Tito Vilanova is Gone – Now What?

Tito Vilanova is stepping down as Barcelona coach due to a ‘tumor relapse’. May he get well soon.

The questions everyone are asking now:

1- Who will take the Barca job?
2- Will Guardiola come back for the rescue?
3- Does ‘this’ Barca squad need a coach?
4- Will Barca’s results be affected; whoever takes the job?

Aftermath of El Clasico Number 6: Real Madrid are League Champions 2011/2012

First things first: Congratulations Real Madrid for the first league title since 2008. Moving on, and in theory, Barcelona can still make a comeback only if Real Madrid lost at least 2 games and drew one while Barcelona won all four. In reality, the points’ difference is at 7 with four games to play for both teams. Even Guardiola started his post-match conference stating “First of all, congratulations to Madrid, for the win and the league title they have confirmed today.”

As I mentioned before, in the El Clasico preview, the team that scored first won the game, in a safe game, where Real Madrid took no risks and played with their heads on. Mourinho dominated the game in what could be a rehearsal for his team’s next big game against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

I have one big concern, and let’s hope I am wrong about it. First, read through the thoughts and facts and scroll down to condemn or approve my worry.

• Guardiola conceded his first loss in the League against Real Madrid.
• Ronaldo is now the League’s top scorer with 42 goals, while Messi is second with 41.
• 23 goals, 43 yellow cards, 4 red cards, 2 draws, 4 wins in 6 head-to-head games in 2011/2012 have been registered
• Messi did not score in his fourth consecutive El Clasico. (Total Messi Stats vs Real Madrid: 19 games, 10 Wins – 5 Draws – 4 Losses, 13 goals, 10 assists)
• Diving was evident at moments; nothing impressive though.
• Abidal is one reason why Barcelona are fragile at the back. Guardiola should have listened to me earlier and signed a defender or two in the Winter Transfer Market.
• Barcelona have recently lost that one aspect that made them more confident on the pitch: Winning balls back within less than 6-7 seconds of losing them.
• Thiago is still not ready for the big stage; and David Villa is missed.
• Valdes sent an apology to Diego Maradona post his howler (away from the fact that the first goal is an offside candidate).

Well, a seventh El Clasico is still a possibility, and if it happened it will be the most gorgeous and competitive one. Barcelona still has two trophies to win, but the team is tired already and Guardiola should find the cure fast. However, my only concern is XAVI. He was angry at being substituted during the game, and he even showed his frustration while he was at the bench. I do not recall seeing him acting this way and it makes me wonder if it was a sign of discontent against his own performance or against Guardiola’s decision. I hope it was for the former state, and I blame Frank Rijkaard’s karma in both cases.

What???

El Clasico number 6: All In for the League Title

20 goals, 37 yellow cards, 4 red cards, 2 draws, 3 wins in 5 head-to-head matches so far this season. This round, the two teams meet for the sixth time, and they will probably meet again in Europe. This game might actually be the one to give Real Madrid their first league title since 2008, if they managed a win. A draw will keep the points difference at 4 with four games to play afterward, while a win by Barcelona will hold everyone’s breath till the last game.

Since the last time the two teams met, many things happened and both teams have reached the semi-finals stage of the European championship. They both progressed physically and mentally and reached their peak of the season. This time around, Real Madrid may go into the game for a draw while Barcelona might be a little distracted and plunge into a draw too. Why? Because both teams have the Champions League encounters in almost 72 hours, and both teams received a loss away to Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

Here are some facts, notes, and thoughts about El Clasico number 6:

• Real Madrid did not win over Barcelona in the league since Guardiola’s appointment as manager.
• Messi and Ronaldo are tied at 41 league goals.
• Messi did not score in his last three encounters against Real Madrid (Total Messi Stats vs Real Madrid: 18 games, 10 Wins – 5 Draws – 3 Losses, 13 goals, 10 assists).
• Both teams will play safe because the Champions League games are around the corner.
• Ashley Young will attend the game as a judge. He will signal out the best dive of the game. Contenders are: Ronaldo, Busquests, and Di Maria.
• The team that scores first might win the game.
• If Messi scores against Real Madrid, he will equal Cesar Rodriguez’s record of 14 goals in El Clasico. Di Stefano is the all-time scorer of both teams with 18 goals.
•  A last minute brawl will erupt. Cesc Fabregas will be part of it while Alves will kick Pepe behind the referee’s back.
• Expect Tello to dazzle if given the chance to play.
• Higuain will fight Ronaldo for a clear chance. Benzema will have the laugh of his life.

