La Liga Diatribe

BARCELONA VS MANCHESTER UNITED & EPL VS REST OF THE WORLD

Tue, 26 May 2009 11:57:32 -0500

Memo: TO MANCHESTER UNITED AND EPL FANS!!!

Your sense of entitlement seriously rubs me the wrong way and I just wish that we could talk about the game and the way it is played for better or for worse.

First, we all have to agree that football is defined differently in England than it is in Spain or any other country. British football is simply an extension of the British male's model of world:rough, unsophisticated (they do not find it necessary,having a stiff upper lip in British society is a GREAT virtue), resilient, goal or mission driven.Indeed, the ultimate goal in British football is to WIN. Henceforth, form matters very little to you in this endeavor.One can hardly argue this point nowadays because of the foreign presence in the league but the basic understanding of the game persisted and still remains. This fact is very obvious when you watch the EPL. Play is almost always vertical and that explains the long balls from either L/R backs and Centerbacks into the opponent's central defense. Play is, therefore, shortened and form is somewhat lost because patterns are senseless during this exercise.

On the other hand,If you look at Holland, Spain,France,Brazil,Mexico and even Germany, you find different patterns of movement from players than you would find in England. Wenger's Arsenal is the only team I can see attempt to play football the way the rest of the world does.

Now, is it a bad thing to be different? no! but I refuse to have anyone from Manchester United tell me that I am wrong for wanting to see football with all its intricacies: completed cycles of play both horizontally and vertically. The EPL sells itself short by mostly relying on force and speed to score goals rather than technical superiority,which is what Barcelona is all about.It is rare to see goals in the EPL that are team goals,you will find a few exceptions,but not enough!

Furthermore, just to emphasize the point, I remember, just this season, Real Madrid taking a lot of flack from their "own" newspaper, MARCA, for winning without sparkle after a fantastic streak of wins. It just goes to show how important that aspect of the game is to true football fanatics because those are the things we remember long after the game is over, long after players retire and long after trophies are placed in museums.

I remember Jean Amadou Tigana because he was elegant in the way he looked for either Platini, Giresse or Papin or Fernandez; I remember Roger Mendy because he showed the way forward in his team's offensive effort; I remember Fernando Redondo because he was elegant within the context of his team's architectural scheme, I remember Battistuta because he fit within his team and was in charge of completing Argentina's offensive cycle of play...All these players and teams are remembered because they belonged to teams or simply agreed to follow the process of building, troubleshooting, moving for and with, and proding play. This aspect of the game is why I, like the majority of football fans watch the game, not the EPL's "kick it upfield, bump into one another, and you might get a goal philosophy". If I really wanted to just see this somewhat brute and almost "animal" athleticism then I could have simply chosen American football or rugby!!!

We are not weak for wanting something different from what the EPL has to offer, we are simply smarter about our football.

Memo: TO MANCHESTER UNITED AND EPL FANS!!!

Thu, 21 May 2009 16:27:11 -0500

Memo: TO MANCHESTER UNITED AND EPL FANS!!!

Your sense of entitlement seriously rubs me the wrong way and I just wish that we could talk about the game and the way it is played for better or for worse.

We are not weak for wanting something different from what the EPL has to offer, we are simply smarter about our football.

The Problem with Barcelona´s Defense

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:14:01 -0600

No, you heard me right ... I want another centerback and I am not crazy!

1)The only crazy thing is to believe that we will see the Gabi Milito we saw last year anytime soon. After one year of injury it is hard to think that we can just go back to where he was: not gonna happen, especially with a knee.

2) Marques is proned to injury as we saw last week. I do not need to comment any further on it. It is very obvious that his days as a top flight player are numbered.

3) Caceres is not really a center back. He really is a right/left back. He lacks size and is much more of a Franco Baresi wannabe than pure sang Roger Mendy. I have to admit I like the guy very much but I do not see him holding down Barca in the middle in a Champions´ league final (any takers?)

4) Pique has been great so far! besides a couple of mistakes I am very happy with his displays this season.

5) Henrique would have never been loaned out if he were that ¨fantastic¨ to start with.

6) That only leaves me with Puyol...a beast through and through!!!

The combination in the middle of the defense is, I think, Barcelona´s possible undoing. I am sure some will cite me the fact that so far we´ve had the best defense in the league, so on and so forth...I agree but I am being forward looking and as we move into the secong half of the season...I am honestly tempted to ¨doubt¨ our ability to be consistent in the middle of the defense.

