a few valid points.

You must also consider Real has been dominant in the derbi in the past decade, with the last loss at the Calderon coming way back in 1999 in the second to last week of the campaign. According to RealMadrid.com, Real have won 29 times, drawn 20 and lost 23. Real Madrid also have the upper hand in terms of goals scored, where they lead Atletico 112 to 109. Overall, the two sides have met 144 times, of which the Madridistas have won 77, drawn 32 and lost 35 with 255 goals scored and 144 conceded.

FIVE MOST RECENT DERBIES AT THE CALDERON
SEASON DATE WEEK SCORE
2004/05 09/01/05 18 At. Madrid 0-3 Real Madrid
2005/06 15/10/05 7 At. Madrid 0-3 Real Madrid
2006/07 24/02/07 24 At. Madrid 1-1 Real Madrid
2007/08 20/01/07 20 At. Madrid 1-2 Real Madrid
2008/09 18/10/08 7 At. Madrid 0-2 Real Madrid

I would like to see the streak continue, especially with Barcelona having a tough game against in-form Mallorca this weekend.

Atletico Madrid Team News:

Guess what, I have some free time finally, so lets get right in to the break down of Atletico. Lets start with the keeper situation and move forward from there. Sergio Asenjo was brought in this summer to replace the departing Coupet and Franco as the #1. But international duty let Roberto Gago step up for the first few matches and he did not fair to well. David De Gea was also given a few starts after an injury to Roberto, and the 18 year old keeper played really well in my opinion (the game at Porto especially). But an error against Mallorca that surrendered points to a team playing with 9 men meant when Asenjo was fit again he was restored to the starting eleven. I think Flores will continue to use Asenjo, and De Gea will be on the bench. To me De Gea is the better long term prospect, and I think the eventual successor to Iker on the national team, but Asenjo is also very talented and has more La Liga experience.

The defense is where the nick name ‘Pathetico’ seems most appropriate. The team has allowed 19 goals in 9 games! That is not a bad defense, that is an invisible defense. At home they have only let in five in four games which is okay, but the 14 allowed on the road is, well, pathetico. They have conceded a bulk of those goals in the middle of the first half and in the last fifteen minutes of a match. The personnel has also been erratic, with former coach Abel never playing the same back four in his games in charge. The laughable sale of Heitinga so close to the transfer deadline was probably the biggest error the team made.

Perea, Juanito, Pablo, Ujfalusi and Alvaro Dominguez all have played center back this season. Does that seem like it would be a bit of a problem? Pablo has been found out finally as not good to put it politely (how did that guy go to the WC in 2006?), while Perea looks a shade of the player he was a few years ago. Juanito has his limitations, but is a capable organizer, as is Ujfalusi, but playing the two together would result in an alarming lack of speed to track strikers down. Alvaro is young, and promising, but in the mess that is Atletico’s defense he has not been the answer yet. Maybe in a few years. Ujfalusi has been playing as a right back mostly this season, which seems to suit him as he does not have to run much. The fact that the only other option at right back is….? has forced Ujfalusi out wide. If we had Ronaldo fit, he would have a field day, but even so Kaka could drift out wide and cut in on him.

I will assume that Flores uses Ibanez and Juanito as the partnership because that is who played against Athletic Bilbao and Chelsea. Consistency may be key for them, so he will stick to the two former Spanish internationals. Perea will be on the bench along with Alvaro, while at left back club captain Antonio Lopez will need to inspire his mates to perform a little better. He may also ask the central midfield pairing of Paulo Assuncao and Raul Garcia to provide a better screen for the center backs. Lopez will push up a lot to try and kick start the attack, and we can get in behind him, but (I cant believe I am saying this), he is probably the most consistent performer for Atletico besides Ujfalusi. I dont care for Lopez, I think he is alot of bells and whistles, as his decision making in tackling and in the air has always been suspect.

In the center of the park, Assuncao, Raul Garcia and Cleber Santana will compete for the two starting spots. Assuncao has not been as solid a defender as was expected when he was purchased from Porto, as I can only assume the Atletico brass mistook him for Raul Merieles? Anyways, Assuncao and Raul Garcia have had a rough go of it this season, and they are low on confidence and are part of the reason the defense has suffered so much this year. Raul Garcia is slow and untimely in challenges and has a tough time picking a pass, much like Assuncao who is a destroyer but does not have the physical presence, or the persistence (think Lass) to win midfield battles against the better opponents. This is the soft spot, and Xabi alone could take both of them on. HA! Smack Talk!

Simao has done okay this year I guess, but he is a player who despite his obvious talents, never ‘executes’ to borrow the latest term from the NFL. He gets crosses in, or cuts in and shoots etc. but it often does not lead to much. He is dangerous which is why I want Arbeloa marking him, but he may be starved of the ball due to the center of the midfield being over run, which would be a good thing. His free kick against us a year ago was a tough pill to swallow, that is until Pipita scored right after that. HAHA! Again!

On the opposite flank Flores has used Maxi and Reyes so far this season. Reyes would worry me with Marcelo at left back, but Maxi I think Marcelo can at least stick with in terms of pace. What do we not know about Reyes that needs to be said? Frustratingly inept at times, but then again capable of the odd piece of brilliance, he has not shown it this season, with only one start, but against Real he may look for vengeance against his former employers. Is it weird that Reyes actually played for us? I think it is, but then again so did Julian Faubert and Royston Drenthe. Oh wait, he still does….

Jurado, ex-Castilla prodigy, is also amongst the ranks, and after a good season with Mallorca, he has yet again been subdued by the pressure at Atletico and being played out of position. He usually plays best behind the striker, but at Atletico the only chances he will get are on the flanks. I always liked the lad, especially when he was with Castilla, and I was enraged when he was sold to Atletico, but he has not really lived up to his potential to be honest. A move to a smaller team, in the same manner as De las Cuevas has done with Gijon, will suit him well. I think he will return to Mallorca in the offseason because he knows he would perform better there. He usually comes off the bench just like Reyes, and may be a handful for Marcelo if he is in the mood, but he will most like be cutting in more then anything which means Xabi will probably end up trailing him.

Up front Atletico has one of the best pairings in Europe, yet this season you would not know it. Diego Forlan is the Golden Boot winner of last year and also the Pichichi, yet he has three league goals to his name so far (he had 32 last year). Abel is partially to blame, having moved Forlan deeper into the midfield then he was used to, which has hurt his goal return. His partner Sergio Aguero is also of course very dangerous, but only has two goals to his credit this year (17 last year). A lack of supply may be a problem for Kun, but he usually goes on long runs with the ball anyways.

Kun has taken 23 shots this season, and Forlan 43, so its not like they are not getting the ball off their boot enough, but it just has not been going in for them. The fact that Sinama Pongolle has rarely been used either does not help the cause. I like Pongolle, I think he is a talented player that has gotten the shaft at Atletico, but he may be used off the bench if Aguero can not go the full 90 with his minor injury.

The lack of invention in the midfield may be a problem, which is why Reyes, Santana and Jurado are often used as substitutes. Flores has a tall task on his hand to get this team in to Europe this year, which may be to much to ask. Right now he may want to worry about relegation. A win in the derbi wouldnt hurt the teams confidence though.

Here is my expected lineup from Atletico:

————Asenjo————-
Ujfalusi—Pablo—Juanito–A. Lopez
Reyes–Assuncao–R. Garcia–Simao
——–Kun——Forlan———

Bench: De Gea; Alvaro, Perea; Santana, Jurado, Maxi; Pongolle.

They play wide and have two dangerous strikers, but the team chemistry has been off, morale is way down and the defense is shipping goals. Do they really stand a chance of getting out of this with any points? The draw with Chelsea was encouraging, but can the brilliance of Kun lead them to a result against Real. I don think so, but we will see.

