30 September 2010

Antonio Alvarez: Sevilla's fall guy

Antonio Alvarez turned out nearly 350 times for Sevilla as a player in the 1970s and 80s, making him something of a mythical figure in the eyes of the fans. As manager, however, the problem with Alvarez was that he was never the first choice to take over from Manolo Jimenez back in March.

Jimenez’s sacking mid-way through the 2009-10 season was the culmination of a run of five La Liga matches without a win and a humiliating Champions League exit to CSKA Moscow. Sevilla’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League again were looking decidedly slim at that point but Antonio Alvarez made the transition from Director of Football smoothly and enjoyed some immediate success.
The Andalusian club eventually pipped Real Mallorca to 4th spot in the final minute of the final match of the season thanks to that famous Rodri goal and beat Atletico Madrid in the final of Copa del Rey to bring some much coveted silverware to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

Why then, after five matches of the 2010-11 campaign and a far from irretrievable 7th position, has Alvarez already been shown the door? The simple answer: Sevilla President Jose Maria Del Nido never really wanted him as manager and it was only the club’s failure to snare Luis Aragones that saw Alvarez installed in the first place.

That is the basic underlying motive but certain factors this season have made it easier for Del Nido – the outspoken Sevilla boss who insists on wearing a fedora hat so that he resembles a 21st century Al Capone – to give Alvarez the boot.
The two-legged Champions League play-off defeat to Sporting Braga in August is the main point of reference. Having worked so hard to claim 4th spot last year, it was galling to then see their place in the group stages of Europe’s premier competition usurped by a Portuguese debutant.

Their exit at that stage also has wider permutations for Spain, who enjoy the privilege of occupying four spots in the Champions League thanks to their UEFA coefficient ranking. Fortunately, the continued success of La Liga teams in Europe – which is rivalled only by the English Premier League’s representatives – means that they are unlikely to forfeit that privilege in the foreseeable future.

Antonio Alvarez’s man-management style also came under criticism in his final weeks at Sevilla and he felt the need to defend himself in a press conference convened after his dismissal, stating that he did not have any personal gripes with any of the players at the club. There is no doubt, however, that perceived dressing-room unrest, which was reported in the press, unsettled the team. Speculation about a fall-out with Sevilla’s biggest star, Brazilian number 9 Luis Fabiano, also undermined Alvarez, and if there was no foundation to the rumours, it seems strange that the striker was left out of the team several times this month despite an apparent clean bill of health.

Presidential post-match interviews are a Spanish curiosity and a journalist’s dream. Those conducted at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan over the last few weeks have allowed us to see first-hand how Sevilla’s failure to win at home since the Super Cup first leg victory over Barcelona has infuriated Del Nido.

While performing effectively on the road – excluding the recent Hercules debacle – defeats to Sporting Braga and Paris Saint-Germain coupled with draws against Deportivo La Coruna and Racing Santander suggest that the home quandary is more psychological than anything.

If that is indeed the case, a managerial change was the obvious solution. And who better to bring in to fix the problem than former Real Mallorca manager Gregorio Manzano. After a trip to Germany to play Borussia Dortmund in the Europe League, Manzano’s first challenge at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan will be the visit of Atletico Madrid this weekend in a rematch of last season’s Copa del Rey final. A win in that game would send out a clear message of intent.
Balearic club Mallorca were impeccable on home turf at the Ono Estadi under Manzano. Last season their record in Palma was the best outside of the top two in the division, and that is a strength which Jose Maria Del Nido is hoping Manzano will carry into his new club.

Sevilla still have plenty of time to mount a serious assault on the top four this season. The benefit of an early change is that no irrevocable damage has yet been done. The new manager’s main task, besides forging a strong home base, is to reintroduce some harmony into the dressing room.

Players like Luis Fabiano, who is coveted by top clubs all over Europe, and Diego Capel, who has not seen nearly enough playing time over the last couple of seasons, will have to be placated. It would be a shame if they were forced to sell such stars, even though Sevilla’s world-famous scouting network and academy would almost certainly produce replacements.

The dream for most local fans is that Sevilla will evolve beyond their current status as a top-class football factory and shake off the justifiable moniker that it is essentially a selling club. Football finance is such, however, that all but a very select handful of European clubs are precisely that.

For those who are curious, here is what Sevilla might look like if they had refused big money offers in the last few years:

Sevilla as it might have been:

4-4-2: Andres Palop; Adriano, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Dani Alves; Seydou Keita, Christian Poulsen, Jose Antonio Reyes, Jesus Navas; Julio Baptista, Luis Fabiano;

Some of the players who have moved on have blossomed elsewhere, others have found it more difficult but, the fact of the matter is, all of them were top players when they were at Sevilla.

Judging by the players coming through, the future looks bright, as the Andalusian club continues to unearth formidable talent such as Diego Perotti, Jose Carlos and Rodri. The hope now is that Gregorio Manzano can use these resources, combined with the current crop of stars, to construct a new team capable of loosening – alongside the likes of Atletico Madrid, Valencia and Villarreal – the stranglehold with which Barcelona and Real Madrid’s currently grip La Liga.

28 September 2010

Matchday 5 - Round-up

Valencia stunned Sporting de Gijon with two early goals at the Molinon on Saturday night from Mehmet Topal and Roberto Soldado. Unai Emery was show-casing his squad depth as he made several changes ahead of the key Champions League clash with Manchester United this week and Los Che had enough in reserve to stifle the listless hosts and hold on for a 0-2 win. The other results on Saturday guaranteed that Valencia would sit top of the table come the end of the weekend.

The most significant being Real Madrid's dour 0-0 draw with Levante at the Ciutat de Valencia. Jose Mourinho's team created countless chances but they could not score in the face of a proud defensive performance from Luis Garcia Plaza's men. Real have the worst goal/chance ratio in the Primera Division by a considerable margin.

Barcelona were giving a helping hand by Mateu Lahoz in a rain-soaked encounter with Athletic Bilbao at San Mames. The referee harshly sent off Fernando Amorebieta in the first half for a sliding tackle and Barca went on to win the tie by a comfortable 1-3 margin thanks to goals from midfield trio Seydou Keita, Xavi Hernandez and Sergi Busquets. There was a slight scare at the end for Pep Guardiola as David Villa was sent off for violent conduct and Igor Gabilondo pulled one back for Athletic but the Basque comeback was destined for failure.

Fast forward to Sunday and Real Mallorca's home credentials continue to impress as Fernando Cavenaghi's brace gave Michael Laudrup's side a 2-0 win over a limp Real Sociedad team who folded all too easily at the Ono Estadi.

Another strong home team, Espanyol, beat Osasuna 1-0 at the Cornella El Prat thanks to a debut goal from Alvaro Vazquez. The 19-year-old striker was playing despite Pablo Osvaldo passing a late fitness test and once again Mauricio Pochettino's gamble on young academy graduates paid off. Jose Antonio Camacho's cause was not helped by a red card to Lolo with less than twenty minutes on the clock.

Deportivo La Coruna and Almeria came together in a clash between the two most disappointing La Liga teams of the season so far. Kala Uche marked his first start of the season with two goals to give the Andalusians a 0-2 win away at the Riazor. Diego Colotto made life difficult for his team mates by getting sent off just before half time with Depor two-nil down. Miguel Angel Lotina is really feeling the pressure with his side stuck in the relegation zone without a win to their name so far in 2010-11.

Getafe went some way to making up for their poor home defeat to Malaga last week with a 0-1 victory over Racing Santander at the Sardinero. Michel made several successful changes including the deployment of Victor Sanchez in midfield and the former Barcelona reserve scored the only goal of the game. Racing, who had Markus Rosenberg dismissed for two bookable offences late on, reverted to the norm by failing to assert themselves at home.