2008/2009 La Liga Preview

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:43:15 -0500

As ESPN’s Phil Ball stretched, circled, crawled, cried with sorrow, at times, as deep as the river Piedra, and squealed with joy as sweet as membrillo or the smile of the beautiful girl from Badajoz, who paints her nails purple everytime “el villanovense” wins, indeed, we invented our path through his now famous “chaos theory” and lived a season that saw Real Madrid successfully defend its title, Barcelona, once again, fail to recapture the glory of years past, Villareal finally live up to its promise and Atletico Madrid grand stand with a style uniquely precise in its beauty and remediable lack of consistency. This was the season that taught lessons from the edges of management and coaching, as laissez faire in Barcelona robbed us all of the “expected” when tradition became a substitute for hard work and fascism spoiled our communal paella valenciana when the “salt of the Earth” single-handedly wrecked a team that could have been a serious European contender. Last season saw the dreaded dance of the handkerchiefs at Espanyol and Zaragoza, when a most valuable player became a team by himself since his absence truly wed the rest of his squad and coaches waltzed to the caprices of the most unstable management team in the world. Then we defended well at Almeria and Racing Santander before capturing the world’s imagination at Getafe: oh what could have been!

Then came the heartache: Antonio Puerta!

The European Cup, which saw an entire nation wrestle with the true definition of the color yellow, an ‘old’ and wise man finally finding salvation and a 4 decades long curse broken, shortened the summer as we all hummed to a wordless national anthem and learned to spell names like Arshavin, Modric and Semih Senturk. We speculated and argued on message boards and forums and anxiously waited for the next transfer rumor to spring up. Then we learned that contractual agreements still matter and that not everything is for sale. In the process, we saw the importance of “soft skills”, as coaches from various teams alienated players before reversing themselves on previous public announcements about players’ futures. Then we persevered because preseason was already here. Teams crossed oceans in their search for synergy. Coaches took chances, tried new tactics, tested old ones, questioned aging players and started the caravan for a horde of vivacious young ones. Will the youngsters drink from the wells of wisdom?

In football, those who defend well usually win, beautifully.

Hence, we should expect great things from Almeria for several reasons. First, this season should be an affirmation party for this team. The team was hampered a bit by injuries towards the end of last season thus depleting their squad, which saw them finish 8^th on the standings. One of last year’s revelations was none other than Negredo, who single-handedly netted 13 goals. We should expect this team to solidify their reputation as a sound defensive force with the ability to quickly transition play to their opponent’s defensive third. Their scoring power is set to increase with the return to health of Kalu Uche and L.P. Natalio, who impressed at Cadiz last season, set to play a greater role this season. This team has the ability to be a spoiler for the title contenders. Although, their preseason form has been a bit tentative with 2 draws and 2 wins, we expect them to seriously challenge for Europe.

Athletic Bilbao is one of the youngest teams in the league and boasts an impressive array of talented players. The Basque team plays well at home and managed to pull a few upsets last year. They have a nice list of young players on loan at several clubs at the lower levels of Spanish football yet still manage capable players at every position. We expect Fernando Llorente to continue his nice scoring streak. At 24 years old, he stands to truly play a greater role this season with the help of more experienced Etxeberria, who at 31 is one of the real leaders of this team. Bilbao is a very defensive team, which we foresee ending the season in the middle of the standings. The one aspect of this team that is highly undesirable is their refusal to open their team to the rest of the world, thus stifling their ability to grow their game and really hurting their chances at seriously contending.

Although, their European league tourney started out with a close loss to Schalke04, we foresee Atletico Madrid to be one of the surprises of the season. With stars Kun Aguero and Diego Forlan combining for a healthy 35 goals last season, we expect Simao, Maxi Rodriguez, Santana and Motta to continue moving the ball fast through midfield and to remain aggressive with their attacking mindset. Florent Sinama-Pongolle was also added to the squad from Recreativo Huelva as an attacking option. Javier Aguirre, who we think is one of the better coaches in the league, picked up on the fact that defensive reinforcements were needed and provided some during the transfer window. We expect this team to be a better defensive team. The latter combined with last year’s scoring form could seriously challenge for the title. If Atletico Madrid defends better then the sky’s the limit for this team.