Real Madrid Team News:

I have no idea what that picture is all about…

The only injury we have to worry about is Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be out for another month and his participation for Portugal in their WC qualifier is effectively over. Whether or not he makes it for El Clasico remains to be seen, but I would not be surprised if he missed out on that match too. Raul Albiol’s red card was not rescinded based on a lack of substantial evidence, so he will be suspended for this match. Because backing up referee’s who make terrible calls make the referee that much better….

Guti has not returned from his ‘castigo’, as he was actually injured although no formal diagnosis was ever announced which makes you wonder. He will be in contention for this game but he has not made the squad because Pellegrini has said he is still not physically ready to play, and has emphasized that there is no punishment for the blow up at Alcorcon. I dont know who to believe anymore, but with Guti only getting a half week of training it, Ill have to believe Pellegrini saying he is still not fully fit.

Eze G also has recovered from the strain that he sustained in Gijon, so he will also be fit for selection, but I think Metzleder will probably be used ahead of him, although Sergio Ramos looks like a very good option after his performance against Getafe last weekend.

EDIT:
Porteros: Casillas y Dudek.
Defensas: Arbeloa, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Garay, Metzelder, Marcelo, y Albiol.
Centrocampistas: Gago, Kaká, Lass, Xabi Alonso, Van der Vaart y Granero.
Delanteros: Raúl, Benzema, Higuaín y Van Nistelrooy.

Mahamdou Diarra, Guti, Drenthe and Adan have not been called up for the match. For some reason Raul Albiol has even though he is suspended? That is just plan dumb, leaving M. Diarra out for a suspended player in hopes that his red card will be rescinded on second appeal? Come on Pellegrini.

With all of that in mind, here is what I want to see against Atletico. Not what Pellegrini will do, but what I would do.

————Casillas————
Arbeloa—Ramos—Pepe—Marcelo
—-Granero—Alonso—Lass—-
————-Kaka————
——-Higuain—-Raul——–

Bench: Dudek; Metzelder, Garay; Diarra, Guti, VdV; Benzema, Ruud.

Should we play Raul over Benzema or Higuain simply because he has better luck against Atletico? Hell yes! When is the last time we have seen Raul and Higuain play together? Last year probably, but they are probably the most well rehearsed partnership we have going right now, and Raul always does well against Atletico, so its worth a shot. Higuain also has a good record against the neighbors, but if it does not work out, we have two very capable strikers on the bench. As long as Pellegrini does not sit on his hands and wait until the 80th minute to start making substitutions…

I like the dynamic that Granero, Alonso and Lass can bring to the midfield against a team that is weak through the middle. There is no point in fooling ourselves in to needing width here, because Atletico will not be able to cope with us down the middle like some other teams have. Marcelo played well in the midfield against Milan (wish he got to the byline to cross the ball more), but with the Albiol suspension he will move back to left back, which does not worry me because Maxi Rodriguez, Jurado and maybe Reyes have all been less then threatening when they attacked down the left this season. Marcelo should be able to cope, and after good offensive performances lately, lets give him another chance defensively. Cant say the same about Drenthe….

I prefer Ramos in the center for this game because he handles the skilled opponent in tandem with Pepe well. Aguero, despite a strain on his thigh, will probably play, and he and Forlan are a dangerous partnership despite their form this season. Ramos provides me more confidence at dealing with the speed of Kun then Metzelder would. Metz could do a job sure, but it might not be as effective as Sergio. Arbeloa on the right is a no brainer, and I know many of you will want him back on the left where he did well against Milan, but he is a right back remember. I suppose if Ramos is used at right back then Alvaro will move to the left and push Marcelo upfield, sacrificing Granero but then the lineup would be the same for the past two matches, and thats just silly…

Lass was imperious against Milan, and we need him to equally dominate Raul Garcia and either Santana or Assuncao. Mahamdou Diarra would work in this game too, maybe in place of Granero, to completely control the midfield, but that would be over kill I think. It would give Kaka and Higuain the freedom of the attack though, and maybe we push Arbeloa/Sergio Ramos/Marcelo up field more often? Its a thought.

Interviews:

Raul on the Derbi, one of his specialty games.

Metzelder on his dream of playing at the Calderon this weekend.

Marcelo on the teams recent form and the match ahead.

Forlan on what the derbi means to him.

Simao on the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo from the derbi on Saturday.

Quique Sanchez Flores (ex-Real Madrid player), the Atletico coach, with a quick blurb on the derbi.

I am going to predict a 3-0 win for Real, with Raul, Pipita and wait for it….Lass scoring for us. Dont ask me why I think this, its a shot in the dark.

The game is bizarrely not on GolTV, which baffles me to be honest. Mallorca versus Barcelona is being shown, which is all good and fine, but its the damn Madrid derbi for christ sake. Since it is not on television, I still cant unleash a liveblog for everyone which is frustrating because I had the time to this weekend. Cesar and I will be regularly commenting on the match though as it takes place, so feel free to join us on Saturday. Should be a cracker. Lets get one over on the mattress makers! HALA MADRID! HALA MADRID! HALA MADRID!

I have seen a great deal of speculation on the injury to Ronaldo and his expected return date. Some people had said he would return for the game in Milan, others set his return against Atletico, but no one said it would be later then then. I did not even see him taking this long to recover from what was deemed a minor ankle injury sustained against Olympique Marseille and aggravated playing for Portugal. Real Madrid has assessed the status of his ankle weekly, trying to predict when he would return, but so far there has been no answer.

As of today, Ronaldo has not seen “a clinical improvement of the bone edema in the center of his right ankle” and there fore will not be allowed to train with the first team. He will have to wait until next week when he gets another examination to have any clue as to when he returns, but the length of this injury obviously raises some serious questions. The first being: How could Real a. Not properly diagnose this injury and bar him from playing for Portugal or b. How could the Portuguese medical staff and the federation as a whole not have diagnosed this either?

We can blame Marseille’s Diawarra for the awful tackle, or doctors for misdiagnosis or negligence, or officials of club and country for not looking after the players health, or we can blame Ronaldo for not being smart enough to let himself properly heal from the injury. But then again, is it fair to not permit a player, one of the best in the world, from playing for his country to help in qualification for the World Cup, which is the greatest of tournaments on the planet? I know I would not want to be the one who told him he could not play. It is not worth playing the blame game, as it is in the past and we have to look towards the future.

With Ronaldo out for the derbi madrileno this weekend, and his status still unknown for games beyond that, we have a real problem on our hands here. With Ronaldo brought in this summer for a record fee, some of the alternative players that were sold to make way now are looking like they should have stayed in order to cover for unforeseen injuries just like this. A player like Arjen Robben would have been very handy right now, and my argument for not selling him was simple. Robben himself is injured 40% of a season anyways, so as long as Ronaldo and Robben’s injuries never overlapped, we would have been well covered in wingers and there would not have been any unhappiness in terms of playing time.

Let me know what you think about this latest development to Ronaldo’s injury, and how we should continue to cope in the comments. Also, great stuff on the Milan game yesterday, we got around 240+ comments, which is a new record of second highest after the Liverpool game last year where we had something around 400. I think we can best that this weekend with the derbi, should be a good one. HALA MADRID!

Real touched down in Milan today for the game that should decide who tops the Champions League Group C. Right now the group is poised for a run away leader, with Marseille and Zurich canceling each other out as they both compete for the more likely UEFA cup spot, while Milan and Madrid see this clash at the San Siro as the decider, although points cannot be assumed against the other two sides just yet. Milan go in to the game with a strong win against Parma to move up the table, while Real had a similarly rejuvenating win against Getafe at the weekend. Based on current form it seems Milan has the edge, and the psychological advantage after the win at the Bernabeu a fortnight ago.

