<div id="attachment_2753" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2753" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-2753" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/02/La-Romareda.jpg" alt="La Romareda" width="500" height="331"></figure></div>La Romareda in the resplendent crepúsculo (twilight).</div>
The January transfer window is made for the top teams to reinforce their squads for a title run.&nbsp; As a whole, the window flew by with little fanfare.&nbsp; Real Zaragoza was one of the few teams in Europe to make sweeping changes to their roster.&nbsp; While their moves would hardly gather any front or back page headlines, the Zaragoza board realized that they needed to effect change in order to avoid relegation.
Even before January, they let go of manager Marcelino García Toral, the same man that guided the Aragonese club to promotion last season.&nbsp; While the move was not popular with some of the players and the fans, the Zaragoza brass believed in the reserve team coach, José Aurelio Gay, to run the senior team for the rest of the season.

A capable midfielder for Espanyol and Real Zaragoza in the late 1980s through the 1990s, Gay’s subsequent managerial career garnered mediocre results with multiple teams in the lower divisions of Spain.&nbsp; With his latest stop with the Real Zaragoza B team, he led the group of academy players to the top of Group XVII, the Aragon region of Spain, with a positive, attacking style that rarely occurs in the rough and tumble of the Tercera División, the fourth level in the Spanish football pyramid.
If Xavi Hernández complains of the man-marking and the lack of space he sometimes receives in La Liga and in the UEFA Champions League, he would dread playing in the Tercera División because a vast majority of the players at that level do not have the technical skill to compete for roster spots at the top level but have the heart and desire to chase the ball and commit fully to challenges.&nbsp; Some of them are part-time players, and others are young cantera kids who are trying to impress their superiors, so a tireless work ethic is necessary to survive in this division.
A coaching change, however, appeared to be only window dressing as the poor results continued into January.&nbsp; President Agapito Iglesias gave his consent to several signings as well as releasing a couple of their important players.&nbsp; With the worst defense in La Liga, defenders were at the top of the list of improvements needed.&nbsp; Jirí Jarošík, former CSKA Moskva and Chelsea defender, arrived on a free transfer, and they loaned veteran Italian defender Matteo Contini from Napoli until the end of the season, with an option to buy him outright.&nbsp; They even brought former FC Barcelona and Villarreal defender Edmilson back from the dead.
Besides the holes in the back line, Zaragoza needed finishers.&nbsp; Abel Aguilar was Los Blanquillos‘ top scorer with only four goals, so reinforcements in attack became important to keep up with the opposition if the defense could not hold.&nbsp; Lazio loaned speedy winger Eliseu Pereira, who played with Málaga for two seasons, and Recreativo Huelva standout Adrián Colunga was loaned to Zaragoza.&nbsp; These two pale in comparison to Zaragoza’s third forward signing, Chilean striker Humberto “Chupete” Suazo.&nbsp; A prolific goal-scorer with Chilean club powerhouse Colo-Colo and 2009 Mexican Apertura champions Monterrey, Monterrey loaned him to Zaragoza until the end of the season, with Zaragoza having the option to make the loan permanent for €10 million.
The one significant player to leave Real Zaragoza in January was 36-year-old captain Roberto Ayala.&nbsp; Signed by Zaragoza from Villarreal before Ayala had played a single match for Villarreal, the Argentinean defender’s career path slowly turned downward from that point forward.&nbsp; While the former Valencia legend played admirably and adequately for the Aragonese club, the heights to which he played for Valencia and the Argentinean national team never materialized at Zaragoza.&nbsp; Ayala and Zaragoza came to terms with the mutual termination of his contract, and he returned home to Argentina, where he currently plays for Racing Club de Avellaneda.
With all of these alterations within the team, they needed time to work out the chemistry among themselves.&nbsp; Unfortunately, with only half of the season remaining and relegation a looming possibility, they needed to generate positive results quickly to avoid falling to the Segunda División for the second time in three seasons.
Although they lost 4-2 to Villarreal two weeks ago, they fought back from a 3-0 deficit to make the last ten minutes of the match nail biting.&nbsp; Goals from Eliseu and Ángel Lafita made a stroll for Villarreal turn into a strenuous run.
