European nightmare at Anfield
Wednesday, 11 March 09, 09:26 AM · Comments(0)
With a manageable scoreline and a coach well-known for his cup success, even in hostile situations,
even with a less than favorable away goal to live down, Real Madrid must have had some bit of esperanza or hope that for the first time in 5 years they would advance past this stage in
the Champions League?
It didn't last long. They were destroyed, humiliated, embarrassed, or run off the park, use whatever cliche you want. Madrid were expecting another chess match like the one they got at the Santiago Bernabeu but got invited to their own smack-down. The reactionary British press might say that it just proves the overall strength of the Premiership over La liga. The Madrid press are in the middle of a downward spiral of "let see who we can blame for this debacle: (Mijatovich, Juande, players, signings, tactics, naivete, but always the refs) and Liverpool are actually coming out of this match with the delusional idea that they're actually quite good.
The truth about what happened is, as usual, somewhere in that mix (except for the part about Liverpool being rubbush, that's all true and then some).
There were many mistakes made. First of all: Torres clipped Pepe on the kneecap just as the Real Madrid defender was clearing the ball which set-up the first goal. It was a foul that wasn't called which led to an easy goal putting Madrid down 2 goals on the road, and yes it was a foul, Torres even looked at the ref afterwards expecting the call that never came.
Secondly, and I don't want to make this all about the refs so I'll hold off on the most egregious call for later, Juande Ramos started a Real Madrid side that are not head-and-shoulders behind Liverpool, but were definitely missing key components to handle the Reds balls-to-the-wall approach: Up front, Raul doesn't have the pace or the physicality to handle the lone striker role, so Juande started Higuain next to him. Gonzalo is a good young player, but he's more of a young Raul, rather than the target man that either injured Ruud Van Nistelrooj or the cup tied Klaus Jan Huntelaar are. Like the corresponding fixture, Liverpool took Robben off his game and his compatriot Snejder, who almost had a wonder-goal from a free-kick, hasn't been the same player since he injured his knee at Ashburton Grove in a pre-season match. Yet, Real Madrid lost the match not because they couldn't score but because they didn't control the center circle. They do not have a monster in the midfield to contend with Mascherano (one Diarra is not as good as another) and Gago likely played his last overly lazy pass for Madrid. They needed a ball-winner and someone alongside who could hit pass the baoll quickly into space. Don't they wish they had Xavi Alonso instead?
Thirdly, well it's obvious isn't it. The penalty that really wasn't. A Liverpool supporter I was with admitted as much, he just couched in the "it's like that phantom penalty they always call at the Stretford End at Old Trafford against us!" Heinze gets called for a handball in the area on a ball that was clearly not. Down by three goals on aggregate before the gents were neatly tucked in their seats, Real Madrid never settled themselves on the road and never recovered like I predicted they would coming into the game.
Despite Casillas's rout saving heroics, Gerrard and the ex-Madrid product Arbeloa extended the scoring later on, so the 5-0 on aggregate scoreline doesn't surprise me, but it also paints a more than unfair picture. Real Madrid are not this bad (I cover them week in and week out) and it flatters a rather pedestrian Reds squad (check their draws against subpar opponents at Anfield) that came out strong at home. Congrats, but the scoreline flatters to deceive.
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forzafutbol
Los Angeles, US
A better lens into the World's Game. We talk about UEFA Cup, Champions League and International matches, especially when they intersect with teams in Spain and Italy, we talk transfer rumours, gossip and everything else that revolves around the world's greatest game.
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Mando said:I think you can get 3 for the price of what you'd pay for Kaka and Ronaldo. Aul...
trooper said:here is my squad list:
GK - iker casillas & codina
DEFENCE: maicon,ramo...
Keftbubpoet said:I don't like the colour.
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