<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://view4.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/9361857/world-news-july-2010/world-news-july-2010.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333"></figure></div>Can Jose Mourinho lead Karim Benzema back into the flock?</div>
With the reinstitution of the Galáctico policy following Florentino Pérez’s return as President of Real Madrid last summer, Pérez wasted no time in the second construction of his universe-beating side. &nbsp;Lost in the shuffle of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, and Xabi Alonso joining the club, Karim Benzema quietly transferred from Olympique Lyonnais to Real Madrid, if a €35 million transfer can be considered as quiet.
Real stalwart Gonzalo Higuaín and aging team legend and Real all-time goal-scorer Raúl González Blanco stood in the way of Karim Benzema from immediately usurping the starting center forward position in trainer (what managers are called in Spain) Manuel Pellegrini’s system. &nbsp;After a couple months of shuffling the starting eleven, Pellegrini justifiably relegated Benzema to a role as a super sub, marginalizing Benzema’s impact on the pitch.
Another summer of world-class player signings and a coaching change signaled a dying hope that Benzema would become more of the player that garnered €35 million for Lyon in 2009. &nbsp;No such luck for Benzema, as José Mourinho opted for his patented 4-2-3-1 with Gonzalo Higuaín as the lone figure up front. &nbsp;In his only start in La Liga this season against Osasuna, the Real Madrid attack played disjointedly, and Benzema ghosted through his seventy-one minute appearance with little to no impact.
With an important match against Hércules, the giant-killers of La Liga this season, Mourinho saw no reason to change a successful lineup, which meant another seat on the substitute’s bench for Karim Benzema.