Ronaldhino is out, so are Deco and Frank Rijkaard but Laporta, Eto’o and Henry survived. We are not interested in the past with this team, just the future and what it holds. Barcelona can easily win la Liga and/or the Champions’ League this year. Here’s why! First, we believe that the storm the club went through this summer was very good not only for the players but also for the fans. The ballot initiative to change course did not succeed but allowed fans to truly express their opinions and reiterate expectations to management and the players. Second, the selection of Pep Gardiola as head coach was a very astute move on the part of the technical direction of the club. It is true that he does not bring an enormous amount of coaching ‘experience’ to the table. However, his vast knowledge of the club’s organizational structure and his significant contribution as a player can more than compensate for his lack of international exposure as a coach. In addition, he will help bridge the generational gap since he, too, is still very young. Third, Barcelona has avoided what could have been a great pitfall by deciding to keep Samuel Eto’o. It is often said that players are as good as their managers. It seems as though Pep Gardiola and the Cameroonian international have decided to work together with dedication and respect. This combination could be deadly for their opponents since Samuel Eto’o, who has impressed in pre-season, has been one of the most prolific scorers in the game in recent years. Barcelona’s football philosophy doesn’t seem to have changed too much under Pep Gardiola, judging by the few pre-season matches we’ve observed. The team, which has 2/4 of Spain’s Euro winning midfield (Xavi, Iniesta), continues to win the ball possession battle against their opponents. This skilled duo, reinforced by Seydou Keita, who we believe should get the starting nod over Yaya Toure because of his agility and ability to seamlessly be both a defending and attacking center midfielder, will also aid the team in scoring this year. Furthermore, we foresee slightly better seasons for the following players: Thierry Henry, Eric Abidal and Rafa Marquez. Thierry Henry will continue playing on the left but look for Bojan to combine well with Eto’o should Henry fall short again. Lionel Messi is set to explode this season. We expect the great friendship between Eto’o and Messi to yield many goals this season. Lionel Messi, who is arguably the best player in the game today, will continue adding speed to this team’s attacking ability. His fantastic touch on the ball is set to leave many a defender speechless this year. One has to also mention the arrival of Aleksander Hleb, Martin Caceres, and Gerard Pique at the Camp Nou. These arrivals will clearly add to the depth of the team and allow greater flexibility to Pep Gardiola. However, there are a few areas of concern for this team. First, the defense looks a bit tentative, especially in the middle, where veteran Puyol and Marquez are set to start. We foresee this team to be seriously challenged when defending corners because of a lack of size and a clear defending strategy. We believe that goalkeeper Valdes does not always have good control of his line and is very prone to error. If Gardiola finds durable solutions to these issues, we expect Barcelona to finish on top of the league this season.

Deportivo La Coruna lost one of their rising stars in Fabricio Coloccini to Newcastle but expect this team to have a decent 2008 tourney. The turnaround for this team started midway through the season last year as it slowly but surely left the relegation zone and crept up the standings to finish 9^th on the table. This team has many players capable of being difference makers. Last season Xisco, Sergio, Rikki and Guardado combined for 24 goals. Their football philosophy is based on strength off the ball. They challenge for the ball strongly and sometimes play a bit too emotionally. They are bound to attract unwanted attention from referees around the league thus risking many more penalties than their opponents. Dudu Aoute is a very good goalkeeper and has many times made game winning saves. Their midfield, led by Julian de Guzman and Sergio, is capable but lacks the speed and required expertise to defensively shot down overlapping runs. Offensively, this midfield is very hashed at times and is caught out of position or unable to play well balanced passes into their attackers feet. This team has shown resilience but lacks the necessary punch to seriously challenge for Europe, we expect Deportivo to finish in the bottom half of the table.

Tintin Marquez will pray for one and only one thing this season: a healthy Raul Tamudo (el Raul autentico). Obviously, one player does not determine a team’s success or failure during an entire campaign but it is undeniable that the full measure of Tamudo’s impact on this squad was truly felt last year after his season altering injury. Espanyol is set to challenge for a top 4 finish this season. This team’s football philosophy is sound in that it combines a great ability to turn defensive situations into quick and deadly counter attacking opportunities with exceptional creativity in their opponents defensive third. Look for De La Pena and Smiljanic to be serious threats from midfield with their ability to not only set up their forwards with corridor passing between backs and central defenders but also their participation on corner kicks. Espanyol recently acquired Jose Maria Callejon from Castilla (Real Madrid’s B team) and this talented young forward is very promising. Obviously, Raul Tamudo and Luis Garcia are set to be the primary scorers for this team. Furthermore, Carlos Kameni is possibly the most skilled goalkeeper in the league. He is fantastic off his line and controls his defense very well. He is capable of making a save against any player in the league. We are very optimistic about this team.

Getafe’s Cinderella European run ‘unjustly’ ended with a goalkeeping error that saw Bayern Munich advance at their expense last year. What would be the impact of such an amazing run on the players? First, one of the revelations during last year’s campaign, De La Red, has returned to Real Madrid since he was on loan. In return, Getafe has signed one of the most underrated strikers in the history of football: Soldado. This team’s elegance on the field is undeniable but how resilient are they? The talent of the likes of Albin, Uche, Juan Fran, Celestini, Polanski, and Cotelo is undeniable but how well will they be coached? Oscar Ustari should be the starting goal keeper for this squad which will give them great quality in front of the net but How well will they mesh defensively? This team is the dark horse this season. Getafe could end anywhere this year.

