Super Copa: Real Madrid Win Entertaining 8-Goal Affair

2012 Winners of the Spanish Super Copa, Real Madrid. 

Real Madrid (2) v. Barcelona (1) (4-4 on aggregate; RM wins with away goal rule)

Any Madrid-Barcelona encounter is a tantalizing affair, a recipe for enthrallment for even the most neutral of football fans.

Start off with the world's two best players (if you need to ask "who?" kindly slap yourself gently across the face with an open palm; repeat) playing among the world's most successful players, the Spanish National Team. Add several world beaters such as Ozil and Dani Alves and stir liberally with a century of fiery political and sporting rivalry. Now serve with a garnish of Mou (a coach as successful as he is easy to despise for many) and you have quite the tasty fare. 

Messi, Frustrated Genius

The tie has several talking points. Real Madrid simply did not look good at the Camp Nou and were kept in the game's first leg by a goalkeeping blunder by Valdez and some heroic defending by Sergio Ramos. Barcelona controlled most of the first leg (particularly through maestros Xavi and Iniesta), although Messi was kept quiet by an excellent effort from Xabi Alonso and Pepe. However, with sub-par performances across the pitch, a terrible display at Getafe (and a determined, driven comeback by Barca against Ossassuna), I was expecting an all-too-familiar scrappy affair which left Barcelona the hero. 

However, whatever "Mou" told the Madrid boys clearly worked with Madrid controlling much of the early part of the game, scoring twice (and having a third effort by Pepe dubiously flagged for an apparent foul on Mascherano). The side looked quite similar to the squad which played Barca and Getafe, except their seemed to be an increased sharpness and willingness to go forward. The Barca defense never looked convincing in the opening twenty minutes and by the time it settled, Barca was down 2-0 (a Puyol-less defense seems to be Barca's biggest ongoing only weakness). 

Messi had a few darting runs in the center which appeared threatening, but his visionary through-balls were cut off at the source. If one looks at the past three or four classicos, you will notice that Madrid targets Messi very closely, not just for man-marking, but as soon as he touches the ball, cutting off any path in front of him (which shows Mou's tactical evolution; Messi completely "pants-ed" Madrid in the first few Mou-led classico encounters). However, the pint-sized Picasso did provide one of the jaw-dropping moments of the second encounter with a devastating bending free-kick (with a curve on it that hasn't been seen since David Beckham plied his trade in Europe; although Suarez came close this past weekend). See for yourself!

And Ronaldo? Ronaldo provided a goal either half of the fixture, and definitely played a larger role in the second leg, running in behind the defenders. He wasn't able to leave his mark on the game he could, but his renewed energy provided a pace to the match which opened up the counter-attacking game (which Madrid is highly lethal at). Ronaldo's goal in today's affair was an amazing display of individual ability (although the fact that the he was able to complete his trickery, despite a misstep points to the Barca's sluggish defense in the opening minutes). Once again, see for yourself!

In the ongoing battle of Ronaldo v. Messi, the Super Copa provides a fairly tied round (Ronaldo scored twice; Messi scored once, but created more chances over two legs). By the by, did anyone catch in the post-game the deliberate attempt by both Messi and Ronaldo to NOT make eye-contact or shake hands? Juicy. 

From a Madrid fan's perspective it was interesting to see Modric in a Real Madrid jersey. I admit to being caustically cynical about this transfer, not for doubt of Modric's ability, but rather over confusion of how Modric would fit into the team. In today's game, he played the Kaka role: come on for Ozil, when the little Turk's heart is about to explode from exertion. Sarcasm aside, Modric's touches were stunning, confident and his connection with team-mates despite being signed less than 48 hours ago is a testament to the player that he is. It will be interesting to see how they regularly include him in their star-studded midfield ... and who will suffer? Ozil? Not likely. Khedira? Two different types of players? More likely Callejon's inclusion in the team will be dropped down to next-to-nothing. 

My "Man of the Match"? While every member of the Madrid team played a role in their tight victory - with definite nods needing to be directed towards Ozil, Ramos and Pepe - Barca would have scored three times from run-away opportunities if it wasn't for the world's best goalkeeper, Iker Casillas. 

Saint Iker, Man of the Match

Overall, this was one of the most free-flowing of the Classicos; relatively little stoppage, limited incident and all the talking points (almost) being from the onfield performances rather than from dirty tackles, off-the-ball incidents or "eye poking" (and yes, it is the anniversary of this unfortunate incident). It was a spectacle for the sport!

