Weekend Preview

By: Corey | February 21st, 2008

Real Madrid vs. Getafe at the Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid Sunday 3:00pm eastern time

So after a so-so performance against Roma midweek in the Champions League, we return to domestic duties with a 5 point lead on Barcelona. Our next opponent is cross town rivals Getafe, who put up more of a fight then Atletico and take more points off us surprisingly. Micheal Laudrup, like Bernadine, is an ex-Real Madrid player (ex-Barca too just like Schuster) who is getting his first test in La Liga with Getafe. The two have so many similarities, and this is Laudrup’s first return to the Bernabeu as a coach so he will be hoping for a comitted performance from his team.

Getafe are still very much alive in the UEFA Cup and have a first leg Copa tie against Santander coming up next week, so I tend to think their minds are not really on this game. I am going to check out their match against AEK today because for one I support all Spanish teams in continental competitions but two because I will get to see Granero and De la Red play, something I wont get to see this weekend. Thats right, both are banned from playing by contractual clauses, the Morientes clause if you will.

I will have coverage of the Raul-Aragones press conference after the match preview, do not worry.

Here is a quick little ditty about this weekend’s match from espnsoccernet.com:

Real coach Bernd Schuster’s former club were the last team to take a point at the Bernabeu, when they drew 1-1 there last March, and were unlucky to lose by a solitary goal after having dominated in the Coliseum earlier this season.

However, they are in unfamiliar territory at present as one of only two Spanish clubs still alive in three competitions, the other being Barcelona.

They host AEK Athens in a UEFA Cup last 32 second leg on Thursday and next week face Racing Santander in the King’s Cup semi-final first leg. They are 13th in the league.

‘I don’t know which game is more important,’ Getafe coach Michael Laudrup said.

‘Thursday’s game is a decider, Sunday’s is in a place any player would love to play and next week’s Cup game has a return leg but is one step from a final. Whatever happens we always go out to win.’

Getafe are fortunate to be catching the champions at a time when one or two doubts are creeping into their minds following a run of three defeats from their last four games in all competitions.

The reverses have all been on their travels, the last a 2-1 loss to AS Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday, but at home they maintain a 100 per cent league record.

Schuster’s squad is likely to be boosted by the return from injury of Brazilian forward Robinho, while Dutch winger Arjen Robben is finally starting to make his mark in the squad.

Couldnt have said it better myself so I didnt! This game is a bit of a retreat for the Merengues, who have been roughed up on their travels as of late and will look to enjoy the comforts of home cooking. Unbeaten in the Bernabeu is a huge psychological advantage to take into any game, and add that to the fact that this is a mini-derbi and you have yourself a game. My attendance to watch the match is up in the air, the family is visiting me this weekend as its my birthday next Thursday. So it depends on how quickly I can get them out of my apartment and driving back to New York. Lets hope its early, I missed the last league match against Betis, although I didnt miss much by way of a performance.

Getafe Team News:

The loss of De la Red and Granero is huge for Getafe, they are two of thier best players. And I do not say that because they are two of my favorite our they are Real products. Look at the stats. Granero and De la Red have scored some important goals for the team, have both played 15+ matches already this year and are the source of all things good in their midfield. Celestini and Pablo Hernandez will have to step up in order to fill the void left by their absence, while Javi Casquero will be given more playmaking weight.

Abbondanzieri is a solid goal keeper, Real will look to test his diving for low shots though as he is getting up their in the years. But they will have to get through a “mean-looking” defence first, comprise of Licht, Cortes, Daniel Diaz and Mario. Diaz is a good player, Licht and Cortes work hard, but those two and Mario are not the best defenders in the world. Yet somehow Getafe is still defending fairly well.

I sorta notice a trend in La Liga. I rarely have bad things to say about a team’s defense. Sure I didnt like the look if Betis’ back line, but I used superlatives like “rugged” and “strong” to describe them. I feel that these lower teams in La Liga have such a rugged efficiency in their defending that we sorta lack, maybe we could learn from this. Ivan Campo and Aitor Karanka are probably the last of the rugged hard men we had, as Woodgate, Samuel, Helguera, Paco Pavon and to an extent Sergio Ramos, were all more positioning and defensive skill then physical presence and nasty tackling. Think Javi Navarro if you dont get the picture I am trying to paint with my imagination brush.

Anyways, Getafe have allowed 32, which is not great actually. Their fullbacks are weak, so attacking the flanks is a must. We will need to have Robben running every ball down he can and getting crosses in. Spreading the field will make their defence collapse. Getafe keep it tight and compact in the middle in order to disrupt opponents play, so spreading the field will focus attentions on the fullbacks and take the “double pivot” that they usually us out of the picture for most of the game. Otherwise you have two DM’s and Daniel Diaz to go through, and it usually doesnt end well for us.

Our emphasis on central attack leads us to pass the ball above the opponents box with little movement or chances created. I blame it on the use of Guti “on the right” and the idea that Sergio Ramos will cover the whole right flank. Teams pinch in on the right, narrowing our playing area, so the left often gets conjested as teams look to stop Robinho/Robben. It is why I am not adverse to seeing Drenthe in this match, well actually I want to see Balboa.