This season is set to be a bit more challenging for Mallorca since two of its better strikers left the club: Guiza for fenerbahce and Ibagaza for Villareal. This squad has shown a great ability to astonish both defensively and offensively. We saw Webo regain his dancing feet again late last season. We do foresee him playing a greater role in this squad’s attacking options. This squad plays very well at home and is able to pull a few upsets when playing away. We expect this team to seriously challenge for Europe and to possibly surprise the title contenders.

Malaga will have to battle and battle hard to stay in top flight Spanish football. Their rise to primera was laborious and the opportunity almost missed. They lacked confidence and fortitude in the last weeks of last year’s Segunda campaign. They barely beat a struggling Tenerife to earn their spot with the big boys. Granted their preseason has seen them beat Betis and win the Matau Bautista trophy, we do not foresee this team in La Liga for the 2009/2010 season.

Sergio Kresic is asking for even more signings for Numancia. The club has already signed 8 new players for this upcoming season. This team truly impressed last year with their fighting spirit. Here’s football that is very basic but exceptionally efficient. They always defend well and seize every opportunity to attack and cause damage. Numancia has staying power and is keen to surprise.

Osasuna collected 9 red cards and over 55 yellow cards last season. They were very aggressive off the ball and lacked discipline at times. Osasuna escaped relegation by 1 point. This squad saved their season with a crucial win against second division bound Murcia. This turnaround came almost too late for them. This team made no significant changes during the off-season. We expect this squad to be in the relegation battle yet again this season.

This defensive powerhouse only conceded 41 goals last season. Racing Santander will get to play Europe this season. They have the depth and fitness to sustain both la liga and UEFA competitions. Here’s a team that is almost complete. Racing battles hard for the possession game and is able to maintain form for an entire match. This squad’s midfield is loaded with utility type players who are actually skillful on the ball. There’s, however, a flow interruption between midfield and the attacking line since often times this is usually where they turn the ball over to their opponents. When this link is successful they can be deadly with Mohamed Tchite’s speed and Smolarek’s creativity. Pedro Munitis is a reservoir of goodwill and know how and we expect him to continue contributing to this squad. However, it is worth mentioning that manager Marcelino left and was replaced by Juan Ramon Muniz. Muniz coached Malaga last year but failed to impress us, in spite of the fact that he brought the team up to Primera. What will this coaching change mean for this team?

Real Betis football, when perfectly executed, is the real football lover’s delight. It combines flair, skill and a healthy dose of arrogance that is missing with most football teams around the league. Anyone of the following players can be a game winning goal scorer on any day against any team: Edu, Pavone, Gonzalez, Sobis, Xisco or Capi. So how does one defend against such talent? The truth is that most teams last year decided to attack instead of defending when playing against Betis. Consequently they both suffered goals and scored goals through open play. When their defense stood up to the assault Betis was able to quickly counterattack and score. This team’s Achilles’ heel is its ability to defend well. We expect the arrival of Cameroonian international Achille Emana to help consolidate their defensive efforts in the midfield. Betis will do great things this season. Their ability to play one touch football and operate in tight spaces will more than compensate for their defensive lapses.

Real Madrid will have to be miracle makers this season to win la Liga. The team neither strengthened nor consolidated. In fact, it has lost steam with the endless saga of Cristiano Ronaldo and the unintended consequence of really upsetting the unbelievable talent that is Robinho, who by the way saved their title ambitions last year with his 2 amazing goals against Recreativo Huelva. There was a failure of leadership at the Santiago Bernabeu during the summer and the consequences of this move will be thoroughly felt this season. We do not foresee Raul scoring 18 goals this year. Ruud Van Nistleroy will have to play the entire season for the team to even earn a spot in Europe. Rafael Van Der Vaart has been a great addition but their current formula has its limitations. Arjen Robben has yelled at enough referees and will be kept on a very short leash. As tested during the first leg of the Supercopa at the Mestalla in Valencia, this squad’s defense tottered under constant assault from Villa, Mata and Silva. Fabio Cannavaro’s absence is truly hurting this team’s ability to control the defensive conversation. Iker Casillas is still his usual amazing self but that will not be enough to save this squad from what at this point is unavoidable: a difficult campaign at home and an challenging European tour.