If Real Madrid had any inclinations of cruising through their match against Hércules, the Greek demi-god punched them in the mouth early when David Trézéguet tallied the opening goal in the third minute. &nbsp;David Cortés provided the perfect cross from the right wing, and from just inside the penalty spot, Pepe could not recover to challenge Trézéguet in the air, and Trézéguet lofted his header to the right far post, where Iker Casillas could only watch helplessly as the ball nestled into his net.
Hércules has written this story in volumes this season. &nbsp;They sauntered into the Camp Nou without any visible signs of nervousness or tension and defeated Barcelona 0-2 on the backing of two Nelson Haedo Valdez strikes. &nbsp;At home against Sevilla, David Trézéguet notched a brace as they made los nervionenses look lifeless and diffident, ultimately costing Sevilla trainer Antonio Álvarez his job. &nbsp;On a Monday night, with Villarreal needing a win to sit on top of the mountain in La Liga for the first time in its history, Hércules did not treat their Valencian neighbors with such exaltation as they fought to a 2-2 draw after falling a man down for the majority of the second half.
Ángel di María equalized early in the second half after capitalizing on Hércules goalkeeper Juan Calatayud spillage from Cristiano Ronaldo’s thirty-yard speculative effort, and while Real heaped the pressure on Hércules, they could not fashion the killer chance that would give them the lead. &nbsp;With fifteen minutes left on the clock, José Mourinho made his first switch of the match, taking out the central defender Pepe and sending in striker Karim Benzema. &nbsp;While many note Mourinho for his ability to inspire his players and his acumen for defensively organizing his teams on the pitch with the control of an obsessive-compulsive, his adroitness to move the chess pieces around during the match remains understated.
After Benzema posted another poor game against Real Murcia in the Copa del Rey, no one would have been surprised if Benzema fell off Mourinho’s map completely. &nbsp;Before that Copa del Rey tie on Tuesday, Mourinho sent an ultimatum to his player concerning their Segunda División B hosts:
<blockquote>“If last year’s situation (at Alcorcon) repeats itself, I will cross those who play off my list because they will be dead to me.”</blockquote>
Mourinho invoked the spirit of Don Vito Corleone with that line, but with most of what Mourinho says during press conferences, these statements should be taken with a grain of salt. &nbsp;After Marcelo and sporting director Jorge Valdano vowed their support for Benzema, Mourinho reiterated his backing for the under-fire Benzema. &nbsp;At the Friday press conference preceding their Saturday match against Hércules, Mourinho encouraged Benzema while deflecting criticism of his player by taking pot shots at his rivals, a Mourinho specialty:
<blockquote>“The person primarily responsible for his performance is the player himself. &nbsp;The coach is simply an employee. &nbsp;He is not playing well, but he is not dead. &nbsp;We will try to improve him and get him to a level close to his potential. &nbsp;There are other teams who have other players who have cost a lot of money and have not gotten enough goals.”</blockquote>
This thinly veiled attack on “struggling” FC Barcelona striker David Villa surely had the scribes in the Madrid and Barcelona press in full typing and writing gear, which served Mourinho’s purpose perfectly, as it took the attention away from Benzema and on another topic.
Benzema could not hide behind Mourinho’s words anymore as he sent the French international in to change the match with a quarter of an hour left.
Hiding would be the antonym of what Benzema provided for los blancos, and six minutes after Benzema’s inclusion into the match, Real stunned the crowd in the Estadio José Rico Pérez with the go-ahead goal to make it 1-2.
Marcelo should get credit for most of that goal as his run down the left flank and up the end line, rounding David Cortés on the way with strength not normally associated with the Brazilian fullback, provided the decisive cutback pass for Benzema in the penalty area. &nbsp;With a striker’s instinct, Benzema’s first-time shot blistered at Calatayud’s goal, forcing Calatayud to parry it away with aplomb due to the velocity of the shot. &nbsp;Fortunately for Real Madrid, the rebound off Calatayud’s save went straight to Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ronaldo side-footed it into the open net.
With a slim one-goal lead, an insurance goal would put the match away for Real, and in the 86th minute, that situation occurred to give the league-leaders the 1-3 cushion. &nbsp;Ronaldo provided the through ball for Benzema into space near the endline on the right wing, and Benzema rewarded Ronaldo with a pinpoint cutback pass from the endline, and Ronaldo made no mistake with his first-time effort as he powered it past Calatayud to his right near post.
1-3 fulltime, and no two men were happier with the win than José Mourinho and Karim Benzema.
In Greek mythology, Hercules died after he wore a tunic his wife Deianeira gave him covered in Hydra’s poisonous blood. &nbsp;Deianeira did not know that the tunic contained the blood because the mischievous centaur Nessus gave the shirt to her, telling her it would bring about the excitement of love to her husband. &nbsp;Benzema was that blood-soaked tunic, and Mourinho played the part of Deianeira, not knowing that Benzema would ultimately kill Hércules with his striking poison.
While Hércules suffered this Greek tragedy, Karim Benzema became the hero, if only for a day. &nbsp;Like Odysseus, Benzema is still traveling on his odyssey to find the consistent form that the Madridistas demand and the exorbitant transfer fee expects.
Will a superb fifteen minutes turn around over a year of underwhelming play for club and country? &nbsp;With a settled starting eleven that shows no signs of breaking down, Benzema will have to prove his worth in substitute appearances in La Liga and the Champions League and spot starts in the Copa del Rey. &nbsp;When the rumors flew around that Benzema was leaving the Stade de Gerland and Lyon, Benzema did not play up to his capabilities, as Lyon did not win Ligue 1 in 2009 after seven consecutive championships.
As the rumors continue to swirl about his transfer out of Madrid to Manchester United and other European suitors, Benzema will need to provide more efficient performances, as he did in his fifteen-minute stint against Hércules. &nbsp;When Lyon faded in the 2008-09 season to a distant third place, Benzema was the central figure in Lyon’s attack, and although he scored seventeen goals, second behind André-Pierre Gignac’s twenty-four, Benzema’s personality befits more of a secondary scorer rather than the main man.
Benzema certainly is not the center of focus with Real Madrid with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuaín delivering the majority of the scoring. &nbsp;If Benzema keeps his nose to the grindstone and focuses on his football rather than what the writers are saying about him, it might not keep him in Madrid but will make him look much more attractive to other European suitors. &nbsp;Benzema is likely playing for his next job, and Real Madrid should be excited about that prospect because he will try twice as hard to look good for Manchester United, et al., which means a higher chance of productive performances for Real Madrid and Mourinho’s men.
Fueras de Juego
– Villarreal should feel fortunate to come away from the monsoon in El Molinón with a 1-1 draw after former Villarreal midfielder Sebastián Eguren gave his old team a gift by putting his arms around Carlos Marchena in the penalty area in stoppage time to hand the Yellow Submarine a soft penalty. &nbsp;Marchena predictably fell to the ground like a sack of flour when he felt a hint of Eguren’s arms around him. &nbsp;The match could be twisted as a good comeback with a man down after Gonzalo Rodríguez received his second yellow card with fifteen minutes left, but it showed more that Villarreal still has trouble winning away from El Madrigal, and these types of results will prevent them from challenging Barcelona and Real Madrid, unfortunately.
– Espanyol made Deportivo La Coruña look like the “Super Depor” of a decade ago as the Galicians earned their first victory of the season with a 3-0 thumping of Espanyol at El Riazor on Sunday afternoon. &nbsp;Similar to Villarreal, Espanyol finds it hard to achieve results away from home, but whereas Villarreal’s 2-2-1 away record is decent enough to challenge for a UEFA Champions League spot, Espanyol’s 1-0-4 dreadful away record will prevent los periquitos from earning a top-six spot and a UEFA Europa League berth. &nbsp;Due to the other results this weekend, Espanyol somehow stayed in fifth position after Jornada 9, but until they can right their woes away from the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat, Espanyol will end up with another mid-table finish.
– Although Málaga created eight more scoring chances than Real Sociedad (11 to 3), held 58% of the possession, and had six more shots on target than Real Sociedad (9 to 3), La Liga’s most explosive team on both ends of the pitch lost again at home, this time to Real Sociedad 1-2. &nbsp;Five losses out of five at La Rosaleda are simply inexcusable for Jesualdo Ferreira’s team as they fall into the relegation zone for the first time this season. &nbsp;For Real Sociedad, the trio of Antoine Griezmann, Xabi Prieto, and Joseba Llorente are as entertaining an attacking force as any in La Liga, including the Messi-Pedro-Villa threesome at Barcelona, Ronaldo-Higuaín-di María at Real, or Nilmar-Rossi-Cazorla at Villarreal. &nbsp;Llorente slotted a perfectly weighted through ball for Griezmann, which Griezmann placed into the net for the opening goal, and Xabi Prieto curled a meticulous cross from the left wing that Llorente could not miss.
– In Sevilla’s last two matches in La Liga at the Camp Nou as well as the second leg of the 2010 Supercopa de España in Barcelona, Sevilla lost all those matches 4-0. &nbsp;Saturday night’s match against Barcelona in the Camp Nou broke that trend. &nbsp;It was 5-0 in favor of Barcelona.

La Liga Jornada 9 Review: Real Madrid Passes Herculean Test

La Liga Jornada 9 Review: Real Madrid Passes Herculean Test - World Soccer Talk

<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://view3.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/8741978/deportivo-coruna-rcd/deportivo-coruna-rcd.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="315"></figure></div>Depor could definitely use their former left back Filipe Luís Kasmirski at this dire moment.</div>
Flashback ten years ago to the year 2000. &nbsp;La Liga rose to the top spot of the UEFA coefficient rankings for the first time since 1966. &nbsp;The final of the UEFA Champions League featured two Spanish teams with Real Madrid defeating Valencia 3-0 at the Stade de France. &nbsp;Despite that Champions League victory, Real Madrid only finished fifth in the league, as Deportivo La Coruña won their first championship in its history. &nbsp;This started a five-year run where the Galicians played their best football in the Champions League, and they did not finish worse than third in La Liga. &nbsp;Fast-forward to September 26, 2010, and this Depor is eons away from their former selves as they played with impotence after they meekly fell to Almería 0-2 at the Riazor.
Last season, this column asked the question <a href="http://www.laligatalk.com/can-deportivo-la-coruna-be-super-depor-again/2124">if Deportivo could return to their “Super Depor” days</a>, but now, staying in the first division has come to the forefront for manager Miguel Ángel Lotina as Depor has continued their dip form since halfway through the previous campaign.

