Para Siempre Blanco

Posts tagged “Mesut Özil”

It is not only about football, at least not anymore

Its no longer about football alone.

Real Madrid lost 3-2 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate to eternal rivals Barcelona, ergo the Supercopa de España. Lionel Messi, as always, was the chief architect behind the Catalan success scoring two goals out of almost nothing, the second coming in the dying moments of the game, all this after setting up Andrés Iniesta for the first. Real came twice from behind through Cristiano and Benzema respectively but were unable to grab the third goal that would have turned the tie towards the better team on the night with barely anytime left. The match ended on a bitter note with two of our players sent off in Mesut Özil (who was not on the pitch at the time) and Marcelo (for a tackle on new boy Cesc Fàbregas). David Villa, who too was on the bench, was sent of as well with the game ending in a melee.

José Mourinho decided to field the same line up that lost 5-0 here in La Liga last season but for one change. New signing Coentrão started at left back, replacing Marcelo. Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, made a host of changes to his side as Xavi, Busquets, Pedro and Pique replaced Thiago, Keita, Aléxis Sánchez and Adriano from the first leg, thereby reverting back to his best starting XI available. Cesc Fàbregas was on the bench.  The initial stages of the game saw both teams share equal possession and the ball sticking within 25 yards of either side of the half way line. Neither team was able to break through the opposite defense when Messi sublimely put Andrés Iniesta through on goal 1v1 with Casillas. The midfielder chipped in the ball to give Barça a 1-0 lead. Real now had to score two. But that would change within 5 minutes. Mesut Özil swung in a corner from the right which ultimately fell to Karim Benzema on the far post. The on-song Frenchman squeezed in a ball through a crowded area which was tucked into goal by Cristiano Ronaldo. There were doubts about Ronaldo being offside but replays acquitted him of such claims. It was CR7’s 100th goal for Real Madrid and his first at the Nou Camp. But for the goal and a shot that Valdes could only deflect on to the crossbar, the overall performance of Ronaldo last night was below par. He was trying too hard to flatter the Catalan crowd with his dazzling step overs only to hinder the attack of his own team. Real had the better chances of the game throughout the night but Lionel Messi was more efficient. Just before half time the little Argentine played a clever one-two with the demented Gerard Piqué to beat Iker Casillas yet again and give Barça the lead after 45 minutes of play. Messi was simply sublime last night one has to admit. Every run of his troubled our defense. One other sight which worried me especially was Coentrão’s defensive credibilities. The Portuguese at left-back was totally out of sorts and was found AWOL most of the times. Fortunately, since it was Pedro who played on the right, Barça failed to capitalize.

The second half began in similar fashion with Barça unable to play their normal tiki-taka thanks to the incredible pressure that they were under. Marcelo replaced Khedira and Coentrão moved to midfield alongside Xabi Alonso. Unlike previous encounters Madrid was not rough on them but made sure that the pressure they applied on those Catalans was immense. Xavi of all people stuttered. Piqué, Abidal, Alves were all forced to clear the ball and thus were taken out of possession. Messi hardly saw the ball. Madrid were better than any side that has ever faced this team. Özil almost pegged us level when he was put through with only Valdes to beat. The German tested the keeper but definitely should have done better. I felt there was too little sting in the shot. The game crossed the 80th minute mark. Kaká and Higuaín had come on for Özil and an out-of-sort Angel Di María. It was the Brazilian’s corner that ultimately fell to Karim Benzema through Pepe and Real were back on level terms and the match was going into extra time. Barça panicked. The fans were silent as Cesc Fàbregas came on to make his debut. Just two minutes was left for normal time to end. Fàbregas played Adriano through on the left and his cross was volleyed in by Lionel Messi to hand Barcelona the lead and an inevitable victory. The volley was too good even for someone like St. Iker.

Özil and Villa, both in the picture, were sent off from the bench.

The game ended but match didn’t end there. Marcelo made a completely unnecessary challenge on new boy Cesc which the catalans made too much out of. This invoked the Catalans and finally the inevitable brawl began. Marcelo was sent off but so were Özil, who was completely furious about some incident, and David Villa were sent off. Mourinho too was involved having a go at Tito Villanova in his usually cheeky manner capping off what has been one of the best two legged games that I have ever seen.

This defeat, as sour as it is, definitely is a sign of improvement. We were the better team over two legs and if we had been a little more efficient in front of goal we would have definitely walked out winners. The rivalry between the two sides is turning out be more bitter than ever. Piqué has had a few harsh words to say about José. The latter belittled the Supercopa by calling it a tiny little trophy. Its no longer only about football and that’s what is making this whole affair even more special.

Para Siempre Blanco!

Hala Madrid!!

August 18, 2011 | Categories: Match Reports, Supercopa de España | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Form is temporary, class is permanent.

 

A class act for sure.

Hullo there,

What comes to your mind when I say the name Karim Mostafa Benzema? Right now, it might range from “Cannot Score Goals” to “One of the most talented strikers in the world.” But to me when I hear that name I can only think of the phrase “Form is temporary, while class is permanent.” Need I say why?

