2011 Gold Cup Final - Remember the Alamo?

The last time that Mexico faced the USA in Los Angeles was in 2001. It was Landon Donovan’s debut and the score ended up being 2-0 in favor of the USA. I was there and it was a great day for American soccer. The US Men’s National team generally doesn’t like to play in Los Angeles, because of the large immigrant population who are mad about soccer and anyone but the US. If you go a Chile vs USA, there are more Chilenos. If you go to a Sweden vs USA, there are more Swedes. LA is a melting pot and soccer is still a niche sport in this country. Sure a lot of people support the LA Galaxy and such, but a lot of those Americans do not support the US Men’s National team. That’s just the way it is.

So knowing the fact that we were going to be in the minority sitting with 90,000 Mexico fans, was not going to be a problem for us. We wanted to support the red, white, and blue in hostile territory. Concacaf decided to for financial reasons to hold the final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, right in my back yard, and I was ready for this adventure. This would be my second time watching the USMNT live, up close and personal in June 2011. As an added benefit I was excited to see La Liga’s Andres Guardado (Deportivo La Coruña), Giovani Dos Santos (ex-Racing Santander), Hector Moreno (now at Espanyol), Rafa Marquez (ex-Barçelona), and Gerardo Torrado (ex-Sevilla & ex-Racing). While both Efrain Juarez and Pablo Barrera are rumored to being going to Real Zaragoza.

The tailgating was great. The atmosphere was intense and impressive. 95% Mexico fans versus 5% USA fans was my estimate. We did not encounter any problems for the most part. Both the Mexican players and fans were shocked that the USMNT pocketed two early goals. Both goals were very lucky opportunities to be fair. The small amount of USA fans went crazy in celebrations. The stadium was silent. But it was only matter of time that a huge comeback from Mexico was due. Guardado, Giovani and Barrera attacked the weak left side of the USA and were unrelenting and punishing in their methods. The Mexico fans were ecstatic and celebrated with a crazy frenzy. The Rose Bowl became a mini Azteca. The beer spilled on our heads. (At least it was not urine). We were taunted by the surrounding Mexican fans with jeers of “USA, I can’t hear you”, “USA, I can’t see you” and “Boring Boring USA football”. It really upset me and struck a chord during the game, but now I can look back and just laugh in hindsight and realize that’s football.

We felt humiliated, pissed off, and ready to fire Bob Bradley, but at the end of the day I realized that Mexico was and is the better team. The fruits of the U17 golden generation, has finally arrived. But at least I wasn’t afraid to come out and support my team in the good and the bad, fully aware that we are the underdog and the minority at the stadium. Unfortunately, I don’t think that we will be seeing the USMNT in SoCal in the near future.


See more photos from the pre-game atmosphere and training at our flickr page. or forza futbol facebook page.

The Sad Demise of Super Depor

Saturday May 21st, and the end of a dream happened as Deportivo La Coruna were relegated from La Liga, just eleven years after winning the title. That side, nicknamed "Super Depor," had some outstanding players, the likes of Jacques Songo'o in goal, Naybet in defence, a Brazilian midfield of Conceicao, Djalminha, Mauro Silva and Donato, and the excellent dutchman Roy Makaay upfront, with Pauleta as an alternative, not to mention Turu Flores and Fran.

It really was a superb quality team and squad, and they played some excellent football. They topped the table in week 12, and stayed at the summit for the rest of the season, beating both Real Madrid and Barcelona at La Riazor along the way. In fact there biggest win of the season came in their home matches against Sevilla and Real Madrid, beating both sides 5-2. Roy Makaay ended the season with an impressive 22 goals in 36 matches.

The following four seasons saw reasonable success, with two second place finishes, and two seasons where they finished third. They also reached the quarter finals of the Champions League two seasons running, in 2001 and 2002, and one step better in 2004 where they lost to FC Porto in the semi final.

In the years that followed, though, they started to slip down the table as the squad broke up, and they finished eighth in 2005 and 2006, before slipping to thirteenth the following year. They had a brief revival with three top ten finishes in a row, before finally being relegated on the final day of the 2010-11 season following a 0-2 home defeat to Valencia, coupled with wins for Getafe and Zaragoza.

It has been sad to see a once vibrant team decline over the years, but it has been coming. The team have not been playing good football for a while, and have been posting some poor results, including a home defeat to Levante and losing away at Hercules.

My fear is that they probably won't come straight back up, and it may be some time before we see them back in top flight Spanish football. They lived the dream, and it was a great ride, but all good things come to an end. Let's just hope they get the opportunity to live it again, as they were a great side just a few short seasons ago.

La Lambretta Radio: La Liga Bilingual Podcast #7

Roundtable guests today: The man at the controls, Miami Sound Machine aka Edu, Real Valladolid fan boy aka Eugenio, and La Jefa aka resident Malagueña, Inma, from La Lambretta Radio de España. La Lambrettinos are joined by Villarreal groguet Ravi aka @aupasubmarino now sleepless in Seattle, el Juez Jose aka Sportinguista Judge Joe, living in Madrid, and yours truly, Forza Futbol's very own, Elisa, to debate and discuss Spanish football.