The headline of the weekend was the sacking of Sevilla manager Antonio Alvarez in the immediate aftermath of his side's 2-0 defeat to Hercules at the Jose Rico Perez. David Trezeguet is undergoing a renaissance on the Costa Blanca and he had the dubious honour of hammering the final nail into Alvarez's coffin by scoring both goals to the delight of the giddy home support.

Atletico Madrid managed to hold on to a 1-0 lead over Real Zaragoza at the Vicente Calderon despite the petulant second half dismissal of Jose Antonio Reyes. Diego Costa grabbed the goal that keeps Atletico within three points of leaders Valencia and sentenced Jose Aurelio Gay's team to another week at the very bottom of the league table.

Monday night's fixture between Malaga and Villarreal promised goals and we were not disappointed in the first half at the Rosaleda. Jesualdo Ferreira's team went ahead through Eliseu, then conceded two to Santi Cazorla and Giuseppe Rossi before levelling through Jose Rondon all with less than half an hour played. Eliseu's first half dismissal, however, prejudiced the game in Villarreal's favour and in-form Spanish international Santi Cazorla struck again before half time to make it 2-3, which is how the scoreline remained after ninety minutes.

27 September 2010

Matchday 5 - Player of the Round

David Trezeguet (Hercules)
Many cynics thought David Trezeguet was taking an easy option by moving to Hercules this summer. His wife is from Alicante and there was a suggestion that the former France international was keen on one last payday on the Costa Blanca before finally hanging up his boots. Trezeguet, however, has not come to sun himself on the beach and he has already reached more than a quarter of the tally of goals he scored in his last two seasons for Juventus combined. He will always be remembered by Antonio Alvarez as the player who precipitated the end of his managerial tenure at Sevilla. A brace from Hercules' most famous name was enough to send Sevilla crashing to a 2-0 defeat at the Jose Rico Perez on Sunday and Alvarez was sacked by Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido in the immediate aftermath of that embarrassing loss. Trezeguet's cultured finishing could be the difference between a relegation struggle and a comfortable mid-table finish for Esteban Vigo's side this season.

Matchday 5 - Featured Preview: Malaga vs Villarreal

Villarreal visit Malaga's Rosaleda on Monday night in what promises to be an exciting clash between two in-form teams who both recorded wins last Thursday night. Jesualdo Ferreira's new Malaga side are yet to win at home this season and, in fact, they have not won at the Rosaleda in La Liga for six months dating back to a win over Villarreal but the Andalusians will be hoping that their raw pace is enough to hurt their opponents. Juan Carlos Garrido's organised team arrive in Malaga full of confidence. A win here could see the Yellow Submarine move up to 2nd place in La Liga.

MALAGA

Player to Watch: Jose Rondon

On Thursday Malaga picked up another fine away win to go along with their 3-5 thrashing of Real Zaragoza earlier in the season, beating Getafe 0-2 at the notoriously frugal Coliseum Alfonso Perez. Malaga have a lot of work to do before they finally look like a decent team but that is hardly surprising given the level of change over the summer. Jesualdo Ferreira's men are LWLW in their first four matches, which leaves them in 8th position at this early stage in the season. On Monday night they host Villarreal at the Rosaleda and all the signs are it will be a complicated match for the Andalusians. They are yet to register a point at home and Villarreal are currently on a hot streak of three wins in a row which has seen them rise as high as 3rd after the minor setback of an opening day defeat. Curiously enough, Malaga have not won at home for exactly six months and that time it was against Villarreal. Jesus Gamez is suspended on Monday night after picking up a red card in Thursday's win so there will be a replacement required at right back. Manu Torres is the most obvious like-for-like change but Patrick Mtiliga could also shift right allowing Ivan Gonzalez to play in the middle next to Weligton. Rodrigo Galatto is still injured so Ruben is included in the squad again and he will be hoping to start in goal ahead of Arnau for the second time in a week. Manolo Gaspar, Duda and Helder Rosario are also sidelined at the moment but Juanito is back in the team so there are plenty of options in centre midfield with Antonio Apono, Fernando and Sandro Silva all competing for places. We are likely to see a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 formation so there could be room for two or three of those four in the middle of the pitch with wide men Quincy and Eliseu completing the midfield behind a lone striker. Seba Fernandez, Juanmi, Jose Rondon and Nabil Baha are all in the squad and, as he scored the other day, Rondon has to be favourite to start even ahead of teenage prodigy Juanmi. Alberto Luque, Edinho and Javier Malagueno were left off the list for tactical reasons.

Possible starting XI: (4-3-3) Ruben; Manu Torres, Ivan Gonzalez, Weligton, Patrick Mtiliga; Sandro Silva, Fernando, Antonio Apono; Eliseu, Quincy Owesu-Abeyie, Jose Rondon;

VILLARREAL

Player to Watch: Nilmar

Villarreal currently sit 3rd in the table thanks to confident 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna on Thursday night. Brazilian striker Nilmar was the goal-scorer for the Valencian club and he has now become La Liga's leading scorer having notched up four goals in four matches of the 2010-11 season. Juan Carlos Garrido's team look far more organised this season than they did throughout the last, as the new manager has cleared out the dead wood and the team is obviously benefiting from the stability and consistency Garrido has provided. Villarreal are LWWW in their last four matches heading into Monday night's clash with Malaga at the Rosaleda. Villarreal's form, coupled with Malaga's poor home form this season probably makes Garrido's team the favourites to win this match and boost their already impressive credentials. With no injury worries at all at the moment, Juan Carlos Garrido has named the same 18-man squad as he named for the last two matches. Consistency in his team selection is part of the efficaciousness of Villarreal's play at the moment and this is manifesting itself in their improved organisation and togetherness. It is highly likely that we will see the same 4-4-2 formation as before, with Giuseppe Rossi and Nilmar acting as the key men up front, Santi Cazorla and Borja Valero wide of Bruno Soriano and Marcos Senna in midfield and Matteo Musacchio, Angel Lopez, Joan Capdevila and Carlos Marchena in front of Diego Lopez at the back. To compliment that line-up, Jefferson Montero, Ruben Cani, Jozy Altidore and Marco Ruben can all make decisive impacts if called into action from the bench.

Possible starting XI: (4-4-2) Diego Lopez; Angel Lopez, Matteo Musacchio, Carlos Marchena, Joan Capdevila; Santiago Cazorla, Bruno Soriano, Marcos Senna, Borja Valero; Nilmar, Giuseppe Rossi;

26 September 2010

Matchday 5 - Player to Watch

Pablo Osvaldo (Espanyol)
Pablo Osvaldo has been a key figure for Espanyol ever since they signed him on loan from Bologna in the January transfer window. He arrived at the club as back-up for Ivan Alonso but his powerful displays at the back end of the 2009-10 season saw him established as the first choice striker for Los Pericos and Mauricio Pochettino's most important bit of summer business was securing the Argentinean on a permanent deal. Osvaldo got off to a great start this season with a couple of goals on the opening day against Getafe but he was injured in the very next match against Villarreal and has not played since. On Sunday he returns to lead the Espanyol attack and, with the Catalans expected to beat Osasuna at the Cornella El Prat, Osvaldo will be regarded as the main threat to the Pamplonan defence.