When Real Madrid announced the signing of Karim Benzema for €35 million a couple of seasons back the footballing world was rocked. Real had just completed the acquisitions of Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo for huge sums of money and this move by Don Florentino made the world go ballistic. Real Madrid had signed one of the highest paid French footballers at that time, a 20-year old prodigy, a player who, arguably, had more similarities to Zinedine Zidane than anybody else. Real Madrid had just added Karim Benzema to their ammunition. And that, to many, meant that Real Madrid just added 30 more goals to their season.

Karim made an immediate impression on the fans by coming on as a second half substitute in Real’s first game of the new era against the minnows Shamrock Rovers in Dublin and scoring the solitary goal of the game that too in the dying minutes. Karim Benzema had just shown the world why Real Madrid had signed him, why Florentino Perez himself had gone down to France to convince the Frenchman to sign for his club rather than Manchester United or any of the other top clubs in the world which were after him. Trust me, there were quite a few.

Benzema made his Lyon debut (both domestic and European) back in the 2004-05 season when he came on as a second half substitute to create a goal for Bryan Bergougnoux in Lyon’s 2-0 win against Metz. He was 17 then and that was a sign of things to come for the young French-Algerian. In the next couple of seasons he made frequent appearances for the French giant scoring 6 in 34 overall. The 2007-08 season though would be his breakthrough season with Lyon losing big names like Florent Malouda, Sylvain Wiltord and John Carew. Manager Alain Perrin handed Karim the number 10 jersey and the youngster duly obliged with 31 goals in 51 games of which 20 came in the league and ultimately leading Lyon to their first ever double. Tthat made Benzema a superstar. Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas had to quell transfer rumors surrounding Benzema by placing a €100 million price tag on the striker. The 2008-09 season was not as special as the previous one with Benzema netting only 16 goals overall and Lyon losing their title. But Karim did make a stand-out contribution in Lyon’s Champions League knock-out phase tie against Manchester United earning the praise of Sir Alex himself ergo leading to rumors that Man United were after the youngster in the following summer after the departure of Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo. But it wouldn’t be the case as Real Madrid snapped up the chance to buy the French international.  His first season at Real was not up the mark. He was expected to score a lot of goals just like his childhood hero, the legendary, Luiz Ronaldo did in his first season for Los Merengues. But that wouldn’t be the case. Benzema did score a double against Xerez during the early stages of the campaign and that was that as Karim battled through the season trying hard to settle in Spain. Experts claimed that it was only fair to give him some time as he was young and settling in a completely new environment was just not an easy task. Also, considering the kind of form Gonzalo Higuain was in, Benzema stood no chance of a comeback. The season didn’t end well as he was dropped from the French National Team for the World Cup and was also indicted for his involvement with a prostitution ring.

He is now in his second season at Real and the expectations haven’t come down even a bit. The fans still expect him to score and his failure in doing so has just disappointed us. The questions raised about Benzema not working hard enough in training have too been answered both by the player and the manager from time to time and it is suggested that Benzema is gaining the confidence of both himself as well as the manager slowly. His penalty against Murcia was not the first time he had scored this season but it was a welcome goal as he needed it more than anyone else. And the resulting celebration showed how rejoiced his team mates were to see him slot home from the spot. Scoring is definitely not something completely new for Karim. He has done that at the highest level and has the capability in him to do it again. And I am pretty sure he will. Its just that the sooner the better both for the individual as well as the club. They didn’t say Form is Temporary, Class is Permanent for nothing.

Real will be hoping that the Frenchman is back to his best soon enough as it is El Clasico season. The date for the highly anticipated clash between the top two teams in Spain has been set. Real will travel to the Camp Nou to face the Champions in the first El Derbi of the season on Monday, 29 November. Yes, a MONDAY. The LFP announced the date yesterday and chose Monday of all days to ensure that the fixture does not coincide with the Catalunya elections which take place the previous day. But Ozil doesn’t care. We shouldn’t either. He said:

I don’t care when the Clasico takes place. I’ve never played on a Monday, but it is a beautiful game and our objective is to win it.

I don’t care either. All I care about is us winning. But that shouldn’t be our immediate priority. We have a game at El Molinon coming up this weekend against Sporting Gijon. We need three points to stay on top. Last season we couldn’t get them, lets hope its different this time around.

Until next time,

Para Siempre Blanco!

Hala Madrid!!

November 12, 2010 | Categories: Feature | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Real Madrid 2-0 Atletico Madrid

Carvalho carried the team on this shoulders for most of the game. Here he is seen carrying Di Maria.

Real Madrid remain at the top of the Primera Division table after securing yet another regulation derby victory over Los Rojiblancos. Ricardo Carvalho scored his second goal in White and Mesut Ozil added to the scoreline from a clever free-kick with both goals coming within the first 20 minutes of the game. But as many suggest the game was marred by the lack of competition offered by the men in red and white stripes which is just another way of saying Real were at their dominating best and gave Atleti no chance of getting back into the game.

We are Atletico Madrid, and we go to the Bernabeu to win. This year we have self-esteem in place, and our goal is to enter the Champions League. For this we need things to work and to go our way.