But the Real Madrid squad had this game circled on their calendars the day the groups were announced, and the circle probably got a little thicker and more violent looking after the loss at the Bernabeu. Surely this is the match of the round, as some of the other big teams all seem to be doing battle with Eastern Europe this week (Manchester United, Barcelona, Inter Milan). Unfortunately the idiots who run Fox Soccer Channel have stuck to their guns when it comes to the EPL bias broadcasting schedule, as Real will not be shown live, but instead Manchester United will be shown against CSKA Moscow. How many people are actually going to watch that is my question?

None the less, we will be glued to our computer screens, or for the fortunate few who can view the game live on a proper television. Here is the shakedown of Group C:

Its not a must win for Real Madrid or AC Milan, but it would make things much more comfortable. Marseille and Zurich in an ideal situation will draw, which leaves even more comfort room for either Milan or Real. But with Real having a home game to Zurich, and Milan a home game to Marseille, the odds must be in their favor to both progress out of the group. Considering the shakedown of some of the other groups though, finishing 1st or 2nd may not be as big a deal in terms of getting an opponent for the next round. Surely Inter and Barcelona will qualify in some order, so there is no avoiding that, while Lyon looks like they will top Liverpool, so second place teams may be more dangerous this year around. Group winners may be the ones that are there for the taking.

AC Milan Team News:

I dont read a lick of Italian, so it was not easy for me to track down the official squad list. But given Leonardo does not vary his selections all that much, I came up with this:

————Dida————-
Oddo—Kaladze–T. Silva—Zambrotta
——-Ambrosini–Pirlo———
Seedorf—————–Ronaldinho
———Pato—Inzaghi———

I base this not off the match against Parma but how Milan lined up in the Bernabeu. Possible alterations include Antonini in for Zambrotta, Gattuso could be preferred in midfield and Inzaghi may be sacrificed for Flamini or gasp Klaas Jan Huntelaar! Ignacio Abate is also an option for a wide player in place of Seedorf, but Clarence had a stunning game against Real at the Bernabeu, so Leonardo will probably use a similar lineup. Milan is a very compact side, and its hard to say just how they will attack, but most likely Pellegrini will use Arbeloa to keep the attacking from being to lop sided on the left.

We know the danger comes from Pirlo, so Pellegrini would be wise to let the wing backs worry about Seedorf and Ronaldinho and let Xabi and Lass press Pirlo when he is on the ball. The trouble is that Pellegrini rarely has his team press the ball, instead letting the other team either give the ball back with a turnover or get a shot off. Against a team like Milan, we need to press the ball more, because has many people have mentioned, we are good with the ball, but crap without it. Limiting the amount of time Milan has on the ball will go a long way to deciding this game. The Italians are also probably expecting us to counter attack, so they will play a high line for an offside trap in order to condense the amount of space we have to work with.

Along with pressing the ball, Pellegrini should look in to exposing the space left behind the Milan rear guard. We saw against Getafe that Higuain is adept at running on to balls to feet, so hopefully we can play some quick balls out of the midfield for our forward to run on to. We will need to keep possession as well, but varying the attack seems to be the issue at the moment. If we have an opportunity for a break, take it, otherwise move the ball through the lines and look for an opening. Against an organized defense that opening will not be as apparent though, despite the loss of Nesta to a facial injury.

Real Madrid Team News:

SQUAD LIST:
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek, Adan.
Defenders: Arbeloa, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Drenthe, Albiol.
Midfielders: Gago, Kaka, Lass, Xabi Alonso, Van der Vaart, Diarra, Granero.
Forwards: Raul, Benzema, Higuain, Van Nistelrooy.

Drenthe returns to the squad simply because you bring 20 players along on a Champions League match day. Guti and Metzelder have been left behind yet again, and the “castigo” of Guti continues according to Marca and AS. Could it be true that Pellegrini is keeping Guti out of the squad because their was a blow up? If there was, then both player and coach lied about it and I am none the wise for believing it, but to me this is Pellegrini’s way of showing strength within the squad. Now if only he could properly motivate the players to win games against third division sides!

A well rounded group should pan out much the same way it did against Getafe. I would suspect Benzema is to drop to the bench since Raul was “benched”, but really was rested for this match. Say what you will, but in Champions League games the captain provides much needed experience on the field, and he can always chip in with a goal or two. Higuain may prefer to have Benzema as his partner though, as he commented that he is on a similar wave length as the French striker. Albiol will stay in central defense as well despite his red card against Getafe, which is under appeal from the Real management. The only question is, who will be playing left back?

———–Casillas————
Ramos—Pepe—Albiol—Arbeloa
—Granero–Xabi Alonso–Lass—
——Higuain——-Kaka——
————Ruud————-

That is my ideal lineup for this match. I do not think Pellegrini will play anything close to that, but I can see this getting us a result. As for what Pellegrini will most likely use, this is what I am predicting:

———–Casillas————
Ramos—Pepe—Albiol—Arbeloa
——-Xabi Alonso–Lass——-
Higuain——Kaka——Marcelo
————-Raul————

I would much prefer we use the pace of Higuain along with the steady hold up play of Ruud. Being a little light on match practice though, he probably wont start. Raul, if he does not drop deep every time he wants the ball, could work in a similar manner to Ruud, but he will drop deep a lot and that kills our attack. We have no one to make runs, stretch the defensive line or even just be a decoy. If we push Higuain further forward it might work, but he is not a point man either, as he drops deep and wide often as well. Benzema also drops deep, so you see the problem here. Ruud is the answer to that particular issue. Negredo would have been too.

Game is at 2:45 pm eastern time, the usual Champions League affair. If you find a good stream for the match leave it in the comments for others to use. My class on Tuesday was cancelled, so I will be able to watch the match live, but as you can see by the rather abrupt preview, I have yet another test on Tuesday night. Microeconomics this time, but this will be the last one until finals roll around, so I will have more time to blog.

I am expecting a win simply because we need it. Pellegrini needs it, the team needs it and the the CL group needs it. Should be a cracker, and I will be here during the match posting my impressions. See you then. HALA MADRID!

Real Madrid 2-0 Getafe
Santiago Bernabeu 80,000 attendance
Jornada 9 10/31/09
Sr. Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz

MATCH STATS
Real Madrid Getafe
Shots (on Goal) 23(8) 17(7)
Fouls 9 11
Corner Kicks 2 5
Offsides 5 1
Time of Possession 41% 59%
Yellow Cards 2 1
Red Cards 1 0
Saves 7 6

Real Madrid got a 2-0 result with ten men against neighbors Getafe in a dull mini-derbi that was more therapeutic then anything for the Real squad. Manuel Pellegrini decided that the lack of width was holding Real back from its full attacking potential, and use yet another formation this season, while Getafe coach Michel played it safe with a five man midfield and tight lines. The game was very methodical, with possession firmly in favor of the home side at 60-40 despite the man advantage for Getafe, but a few minutes of industry from Gonzalo Higuain put the game out of reach for the visitors.

Its worth mentioning that before the sending off of Albiol, Real were content to knock the ball around the midfield with little pressure exerted on the Getafe goal. Once the man advantage was apparent, the game opened up a little more, but Getafe still kept their lines compact as not to give any hope to a Real Madrid flash attack. Real on the other hand looked more lively down a man, with more space in order to operate inside their own lines, and a heightened sense of urgency given the dire need for a result after a tough week.