Ronaldo vs Messi: Top Scorer Title or League Title; what is more important? (photo as shown on The Football Supernova page)

Villarreal 1-1 Real Madrid: So what?

Remember Graham Poll? He is the referee who showed Josip Šimunić THREE yellow cards before sending him off. The incident was in World Cup 2006, Graham Poll was relieved from his duties in the tournament, and life went on, and will always go on. Human mistakes and errors are part of the game of football, and last night, the mistakes were not human; and hence the controversy.

Every commentator, website, and philosopher was arguing that referee José Luis Paradas Romero‎ should have sent off Marco Ruben from Villarreal for getting two yellow cards. However, official statistics, including realmadrid.com have reported that Ruben got one yellow card, while the other one was given to Cani.

The game-sheet as posted on http://www.realmadrid.com

Having said so, and now that we have a clear understanding of that particular incident, the game itself between Villarreal and Real Madrid has caused more controversy and anger, especially among Real Madrid fans. The game ended 1-1 and it saw the difference between Real Madrid and Barcelona reduced to six points. The Blancos were leading by 10 points before drawing in a similar way in their last two games (they conceded two late freekicks), and now everyone is talking about refereeing mistakes and bias for the Blaugrana. I am not a Real Madrid fan to understand how a Real Madrid person should feel, but there are some points that I would like to share with every football guru:

• The season is not over, and there are 10 more league games and 30 more points at stake. Stop moaning and move on. Just ask the Italians about their fortunes in 2002 and 2006.
• Real Madrid is not the only team in the world to suffer from a referee’s mistake (if any took place intentionally)
• Pepe, Ramos, and even Mourinho, are not the best tempered football figures, so red cards and expulsions are not something of a surprise.
• Not helping yourself into scoring more than one goal is not the referee’s problem (Barcelona conceded two penalties and a red card against Granada, but Barcelona scored 5 goals to turn over the result)
• Calling the referee a “Son of a b**ch” will not earn you the game points, and stalking the referee in the parking lot will not change the result.

Many football results are still being disputed even after 30 or 40 years. Just ask the English about the “hand of god” or the Germans about that 1966 Final. Now move on, register your complaint in a football acceptable way, focus on what’s next, and stop the self-destruction tactics.

MOVE ON!

Transfer Talk – Part 3

Following what we’ve already covered about some of the Premier League’s top clubs (part 1 and part 2), Figo29.com and Thefootballsupernova.com now have a look at some of Europe’s elite, and most active in the market, Football clubs.

FC Barcelona

Figo29: The major concern is in the attack as David Villa is ruled out for the season. Rumor has it that Chelsea are willing to swap Fernando “I Fire Blanks” Torres for the young trio of Cuenca-Roberto-Montoya. However, they will be looking for a striker with experience AND eligible to play Champions League. Bids are already in place for Abidal (PSG) Keita (Milan) and Maxwell (Arsenal), while Mario Götze is on Barca’s radar. I recommend Maxi Lopez for a second spell or someone who is a real number 9. p.s. Forget about Neymar, please!

TFS: Despite Villa being ruled out, I just can’t see Barca buying anyone significant during the middle of their season. Basically, the way I think of it is – why fix something that isn’t broken? To be fair Villa hasn’t had the best of seasons and regardless of his presence, Barca will still be successful and beating teams for fun. So, no signings here in my opinion, but maybe a new name from their youth ranks.

Real Madrid

Figo29: Mourinho still has at least six months before we witness a new exodus and a wave of signings. Albiol, Higuain, Benzema, Khedira, Diarra, Kaka and Ozil are all rumored to be leaving but that’s not likely to happen soon, not at least for most of them. New additions are coming, so expect to see Neymar, Bale, Gotze, Tevez, or even Hulk. I take no gambles with Real Madrid.

TFS: I can’t see them selling anyone in the transfer window. Anything could disrupt the fragility of their title challenge. Mourinho is never a big spender in January, nor are Real Madrid. If a signing is made, it’ll be in the summer and it will be another huge “galactico” signing. So for now…nada.

AC Milan

Figo29: Galliani says it is either Tevez or no one. Don’t trust him. Pato and Robinho are unsettled, so is Taye Taiwo. Maxwell and Keita are probable reinforcements, and a surprise Kaka return might be on the cards. Maxi Lopez, Domenico Criscito, Riccardo Montolivo, and Ganso all expressed their love to Milan, and Milan needs all of them.

TFS: They’ve got to buy Tevez. If not to bolster their striking options, then simply so that we (the football fans) can stop hearing about Tevez moaning about what he likes and dislikes (weather, food, golf…). Taiwo could be possible departure and I never thought about it – but Old Trafford would suit him, as United do need cover at left-back.