So said Quique Sanchez Flores prior to the game. As ambitious as it might sound to you it is clear that Atleti are clearly not bothered about the league title. All that they are playing for is a top 4 finish which they probably will get even if they drop all points against the top sides in Spain. But then again the gulf in quality between the two sides seemed so large that even if Atleti had wanted to stay in the game they couldn’t have. Having said that this was probably one of the toughest games we have had to play season considering the fact that Atletico breached our defense on several occasions and St.Iker had to make more saves than he had had to make in any other game of this season.

Real kicked off the game in usual fashion with Di Maria on the right and Ronaldo on the left and looking dangerous right from the first minute of the game. Forlan as expected returned to the line up and several eyes were on De Gea as many expect him to succeed Iker as the Spanish National Team’s custodian. And he would be tested as early as in the third when Xabi Alonso swung in a corner from the left for Pepe to hand our neighbors the first warning with a header which somewhat went straight at De Gea. The 80, 000 fans were at their hostile best  and so was Real as in a few minutes later Ronaldo showed quick feet to find Di Maria in the box whose darting shot could only be scuppered by De Gea with the rebound falling straight to an offside Sami Khedira.

The first goal then came. In the thirteenth minute, former Madridista Jose Antonio Reyes was dispossessed by Xabi Alonso in midfield and the ball fell straight to Ricardo Carvalho who kick started yet another Real Madrid attack by passing to Higuain and continued his darting run into the box. The Argentine while trying to get past a couple of Atleti players lost the ball only to fellow Argentine Di Maria whose slightly deflected pass to Carvalho was met by the Portuguese center half. Carvalho made no mistake and expertly finished the move to net his second goal for Real Madrid and clearly hammered the all important first nail in Atletico’s coffin. And within a couple of minutes Real should have doubled the lead through Pipita when Ronaldo sent him through. But he could only find De Gea’s long legs with his shot. Carvalho was on hand post-game to comment on the game, saying:

My goal was important. I got lucky. We are playing well and it was important to win this match. We cannot let points leave the Bernabeu.

And we didn’t. The final nail in the coffin would come a few minutes later, six to be precise. Sergio Ramos lofted a ball over Atleti’s defense for Cristiano who was marked by Dominguez. The defender fouled CR just outside the edge of their box on the right for the referee to award a free kick in favor of the Whites. Even though at first glance it just didn’t seem like a foul I have to say that Ronaldo is quick and even the slightest obstacle can bring him down pretty easily. And to everyone’s surprise the Portuguese did not line up for the free-kick. It was between Xabi and Ozil and it would be the German who would take it. Ozil’s low and curling drive defeated the Atletico custodian comprehensively going in at the far post. There were three important things to be noted with respect to this goal. Firstly, it was Reyes’ mistake again as he was Atleti’s first line of defense behind the wall and he failed to clear the low shot. To put it in a nutshell Reyes was clearly outsmarted by Ozil. Secondly, Florentino Perez’s reaction to the goal. It was clearly a “Suck on that, Gil!” kind of reaction something that you rarely see our President do. Our First Lady too seemed delighted with Ozil’s masterclass. And finally, the man himself, Mesut Ozil kissing Real Madrid’s crest. And that is what concerns me. I am a very, what you could call, conservative fan. I really do believe that kissing the crest is something that you should do only when you are Hierro-esque or Maldini-istic or Raul-ish kind of a player. Seeing Ozil do that did bring tears in my eyes as I see him as the future of this club. But if he does leave the club he would then become a cunt which I hope doesn’t happen. I hope you get my point here.

Anyhoo, moving on with the game (which was virtually over by then), Reyes the root cause for both the goals shifted the blame on to the team as a whole in what I feel was a clever move. Real’s hero of the 31st League title said during the post match presser that:

Their goals arrived from our mistakes. The first goal was a blow, but the second knocked us for six. It was hard for us to recover, but little by little we got back into the match and we had chances to get a goal.

Yeah, yeah. If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry Christmas.

Even though we did not have that many problems defensively there was one thing which I noticed. Almost all of their chances were created from the wings, more from their right than the left. I know that Marcelo is far better than what he was last season, defensively that is. But then again is that enough? If he is going to struggle to keep Reyes and Simao quiet I doubt what would be the case when he faces the likes of Messi, Muller and so on. Patrice Evra apparently is interested in the job, but then again he is a cunt and we need no cunts. Little Marcel is learning a lot though, which he admits:

I am learning a lot playing next to Pepe and Carvalho. Playing with such experienced players boosts my confidence.

As the match neared the half an hour mark Atletico were piling the pressure on Real with several half chances. And then they almost had a penalty. Simao’s corner from the left eventually fell to Aguero on the half volley. Maradona’s son-in-law’s shot struck Xabi Alonso on the hand in what was a completely involuntary incident. Xabi clearly had no intention of blocking the shot with his hand and it did seem like a clear accident. And thankfully the referee either didn’t see it or didn’t give two hooping hoots about it. But since that was their only real chance of getting back into the game all that Reyes could do was blame it all on that single incident.

Then came the penalty against Xabi Alonso due to a clear handball. It could have been a penalty and a red card. The match would’ve been very different.

Different, my ass.