Lineups

Real Madrid
Casillas
Sergio Ramos
Pepe
Arbeloa
Marcelo
Albiol (Red Card)
Lass
Xabi Alonso
Kaká
sub Van der Vaart 84′
Higuaín Goal 54′, 57′
sub Raúl 78′
Benzema
sub Gago 62′

Getafe
Ustari
M. Torres
Cata Díaz
Mario
Mané
Celestini
Pedro León
Boateng
sub Albín 53′
Parejo
sub Adrián González 69′
Soldado
Manu
sub Gavilán 61′

As you can see above, the move many of you were calling for finally took place, with Arbeloa at left back. Our first choice back line was finally on display, but not for long. Marcelo was pushed further forward in a bid to spread the opposition and Higuain starting as a faux-winger, a position he sometimes occupied under Juande Ramos last season to great effect. With a double pivot and Kaka behind lone striker Benzema, the formation looked awfully reminiscent of the defensive approach Juande took to every game. The Real management did not like this approach, so how could Pellegrini get away with it? Kaka for Sneijder or Raul was a big upgrade, and obviously the injury to Ronaldo affected such a formation, but it was history repeating itself none the less.

Real opened the game with a dominant 10 minute spell of possession, but there as not cutting edge to this advantage as Getafe effectively soaked up pressure and let Real play with the ball. Around the 13th minute Getafe began to take more initiative in the game, and were counter attacking more effectively. Real were trying to keep possession for as long as I can, but as often seen this season, we were more concerned with holding on to the ball that our ability to create chances was often lost. Kaka was the only player in the first half who really gave it a go offensively, with bot Higuain and Marcelo ineffective in spreading the Getafe back line like Pellegrini had hoped.

On the 27th minute the game turned, with a miserable call from referee Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz, who adjudged Albiol to have brought down Soldado, and as the last man back, was given a straight red card. Such lapses in judgement were a cloud that hung over his head at Valencia, and perhaps he could have gotten out of such a situation, but the call was still poor. In real time and on replay you see Soldado running backwards and trying to lean in to Albiol for position as the ball is in the air. Soldado wants to trap the ball with his back to goal, as a header on would give Getafe nothing with no on rushing players. Both Soldado and Albiol have a fist full or jersey each, and when Albiol shifts to address the ball, Soldado tumbles backwards as he loosed his balance. He bought that call, as it could have gone either way, and I would have blown for a foul on Soldado, who was backing in. The Bernabeu let the ref have it, but the call stood and Pellegrini’s eyes drooped like that cartoon dog (name Droopy) at the prospect of playing 60 minutes a man down.

I did say that the game changed at this point though, because after Pedro Leon put the resulting free kick wide, Real began to use the ball more effectively and Lass was dropping deeper and pressing for the ball more. Kaka and Lass were my star performers of the first half, as each did their assigned tasks well, and if it was not for effective screening from Celestini and Boateng, and a compact defensive line, we may have had a goal or two. Benzema and Higuain were not making a whole lot of trouble for the Geta back four though, and with Marcelo switch to left back, Sergio Ramos pinched and Arbeloa moved to the right, we had a more compact shape as well, and attack down the middle we would.

The only action of note for the close of the first half fell to Soldado, who spaced himself well behind Sergio Ramos for a headed chance that he put right at Casillas. Last year he had a similar chance from the opposite wing, Esteban Granero the provider, and he powered that home. This year Soldado looks short on confidence, as he is often left alone up top with little support. Certainly Dani Parejo provided little service or danger to the Real defense today to free Soldado from the shackle of Pepe. Real went in to the break with the better of the possession, but it was quite clear that either Pellegrini needed to make a change or the game would continue to move along rather mundanely. Cesar and I both suggested pulling Marcelo and putting Granero out there, which would reshuffle our back line with Lass at right back, Arbeloa back to left back. We were wrong to suggest that move though…

Pellegrini did not make any changes, and the second half continued in the same fashion as the first. Although the pressure was on Pellegrini to make a move and get the win, Michel clearly knew he would have a tough time justifying a 0-0 draw to ten men Real if he did not introduce a more offensive scheme. In the 53rd minute he introduced winger Albin for the defensive midfielder Boateng. Pellegrini did not have to make a move, Michel did it for him. It may have been a blunder by the rookie tactician, but it was a gamble that did not pay off. Geta effectively surrendered the center of the pitch to Lass and Xabi Alonso, and soon the dividends would be reaped. Benzema won the ball at the half way line, and moved the play wide to Marcelo. Marcelo deliberated on the ball but seeing an outstretched hand curled in an early cross the cleared Cata Diaz and hit Higuain on the chest. Pipita controlled perfectly and side footed past Osky for the 1-0.

A great ball by Marcelo, and an exquisite take by Higuain, who was given a gift but showed nice patience to control, take a touch and then finish. A striker who is maturing for sure. That goal could hardly be blamed on Michel’s substitution, but the next one could have. Three minutes later an isolated Celestini was stripped in the center circle by Lass. With Miguel Torres already pushed up the field, Benzema found space on the right and began to move forward with the ball. He cut in slightly, drawing both center backs which allowed Higuain to make a diagonal run that Benzema fed, and after two touches Higuan fired past Osky for the 2-0. In a few short moments the Getafe central midfield had yielded Real the killer 1-2 punch, and the game was over after that.

Pellegrini reacted by adding to the dominance of the center midfield, withdrawing Benzema for Gago. Getafe’s wingers rarely troubled Real’s flanks, even with the introduction of Albin and later on Gavilan, both dangerous players on their day. Lass and Xabi were cutting the supply to Parejo, who looked a shadow of the lad who played so well for Castilla, and Pellegrini tightened the screw by using Raul as another body to defend centrally, effectively nullifying the substitution of Adrian Gonzalez. It was not a tactical master class by Pellegrini, but a mistake by Michel that won it for Real. Getafe were not dominated the midfield by any stretch of the meaning, but they were keeping Kaka from getting the ball as much as he did, and if he did get the ball they were effectively double teaming him with the center backs. With just Celestini, he was over run, and the supply to Pedro Leon and Manu was cut short.

It must be said that both wide players were poor today, and Parejo was ineffective in the final third, often disposed with no outlets to turn to. Soldado was wasteful of a chance or two, but this was more a win of attrition then style. And that is how it had to be for Real. Pellegrini now takes his team to Milan with the confidence of containing an effective counter attacking team, but with the knowledge that they will have to come up with another way to win against AC Milan as the center midfield will be a battle. The idea from Pellegrini was correct, to stretch the play, but with Kaka so vertical in his approach, and Higuain and Marcelo not proper wingers, is he kidding himself in to think that would work?

I suppose we will have to wait and see on Tuesday, but its a win under the belt and another hopefully to come.

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Pellegrini’s Post Match Comments:

“I don’t think we benefitted from the red card because I believe it was unfair and because we had great spirit from the start.”

“I think it’s best for others to analyse the team’s performance. It was important for me to offer the fans a game like this. They helped us throughout the match.”

“This was a very important game because we earned bad results last week. We are still leaders in La Liga and in the Champions League and we hope to make a comeback in the Copa del Rey. This was a key encounter with which to turn our recent situation around.”

“I’m not worried about what people say about us. I think we are all very much involved in what we do and we must remain distanced from what others say.”

“This was a special game for the Club because we need to keep earning points. I hope this triumph allows us to perform well in Milan and to stay alive in every championship. Every game is difficult.”

“We knew it would be hard for us to change our style. I don’t like teams that counterattack and I wanted to change that. It’s hard with new players and a new coaching staff. We are finding it difficult at times and it will continue to be this way. We haven’t conceded a single goal in six of our nine games and that’s very positive. We are one of the least scored upon teams.”

“Higuain’s situation on the team has always been very good. He couldn’t play before because he’s been injured. He is as important as Benzema. He’s always been very involded and he is gradually doing better. He is essential to us and he will stand out.”

