[R] Spanish La Liga
Manuel Benet
Not even the most optimistic Real Madrid supporters dreamed with this only
a couple of months ago. Yes, Real Madrid won, and that's really all that
matters. It doesn't matter that they did with a unexistent penalty against
Zaragoza (even Del Bosque would admit it after looking at the TV images).
It doesn't matter that, if it was really penalty, Juanmi (Zaragoza keeper)
should have got a red card, and not a yellow card as he did (what was
Mejuto - the referee - thinking?!). It doesn't matter that Zaragoza
controlled the match but was unable to beat Casillas (who is showing a
excellent performance for his age and experience), that Anelka told to
Juanmi after the match that he cheated (what's the problem with this
guy?!), or that Zaragoza lost his unbeatability of 13 months in la
Romareda. What matters is that Real Madrid won, moved to the second
position of the Liga and is now above Barcelona and 5 points down to
Deportivo (who has one match less). Resuming, Madrid won, Zaragoza lost.
I would go on, but I prefer to do it after looking at my favourite set of
clowns, overrated players, lazy guys, or whatever you want to call it.
* Oviedo - Barcelona
Yes, obviously, I was talking about Barcelona. On one side, a team with
Rivaldo, Figo, Frank De Boer, Guardiola, Cocu, Litmanen, 117$ million
budget for this season, trying to win La Liga, Champions League and
Spanish Cup (now it seems like a bad joke). On the other side, Oviedo, a
team with... Dely Valdes, Duvobsky... a budget of 15$ million, fighting to
avoid relegation in the Spanish League. On one side, a team with 63 goals
scored and 42 goals against, Barcelona, and in the other, a team with 37
goals scored and 54 goals against, Real Oviedo.
Yes, but what was the result? three - zero. Maybe you're thinking that I
am wrong, and the result is zero - three, but not, that is completely
right. Barcelona was trashed for the 4th consecutive time after Chelsea,
Mallorca and Atletico de Madrid. Who knows, maybe they are trying to beat
a record, increase other teams statistics, or they think they shouldn't
run if they are 'stars'. Yes, I agree, they played a decent match... for a
decent team. But Barcelona is not a decent team. Rivaldo played a decent
match... for a decent player, and so did Figo. But the
best-player-of-the-world is not a decent player, and the same goes for
Figo. They are not paid for running. They are paid to make the
difference. And they are not doing their work too well.
But it would not be fair to blame only the players. At Camp Nou there are
so many people to blame as you want. After the players, Van Gaal it is the
next to look at. He obviusly shares its part of blame - though he
constantly tries to avoid it - and this attitude of we-win you-lose is not
helping anybody. Barca is playing all the season in this matches, and to
create conflicts with the team - you maybe asked yourself why Kluivert
didn't play - is not the smartest thing to do. Next time, he will put
Kluivert on the match. If there's a next time.
And after this, what's next? In my humble opinion, they are over for the
rest of the season. Chelsea seems light years ahead of them, and so does
Deportivo and Atletico. Maybe I am too pesisimist, and I hope to be wrong,
but 12 goals in four matches is bad enough to me. With a team in conflict
with their coach, Chelsea and a hopeful Atletico on the other sides, they
cannot make other think that to pray for keeping their Champions League
slot. Because if Deportivo wins, they will be 8 points down, with 15
points left. And nobody, except Barca fans, wants to see Barca to win this
league. I am a Barca supporter, though. But obviously, they don't deserve
La Liga.
**
How's la Liga now? I would say Depor first, the rest more than 5 points
above. I have discussed with Benny many times about the quality of La Liga
versus Serie A, but that's not the point now. The point is that Deportivo
MUST win La Liga, in order to preserve the respect of the competition. I
don't know if this league is more competitive, is a strange season, the
medium teams are not so medium and the big teams are not so big, or
Deportivo is the next big team. But I don't care. I just want to see
Deportivo winning La Liga, not because they are much better than the rest,
but because there's no other team that deserves it. They have had the
regularity, maybe not the better play, but they (usually) win when they
have to, and this time seem to be ready to win La Liga that Lendoiro
claims Spain owes them (for that league that Depor lost against Valencia
in the last minute in favor of Barca). All is ready for them to win. It's
time that Depor loses his vertigo to the victory and looks 'the bigs' from
above at the end of the league. And who knows, maybe this could be the
starting point for the recognition of the Spanish players.
Go Depor!
m3
-
The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who, in time of
moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.
- Dante, The Inferno
Alex Mizuki
> All is ready for them to win. It's
> time that Depor loses his vertigo to the victory and looks 'the bigs' from
> above at the end of the league. And who knows, maybe this could be the
> starting point for the recognition of the Spanish players.
> Go Depor!