Reyes’ effort from the edge of our box was saved well by Casillas while we ourselves should have had a penalty for Simao’s 50:50 challenge on Di Maria inside their box. And that’s just about it. The chances just stopped coming towards the last fifteen minutes of the first half for both sides.

The second half started and Real immediately signaled their intent to score as many as they possibly can. Ozil cross from the left fell perfectly for Higuain to volley it against the post from just inside the box. The ball fell harmlessly for a goal kick. That was probably the only good chance that Higuain had throughout the game. It’d be harsh to say that Pipita had a poor game as the supply just was not there. Ozil was excellent throughout the game  mesmerizing their defense from time to time. But he too couldn’t provide much to our offense. Di Maria had an average game considering the standards that he has set himself. But Ronaldo, I felt, was pathetic. He wasted possession by taking lame ass shots almost every time he had the ball in attack and all his crosses fell to no one. But the manager was happy with his performance or at least that is what he told the world.

Ronaldo is a team player. I can’t expect him to score all the time and steal the ball in the midfield and score. He is a difference maker. If he works as hard as he does, I cannot demand anything more from him. I am more than satisfied with his work. He is a great player and I am thrilled to habe him.

Well, even though it is sort of a round about way of saying “he works hard but just isn’t able to do anything” I should say that I unequivocally agree with JM. Ronaldo is indeed a difference maker. You can somehow feel it when he isn’t there in the game. His mere presence somehow seems to boost the rest of the players. The same applies to Kaka as well. I guess that’s what makes them superstars.

Before I start jizzing over them let me finish off what I started. On the hour mark, Atletico came closest to scoring a goal. Yet another corner from the left was cleared by our defense but only as far as Forlan who was outside the box. His Mendieta/Scholes like volley was low and hard and struck the post. A few inches to the right and it probably would have beaten St.Iker. A few minutes later Marcelo released Mesut Ozil with a superb pass from our own half. The German, tracked by former Madridista Filipe Luis, had his shot blocked resulting in a corner. A half-chance as it may be, it should have been finished off.

Atleti made the first change of the game bringing in Raul Garcia on for Tiago Mendes. And a few minutes later Real made theirs as Karim Benzema came on for Gonzalo Higuain. The game was starting to get a little boring so to speak and I started dozing off. Flores brought on Diego Costa for Sabrosa Simao to liven things up but hell it only got worse. Carvalho, who by far was probably our best player on the pitch, had to be taken off as he sustained a jagged left lower eyelid bruise with mild concussion. He was replaced by Albiol and things were no different. Momo Diarra too came on and for Di Maria indicating that the match would only get slower and might even come to a standstill.

Mourinho, speaking post-game, said that he wanted to make things slower and for us to get a hold of the game. He justified his move by admitting that Atletico were by far the team that gave us maximum trouble at home. Hell, this guy is always right and no wonder the game put me to sleep.

We were up against an opponent who obligated us to hold onto the ball and think defensively. We slowed the pace in the second half in order to control the game, not because of fatigue. We ended up with Diarra, Alonso and Khedira on the pitch; players who slow the pace and control the open spaces.

The team that has given us the most trouble at the Bernabeu was Atletico. We have played against some good teams like Milan, but when you’re up against Reyes, Simao, Kun and Forlan, you are up against four of the best players in the league. These four players create two-on-two plays and have great dynamic with one another. Good players and a good coach. These were three crucial points.  You cannot beat Atletico by six or seven.

We could have scored five though, through Marcelo, Khedira, Benzema and Ronaldo respectively. But all the shots were saved by De Gea. Sergio Ramos had the best chance to extend our lead. Xabi’s cross came on perfectly for Ramos, who was completely unmarked in Atleti’s box, but he couldn’t hit the target with his header from close range.

And that was that. Real Madrid have not lost to Atletico Madrid in 18 games now over a 11 year time period. My man of the match choice was easy and pretty much universal. Ricardo Carvalho had a fantastic evening and surely he is on of our best signings of recent times. Valdano summed up pretty much whatever I want to say:

Carvalho deserves a lot of credit for his goal. His confidence is soaring. He even moved into attack in search of the goal. His defensive duties today were unbeatable and he left with a warm round of applause.

Match Stats:

Lineups:

Real Madrid: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo, Ricardo Carvalho (Albiol 83′), Khedira, Xabi Alonso, Özil, Di María (Mahamadou Diarra 83′), Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuaín (Benzema 74′);

Atletico Madrid: De Gea, Valera, Ujfalusi, Domínguez, Filipe Luis, M. Suárez, Reyes, Tiago (Raúl García 69′), Simao (Diego Costa 76′), Forlán, Agüero;

Goals:

1-0, 13’: Carvalho;

2-0, 19’: Ozil

Notes: Week 10 of La Liga

Played at: Santiago Bernabeu Stadium

Attendance: 80,000

Referee: Mr. Mateu Lahoz

Booked: Tiago (66), Mario Suárez (61), Sami Khedira (72), Ricardo Carvalho (76)

Man of the match: Ricardo Carvalho

November 8, 2010 | Categories: Match Reports, Post-match Comments, Spanish Primera División | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

D-Day edging closer

Demented Dani: Is your Derby still sexier than me?