Some of today's highlights:

o Saturday's relegation battles: where Malaga rocked Atletico, Racing striked back, Getafe showed they are not dead, and Sporting brought Depor to tears.
o We said adios to Almeria and Hercules.
o We pondered whether Xabi Prieto is a one club man?
o And we consoled Ravi as he recalled the Europa League match.

Plus much, much more.


A great way to learn Spanish or English on the topics we know and love!


Listen below, on itunes, ivoox or here.


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FORZA FUTBOL on LaLambrettaRadio Bilingual La Liga Podcast no 1a & 1b

We had the pleasure of doing a LIVE bilingual Internet Radio show on La Liga today with our friend Edu Pérez Suárez from La Lambretta Radio.

Topics covered:

o Live commentary on the March 20th La Liga early fixtures of Jornada 29
o Chatting about the historic potential El Clásico guantlet - 4 games in 3 weeks
o Discussing the exciting relegation battle that covers half the La Liga table.

The podcast is for English learners and Spanish learners. We hope to do more of this including roundtables in the near future.


You can also find LaLambrettaRadio and our bilingual podcasts at their site and on itunes. Enjoy!

PART 1~
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PART 2~
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P.S.

Some of the Lambrettinas having a great time at the Malaga game. I think the sheik with the suitcase has some influence over the players :P.





Holy Crap the Sheik made the big time on El Dia Despues! Awesome!

SPOTLIGHT ON YOUTH: International Callups and more

U-21 Friendlies vs France and Belarus

Spain U-21 coach Luis Milla has the luxury of calling up two different squads to each game. What can I say but the Spanish clubs are doing an amazing job at producing the next generation of footballers. The game against France will be played March 24th away and will not be the usual suspects. The game on March 28th will be a home fixture in Madrid and will be comprised of the best eleven.

Below are the team selections for each game:

France Fixture; Lots of Yellow Submarines and Merengues

Goalkeeper: Diego Mariño (Villarreal), Joel Robles (Atletico),

Defenders: Carles Planas (Barca), Daniel Sánchez Ayala (Derby County), Kiko Femenia (Hercules), Nacho (RealMadrid), Marc Bartra (Barca), Mario Gaspar (Villarreal)

Midfielders: Francisco Mérida (Atletico), Álvaro Vázquez (Espanyol), Recio (Malaga), Sergio Canales (R. Madrid), Asier Illarramendi (R. Sociedad), Iago Falqué (Villarreal), Nacho Camacho (Malaga)

Strikers: Daniel Pacheco (Liverpool) , Juan Carlos (R. Madrid), Rodri (Sevilla).


Belarus Fixture: the Usual Suspects and very Blaugrana

Goalkeepers: David De Gea (Atletico) , Ruben Miño (Barca)

Defenders: Mikel San José (At. Bilbao), Alberto Botía (Sporting), Álvaro Domínguez (At. Madrid), Andreu Fontás (Barca), Dídac Vilà (Milan)

Midfielders: Thiago Alcántara (Barca), Martín Montoya (Barca), Rubén Pérez (Depor), Dani Parejo (Getafe), Jonathan Viera Ramos (Las Palmas), Jordi Alba (Valencia), Ander Herrera (R. Zaragoza).

Attackers: Iker Muniain (At. Bilbao), Bojan Krkic (Barca), Adrián (Depor), Emilio Nsue (Mallorca), Diego Capel (Sevilla).


The One that Got Away

Many of you may have noticed that there were three Spaniards on the pitch playing for Schalke 04 when they beat Valencia in the round of 16 game in Germany. We all know Raúl and Jurado, but the new shining star at left back was young 21 year old Sergio Escudero. Escudero was a canterano at Real Murcia, who Schalke purchased for $2.5M Euros this past summer. Real Murcia, now in the third division, is experiencing deep financial troubles and this transfer was manna from heaven. But what concerns me is why didn't any of the Spanish leagues' Sporting Directors identify this diamond in the rough? Why wasn't their an offer on the table from a Spanish club? What happened to the great scouting networks? Why did the youngster have to leave Spainfor Germany to find fame and fortune? This is very worrisome indeed. On the positive side, at least he is being mentored by Raúl and Jurado.


U-17 European Championships Mini Tournament

Youth Football at the National level is an extremely important part of development of future generations. Even though one could say that U-17s are still very rough and immature, the RFEF and coaches take it very seriously. The U-17s will need to play three consecutive games this week to qualify for the U-17 European Championships. Spain's under 17 side have been drawn together with Belgium, England and Northern Ireland in Elite round group 5. Matches will take place in Belgium from 26 to 31 March, with the winners going through to the finals in Serbia.

Coach Gines Melendez' roster is as follows:

Goalkeepers: David Gómez Vázquez (Deportivo La Coruña), Alfonso Herrero Peinador (Real Madrid).