Stay tuned for upcoming entries on the end of the transfer market, the Champions' League draw, Round Three Round Up and my first Polish Player Update!

Please follow me on twitter: @SoccerExplains

The MESSI free-kick:

Week Two Wrap-Up // "This is sooo going in my blog!" - B. Stinson

I suspect that a lot of chronic football gamblers have lost a lot of money over the opening two weeks. There are bars spanning the globe teeming with weeping, teeth-gnashing men screaming: "Swansea?! Getafe?! West Brom?!? Who?!" The second week of the EPL & La Liga played testament to why football is the lovable - and infuriating - sport that it is. In addition to the games I will cover in-depth below, Swansea recorded another win (with West Ham; scoring three in the process), Tottenham made AVBs premiership misery continue with a home draw to West Brom and Everton continuing in fine form with a 3-1 win away to Aston Villa.

CHELSEA (2) v. NEWCASTLE (0)

The take away from this game? First, Chelsea are serious about challenging for the title. They clearly purchased with the intent of challenging for all four trophies and they look the business. 

Second, the picture (right) says it all: Hazard and Torres. Hazard has been the revelation of the season with an astonishing record of 4 assists, 2 penalties won and 1 goal. And that's what makes it into the stats' columns. The vision on this kid is amazing; he is constantly aware of what is going on ahead and behind him and he has the awareness and skillset to take advantage of it. Rewatch the Torres goal to see the combination-flick he does to play Torres on for a shot. Amazing. 

Torres winning the golden boot at the EUROS was exactly what the doctor ordered. His confidence is back and he is scoring goals, beautiful goals. His relationship with Hazard is still blossoming, but it looks to be one of the playmaker-striker combinations to look out for. 

Chelsea are notorious fast starters and Christmas faders, so fans of the blues will have to keep their fingers crossed that this isn't the case. With the bevy of talent they have in midfield, I don't think this shall be a problem (although their 3-2 loss to City show that there are chinks in the blue armor defensively). 

ARSENAL (0) v. STOKE CITY (0)

Look right and challenge yourself to not utilize an aged cliche about "pictures" and "thousand words". Yes, I failed too. Foremost, as a viewer, you are quite forgiven if you fell asleep for a portion of this game. 

Arsenal seemed to be brimming with un-utilized potential during their opener with Sunderland, particularly in the form of Cazorla, with some positive flickers from new boy Giroud. However, for the majority of this game, these flickers were quite faint. The surprise - and unfortunate - disappointment for me is Lukas Podolski, a personal favorite player of mine. Podolski appears to be still adhering to a different style of play, speed, mentality, etc. as he often miscommunicated with team-mates, collided with team-mates, or ran in a different direction than where the through ball was played. Anyone who has seen Podolski perform for Cologne or Germany knows what he is capable of; for the sake of Arsenal supporters, Podolski will figure out he's not playing in a German system and step into the void of Robin Van Persie (I went almost two hundred words without mentioning RVP! Record for a blogger writing about Arsenal?)

Stoke - while playing their dry brand of defensive football - once again demonstrated some of the "challenges" of the Premiership following last years performance, where they stunned many top sides.

LIVERPOOL (2) v. MANCHESTER CITY (2) 

After the attacking masterclass performance that City have demonstrated over the last two seasons (Note: I threw up a little in my mouth typing that), combined with the fact that Liverpool played worse than a Canadian High School team in their opener ... very, very few expected this to be anything but three points for the baby blues. 

However, Liverpool outplayed - let me say that again for emphasis "Liverpool outplayed" - City for much of the game and if it wasn't for Skrtl making one of the biggest gaffs he'll ever make, Liverpool would have recorded a massive win. 

Two take aways from this game? First and foremost, Liverpool is not the sinking piece of debris that everyone seems to suggest they are (well not entirely). While their manuevers in the transfer market are often dubious, expensive errors, Joe Allen deservedly received the Man of the Match accolade for his performance. Additionally positive is new kid Sterling not being blinded by the lime-light and putting in an immense performance against last year's champions. 

The second take-away? City have conceded two goals in their last three games. They are quite beatable. The trick is to withstand their 3-5-1-2 all-out-attack. On a side-note, I really cannot comprehend why Dzeko is sitting on the bench while Ballotelli plays...? Dzeko is much more mature, better at positioning and a better all around player. Alas, I don't really care .... 

GETAFE (2) vs. REAL MADRID (1)

It was an unexpected day for the top two teams in La Liga with Barca and Madrid both being involved in 2-1 scorelines with minnows. However, the difference lies in which side of the scoreline. While Messi bailed out Barcalona, Real Madrid was not able to secure any points against Getafe. Additionally, even from a position on the bench Coentrao got a straight-red for running his beak, which will leave Real Madrid without their more defense-minded CB for a couple games of suspension. 

For Real Madrid watchers, the opening game against Valencia left the suspicion that not all cylinders were firing within the team, particularly in Ronaldo, Ozil and Khedira. While the trio performed well enough versus Barca in the Spanish Super Copa, they put in another sub-par performance versus Getafe. Higuain - while scoring the one Madrid goal - was not able to sort out his feet on a lot of other close efforts. Much like Manchester United, Real Madrid looked sluggish during huge portions of their first few games ... and I strongly believe the pre-season tour in a European Cup year is to blame. 

The true talking point of the match: Mourinho's tactical gamble, by removing a defender and a defensive midfielder to put on a full array of attackers. This was at 1-1 and it left the shaky-looking Real Madrid defense even shakier. The question is: will "The Special One" (or is it "The Only One") take the lessons of the Getafe game - and his tactical blunder - to utilize a home victory in the return leg of the Super Copa? How will he be able to get the most out of clearly exhausted players who cannot be rested? Stay tuned. 

Check later in the week for my review of the Super Copa  & a column about Borussia Dortmund's start to the Bundasliga season. 

Please follow me on twitter: @SoccerExplains

United's First Two Matches: A Pragmatic Approach

NOTE: I will do a "weekend in review" entry on Monday to cover my views on the goings-on in EPL, La Liga & Bundasliga. I will have occasional entries focusing entirely on Manchester United, Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund such as this one. 

Since I am somewhat blessed with more free-time than I have ever encountered since my early teens this summer, I have frequented numerous blogs & twitter feeds by United fans. Some are certainly superior, but a definite overarching theme is the tendency to succumbing to hyperbole: it's either "doom's day" or "the title 100%". Following United's two games, the trend did not really sway. Some remained unduly negative, while others attacked their fellow fan's for not seeing United's performance as anything but the start of undisputed another title run. I'm going to attempt to take a more pragmatic approach when addressing the season opening.

THE POSITIVES: 

Kagawa. Kagawa is simply amazing. While United fans may rue - myself amongst them - the bypassing of Eden Hazard to Chelsea FC (where he is tearing up shit like a licensed backhoe operator), Kagawa has slotted into the side and is doing exactly what United needs him to do: provide that useful central link between midfield and the striker(s). While the all-around performance of United left much to be desired against Everton (United was lucky to not lose 3-0 or greater), Kagawa's passes-completed and movement provided a glimmer of hope to take away from a disappointing season opener. I have seen Kagawa put in several performances for B. Dortmund and these clever little bits of supporting play up front for Lewandowski is what made B. Dortmund such a lethal force in the Bundasliga last year. Against Fulham - where he was substituted much too early in my opinion - he scored once, and was involved in one matter or another in the other two. Kagawa - I believe - will be United's top player this season. 

United's Formation vs. Fulham. When United purchased Kagawa and RVP (pictured right, celebrating his first goal) the internet almost imploded with discussion of how Fergie was going to utilize both of them with the presence of Rooney, Chicharito & Wellbeck in the side as well as a multitude of midfielders. I believe the 4-5-1 that Fergie played versus Fulham IS the answer. The lone striker can be played by either RVP or Rooney, and this allows Kagawa to play where he needs to at the forefront of a diamond, in just behind. 

It should be noted that when United played 4-4-2 this season (vs. Everton & vs. Fulham for the final 30 minutes) they started to fall apart, because their midfield resources are much geared toward a diamond formation at the moment. Cleverly, Anderson & Valencia all played in this formation wonderfully for the first half vs. Fulham. I hope to see the relationship between Kagawa and Cleverly grow to perhaps recreate the partnership that Kagawa had with Polish-star Blaszczykowski .

Robin van Persie scoring. I guess this goes without saying, but I admit that I was holding my breath fearing a Fernando Torres-like start from RVP in a new system. His strike vs. Fulham FC was nothing short of world class. While RVP vanished in the latter half of the game, his link play with the midfield, even dropping back as false-9 link player following Rooney's introduction was encouraging as well. 

THE NEGATIVES:

The defense. United's defense never looked 100% sturdy for the run-in of last year with Vidic missing and the roles constantly being rotated as injuries dropped the back-line like flies. Unfortunately this trend has continued with Ferdinand, Jones, Smalling and Evans all injured for the start of the season. At the risk of resorting to the sort of smart-ass-told-ya-so attitude that I tend to despise in fellow football bloggers, this was something I feared as soon as John O'Shea parted ways with United. United's most versatile player was always willing to cover whatever position opened up due to injury. Additionally, United purchased two new strikers this season and only a single defender, Buttner (who is covering a position that rarely opens due to injury, LB). In the short-term, United needs to get AN ACTUAL DEFENDER in the CB position, because Carrick - bless his heart - is making a real hash-job of it. Jones and Ferdinand are said to be nearing fitness; throw on Jones for the easier matches, Ferdinand for the Liverpool match. In the long run: buy some more defenders. United need to replace Rio's experience in the centre and ideally they need it with a player who can stay fit more than 50% of the season. 

Second half apathy. Combined with the make-shift defense, second half apathy cost United the title last year (if one recalls they were 8 points ahead of City at one point in the run-in). The Fulham game was prime for this: leading comfortably up by 3-1 and then after 60 minutes, play became negative and players such as Young, Anderson and (even) Valencia faded from the game. This partially might be due to the odd formation that United was trying (Wellbeck, RVP in midfield; Giggs in the center and then on the right???), but Ferguson really needs to figure out how to get 90 minutes out of his players once again. 

Nani. For me Nani is a player of "3s". For every three games that he plays well, he will be absolutely abysmal for another three. This trait has long been a source of frustration for me since I greatly love his highlights; however, this consistent inconsistency is starting to grate on my nerves. He has the potential to be a game-winner, but so often his ego, selfishness and determination to BE Cristiano Ronaldo have significantly hindered the team. This was perfectly on display versus Everton. Ferguson clearly has noticed this and did not even grant Nani a position on the bench versus Fulham ... to which Nani responded by storming out of Old Trafford in a huff. 

Pre-Season Exhaustion. One common theme that I've noticed this year (with the exception of Chelsea FC) is that all the teams that did extensive pre-season tours (United, Liverpool, Real Madrid, PSG, Tottenham) have had sluggish starts. I feel that pre-seasons in EURO & WC years should be limited ... and definitely not span the globe the way United did. Africa-China-Scandinavia is just too busy for these players, with a lot of Euro players forced to join the team for the final leg, despite only 4 weeks off following European Championship. 

Overall, I have confidence United will find their stride as the season progresses and the positives get stronger, but I add a cautionary note: if United's negatives are not addressed and United (and it's fans) don't take the in-form Chelsea and City 100% seriously then United is cruising towards a third-place finish. Additionally, Swansea, Fulham and Stoke have all demonstrated the EPL's teams are ALL getting better, so lackluster performances will be punished regardless of the badge on the shirt. 

A brief introduction.

Ever since I saw a football, I wanted to kick it. Ever since I saw a televised match, I wanted to follow it. Ever since I read about football, I wanted to write about it. All my favorite memories stem from football, all my best personal relationships are somehow based in football. Football - for all the weekly headaches and bruised-hands-from-thumping-nearby-objects - has brought me joy like no other.

When asked my religion I reply cheekily with football. At least it seems cheeky until one takes notice of my weekly / daily rituals, the time spent on my knees pleading with gaffers and "Special Ones" & the "Plato's cave" devotion to take note that it is in fact a religion to me.

During my undergraduate "career" I tricked my school paper into letting me be the sports' editor for the single purpose of pumping out a weekly half-page column, evicting the inner-cerebral-rumblings of a footy-mad brain. It was entitled "From the Offside Position". It has been several years, but I believe it is time to dust it off, spray any "knocks" and send it in for extra-time.

This is it - standing about a yard offside, hands-on-its-hips, glaring intently at "the rest" for not "being on the same wavelength". Picture a literary Inzaghi.

I follow the EPL, La Liga, Bundasliga & the Champions' League. I have an admitted passionate preference towards Man United, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund & all Polish-born players. I like to think I provide a well-rounded opinion, but I have been known to get preachy in a fire-and-brimstone persuasion when I feel one of my teams or players have been wronged. Oh, and I really hate Manchester City.   

Enjoy.