Hi all,

With just one day left before the Madrid derby kicks off I sit here thinking what would you call a Turkish-born German. Would it be a Turkan or a Gerkish? I think I’d call him Ozil. And Super Mesut is what I am going to start with. I had a dream last night. It was about Kaka returning to the squad one fine day. Probably Ozil might be 30 by then and Jamaica would have won a World Cup but nevertheless Kaka returned to the side and that’s what matters. No, I cannot tell you how many games he lasted before going back to the gym and posing on the cycle or the pool but I can assure you that he returned and did touch the ball in the game that came in my dream. Hypothetical but true. So yeah, what should be done if Kaka returns to full fitness? Must. Not. Laugh. Would Ozil be benched to honor the Brazilian? Considering the position in which Kaka generally plays it is no different from where Ozil is playing now. It will be a like for a crocked like sort of switch. But class wise maybe they are at par for sure. What should be done? Stupid question I admit. Obviously the player who works harder must be given the game. But what if both of them work equally hard? Hypothetical question I admit. Obviously if that happens we use the rotation system. Then, what if one of them is unhappy because of the fact that he is not playing despite working hard? Ridiculous question I admit. The player is being simply stupid.

In all seriousness, I cannot wait for Kaka to return. Return he will but I am more concerned about Kaka becoming the Kaka we all know. He is right now more of a pseudo-Kaka or the evil-twin-but-Jesus-loving brother of Kaka. I want the Kaka who can stroll past defenders as though they were never there. I want the Kaka who can score goals from anywhere on the pitch. I want the Kaka who can inspire even a lousy Atletico team to win a derby. I want the Kaka who can even knock sense into Louis van Gaal’s head. I want the Kaka who can silence Sir Alex. I want the Kaka who can even make Liverpool win the league. Is that possible?

Mesut Ozil though will not give up his place on the team that easily. He said:

My goal, obviously, was to play with the best team in the world, and Real Madrid is. I’ve worked very hard to reach this far and I hope to win titles with the Club. I wanted to be part of Mourinho’s Real Madrid. I am very happy. I believe we are on the right path. The whole team supports me; we are all united and we will fight to achieve our objectives.

Everybody helped me adapt. We are all very young and we continue to improve. There is a great atmosphere on the squad; we joke around all the time.

So what have you got that Kaka doesn’t have? The Brazilian can fake full fitness and play the World Cup. Can you?

I’ve got German discipline, but also the Turkish way of letting people do their thing.

Interesting answer. Can you make Atletico win a derby?

I’m a person, not a robot.

Haha. Good one Mesut. Cheers. Oh btw, you can have your place in the team. No hassles there.

OK. Time to shift my focus on the derby then. As you all know very well already, Real and Atleti face off at the Bernabeu tomorrow night at 21:00 CET. Albiol did the little preview that players generally do prior to the game for bwin this time. And like it has been for the past few years he picked out Kun and Diego as the danger men.

Aguero and Forlan are decisive players, but Atletico have improved on a collective and tactical level. We know we will have great chances of winning if we keep a clean sheet, especially given we play at home, where we have even more chances to score. But you never know what’s going to happen in a derby. I hope we win and take three very important points.

Clean sheet is what I am looking at. We need to make keeping clean sheets as a habit. Something that we were able to do until we faced Hercules. Milan was disastrous that way. If we can keep Aguero-Forlan quiet we can definitely keep most of the other attacks in the world quiet. And the person who would probably help us the most in doing that would be Ricardo Carvalho. The Portuguese center half met up with Forlan to play FIFA 11 in a promo-like thingy for EA. He said:

I will try to narrow spaces for Atletico’s strikers because both Forlan and Aguero are very hard to stop when they find enough room to manouvre. They can shoot on target at any time with both feet. I’m used to facing taller players in the Premiership. It’s different here, but I don’t experience any problems. I’m quick and I have to concentrate throughout the match.

And St.Iker too has a vital role to play. We need him to be at his best throughout this month. He spoke to the press after yesterday’s training session. He emphasized the importance of a derby game to Madridistas despite the fact that it has been dead rubber since 1999 and also had kind words for De Gea, their goalkeeper. He then spoke about Forlan and Kun Aguero but since I’ve covered enough about those two lads, I’ll move on. He finally spoke about the Clasico.

The Clasico is one month away.  Both teams will have complicated games leading up to it. A clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid creates great media frenzy, but we have to play other games that are equally important to us. We hope to still be leaders by the time we play at the Camp Nou, but anything can happen.

Anything can happen. Anything. I mean ANYTHING.

One person who will be unable to help us beat Atletico would be Pope Dudek. Did I say Pope? I meant Pole. The Dudek suffers from lower back pain and will be subjected to medical treatment apparently. Massage maybe?

All said and done a Wonderful derby is awaiting us.

Para Siempre Blanco!

Hala Madrid!!

November 6, 2010 | Categories: Comments, News, Pre-preview, Press Conference | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Red Carpet

Its thanksgiving season isn’t it. This is the time of the year when the World of Football thanks the best players and coaches over the past year or so by showering accolades on them. Blah Blah Blah.

Good day to all,

And today its all about the awards and the nominations that our players have earned. Let me get straight to the point.