At first glance, the obvious, glaring problem lies within the Depor attack. &nbsp;Two goals in their first five matches, both via Andrés Guardado penalties, will not invoke fear in any opposing defense. &nbsp;Adrián and Lassad Nouioui lacked any chemistry between them heading the front line, and Riki, their top goal-scorer last year with only eight, has made constant reservations with the medical staff as he struggles with injury. &nbsp;Andrés Guardado, the most dynamic player for Deportivo La Coruña, has become a frustrated figure as his constant exertions have ultimately led to little result.
On the left wing, Guardado has missed the presence of Filipe Luís Kasmirski, now patrolling the &nbsp;left side of the defense with Atlético Madrid. &nbsp;Depor sailed high in the table throughout the first half of the 2009/10 season when Filipe Luís scored the opening goal against Athletic Bilbao in Jornada 19. &nbsp;The events that ensued in scoring that goal left grisly images and video of Filipe Luís’ ankle completely disfigured after Bilbao goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz unintentionally pinned Filipe Luís underneath him.
Rarely is the starting left back the best and most important player of a team, but Filipe Luís embodied both of those roles, and<a href="http://www.laligatalk.com/in-winning-the-battle-against-athletic-bilbao-deportivo-la-coruna-may-have-lost-the-war-in-la-liga/2685"> Lotina said as much</a> when he said that he would have rather been in the relegation zone and have a healthy and fit Filipe Luís than the fifth-place team that they were without him. &nbsp;It was no coincidence that Depor’s fall from the European places coincided with Filipe Luís’ injury.
They never scored many goals with him, but without him, Guardado, Riki, Juan Domínguez, and Juan Rodríguez all saw their levels drop. &nbsp;Depor scored the second fewest goals in La Liga with a mere thirty-five tallies, and with the selling of Filipe Luís to Atlético Madrid for €12 million, the offensive slump continues to be a major problem. &nbsp;Laure, Zé Castro, and Knut Olav Rindarøy have failed to provide support for Guardado on the left flank, and with the financial difficulties that Depor face, they cannot afford to bring in a clinical striker that can finish off the few moves that Depor create.
Deportivo La Coruña and recently promoted Hércules share many similarities in terms of their footballing philosophies, but Hércules bolstered their front line with Nelson Haedo Valdez and David Trézéguet to provide a cultured air to those scoring chances. &nbsp;While Trézéguet’s wife was originally from Alicante and likely influenced his move to Hércules, Borussia Dortmund made Valdez available to any European team that would pay for his transfer. &nbsp;Hércules splashed the €3.8 million necessary to pry Valdez from Germany, and Valdez won the match for Hércules at the Camp Nou against Barcelona, and Trézéguet won the match against Sevilla at home.
Depor could only afford to look into the free transfer market and the loan signing market because the money from the Filipe Luís sale had to be used for their internal debt. &nbsp;Yves Desmarets and Rubén Pérez have not exactly inspired in the midfield, and their loan signing from Valencia, Míchel Hererro, has been spending too much time with Riki in the training room with injury.
In Sunday’s match against Almería, while the offense maintained their lack of form, the usually solid back line of Manuel Pablo, Alberto Lopo, Diego Colotto, and the carousel of left backs (Knut Olav Rindarøy for yesterday’s match) blinked twice, and with such fine margins at which Depor are playing, a two-goal deficit is simply too large to overcome at this bleak moment.
Kalu Uche scored in the 5th minute from a straightforward corner to the six-yard box, and with Depor’s zonal marking system, Uche scythed through the mass of players and flew through the air unmarked as Depor goalkeeper Manu had no chance to get a finger on Uche’s header.
Uche sealed his brace in the 19th minute through fortunate circumstances, but he can thank Rindarøy for his second goal because Rindarøy’s attempted clearance inside the box took a wicked deflection off Albert Crusat onto the crossbar, and with a sprawled Manu after trying to get his hand onto the deflection, the rebound off the crossbar caromed directly to Uche, who headed it in unmolested for the 0-2 cushion.
Then a few minutes prior to the halftime whistle, Diego Colotto received a straight red card for what referee José Luis González González deemed to be a denial of a clear goal-scoring opportunity as Colotto stuck a leg out to prevent Pablo Piatti from entering the penalty area. &nbsp;Piatti’s final touch that forced Colotto into the foul may or may not have been retrieved by Manu, but nevertheless, Piatti caught Colotto flat-footed and made the decision go to the referee rather than Colotto getting into the correct position so that he would not have had to leave his leg hanging to stop Piatti.
With all of these negative consequences on the pitch, the normally supportive and frenzied Riazor turned on their players, and every time Lotina made a substitution, the whistles rained down, especially on Yves Desmarets and Adrián when they left the pitch.
The final whistle blew after ninety-three minutes, but the Depor fans (well, whatever fans were left by that time) drowned out González González’s whistle with whistles of their own as they shouted their disgust with the players. &nbsp;While they vented their venom for the final result, they seemed more frustrated that Depor laid down in the second half, even though they were a man down, and let Almería cruise without any extended effort.
Is there any light for Depor as they stumble into the arduous middle of the season? &nbsp;Save for this performance against Almería, the defensive four remains a stout unit, and if Depor can sneak in a goal or two, those goals have a decent chance of standing up as match-winners. &nbsp;Until Riki rises to full health, Depor will have to scrap and scratch and claw for goals, and even when Riki returns to the starting eleven, the onus will be on captain Manuel Pablo to lead the defense and concede one or zero goals in order to stay afloat.
Paging Roy Makaay and Diego Tristán to the emergency room. &nbsp;Depor is on life support.
Fueras de Juego
– In Greek mythology, Hercules made his name with his strength and giant-killing. &nbsp;In 2010, Hércules CF follow in their eponymous namesake as they slay their second giant, Sevilla, on Sunday evening with a 2-0 victory, courtesy of two David Trézéguet goals in the first half. &nbsp;Sevilla chairman José María del Nido needed a final pillar to break so that he could bring in former Mallorca manager Gregorio Manzano and sack Antonio Álvarez, and a loss to Hércules provided the ammo del Nido desired. &nbsp;The Álvarez era ended with a Copa del Rey triumph, a last-breath win to secure fourth place in La Liga, an embarrassing exit from the UEFA Champions League to Sporting Braga, and a listless five matches in this current season.
– Real Madrid must have caught the Depor disease because they too cannot fire the ball into the back of the net. &nbsp;A 0-0 draw at the Estadi Ciutat de València to lowly Levante will ratchet the pressure on José Mourinho as he tries to mix the right ingredients for his master plan. &nbsp;After a visit to Auxerre in the Champions League, they host Deportivo La Coruña in the late Sunday match in Jornada 6 in a game sure to have plenty of goals…
– With low expectations following a season that came within a minute and a half of a Champions League playoff berth, new manager Michael Laudrup has steered Mallorca to a respectable seven points through five matches, including a comfortable 2-0 win over a Real Sociedad side that will trouble La Liga sides all season long. &nbsp;Fernando Cavenaghi scored both goals for Mallorca, and if Laudrup can count on Cavenaghi to score goals after his long drought last season with Bordeaux and through the first four games with Mallorca, Laudrup will be a contender for the Don Balón Award for the best manager of the year in Spain.