Internazionale Milano

Figo29: Expect another round of useless transfers including a change of the coach, too. Inter has an aging squad and a mad millionaire who will bid for anything this winter. Milito, Motta, Chivu, and Sneijder may not stay and some footballers’ lookalikes will join.

TFS: I bet Sneijder is cursing himself for not pushing to leave during the summer. I doubt they’ll buy anyone significant. Their transfer activity in January won’t do much I believe. Alejandro Gomez (Catania), Marko Marin (Werder Bremen – and a legend in the game Football manager) and Juraj Kucka (Genoa) have all been linked. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Krasic jump the boat from Juventus to Inter either.

Juventus

Figo29: Antonio Conte is gaining the fans and the board’s trust, and no one will argue with him if Vincenzo Iaquinta, Eljero Elia, Fabio Quagliarella, Luca Toni, Amauri, and Miloš Krasić are placed on the transfer list. Yet, do not expect big names to replace any departing player. Angelo Palombo is a probable signing, while Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertongan are tempting enough for the Old Lady.

TFS: Rumor has it that 2 moves are in the works for January – Martin Cacares (a loan from Sevilla with an option to buy) and Marco Boriello (another loan from Roma with an option to buy). Juve have been lethal this season, and I wouldn’t doubt the effect that Conte’s signings could have on their title challenge.

Paris Saint-Germain

Figo29: A rich club wanting to be among Europe’s biggest names in no time, so you do the math. Carlo Ancelotti will lead the overhaul, and he might sign his previous favorites: Malouda, Pato, and Alex. Beckham is one name bigger than the club and can bring the media to Paris, while Tevez might be a shock signing.

TFS: The equivalent of Manchester City in France, they’re linked with pretty much everybody. Some of the names being spoken about are quite ridiculous but I wouldn’t put it past them to make the moves – Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, Kaka, Pato, Malouda, Alex, David Beckham, Higuain….and of course, Carlos Tevez. Let’s see which of these will happen, but I don’t expect Pastore to be the lonely megastar in that team for long.

El Clasico: Thoughts from “The Derby of the World”

“In life you have to choose to be brave, or very brave.” Those were the words of Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola, during the post-match press conference. FC Barcelona won 3-1 against Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabéu to become joint leaders of the Spanish La Liga, along with Real Madrid with 37 points each. Goal difference now separates the two teams (Barcelona: 50 goals scored against 8 received / Real Madrid: 50 goals scored against 13 received), with Real Madrid having an extra game to be played away to Sevilla.

Back to Guardiola’s words, they exactly describe the El Clasico. Real Madrid were seemingly the better side till they conceded the equalizer. It was since that moment when Barcelona fought back and dominated the game till the final whistle. Guardiola’s men switched to a 3-4-3 formation and went upfront as bravely as they could. Real Madrid had many chances to rectify the scoreline, but as Mourinho said: “Luck played its part but I don’t want to take anything away from our opponents.”

Victorious in the Santiago Bernabéu: This is Football (Photo: MIGUEL RUIZ)

I will not go on reviewing the minute-by-minute play (still you can read that here), but will share some thought and notes from the third El Clasico of the 2011/2012 (and hopefully the third out of possible 8).

1. Total Stats; 4 goals, 7 yellow cards, 0 red cards, 2 brawls. Season Total Stats after 3 El Clasicos: 13 goals, 20 yellow cards, 3 red cards, 17 brawls, and 1 eye poking
2. Mourinho lost against Barcelona with his 11 men on field, for the first time, and for the first time at home too.
3. Iniesta is not human. Enough said.
4. Messi stayed at 13 goals in 13 El Clasicos, and tied with Cristina at 17 league goals each, but he made the best of efforts running through 10,000 Madrid players and setting up Alexis goal.
5. Diving experts are still choosing between Cristina, Di Maria, Alexis, and Busquets. My vote goes for Alexis.
6. Mascherano missed out on being booked; thanks to Guardiola.
7. Guardiola never lost at the Bernabéu as a coach, and he is yet to do so.
8. Valdes committed 3 fatal mistakes: First one resulted in a goal, second one was called offside, third one was cleared by the defence. He just lost his right to be Spain’s number one.
9. Real Madrid scored after just 22 seconds of kick-off to prove two points: Mourinho had his window of opportunity and used it – Barcelona are still fragile in defence.
10. Real Madrid have an opportunity against Sevilla to break the record for most goals in a single calendar year in Primera (They have now 113 goals, and share the spoils with Barcelona)
11. Daniel Alves finally reassured his status at right back to give Guardiola one less problem to consider for later improvements.
12. Xavi Hernández played his 600^th match for the club, and scored a goal with Marcelo’s help, just to make us wish he is some years younger because I am not sure who will mastermind this Barcelona when he retires. If FIFA is reading this: He is the BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD.
13. Cristina Ronaldo missed some easy chances and was the flop of the game. Once more he proves he is not the big games man. I was shocked though at the way his home fans whistled him after all he has scored for them.
14. 3-4-3: Guardiola showed he has balls and proved that this Barcelona is yet to evolve into a monstrous football team; that enjoyed a 67.5% ball possession against a team of that caliber.

