After it was confirmed that Dutch international Ruud Van Nistelrooy would be out for the remainder of the season, the Madrid brass began Operation RVN (Replace Van Nistelrooy).
<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/crespo.jpg" title="Inter Striker Hernán Crespo"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/crespo.jpg" title="Inter Striker Hernán Crespo"></a></figure></div>
It would not be easy to find a player that would fill the shoes of one of the top goalscorers in the world the past decade, but it seems like they have just found their short-term solution in Italy.&nbsp;&nbsp; Argentine international Hernán Crespo could be the one that makes this happen mostly due to his own situation at Inter. Crespo is also the man at the top of Madrid’s list.
Crespo, 33, would be the only top-level goalscorer that could satisfy Real Madrid’s pretensions for a league and European double.&nbsp; He is at the bottom of the totem pole at the Neroazzurro as Jose Mourinho considers players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mario Balotelli, Julio Cruz, and Adriano before the former Lazio and Chelsea man.&nbsp; Crespo is not cup-tied.&nbsp; He is not part of Mourinho’s list for the UEFA Champions League which would make him eligible to play for Madrid come February during the knockout stage.
Signed, sealed, delivered?&nbsp; Not quite.
Crespo’s contract with Inter expires at the end of this season and he would want whatever team is interested in him to give him more than a six-month stint.&nbsp; He wants to get at least a year from Madrid.&nbsp; On the other hand, the Merengues are only looking for a short-term fix.&nbsp; They are not looking to invest their future on a 33-year old striker.&nbsp;&nbsp; Their long-term interests lie in players like Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Franck Ribéry.&nbsp;&nbsp; They are also looking at the possibility of Bastian Schweinsteiger or Mario Gomez (currently injured) despite the thumbs down given by Bernd Schuster.
Crespo wants the playing stability because he wants Diego Maradona to consider him for the Argentine national team side.&nbsp; To play for a team like Madrid will give him the forum where he can showcase himself to El Diego and he can make one last push on Batistuta’s record.
For Crespo this could be his last opportunity to showcase himself on a European stage.&nbsp; There have been talks about an eventual return to Argentina to end his career kind of in the mold of a Juan Sebastián Verón or a Kily González.&nbsp; That option will be much tougher for Crespo if his intentions are to wear the Albiceleste yet once more.&nbsp; There are various options that Maradona has at this stage that he would go to before Crespo- Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero, Carlos Tevez (albeit he is on the bench), Germán Denis, Diego Milito, Gonzalo Higuaín, and maybe even a Mariano Pavone.&nbsp;&nbsp; These are options Diego has even if Crespo plays.&nbsp; Once he arrives in Madrid, he is not guaranteed playing time.&nbsp;&nbsp; He would have to get into game shape in a hurry in order to carve out some time from the iconic Raúl or the white-hot Higuaín.
Would it be a great move?&nbsp; Short-term, absolutely.&nbsp; Crespo changes things.&nbsp; He makes things happen.&nbsp; He is the typical goalscorer.&nbsp; He can be inauspicious for 89 minutes and he touches the ball once and it’s in the back of the net.
In the end we will most likely see Crespo wearing white, but it will be in a way to satisfy both sides’ “selfish intentions”- Madrid’s title bids and Crespo’s hopes for self and country.

Crespo To Replace Ruud Van Nistelrooy? - World Soccer Talk

Crespo To Replace Ruud Van Nistelrooy?

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It was a night to remember for the Dutch and neutral football fans, and a nightmare Italian supporters will hope to soon forget. For those of us who were there at the stadium, myself included, it was by far the most entertaining match of the tournament and an incredible experience.Of course, the topic that everyone is talking about is the controversial goal by Ruud van Nistelrooy. Sitting fifteen rows back from the touchline directly behind the assistant referee who deemed the goal to be onside, the whole incident unfolded in front of my eyes. To be fair, the Dutch attack happened so quickly and the ball moved with such speed that it was difficult to make the quick second decision whether the goal was offside or not.My first inclination was that the goal should have been deemed offside, but full credit should be given to the assistant referee for noticing that Panucci kept van Nistelrooy onside.The moment that the ball went into the net I leaped out of my seat but kept my eyes firmly affixed on the assistant referee convinced that he was going to raise his flag. But he kept it down and the referee raced back to the halfway line and the goal stood.The immediate reaction from the Italian fans who were directly behind the goal where van Nistelrooy scored was outrage. The Italians fans whistled at the referee. Then a minute later, the big screen TVs situated throughout the stadium showed a replay of the goal from a couple of different camera angles, which seemed to confirm in the eyes of the Italian fans the injustice their team had just experienced. The whistles and boos became louder, but the damage had been done.Interestingly at half time, the highlights of the first half were shown on the TVs inside the stadium again. But this time, the producers only showed one camera angle for the goal instead of several. Perhaps they didn’t want to infuriate the Italian supporters any more than they had already done.After the match was over and I sat on the train, I chatted with EPL Talk reader Oleg Zhovnir who joined me for the game. My impression was that I wasn’t so sure, as everyone else had been, that the goal was offside. I mentioned that I’d love to see the TV replay again to take a closer view. It was only later that night after going online did I read that the assistant referee had, in fact, made the correct decision.Again, full credit to the referee and assistant referee for making the correct decision under pressure. Let’s hope that the level of officiating remains as good as it has been thus far in the tournament.Stay tuned to EPL Talk over the next 12-24 hours for more coverage, photos and audio from EPL Talk’s trip to Euro 2008.

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Crespo To Replace Ruud Van Nistelrooy?

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