Defenders: Carlos Garrido Serrano (Sevilla), Diego Caballo Alonso (Real Madrid), Antonio Luque Quintero (Sevilla), Sergio Menéndez Fernández (Sporting Gijón), Óscar Arroyo Font (Espanyol).

Midfielders: Denis Suárez Fernández (Celta Vigo) Iker Undabarrena Martínez (Athletic Club) Pol Calvet Planellas (Barcelona), Federico Vico Villegas (Córdoba), Pablo Iñiguez de Heredia (Villarreal).

Strikers: Gerard Deulofeu (Barcelona) Iker Hernández Ezquerro (Real Sociedad) Raúl de Tomás Gómez (Real Madrid) Saúl Ñíguez (Atlético Madrid) Iván Sáez Jiménez (Real Madrid) Moisés Gómez Bordonado (Villarreal).

Interesting four players from Los Blancos.



Futbol Draft 2011 ~ The Second Cut

Futbol Draft 2011 came out with their next "cut" honoring the best youth players in Spain. They took down the list from 132 to 77. The best in each position will be honored at the end of the season at a gala event. Take notice of the players already playing in the first team of their respective clubs, players called up to the U-21s and U-17s as noted above. De Gea, Thiago, Canales, Isco, Morata, Bojan and Juan Domínguez are some of the talents selected. The future Spanish National Team of 2020? Perhaps. Youth development aka la cantera is truly on the rise in Spain.

DRAFT 77

GOALKEEPER: David De Gea Quintana- At.Madrid, Aitor Fernández Abarisqueta -At.Bilbao, Alex Sanchez Benítez- Zaragoza,
Joel Blazquez Robles- At.Madrid, Edgar Badia-Espanyol, Adrian Orton Vaño -Villarreal, Diego Mariño Villar-Villarreal

RIGHT BACK: Hugo Mallo-Celta Vigo, Joel Johnson-Valencia, Albert Blázquez Robles-Espanyol, Daniel Carvajal Ramos-R. Madrid, Martin Montoya Torralbo-Barcelona, Mario Gaspar Pérez-Villarreal, Moises Jimenez Nieto-Sevilla

LEFT BACK: ,Jon Aurtenetxe-At.Bilbao, Eric Saborit-At.Bilbao, Carles Planas Antolínez-Barcelona, Diego Alonso Caballo-R. Madrid, Antonio Manuel Luna-Sevilla, Antonio Luque Quintero-Sevilla, Victor Alvarez Delgado-Espanyol

CENTRAL DEFENDER RIGHT FOOTED: Marc Bartra Argal-Barcelona, Jonas Gimeno Ramalho-At.Bilbao, David Rochela Calvo-Dep. Coruña, Iqnasi Miquel Pons-Arsenal, Sergio Gómez Sola-Barcelona, Bernardo Victor Cruz-Córdoba, Jose Ignacio Fernandez 'Nacho' -Real Madrid

CENTRAL DEFENDER LEFT FOOTED: Marc Muniesa Martínez-Barcelona, Israel Puerto Pineda-Sevilla, Jorge Pulido Mayoral-At.Madrid, Ekhi Senar Rekondo-Osasuna, Jon Aranda Goenaga-R. Sociedad, Jordi Amat Maas-Espanyol, Iñigo Martínez Berridi-R. Sociedad

RIGHT SIDED MIDFIELDER: Jorge Resurrection (Koke)-At.Madrid, Sergio Roberto Carnicer-Barcelona, Oriol Romeu Vidal-Barcelona, Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta Etxeberria-At. Bilbao, Ruben Pardo Gutierrez-R. Sociedad, Iker Undabarrena Martinez -At.Bilbao, Jon Miquel Toral-Arsenal


LEFT SIDED MIDFIELDER: Fran Merida Perez-At. Madrid, Rafael Alcantara Do Nacismento-Barcelona, Ignacio Camacho Bartola -Malaga, Asier Illarramendi Andonegui-R. Sociedad, Alejandro Fernandez Iglesias -R. Madrid, Sergio Alvarez Diaz-Sporting Gijon, Jose García del Pozo "Recio"-Malaga


RIGHT WINGER: Sergio Gonten Gallardo-(Keko)-Girona, Kevin Lacroix Coscolina-Zaragoza, Fran Pastor Bautista-R. Madrid,
Francisco Femenía (Kiko)-Hercules, Juan Miguel Jimenez-Juanmi-Malaga, Ezequiel Calvente Criado -Betis, Julián Luque Conde -R. Santander

LEFT WINGER: Iker Muniain Goñi-At.Bilbao, Iago Falque Silva-Juventus, Pablo Sarabia Garcia-R. Madrid, Daniel Pacheco Lobato -Liverpool, Gerard Lazarus Deulofeu-Barcelona, Juan Carlos Pérez López-R. Madrid, Jesse Rodriguez-R. Madrid


SECOND STRIKER: Sergio Canales Madrazo-R. Madrid, Thiago Alcantara Do Nascimento-Barcelona, Francisco Román Alarcón (Isco)-Valencia, Alejandro Serrano (Mino) -Sp. Gijon, Juan Dominguez Lamas-Dep. Coruña, Denis Suarez Fernandez-Celta, Luis Alberto Romero Alconchel -Sevilla


CENTER FORWARD: Bojan Krkic Pérez-Barcelona, Guillermo Fernández Hierro-At. Bilbao, Borja González Tomas (Baston)-At.Madrid, Alvaro Vazquez Garcia-Espanyol, Álvaro Morata Martin-R. Madrid, Francisco Alcacer García -Valencia, Jairo Morilla Rivero-Sevilla

Can WAGs and team rankings provide reliable statistics?