I digress, so the defending is a little below average, well likewise with the attack. Manu is a skillful player, but he lacks a killer eye for goal. Uche was brought to Getafe with great pain to fill to goalscoring void, but he as of yet to score a significant amount. Braulio, who is a decent prospect, is on loan from Atletico and has chipped in with a few, but seeing as how they have scored a total of 28, they are hurtin for offense. And the top scorer is Manu with 4. Looks like Canna and co will have a less stressful day at the office.

As for injuries, I checked Marca but its all coverage on the UEFA match, nothing on the weekend fixture yet. So because I like to get these preview out early, I dont have any info for you guys. If anyone wants to drop a link to a good site to find out about injuries, suspensions, call-ups feel free, I am having a touch time recently.

Real Madrid News:

Diarra picked up a knock against Roma, hence his substitution. Heinze and Casillas also had minor injury worries, but Casillas will start the match and Heinze will probably too. Diarra most likely will be left out as a precautionary measure if anything. Other news is that Pepe and Robinho trained on the pitch recently, and Robinho may make the bench for the match. No word on when Pepe is expected back, my guess is mid-March. Marcelo should be fit in time for the match, although the bench may be calling for him. Metzelder is still definately out, likewise Sneijder and Saviola is looking for match fitness much like Heinze still. A few injuries to contend with.

A formation is pretty obvious with Diarra’s absence. Baptista will return to the side and its a debate as to whether Torres or Marcelo starts on the left. Other then that, its all the usual, and here it is:

————–Casillas—————
Ramos—-Canna—-Heinze—-Torres
Guti—-Gago—-Baptista—-Robben
————RVN—–Raul———–

Subs will be Dudek, Salgado, MArcelo, Drenthe, Balboa, Saviola, Soldado. No fit center back or central midfielder. And we all thought we had squad depth….

The one thing I want to see besides a win is an improved performance from Sergio Ramos. He has been lackluster for awhile now and I didnt say anything because I figured he would come good eventually, but his peformance against Roma was shotty. If it was not for all the defensive injuries I woul have benched him a month ago.

And I lied, one more thing, No More Shooting From Gago! He was so far off target with his numerous shots against Roma that it was embaressing. Stop shooting, pass the ball!

I am cutting short the Real team news for a special coverage section of the Raul-Aragones press conference. Here is what Marca has on it so far:

Aragone’s and Raul: “Nobody has lowered to the trousers”

Luis Aragone’s and Raul appeared together in the press room of the City of the Soccer of the Clearing for “finishing with the debates and the speculations and by the communal property of the federation, the selection, the selector and Raul”. The Spanish selector and the forward of Real Madrid maintained this Thursday a meeting by initiative of Raul, who contacted with Aragonese through representative.

Raul said “he took thinking It many months. I believe that the selection has been classified shiningly, has become a great work and now four months of the European he hurts to me that each party of the selection is speculated on with information that are not true. I decided to speak with the selector because it has really not happened anything important “, said. “It is clear that it always has melentedidos in the relation trainer player, and in the time that there am been in the selection the things have gone well we have spoken of things in which estabamos in agreement and other no. It is not necessary to back watch but the front because the selection is over which I go or no. Support to the selector and the group who goes. I have it very complicated and dificil but that ilusion still I have it, but I want that it is let speculate if my surroundings send people to support me to the fields. We have had a conversation and we have creido that is the best thing for all “, commented Raul.

Aragonese Luis pronounced itself in the same sense. “the behavior of Raul with me has been extraordinary, just as mine with him. First that has said me it is that it is or is not wants to help to the selector and the selection. Let us hope that this fixes something, and that the debates, just as has not had with other players and yes Raul because he is but mediatic, they are ended, it goes or no. You have us to help in that adjustment “, commented Aragonese in reference to the press. Aragonese suspicion of a plot in favor of Raul Aragonese Luis has assured that nobody “has lowered the trousers” and affirmed that it suspects that the vindication of the liking of Malaga requesting the call of Raul was organized, something that has denied sharply Raul.

The selector has not wanted to enter details, although he was convinced of it. The Spanish selector does not close the door to Raul. “the rest of players has It equal of complicated which. The selector I am. Some remain and others go. There is one who has said that Raul of substitute does not want to go, when there is been of substitute with me. It was divided average Spain and we are going to finish that yet ” “Raul and I do not have ningun commitment. The Federation has not had anything to do “, affirmed Aragonese. To the question if some both he had lowered the trousers, Aragonese was clear. “we have not lowered the trousers, is by the good of Spanish soccer. Raul has said to me that somebody was going it to say but I do not lower the trousers to me nor when I clear the belt to happen to an airplane “.

Here is the link to the article, it has a video of the conference to watch if you know Spanish http://www.marca.com/edicion/marca/futbol/seleccion/es/desarrollo/1092316.html

Okay, so I do not know what the whole lower the trousers reference means which is bandied about in this like three times. Surely Luis doesnt mean flash his package to the press or something like that? Of course not, anyway, what does everyone think about this? Will Raul get a call-up soon or is this just buddy-buddy stuff and Aragone being a stubborn old man will just ignore him further?

Keep the comments rolling my good people. Hopefully Steve wont have a date this Sunday and we will all have a liveblog to enjoy! Just kidding Steve, look forward to hearing everyones opinions! Adios.

Balboa Lookin Good