Firstly Iker Casillas, Xabi Alonso, Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo have been included in the 23-man shortlist of finalists to win this year’s Ballon d’Or. The winner will be anounced in Zurich on 10 January 2011. FIFA announced the nominees on Tuesday, following an agreement between the entity and France Football to merge their Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player awards. It is to be noted that there is no Englishman in the final 23. On December 6th, FIFA and France Football will announce the three players to receive the most votes from male and female national team captains and coaches, as well as representatives from the media appointed by the French magazine.

Secondly, Jose Mourinho has been included in the 10-man nominee list for the 2010 FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football. The winner of the award too will be announced in Zurich on 10 January 2011.

And finally Xabi Alonso was presented with the Lan Onari award on Monday by the President of the Basque autonomous region, Patxi Lopez. The Lan Onari acknowledges the merits of Basques who have achieved extraordinary distinction through their dedication, perseverance and initiative in the course of their professional activities.

Over to the Valdebebas and Jose Mourinho allowed those players called-up for the King’s cup match at Murcia to have the day off. On the other hand, Xabi Alonso, Ozil, Marcelo, Carvalho and Adan (who was called-up) were requested to train with Castilla. Real face off against Hercules at the Jose Rico Perez on Saturday in what will be a crucial clash with respect to the title race despite being so early in the season. It is indeed important to win clashes like these as in the end it is games such as this one which make the difference. Right now Real sit on top of the league by a marginal difference of one point over Villareal for which we might have to thank Hercules. Their 2-2 draw against the Yellow Submarine earned us the advantage. Villareal will be hoping that something similar happens to us.

Going by the Murcia game we are not in the finest of form though the game last weekend may suggest otherwise. We have an important clash in the Champions League next week and we must ensure that we are in fine nick when we travel to the San Siro. A win at the San Siro will ensure us a spot in the knock out stages and that should help us concentrate on the league until February.

Also in the news is the talk about the Clasico being conducted on a Monday. The players don’t like the idea of it and we fans don’t want it that way either. Ideally I would have preferred a Saturday but that has been ruled out. So I am hoping that it will be on a Sunday. Talking about derbies, LFP has announced that the time for the Madrid derby at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday 7 November. The game will kick off at 21:00 CET.

And that’s about it. Short and sweet wasn’t it.

Anyhoo until another day,

Para Siempre Blanco!

Hala Madrid!!

October 28, 2010 | Categories: News | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Of buying, selling and injuries

Last pick

Real Madrid is done with the transfer market. Real’s DG, Jorge Valdano, revealed yesterday that Mesut Özil is the final summer recruit for the club, therefore putting an end to our transfer transactions. Speaking at the official unveiling of Özil, Valdano clearly stated that the club’s movement in the summer transfer market is now closed. He said:

We have now closed the signings for this coming season. We have made a great effort to rejuvenate the team and we are very pleased to complete this objective.

However, Valdano admitted that they will have to sell players between now and the time when the transfer window closes, saying that they “must streamline the workforce and this will be done in the coming days”. When asked whether Real would want to add another striker to the squad as there were only two specialized strikers in the 26-man squad, Valdano said that the second striker position would be filled in by the likes of Canales, Ronaldo and the former Bremen man Özil and that Mourinho himself had not asked for one.

Jose Mourinho has worked with players from the quarry during the pre-season and is very comfortable with them. He is also very pleased with the completion of the signing of Özil.

At no time had he asked the club for a striker. With the arrival of Özil, we have a player who can play in different positions.

But he insisted that none of the Spanish players will be sold because of the restriction imposed on clubs by the federation. He said:

We have 26 players right now, so we need to lighten the squad and it will happen in the coming days. This position does not affect the Spanish players currently on our books.

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August 19, 2010 | Categories: News | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Özil to Realmadrid.com

Mesut Ozil had his first interview with the Club’s official media following his first training session as a Real Madrid player.

"I am anxious to prove my worth with Real Madrid"

How was your first training with Real Madrid like?

It was great. I met the entire team and the coach. I am very happy to be here. It seems they have a lot of fun. The weather is also nice, which makes training even more pleasant.

Tell us what you did on your first day as a Real Madrid player.

I left from Dusseldorf airport very early and I arrived in Madrid at 11:00. I didn’t have much time to rest, but I’m glad I’ve already attended my first session. This team and the Club are the best. Everything I’ve seen so far is positive and it makes me even happier to have made the decision to come here. I’ve simply had a good experience.

Other European clubs also wanted to sign you. Why did you choose Real Madrid?

I think Real Madrid are the best team in the world and they have some of the world’s best players, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and many more. I am delighted to be here with them. I am also proud to have a coach like Jose Mourinho want me on this team. That’s the real reason I’m here. He is one of the best coaches in the world. It is a privilege to be able to work with him. I am anxious to start.

You talked to Mourinho before you came here and you had a chance to speak to him during your first training session. Did you also talk to your new team-mates?

I spoke with Mourinho about what he wants me to do on this team. He wanted me here and that’s why I came. I’ve been in touch with Sami Khedira through SMS, but he is the only player I know here. I met the rest on my first day at work.

What did Khedira tell you?