La Liga Jornada 5 Review: Deportivo La Coruña Sinks Into the Relegation Zone

La Liga Jornada 5 Review: Deportivo La Coruña Sinks Into the Relegation Zone - World Soccer Talk

<div style="text-align: center"><a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/hercules-player-nelson/image/9731836?term=barcelona+hercules" target="_blank"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://view3.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/9731836/hercules-player-nelson/hercules-player-nelson.jpg?size=500&amp;imageId=9731836" border="0" alt="Hercules&apos; Nelson Valdez (L) and Abel Aguilar celebrate a goal against Barcelona during their Spanish first division soccer match at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, September 11, 2010. REUTERS/Albert Gea (SPAIN - Tags: SPORT SOCCER IMAGES OF THE DAY)" width="500" height="323"></figure></div></a></div>
Before this current season, Hércules CF&nbsp;had tasted top flight football only twice in the past twenty-five years: the 1985-86 season, when their neighbors to north, Valencia, also suffered relegation for the first time in its illustrious history; and the 1996-97 season, when the Alicante club spent one campaign in La Liga before subsequent relegation to the Segunda División.
Even though they finished twenty-first in that season where twenty-two teams competed in the first division for the final time, they foiled Barcelona’s chances of capturing the La Liga crown with two stirring come-from-behind victories against the Catalans. &nbsp;Barcelona fronted their attack with one of the greatest trios in Spanish football history: Ronaldo, Hristo Stoichkov, and Luís Figo, but they proved to be insufficient against the supposedly weaker team.
Specifically, at the Camp Nou, when Luis Enrique and Ronaldo gave Barça the 2-0 lead, the situation seemed bleak for Hércules and looked to be another routine win for the Blaugrana. Hércules stormed back with a couple of goals to even the score, and then Eduardo Rodríguez took a long ball and absolutely turned great French defender and current French national team coach Laurent Blanc inside out as Rodríguez slotted it home in between goalkeeper Vítor Baía’s legs. &nbsp;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwobMrJO2g0&amp;feature=related">Click here to witness that nugget of brilliance</a>.
If Hércules were to pull off yet another shocking result at the Camp Nou this season as they did fourteen years ago, they needed Barcelona to play lower than their astronomical standard as well as capitalize on the few chances that Barça would afford them. &nbsp;To the ownership and manager’s credit, they brought in quality players from the summer transfer market that could aid Hércules not only to avoid relegation but also to compete with vim and vigor against the top clubs in Spain. &nbsp;Six of their summer signings started against Barcelona, including three well-known players with European experience: Royston Drenthe from Real Madrid, Nelson Haedo Valdez from Borussia Dortmund, and Juventus legend David Trezeguet.