Valladolid has enjoyed 2 straight seasons of top-flight football and it might have overstayed. We foresee this team to be one of the whipping boys this season. This team allowed its saving grace to be poached by Villareal. The departure of Joseba Llollente is a bad omen for this squad. The decision to agree to the transfer fee for this player was a purely economic decision, which will have a great impact on the team’s ability to concretize attacking opportunities. Victor will still be available but this squad simply lacks the edge needed to survive in Primera. We expect to see them deeply embroiled in the relegation battle.

The Departure of Martin Caceres for Barcelona and striker Pongolle for Atletico Madrid will deal a serious defensive and offensive blow to this team. They inspired play and were the defensive and offensive catalysts for this team last season. Recreativo Huelva fought hard to remain in la liga and succeeded. However, We expect this team to move up the standings and possibly even end up in the middle of the table. Huelva has an incredible ability to move the ball fast and score quickly. Their good size in attack makes them a formidable team to defend against on corner kicks. Recreativo Huelva has the ability to prevail and remain in primera.

The second dark horse of the season will be Sevilla. They have lost 2 very important pieces in Danni Alves and Seydou Keita to Barcelona. Danni Alves was the emotional leader of this team and will sure leave big shoes to fill. On the other hand this team is loaded with talent and the arrival of Navarro from Mallorca will solidify their defense, which at times has been a bit shaky. Sevilla boasts the most impressive line up of strikers in the league. Frederic Kanoute and Luis Fabiano finished last season with a combined tally of 40 goals. This is amazing since Diego Capel has not even scratched the surface of his real talent yet. We foresee his scoring contribution to be greater this season. Sevilla’s problem lies in the back line. Palop is a great goalkeeper but Mosquero has been unable to stabilize this defensive team. Sevilla has also failed to clearly define their style of play. It is obvious that they are able to score goals but can they claim ownership of the ball and keep it well, throughout the season? If they succeed in creating constructive ball sharing synergies in midfield and defend better, then they stand to not only finish in the top of the table but also have a good run in Europe.

Sporting Gijon has staying power and we believe that this team will prevail in its desire to remain in Primera. Sporting had a fantastic run last year and was able to win out over Real Sociedad and move up to Primera. This team is solid at home and very difficult to beat when playing away. They do not concede many goals and will seize scoring opportunities when offered to them. The only concern with this team is their lack of roster depth. However, we expect Sporting to upset a few teams throughout the season.

The 2007/2008 Valencia and the 2008/2009 Valencia will be like night and day. Ronald Koeman single-handedly managed this team to ruin last season before exiting through the back door. This team has turned the corner and it is not looking back. All major outstanding issues between players and management have been resolved. Valencia is able to beat any team this season. They have improved their defense and it seems as though Joaquin’s exceptional passing will be one of the centerpieces of this team’s offensive system. David Villa is set to improve on his 18 goals tally from last season and David Silva, the former Celta de Vigo midfielder, will continue to grow as a midfielder/ false forward. We also expect the experience of Angulo and Albelda to come in handy since this team will definitely challenge for champions’ league football. The only concern for this team is Villa and Silva’s propensity for injury. Furthermore, Timo Hildebrand will have to play with a lot more confidence in goal.

First, let’s start by unequivocally stating that it would be a mistake for Marco Senna to leave Villareal for Fenerbahce. We hope that his request for a pay increase will be honored and that he stays. He brings calm and fantastic leadership to this team’s midfield. This cool headedness will be necessary in order for this squad to prevail in Europe and seriously challenge for the title at home. The yellow submarines play absolutely beautiful football when inspired. They are solid in defense, midfield and in attack. We expect them to concede very few goals and to score many more. They have brought in offensive reinforcements in Joseba Llorente from Valladolid, American born Josi Altidore and Argentinian born Ariel Ibagaza. However, we look for Nihat Kahveci to continue being the difference maker for this team, although Rossi is set to greatly contribute again. Manager Pelligrini is famous for flooding the midfield to dominate possession and stifling opponents attempts at attacking. Villareal rarely makes mistakes in the midfield and their sheer dominance of this part of the field minimizes mistakes since they are able to quickly recover goal side to defend. They are consistently precise in their passing and are able to move play quickly from one side to the next. This team has a very deep roster and their fitness level will allow them do well at home and in the Champions’ league.

We are one week from kick off in La Liga. We will experience the entire gambit of emotions from A to Z and then back to A and then back to Z. But as we cheer our favorite teams and praise our star players, let’s remember to always be courteous to each other and remain faithful to the ideals of the game: fair play, sportsmanship, respect and non violence. We wish everyone much success and a wonderful “temporada”.

M. Moustapha Diatta