Through seventy-six minutes at Tenerife last Sunday, Tenerife outclassed Zaragoza, but poor finishing yielded only one goal for Los Chicharreros.&nbsp; In the span of six minutes, an unnecessary penalty conceded by Tenerife central defender Ezequiel Luna that was converted by Humberto Suazo, a beautifully lofted shot by Adrián Colunga over Tenerife goalkeeper Sergio Aragoneses, and an Ángel Lafita blast from over thirty yards that was the “Golazo de la Semana” led to José Aurelio Gay’s first win as manager of the senior team and Zaragoza’s first win away from La Romareda.
Returning from the warm temperatures of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands to the cold Cierza winds in Zaragoza, they hosted Sevilla FC on Sunday, who was fighting their way back into the Champions League spots with two straight wins in La Liga over Almería and Valencia and a midweek win in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal over Getafe.&nbsp; Ángel Lafita was suspended for this game due to an accumulation of five yellow cards, and Adrián Colunga filled in to pair with Chupete Suazo in attack.&nbsp; Five of the January signings started in this match for Real Zaragoza, and the team performed as though they had been there since summer training.
Sevilla fielded a relatively weakened side, as manager Manolo Jiménez decided to rest the likes of Luís Fabiano, Renato, Jesús Navas, Didier Zokora, and Diego Perotti because they played midweek in the Copa del Rey semifinal and will likely play them in the second leg this Wednesday.
For the first half-hour, the teams were fairly even, as both teams had decent chances on goal but failed to capitalize on them.&nbsp; Then from a corner kick in the 31st minute, Sevilla failed to clear the ball, and the ensuing scramble in the penalty box led to the ball popping out for Matteo Contini, who shot it across goal to the right far post, and passed Sevilla goalkeeper Andrés Palop for the opening score.
An egregious goalkeeping error by Juan Pablo Carrizo gave the Andalucians the equalizing goal less than three minutes after they fell behind.&nbsp; From the left flank, Diego Capel floated a cross just beyond the right post.&nbsp; Carrizo made the decision to venture off his line to punch the cross away.&nbsp; He flailed and failed miserably to make contact with the ball, and Juan Cala’s header hit the crossbar.&nbsp; Frédéric Kanouté slotted the rebound from five yards out, and Carrizo appealed and remonstrated to referee César Muñiz Fernández that he was obstructed.&nbsp; Clearly, there was no foul, but Carrizo needed someone to blame for his mistake, and for his efforts, Muñiz Fernández rewarded him with a yellow card for dissent.
Equality would not last long, as Álvaro Negredo headed the ball into his own net from an Eliseu whipped cross in the 41st minute.&nbsp; Zaragoza held a 2-1 lead into halftime, and they deserved the lead in spite of the go-ahead goal being an own goal.&nbsp; The club from Aragon created more quality chances than Sevilla, and their commitment and spirit shone through the whole squad.&nbsp; Even Chupete Suazo harried and hurried the Sevilla defenders and midfielders as they crossed the halfway line.&nbsp; Suazo acknowledged that he has had attitude problems in the past, when he played for Universidad Católica in Chile and in Monterrey.&nbsp; If José Aurelio Gay can get Suazo to work outside of his striker role, he must be doing something right.
Predictably, the second half transpired with Sevilla imposing their game onto Real Zaragoza, as Jiménez sent in Perotti, Renato, and Navas in to overturn the one goal deficit.&nbsp; Sevilla could not break down the Zaragoza defense (who knew?), and frustrations became tangible when both Álvaro Negredo and Marius Stankevicius received straight red cards late in the match for vicious tackles on Matteo Contini and Ander Herrera respectively.&nbsp; Sevilla never mounted a serious challenge to Carrizo in the second half, and Real Zaragoza elevated out of the relegation places with a 2-1 victory, two points clear of 18th place Real Valladolid.
Last season, Mallorca and Espanyol were in the last two places in the table at this point of the campaign.&nbsp; Like phoenix, they rose from the dead and finished ninth and tenth respectively at the end of the year.&nbsp; Real Zaragoza is a strong candidate to fulfill that role this season because of the renewed sense of hope instilled by José Aurelio Gay and brought by the new players that arrived in January.
The next five matches look promising for Real Zaragoza as they only face one opponent in the top half of La Liga, the ever-inconsistent Getafe.&nbsp; If they are to remain in La Liga for next year, this stretch of matches is crucial for their survival.
Zaragoza President Agapito Iglesias wrote an open letter on the club’s website at the beginning of the New Year to apologize to the fans.&nbsp; In part of his post, he said:
“The first thing I want to do, having taken on the role (of president) is ask sincere forgiveness for all our mistakes.&nbsp; We have 23 league games left, a lot of months of football which we are facing with a slight disadvantage but in which everything is still possible.”
His vision and foresight are becoming to blend with reality, and with continued good play, they control their own destiny instead of relying on others to fail.