25 September 2010

La Liga - Matchday 5

Saturday 25th September
Sporting de Gijon vs Valencia (18:00)
Levante vs Real Madrid (20:00)
Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona (22:00)
Sunday 26th September
Racing Santander vs Getafe (17:00)
Deportivo La Coruna vs Almeria (17:00)
Espanyol vs Osasuna (17:00)
Real Mallorca vs Real Sociedad (17:00)
Hercules vs Sevilla (19:00)
Atletico Madrid vs Real Zaragoza (21:00)
Monday 27th September
Malaga vs Villarreal (21:00)

24 September 2010

Matchday 4 - Player of the Round

Nilmar (Villarreal)
Nilmar signed for Villarreal from Internacional in the summer of 2009 and the former Lyon forward had a mixed first season here in Spain. The Brazilian was competing for places with Joseba Llorente and Giuseppe Rossi and a poor year for the club on the whole did not help the Brazilian's reputation. There have been ups and downs for Nilmar in his career. He moved to Europe to join Lyon at a very young age and, despite some success, he failed to settle and eventually moved back to his homeland. Not many players would have been given a second chance but the Bandeirantes-born forward obviously had the talent to succeed in Europe so Villarreal took a gamble on him last year and their investment is starting to pay dividends. Former Brazil manager Dunga kept faith with Nilmar during his tenure as national coach, calling him up to play at the World Cup ahead of some big names like Ronaldinho, Neymar and Alexandre Pato. Now we are starting to see why as the Villarreal striker has got off to an excellent start to the 2010-11 season. On Thursday night, Nilmar ran the show and scored the only goal as the Yellow Submarine inflicted a 1-0 defeat on Deportivo La Coruna at the Madrigal. With four goals already, Nilmar currently heads the Pichichi charts and, if he continues in this vein, he could still be in contention come the end of the season.

Matchday 4 - Round-up

Athletic Bilbao's exciting young team put Real Mallorca to the sword with a 3-0 win at San Mames on Tuesday night. The first goal from David Lopez was an accident, the second - from Mikel San Jose of all people - was a penalty, and the third from Inigo Perez did not come until second half stoppage time but, all the same, Athletic's stamp was clearly marked against a woefully inept travelling side who, for all their home bravado, are a shadow of last year's overachieving team.

Osasuna finally kick-started their season with a 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad in a north Spain derby. Jose Antonio Camacho's team had failed to score in their three league matches hitherto but Walter Pandiani, Javier Camunas and Carlos Aranda banged in the goals as if it were second nature to them. The manner of the win was just as satisfactory as the result itself as the Pamplonans had to respond to an early set-back when Raul Tamudo, clearly revitalised in his new surroundings, put Real Sociedad ahead with his third goal in as many games.

Real Madrid found their goal scoring touch again at the Bernabeu on matchday four but it was far from a vintage performance despite a 3-0 final scoreline against Espanyol. Mauricio Pochettino's men were competitive throughout and never looked out of their depth. Real's three recognised strikers all got in on the action as Cristiano Ronaldo (penalty), Gonzalo  Higuain and substitute Karim Benzema were on the mark. Red cards to Pepe, Ernesto Galan and Juan Forlin disrupted the game slightly and it was only when Espanyol were at a numerical disadvantage that they really suffered against Jose Mourinho's megastars.

Lionel Messi was clearly missed by Barcelona, who were not as coherent in attack as they usually are, but David Villa was busy at the Camp Nou in Messi's absence and the Asturian striker eventually managed to finish one of his many chances to give the Catalan giants a 1-0 win over Sporting de Gijon.

Real Zaragoza and Hercules drew 0-0 at the Romareda in matchday four's most emphatic sleep-inducer. Zaragoza had multiple chances to score but their wasteful finishing was costly and is largely responsible for them dropping to the bottom of the league table.

Luis Garcia Plaza finally had something to smile about on Wednesday as his Levante team beat a woeful Almeria side 0-1 away at the Juegos Mediterraneos. Former Deportivo La Coruna midfielder Sergio scored the only goal to give the Valencia-based club their first points of the season. 

Valencia's 100% record in the league came to an end at Mestalla in a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid. Quique Sanchez Flores' team took an early lead as Simao finished a wonderful counter-attacking move but Valencia cranked up the pressure in the second half and Aritz Aduriz was on target as that pressure eventually told. 

Nilmar shot to the top of the Pichichi charts on Thursday as he inspired an improving Villarreal to a 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna with the only goal at the Madrigal. Things have gone well for Juan Carlos Garrido's team since their opening day defeat to Real Sociedad and they now move above Barcelona into 3rd.

Malaga's counter-attacking strength paid dividends for them again on Thursday as they stunned Getafe with two goals in six second half minutes at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez to win 0-2. Jose Rondon and Antonio Apono were the goal-scoring beneficiaries as Malaga's raw pace proved decisive. Both sides finished with ten men as Rafa Lopez and Jesus Gamez saw red for two bookable offences.

Jose Maria Del Nido is not an easy man to please at the best of times but the Sevilla president let his feelings be known after his club were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Racing Santander. Sevilla took the lead courtesy of an Alvaro Negredo penalty by were pegged back by a rare Pablo Pinillos goal. Del Nido criticised the players for their performance and hinted at coach Antonio Alvarez's culpability for the Andalusian's poor home displays. Sevilla are 5th in the table but have, quite inexplicably, failed to win at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan so far.

22 September 2010

Matchday 4 - Featured Preview: Valencia vs Atletico Madrid

The most eagerly anticipated clash of the midweek matchday four calendar is Atletico Madrid's trip to Mestalla to play top of the league side Valencia. Unai Emery's team have a 100% domestic record so far and, thanks in part to their fine Champions League opening win against Bursapor in Turkey, things could not be going smoother for Los Che at the moment. Atletico were doing just as well in La Liga until Barcelona came and conquered them at the Vicente Calderon last weekend, but they are still obviously a team who could do Valencia some damage. Realistically, these teams are among three or four vying for the honour of being named the third best club in Spain this season; first blood in that contest will be drawn on Wednesday.

VALENCIA

Player to Watch: Tino Costa

Valencia are top of the table at present thanks to a form guide which reads WWW after their first three games. They are the only team to have won all of their La Liga games up until now and Unai Emery will be hoping to continue that trend at Mestalla on Wednesday in the face of arguably their sternest test so far, namely, Quique Sanchez Flores' Atletico Madrid. This game was drawn 2-2 in the corresponding fixture last season and, if early form is anything to go by, it will be another tight affair in Valencia.

Unai Emery is unable to call on Marius Stankevicius or Ever Banega and Vicente is a doubt with the same injury which saw him miss the win over Hercules last weekend. David Navarro was sent off in a 1-2 win at the Jose Rico Perez but, as the dismissal came after the receipt of two yellow cards, Navarro's suspension is unlikely to be processed in time for Wednesday so he will serve the automatic one match ban at the weekend. Valencia's captain should, therefore, continue in the centre of defence next to either Angel Dealbert, Ricardo Costa - who was rested last Sunday - or Hedwiges Maduro. Jeremy Mathieu and Jordi Alba are competing for the left back slot and Bruno Saltor and Luis Miguel are fighting it out on the right; in both cases, the former currently appears to have precedence. Former Boca Junior star Banega's absence in central midfield means that Manuel Fernandes, Mehmet Topal and David Albelda are all in with a fighting chance of partnering Valencia's impressive new star, Tino Costa. Costa won rave reviews for his Champions League debut against Bursapor and it looks as though Banega's compatriot will eventually emerge as his long-term partner. Juanma Mata, Pablo Hernandez and Joaquin could continue in a formidable attacking midfield if Emery sticks with the 4-2-3-1 formation. The only drawback with that system is that it forces the manager to choose between Aritz Aduriz and Roberto Soldado up front when he knows both are proven goal scorers at this level. With so many attacking options, however, something (or someone) has got to give.

Possible starting XI: (4-2-3-1) Cesar; Jeremy Mathieu, David Navarro, Hedwiges Maduro, Luis Miguel; Tino Costa, David Albelda; Juanma Mata, Pablo Hernandez, Joaquin; Aritz Aduriz;

ATLETICO MADRID

Player to Watch: Diego Forlan

Atletico Madrid's 1-2 defeat to Barcelona was mired in controversy due to Tomas Ujfalusi's seemingly deliberate late foul on Lionel Messi, which saw the stricken FIFA World Player of the Year stretchered off the pitch. Ujfalusi's resulting red card at the Vicente Calderon sees him suspended for this crucial clash with Valencia at Mestalla on Wednesday, where the rojiblancos are hoping to get back to winning ways after consecutive defeats in the Europa League and La Liga. Their league form reads WWL in the opening three and, considering that defeat to Barcelona is nothing to be too ashamed of, Quique Sanchez Flores will plead for confidence against the current league leaders in what could be a very open tie.