Let me set one thing straight: I deal in stats -- cold, objective data. Anything you can think to track about a sport, I find interesting. I'm not talking about just the basics, such as how many passes were completed or who scored and assisted. I'm talking about the nitty-gritty, the kind of information you can't believe found its way onto paper. For example, Ronaldo hasn't scored (a goal) since his girlfriend, Irina Shayk, pictured more modestly here, landed the SI Swimsuit cover. Has his mind been too preoccupied for his body to perform on the pitch? I'll let you decide, but it certainly adds a story to the mix. And it's something that can be tracked.

Nothing delights me more than to think I have an original idea. I started a blog, Yahoo Fantasy Football Stats, because I couldn't find a site that covered the info I wanted. And with my passion for stats, I found ways to extract data from data sets, to highlight some arcane matter in hopes of finding perfection, that ever elusive correlation coefficient of 1.00. A stat I find unique to my site that has shown some fascinating patterns is team performance against other teams ranked whatever: 1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20. The implications of this one stat could influence casual fans, fantasy football managers, and gamblers alike.

Take Barcelona and their performance across the season. Now that their home winning steak is over, where are you supposed to turn for certainty, insofar as stats may be able to provide it? Would it surprise you to learn that Barca have won every match, home or away, against opposition not ranked 11-15? It's true, the three times they have slipped up this season, they've done so to teams ranked 11-15, losing at home to no. 14 Hercules in week 2, drawing at home to no. 11 Mallorca in week 6, and drawing away at no. 13 Sporting Gijon in week 23.

Coincidence, perhaps? Could be. But take a look at some other coincidences, if so:

- Athletic Bilbao have earned just 1 win but 6 losses against opponents ranked 1-5; 2 wins, 2 losses against those 6-10; 5 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses against those 11-15; and 4 wins and 1 draw against those 16-20. The results form a clear-cut pattern of wins, draws, and losses.
- Atlético Madrid are 0-1-5 (W-D-L) against opponents 1-5.
- Espanyol have lost all five matches against opponents 1-5, but have won all six against those 6-10.
- Mallorca buck the trend against opponents 1-5, with a fairly even and respectable 3-2-3 record. But against those 6-10, they're 0-0-4.
- Real Madrid remain perfect against one set of opponents, those ranked 6-10: 9-0-0.
- Real Sociedad against opponents 1-5: 0-0-5.
- Sporting Gijon have not won a match against the lowest-ranked set of opponents, 16-20, earning 3 draws and 1 loss. Against the next highest group, 11-15, they're 1-4-1. So why might Gijon be flirting with relegation? Answer: They can't put away teams in the bottom half of the table!

The same trends occur in the English Premier League, the other league I track. Some notable results:

- Arsenal appear to struggle with opponents ranked 6-10, with a pedestrian 2-3-3 record, but they look stellar against bottom dwellers, winning 8 and drawing 1, with 0 losses.
- Chelsea have earned just 1 win in four matches against opponents 11-15.
- Fulham have lost only one match all season to a team ranked 6-10, 11-15, or 16-20. In other words, they're rubbish against the top quarter of the table, with an 0-4-5 record.
- Liverpool have the opposite problem and have lost merely once to opponents 1-5 or 6-10. They struggle with the bottom bracket of teams, apparent again recently versus West Ham, with a 2-2-4 record.
- Man City have earned 22 of 24 points against opponents 6-10.
- Man U's record against top-five oppositions, in order: WDWDW. I'd say they're in for a draw against Chelsea. Any takers?
- Tottenham, like Liverpool, struggle with bottom teams -- they're 1-1-3. But against opponents 6-10, they're the bullies of the schoolyard: 7-2-0.
- West Brom have 0 wins in eight matches against opponents 16-20, with an 0-4-4 record. Their companions in misery, Wolverhampton Wanderers, have fared about as well against the same set of opponents, with an 0-3-3 record. Are these abysmal records foreboding, in terms of the teams' prospects of avoiding relegation?