As is the case with many of the smaller clubs in Spain, Hércules had to find hidden jewels in the transfer market that were talented yet unwanted by their teams (Royston Drenthe, Abel Aguilar and Nelson Valdez), loan signings that were willing to join a club that had just risen to the Spanish Primera (Matías Fritzler and Royston Drenthe), and veteran players that felt they still had significant contributions to give to their prospective clubs (David Cortés and David Trezeguet).
As with any major upset, Hércules needed a few breaks to fall their way, and even before the match commenced, they saw on the team sheet that Pep Guardiola did not put out his optimal starting eleven. &nbsp;With the Argentina – Spain friendly taking place in Buenos Aires a mere four days prior to this match, ten of the Barça players had to travel back and forth from the Southern Hemisphere, and while these players will never use FIFA International dates as excuses, to dismiss the significance of such travels within a short period of time would be disingenuous. &nbsp;Five of the regular starting eleven did not begin on the pitch for Barcelona, the most important of these players being Xavi Hernández, the conductor of the Barcelona attack.
A lack of chemistry was ever apparent in all three lines of Barcelona’s starting lineup with the hodgepodge of players filling in for the normal starters. &nbsp;Bojan Krkic started in place of Pedro Rodríguez, and Bojan’s only impactful involvement in the match came when he unnecessarily attempted a cute back heel shot after David Villa and Maxwell combined on the left flank to create the space for Maxwell to deliver a spot-on squared cross to the six-yard box. &nbsp;Pedro came in for Bojan to start the second half and immediately created havoc down the left flank that Bojan could not muster in forty-five minutes.
Javier Mascherano made his first start for Barcelona after his €22 million move from Liverpool&nbsp;as the defensive midfielder in place of Sergio Busquets, and he looked out of place from the normal Barça flow. &nbsp;Mascherano will adjust accordingly to the Spanish game, and he will learn that some of the challenges he attempted on Saturday that were allowed in the Premier League will not be as tolerated in La Liga. &nbsp;Pep Guardiola substituted him at the beginning of the second half in favor of Xavi, and much like Pedro, Barcelona became more decisive in the Hércules half of the pitch and less ponderous with their abundance of possession.
Outlining Barça’s negatives, however, would take away from Hércules’ allegorical performance. &nbsp;Hércules manager Esteban Vigo knew that his team would likely own less than 30% of the possession, so converting on their few chances became vital if his team had any opportunity to achieve the supposed unthinkable. &nbsp;One of those moments arrived in the 26th minute when Mascherano cynically knocked Royston Drenthe down to prevent a potential scoring chance. &nbsp;The only reason referee Carlos Velasco Carballo did not give Mascherano a yellow card was that he booked Mascherano a few minutes earlier for another professional foul, and he likely felt a second yellow card so early in the match would be considered overbearing.
Drenthe floated the free kick into a scrum of players in the box, and after Víctor Valdés saved&nbsp;Abraham Paz’s shot from Abel Aguliar’s flick-on header, Nelson Valdez took advantage of the rebound and completely&nbsp;mis-hit&nbsp;his effort into the ground. &nbsp;Fortunately, for Valdez and his team, the bounce from his shot tantalizingly rose over Valdés and bundled into goal for the 0-1 lead.
Barcelona came out of the dressing room with a roar with Pedro and Xavi coming in to the team to start the second half, and Hércules goalkeeper Juan Calatayud stood up to the arduous task of keeping the ball out of his net. &nbsp;He received the assurance of a two-goal cushion in the 59th minute when Nelson Valdez scored his second goal to fortify their tenuous and slender one-goal advantage.
Tiago Gomes played a nice one-two with David Cortés to provide space down the right flank, and Gomes looked up to see the situation near the right edge of the penalty area and laid a perfect cutback for Valdez just inside the box. &nbsp;He took the shot on first-time and curled it past a desperate and a sprawled Víctor&nbsp;Valdés. &nbsp;Two opportunities for Hércules in sixty minutes, and they worked each chance into a goal.
Hércules naturally sat back after Valdez’s second goal, and while Barcelona peppered Calatayud with shot after shot, only a few of those shots truly threatened his goal, and he can give thanks to his defensive four that contained and bottled up Lionel Messi and David Villa as much as any team could possibly do against two of the best forwards in the world of football.
A 0-2 final, and the fiesta in Alicante ran through the Spanish evening and into the early hours of Sunday morning.
Esteban Vigo, while amazed at their achievement, spoke like a football manager after the win:
<blockquote>“This is a day this club will remember. &nbsp;We did very well understanding Barcelona’s style of play, and we made things very difficult for them… It’s a historic day, but it’s just three points. &nbsp;Right now I’m delighted, and this will stay in my résumé as a coach, but let’s remember that we’ve won nothing yet and on Monday, it’ll all be gone.”</blockquote>
Can other teams use Hércules’ tactics to compete against Barcelona? &nbsp;Maybe.
Has Barcelona been figured out? &nbsp;Every team knows what they will do, but hardly anyone has stopped them in three years.
Is this match an ominous sign for Barcelona? &nbsp;Hardly. &nbsp;Remember when Numancia defeated Barcelona 1-0 in 2008 in Pep Guardiola’s first match in La Liga as Barcelona’s manager? &nbsp;Six trophies later, that loss actually might have spurred on Barcelona to take nothing for granted.
Will the gap between Real Madrid and Barcelona and the rest of La Liga shift closer than the current chasm? &nbsp;The first two rounds of any season can be quite deceiving if extrapolated to the rest of the campaign.
The most important question following Saturday’s stupefaction is if Hércules can take this momentum into the rest of their La Liga campaign and avoid relegation. &nbsp;Even though they defeated Barcelona twice in the 1996-97 season, they went down to Liga Adelante at the end of the season. &nbsp;With the caliber of talent brought in for this season, along with those who fought last season for Hércules to earn promotion, this team from the southern part of the Valencian Community will not have to worry about the relegation dogfight, much like Málaga in 2008-09 when they rose from the Segunda División to finish in eighth place.
Enough of the questions and thinking. &nbsp;For the residents of Alicante, the last two nights partying and celebrating at the Playa de San Juan shows that eleven people with a ball can do wonders not only for themselves but also for the city in which they play.
Fueras de Juego
– Usually, an indirect free kick inside the penalty area happens rarely, but in the first two rounds of La Liga, there have been three such situations, including one this past weekend between Valencia and Racing de Santander when David Albelda unintentionally kicked the ball to his goalkeeper César Sánchez, and César picked it up. &nbsp;On all three occasions, the team with the indirect free kick did not score.
– Málaga had six ocasiones de gol (scoring chances) in the first half against Real Zaragoza and scored on five of them, and the last of those chances should have been converted when Quincy Owusu-Abeyie took the shot rather than passing to Edinho who had the goal at his mercy. &nbsp;Zaragoza goalkeeper and La Liga veteran Leo Franco was culpable for a couple of those goals, and if this were ice hockey, he would have been pulled before the half was over. &nbsp;To Zaragoza’s credit, they did score three to make the score look somewhat respectable, but the defense, the worst among the teams that avoided relegation last season, continues to be a chronic problem.
– Eduardo Iturralde González can conservatively be called the most demonstrative referee in La Liga, and he further proved this assertion yesterday when he was in charge of the Villarreal – Espanyol match. &nbsp;Iturralde González issued twelve yellow cards and a red card, and at least three of the yellow cards were due to dissent. &nbsp;While these players might have said the magic words to receive the admonishments, Iturralde González is partly to blame for his penchant to inflame incidents that need not have extra gasoline.

