Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Barcelona vs Real Madrid
Real Madrid did not only lose El Clasico to Barcelona. They lost their self-respect, their greatness, and their first place in La Liga standings to their archrivals. 5-0 was the final shameful result.
In truth, who would have imagined such a score line after 90 minutes of proceedings at the Camp Nou? The public was rather expecting a hot and balanced encounter, due to both sides’ forces and advantages. Jose Mourinho is normally known for his diverse and effective strategies in big games, but on the night of November 29, he wasn’t given any chance to perform his wonders.
As for Cristiano Ronaldo, his fans were hoping he would break his goalless curse against the former treble winners. That was not the case though, and in addition to the already-disgraceful result of El Clasico, his immature behavior made his troubles’ load on his shoulders even heavier.
Barcelona first took the lead through Xavi, on 10 minutes. A wonderful pass, followed by a decent ball control and a nice finish allowed the hosts to establish themselves in the game, while it gave their visitors a hard early cuff. Looking at the replay, there were no doubts that Mourinho had not organized his offside trap ideally, and this was a negative sign for the rest of the game.
Indeed, Pedro’s name sneaked on the scoring sheet 8 minutes later with a strike inside the 6-yard box. The connection between the ball provider David Villa and the eventual goalscorer was faultless; but speaking of Real Madrid, their defense was decomposed and awkward. By then, Jose Mourinho knew that his men were in the hands of their enemies; he was simply helpless.
His front looked lethargic and his midfield was subjugated. There was nothing left to do. Cristiano Ronaldo however made the situation worst on 32 minutes when he refused to keep his calm and pushed Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola near the touch line to get the ball back in play with impatience. This caused Victor Valdes and Andres Iniesta to race toward the winger in anger along with other players on the field; but the referee stopped the row and booked the Portuguese forward, as well as the home side’s goalie.
In front of 98,255 spectators, the humiliated Real Madrid players had to go for a break at half-time, with the task of overturning a 2-0 score line afterward. The Camp Nou kept hunting Los Blancos in the second half with loud screams and taunts, and being powered to maximum by their home fans, Barcelona came back stronger to sink their rivals even deeper.
David Villa finally clarified his image with a quick-fire double before the hour mark thanks to excellent contributions from Lionel Messi. The current league leaders played the rest of the match relentlessly, and they were rewarded with a late 5th goal—this time—from substitute Jeffren.
The Galacticos just could not handle the pressure and disgrace; but as opposed to the rest of his teammates, defender Sergio Ramos refused to contain himself, and lashed at Puyol and Xavi after horribly tackling Messi. He was sent off for his dreadful act; and obviously, it was a cheap red card.
Barcelona now top La Liga table with 34 points—either 2 points ahead of Real Madrid who occupy the second place still with 32 points. Several questions now arise concerning the future of Los Blancos’ biggest personalities: Does Mourinho still deserve to be called the Special One? Should Ronaldo expect to be a nominee for next years’ individual awards despite his infantilism and lack of influence in tough times?
More importantly, the club’s chances of holding La Liga title this season have become slighter. If ever they fail to become champions again, then it will be hard to know what and who Madrid really need to become a true kingdom. In the meantime, it would advisable for them to think of developing themselves—both tactically and mentally.
Date: Monday, 29 Nov 2010
Time: 15:00 ( US/Eastern )
Competition: Spain La Liga
Live/Repeat: Live
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona (Barcelona)
Time: 15:00 ( US/Eastern )
Competition: Spain La Liga
Live/Repeat: Live
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona (Barcelona)
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