“Sergio Ramos is a very good centre back. He is versatile, which is very important. I regard Marcelo as a left back and Arbeloa can play anywhere. We’ve been forced to make changes to avoid our men from getting too tired.”

“I liked my team’s spirit above anything else. Personal and collective performances may vary, but spirit is constant.”

He makes a few interesting points. First, that he himself will rarely instruct his team to counter attack. Much like Del Bosque and Aragones, he is a possession manager. Thats all well and fine, as I am too, but we have lacked a cutting edge in creating chances that still worries me. The two goals by Pipitia were nice, but can we attribute them to collective team play, or even an individual moment of brilliance? Not really. Higuain has show he should be a starter, and as I mentioned during the match, Benzema has shown he should not. He missed a few great chances, two of which had to be goals. He was caught offside often, and his movement off the ball is lacking. The pass to Higuain was a nice contribution, but as a striker you must score, and he has done that to few times so far. Raul has more goals and only a few more minutes if that tells you anything.

Second, Sergio Ramos was superb at centerback. Raul Albiol has shown he is not up for a physical battle, and several strikers including Soldado (Negredo roughed him up) get the best of him in the air. Ramos had none of it and kept Soldado quite. Pellegrini sees Marcelo as a left back, so do not warm to the idea of Arbeloa at left back. Rotations may see him play there a few times, but Marcelo is #1 at left back, and with Drenthe so terrible, Arbeloa is essentially #2 at left and right back. Makes you wonder why Torres was sold? He played pretty well defensively today, but like many have mentioned, contribute little going forward. Against ten men he still stayed in his own half a majority of the time, but then again Arbeloa is similar. I dont understand the rational?

Third, team spirit improved considerably today with a rejuvenated Lassana Diarra and the absence of both Raul and Guti from the starting lineup. I still see both as key players, but they are not essential like they use to be unfortunately. I will never demand they be off loaded or even benched, but if the coach decides to bench them, I accept it. Both have been great servants and will continue to be, but coming off the bench will be their role in the coming months. I think that is not a sign of disrespect, but a willingness to allow them to prolong their career with Real. It is hard to handle the aging of club legends. Perez clearly wont even toe the line after dismissing Hierro so arrogantly, so its a complex situation. But both still deserve a place in the squad, as they have contributed well this season when called upon. The new reality is players like Ramos, Higuain, Casillas and Granero (eventually Negredo and Parejo) will be the spine of this side, and I feel safe in knowing we had a hand off from one generation to the next.

My man of the match has to be Pipita, but as mentioned above, Lass, Sergio Ramos and Kaka played well today also. Barcelona could only get a point up in Pamplona, a late own goal by Pique gifting Osasuna an unjustified goal. I say this because I watched the game, and Barcelona were unlucky to not get a few. Osasuna also should have had Flano sent off for a last man back tackle on Ibrahimovic, but to no avail. There is the problem, as Barcelona should have had a man advantage and probably a win, and we should not have been a man down. The inconsistency of calls in Spain is mind blowing, but its what makes La Liga what it is I suppose. You wont hear my crying out for justice for Barcelona to often though. A win is a win, and we will now move forward. Leave your comments on the match below please. HALA MADRID! And Happy Halloween!

Real Madrid vs. Getafe
Santiago Bernabeu Madrid, Spain
10/31/09 18:00 (1:00pm)
Jornada 9

I say Real Madrid B not as a derogatory term of course, because I <3 (heart) Getafe like many of us here on the site do, John being singled out as the most unabashed supporter. It is worth pointing out that 5, possibly 6 former Castilla players will line up for Getafe on Saturday in the Bernabeu, where they should all get a round of applause. And Getafe's trainer is none other then Real Madrid legend and Castilla collaborator Michel. Its a big family affair on Saturday to say the least. Ohh, and Getafe's president is a Real Madrid socio…. cant deny the love for our neighbors to the south.

Getafe takes the metro up to the Bernabeu for a mini-Madrid derbi at a time where Real Madrid finds itself in need of a convincing win not to get the press or fans off its back, but to restore some belief in the title charge this season. Defeat to a third division side will do that to a team. There is so much swirling around this game that its tough to really put all in to one post. But I am a little late today so you have to excuse my barely putting any of it in. School is hectic right now, and Im looking for a job to which means I am constantly going to info sessions during my spare time. Its a tough economy, what you gonna do?

Getafe Team News:

I want to break down Getafe, I really do, but in the interest of time I will do a quick run down. We are familiar with these players and Michel’s tactics anyways, being Getafe closet fans.

Miguel Torres recovered from a knock that kept him in solitary training until yesterday, and Kepa Blanco has also returned to normal training after an injury setback has kept him out of the season so far. Michel has also recovered David Belenguer and Pedro Rios, both who also have no minutes this season, so his group is getting a little bigger and a little more competitive for places.

I cant find a published squad list anywhere, just the news that Belenguer has returned to the team, so Ill just give you my starting eleven.

————-Ustari———–
Torres—-Cata—Mario—Mane
——Celestini—Boateng——-
Pedro Leon—-Parejo—-Albin
————Soldado———-

The only changes I could see are Manu for Albin, Adrian Gonzalez for Boatend and Belenguer for Cata Diaz because he has played every match this year. Other then that, Michel has a pretty set lineup to work with.

Michel on returning to the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid Team News:

SQUAD LIST:
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek
Defenders: Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo, Albiol
Midfielders: Gago, Diarra, Kaka, Lass, Xabi, Van der Vaart, Granero
Forwards: Raul, Benzema, Van Nistelrooy, Higuain.

So much for the Castilla players training with the first team. As you can see, Lass returns to the squad despite not being at training for almost a week…. This match will be a little weird for Pepe after what happened last year. Lets hope we dont have a repeat.

Guti is dropped after his flair up that was neither confirmed nor denied I suppose. Im not one to judge because I have a bias towards Guti, and both player and coach are denying it. Metzelder and Drenthe are also dropped after some horror defending in the Copa. Would you really want to play the next match after such shenanigans. Especially at home? Pellegrini is protecting his players, or in the case of Drenthe and Guti, sending a clear message of ‘enough is enough’. You be the judge, but I am going with protection, because neither would have started anyways.

Ruud makes the squad list to everyone’s delight, meaning we might see a selection of our two best striker at the moment. Marcelo will be at left back, where Pedro Leon will torment him. Pellegrini really is tempting the fates it seems. Everyone is calling for Arbeloa at left back, but I just do not see it happening. Pellegrini has a strange fascination with rotations, but he does not like playing people out of position. He will stick with Marcelo it seems.

This is a must win, because the team has been shit the past two weeks. Pellegrini’s job is most definitely not on the line, but another loss to add to the bad run and it could be (shouldn’t be but thats the way Marca likes it). I was thinking of calling for his head after the Alcorcon debacle, but how was that his fault? He put a decent lineup out there against a third division side and they got hammered. Look not further then the toothless players on that one.

Granero was interviewed about Pellegrini’s sticky situation.

Pellegrini talks about Guti, the pressure and rotations.

My lineup is as follows:

————–Casillas————–
Sergio Ramos—Pepe—Albiol—Marcelo
——-Granero—Xabi—Lass——-
—————Kaka————–
———Benzema—Raul———-

I might be vilified for saying this but lets face it: Kaka has sucked big time during this barren run. He was given the chance to be the focal point of the attack and he never showed up. He didnt play in the Alcorcon game, but then again would you have known he played in the other two games, or even the Sevilla game? Forgettable performances. Same goes for Benzema, who’s suckitude begins from Jornada 1 of the season. Maybe its playing with Raul, or maybe he really is not good enough yet for this team. But Pellegrini can only give him so many chances to do something before he has to start Higuain. In the San Siro, I want Pipita.

