Futbol Espanol 2008-09

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

so having spent the summer annoying the shit out of everyone with this ronaldo melodrama, have Real madrid actually signed anyone to fill the yawning gaps in their squad other than the Dutch joe cole?

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Here 's a list of the La Liga comings and goings. Real Madrid have actually bought Ezequiel Garay, who has been very highly rated in his time at Racing, both for his defending and goalscoring habits. Perhaps a shade inexperienced to be a regular starter, and indeed they're still umming and ahhing about loaning him back to Racing for a season, but I guess he's got to make the step up sometime. Ezequiel's a good name as well, as if he were about to dispense Old Testament-thunderbolt-style justice from his position at centre back.

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Madrid had intended to loan Garay back to Racing so he'd get regular playing time. I am guessing the team feel Cannavaro is getting up in years and is now more injury prone than before, Metzelder isn't that old but always seems to be injured (and isn't the player he used to be) so they figure they can use additional depth at central defender rather than risk being short at the position. Obviously Garay won't play as much with Madrid as he would have with Racing but he'll see playing time and will enable Heinze to concentrate more on playing left back rather than filling in the middle.

Fortunately Sneijder's injury isn't as serious as first thought (a nasty tackle there from Diaby caused it) but he'll still be out three months. Van der Vaart is not in my view as good an all around midfield player as Sneijder but he is as near as you can get and should be a good signing. I'd much rather have him than Cristiano Ronaldo as I think he'll fit in better to Madrid's team. Shouldn't hurt his adjustment that he'll have plenty of Dutchmen there to help acclimate him.

They are just preseason friendlies but Barcelona are looking pretty good now, they put 6 past Hibernian, 3 on Fiorentina and 5 last night on Guadalajara. Xavi and Iniesta are picking up where they left off at Euro 2008, Dani Alves, Pique, Caceres, Keita and Hleb are fitting into the team and even the canteranos Pedro and Jeffren don't look out of place. Oh and that Eto'o fellow is playing like he has something to prove, which is when he is at his most dangerous.

I was disappointed to see Fabricio Coloccini leave Depor (destination: Newcastle) but they need the money.

[jefe]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Barca play Red Bull New York Wednesday night, and ESPN's televising it nationwide. Which means they should be streaming it at ESPN360.com if you can get to that from outside the US.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

looking at that list Barca seem to have done very well for themselves, beefing up the back end of the team, but they seem to have thinned out the squad a lot in the front half. Giovani, ronaldinho, deco out, hleb in. who are henrique and Pinto? Who is the javi Garcia that is moving to real madrid from getafe, and whatever happened to that right winger JuanFran that benitez kept trying to sign from castilla?

[ursus arctos]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Henrique is a Brazilian defender who has already been loaned out to Bayer Leverkusen; Pinto is a backup keeper who actually arrived on loan in the middle of last season.

You need a Merengue for the other two; I didn't even know that there was another JuanFran (not the fullback who used to play for Zaragoza and Celta).

[ad hoc]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

According to the graphic in whichever paper i read this morning, Hleb played centre forward in the first half against Chivas.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

I'm kind of surprised that barcelona haven't made an attempt to sign a proper goalkeeper at some stage. Have they just given up on the prospect of ever finding a good one, or have the accepted that the way they play is eventually going to make the greatest goalkeeper on earth look like a bit of a chump?

I would piss myself if real madrid wound up missing out on ronaldo and losing robinho to chelsea. What would it take for calderon to have to face a no-confidence motion like laporta?

[ursus arctos]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Guardiola is toying with the "no formal centre forward" formation that Cruyff sometimes used with the "Dream Team" (when even Linker played on the wing). I think that experiment is unlikely to continue if Eto'o sticks around and stays healthy.

The goalkeeper question is an interesting one. There is probably some truth in your suppositions, but there is also the case that they were really burned with Rustu, who was very highly rated after the 2002 World Cup. Valdez has improved (there was a lot of room for that), but they have never really replaced Zubizarreta, who was jetisoned before his sell by date.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

I thought that was in order to drive lineker out of the club more than anything else?

[ursus arctos]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

He didn't do it only to Lineker; he played Julio Salinas that way too. Cruyff never rated stationary centre forwards.

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Continuing my adventures throughout the lower reaches of Spanish football, I have today bought a season ticket for C E Sabadell, the only club I know to feature an onion in their crest. After the abject misery of finishing last with Real Oviedo in 2B Group 1 in 2006-07, and the delirium of finishing first with Rayo Vallecano in 2B Group 2 in 2007-08, heaven knows what 2008-09 will bring in 2B Group 3. Sounds like I'm doing this for a bet - wish I was! ...

