<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-1985 aligncenter" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2009/09/kaka-ronaldo-villarreal.jpg" alt="kaka ronaldo-villarreal" width="512" height="384"></figure></div>
Villarreal 0-2 Real Madrid 
0-1 Ronaldo, 2’ 
0-2 Kaka (pen), 73’
With four wins in four league games and three clean sheets in the bunch, it’s statistically difficult to find fault with Real Madrid’s early season performances. They have ostensibly done everything right in their opening games: they have incorporated all the new faces into the mix, gotten big contributions from old favorites like Raul and Guti, and seen their world record signing get off to a record-breaking start.
Yet there were troubling signs amidst all the success. They didn’t look like much of a team even in their comfortable wins, only playing in sync with each other for brief stretches. The central midfield looked woefully bereft of ideas after injury knocked out Xabi Alonso for a few games. And that defense – god help them, they were trying, but they seemed to have no idea who was supposed to be where, looking particularly susceptible to counterattacks and set pieces.
In short, they looked exactly like they should: like a team full of new personnel searching for its identity. Everyone was adamant in the preseason that it would take time for the superstars to gel into a cohesive unit, but with two of the last three FIFA World Players of the Year, it’s hard not to get carried away in your expectations, hoping to see them set the world on fire from their first moments together. Instead, they showed flashes of brilliance interspersed with long stretches of almost catatonic malaise, uncertain in possession and positioning.
Wednesday’s game against Villarreal showed the beginnings of progress and a hint of what Manuel Pellegrini is trying to establish with this team. It was perhaps their least spectacular performance, a relatively pedestrian 2-0 win away to Villarreal, but the steadiness of their play was more impressive than any of the fireworks of previous games.
That’s not to say that this one didn’t have fireworks of its own, though. It took less than two minutes for Cristiano Ronaldo to get off the mark, sprinting upfield before darting inside and raking one past Diego Lopez to open the scoring. It was the second time in as many games that CR9 scored inside the first two minutes, both times on strikes as fabulous as his own sense of style. As in the game against Xerez, they took their foot off the gas a bit after the early goal, but this time they looked more confident in possession and sure of their ability to dominate the game with or without more goals. They were helped in this regard by the sending off of Gonzalo in the 35th minute after he picked up his second yellow on a high kick to Kaka’s midsection.
Villarreal got themselves into the game a little more early in the second half, but to their credit, Real’s defense handled the attacks of the Yellow Submarine with considerable fluency. This was no mean feat, considering the back line had to be reshuffled at the last second when Garay suffered an injury in the pre-game warm-up, forcing Sergio Ramos to central defense and Lass Diarra to unfamiliar territory at right back. I’m sure Pellegrini will be thrilled to have both Sergio and Pepe back in the line-up come Saturday when they take on Tenerife, as the Portuguese international has finally finished serving his 10-game suspension for his notorious Getafe meltdown. They’re still not 100%, as Arbeloa is carrying a knee injury, but with Ramos, Pepe, and Albiol, they have the makings of a staunch defense.
Madrid put the game away on a disputable penalty call by Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez in the 73rd minute. Marcelo made a good run to the end line, and when he attempted to send it back across goal, the ball struck Angel’s raised arm as he slid in to make the challenge. Having already gotten his goal for the game, Ronaldo stepped aside to let Kaka take the PK, which he converted, sending the keeper the wrong way and rolling it into the net. It was the Brazilian’s first goal for the club.
It was really a rather tepid effort by Villarreal in their first match against their former manager, but that shouldn’t take away from the improvements Real appeared to have made in this match. Guti, who started the match with the captain’s armband, helped control play for Madrid and greatly contributed to the effort to stabilize some of the team’s shaky tendencies. Cristiano’s crossing left a lot to be desired, and Higuain is a long way off linking up with his new midfield providers, but all in all it was a promising display. Perhaps I had the storyline wrong. It isn’t so much that this team of superstars is underperforming despite racking up the wins. Rather, they are continuing to secure victories even as they come into their own, surviving the growing pains without sacrificing any points along the way. Now if they could only find a legitimate left back, I could quit complaining entirely.

Modest Improvement For Madrid

Modest Improvement For Madrid - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_1797" style="width: 470px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1797" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-1797" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2009/09/cron9-espanyol.jpg" alt="(" how="" poorly="" madrid="" are="" defending.")"="" width="460" height="288"></figure></div>("How poorly Madrid are defending.")</div>
Espanyol 0-3 Real Madrid 
0-1 Granero, 39’ 
0-2 Guti, 77’ 
0-3 Ronaldo, 90’
This was a constant refrain from the Spanish language announcers and the theme of most of the match, as the Merengues struggled to hold their nerve at the back, occasionally looking as porous as SpongeBob Square Pants in defense. It should be noted that two of the team’s first choice defenders – Pepe and Sergio Ramos – were out of the line-up, which will take its toll on any squad. But with two Spanish internationals deputizing for them, in Albiol and Arbeloa, Madrid have little to complain about. Regardless of any caveats about missing players, though, the key word for this game was “composure,” which was sorely lacking over much of the pitch against Espanyol.
Despite the clear gap in quality (and paychecks) between the two teams, Espanyol were easily the better side for much of the game. Aside from a bad miss that Metzelder sent over the crossbar, the Periquitos had the best chances in the game’s early stages. Casillas prevented his side from going 1-0 down inside the first half hour when he saved Moises Hurtado’s shot from close range. Hurtado only had such a clear-cut opportunity because of horrible defending by Madrid, who left Luis Garcia completely unmarked near the back post, allowing him a free header back in front of goal to the waiting Hurtado. Fortunately for Los Blancos, Iker’s legs bailed them out and kept the scoreline even. Soon thereafter, Raul Tamudo narrowly missed getting his head onto an Ivan Alonso cross after some more shaky defending.
And then, seemingly out of nowhere, they struck, on a lovely little one-two between Kaka and Granero. El Pirata, who was brilliant all game, secured the ball nicely, dropped it off to Kaka, then darted into the box to receive the return pass and blast it past Kameni. It was very similar to the first goal against Deportivo in Jornada 1, when Madrid suddenly found their attacking boots on a double-nutmeg pass by Kaka to a streaking Benzema. That time, the post intervened and Raul was required to clean up the rebound. This time, Granero made no mistake with the shot to give his side the advantage.
The second came only after numerous chances for Espanyol to equalize, when Kaka dribbled around three defenders on the left, got his nose out in front, and laid it off for Guti to slot home. It was a lovely play by Kaka, who looks to be the team’s most important creative player so far. And finally, substitute Cristiano Ronaldo got his first goal from open play for the team when Guti played a perfect through ball to the world’s most expensive (and most precisely coiffed) football player. Ronaldo streaked with it down the right hand side and coolly put the ball between Kameni’s legs for the goal. It was once again refreshing to see his joy and relief at scoring for his new team, as his new price tag has appeared to weigh on him since arriving in Spain. A couple more goals like that, and those worries will be a thing of the past, like his relationship with Sir Alex at the end of his ManU tenure.
So in the end, they got the goals and outclassed an opponent they had every right to beat, but they made it as nerve-wracking as possible along the way. I couldn’t count how many times I grimaced as a ball rolled past numerous Madrid defenders or an Espanyol player dribbled with ease into the heart of the defense. They looked quite unorganized and, consequently, exceedingly vulnerable to the counterattack. At times, even clearing the ball became an exercise in futility and difficult to watch. It was more Espanyol’s profligacy in front of goal than Madrid’s defense that kept them off the scoreboard, but I suppose they’ll take a clean sheet any way they can get it.
In their first two games, Real Madrid have shown both how high they can go and how much they still have to do to attain such heights consistently. That tricky bit of composure is still clearly lacking, and it hurts the defense more than the offense. They have enough astronomical talent in the attack to come out with little unity or plan and still score goals. The back line is not quite so blessed with riches, but even if it were, defense is another proposition altogether. Individual stars can do little on their own to shut down an opponent, instead requiring a coherent system to which all subscribe in order to excel. It is this system which Madrid lacks at this point, and it is this which Pellegrini must correct, and soon, if he wants to content with Barcelona (and keep his job).
To be fair, this is an entirely understandable predicament for a team that was hastily assembled over the summer and which tends to feature between five and eight new faces in the starting eleven. They were always going to need time to gel, and as long as they are winning, they will probably be granted leniency from the demanding home fans. With lots of players resting due to international action midweek and a looming Champions League clash, they were also fielding somewhat of a B team – if such a term can be applied to a line-up that features the likes of Kaka, Benzema, and Xabi Alonso, but you get the picture. San Iker may just be enough to save them until they get their act together, but this can only go on for so long and the defensive deficiencies cannot be bailed out indefinitely by offensive firepower. At some point, Real Madrid are going to have to learn how to defend. I suspect that with time and the return of some much needed familiar faces, they will settle into their roles and play at least competently together, which is not something that could be said about them in this performance.

Que Mal Que Marca El Madrid

Que Mal Que Marca El Madrid - 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

<div><figure class="external-image"><img src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/championsleaguetalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/ronaldo-portugal.jpg" alt="ronaldo-portugal.jpg" height="350"></figure></div>
As the old saying goes, money talks and Cristiano Ronaldo is listening. The 23-year-old Portugese superstar finally ended his silence in <a href="http://esportes.terra.com.br/interna/0,,OI2160028-EI1865,00.html">an exclusive interview with respected Brazilian website Terra</a> he is reported as stating: “I would like to play for Real Madrid but only if it is true they are ready to pay what Manchester United ask of them. However, it does not depend on me.”
Reports are that he wants to leave Man Utd for the £300,000-a-week wage packet being offered to him by Real Madrid. This despite the fact that Ronaldo signed a five-year contract extension with Manchester United last April, tying him to the club until the end of the 2011-12 season. The Real Madrid offer is double the wages he is currently making at Old Trafford.
In order for Ronaldo to join Real Madrid, United would first have to agree to sell him, but its plain to see that Madrid will need to break the bank to buy the Portuguese winger. Recent reports suggested Madrid would consider tabling a £150m offer to United for the services of the Portuguese star, who joined the English club from Sporting Lisbon in 2003. Madrid already holds the record for the biggest transfer fee in soccer history, paying Italian team Juventus £46m for the services of Zinedine Zidane in 2001. They would need to far exceed that to satisfy United.
The other possibility is of a cash + players deal, which would break apart a successful squad that captain Raul has urged the management to keep together. Players that have been mentioned as going as compensation are formidable talents like Sergio Ramos and Robinho.
There are plenty of reasons for these two superclubs to be fighting over the services of Ronaldo. He scored 42 goals in all competitions for United this season, helping the Red Devils claim its second consecutive Premier League title and to win the Champions League. He was named the top player in the English Premier League and is also the odds-on favourite to win the FIFA world player of the year award in December.
There are also rumblings that Barcelona are preparing to rival Real Madrid in the race to sign the Portuguese forward. The last time these two clubs fought over a player from Manchester United as back in 2006 when David Beckham was sold by United. United accepted a £25m bid from Barca before selling the midfielder to Real for the same fee. Beckham has no interest in joining Barcelona, as he felt he was being used as a political pawn by Joan Laporta. Laporta was campaigning to become Barcelona president and seemed to be using the Beckham signing as a way of upping his profile with the voters.
As <a href="http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/06/05/madrid_scent_victory_in_their.html">Sid Lowe of the Guardian wrote this morning</a>, Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón is still unpopular despite two successive titles and he has missed out on signing the players he promised to sign,like Cesc Fabregas and Kaká, during his presidential campaign. This could mean that despite the cost, financially or financially + players going to United, Calderón could be desperate to make a big statement.
Ronaldo has said that he will not speak of his future again until after the European Championships but expect the media to stir up a frenzy. A strong showing at Euro 2008 would only serve to drive up the price on Ronaldo, perhaps to the point where a deal is untenable.
I remain skeptical (this could just be a negotiating ploy for Ronaldo to up his United wages yet again) but it looks like my initial hunches about this were wrong.

Ronaldo picks Real Madrid over Manchester United

Ronaldo picks Real Madrid over Manchester United - World Soccer Talk

As the old saying goes, money talks and Cristiano Ronaldo is listening. The 23-year-old Portugese superstar finally ended his silence in <a href="http://esportes.terra.com.br/interna/0,,OI2160028-EI1865,00.html">an exclusive interview with respected Brazilian website Terra</a> he is reported as stating: “I would like to play for Real Madrid but only if it is true they are ready to pay what Manchester United ask of them. However, it does not depend on me.”
Reports are that he wants to leave Man Utd for the £300,000-a-week wage packet being offered to him by Real Madrid. This despite the fact that Ronaldo signed a five-year contract extension with Manchester United last April, tying him to the club until the end of the 2011-12 season. The Real Madrid offer is double the wages he is currently making at Old Trafford.
In order for Ronaldo to join Real Madrid, United would first have to agree to sell him, but its plain to see that Madrid will need to break the bank to buy the Portuguese winger. Recent reports suggested Madrid would consider tabling a £150m offer to United for the services of the Portuguese star, who joined the English club from Sporting Lisbon in 2003. Madrid already holds the record for the biggest transfer fee in soccer history, paying Italian team Juventus £46m for the services of Zinedine Zidane in 2001. They would need to far exceed that to satisfy United.
The other possibility is of a cash + players deal, which would break apart a successful squad that captain Raul has urged the management to keep together. Players that have been mentioned as going as compensation are formidable talents like Sergio Ramos and Robinho.
There are plenty of reasons for these two superclubs to be fighting over the services of Ronaldo. He scored 42 goals in all competitions for United this season, helping the Red Devils claim its second consecutive Premier League title and to win the Champions League. He was named the top player in the English Premier League and is also the odds-on favourite to win the FIFA world player of the year award in December.
There are also rumblings that Barcelona are preparing to rival Real Madrid in the race to sign the Portuguese forward. The last time these two clubs fought over a player from Manchester United as back in 2006 when David Beckham was sold by United. United accepted a £25m bid from Barca before selling the midfielder to Real for the same fee. Beckham has no interest in joining Barcelona, as he felt he was being used as a political pawn by Joan Laporta. Laporta was campaigning to become Barcelona president and seemed to be using the Beckham signing as a way of upping his profile with the voters.
As <a href="http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/06/05/madrid_scent_victory_in_their.html">Sid Lowe of the Guardian wrote this morning</a>, Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón is still unpopular despite two successive titles and he has missed out on signing the players he promised to sign,like Cesc Fabregas and Kaká, during his presidential campaign. This could mean that despite the cost, financially or financially + players going to United, Calderón could be desperate to make a big statement.
Ronaldo has said that he will not speak of his future again until after the European Championships but expect the media to stir up a frenzy. A strong showing at Euro 2008 would only serve to drive up the price on Ronaldo, perhaps to the point where a deal is untenable.
I remain skeptical (this could just be a negotiating ploy for Ronaldo to up his United wages yet again) but it looks like <a href="http://www.championsleaguetalk.com/transfer-rumours-ronaldo-to-real-for-how-much/147">my initial hunches</a> about this were wrong.

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