Another Preseason Bites the Dust

So that didnt take long at all actually. With the 1-1 draw with Frankfurt, Real’s preseason is effectively over, finally…..Let the league begin!

Ohh right, I didnt mention Real’s 1-1 draw. They of course were in Germany for a replay of the infamous 1960 European Champions Cup final that Real won. This game was definately not of the caliber of course, but it was interesting none the less to see the full squad (internationals included, well except Olympics players) on the field. I missed the match because of my oppressive slave driver of a boss who does not believe in getting days off to watch soccer matches. I had two conference calls yesterday though, and I am heading home tonight for a little down time anyways.

From what I could gather from the match reports, Real lacked much consistency through their lines. The flow of the ball was not where it needs to be at this point, but thats something that comes with more competitive games under the belt. We also looked a little off the pace compared to Frankfurt, although there league campaign begins this weekend and has a few weeks extra training on us. But I guess considering that the Super Cup is this weekend we should be ready for a game too.

Our goal was the result of some poor set piece defending, which clearly Schuster has not worked on in training camp yet. What bothers me is that he clearly identifies it as a problem last year, and even again in his post match comments (below) and yet nothing has changed. Pepe, Ramos and Diarra are all very good in the air, but we cant seem to ever get a decent head on the ball, or atleast have Heinze hoof it into the stands, which he loves to do.

And our finishing was poor, as we were presented with numerous chances that were not converted. Although when you have Saviola and Higuain on the field, this does not surprise me. It was a good warm up match, and with no injuries sustained, we should be pleased.

MATCH SUMMARY:

1- Eintracht Frankfurt: Nikolov; Ochis, Russ, Bellaid, Spycher; Steinhöfer (Galindo, min.61), Chris (Fink, min.45), Inamoto (Mahdavikia, min.61), Toski (Heller, min.79); Liberopoulos (Fenin, min45), Amanatidis (Meier, min.61).

1- Real Madrid: Casillas; Ramos (Salgado, min.65), Heinze (Metzelder, min.45), Pepe (Javi García, min.79), Torres; Diarra (De la Red, min.45), Guti (Baptista, min.45), Van der Vaart (Higuaín, min.65), Robben; Raúl (Saviola, min.65), Van Nistelrooy (Robinho, min.45).

Goals:
1-0 (min.6): Bellaid
1-1 (min.70): Robinho

Robinho scoring a goal was nice to see. Maybe this will prove to the English press that what his agent says is not what Robinho is thinking. Hopefully he, along with Robben, stays injury free and has a good year. We will need them if we want to win the Champions League. Which reminds me, fantasy leagues are starting up again. If anyone wants to play in one let me know, or if your in one and want other people to join leave a link in the comments. Im gonna look for something we can all do together, Ill have something up by next week.

Schuster Post Match Comments

Are you satisfied with your team’s performance?
It was the match we all expected. It was very interesting for such a special occasion. The fans were great and enjoyed so many close calls. I saw some interesting things. I am pleased. We are now focusing on the weekend. There were no injuries and I am satisfied.

What areas will your work on heading into the Super Cup?
There were two things I disliked today. The first was the goal. We must improve set piece plays. The second was our finishing. We cannot miss or else we will pay dearly. We will have many problems come Sunday if we miss chances which take so much effort to create.

How would you rate the performances of your internationals?
Most important is that they played their first minutes and proved they are unquestionable starters for our team. For Metzelder it was important that he not reinjure his foot. I am also pleased with Rubén de la Red. They all withstood the rhythm of the match. Having fresh legs and players like Robinho and Baptista come in in the second half allowed us to play at a faster pace.

Another good match by Van der Vaart.
I am not at all surprised by his integration. Our style of play suits him, as he already proved in Colombia. He is very talented. He will adapt easily and be an important member of this team.

HEINZE:

“We felt good out there. It’s almost as if we earned a point, but Real Madrid must win no matter where it plays. This match will serve to learn from the mistakes made. We cannot allow the same mistakes against Valencia. We must score next Sunday and win.”

VAN DER VAART:

“I am very happy with the way things are going for me in Madrid. This was not a friendly for either side because both have official matches coming up and the players want to make statements to their coaches. Madrid was the better team, but their keeper prevented us from winning.”

METZELDER:
“I felt good for having only trained for two weeks. The second half was better. Our goal is still the Champions League, but we know how important the league is.”

“Playing in Germany is always special for me.”

“Ramos and Casillas don’t tease me about Spain’s triumph. They deserved it, but in two year’s we are going after the World Cup. We still have a few days to prepare the Super Cup against Valencia, which all of us hope to win.”

I may have mentioned this already, but I will be going home Thursday and staying til Sunday. I will catch the Super Cup on a stream (finally!) and probably do a review, but next week I have alot of stuff to do for my second job so posts will be sporadic. Sorry for that, but I will do my best with the time I have. Have a good weekend everyone. HALA MADRID!

Category: Team News

Tags: Team News

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