Flores has had several fresh problems to deal with during the build up to this game. Sergio Aguero came back too quickly against Barca and, in hindisght, it is easy to condemn it as a poorly calculated risk; the Argentinean striker was not up to his usual standards and finished the game with an inflamed knee which will keep him out on Wednesday night. If the manager sticks with the 4-4-2 formation, Diego Costa will come straight in up front next to Diego Forlan and that looks all the more likely now that the midfield has suffered the loss of Portuguese international Tiago due to a minor niggling problem. Diego Costa was Real Valladolid's best player last season and the powerful forward deserves to be playing regularly at this level; I have no doubt that at 75% of La Liga clubs he would be the star of the show. Raul Garcia, who scored a fine header against Barcelona, will probably keep his place next to Paolo Assuncao in central midfield due to Tiago's absence, thus confining Mario Suarez and Ignacio Camacho to the bench. We can also expect key attacking wide men Jose Reyes and Simao to keep their places on the wings for this important game. Replacing Tomas Ujfalusi at right back will be either Juan Valera or Luis Perea: Valera is more naturally suited to that position as the Columbian is a centre back by trade but Quique Sanchez Flores has a lot of faith in Perea. Alvaro Dominguez and Diego Godin will continue in the centre and we may, if we're lucky, get a glimpse of Filipe Luis at left back. Filipe is still looking for a first start since his move from Deportivo La Coruna and he will have to leapfrog Antonio Lopez before he finally gets his chance to shine. David De Gea's excellent form guarantees his place in goal and it helps that he only has competition from the inexperienced Joel due to the continued absence of Sergio Asenjo.

Possible starting XI: (4-4-2) David de Gea; Antonio Lopez, Alvaro Dominguez, Diego Godin, Luis Perea; Simao, Raul Garcia, Paolo Assuncao, Jose Antonio Reyes; Diego Costa, Diego Forlan;

21 September 2010

Matchday 4 - Player to Watch

Alberto Botia (Sporting de Gijon)
On Wednesday night there will be something of a homecoming for Sporting de Gijon defender Alberto Botia, as he returns to the club who signed him as a 14-year-old and where he spent six of the most important years of his footballing education. As fate would have it, the centre back only made one substitute appearance for Barcelona despite cutting his teeth for three seasons with the B team. At the beginning of the 2009-10 season Botia was loaned to Sporting de Gijon and the Murcia-born player was such a success - playing twenty-six games in his debut season at the age of 20 - that the Asturian club made it one of their priorities this summer to secure the defender's services on a permanent deal. Despite his tender age, Alberto Botia is now one of the first names on Manuel Preciado's team sheet amidst what has evolved to become a very consistent back four line-up, which also includes Roberto Canella, Alberto Lora and Botia's central defensive partner, Gregory Arnolin. With midweek fixtures sandwiched between weekend games in a frantic schedule, Preciado has decided to rotate eight of his eleven players from Sunday's draw with Athletic Bilbao, but it says a lot for Botia's influence that he is one of the three - and the only defender - to survive the cull. How he deals with former team mates Pedro, Bojan and Andres Iniesta, as well as Spain's World Cup hero David Villa, could have an important bearing on how well Sporting stand up at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.

La Liga - Matchday 4

Tuesday 21st September
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Mallorca (20:00)
Osasuna vs Real Sociedad (20:00)
Real Madrid vs Espanyol (20:00)
Wednesday 22nd September
Barcelona vs Sporting de Gijon (20:00)
Real Zaragoza vs Hercules (20:00)
Almeria vs Levante (20:00)
Valencia vs Atletico Madrid (22:00)
Thursday 23rd September
Getafe vs Malaga (20:00)
Villarreal vs Deportivo La Coruna (20:00)
Sevilla vs Racing Santander (22:00)

20 September 2010

Matchday 3 - Player of the Round

Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad)
Okay, so he missed a couple of clear chances which could have put Real Sociedad ahead in the first half against Real Madrid at Anoeta, but his overall impact in his first start for the San Sebastian-based club this season was exceptional. Expectations have been high for the French teenager in his debut year in the top flight but no guarantees can ever be made about a player, especially such a young one, who is stepping up a division for the first time. Martin Lasarte has eased Griezmann in with a couple of substitute appearances in the first two games but the Uruguayan coach felt he was ready to start against Real Madrid and any doubts about his ability to perform at this level have been well and truly put to bed. Griezmann was lively and daring against his main marker Sergio Ramos - one of the best right backs in the world - whom he gave quite a fright on more than one occasion with his pace and guile. He was involved in most of Real Sociedad's best moves and his first start in La Liga could have been even more sensational if he had buried his first half header from the centre of the area and/or the shot he stabbed wide after being fed on the edge of the box by Xabi Prieto. In the second half he demonstrated his set-piece prowess by assisting Raul Tamudo's goal and moments later he whipped a dangerous free-kick just past Iker Casillas' far post, which had Spain's World Cup winning captain scrambling. The home team deserved more from this match and Griezmann deserved to be the one who provided it. One thing is for sure, with so many dimensions to his game, there is a lot more to come from the 19-year-old.  

Matchday 3 - Round-up

La Liga's answer to Jekyll and Hyde came up trumps again this weekend as Real Mallorca subjected Osasuna to a 2-0 defeat at the Ono Estadi. Impressively solid at home but frequently the worst performers on the road, Mallorca were always comfortable in this tie although Jonathan de Guzman waited until second half stoppage time to secure the victory by doubling the advantage that Chori Castro had chalked up from the penalty spot earlier on. Jose Antonio Camacho's timid team have failed to score in their first three league matches in 2010-11, which is obviously a serious cause for concern.

While that game was going on in the Balearics, Espanyol were in control back on the mainland as they made it two out of two at the Cornella El Prat with a 1-0 win over Almeria. Jose Callejon's fine volley at the start of the second half was enough to separate the teams in a quiet match in which both goalkeepers were relatively untroubled.

The same cannot be said for Sporting de Gijon's meet with Athletic Bilbao at the Molinon. A 2-2 draw in Asturias extended a 19-year winless run for Sporting against their Basque neigbours. Manuel Preciado's side took an early two-goal lead through Miguel de las Cuevas and Gaston Sangoy, thanks in part to some suspect goalkeeping from Gorka Iraizoz, but Athletic re-grouped and came back with goals from Markel Susaeta and Fernando Llorente and could have even won the tie late on.

A draw was the least that Real Sociedad deserved against Real Madrid at Anoeta after comprehensively outplaying Jose Mourinho's men. Unfortunately for Martin Lasarte and his players, they eventually fell to a 1-2 defeat. A fine Angel Di Maria strike gave Real Madrid a lead against the run of play and, despite initially getting back into it through Raul Tamudo, Sociedad were finally undone by a deflected Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick. It was a worrying performance by Los Merengues but Lasarte will have been encouraged by his team's display, expecially the contribution of their French teenage prodigy Antoine Griezmann.

Levante gave their most assured performance of the season so far but still came off second best at the Ciutat de Valencia. The 1-2 home defeat to Villarreal leaves Luis Garcia Plaza's bottom of the table and they remain the only club without a point to their name in the top flight. Two first half strikes from Brazilian international Nilmar decided the tie but at least there was some consolation at the end as Manchester City loan signing Felipe Caicedo grabbed a goal for his new side.