He told me he wanted me to come here. He also said the Club is fantastic and that the weather is very nice here in Madrid. He mentioned that all the players are very nice and that he was having a great time. Now that I’m here I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I am very happy to be here and I had a great time with my new team-mates during training.

You are already a world class player at just 21 years of age. Tell us what sort of player you are…

It’s hard to answer that. I’d say I’m very fast with the ball. I have good touch on ball and I’d also say I’m strong from a technical point of view. I like teamwork. Everyone who knows how I play and has seen me perform knows I can do much. I am very happy to be able to prove my worth as a Real Madrid player. I want people to be entertained as they watch me play.

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August 19, 2010 | Categories: Interview | Tags: | Leave a comment

Özil press conference

Mesut Ozil gave his first press conference as a Real Madrid player accompanied by Director General Jorge Valdano.

Mesut Ozil: "I am proud to be here"

Feeling:

Nothing had been decided before yesterday and I can honestly say I am glad this has had a happy ending.

Goals:

I only aspire to make progress at Real Madrid. This is a great challenge for me. I’ve always concentrated hard and I like to work hard. I stepped on fifth gear and reached the club for which I wanted to play.

Why Real Madrid:

Real Madrid is the best club in the world. I discussed several options with my advisors, but I wanted to come here because I wanted to work with Mourinho, the best coach in the world. I spoke with him and he convinced me to come. What we said will remain between us, but he is the greatest reason for which I’m here today.

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August 18, 2010 | Categories: Press Conference | Tags: | 1 Comment

Profile: Mesut Özil

A young, talented midfielder with a bright future

Mesut Ozil (15-10-88, Gelsenkirchen, West Germany) lands at Real Madrid after a standout performance at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The midfielder earned a permanent spot on Germany’s senior side by the age of 21 after winning the 2009 Under-21 European Championship. His unique touch, unmatched individual technique, excellent ball control and deadly last pass make the German midfielder one of the brightest up-and-coming stars in European football.

A constant work in progress, Mesut Ozil has quickly earned a reputation as an elegant and versatile midfielder. His knack for the final pass, his free-flowing movement on every third of the pitch and his exquisite left foot earned Ozil a spot in Shalke 04’s academy in 2005. It only took one season for the midfielder to earn his promotion to the first team and he made his Bundesliga debut at the age of 17.

During the winter transfer window 0f 2008, Ozil completed a switch to Werder Bremen, where he played over 60 matches and scored 13 goals. With Werder, the midfielder went on to win the 2009 DFB Cup and the 2009 DFL Supercup. On an individual level, Ozil was rewarded for his outstanding Bundesliga play by being named the best player of the first leg of the 2009 season.

Ozil is paving the way for the German national team’s new generation of players. Although of Turkish decent, his entire life has been committed to Germany. He played for the Under-17 side and moved his way up to the Under-21 side, which won the 2009 European Championship. Ozil provided two assists and scored a goal in the final against England.

His debut with the senior side dates back to 12 August 2009, when Germany defeated Azerbaijan. Ozil continued to impress in World Cup qualifiers and by the end of the 2010 World Cup was among the ten finalists for the Golden Boot.

Career:

  • Schalke 04 (2006-2008)
  • Werder Bremen (2008-2010)

Titles & Accolades:

  • DFB Cup: 2009
  • DFL Supercup: 2009
  • UEFA Cup runner-up: 2009
  • UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2009

August 17, 2010 | Categories: Profile | Tags: | Leave a comment

Mesut Özil becomes a Madridista!

Özil joins German compatriot Khedira (background) at Real

Mesut Özil has signed for  Real Madrid C.F. from SV Werder Bremen for a fee reported to be around €15m. The German youngster who was under the radar of several top clubs in Europe including the likes of Manchester United and Barça decided to join Real Madrid following Real’s second offer which Bremen could not refuse.

The official word from Real’s official website read:

Real Madrid C. F. and SV Werder Bremen have agreed to the transfer of Mesut Özil.

Werder turned down an offer which was described as “risible” by general manager Klaus Allofs last week but have now reached an agreement for Özil, who would have been available on a free transfer when his contract expired in 12 months. Werder had opened up new contract talks with the Özil a year ago, but the player officially rejected the club’s final offer prior to the World Cup. From that moment, it was clear Bremen would be forced to sell the 21-year-old. Earlier on Tuesday, Werder claimed they would play Özil in the Champions League on Wednesday, leaving him cup-tied, unless a deal was agreed in the next 24 hours. Allofs said:

If a club is looking to sign Mesut to play Champions League, then that club needs to make a decision before Wednesday. If Mesut Özil is a player of Werder Bremen on Wednesday, we are going to play him against Sampdoria.

However, Özil did not take part in the club’s final training session ahead of the clash as Real moved quickly to complete the deal. Following the deal Allofs said:

We respect Mesut’s wish to take the next step in his career at this point.

Özil will undergo a medical in Madrid on Wednesday and is reported to have agreeed a six-year contract to team up with international team-mate Sami Khedira and fellow new signings Ricardo Carvalho, Sergio Canales, Pedro León and Ángel di María.