I've seen you make this statement before, and I must admit that
it baffles me. How is Deportivo's success in the Spanish league
a credit to Spanish players? Deportivo is one of the teams in
that league that rely most heavily on players of non-native
origin. Just off the top of my head I can think of Songo,
Mauro Silva, Flavio Conceicao, Djalminha, Donato, Turu Flores,
Roy Makaay, and Pauleta.
Alex Mizuki
Manuel Benet
> I've seen you make this statement before, and I must admit that
> it baffles me. How is Deportivo's success in the Spanish league
> a credit to Spanish players? Deportivo is one of the teams in
> that league that rely most heavily on players of non-native
> origin. Just off the top of my head I can think of Songo,
> Mauro Silva, Flavio Conceicao, Djalminha, Donato, Turu Flores,
> Roy Makaay, and Pauleta.
If you have followed Deportivo for the last years, you will know what was
the politics of Lendoiro about signing players. He usually went to Brazil,
sign three of four Brazilian players, and then look at some European
players to complete the team. Result? There were almost no Spanish players
in Deportivo. However, this season, with Irureta, the politics has been
different. Almost all the players signed had been Spanish players: Cesar,
Manel, Victor, Jaime, Fernando and Ivan (and others that are on loan),
while the non-native players signed had been Makaay and Jokanovic (plus
two that are on loan). In other seasons, Victor or Jaime would have been
replaced by non-native players with probably less quality than them.
I am not telling that Depor doesn't rely on players like the ones you
mention, but Spanish players like Jaime, Romero, Manuel Pablo, Fran o
Victor are showing that the average Spanish player can be as good as any
average player from any country, and that the politics of signing spanish
players plus a couple of non-native can give very good results. I just
want to think that the new politics about signing players share part of
the success Deportivo is having, and that was the point I was making.
sidd
though I cant share it. You see, I love it when Barca lose !!!
( Though I was supporting them when they beat Samp in that
Euro final many years ago ... that was the only Euro final
I ever watched live in the stadium, accidentally I happened
to be in London then ). But I think I supported Barca then
because Cruyff was coach. Maybe I dont support Barca now
because van Gaal is coach .. who knows ?
As for Deportivo, its not over for them. I am not at all impressed
with this team, they cant play away from home. You cannot
have a La Liga champion getting thrashed next year all around
Europe ... that does not do much to promote your league.
No, I think still that Real Madrid or Barca should win it.
Depor just lost to Rayo. They have 3 more home games,
and 2 away. I think they will at maximum make another 9 points.
But I think one of Real or Barca will win it all from here.
Hope thats Real.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Manuel Benet
> Good post. I can understand your agony at Barca's performances,
> though I cant share it. You see, I love it when Barca lose !!!
Damn.. I thought you were a Barca supporter!
> As for Deportivo, its not over for them. I am not at all impressed
> with this team, they cant play away from home. You cannot
> have a La Liga champion getting thrashed next year all around
> Europe ... that does not do much to promote your league.
Well, the rest of the candidates have been less than impressive... they
not only cannot win away, they are trashed away!
> No, I think still that Real Madrid or Barca should win it.
> Depor just lost to Rayo. They have 3 more home games,
> and 2 away. I think they will at maximum make another 9 points.
> But I think one of Real or Barca will win it all from here.
>
> Hope thats Real.
Uhm... maybe you're right, after losing with Rayo, it's only 5
points. Anyways, I think they will make it. With 9 points more, the only
chance is that Real or Barca win the next 5 matches, and I don't think
that's going to happen. We'll see.
Bruce Scott TOK
Manuel Benet <gte...@acmez.gatech.edu> wrote:
[long Barcelona sob story...]
Well, nothing against your guys per se, but it mollifies me that there
are big teams (AC Milan is another) whose problems are worse than those
of Bayern Munich.
Effenberg and Lizarazu are injured, and Matthaeus is gone, and we're
playing crap.
Question: why was Keller not playing for Rayo? They won again, you
know.
--
cu,
Bruce
drift wave turbulence: http://www.rzg.mpg.de/~bds/
Manuel Benet
> In article <Pine.SOL.4.21.00041...@acmez.gatech.edu>,
> Manuel Benet <gte...@acmez.gatech.edu> wrote:
>
> [long Barcelona sob story...]
>
> Well, nothing against your guys per se, but it mollifies me that there
> are big teams (AC Milan is another) whose problems are worse than those
> of Bayern Munich.
>
> Effenberg and Lizarazu are injured, and Matthaeus is gone, and we're
> playing crap.
Well, you cannot complain... we're playing crap, too, and although we
don't have any players injured, Van Gaal has decided that players like
Kluivert or Guardiola are better warming the bench rather than playing.
> Question: why was Keller not playing for Rayo? They won again, you
> know.
I don't know. He's not injured, as long as I know.
Howard Hugh Hamilton
Manuel Benet <gte...@acmex.gatech.edu> wrote:
>On 17 Apr 2000, Bruce Scott TOK wrote:
>> Question: why was Keller not playing for Rayo? They won again, you
>> know.