The midfield looks fine by me, except Lass needs to get his head together and stop bursting forward. He is a defensive midfielder, he should rarely be further up the pitch then Xabi Alonso, otherwise why dont we just use Xabi as the DM since he is sitting back anyways? Pellegrini either needs to fix this or needs to stop telling Lass to move forward, because the boy is confused about his place in the world right now.

I want to see a win, and a comprehensive win at that. But that would be down playing Getafe, who can be brilliant when they want to. If Pedro Leon is on, and the Castilla boys want to put on a show, then we will have a tough game on our hands. But Getafe has been miserable on its travels except for the opening day win against Racing. Its a short trip, but its still an away game, so Michel needs to pump so psychological voodoo in to his lads domes to get over the away day jitters.

We did not record a podcast this week because we have switched up our meeting time and some of us, no one being named, forgot to meet. It was not me. Its tough to coordinate when Mark is 12 ahead of me and Kevin, and Adam is 6 hours or so ahead. It means I may be sitting down for dinner, Adam may be getting ready for bed and Mark is waking up super early before work to record. Please appreciate the circumstances and we will return next week. There sure was alot to talk about this week too…

Game will not be on GolTV, and I am not entirely sure why, but it seems that the other team in Madrid got the pick of the week with a trip to San Mames for new coach Quique Sanchez. Good luck with that one Pathetico. Anyways, streams abound on the internet, so if you find a good one leave it in the comments. I have not done a live blog in a while, but this match will not be the next. Probably next weekend’s trip to Calderon will get me in a live blog mood. See you back here at game time for confirmed lineups and in-match comments.

HALA MADRID!

CONFIRMED LINEUPS:

Juanan, center back of the Castilla selection, did an interview for the official website a few weeks back. It is customary for a Castilla player to be interviewed once a week by the official site as sort of a training to deal with the media for the young lads. It also keeps you abreast of the going-ons with the team and some of its star individuals. It is also been mentioned to me before that these interviews are usually picked based on what players are performing well at the moment. This past summer I posted a whole bunch of Real Madrid TV interviews from the golden generation of 05-06 Castilla players that showcased a series of players who are now involved in La Liga. The same can be said for the official website interviews.

Without haste, here is the interview, poorly translated as only Babelfish could:

“The work is intense and is much comradeship here” Javier Coloma and Cristina Monk One is becoming an important piece in this Castile. He says it to he himself: “I want to help the equipment”. That would be the best letter of presentation of Juanan, power station of the Castile, arrived the past summer from the Sport one from the Corunna and that already is one more of the group: “The adaptation has gone rather well. It is a young group, with good companions who help you in everything. In addition, the city is quite pretty and has of everything to enjoy in her”.

It has the complexión and the will in the field of a veteran, but the eyes like a shine to him a boy when Castile speaks of its new adventure in Real Madrid: “The facilities have impressed Me, to see how the Club works. The way to work is very intense and is much comradeship in clothes. You come with desire to learn and here much is learned”. Juanan comprises of the list of new soccer players of Castile for this season. Already experimented in this to be abroad (it is of Palma de Mallorca but it arrived in 2006 at Corunna to play in the quarry of `Depor’), assures to take the distance well: “I do not miss anything. I have been three years abroad and I already have myself customary.

In addition, to my it accompanies me fiancee to all sides and it is helping me much”. Their 191 centimeters of height come to improve a group like the one of the Castile that takes six parties without knowing the defeat, but that does not finish taking off itself of the tie (five of those six encounter finished in tables). The Majorcan adds itself to the optimistic feeling of all the group: “In the Sport one I faced several years them and one sees that they have an incredible quality and desire to work and to learn. He would request patience, this equipment he works well, he has good dot. The results will arrive and we will be there above”.

The interview is nothing special, but I post this because Juanan has trained with the first team today in a view to making the match squad for the Getafe game. Exciting news for a player who just arrived at Real this summer from Deportivo B, where it must be said he was very impressive, making a few first team appearances for Depor along the way. With Garay injured, Metzelder looking a little rusty after an injury lay off himself, and Pepe and Albiol in need of some cover, there is a chance Juanan could make the list. Great news too, because his imposing physical nature would go hand in hand with the quicker Pepe or the more cerebral Albiol.

Also of interest is that even with Sergio Ramos and Arbeloa both fit for selection, Daniel Opare trained with the first team squad today as well. Interesting considering he had been away with Ghana winning the u-20 World Cup in Eygpt for three weeks and played very little, if at all, for that team. Great news of course, as Pellegrini continues to have a look at players from the cantera, although he has only called up Acuna to the bench so far this season. Lets hope for more luck from one of the canteranos this weekend maybe, where we face four, possibly five ex-Real Madrid Castilla players in Soldado, Parejo, Torres, Adrian Gonzalez and on the bench Codina. Should be great to see them all back at the Bernabeu again!

This is not a match review; I’m not in the mood for that. This is a heartfelt account of what I felt the hours before, during, and after the game.

I woke up today and thought about the things I had to do: go to the mall with my mom, study for my tests, watch Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey against Alcorcon, do some laundry, etc. To me the match was of no importance, being against a Segunda B side, and seeing the pre match players list, I thought to myself: “Good, Pellegrini is taking this game seriously, we better win convincingly after the last Milan and Gijon matches, today is when things start to get better”. HOW WRONG I WAS!

I saw Alcorcon play really well ever before they scored their first goal, and after reading the official match review, I can say it was only a matter of time for them to score first. Alcorcon was all over the place, they put pressure, they ran, they covered, they helped each other, THEY WERE A FOOTBALL TEAM, and I’m sorry to say this, but I wish Madrid play liked them.

I want to share with you my thoughts during the game:

1. “great, already down 2-0 to alcorcon, JUST FANTASTIC!!!”
2. “good thing we have raul, HE ALWAYS COMES THROUGH FOR US!!!” (can you sense the sarcasm?)
3. “a header for alcorcon hits the post, they’re closer to getting a 3rd as we are of getting our first ARGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”
4. “RMFC, they just suck!!!! they play as if this were a recreational Saturday game, no drive, no effort, NOTHING!!”
5. “This players should be ashamed of themselves, this is a fucking disgrace”
6. “another for alcorcon wow”
7. “what an easy goal, wonder why my team can’t create plays like that”
8. “and now, we’ll have to hear about “remontadas”, and shit like that”
9. “the only thing missing is Guti’s stupid dismissal from a terrible challenge, WE ALL KNOW IS COMING”
10. “the only player who’s really trying is VDV…”
11. “the coach is also to blame; after all the turmoil he should prepare the team as if every game is a final, this whole mess is a result of his lack of authority in that dressing room…”
12. “I’m sorry, but Dudek looks like he’s the captain, he’s the only one telling the players they’re sucking, great job Raul,what a way to demonstrate leadership…”
13. “I can see the return leg if this game ends like this: down 3-0, with alcorcon parking the bus in front of their goal, and Real having a really tough time breaking the alcorcon def, as has happened so far in this season…”
14. “let’s see the changes for the second half…”
15. “oh man, lady GAGA comes in for Guti…”
16. “vdv and dudek, our best players so far”
17. “wow 4-0”
18. “we’re out of the Copa del Rey, it’s official”
19. “haven’t seen a shot on goal from benzema the whole game…”
20. “almost a 5th from alcorcon”
21. “andres, yeah my friend, 4 nil indeed…”
22. “the only thing I want from this is game is STABILITY, it would be worse to get a new coach…”
23. “marcelo for granero???? maybe pellegrini knows something we don’t”
24. “andres, I agree with you, the castilla players would’ve shown more heart and determination”
25. “we’re gonna be the laughingstock of spanish football for weeks to come, better get ready”
26. “thank god raul’s out!!!!”
27. “sombra, tell that to valdano and florentino, they’re the ones who decided on bringing him (benzema) and letting negredo go…”
28. “my god, not even a goal to show, what a terrible performance”
29. “andres, totally right my friend, I can see all the “priceless” jokes coming our way after this game…”
30. “ruud, with a good shot, NOW THAT’S A STRIKER!!!!”
31. “I would not play raul, benzema, and guti for a while…, that also applies to arbeloa, WHO’S BEEN MISERABLE THIS GAME”
32. “my god
what a fucking disgrace, good for Alcorcon and their fans, hopefully our players will learn some humility from this game”
33. “totally agree labomba, this team is falling apart, the coach is not getting through to the players, the “leaders” (yeah, I’m talking about you Raul) don’t act like such, there’s no commitment, no sacrifice, no honor, no respect…what a fucking disgrace”
34. “vivek, I’m ok with giving pellegrini time, but unfortunately this is Real Madrid, and winning EVERY YEAR comes with the job…Given Florentino’s past history with managers, the odds are that Pellegrini has his days numbered; if that doesn’t happen, and FP sticks with Pellegrini, that would mean an incredible act of maturity and patience from Perez, but as I said, I don’t see that happening….”

Fortunately, all bad things come to an end, and for us that came when the ref blew his whistle to finish the game. What I’ve been feeling afterwards is a mixture of anger, shame, betrayal, and disappointment and so on, and so on.

To say that Alcorcon outplayed us today would be an understatement; crush, destroy, annihilate come more closely to what we witnessed today. I can understand losing to Barcelona 2-6 last year, I can even understand last week’s defeat against Milan, I can cope with those, but to lose against a Segunda B side, in such a humiliating manner is just inconceivable, and that’s what makes this so hard to digest, at least for me.

Now, I want to share with you the negative and positive conclusions I had from this game. Let’s get the NEGATIVES out of the way first:

1. Guti: as you can see in my comments, I was just waiting for him to get red carded. But what really made me furious was reading and seeing the things he did after he was substituted: telling Pellegrini to “go fuck yourself”, and then flipping the bird to the Alcorcon fans. Also, his post match comment: “I can’t quite explain how this happened”, GUTI, WAKE UP: THEY HAD MORE COJONES THAN YOU, AND TOOK THE GAME SERIOUSLY, that’s the simple explanation your stupid brain can’t quite reach by itself!!!.

There was a discussion in the forum about “class”, and there arguments that said it applies to players, and others said that it applied to teams. Guti’s actions made me realize this: He has no “class” as a player nor as a person; and if the club really prides itself on being “classy”, they should suspend him indefinitely. He is a disgrace, and SHOULD never be allowed to wear the captain’s armband.

2. Our defense was terrible: they were slow, always behind their strikers, and marking was nonexistent; once again we saw how vulnerable we are to wing play, and how our midfield and defenders don’t work together to cover spaces.

3. The midfield couldn’t create, they just didn’t have possession, and when they had, they didn’t have enough time to do anything creative.

4. Pellegrini’s game plan, if there was any, and his substitutions were really suspect. I know it’s not fair to second guess him after such a loss, but we have seen this in the last month or so, and it’s a really worrying trait, at least for me.

4. Arbeloa, Metzelder, Albiol, Drenthe, Guti, Mahamodou, Granero, Raul, Benzema WERE JUST TERRIBLE.

5. Raul: I love Raul, always have, but I’m really disappointed in his “leadership”: I want to see someone who’s involved, who takes charge, who gets in the face of someone if they’re not doing their job right, I want to see some passion. He also spoke of how “Real Madrid are the club of remontadas”, and that “there’s still another leg to be played”, but seriously, Raul, you think you’re gonna get through after losing 4-0? you think you’re gonna get through playing like you have for the last month or so?

I told Corey that Raul only appears and shows passion whenever he’s being questioned, and that might be good enough for him, but not for me. He really should step up, or get out of the picture, because I just can’t stand riding on the roller coaster that is his career at the moment.

6. The lack of homegrown players has plagued us for many years, and I think is an endemic problem the organization hasn’t been able to resolve completely. We need the homegrown players, players who’ve been with the club since they were young, and whose lifelong dream is to play with the first team, players who are loyal, and feel embarrassed whenever they lose, players who realize that playing in Real Madrid is not a given, but a HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE. I can’t expect that from the players we buy, and I understand, but to have the bulk of the team made of those type of players, that I can’t quite accept nor understand.

Now, the POSITIVES:

1. Dudek: Saved us from an ever bigger humilliation. He was our best player last night.

2. VDV: I loved the way he played; he was everywhere, he was involved, he tried, and tried, and tried again, and I was glad to see him play with that passion. Hopefully Pellegrini noticed, and decides on giving him an even bigger role.

3. I think this loss will be the turning point of the season. IT HAS TO BE. This team already is at the bottom of the barrel, and the only way to go now is up, so I’m optimistic in that happening, but only if, and that’s a HUGE IF, Florentino and Valdano don’t panic and keep Pellegrini at the helm. I for one don’t want more drama and turmoil surrounding our club.

I’m also sick of the apologies and comments after the game: Guti, Raul, Valdano, Florentino and all those who apologized can take them and shove them up their asses. Guti’s comment: “I can’t quite explain how this happened”. GUTI, WAKE UP, I’LL TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED: THEY HAD MORE COJONES THAN YOU, AND TOOK THE GAME SERIOUSLY, that’s the simple explanation your stupid brain can’t quite reach by itself!!!.

Raul spoke of how “Real Madrid are the club of remontadas”, and that “there’s still another leg to be played”, but seriously, Raul, you think you’re gonna get through after losing 4-0? you think you’re gonna get through playing like you have for the last month or so? why did you and your mates put yourselves in that situation in the first place?.

This is what I want from now on:

I want Pellegrini to stay.

I want a REAL leader as our captain.

I don’t want apologies, I want the players, coach and management to get their shit together and stop embarrassing this great club and their fans.

I want the best players to play every game, regardless of trophies, captaincy, or time spent at the club.

I want to see commitment.

I want to see pride.

I want Real Madrid to rise up to the challenge and prove all doubters, haters, and trollers wrong.

That’s all, I’m still angry.

HALA MADRID!!!!

This week has been tough on Real Madrid fans, but the news of the clubs oldest socio passing away seems a cruel blow. We have already experience a harsh defeat to Milan, a dull tie against Sporting, the reminder of Ruben de la Red’s collapse a year ago with the start of the Copa del Rey for first division teams, but this latest news just makes things worse. On Saturday in Gijon, Real players wore black armbands commemorating the death of Felix Perez Alvarez, the clubs oldest card holding socio, and appropriately dubbed ‘#1 fan’ has passed away at the ripe old age of 99 years old. May he rest in peace.

Felix was born in 1910 and became a socio of Real Madrid in 1923 when his father paid pesetas for his membership. He was a socio for 86 years of his life, with only his childhood separating him from the full 99 years of his time here on earth. In those 86 years he witnessed every major title Real won, including 31 league titles (all of them), 12 Copa del Reys (not all of them, we have 17), 8 Supercopas (all of them), 9 European Championship titles (all of them), 2 UEFA cups (all of them), 3 Intercontinental Cups (all of them) and 1 UEFA Supercup. There were several other titles he was able to witness Real triumph in, including the now defunct Copa de Liga (2) and although never having won it, he saw Real go the final of the Cup Winners Cup (Fairs Cups) on two occasions in the 80s.

Felix also holds the bronze, silver and gold jubilees of being a socio for 25, 50 and 75 years. A truely remarkable story of this great man, and one of the many reasons we Madrisitas follow this club. HALA MADRID and HALA Felix Perez Alvarez!

The article on his passing and statements from Emilio Butragueno are found here.