Racing Santander finally ended their hoodoo at the Campos de Sport del Sardinero with a 2-0 win over Real Zaragoza. Henrique and Ariel Nahuelpan scored the late deciders but it was a fortuitous win as Jose Aurelio Gay's side were disallowed a perfectly legal goal from Gabi with the game tied at 0-0.

Valencia are the only team with a 100% record after matchday three thanks to a 1-2 derby win over giant-killers Hercules. Young wingers Juan Mata and Pablo Hernandez scored for the visitors before David Trezeguet notched up his first goal for Hercules from the penalty spot. Unai Emery's team have silenced the critics having come out strongly after a difficult pre-season and their reward is top spot in the league standings at this early stage.

Barcelona ran out 1-2 victors against Atletico Madrid in the most eagerly anticipated tie of the weekend. World-beater Lionel Messi made all the headlines on Monday morning as he opened the scoring and was later the victim of a deliberate stamp by Tomas Ujfalusi, which saw the Argentinean star stretchered off the pitch and resulted in a straight red card for the Czech offender. Raul Garcia gave Atletico some hope when he headed in an equaliser to send the Vicente Calderon into raptures but the euphoria was eventually replaced by the grim acceptance of a defeat to a superior team after Gerard Pique restored Barcelona's lead.

Sevilla forgot their troubles at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Sunday night as they took three points away from the derby clash with Malaga courtesy of a 1-2 win at the Rosaleda. An early Jose Rondon strike increased the pressure on Antonio Alvarez, whose managerial position was probably hanging by a thread at that stage, but his team rallied and goals from Alejandro Alfaro and Martin Caceres turned the tie on its head. Alvarez survives to fight another day.

Matchday 3 concluded with a 2-2 draw between Deportivo La Coruna and Getafe at the Riazor on Monday night. It was an open game but both sides were quite wasteful with their chances in Galicia. A Diego Colotto own-goal gave the visitors the initiative before Mexican play-maker Jose Andres Guardado scored two penalties for Depor. Javier Arizmendi restored parity later on with his second goal of the season.

18 September 2010

Matchday 3 - Featured Preview: Malaga vs Sevilla

The Rosaleda will be full on Sunday night for the first big Andalusian derby of the season between Malaga and Sevilla. What with the Champions League play-off exit, the failure to score at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan so far and Thursday's Europa League defeat to PSG, Antonio Alvarez is feeling the pressure early on in the campaign and there is a rumour that a derby defeat here would spell the end of his tenure at Sevilla. Malaga, meanwhile, are going through a transitional period as they look to build a new team under Jesualdo Ferreira. They are scoring plenty of goals and conceding nearly as many at the moment, which could suggest that we are in for an exciting spectacle here.

MALAGA

Player to Watch: Juanmi
Malaga's 3-5 win over Real Zaragoza last Sunday was one of the strangest matches you could ever wish to see. Jesualdo Ferreira's team were five nil up after thirty-four minutes at the Romareda before they took their foot off the gas. Zaragoza proceeded to notch three goals in reply as they tried to fight their way back into the game but the damage was already done. Malaga displayed some devastating attacking instincts and effective counter-attacking play in the first half but their five goals had more to do with Zaragoza's poor defending than anything else. Sevilla's back four, with far more experience in this league than Zaragoza's, will surely be less inviting. Malaga are 10th with two games played but it is far too early to get a good reading on how they are going to perform over the course of the season.

Besides their opponent's weakness there were plenty of positives for Jesualdo Ferreira on matchday three and none were as emphatic as the exciting performance and two goals from 17-year-old Juanmi up front. Hopefully that showing will convince Ferreira to start the teenager again in the crunch Andalusian derby on Sunday against Sevilla. Portuguese forward Edinho picked up a knock this week but he has been named in the squad for Sunday's game so he could partner Juanmi again, forcing Albert Luque, Nabil Baha and Jose Rondon to watch on from the bench. Duda, Manolo Gaspar, Javier Malagueno, Sebastian Fernandez, Helder Rosario, and now Juanito are all injured so they will not figure. Juanito is the latest name to come out of the squad but the impact will be minimal as Sandro Silva and Antonio Apono have both been given the all-clear by the club doctors this week, so either could come in next to Fernando in central midfield. Young defensive stalwart Ivan Gonzalez has also passed a fitness test so he is likely to re-join Weligton, Patrick Mtiliga and Jesus Gamez at the back. Duda is still a big miss for the Andalusian side but the fine form being exhibited by Quincy Owusu-Abeyie is papering over the cracks for now. I expect he, Antonio Apono, Fernando and Eliseu will start across the midfield. 

Possible starting XI: (4-4-2) Rodrigo Galatto; Jesus Gamez, Ivan Gonzalez, Weligton, Patrick Mtiliga; Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, Antonio Apono, Fernando, Eliseu; Juanmi, Edinho;

SEVILLA

Player to Watch: Diego Perotti
Sevilla's wretched form at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan dragged on this week as they fell to an embarrassing 0-1 defeat to French side Paris Saint-Germain in the Europa League. The restlessness in the stands is palpable and it is beginning to be felt by the players, who showed a general lack of confidence on the pitch on Thursday. The fans' frustration is quite understandable after a crushing defeat to Sporting Braga, which saw Sevilla knocked out of the Champions League play-off, a goalless draw with Deportivo La Coruna and now this latest horror show. It will surely be a relief for Antonio Alvarez that he takes his side away from home on Sunday, although it is only a short trip down to Malaga's Rosaleda. Sevilla are usually favourites in this derby - they won the corresponding fixture 1-2 last season - but their lack of confidence coupled with Malaga's soaring spirits after knocking five past Real Zaragoza last weekend make this encounter an intriguing prospect. 

What will also even up the tie is a short term injury crisis of sorts in Seville. Alvarez was already missing supporting defenders Federico Fazio and Ivica Dragutinovic and skillful midfielder Renato but the Europa League defeat cost the squad physically as well as psychologically as regular right back Abdoulay Konko and key players Jesus Navas and Luis Fabiano have also been ruled out for Sunday's game. The manager has responded by calling in Lautaro Acosta and Romaric into the squad for the first time in 2010-11 but both will start on the bench. The only really positive is the return of Julien Escude, who served a European suspension on Thursday, who will come back in at centre back next to either Martin Caceres or Alexis Ruano. Fernando Navarro and Mouhamadou Dabo should complete the back line in front of Andres Palop, while there will be at least one change in midfield to replace crocked international Navas. Diego Capel would be the obvious choice on the wing but Jose Carlos is improving all the time and also has a case for inclusion next to Luca Cigarini, Didier Zokora and Diego Perotti. Perotti was phenomenal last weekend, dancing down the left flank and setting up countless chances against Deportivo that his forwards were unable to finish. With Navas and Fabiano out, he could be the key to unlocking Malaga's defence. Alvaro Negredo and Fredi Kanoute will complete the line-up in attack if, as expected, Alvarez sticks with the 4-4-2 formation.