>
>I don't know. He's not injured, as long as I know.
He's not injured anymore, but when he was available Lopetegui was
in his spot. And it wasn't that Lopetegui wasn't playing that well
either, Rayo was starting to score some goals and ride their luck
again. This was a big issue in the Spanish papers a few weeks back --
Keller complaining about his lack of play, Lopetegui stating that
he [Keller] should put the team's interests before his own.
There are rumors that one of the big teams in Spain is interested
in his services, but I thought those rumors were flying around last
season, too.
Anyone know if Keller will play in that friendly against Russia in
two weeks' time? Rayo are effectively safe right now.
--
Howard H. Hamilton -- PhD Candidate -- AIAA Student Chapter Chairman
Stanford University, Aero/Astro Dept., Stanford, CA 94305 USA
howardh(at)leland.stanford.edu http://www.stanford.edu/~howardh
Manuel Benet
> In article <Pine.SOL.4.21.00041...@acmex.gatech.edu>,
> Manuel Benet <gte...@acmex.gatech.edu> wrote:
> >On 17 Apr 2000, Bruce Scott TOK wrote:
> >> Question: why was Keller not playing for Rayo? They won again, you
> >> know.
> >
> >I don't know. He's not injured, as long as I know.
>
> He's not injured anymore, but when he was available Lopetegui was
> in his spot. And it wasn't that Lopetegui wasn't playing that well
> either, Rayo was starting to score some goals and ride their luck
> again. This was a big issue in the Spanish papers a few weeks back --
> Keller complaining about his lack of play, Lopetegui stating that
> he [Keller] should put the team's interests before his own.
>
> There are rumors that one of the big teams in Spain is interested
> in his services, but I thought those rumors were flying around last
> season, too.
I don't know if both things can be associated, if he has really signed for
a bigger club. One of the things I heared about Dutruel is that he had
problems after his contract with Barcelona for the next season was made
public (though I have heard that he really has not signed it). But
anyways, I don't think this is the case, because Dutruel affair with Barca
was more than a rumour, and I haven't heard many things about Keller
(though it's a little hard 7,000 km away from home).
Respect to Keller, I think that his performance this season make him a
good candidate to jump to a bigger club. In Spain, maybe not Barca or Real
Madrid, both teams have the goal position filled - Dutruel, Baia and Hesp
in Barca, and Casillas and Illgner in Madrid - but teams at the level of
Depor and Valencia. Not this ones, because Depor just signed Songo for
another year, and Valencia seems to have a pretty good keeper in Palop
(what will happen with Canyizares?). Anyways, I'd rather see Keller as the
first keeper at Vallecas than warming the bench of any big club in
Europe. I think that would be bad for he and the USA national team.
> Anyone know if Keller will play in that friendly against Russia in
> two weeks' time? Rayo are effectively safe right now.
Something says me I've won a bet...
Noah Elliott
>
> Anyone know if Keller will play in that friendly against Russia in
> two weeks' time? Rayo are effectively safe right now.
He's on the 16-man roster for this game.
Benny
> From : Bruce Scott TOK <b...@rzg.mpg.de>
>Well, nothing against your guys per se, but it mollifies me that there
>are big teams (AC Milan is another) whose problems are worse than those
>of Bayern Munich.
Milan's problems are easily fixed with a new coach and new defence. They
already have the key quality that cannot be signed, spirit. Despite the
fact that they suck they're still hard to beat and their heads rarely
drop when things are going their way, the last few games are a perfect
example of that.
>Question: why was Keller not playing for Rayo? They won again, you
>know.
Are you deliberately giving more bait to Lech?
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Bruce Scott TOK
Benny <Be...@soccer-europe.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:
>Milan's problems are easily fixed with a new coach and new defence. They
>already have the key quality that cannot be signed, spirit. Despite the
>fact that they suck they're still hard to beat and their heads rarely
>drop when things are going their way, the last few games are a perfect
>example of that.
It is true that AC have fighting spirit even when down... Inter can only
wish they would, too. One thing that bothers me about our derbys is
that 1860 always press harder than we do, even when they're not fouling.
>>Question: why was Keller not playing for Rayo? They won again, you
>>know.
>
>Are you deliberately giving more bait to Lech?
Irrlevant.
Tim Leidecker
> In Spain, maybe not Barca or Real Madrid, both teams have the goal
> position filled - Dutruel, Baia and Hesp in Barca, and Casillas and
> Illgner in Madrid
There are persistent rumors in the German media that good ol' Bodo
is sick and tired of riding the pine behind a 18-year-old and could
imagine a return to the Bundesliga (Leverkusen and Dortmund have been
mentioned as interested parties but as Bayer will most likely land
Hamburg's Butt that would leave the BVB -- if they manage to stay
"up" that is).
Just felt like dropping that in. ;)
Ciao,
Tim
--
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