Of course with the passing of the #1 socio, we need a new super fan. That title goes to José Eulogio Aranguren Gutiérrez, who has been a socio for 85 years! Remarkable I know, and Jose has witnessed all of the same triumphs as Felix did. Both were good friends so Jose was saddened in being given this title in his friends death. But none the less, congratulations to Jose, now socio numero uno.

I apologize for the rather morbid string of posts lately, its a downer for sure, but we must remember that one of our own has past and we mourn the loss. Madridismo is a powerful thing, and we must never forget what men like Felix Perez Alvarez, or Jose Eulogio Aranguen for that matter, have done for the club and for the Madridista over so many years. HALA MADRID HALA MADRID HALA MADRID!!!

RIP

With the Copa del Rey beginning for Real Madrid tomorrow, we are reminded of the start of a troubling time in our club’s history. The laughable reign of president Ramon Calderon, the stressful period under Bernd Schuster, and the loss of one of our own to a rare illness which still does not have a cure. As Antonio Puerta and Dani Jarque have passed in recent years, and may they rest in peace, we should feel fortunate that Ruben de la Red is still amongst us. On October 30th in a Copa del Rey match against Real Union, Ruben collapsed on the field and was immediately rushed to the hospital that night. He would not return to the pitch, and the tie was all but lost for the Real players who had other things on their mind at that point.

Ruben was an up and coming star in the world of football, and the name on the lips of many a Real Madrid fans that season. After two incredible years at Getafe, he was repurchased after winning the European Cup with the national selection that summer. It was to be his big year, and with Bernadine Schuster behind him, De la Red became a starter in the midfield next to Mahamadou Diarra, forming a tantalizing 1-2 punch. His early season form was nothing short of outstanding, with assists, goals and great defensive play combined in to a very tidy package of passing, hustle and Madridismo. He was the canterano the first team was crying out for.

His subsequent collapse and undiagnosed heart conditioned have put a halt to his career, which looked like it could scale the heights of the footballing world. He now waits a second battery of tests to determine the true cause of his collapse and whether he will ever be cleared to play again. Real Madrid have prohibited him from playing until he is cleared by a medical team as a precaution, but he still remains a member of the team, attending training occasionally and being involved in the cantera system. Ruben and close friend Esteban Granero spoke recently of their hope of Ruben returning to the field next season, and we all hope this will be the case.

Here is an excellent video found by reader labomba, highlighting Ruben’s meteoric rise from average Castilla center back to gifted central midfielder.

Leave your comments on Ruben or anything else below. If you do get to watch the match against Alcorcon on Tuesday, kept Ruben in mind. I am sure he will be watching the game and wondering ‘what if?’.

It was a real slog with an in form team that showed up to frustrate their opponent and look for any small opening for a chance on goal. Real were not to adventurous either, with an awkwardly executed formation that demonstrated the squad’s lack of width and creativity from the coach. The first half was miserable, but the second half had some promise that a blunt Real Madrid never really delivered on. Looking back on the match, it is hard for me to remember anything memorable to discuss. It was a very average performance and one of those games that if you won, you took the points home and moved on. If you lost, you rued an efficient defensive performance and the role injuries have had on your attack. But a draw, which was fair on Sporting, conveys that neither team really did much for the win (or it was a hell of a game, with a lack of finishing).

And that is precisely what it was. Sporting meant well I suppose, but they never brought to much danger on the Real Madrid goal. They tormented Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos and Marcelo with some quick and skilled players, but as far as shots on goal or chances, it was pretty dormant. The stats dont lie:

Two shots on goal for Sporting, five for Real. 67-33 in possession for Real, but they did very little with it. I am not trying to sound negative, because many of the players showed a good spirit in a rain soaked game, but there was not much to get excited about in this game. It was a forgettable match from Pellegrini and co, and unfortunately the dropped two points were seized upon by Barcelona, who destroyed Zaragoza in the late game on Sunday.

Lineups

Sporting de Gijón
Juan Pablo
Botía
Canella
Lora
Gregory
Míchel
Rivera
Diego Castro
Luis Morán
sub Iván Hernández 81′
De las Cuevas
sub Carmelo 75′
David Barral
sub Bilic 63′

Real Madrid
Casillas
Sergio Ramos
Pepe
Marcelo
Garay
sub Albiol 65′
Diarra
Granero
Kaká
Xabi Alonso
sub Van der Vaart 77′
Drenthe
sub Guti H. 59′
Raúl

My disappointment with the result compounds a tough week for Real Madrid. A loss to Milan at the Bernabeu was never a great omen for this match, but without some margin for error, Real needed a result here and they could not get it done.

Im not sure what you would expect from this match when you only had one fit center forward. This is not to make excuses for poor performances or missed opportunities due to the personnel drain on the squad. But the huge outlay by Florentino this summer should have prevented such a problem from happening, but no one can ever predict when injuries will plague you the most. And it seems that we are having a rough time with them yet again this season. So far there has been no long term injuries (except for De la Red), but we have been shorn of Ruud Van Nistelrooy for most of the season, as well as Christoph Metzelder at the back.

Untimely injuries to Xabi Alonso, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alvaro Arbeloa, Fernando Gago and Guti only tells half the tale, as recent niggles to Higuain and Benzema, along with the slow recovery Sergio Ramos had from his off season injury has meant that we have yet to see an ideal starting eleven one could say.

To further compound these woes, both Pepe and Garay sustained injuries during the Sporting match, as did Xabi Alonso but he does not appear to be in any serious pain. Antonio Adan, Real Madrid third choice keeper also is currently injured, although his absence does not have a great impact on the first team as the rest that were mentioned.

Here are the match highlights:

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I do not want to sound negative, because thats not what we fans should be. It just was not there this weekend. A long list of injuries was never going to help things, but I think this match underlined the quality of La Liga. Every match is a tough one, and Real Madrid know there is a target on their back whenever they walk in to another teams stadium. We should not treat this game like a loss, because thats not what it was. It was a depleted lineup with some players short of form that got a point on the road. Lets accept it and move on to the next match.

Alcorcon is our opponent in the Copa del Rey this midweek. The game is Tuesday at 5pm eastern time, and will only be available through streaming websites. I will miss the match, as midweek games are no longer doable for me unfortunately. Its a shame to, because it would be nice to watch Real trout around the local Alcorcon pitch in front of a few thousand excited fans. Thats the beauty of the early rounds of the Copa. The chance for some young players to get a chance is also one of the reasons many people still see the Copa as worth tuning in to, but considering how bad a week it has been, anything other then a win will keep the pressure off of Pellegrini. Justified or not, their is pressure on him from the press, and he will be looking for a convincing performance against the third division side to get his team back on track and keep his collar from getting any warmer.

I lament the external pressures that Real Madrid is associated with because these type of games should be testing grounds for the young players, but instead we will get 90 minutes from some of the squad players, the same players who could do little to win against Sporting only a few days earlier. Drenthe, Gago, Garay and Dudek will all most likely feature, and I do not forsee any Castilla players making the match. Which to me is a travesty, especially since the Castilla players have encountered Alcorcon before this season, as they are both in the same group. Maybe we will see how big Pellegrini’s bravado is if he does call up a group of mostly youth team players, and its what I would like to see. Not to discredit the opponent, but this match has come at the right time to shake up the team with some young players.

The less than stellar performances of established names like Xabi Alonso, Kaka, and Sergio Ramos need to know their role in the team is not guaranteed, and although a loss of their place against a third division team might not be the shot in the ass you would want it to be, good performances from players like Tebar, Javi Hernandez, Marcos Alonso or Acuna could lead to them pushing the established names a little harder in training, a little harder in the less glamorous league games. Give the dice a role Pellergini. The week can not get much worse then this….