Almeria Preview

To say we have recovered well from the Copa exit is an understatement. Take one look at our results and it suggest we have done well. Look at how we played to get those results and it suggest we are the real deal right now. I will go so far as to say we have the best shot at La Liga then we have had in recent years. Are last to titles were down to the final few weeks, this one may be done and dusted by the final few weeks.

Almeria Team News:

With that bit of optimism being expressed, its down to earth again to face a little giant named Almeria. We will be traveling north for a 2pm eastern game on Saturday, one I am pretty sure I can watch. Almeria are an interesting club, because one look at their roster and you say, who? With no big names to speak of and little attention paid to the winter market, they remind you of Getafe in their calm approach to La Liga, something Levante, Murcia and Deportivo should try. By calm I mean a solid base of staff and not going crazy with transfers.

My admiration for their setup is comparable to Getafe, but they are a different team. They last beat Valencia at the Mestalla (I know I know, big deal right?) with this great statistic: Time of Possession 49% Valencia 51% Almeria. Now sure, Ronald Koeman played Villa, Arizmendi, Joaquin, Vicente and Silva all at once, leaving poor Maduro to fend for himself, so posession was not really a problem. But this team gets stuck in, they put the ball down and play. They dont back off to much, they will press and attack you when they are home. And they have quality La Liga proven players to do it. But….

Noticing a trend here, as we all have, the more teams come at us, the better we cope and attack them. It is true, look at how we won against Villarreal, or earlier this year against Mallorca at the Bernabeu. Now on the road we have not always played that well, usually grinding out results when needed. But if we are given some space by Almeria, it could be all over.

David Cobeno, ex-Castilla keeper, does not start anymore, Diego Alves does, and at 21, is younger then Cobeno. Their back four is a rugged group of men who in their spare time eat steaks, listen to Lynard Skynard, wear flannel and chop down trees. Im talking grizzled lumberjacks here. Carlos Garcia, Pulido, Juan Gutierrez and Bruno are a formidable bunch. Lopez Rexarte, ex-Spain international and Guilherme, promising right back from Gremio (19) round out the notables. Almeria have conceded only 21 goals in 21 games, 5th best in the league. Not bad for a promoted team. Of course scoring 18 goals hasnt helped.

Midfield is a combination of function and flair with Miguel Angel Corona, ex-Zaragoza, Jose Manuel Ortiz, ex-Atletico, Juan Manuel Ortiz, who bounced around a bit but also ex-Atletico, and of course the dangerous Felipe Melo, ex-Santander. The Ortiz pair have a third Ortiz, Jose, who is a striker. Albert Crusat sat out the Valencia game, but my money is on him coming back into the fold, he is a useful player, tireless and committed.

Up front its the Negredo goals that keep things flowing. He being of Castilla last year, he wont be playing this weekend. He didnt in this years earlier encounter, and its to bad for him. The Morientes clause. So Uche and Cisma Gonazalez will be the likely front pairing, although Melo can be pushed further forward. With the loss of Negredo comes a dilemma for Almeria, do they go with two up front still even though Cisma hasnt scored this year, or put Uche up their and let him rough up Canna a little bit? I dont know to tell you the truth, they are at home so they should be more adventurous but may be forced to play a 5th midfielder do to the circumstances.

As for Almeria’s injuries, they look pretty much clean. Lucky.

Real Team News:

As of right now, we are still missing Metzelder, Saviola (darn), Heinze and Pepe. Soldado and Ruud are said to be a little sick, while Gago has a bad bruise but is suspended anyways. Metzelder is still being tested for his arch problems, looks like he could miss the season if this doesnt get resolved. Good news is, Diarra will return to the team on Friday from the ACN where Mali were knocked out by Nigeria.

Other then that, everything is rosey red at Valdebebas. The lads did some light work, experiencing a rare week long training program. The next two weeks will be light on them with Almeria, Valladolid and Betis their opponents before we travel to Rome. So training is gonna be a bit relaxed to conserve energy. As for the team we will see on Saturday, I think we all have an idea, as it rarely changes barring injuries or suspensions. Its probably the least entertaining part of my job.

————Casillas————–
Torres—-SR—-Canna—-Marcelo
Guti—-Diarra—-Baptista—Robinho
———-Ruud——Raul———

Bench will round out with Salgado, Dudek, Higuain, Balboa, Drenthe and Sneijder. One hopes. There thats done, look for more of the same from Real, which is why predicting a win isnt far fetched at all.

A Miguel Torres interview:

You’ve seen a lot of action because the defense is so banged up.
The good thing about this squad is that it is so deep. We train hard and I’m getting to play more often than I expected due to all the injuries. All I can do is continue working hard and taking advantage of the opportunities I’m given. I am pleased that the manager has faith in me. All that really matters, though, is that we stay on track and that we keep on winning.

A lot of talk coming out of Barcelona claims Real Madrid is unbeatable.
People like creating controversy. We’re very focused, we’re working hard, and we’re on the right track. We have to worry about our work and staying in form.

Míchel Salgado said the veterans are in charge of keeping the excitement to a minimum.
The young guys are thrilled to be first and to have the chance to win the Liga. Of course we think about it, but that’s why the veterans are here. They’re the first to give us advice and to bring us back to earth so that we continue working hard. It’s a good way for us to mature as footballers and professionals.

That was short, you can watch the video of it if you would like on www.realmadrid.com, you have to sign up to be a member but its worth it. A said a win, a 2-0 sounds about right, with Ruud grabbing a brace. I would like to see Drenthe and Balboa in the game, but I have a feeling Robben will take precedense over Babloa, even though he will be get injured yet again. Anyways, training pics:

Category: Team News

Tags: Team News

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