Why don't professional sports journalists track these data, if they're so useful? My guess is that it has to do with the fluctuating nature of the rankings, and to be fair, I should point out that I base rank on how things stand prior to the first match of a game week. To the skeptics out there, I will say that it's true, sometimes a team's performance against a certain set of opponents yields a hodgepodge of results. Case in point: Deportivo's record against opponents 16-20 is 2 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses. But this only serves to illustrate the shortcomings of blind devotion to any one statistic. If Deportivo were coming up against a bottom-quarter team, how would I make a call? This is where other stats -- goal differential, home/away record of each team, last five results, and more -- come into consideration, providing a composite correlation that casts a metaphoric stone into one pan or the other . As a season plays out, the stats grow more reliable. Or at least, that's what any responsible stats-tracker goes for, picking up threads along the way and dropping others as they become less promising. For now, I'll let the jury be out on WAGs' influence on scoring (or defending), the impact of shooting a work-placement student, and the many other bizarre elements of football. One way or the other, you can be sure it won't stop me from taking note.

LA LIGA Team of Round 24

The relegation battle continues, fixture congestion ensues. It's the business time of the season and only 17 goals this past weekend in the Spanish league. Osasuna win with a festival of goals? What the heck is going on?


GOAL KEEPER: DANI ARANZUBIA (DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA)

The Basque shot stopper made some incredible saves against Alméria, but what earned the player the accolades this week, is the 95th minute power header a la Fernando Llorente to equalize. A golden point for Baby Depor. Gutsy.


RIGHT BACK: DANI ALVES (FC BARCELONA)

Alves constantly beated Athletic's Koikili and reminded us how dangerous he could be as a playmaker from the right. Two assists for the samba crack. Sublime.


CENTER BACK: RIKKI CARVALHO (REAL MADRID)

He can play with Pepe, he can play with Albiol. The versatile veteran was solid in the back and eked out a goal from a set piece to seize the game against Levante. Reliable.


CENTER BACK; ALBERTO BOTIA (SPORTING GIJON)

The young ex La Masia product played a near perfect game, to keep out the fire power of Aduriz, Mata, and Soldado. His positioning was key. Impressive.


LEFT BACK: ALBERTO DE LA BELLA (REAL SOCIEDAD)

Solid on the left, he neutralized the counter attack and wing play of Mallorca admist the rain, wind and cold. Formidable.


RIGHT MIDFIELD : GIOVANI DOS SANTOS (RACING SANTANDER)

Only his second game and Dos Santos has become somewhat of a super sub. His velocity and danger on the counter attack earned a penalty and a disallowed goal (which was legal to me). Promising.


CENTER MIDFIELD: JAVI MARTINEZ (ATHLETIC BILBAO)

Even though the Basque team failed to win, they played well against the league leaders. The backline was sturdy and Javi Martinez was instrumental in the midfield, stealing balls, tackling, and allowing very little space and time on the ball. Courageous.


CENTER MIDFIELD: IVAN RAKITIC (SEVILLA)

The recent arrival has finally put on his shooting boots and is starting to see eye to eye with his teammates. The pace and style of Sevilla, suits him well. The Croat's combination play between Negredo, Fabiano, and Navas was impressive and resulted in the game winning goal. Trajectory.


LEFT MIDFIELD: JAVAD NEKOUNAM (OSASUNA)

The arrival of new coach Mendilibar has really ignited los rojillos, particularly Iranian International Neko. The midfielder netted a brace and initiated the goal fest. Heroic.


CENTER FORWARD: LIONEL MESSI (FC BARCELONA)

Athletic took the game to the blaugrana at the Camp Nou and made it extremely difficult to break them down. As the game progressed, it looked like Barça might split the points with Bilbo, which would put them only 3 points ahead of El Madrid. La Pulga pulled threw with an incredibly important game winner. Stellar.


CENTER FORWARD: SERGIO AGUERO (ATLETICO MADRID)

A very even match, that could have gone either way. Aguero willed his team back into the game with an individual piece of brilliance. Dynamic.

VIDEO: Depor's Goalie Aranzubia ~ Goal of the Week!

The first Goal Keeper to ever score on a header in La Liga. Dani Aranzubia looked like Fernando Llorente out there. Check out the perfect power cabezazo netted in the 95th minute, to split the points! Golden goal for relagation battling Deportivo La Coruña. Enjoy the video put together from the blanquiazul fans and the fabulous music! Fuerza Depor!

La Liga Team of Round 23

Round 23 was very exciting and a hard fought bunch of games. There were several relegation 6 pointers, as well as some difficult away fixtures for the top 4 teams. Only 22 goals this week and 4 clean sheets. Here is my best of the weekend:

Goal Keeper: Dudu Aouate (Mallorca)

The underrated Israeli had another solid game. The Barrallets managed an early goal. Soon afer, the three pronged attack of Iker Muniain, Javi Martinez, and Fernando LLorente pummelled the Mallorca goal. Dudu made save after save.

Defenders: Marc Torrejón (Racing Santander), Pepe (Real Madrid), Jose Angel (Sporting Gijón)

The ex Espanyol defender, Torrejón, was immense this weekend as he lead the 10 man Racing Santander defense against Sevilla. His best game to date. His team garnered 3 golden points in operation salvation.