The Renaissance Continues for Real Zaragoza as They Defeat Sevilla Under the Spanish Dusk

The Renaissance Continues for Real Zaragoza as They Defeat Sevilla Under the Spanish Dusk - World Soccer Talk

Since we are approaching the end of a decade, and since it’s summer,I thought I would offer up my La Liga Team of the decade. I set my team based on the best actual season had by a player in each position. It is not an aggregative list. It is not based on contributions over the course of a few seasons or a career. The players who had the best year of any player in the decade in their respective position are what make up this list.&nbsp; Enjoy……
Formation: 3-5-2
Lead Valencia to a league and UEFA Cup double as well as winning the Zamora trophy for himself. Was the custodian for a team who managed to combine rock solid defense with a flair for attack. Regarded as one of the premier keepers in world football at the time, this was his best season in a Valencia shirt.
Defender: Dani Alves (2006/2007)
 Has been the best right back in La Liga consistently since breaking into the first team at Sevilla 2004. Was a huge threat on the right flank as Sevilla finished in 3rd place, only 5 points off champions Real Madrid. Won the Copa del Rey,as well as a second successive UEFA Cup that year. This was the season that established him as the premier attacking full back anywhere in the world.
Defender: Roberto Ayala (2001/2002) 
One of the best defenders of his generation, Ayala showed A.C Milan what they could have enjoyed had they showed some faith in his incredible timing and reading of the game. A tough customer in defense, Ayala demonstrated class and leadership by leading Valencia to their first Liga title in 31 years. Also named Champions League defender of the year as Los Che lost in the final to Bayern Munich.
Defender: Carles Puyol (2005/2006)
<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q3czcKbHmCc/SE9YPRNROzI/AAAAAAAAAeY/-nfHVmuAhrY/s400/carles+puyol.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="381"></figure></div>Not the prettiest man in the list, nor the most technically gifted, but no one exemplifies heart more than Carles Puyol. Catalan through and through, Puyol showed why he was the deserved captain of the club as he balanced the potent Barcelona attacking power with his sound defensive abilities. Always one to jump into a tackle, Puyol makes up for his sometimes questionable decision making with his unique ability to hustle a ball out of danger on pure desire alone. Captained Barcelona to a second successive Liga title that year as well as a Champions League title, in which he was named UEFA best defender. No player represents what their club is more than this man.
Defensive Midfield: Xabi Alonso (2002/2003)
Came within two points of emulating his father by winning a Liga title with Real Sociedad, this was the year Xabi Alonso broke out. Xabi was the complete central midfielder, exhibiting uncanny positional sense, an ability to win the ball in tackles, as well as a knack for great ball distribution and a cannon for a right foot. He helped put Sociedad back on the football map(albeit briefly), and went on to claim the best Spanish player award courtesy of Don Balon. Real Madrid may have won the league this year, but all the success Xabi later enjoyed with Liverpool and with Spain was born here.
Defensive Midfield: Claude Makelele (2002/2003)
<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-1449 aligncenter" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2009/07/rsz_makelele_c_20030313_gh_l.jpg" alt="rsz_makelele_c_20030313_gh_l" width="336" height="452"></figure></div>Forget about galacticos, this was the guy who lifted Madrid to the heights they enjoyed in the first part of the decade.&nbsp; His departure to Chelsea in the summer of 2003 was seen as the scourge that caused the dramatic downfall of the first galactico area, a sentiment shared by former teammates Zidane, McManaman and Hierro. Makelele was a rock, managing the defensive load all the way to a Liga title against a pesky Real Sociedad team. Fresh off a Champions League title the year before, Makelele had to deal with increasing pressure as Madrid’s unbalanced side was top heavy with attackers. But he danced the dance ever so well, and wasn’t truly appreciated by Madrid, nor most Liga fans until he had departed for Chelsea. Solid, solid, solid.
Attacking Midfield: Juan Roman Riquelme (2004/2005)
One of the most enigmatic figures in Spanish football ever, when he was on his game no one in the world was better. Consistency has been the main hindrance his entire career, but for two magical years in the then unknown Villareal, he brought a tiny club to the brink of European glory. After a dreadful first European season at Barcelona, coach Manuel Pellegrini had enough faith in the precise passing ability of this temparmental Argentine, and built an entire squad around his abilities.&nbsp; A 15 goal haul, coupled with a 3rd place finish made this Riquelme’s crowning achievement in Spain. Not too many players can place the title of artist in front of their name, but surely he is one who can.
Attacking midfielder: Ronaldinho(2004/2005)
This was the year Ronaldinho established himself as the best player on the planet. I would call you a liar if you said you weren’t put under his spell, even if it was for a short period of time. He did it all. He brought the Liga title back to Catalunya that year, which helped him earn his second consecutive FIFA Player of the year award as well as his first Ballon D’or. His recent fall from grace and form is made more sad when you consider the heights he reached only a scant few years back. His style and flair were breathtaking, his technique and trickery were out of this world, and his smile and enjoyment of the game was unmatched anywhere. Ronaldinho was one of a kind, and this season is what pushed him into the stratosphere of footballing transcendence, a feat only achieved by a select few before him.
Attacking Midfielder: Zinedine Zidane(2001/2002)
The greatest player of his generation, Zidane finally completed the holy trinity of&nbsp; football prizes by taking Madrid to a record 9th Champions League title with one of the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaQhF-523As">greatest goals</a> ever scored in a major final. After arriving in Madrid as the most expensive player ever, Zidane didn’t disappoint in this, his first year in Spain. Although Madrid were disappointed to finish third, their concentration on winning the Champions League in their centenary year was no doubt a factor. Zidane justified every one of the 76 million euros spent on him. Although he didn’t enjoy the amount of domestic success he did later on in his Madrid career, the fact that he delivered such a beautiful product on the field in his first year in Spain makes me rank this as his best Liga season. The most elegant man ever to caress a football with his feet.
Forward: Nihat Kahveci (2002/2003)
<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-1450 aligncenter" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2009/07/rsz_nihat.jpg" alt="rsz_nihat" width="268" height="403"></figure></div>I realize La Liga has played host to some glamorous forwards who have had solid seasons and won trophies with their respective clubs this past decade. However, no one has had the same impact as a relative unknown in their debut full season in Spain as Nihat did. After arriving from Besiktas during the winter transfer break the year before, Nihat only managed to net 1 goal in 11 appearances for Real Socieadad. This made it all the more unexpected when he scored 23 goals the following year as Sociedad came within a whisker of winning the most improbable of La Liga titles of recent memory. Finishing tied for second in the Pichichi that year, his goals skyrocketed Real Sociedad to heights it hadn’t seen in a long time. While definitely not a flash in the pan, the rest of his stay in Spain was marred by injury and he never quite rang the bell like he did in 02/03.&nbsp; Brilliant strikers came before and have come since, but no one goal scorer has had more of an impact on his teams success than Nihat did in that magical year where the title almost returned to the Anoeta.
Forward: Lionel Messi (2008/2009)
The world at his fingertips, Leo Messi did it all this past season leading Barcelona to one of the greatest seasons in the history of club football, period. After making his Barca debut in 2004/2005, it was evident Leo was destined for greatness. There were flashes of brilliance, too many to list, but he was always in the shadow of Ronaldinho, as well as being prone to injury. This past year was when the full brunt of the weight of expectation fell on his slight shoulders, and did he ever deliver. 23 goals, the treble, and all around mind blowing play from a legend in the making. Messi handled the pressure of being the big dog at the Camp Nou amicably, and looks set to follow a hallowed path to greatness traveled only by a select few.
Subs bench:
Goalie: Iker Casillas (2004/2005)
Defender: Amedeo Carboni (2003/2004)
Midfielder: Xavi (2008/2009)
Midfielder: Luis Figo (2000/2001)
Forward: Roy Makaay(2002/2003)
Forward: Raul (2000/2001)
Forward: Samuel Eto’o (2005/2006)

La Liga team of the decade

La Liga team of the decade - World Soccer Talk

Football is not always a beautiful game; sometimes bookings are necessary. This season was no different in Germany, even if statistically player discipline was comparatively better than in the past several seasons. While goal scorers have the Torjägerkanone (awarded by the magazine <a href="http://www.kicker.de" target="_blank" title="kicker">kicker</a>) to shoot for, no comparable trophy exists for the Bundesliga’s best/worst troublemakers. That is a need BundesligaTalk can fill. We can think of no one better than Stefan “<a href="http://bundesliga.de/en/statistik/spieler/index.php" title="Bundesliga Statistics" target="_blank">111 Yellow Cards in only 370 Bundesliga Games</a>” Effenberg after whom to name the trophy. History will remember Effenberg as so many things: the architect of Bayern’s Champions League-winning midfield in 2001, not-so-celebrated author, and now an annual trophy’s namesake as well.
<a href="http://www.bundesligatalk.com/german-indiscipline-the-bundesligas-most-booked/8/stefan-effenberg/" rel="attachment wp-att-14" title="Stefan Effenberg"><div><figure class="external-image"><img src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/8/files/2008/06/effe4.jpg" alt="Stefan Effenberg" align="middle" hspace="15" vspace="15"></figure></div></a>
So who is this year’s worthy winner?
3. Grafite (Edinaldo Batista Líbano) – VfL Wolfsburg, Striker (9 Yellows, 1 Red) 
<a href="http://www.bundesligatalk.com/german-indiscipline-the-bundesligas-most-booked/8/grafite/" rel="attachment wp-att-11" title="Grafite"><div><figure class="external-image"><img src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/8/files/2008/06/grafite.jpg" alt="Grafite" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="15"></figure></div></a>Grafite begins this countdown, barely edging out Tomasz Zdebel for third place (who had comparable numbers, but in more games and with a less interesting name). His 9 yellows and 1 red were earned in just 22 starts for Wolfsburg this season. This was a significant increase from his numbers the previous year with Le Mans in the French Ligue 1. Across the board he improved in goals, assists, and yellow cards per game. It appears as though he’s adapted to the Bundesliga quite well. Look for him to make a strong push for the top spot next season (and on the scoring charts as well).
2. Mark Van Bommel – Bayern München, Midfielder (7 Yellows, 2 Reds) 
<a href="http://www.bundesligatalk.com/german-indiscipline-the-bundesligas-most-booked/8/mark-van-bommel/" rel="attachment wp-att-12" title="Mark Van Bommel"><div><figure class="external-image"><img src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/8/files/2008/06/van-bommel.jpg" alt="Mark Van Bommel" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="15"></figure></div></a>No one does it with less class on a consistent basis than Mark Van Bommel. An entire article full of youtube clips could be dedicated to his antics. In the 26 Bundesliga games he started this season (undoubtedly it would have been more had it not been for the constant suspensions) he made quite an impression and online readers of the German tabloid Bild duly voted him this year’s “Stinkstiefel” (“stinking boot”). Statistics aside, he’d likely win the Eurovision vote-in equivalent for least likeable player.
1. Mihai Tararache – MSV Duisburg, Midfielder (13 Yellows, 1 Red) 
<a href="http://www.bundesligatalk.com/german-indiscipline-the-bundesligas-most-booked/8/mihai-tararache/" rel="attachment wp-att-13" title="Mihai Tararache"><div><figure class="external-image"><img src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/8/files/2008/06/tararache.jpg" alt="Mihai Tararache" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="15"></figure></div></a>While a bit of subjectivity marked the decision to put Van Bommel and Grafite on the list Tararache is without doubt the only choice to win. It would be a bit harsh to suggest that Tararache’s antics alone doomed Duisburg to drop, but his 13 yellows and 1 red certainly didn’t help. It would not be unfair to mention that his on the field performances sealed Duisburg’s spot at the bottom of the <a href="http://www.bundesliga.de/en/liga/news/2007/index.php?f=94851.php" target="_blank" title="Bundesliga&apos;s Fairplay Rankings">Bundesliga’s fairplay rankings</a>. So while he will likely not be around next season to defend his trophy, how does he compare to the worst offenders of some of the other major European leagues? Not well, honestly:
<a href="http://www.laligatalk.com" title="La Liga Talk">Spain</a> – The league may be lauded for its players’ technical skill but they’re also either very tenacious or very sloppy in going after the ball. Mihai Tararache, the Bundesliga’s poor discipline standard bearer would do no better than sixth behind Daniel Alves, Fernando Amorebieta, Sergio Ramos, Roberto Ayala, and Aitor Ocio. Interestingly enough both Fernando Amorebieta and Aitor Ocio play for Athletic Bilbao, perhaps the Bundesliga could learn something from the Basques?
<a href="http://www.serieatalk.com" title="Serie A Talk">Italy</a> – While not quite as outrageous a disciplinary situation as in Spain, it seems as though everyone in Serie A is required to end the season with at least half a dozen yellows. Tararache would place third behind Manuele Blasi and Morris Carrozzieri (while a strong argument can be made for Napoli’s Maurizio Domizzi above Tararache as well).
<a href="http://epltalk.com" title="EPL Talk">England</a> – Reliable old England. Finally something the Germans can proudly say we do better than the English (not including World Cups, European Championships, Health care, etc.): player indiscipline. Mihai Tararache would comfortably place first (having played in a league with fewer games to boot) ahead of Nicky Butt, Nigel Reo-Coker, and Christopher Samba.

German (In)discipline: The Bundesliga’s Most Booked

German (In)discipline: The Bundesliga’s Most Booked - World Soccer Talk

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The Renaissance Continues for Real Zaragoza as They Defeat Sevilla Under the Spanish Dusk

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La Liga team of the decade

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German (In)discipline: The Bundesliga’s Most Booked