Özil’s senior career began at FC Schalke 04 at the age of 17 but in January 2008 he moved to Bremen for €4.3m and the following year helped them win the German Cup and reach the UEFA Cup final, before inspiring his nation to victory at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Sweden. He had already made the step up to the senior international side and was nominated for the adidas Golden Ball at the 2010 FIFA World Cup after helping Germany finish third. He has now won 17 caps and in all made more than 100 appearances in all competitions for Bremen.

From a personal standpoint, this particular signing of Mesut Özil, I feel is the signing of the summer so far along with the move of retaining Sergio Canales. Özil is a sensational player and definitely is one for the future.

Para Siempre Blanco!

Hala Madrid!!

August 17, 2010 | Categories: Signing | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Ghana 0-1 Germany

A second-half Mesut Ozil volley proved enough for Germany to edge Ghana in a riveting, chance-rich contest at Soccer City, where the result proved enough to send both teams into the Round of 16. Joachim Low’s side finished as Group D winners to book a date with arch-rivals England, while Milovan Rajevac’s charges will now meet USA, after benefiting from Australia’s 2-1 defeat of Serbia to go through on goal difference.

Germany edge Ghana, both advance

It was evident from the outset that both teams were intent on playing adventurous football, and the chances were swift in arriving for Germany. The first fell to Cacau. Racing into the right side of the Ghana box, the Brazil-born 29-year-old struck the ball firmly but straight into the arms of a grateful Richard Kingson, who did well to gather Thomas Muller’s cross moments later.

After six minutes a headed clearance dropped to Lukas Podolski, whose first-time strike was deflected wide for a corner, which came to nothing. Almost immediately, the same player sprinted down the left and cut the ball back. Jonathan Mensah, under pressure from Cacau, almost turned it into his own net, but was spared by the diving Kingson. Ghana had their first chance on 13 minutes. Kwadwo Asamoah broke into the Germany box and unselfishly laid the ball back for Asamoah Gyan, whose effort was blocked by Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Midway through the half, Ozil deceived the offside trap and went clean through on goal. The Germany No8 looked odds-on to score, but Kingson spread himself masterfully and made a block with his legs. Ten minutes later it was his outstretched hands that came to Ghana’s rescue, repelling a Cacau drive from ten yards.

Andre Ayew expertly crafted a chance on the half-hour mark, a sublime feint allowing him to leave Jerome Boateng in his wake and cross for Gyan, who could not get enough power on his close-range header to trouble Manuel Neuer. The final opportunity of the opening 45 fell to Gyan, who outjumped his marker but was unable to keep his header down. The referee’s whistle, which could barely be heard for the immense noise inside Soccer City, then brought a compelling opening period to a close.

The Germans emerged intent on breaking the deadlock. However, despite being camped inside the Ghana half and dominating possession, they were unable to test Kingson in the opening five minutes. The Black Stars, by contrast, required just one attack to force Neuer into action. Gyan sent Asamoah through on goal, but his shot was expertly saved by the sprawling German No1.

The three-time world champions made their adversaries pay on the hour mark. Muller collected the ball on the right flank and played it square to Ozil, who was centrally positioned, two yards outside the area. The Werder Bremen playmaker touched the ball into the path of his left boot, and casually volleyed it past Kingson and just inside his right-hand post.

Ghana, undeterred, refused to accept defeat. Gyan headed into the side-netting on 64 minutes, before back-heeling the ball into the path of Ayew, whose goal-bound shot was crucially blocked by Philipp Lahm. The Europeans played more conservatively thereafter, and their ball retention kept Ghanaian opportunities at a minimum. Sulley Muntari had a half-chance for the west Africans, but his speculative shot from 25 yards flew over the bar.

Sami Khedira, Ozil and Podolski, so adept at finding white shirts with their passes, managed to play the clock down until the final whistle sparked German celebrations. Seconds later, upon hearing of Australia’s defeat of Serbia, Ghanaian arms were also flung jubilantly in the Johannesburg air. Germany will now face England in Mangaung/Bloemfontein on Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals, while Ghana will take on USA in Rustenburg 24 hours earlier.

June 24, 2010 | Categories: FIFA World Cup 2010, Match Reports | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Ins and Outs | S01P04

#1

I am back with Post#4 and do I have big news or what?! Cesc Fàbregas, yes the real one, is apparently a €50million January target for Real Madrid. According to The Mirror, both Barcelona and Real Madrid are preparing to enter into a January bidding war for the services of Cesc Fabregas, according to reports in the Spanish press.

According to them, Marca claims that the Arsenal skipper has made up his mind to leave the club at the end of the season, but both clubs are preparing massive bids to tempt Fabregas away in the next transfer window as Real Madrid, again according to them, are also on the look-out for a world class midfielder. And with Steven Gerrard considered too old, they consider Fabregas to be the ideal partner for Xabi Alonso.

But Arsenal insist that €50million is too much money for a single player and thus are willing to offload both Cesc and Ramsey to Real Madrid, if we are willing to buy of course.

Also, Barça who are considered to be the front runners in getting his signature have actually pissed off Arsenal ever since they stole Thierry Henry from them making Real the only potential suitors.

Source: The Mirror

Degree of genuineness: 2.0

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December 6, 2009 | Categories: Ins and Outs, Transfer Rumours | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment