Monthly Archives: November 2010

Puyol takes one from Ramos for a 5-star performance

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Carles Puyol has been the bigger man by making light of the incident when he was shoved in the face to the the ground by Spain teammate Sergio Ramos during the Monday night El Clasico.

Sergio Ramos was shown a straight red card after lunging into Lionel Messi in the 90th minutes of Real Madrid’s 5-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona. On his way out, Ramos put his hands into the face of his two Spanish teammates, Puyol and Xavi.

Puyol probably felt for his rivals and said:

“These things happen in a game of football. I’ve gone to defend a team-mate of mine because it seemed a very tough tackle.

“They are moments of high tension, but what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch. I have a very good relationship with Sergio Ramos and it’s already forgotten. I have more important things to think about.”

There are always different piques with the players from Madrid because they are our biggest rivals, but it’s a pique on the field of play. We have many friends in the other camp.”

Barcelona are now the only team to defeat Real Madrid this season and score more than two goals against them – they scored FIVE in their fifth consecutive El Clasico win.

Puyol said:

“I didn’t expect a thrashing like that but, when you least expect it, it can happen. Now we need to enjoy this victory.

“We had a very complete game and played very well. We started very aggressively, playing our football and everything went perfectly.”

In related news, Jose Mourinho denies that Madrid was humiliated. I think he’s just scared now. This defeat could shatter Madrid and Mourinho’s dream of achieving European glory with this club could be over all too soon.

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El Classico – Barcelona v Real Madrid

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Jose MourinhoUnder Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid have enjoyed the best start ever to a La Liga campaign, still unbeaten in nineteen games in all competitions and currently leading the title race from rivals Barcelona who are just one point behind.

Ten victories and two draws in La Liga is pretty much what we have come to expect from Mourinho and this season Real Madrid have predictably tightened up their defence while still scoring for fun at the other end.

Xabi Alonso has noticeably taken on more responsibility in the anchor role and Brazilian full back Marcelo has become more disciplined, focusing more on his defensive play than his obvious attacking abilities.

Up front Cristiano Ronaldo has been given a more central role for Madrid and is in the form of his life, scoring fourteen goals in twelve games for the team, his focus is on getting into the box and scoring rather than spending time out on the wing.

There is little to choose between the two teams currently sitting comfortably atop of La Liga, Barcelona trail by just one point, having scored the same amount of goals (33) and conceded two more (8).

David Villa has settled into his striking role at Barcelona as well as expected managing 46 shots so far this season, twenty five on target and scoring six goals.

But no doubt all eyes will be on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in tonight’s game, both players are on top of their game and this will hopefully be a game decided by a magical moment from one or the other of them.

Messi has continued his consistent goal scoring form throughout the season in both La Liga and Champions League, with 46 goals to his name between November 2009 and October 2010.

During that period Messi has scored a goal in every 81 minutes of play, followed closely by Ronaldo who has scored in every 91 minutes of play.

But it is easy to get carried away comparing the two current greatest footballers in the world and often in these games they are stifled by the opposing team which isn’t surprising when you consider the quality of players on show.

I have to go for Real Madrid tonight, only because of the tactical nous of Mourinho who knows how to get a result against Barcelona. Pep Guardiola is no slouch of course and will attempt to win the game by doing what Barca do best, playing sexy football and taking their chances.

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England’s 2018 Fate Lies With The World’s Worst Footballing Nation

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The time will soon be upon us when it will be discovered whether the England 2018 World Cup bid team (as well as their Russian, Spanish/Portuguese and Dutch/Belgian counterparts) will discover whether the last year or so of flesh-pressing, lobbying, rule-flaunting, power-brokering, politicking, back-slapping, bribery, petty sniping, short-sighted optimism and the abject hemorrhaging of several millions of pounds sterling will have been worth it all when the FIFA executive committee (ExCo) congregate to vote on the destination of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in Zurich on Thursday afternoon.

The concerted English effort has suffered some sizeable blows on their way to this week’s gala ceremony, with covert journalism, flagrant Iberian/Qatari collusion and an intense global mistrust of the nation at large thought to have put paid to their hopes of actually succeeding on several occasions.

However, it looks like England 2018 may be in line to receive a voting lifeline from a fairly unlikely source – Papa New Guinea, the joint-worst footballing nation on the entire planet.

Vice-president of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) David Chung, who hails from the aforementioned island nation ranked joint 203rd in the world (alongside San Marino, Anguilla, Montserrat and American Samoa), is travelling to Zurich in the hope of being sworn onto FIFA’s ExCo to replace temporarily deposed OFC president Reynald Temarii – who has been suspended from his post for a year after being caught out by the Sunday Times‘ undercover investigation into the innate corruption of the current World Cup bidding process.

If Temarii withdraws his appeal and stands down from the OFC, Chung (who is apparently deemed a ‘favourable voter’ from an English perspective) may be able to take the seat by right, meaning 23 (rather than just 22) people will be voting on the bids come Thursday.

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The FA Cup 3rd round draw

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FA Cup third round draw:

Burnley v Port Vale
Coventry v Crystal Palace
Bristol City v Sheffield Wednesday
Fulham v Peterborough
Doncaster v Wolves
Brighton or FC United of Manchester v Portsmouth
Huddersfield v Dover Athletic
Crawley Town or Swindon v Derby
West Ham v Barnsley
Reading v West Brom
Arsenal v Leeds
Sheffield Utd v Aston Villa
Leicester v Man City
Bolton v York
Blackburn v QPR
Swansea v Colchester
Wycombe v Hereford or Lincoln
Stevenage v Newcastle
Burton Albion v Middlesbrough
Millwall v Birmingham
Southampton v Blackpool
Watford v Hartlepool or Yeovil
Chelsea v Ipswich
Sunderland v Notts County or Bournemouth
Scunthorpe v Everton
Man Utd v Liverpool
Hull v Wigan
Stoke v Cardiff
Tottenham v Charlton or Luton
Preston v Nottingham Forest
Norwich v Droylsden or Leyton Orient
Torquay v Carlisle

Tottenham Crock Ledley King Is Slowly Falling To Bits

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Tottenham defender Ledley King is to visit a specialist in Denmark to ascertain whether or not he will need to undergo surgery on the troublesome groin injury that has kept him out for the past six weeks.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said: “Ledley’s off to see a specialist in Copenhagen to get a decision on what needs doing next, as to whether he feels he can carry on strengthening and trying to get through without having surgery or whether he needs surgery.”

“The knee can’t improve; there’s nothing you can do with the knee. That’s how it’s going to be for the rest of his career.”

The strain, which has restricted King to just seven appearances this season, is thought to have developed as a result of the 30-year-old centre-back’s inability to train regularly (due to his rubbish knees), though it may also be due to having tendons and ligaments that are seemingly made from a compound of plasticine and warm chocolate.

Seriously, regardless of quality, how is this guy still a pro? Surely he’s worth more in scrap these days?

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