Pepe returned after injury to the Real Madrid starting 11, against a very determined Espanyol After the early sending off of Iker Casillas in goal, Pepe stayed calm and was quick to intercept many threats on goal. He deserves that contract renewal asap.

Young canterano Jose Angel was a threat for Sporting Gijón, in defense and attack. He utilized his pace to full effect and contained the best right back in the world, according to many, Barçelona's Dani Alves. Who says you can't play Jose Angel and Roberto Canella!

Midfielders: Juan Rodriguez (Deportivo), Kennedy (Racing Santander), Francisco Farinós (Hércules), Francisco Portillo (Málaga), Joaquin (Valencia)

So difficult to choose one midfielder, so I picked 5. La Liga is midfielder heaven.

Juan Rodriguez, who is rumored to be going to Getafe in the summer, was instrumental in Depor's upset over Villarreal. He was a constant danger on the right and made sure that his team took all 3 points in operation salvation.

Kennedy has been a revelation in the midfield for Racing this year. He was extremely impressive, as he contained the Sevilla attack.

The veteran crack, one of the top Spanish transfers in the modern era, from Valencia to Inter Milan. Farinós,the old timer, now at Hércules, initiated the come back against follow relegation rival Real Zaragoza, with a goal and an assist to Trezeguet. His first start this season was one to remember.

The Málaga canterano, Portillo, with very limited primera experience, was instrumental in the midfield. He was key in the comeback against Getafe that ended with a point. Definitely one to watch.

The veteran winger, also one of the most expensive Spanish transfers, is finally playing to his potential. Joaquin, the captain and ex Betico, led the comeback against Atlético Madrid away, and netted two quality goals for the win.

Strike Force: Raúl Tamudo (Real Sociedad), Felipe Caicedo (UD Levante)

Basque derbies are extremely physical and rife with anti-football. But it was only a matter of time that La Real, with all their chances, would score. Tamudo came through with a cheeky goal. His first attempt was blocked, but on the rebound, he managed to pull off a hospitable ball into the back of the net, with his back to goal.

Felipe Caicedo has been immense for the Valencian team, who are now on a bit of a run. A 6 pointer against Almerîa, with controversy. Caicedo came through with the only goal. Clinical.


3-5-2: AOUATE; TORREJON, PEPE, JOSE ANGEL; JUAN RODRIGUEZ, PORTILLO, FARINOS, KENNEDY, JOAQUIN; TAMUDO, CAICEDO

Best XI of Jornada 17 in La Liga

Spanish Football returned to our HDTVs, computers, and local stadiums. Here is my list of top performers from the first round of games in 2011.


Goal Keeper:

RCD Mallorca's Dudu Aouate easily saved and contained all of Hércules shots on goal. Consistent and solid, day in and day out.


Backline:

With Messi out, Dani Alves took over as provider, and tracked back to keep out a very difficult Levante. Two assists, what can you say. He owned Del Horno.

Some people call Málaga's Weligton a cheat, a hard man, and a pain in the a**. This past weekend he was solid defensively, scored a goal and was a critical piece of the 6 point game against Sporting Gijón in Asturias.


On loan from FC Barçelona, Racing Santander's Henrique was a wall in the backline. He was instrumental in keeping Kun Aguero & company away from Toño's goal. The kid is only 24 years old and has a lot of potential.


Midfield:

Valencia's Juanín Mata lifted this team on his back after Los Che was harshly taken down to 10 men. He lead attack after attack until lady luck intervened with an offside goal. But well what do they say, if it's only offside, if the ref calls it.

The biggest signing of the winter transfer market for Sevilla is the return of Jesus Navas. The quicksilver winger just brings so much pace and danger to the team. He created multiple chances, including the game winning goal. Welcome back Jesuscito.

The unsung destroyer, ball stealer, and Villarreal's king of the midfield, Bruno Soriano is the heir apparent to Marcos Senna.

Is he a winger or a support striker? I'm not sure even he knows, but he will need to continue his versatility throughout the second half of the season. Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo was decisive and clinical against a a tough to beat Getafe.


Strikers:

Named after a renowned 7th century cleric from Zaragoza, Braulio appeared out of nowhere in stoppage time to earn only the second win for los maños. That said, Javier Aguirre's men are looking hopeful.

The often forgotten striker from Asturias has awaken at the perfect time for Deportivo La Coruña. Adrian is on a bit of a streak now and had a solid game in San Mames.

No Messi, no problem, never fear, Pedro's here to save the day. Barça started flat, so Pedro took the bull by the horns, along with the aforementioned Alves, and with an individual piece of brilliance and clinical finishing. Pedro's star just keeps rising.



Aouate

Dani Alves - Henrique - Weligton

Navas - Bruno - Mata - Ronaldo

Pedro - Braulio - Adrian

Whatever happened to Andres Guardado?