Everything about El Clasico showed the world that Barcelona are unstoppable at the moment. However, the season is still long and Real Madrid can end it as Champions. Barcelona will now move to Japan to play the semi-final game of the FIFA Club World Cup against their Qatari sponsors’ team Al-Sadd, while Real Madrid will visit Sevilla eyeing a win to reclaim the league’s first spot.

I will not predict what will happen next or write off Mourinho’s team, but I will highlight a goal from the World Cup 1990 (first spotted by a friend of mine) to show its resemblance with Messi’s run and assist to Alexis last night. This similarity is what you, I, and whoever you share it with, should think about and realize that: Barcelona and Messi still have other dimensions of football to explore.

El Clasico: Round 3, FIGHT!

Whether it was a blessing or a curse, football won FIVE El Clasicos in 2010/2011. Hate the Spanish League or love it, say it is a weak competition and not of the same flare of others, but it is the home of the “Derby of the World”.

Football fans brace yourselves: December 10, 2011 (21:00 GMT) will witness the kick-off of the third encounter between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona for the 2011/2012.

The web is now overcrowded with analysis, predictions, and previews of the Santiago Bernabéu battle, so how about I just list some of the news and stats based on what I am reading and hearing? (I actually cannot think right this time around, fighting against the keyboard to write something that makes sense, and I am more tensed than watching the Champions League Final last year.)

Messi vs Cristina: 17 league goals each (image by sidelineartist.com)

1. Two teams already met twice 4 months ago: It was only the curtain raiser and still ended with 9 goals, 13 yellow cards, 3 red cards, and 67 punches below the waist.
2.  Mourinho not attending the pre-match press conference: It is all about mind games, and this way no journalist will be poked in the eye.
3. Xavi will play his 600^th game with the team: A milestone and a fantastic figure for the Maestro who might again miss out on being the World’s best in January.
4. Barcelona played on Tuesday at home: Fielding all the youngsters showed the world that the legacy is in progress. It also gave the first team players a much needed rest before travelling to Madrid then Japan.
5. Real Madrid played Wednesday away from home: Mourinho fielded Higuain and Benzema, while Alonso played for almost 30 minutes; a highly questioned decision by the Portuguese tactician ahead of such an important game.
6. Real Madrid style has improved: Mourinho’s records say that he is more powerful in his second season in charge of the team managed. The way Madrid are playing at the moment might reinforce this claim, but will it be this game or the end of season titles that will prove how powerful they have become?
7. Guardiola never lost at the Bernabéu as a coach: Barcelona are 3 points behind Real Madrid, and it is a need that they claim all 3 points, especially that Madrid has a game in hand. Guardiola knows that this visit might be decisive in the title race and a loss is not his pre-match vision.
8. Tito Vilanova returned to lead a training session: His return and potential visit to Madrid might be another opportunity to see the eye poking contest, but a real emotional boost to the Barcelona squad.
9. Messi has 13 El Clasico goals: He sits sixth in the all-time top scorers of the El Clasico and has the opportunity surpass big names like Raul and Puskas.
10.  Diving: Even Xavi is now accused with it. Expect to see Busquets and Di Maria competing for the best dive act though.
11. Goal Galore: Yes, it will not end in a scoreless draw. I promise.
12. Playing system: Guardiola has tried the 3-4-3 system in many matches recently, and pundits say he should not use it against Real Madrid. However, if I were in his shoes, I will surprise everyone and go for it.

As I said, I cannot think right, and I don’t know what to preview more about this battle. Please go ahead and let me know your expectations/feelings/predictions if you are in a better mental state at the moment anticipating the game.

If we are lucky this season, we might end up watching 8 El Clasicos so you can tell your grandchildren you survived the 2011/2012 season and was a witness of the never ending war.

Messi goals against Real Madrid – 13 Goals in 12 El Clasico encounters