La Liga Jornada 2 Review: Hércules Proves Its Strength Against Barcelona

La Liga Jornada 2 Review: Hércules Proves Its Strength Against Barcelona - World Soccer Talk

<div style="text-align: center"><a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/sports-news-august-2010/image/9499132?term=Juventus" target="_blank"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://view4.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/9499132/sports-news-august-2010/sports-news-august-2010.jpg?size=500&amp;imageId=9499132" border="0" alt="Aug. 06, 2010 - 06282320 date 05 08 2010 Copyright imago Gribaudi ImagePhoto GC Modena 53 08 2010 Europe League Juventus Shamrock RVs Photo Giuseppe Celeste Image Photo Esultanza Gol Alessandro DEL Piero PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxITA Football men UEFA Europe League Europe League EC 3 Qualification 2010 2011 Modena Action shot Vdig xkg 2010 horizontal Highlight premiumd." width="500" height="333"></figure></div></a></div>
Mention the 2009-2010 season to Juventus’ 170 million fans and they will shake their head in disgust.&nbsp; Italy’s most successful and <a href="http://www.repubblica.it/2008/08/sezioni/sport/calcio/sondaggio-calcio/tifo-juve-inter/tifo-juve-inter.html" target="_blank">beloved</a> soccer team was a shell of itself, missing out on a European tournament spot due to poor play and aging players.&nbsp; It is not a coincidence that the Italian national team also failed to live up to expectations in the World Cup, as Juve players made up a large contingent of the team.&nbsp; Overall, it was a season to forget in Stadio Olimpico and the club wasted no time in cleaning house, replacing individuals from the team president down.&nbsp; The new Juventus still has many familiar names, but has strengthened its weaknesses to make a run at the top four. 
Management: Jean-Claude Blanc, the brainchild behind the new Juventus stadium, was forced out in May 2010 and replaced with Andrea Agnelli, the fourth member of his family to run Juventus.&nbsp; Similar to Blanc, he has a business background and is tasked with maintaining the profitability of the club.&nbsp; No doubt part of his financial plan includes UEFA tournament money.
His first task upon being hired was to grab Luigi Del Neri from Sampdoria as a permanent replacement for Ciro Ferrara.&nbsp; Del Neri guided Sampdoria to a top four finish and was in demand this offseason.&nbsp; His 4-4-2 style will be a good fit for Juventus, and look for the team to focus a bit more on defense this season.&nbsp; Del Neri could, however, actually play more of a 4-2-2-2 if he extends the wings and moves them forward in the attack.&nbsp; Juventus in their matches this month have also played a 4-3-3 at times.&nbsp; He’s seen success at Atalanta before guiding Sampdoria to the Champions League, and he was the best person available for the job. 
The Transfer Market: Juventus was active in the transfer market, as to be expected, sending out older&nbsp;and more expensive players and bringing in both quality starters and key backups.&nbsp; Maybe the biggest name to come to Juventus was Pepe, acquired on loan from Udinese with an option to buy.&nbsp; Del Neri knows Pepe from his time in Palermo, and has added him as an attack option on the right side.&nbsp; The club also beefed up its defense, which is discussed in depth below.
The continuing story of this offseason is the departures from the club, or a house cleaning if you prefer.&nbsp; Italian national and rapidly aging defender Fabio Cannavaro has left for the UAE soccer league and a hefty contract.&nbsp; Christian Poulsen was transferred to Liverpool for about €5.5 million to free up some salary and space after a disappointing stint with the club.&nbsp; The biggest loss long-term, however, may be <a href="http://blogs.soccernet.com/juventus/archives/2010/08/ciao_gio.php" target="_blank">the loss of Sebastian Giovinco</a> to Parma.&nbsp; The young playmaker had been tabbed by fans as the next Juve star, but he grew tired of waiting to break into the starting XI. 
Key Players: Starting in the back of the 4-4-2, vice-captain and all-world keeper Gigi Buffon begins the season&nbsp;on the injured list, leaving AC Milan acquisition Marco Storari as the starter.&nbsp; Storari will never cause people to forget Buffon, but he is experienced and talented enough to hold down the position until Buffon is healthy.
<div style="float: left;margin-right: 5px"><a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/shamrock-rovers-juventus/image/9449128?term=Juventus" target="_blank"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://view4.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/9449128/shamrock-rovers-juventus/shamrock-rovers-juventus.jpg?size=234&amp;imageId=9449128" border="0" alt="July 29, 2010 - Dublin, Ireland - epa02266030 Pat Flynn from Shamrock Rovers (R) and Giorgio Chiellini from Juventus in action during the Europa League 3rd round 1st Leg Qualifiying match between Shamrock Rovers and Juventus in Dublin, Ireland, 29 July 2010." width="234" height="156"></figure></div></a></div>
Coming into the new season, Del Neri knew he needed to revamp the defense after Juventus allowed 55 goals last season.&nbsp; He acquired rising star Leonardo Bonucci from Bari and Marco Motta from Roma to partner with stalwarts Giorgio Chiellini and Fabio Grosso, or if Grosso leaves during this transfer window, Paolo De Ceglie.&nbsp; The two new additions will strengthen the backline and makes defense a team strength.&nbsp; Look for Bonucci to become the next Fabio Grosso in his time at Juventus.
If Del Neri continues his traditional formation, the midfield will see two holding and two attacking wingers.&nbsp; As mentioned, Pepe will man the right wing and replace Mauro Camoranesi, who regardless of his transfer status should be replaced by a younger player.&nbsp; Claudio Marchisio, one of the players who actually looked good in last season’s debacle, could start on the other wing, with Mohammed Sissoko in the middle.&nbsp; UPDATE – Juventus <a href="http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/2010/08/19/2078378/breaking-news-cska-moscow-confirm-milos-krasic-will-join" target="_blank">added another potential starter</a> to the midfield with CSKA Moscow winger Milos Krasic.
Up front, Del Neri against Shamrock moved Pepe and attacking midfielder Davide Lanzafame (Parma) to the forward position with Amauri.&nbsp; While this could be an attacking option, I can see a rotation (assuming a 4-4-2) of Amauri, Trezeguet, and Del Piero as a potent attack.
<div style="float: right;margin-left: 5px"><a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/sports-news-august-2010/image/9545240?term=Juventus" target="_blank"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://view2.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/9545240/sports-news-august-2010/sports-news-august-2010.jpg?size=234&amp;imageId=9545240" border="0" alt="Aug. 14, 2010 - 06320941 date 13 08 2010 Copyright imago Gribaudi ImagePhoto GC Bari 13 08 2010 Trofeo Tim Milan Juventus Photo Giuseppe Celeste Image Sports Nella Photo Esultanza Gol Diego PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxITA Bari men Football ITA Series A 2011 try out Portrait Vdig xmk 2010 Square premiumd." width="234" height="238"></figure></div></a></div>
This is, of course, assuming Diego is sent to a Bundesliga club, where he has been rumored to be going (<a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=815305&amp;sec=transfers&amp;cc=5901&amp;cc=5901" target="_blank">or not going</a>).&nbsp; If Diego stays, the forward position has the potential to be one of the deepest in Serie A.
Outlook: This preview could change if Juventus makes any more changes on the transfer market, which is possible.&nbsp; But as their club stands, Juventus is definitely a favorite to finish in the top four.&nbsp; Even without a healthy Buffon to begin the season, the defense is improved from last season and will be a strength.&nbsp; The attack will be more “exciting” than last season with a good variety of scorers that Del Neri can turn to for goals.&nbsp; Under new management and with Del Neri’s vision revitalizing the club, there is no reason this club will not move higher in the standings.&nbsp; Whether they can challenge for a scudetto will depend on if they can improve on their record against the top clubs.