In April of 2008, after playing a full 90 minutes in a midweek friendly playing for México in London and then topping that with a weekend match against Real Murcia, Andres Guardado re-injured his right leg in the biceps femoral muscle; his hamstring. It was a painful injury, the second to that part of the leg within the span of two months, and it would end a promising start to his second full year in Spain. The player was mystified, ¨I have never had any kind of injury, and now there have been two straight. This is brand new for me, but I have to move forward. It´s sad to lose almost the whole second half to the season, especially with what´s happening at the club (a relegation battle), but I´m young and I have a lot to look forward to.¨ It is interesting to note that when questioned about the possibility of it being a chronic injury, club doctor Ramón Barral said that, ¨It wasn´t common, so we are hopeful that won´t happen.¨

Unfortunately, that is exactly what has happened. The last two years have been marred by niggling injuries to both legs, muscular injuries all, where he has lost the equivalent of an entire league season if all the absences were added together- a total of 39 league games. A career that started at Club Atlas of Guadalajara with huge promise for the kid known as the ¨The Little Prince¨ has been mired in injury, questions about his preparation and his training keep coming up, and frankly those questions return often to the manner in which he is prepared either for club or country. Miguel Ángel Lotina has blamed El-Tri´s doctors and vice versa, but the answer might be even simpler than that.

There was another kid who came out of his boyhood club with that similar burst of lightning-pace, who could take on defenders with a quick feint off the ball and a directness that would scare an entire back-line. He became a media-darling, a star for both club and country, and drew attention from some of the great sides in Europe. He scored at will. Then, after carrying the weight of expectation for an entire country and playing almost non-stop for two years straight coming into Euro 98 (still a teenager in fact) Michael Owen´s body started breaking down with the sort of niggling muscle injuries, hamstrings primarily, that sapped his pace and dulled his impact on the world stage.

Now, I´m not comparing Guardado and Owen in the terms of skill-level, or effectiveness really because they play very different positions, but at their prime both players used their fast-twitch muscle fibers to gain an advantage over defenders. Over time, and especially with the sort of abuse that all players get both on the field (tackling), and off the field (lack of rest), it is not surprising that Andrés Guardado has struggled with recurring hamstring injuries. I would love to see him recover his form. He is an often brilliant player (and one of the few stars that I have actually seen play live in Spain) but his story is an all-too frequent one. These players are like Ferraris, in need of constant care and attention, and we are treating them as if they were Rally-Car racers.

La Liga Team of Jornada 16

With the Xmas break upon us. It's time to give homage to the best players of Round 16 in the Spanish League. 3-5-2 this week.

Goalkeeper: De Gea (Atlético de Madrid): What can I say about this kid, but he made some key saves for los Indios. He makes it look so easy.


Defenders: Aythami (Deportivo La Coruña), Dominguez (Atlético), Lora (Sporting Gijón): Nothing makes me happier than a defender who can score (Aythami & Dominguez), well, just maybe a defender who provides a killer assist (Lora).

Midfield: DiMaria ( Real Madrid), Tino Costa (Valencia), Tiago (Atlético), Santi Cazorla (Villarreal), Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao) : So many amazing midfielders play in La Liga. The technical, passing, possession game is the perfect place for the creative mid to strut their stuff. Each player was key for their teams in their own special way. DiMaria came through with the game winning goal from an acute angle for Real Madrid, against the odds. Valencia's Tino Costa had a trademark stunning blast from afar, along with a solid performance against a very tough to beat Real Sociedad. Goal of the week, for sure. Tiago scored from two headers and had an assist in an important recovery game for Atléti. The reigning champs were just knocked out of the Europa League. Santi Cazorla had a sublime performance, controlling the run of play, scoring, and thrilling us with Villarreal's tiqui taca football. While Javi Martinez improved this week, shook off his knock, and clinched the game winning header for Athletic Club over Levante. This was their second away win for the season.

Goal Scorers: Pedro (Barçelona), Manu de Moral (Getafe): Pedro has continued to impress each week. The canterano is hungry, a fighter, and a threat from the left and the right. His velocity, intelligence, and knack for being in the right place are all part of his coming of age. He was simply terrific against Espanyol. Getafe have now won 4 games in a row. A big part of this is Manu, Geta's captain. He lead the comeback against Alméria, scored and participated in all three goals in the 2-3 thriller.

Hala Madrid: Breaking a Wall of 5

Tactics in any league are cyclical. One year a five man mid-field is all the rage, anti-football reigns supreme, and the next year a five-man attack is en-vogue. It isn´t better or worse, just the results of changing head-winds, coaches that seize an opportunity or are backed into a corner and so they go off into the back-corners of their training manuals and bring back often forgotten nuggets of tactical genius that are effective more often than not simply because no one has seen them for awhile and the lessons to unlock them have to be dug-out themselves from equally forgotten training manuals and of course practiced both on the training ground and in live-game simulations.