Possible starting XI: (4-4-2) Andres Palop; Fernando Navarro, Julien Escude, Martin Caceres, Mouhamadou Dabo; Diego Perotti, Luca Cigarini, Didier Zokora, Diego Capel; Alvaro Negredo, Fredi Kanoute;

17 September 2010

Matchday 3 - Player to Watch

Jefferson Montero (Villarreal)
There's no guarantee that he will start at the Ciutat de Valencia on Sunday - he hasn't done so in the league as yet for Villarreal - but during his two substitute outings against Real Sociedad and Espanyol Jefferson Montero has shown glimpses of a talent which could offer midfield equilibrium to Juan Carlos Garrido's team by balancing Santi Cazorla's technical talents on the right with the Ecuadorian's explosive energy on the left. Jefferson did start against Dynamo Zagreb in an ill-fated European excursion for Villarreal on Thursday and, despite a poor all-round team performance, the number twenty-three did himself justice, proving to be easily the most dangerous player in yellow. He is an athletic left winger with a remarkable turn of pace, as Javier Chica found out to his cost last weekend; Chica got fed up of chasing the Ecuadorian at the Madrigal and resorted to kicking out on the final occasion that Jefferson breezed past him, deservedly earning himself a red card in the process. Jefferson has remarkably close ball control for a man who travels at such speed. When taken into consideration with his tendency to take on at his marker at every opportunity this makes him a nightmare to defend against. Borja Valero currently holds sway on the left flank of Villarreal's starting eleven, but he could also be accommodated in the middle of the pitch at the expense of Bruno Soriano. If that were the case, Jefferson would still have Ruben Cani to compete with for a starting berth but the Ecuadorian, who has already been capped ten times for his country, scoring twice along the way, has the advantage of being eight years younger and much faster than Cani. Of the six players promoted to Villarreal's first team after convincing with the B team last year, Jefferson Montero is, on the basis of early season form, by far the most exciting. Levante beware.

16 September 2010

La Liga - Matchday 3

Saturday 18th September
Espanyol vs Almeria (18:00)
Real Mallorca vs Osasuna (18:00)
Sporting de Gijon vs Athletic Bilbao (20:00)
Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid (22:00)
Sunday 19th September
Hercules vs Valencia (17:00)
Racing Santander vs Real Zaragoza (17:00)
Levante vs Villarreal (17:00)
Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona (19:00)
Malaga vs Sevilla (21:00)
Monday 12th September
Deportivo La Coruna vs Getafe (21:00)

15 September 2010

Juanmi - Malaga's record-breaking gem

17-year old Juanmi Miguel Jimenez Lopez became the youngest player in the history of La Liga to score a brace on Sunday, as he helped Malaga demolish Real Zaragoza with five first half goals at the Romareda. Juanmi's double strike capped a fine all-round performance for the Andalusian prodigy, who will not turn 18 until May 2011.
The current injury situation at Malaga played into Juanmi's hands to some extent, as club manager Jesualdo Ferreira gave him a start in Aragon when he might otherwise have had to settle for a place on the bench if the squad was operating with a clean bill of health. Malaga's new signing, Sebastian Fernandez, whom Juanmi replaced against Zaragoza, did not make the squad due to physical problems and, perhaps more significantly, injuries to key midfielders Duda, Antonio Apono and Sandro Silva meant that Ferreira opted to field two strikers instead of a five man midfield.

With Edinho as his partner, however, that still meant that Juanmi was selected ahead of more experienced club colleagues such as Albert Luque, Nabil Baha, Jose Rondon and Edu Ramos up front. Obviously the Coin-born striker has impressed the new gaffer in training and there is no doubt that Portuguese coach Jesualdo Ferreira has a good eye for young players. Ferreira has a proven track record for nurturing precocious talent, something which was fostered during his spell as the Portugal under-21 boss between 1996 and 2000. Ex-protégés, who thrived under the former Porto manager, include Besiktas winger Ricardo Quaresma, Manchester United's Anderson and Liverpool's latest midfield investment, Raul Meireles.
Juanmi's progress has not gone unnoticed in the lower categories of the Spanish national set-up either. He was a part of the exciting Spain under-17 squad who narrowly lost to France in the final of the European Championship this year and he can boast an impressive record of five goals in six appearances at that level. Malaga's latest gem will benefit from the experience of playing regularly with the likes of Gerard Deulofeu and Paco Alcacer, two outstanding talents in the under-17 set-up, but Juanmi has already surpassed them at senior level, as Deulofeu and Alcacer are yet to make breakthroughs for Barcelona and Valencia respectively.

Juanmi is quick, without being explosively so, but his general movement and positional sense are excellent and he possesses great technical ability. He has now made seven full appearances for the Malaga first team, even though he is still officially registered with Atletico Malagueno (Malaga B); with Jesualdo Ferreira at the helm and given the club's commitment to fostering young talent - particularly in evidence last season - Malaga looks like the perfect place for Juanmi to evolve as a footballer.

Ivan Gonzalez, Edu Ramos and Francisco Portillo have already emerged as regular squad members at La Rosaleda and yet to return from loan spells are Jordi Pablo, Dani Toribio, Javi Lopez and Daniel Gonzalez, who have all shown tremendous promise. Whether or not these players will get a chance to shine at Malaga will depend a lot on the philosophy of new Qatari owner Sheikh Abdullah Al-Tahni, but the early indications are positive; despite making some significant additions to the squad this summer, Al-Tahni has expressed a desire to take his time with the project and invest in the prominent youth academy, rather than spend lavishly on big name imports. That looks like a good plan given that Atletico Malagueno, the club's feeder reserve team, continues to churn out top young players.
Last season, Edu Ramos was the most excitedly anticipated player to be promoted up to the full Malaga squad from Atletico and his case is of particular interest in terms of a comparison to Juanmi, as he, too, was starring for Spain's under-17 side this time last year. Ramos broke into the first team under Juan Ramon Lopez Muniz and put in some dazzling displays only to fall victim to injury. He experienced a lengthy lay-off from an early stage in the campaign and struggled to break back in at the business end of 2009-10. Fit again, he is now playing for the Under-19 national side and is bound to see his minutes increase in Ferreira's new side.

For the moment, at least, he finds himself marginally behind his younger colleague Juanmi in the pecking order. Strictly speaking, Edu Ramos and Juanmi are different players in terms of position; Ramos is more of a winger/attacking midfielder than an out-and-out forward. But if returning stars such as Duda, Apono and Silva do herald a switch to the 4-2-3-1 formation, it is very likely that Edu and Juanmi will be in direct competition for places. Ideally, we will see a lot more of both of them in the Boquerones starting eleven in the near future.

13 September 2010

Matchday 2 - Player of the Round

Nelson Valdez (Hercules)

Nelson Valdez's arrival at Hercules at the end of August was overshadowed by the signing of former France and Juventus striker David Trezeguet. While the addition of Trezeguet represents something of a coup in terms of increasing the global profile of the promoted Alicante club, let us not forget that the Frenchman has not played for his country since being left out of Raymond Domenech's EURO 2008 squad and only scored eleven goals in his last two injury-ravaged seasons in Turin. Nelson Valdez, on the other hand, appeared in all (and started all but one) of Paraguay's World Cup games in South Africa, despite competing for striking berths with more recognised European club stars Roque Santa Cruz, Oscar Cardozo and Lucas Barrios. It should come as no surprise, then, that Valdez looked sharp on his debut at the Camp Nou in Saturday's 0-2 win, while David Trezeguet fluffed his lines and pretty much missed an open goal towards the end. Former Borussia Dortmund forward Valdez seems to have an innate positional sense and he used that strength to score twice against Spanish giants Barcelona, helping Hercules on their way to a famous victory at the Camp Nou.   

12 September 2010

Matchday 2 - Round-up

Matchday two threw up what could turn out to be the shock result of the entire season as Hercules gunned down Barcelona 0-2 at the Camp Nou thanks to a brace from debutant Nelson Valdez. Pep Guardiola's team could not find a way past Juan Calatayud despite dominating possession and, at the other end, Victor Valdez was beaten twice by opportunistic strikes.

Barcelona's misfortune is Real Madrid's gain and Jose Mourinho was smiling again as his side comfortably beat Osasuna 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu; Mourinho's old pal Ricardo Carvalho was the unlikely match winner. The home side were in complete control of the game and only Gonzalo Higuain's profligate finishing denied the Madrilenos a more emphatic scoreline.

Valencia made it two out of two so far this term with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Racing Santander at Mestalla. Unai Emery had goalkeeper Cesar to thank for the fact that his side were not behind at half time as Miguel Angel Portugal's side took the game to Valencia. Los Che went ahead through a Hedwiges Maduro strike two minutes into first half stoppage time when only one minute had been signaled.The hosts were much better in the second half but, while they wasted their own opportunities to increase the advantage, they still had Cesar to thank for the clean sheet.