Serie A Preview &#8211; The Resurrection of Juventus

Serie A Preview - The Resurrection of Juventus - World Soccer Talk

Serie A Preview – The Resurrection of Juventus

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13th/3738014743/"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-2123" src="/files/2010/02/Leonardo-220x300.jpg" alt="Photo by Dima E." width="220" height="300"></figure></div></a>
Fans of AC Milan have suffered through a bad four weeks, beginning by losing to short-handed rival Inter and most recently suffering a devastating defeat in their Champions League match versus Manchester United.&nbsp; This comes the same week that Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi <a href="http://www.tribalfootball.com/berlusconi-unhappy-ac-milan-coach-leonardo-after-man-utd-defeat-653331" target="_blank">criticized Leonardo’s managerial style </a>and encouraged him to allow his team to play more freely.
Italian clubs have been criticized for being too quick to pull the trigger and fire a manager, if for no other reason than a quick boost to the club.&nbsp; We’ve seen a debate over whether Jose Mourinho should be let go by Inter Milan, but what about his cross-town counterpart?&nbsp; Should Leonardo be fired?&nbsp; Make sure you vote in the poll at the bottom of the post, but first here are two contrasting views on what should be the fate of the Milan manager:
AC Milan Should Fire Leonardo
To be honest, it was a mistake to hire him in the first place.&nbsp; No one can dispute his sterling international reputation and his legendary status for Milan, but as we see too often in all sports, the famous players often make a poor manager or coach.&nbsp; That seems to be the case here: a player that has so much natural ability cannot explain to players who may not have that same ability how to play at the highest level.
Before looking at a disappointing Serie A campaign, let’s look at Milan’s Champions League record this year.&nbsp; It is a pedestrian 2-2-3, with a bad loss at home&nbsp;in the group stage to FC Zurich, hardly an international powerhouse.&nbsp; In fact, their home record in the Champions League is 0-2-2, which bodes ill for a club with aspirations of winning the tournament.&nbsp; Of course, this week’s debacle (again at home) against Manchester United is what has prompted this discussion: despite a lead 3 minutes into the contest Milan let Wayne Rooney (who, maybe they heard, is kind of good) roam wild and score two of United’s three goals.&nbsp; They have now put themselves in an almost impossible hole: going to Manchester United (where United is 15-3-2 in all competitions) likely needing to win by two or more goals.
The Serie A situation doesn’t look much better.&nbsp; Milan sits in third place, only two points behind Roma but nine points behind Inter Milan.&nbsp; This was a great year to catch Inter, who has failed to seize control of Serie A and has seen high-profile players fail to live up to their promise.&nbsp; Leonardo is 0-2 against Inter by an aggregate score of 6-0.&nbsp; Ronaldinho has been inconsistent at best, despite his amazing talent, and major signing Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has been called a “<a href="http://blogs.soccernet.com/milan/archives/2010/02/brace_of_the_cobra.php" target="_blank">poor-man’s David Trezeguet</a>“.&nbsp; Their defense has been inconsistent and a major weakness this year.&nbsp;
What Milan has consistently shown is underachieving talent that is just good enough to be competitive at the highest level, but unable to take the next step to dominance.&nbsp; The club needs a manager with experience managing a major organization to take this team to the next level.&nbsp; However, it will have to compete with Juventus possibly for that person.
AC Milan Should Keep Leonardo
A first-time manager can be a dangerous thing – no matter how long you have been in the game, the adjustment from player/commentator to a person who is responsible not only for training but for roster moves is a major one.&nbsp; Now consider that adjustment on the world’s largest stage – a larger than life owner, a club steeped in tradition where you were a star, a roster that is expected to compete for all the major titles.&nbsp; An experienced manager could struggle under the pressure, much less a new hire.
What then should we expect from Leonardo?&nbsp; I would argue the biggest yardstick to determine his fitness to manage a club is his ability to adjust his style.&nbsp; He can see his mistakes and learn from them.&nbsp; He has already taken his coaching courses, which incidentally are not required for UEFA, to help expand his tactical horizons.&nbsp; After a slow start to the season, he shifted to a 4-2-1-3 tactic, which&nbsp;has resulted in&nbsp;increased scoring and a re-emergence of Ronaldinho as the dominant player he can be.&nbsp; He clearly is learning on the fly but adjusting well.
In the Champions League, AC Milan has struggled a bit but pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the tournament so far – a 3-2 win at the Bernabeau.&nbsp; Granted, they played poorly against Manchester United, but a 2-0 scoreline could advance them.&nbsp; A hard task, but not impossible considering Ronaldinho’s play and the boost of an extremely motivated David Beckham.
Their Serie A situation is also not dire.&nbsp; They are 4-1-2 in 2010 including a 3-0 victory at Juventus.&nbsp; Granted, most of their remaining tough matches are on the road, but they are a respectable 4-5-2 on the road, and have not lost at home this year in Serie A.&nbsp; Their roster reads like an all star team, and Silvio Berlusconi will do anything he can to improve the club.&nbsp;
The season has not gone as well as Milan fans have hoped, but Leonardo is improving as a manager every day, and the club will remain in the race both for the scudetto and the Champions League trophy.
<a href="http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/2724696/">Should Milan fire Leonardo at the end of the season?</a>(<a href="http://answers.polldaddy.com">opinion</a>)

Should Milan Replace Leonardo?

Should Milan Replace Leonardo? - World Soccer Talk

Midweek matches see some excitement and some scoring that has been absent in many match days.&nbsp; The top of the table also has a familiar look with Inter, Juventus, and Sampdoria in the lead, but watch for an approaching AC Milan in the rearview mirror.
AC Milan is Rolling, but Defense is a Concern
AC Milan blitzed Napoli for two goals in the first five minutes…followed 80 minutes later by Napoli grabbing a point with two goals late in the match.&nbsp; Napoli actually had a chance to cut into Milan’s lead in the fifty-fifth minute except for some incredible stops by Dida.&nbsp; <a title="Serie A Talk Lessons Learned" href="../../../../../lessons-learned-from-giornata-6/1686" target="_blank">I mentioned a month ago</a> that Milan should worry about its defense, and the lapses last night should be worrisome.&nbsp; Yes they were down to 10 men, but Napoli had multiple quality chances.&nbsp; However Milan is still on quite a roll with 16 points now in Serie A.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD3XOgThvTw" target="_blank"> 
</a>
Juventus is a Legitimate Scudetto Threat
Despite losing Iaquinta to injury, Juventus netted five goals from four different players against a Sampdoria team that was facing “its first true test” according to manager Luigi Del Neri.&nbsp; This match could have been over even earlier if Fabio Grosso could have hit his shot at the ten minute mark (or Diego hit the follow up).&nbsp; Such domination of a top three club is quite impressive.
And if you don’t believe me about the scudetto, ask <a href="http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/2009/10/29/1591949/juventus-can-win-the-scudetto-david-trezeguet" target="_blank">David Trezeguet</a>.
Rome Needs a Stimulus Plan
Both A.S. Roma and Lazio lost again on Wednesday and both are in danger of entering the relegation zone.&nbsp; Lazio lost a match where they had seven shots on goal and nine corners and were playing in Rome.&nbsp; Roma was beaten by Antonio Flores, who scored twice, in an odd contest that saw Roma stave off Udinese with ten men the entire second half but give up the go ahead score after Dusan Basta was sent off to even the sides at ten each.&nbsp; Roma has already fired one manager this season, but both Ranieri and Davide Ballardini have to be worried about their current positions.
Bologna, Livorno the Best of the Worst
Bologna and Livorno improved their positions in the standings as Bologna defeated current bottom-sitter Siena and Livorno pulled even with Atalanta in points.&nbsp; Siena played like a team desperate to avoid relegation, but could not pick up their second win in two months as Franco Colombo gains his first win with Bologna.&nbsp; Livorno needed the three points as Atalanta has a better goal difference, but the match saw more fouls than shots and was witnessed by less than 10,000 fans.
Scoring is all the rage
After seeing only one team net five goals in a match this season (Inter over Genoa on the 17th) both Inter and Juventus scored five in their matches this week.&nbsp; What happened to the deliberate Italian style of play?

Lessons Learned From Giornata 10

Lessons Learned From Giornata 10 - World Soccer Talk

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I’m going out on a limb in suggesting Udinese will beat Juventus.&nbsp; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Di_Natale">Di Natale</a> is the man of the moment and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amauri_Carvalho_de_Oliveira">Amauri</a> has been the signing of the summer so far.&nbsp; Also like Roma over Palermo&nbsp;and Seina to do the business at home over Cagliari.
<h4>Match Day Two Pick the Score</h4>
<a rel="attachment wp-att-348" href="http://www.serieatalk.com/match-day-two-predictions/346/serie-a-08-09-matchdaytwo-predictions/" title="Serie A 08-09-matchdaytwo-predictions"><div><figure class="external-image"><img src="/files/2008/09/2009-matchdaytwo-predictions.jpg" alt="Serie A 08-09-matchdaytwo-predictions"></figure></div> </a>
Juventus vs Udinese
This is&nbsp;the derby of the second round, and after&nbsp;drawing late&nbsp;in&nbsp;Florence against the Viola, Juventus will want their first&nbsp;victory over a dangerous attacking Udinese.&nbsp;The Friulini won at the Stadio Olimpico last season creating&nbsp;a lot of problems&nbsp;for the Bianconeri.&nbsp;The Turin club will be stronger at home than in Florence, and&nbsp;Sissoko and Zanetti are back in the team however <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giorgio_Chiellini">Giorgio&nbsp;Chiellini</a> is still missing from the JUVE lineup.&nbsp; Finally, it&nbsp;will be a game time decision on&nbsp;whether <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Trezeguet">David Trezeguet</a> will&nbsp;start and&nbsp;in case he stays on the bench the most important signing from this summer, Amauri will definitely start. For the visitors, Antonio Di Natale is hot out of the gates as&nbsp;he opened his season scoring twice against Palermo on match-day one. Di Natale continued this run for the&nbsp;Azzurri&nbsp;against Cyrpus by&nbsp;matching his Serie A goal tally with two more goals. On the injury side for the visitor are Felipe and Zapata normally in defense as starting XI players.

Match Day Two Predictions

Match Day Two Predictions - World Soccer Talk

For information on European Golden Boot Winners see – <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/European-Golden-Boot">European Golden Boot</a>&nbsp;and for previous top goalscorers in Serie A, <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_records_in_Italy#Top_scorers_.28capocannonieri.29_by_season">Top Scorers Season by Season</a>
don’t forget the previous poll –<a target="_blank" href="http://www.serieatalk.com/serie-a-weekly-poll-2/174">Who will win the Scudetto?</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;is still open until Match Day One so place your votes, AC Milan are currently leading.
(picture by LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP/Getty Images)

Serie A Talk Golden Boot Poll

Serie A Talk Golden Boot Poll - World Soccer Talk

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