Will I be prancing around the streets come next spring like these guys? (My house is in the background at 3:53 ... )

[ursus arctos]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Visca l'Arlequinat!

That should be entertaining. Any team that plays in quarters can't be that bad (unless you support Bristol City) and I'm sure that your fellow socio Dani Pedrosa comes to every game.

Is their website really only in Catalan? Or am I just missing the Castellano button?

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Yes, it appears that the official website is only in Catalan. From what I've picked up, CE Sabadell are more politically like Barcelona than The Yol, so I guess it's tied up with all that stuff.

[jefe]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Red Bull New York 2-6 Barcelona. Or to be more precise, Victor Valdes 2-6 Barcelona. Eto'o 2, Xavi, Marquez, and a Suarez and a Pedro in the 2nd half (4-1 at halftime). Eto'o played the first half, Eidur the 2nd, Henry 60 minutes and was wincing badly on the bench after being subbed, Bojan got in several peoples' faces quite firmly after honest but late tackles, and what Dani Alves, Hleb, and Eto'o did to the left side of the Red Bulls defense I believe is prohibited by the Geneva Convention.

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Sevilla have just collected the preseason 'Ramon de Carranza' trophy in Cadiz after beating the hosts 3-0. OK, it's only preseason and against a Segunda B team, but I have to say the rojiblancos are looking good. Romaric (ro-muh-REEE for today's commentator) looks fine, Maresca and Renato are pulling their weight, Jesus Navas is magic, but I've been especially impressed with Squillaci (a serious, hard, very solid defender), and my personal favourite Cheva(-cheva-cheva-cheva)ntoon up front. He's looking nippy and in good form, and, if his excessive tattoos give him enough strength to avoid injuries, maybe he'll give free-scoring-but-permanently-miserable-looking Luis Fabiano a run for his money for a starting place this season ...

[Incandenza]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

No mention of the Ramon de Carranza trophy can go by without a example of what must be the biggest discrepancy between a size of a trophy and its ultimate importance.



When is the last time that Cadiz has actually won its own tournament?

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

That's a horrible photo

[Incandenza]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Erm, sorry--only one I could find with players standing next to it for perspective.

[Ibn Pickthall]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

I'd imagine Lodz was referring to the team in the photo, rather than the photo itself.

[Ant van Oviedo]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Lodz - did you really pay 165€ for a season ticket at Sabadell? B.t.w. the fourth pic down on the Socios page was taken at the Hermanos Antuña, Mieres. That's supposed to make you get all nostalgic...

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Yep, 165EUR was the cost of my season ticket. Impressive stadium-spotting skills from you ant.

Valencia 0-1 Real Madrid at half time in the first leg of the Supercopa. Valencia have been much more threatening in general, without really creating many clear-cut chances. Silva and Villa look sharp, but I've been most impressed with Mata on the left wing, who's been very neat and tidy, and has the beating of Michel Salgado. Most unimpressed with Albelda in midfield, the big dirty old clogger. With Real Madrid, it's been the same story as usual - not really much 'elaboration' in their play, but one good attack, and a clinical Van Nistelrooy finish puts them ahead. Hmm, I'll go for a 1-1 FT prediction.

Yes, I was indeed referring to the team in the photo rather than the photographer's skills. What's the price that in this photo, Navas is only pretending to help lift the trophy?

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Well, 3-2 it finishes to Valencia, who gave it their all in the second half and deserved the win. Real Madrid were dreadful, except for Robben's move and Van Nistelrooy's deadly finish. They should be praying that both of those two stay healthy all through the season, because they wouldn't want to have to rely on Robinho and Raul in their place. My man of the match award goes to David Villa, who ran his socks off and got Valencia's second goal. I wonder if Real Madrid buy him during the week, could he play for the other side next Sunday?

There were a few close offside calls during the game. If an attacker's foot is in line with, or even behind, the last defender, but he leans forward so that his torso is 'offside', is the player offside or not? The Telecinco co-commentator was suggesting that, in that situation, the attacker is onside ...

[Guest]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Denmark 0-0 Spain at half time. Quite an open game, and both goalkeepers have had to make a good save. Possibly Denmark shading it, with Rommedahl looking lively down their right wing against Capdevila. OTF favourite Sergio Ramos picked up a yellow card for a dodgy lunge when caught out of position ... I'll go for 0-1 as FT result, as Spain have been looking dangerous when they've countered ...

[Incandenza]

Futbol Espanol 2008-09

Ibn Pickthall wrote:

I'd imagine Lodz was referring to the team in the photo, rather than the photo itself.

I know.