Atletico Madrid continue to file evidence that they will be a much more formidable force in La Liga this year. Quique Sanchez Flores' side got the better of Athletic Bilbao at San Mames in a scintillating 1-2 win. Diego Forlan and Tiago notched up Atleti's advantage before Fernando Llorente's late goal reduced the deficit to ensure a tense final few minutes. Atletico are early leaders in the championship race and look impressive but their victory here was dampened slightly by a knee injury to Kun Aguero.

Despite a whole host of injury problems, Malaga went to Real Zaragoza's Romareda and blew Jose Aurelio Gay's side apart in the first half. Jesualdo Ferreira's team were five nil up after just over half an hour and that was a big enough deficit to yield in order to prevent the fightback in a match which eventually finished 3-5. Braces for Fernando and Juanmi and a goal by Quincy did the trick for a very effective Malaga before Edmilson, Marco Perez and then Ander Herrera eventually hit back for the Aragonese club.

Levante's misery continued at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez where they were beaten 4-1 by Getafe, who tend to be very strong at home. Michel's men did not have to be at their best, however, to crush the Valencians, who look far too error-prone at the moment to survive in this division. Early goals from Jamie Gavilan and Adrian Colunga and late ones from Gavilan again and Javier Arizmendi sealed the victory; Rafa Jorda was on the scoresheet for now bottom of the table Levante.

It looks like Real Mallorca's away day misery is set to continue under Michael Laudrup as the Balearic side were beaten 2-0 by an Alberto Botia-inspired Sporting de Gijon. Botia was magnificent in defence and scored the opener at the Molinon. A Diego Castro penalty confirmed the result five minutes from the end to lift Manuel Preciado's side off the bottom of the league standings.

Espanyol came out flying at the Madrigal on Sunday but could not sustain that rhythm and were eventually pummelled 4-0 by a much improved Villarreal side. It eventually all came together for Juan Carlos Garrido's team, which is still brimming with quality despite a summer spring clean. Giuseppe Rossi, 2, Borja Valero and Nilmar were all in on the goal action. Unfortunately, Itturalde Gonzalez tried to ruin the day by wrongly awarding a penalty and dishing out eleven yellow cards and one red to Javier Chica.

The final match on Sunday finished 0-0 between Sevilla and Deportivo La Coruna at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Sevilla were trying to make amends for the Champions League debacle here in August but they could not finish any of their many chances as Manu shone in the Depor goal.

Real Sociedad were unfortunate to come away from the Juegos Mediterraneos with just a point in their 2-2 draw with Almeria on Monday. Martin Lasarte's team went ahead twice, first through Raul Tamudo, who was standing in for the injured Joseba Llorente, and then courtesy of a goal from Paco Sutil, but a suspiciously offside-looking initial leveller from Pablo Piatti and then a last gasp wonder goal from Jose Ulloa ensured that the points were shared.

10 September 2010

Matchday 2 - Player to Watch

Joaquin (Valencia)
Over the last couple of seasons there have been indications that Joaquin Sanchez's Valencia career was beginning to wind down. The former Spain international was not an automatic first choice in Unai Emery's team last season as Pablo Hernandez, Juan Mata and David Silva were the manager's preferred trio of attacking midfielders behind David Villa. The departure of the two Davids this summer, however, has opened up more space in the Valencia midfield and the signing of Aritz Aduriz and Roberto Soldado will probably lead to a return to a 4-4-2 formation in which Joaquin will thrive on the right hand side. The Andalucian winger was one of the most impressive players on show on matchday one, scoring two goals and demonstrating glimpses of the form that had him linked with all of Europe's major clubs while he was at Real Betis. Racing Santander visit Mestalla on Saturday and, judging by the early signs of form, they are going to be in for a tough ride in Valencia. It could be the perfect platform for Joaquin to increase his goal tally.

9 September 2010

Matchday 2 - Featured Preview: Barcelona vs Hercules

The featured match this weekend is the Saturday night opener when promoted side Hercules travel to the Camp Nou to face Spanish champions Barcelona. Pep Guardiola’s side are obviously favourites ahead of this encounter, but what would normally look like a straightforward affair has been complicated somewhat by the late addition of some star names to Esteban Vigo’s squad.

BARCELONA

Player to Watch: Lionel Messi
Barcelona got off to the perfect start on matchday one as they brushed Racing Santander aside with a 0-3 victory away from home despite being some way off their very best form. That match was partly overshadowed by the speculation surrounding the possible transfer of Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic; he has since left the Catalan club in favour of a return to Italy with AC Milan and Pep Guardiola has seen his midfield bolstered by the arrival of Javier Mascherano. The opening day win was particularly satisfying given Real Madrid's failure to beat Mallorca at the Ono Estadi, meaning the blaugrana have already stolen a march on their bitter title rivals at this early stage. Guardiola will be expecting to maintain at least a two point advantage after Saturday's clash with promoted side Hercules, who visit the Camp Nou with a lot of new high profile faces but still with the tag of underdogs at the home of the champions.

Zlatan's departure makes deciding the forward trio in Guardiola’s 4-3-3 system slightly less complicated than it might have been. Lionel Messi and David Villa will be the automatic choices for important fixtures this season and I can envisage Pedro being the most likely to join them in the front three. Young goal scoring prodigy Bojan, who is the first Spanish player to wear the number 9 in nearly two decades, will be competitive as well, of course, but we may find that his chances are still limited as Andres Iniesta will be used increasingly often as a left or right-sided forward. That frees up a spot in the midfield three for Argentinean captain Javier Mascherano to tie down a place next to Sergio Busquets and Xavi Hernandez. Carles Puyol is stepping up his recuperation from a leg injury which kept him out at the Sardinero two weeks ago but remains a doubt having missed the international games with Spain since then. Gabi Milito would be the most likely replacement in the back four if the skipper doesn’t make it, despite the fact that Eric Abidal shifted inside to deputise last time at short notice. Gerard Pique and Dani Alves will complete a back four with Abidal on the left barring any last minute problems.

Possible starting XI: (4-3-3) Victor Valdes; Eric Abidal, Gabi Milito; Gerard Pique, Dani Alves; Javier Mascherano, Xavi, Sergio Busquets; Lionel Messi, David Villa, Pedro;

HERCULES

Player to Watch: David Trezeguet

There is a definite buzz of optimism reverberating around Hercules following their late flurry in the transfer market last week. Recruiting big names like David Trezeguet was beyond the fans' wildest dreams a few months ago, but all credit to club president Valentin Botella and his boardroom team who have managed to convince Trezeguet - and fellow recruits Royston Drenthe, Mohammed Sarr and Nelson Valdez - that promoted club Hercules can match their ambition. Esteban Vigo's team was not overawed in the first match of the season, which they lost 0-1 to Athletic Bilbao at the Jose Rico Perez. They were, after all, beaten by Athletic's set-piece machine, which has claimed much grander victims, so they should not be too down on themselves. Producing a positive result against Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Saturday will be even harder but they will now dare to dream of an upset with the extra quality being absorbed into the ranks.

There was good news from the federation this week as Matias Fritzler's second yellow card in the match against Athletic was rescinded so he will not have to serve the obligatory one-match suspension. He could start in central midfield again if he can push ahead of Abel Aguilar and Tiago Gomes in the middle of the park; playmaker Javier Farinos is still crocked so he is not yet ready to compete there. Tote will take up a position on the right flank again and we hope to see more of his cunning and trickery this weekend; David Trezeguet may well be able to capitalise where Javier Portillo could not from Tote’s defence-splitting passes. Whether or not Sendoa starts on the left could depend on where Esteban Vigo intends to utilise Real Madrid loan signing Royston Drenthe. The Dutchman can play at either left back or on the wing but would probably prefer a position higher up the pitch. I hope we see both Trezeguet and Nelson Valdez together up front. Valdez’s addition to the team has been overshadowed by Trezeguet’s arrival but let’s not forget that he was a starting World Cup striker for Paraguay. Their inclusion would mean Javier Portillo dropping to the bench, which is really no more than he deserves after a wasteful performance two week's ago against the Basques. If Mohammed Sarr also makes a debut at the back then one of Abraham Paz, David Cortes, Sergio Rodriguez and Pena will be disappointed by Vigo’s decision to rotate them out of the side. Juan Calatayud will keep the number one jersey in goal.

Possible starting XI: (4-4-2) Juan Calatayud; David Cortes, Sergio Rodriguez, Abraham Paz, Mohammed Sar; Tote, Tiago Gomes, Abel Aguilar, Royston Drenthe; David Trezeguet, Nelson Valdez;

La Liga - Matchday 2

Saturday 11th September
Barcelona vs Hercules (18:00)
Valencia vs Racing Santander (18:00)
Real Madrid vs Osasuna (20:00)
Athletic Bilbao vs Atletico Madrid (22:00)
Sunday 12th September
Getafe vs Levante (17:00)
Sporting de Gijon vs Real Mallorca (17:00)
Real Zaragoza vs Malaga (17:00)
Villarreal vs Espanyol (19:00)
Sevilla vs Deportivo La Coruna (21:00)
Monday 13th September
Almeria vs Real Sociedad (21:00)

[All times CET]

7 September 2010

World Player of the Year

It was a slow weekend for Spanish football, a desperate lull after the excitement of the league inauguration last weekend. On Friday night Spain walked all over Lichtenstein in their first EURO 2012 qualifier and we’ve had to make do with matchday two in La Segunda to keep us busy since then.

Madrid based sports daily Marca ran with a Diego Forlan interview on the front page on Sunday morning. The Uruguayan, who has enjoyed the most successful season of his career so far in winning the UEFA cup with Atletico Madrid and the Golden Boot at the World Cup, was talking up his chances of winning the World Player of the Year award.

Forlan should be congratulated on his excellent campaign, his 28 goals for Atletico in 2009-10 and his five goals for his country in South Africa, but there's no way he's going to win the Golden Ball.

We'll have to wait until January to find out who the eventual winner is. The FIFA World Player of the Year and Golden Ball awards have been amalgamated this season to end the long running confusion over which is which. That means the journalistic based voting of France Football magazine’s Ballon D’Or and the international manager and captain’s choice from the FIFA award will be combined from now on and the announcement will no longer be made in December but will be delayed until the New Year.

I have always been more interested in the FIFA World Player than the Ballon D’Or, mainly because it is an award based on quality rather than form. Future generations will look back and ask, “Who was the best player in the world at that time?” not “Whose club/country was most successful over the course of the season?” That is why I guard against honouring players just because they have starred for a successful team.

That is not to say that the best players in the world will not inspire their teams to success, but there have been occasions, such as Fabio Cannavaro’s nomination in 2006, when a player has won a World Player of the Year trophy solely because their country won the World Cup and there were no other suitable candidates.

[2006 was something of an anomaly: Zinedine Zidane would have been an obvious choice for the trophy but FIFA could hardly pay tribute to the France midfielder after his notorious dismissal for head butting Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final.] 

In general, the FIFA World Player of the Year award has done well in categorising the best players in the world year by year since its inception in 1991. Here is the list of winners and there is no doubt in my mind that the very best players of the last two decades are all named here:

1991 – Lothar Matthaus     2001 – Luis Figo
1992 – Marco van Basten  2002 – Ronaldo 
1993 – Roberto Baggio      2003 – Zinedine Zidane
1994 – Romario                  2004 – Ronaldinho
1995 – George Weah        2005 – Ronaldinho
1996 – Ronaldo                  2006 – Fabio Cannavaro
1997 – Ronaldo                  2007 – Kaka
1998 – Zinedine Zidane    2008 – Cristiano Ronaldo
1999 – Rivaldo                    2009 – Lionel Messi
2000 – Zinedine Zidane     2010 -

The winner of the prize in 2010 will depend not just on FIFA but on journalists as well; let’s hope the tradition of honouring the best carries on, and we don’t see further examples of the strange choices the Ballon D’Or has thrown up in the recent past, such as Matthias Sammer, Igor Belanov and, sorry chaps, Michael Owen.

                       My 2010 nominees for the World Player of the Year

Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid / Uruguay)

As I mentioned above, Diego Forlan has had an exceptional year and does enjoy the advantage of having performed well for a “smaller” club and country throughout the duration of the season. Forlan has excelled in difficult circumstances as Atletico and Uruguay have both been underdogs for a lot of the time in their respective competitions. Is he the best of the best, though? Obviously not. 

Diego Milito (Inter Milan / Argentina)

Diego Milito is an outsider for this award after playing second fiddle to Gonzalo Higuain as Argentina’s central striker at the World Cup. His domestic season, however, was nothing short of spectacular as he played the lone striking role and scored 30 goals for Inter Milan in their treble winning campaign. His great performances and goals against Barcelona in the semi-final and Bayern Munich in the final of the Champions League helped him scoop UEFA’s Champions League Player of the Season award ahead of fellow Inter Milan colleagues Julio Cesar, Maicon and Wesley Sneijder. 

Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan / Holland)

Wesley Sneijder had arguably the most successful season of any player on this list. He was a beaten finalist in the World Cup where he pulled the strings as Holland’s central playmaker and he was Inter Milan’s key man as they won a historic treble of Coppa Italia, Serie A and Champions League under Jose Mourinho. All of that probably makes him an early favourite for the World Player of the Year award. And to think, Sneijder was discarded by Real Madrid last summer as surplus to requirements in Manuel Pellegrini’s midfield. Florentino Perez, and not Chilean coach Pellegrini, deserves the credit for that small error in judgement.

Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona / Spain)

Xavi is one of the most underrated players of his generation because what he does with a football is rarely described as spectacular. He does not score many goals or beat his opponent with pace or skill but, what he does do, he does better than anyone else in the world. That is, pass the ball, keep possession and link the defence and attack. He is the dynamo at the heart of both Barcelona and Spain’s attractive, free-flowing style and the fact that they have shown to be the most effective two teams in both club and international football over the past two or three years is in large part down to him. Barcelona enjoyed another fantastic domestic campaign in 2009-10, even if they were beaten by Inter Milan in the Champions League, and Xavi was Spain’s most consistent performer on the path to World Cup glory.

David Villa (Valencia / Spain)

David Villa had a scintillating World Cup, scoring more than half of Spain’s goals before going on to lift the trophy in South Africa. Villa is arguably the most effective goal scorer in Europe at the moment and is expected to lead the ‘Pichichi’ chase with his new team Barcelona this season. His run in the Europa League with Valencia in 2009-10, however, might count against him. All the other players I have named here appeared in the Champions League last season and, although Villa hit 28 goals in all competitions for Los Che during the campaign, an early exit in Europe’s second competition and 3rd place in La Liga does not really compete with the feats of the other nominees. If the Asturian hitman emerges from Lionel Messi’s shadow this season, he could be a contender for the 2011 award.

Lionel Messi (Barcelona / Argentina)

Those who claim Messi had a poor World Cup obviously didn’t watch any of Argentina’s first four games in South Africa in which he was quite unstoppable. Maradona’s worthy successor was unable to prevent Germany from demolishing his team in the quarter-finals, but his quality transcends one disappointing outing. The Barca forward scored 47 goals in all competitions for his club last season and put in some jaw-dropping performances along the way. Messi is undoubtedly the best player in the world at the moment, perhaps the best ever, and he deserves to be honoured on that basis alone.