Which brings me to what happened in A Coruña about two months ago, and what seems like an emerging trend that the rest of the league is going to have to deal with sooner or later. Deportivo La Coruña were struggling. Seriously struggling, and coach Miguel Ángel Lotina was feeling the heat from a winless stream of six games to begin the season. More troubling was that they scored three goals and gave up 11 culminating in a 1-6 debacle against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. President Lendoiro gave the well-respected Lotina the dreaded vote of confidence. The journalists were circling like vultures and it was in that zone of pessimism that Lotina decided to switch from four at the back and add another central defender. It worked. Since then they have given up only nine goals in 11 games, less than a goal a game, and surprisingly (considering the ultra-defensive nature of the formation) they have scored 12. More importantly, a club that had meandered in and around the relegation slots, is now four points clear of the drop ahead of five other teams.

So successful have they been that another relegation threatened club has now decided they might have to take the baton and play five at the back as well: Javier Aguirre´s Real Zaragoza in preparation for today´s match against Real Madrid. If they do, they´ll have enough players to seal off the center from Real Madrid, a guy like Ozil might have it extra difficult to manufacture anything through the middle, but width will be the key in this game, playing into Karim Benzema´s strengths as a target man and a goal poacher, and highlighting coach Jose Mourinho's preferred style of play that features a more direct game with quick counter attacks led by Cristiano Ronaldo.

It will be a more difficult game than expected for Real Madrid, but they should win handily. Zaragoza on the other hand needed something, anything to change their fortunes. If they do use five at the back, and if it works, look for more clubs to follow suit.

Competition in La Liga: A Look Back

We know that Real Madrid and Barça have convinced 18 Segunda and 10 Primera teams to buy into their "new " collective TV deal. The renegades led by Sevilla's president Jose Maria del Nido have their own more equitable deal and are threatening to take the G-30 to court for unfair uncompetitive practices. This is not saying much as those who know Spanish courts and how slow and lackadaisical the government works, will not be able to wait until hell freezes over. So, we continue to fight the fight and point out the inequities that we see in the hope that things will change, before it is too late.

Let's take a look at the top four in Spain from the late 90's until today. You can easily see that the point difference was minor, the competition was tight. Only recently in the mid Noughties, did the distance between the top two and third and fourth really grow. No coincidence that this also started to occur with the emergence of individual TV rights deals, whereby Real Madrid and Barçelona benefited.



Check out the top of the table in the late 90's to early Noughties:


Phase 1: A Competitive League at it's Zenith


99/00: 1. Deportivo 69, 2 Barcelona 64, 3 Valencia 64, 4 Zaragoza 63,
00/01: 1. Real Madrid 80, 2 Deportivo 73, 3. Real Mallorca 71 4. Barcelona 63
01/02: 1. Valencia 75, 2 Deportivo 68, 3 Real Madrid 66, 4. Barcelona 64,
02/03: 1. Real Madrid 78, 2 R.Sociedad 76, 3. Deportivo 72 4. Celta Vigo 61
03/04: 1. Valencia 77, 2 Barcelona 72, 3 Deportivo 71, 4. Real Madrid 70

La Liga was competitive, unpredictable and very tight. Real Madrid did not qualify for the Champions League in 99/00. Barça failed to qualify in 02/03. Shudder to think. But Spain had the best co-efficient in Europe. Valencia and Deportivo were big time competitors in the Champions League along with Real Madrid and Barçelona. Málaga, Villarreal, Celta Vigo, Rayo Vallecano, Alaves, and RCD Mallorca each went as far as the quarter finals in the UEFA cup.


Phase II: Individual deals and disparity begins


After 2004 the league started to tilt in favor of the big two. The clubs started to negogiate their own deals and disparity began. That said, LaLiga teams still were competitive in the Champions League and retained the number 1 UEFA co-efficient ranking. But the English Premiership was nipping at La Liga's ankles and continued to improve and solidify their position in Europe.

04/05: 1. Barça 84, 2 Real Madrid 80, 3 Villarreal 65, 4 R. Betis 62
05/06: 1. Barça 82, 2. Real Madrid 70, 3. Valencia 69, 4. Osasuna 68
06/07: 1. Real Madrid 76, 2 Barça 76, 3 Sevilla 71 4. Valencia 66

The number of competitive Spanish teams in the Champions League and UEFA cup started to lessen and decline. The silver lining, the emergence of Villarreal and Sevilla FC as European powers, was a wonderful thing to see. Real Madrid continued to spend big, but had nothing to show.


Phase III: The haves and the have nots


The record TV multi-million dollar deals commenced for Real Madrid and Barça with Mediapro and Sogecable. These agreements significantly exceeded all the other teams. The big two solidified their superiority and the league became lopsided.

07/08: 1. Real Madrid 85, 2 Villarreal 77, 3. Barcelona 67 4. Atlético Madrid 64
08/09: 1. Barcelona 87, 2 Real Madrid 78, 3 Sevilla 70, 4. Atlético Madrid 68
09/10: 1 Barcelona 99 , 2. Real Madrid 96, 3. Valencia 71, 4 Sevilla 63
10/11: 12 games in, 1 Real Madrid 32, 2 Barcelona 31, 3 Villareal 24, 4. Espanyol 22.

Spain loses the number one spot or UEFA co-efficient to England. Real Madrid and Barça occupy the top two spots in 7 of the last 8 occasions. The gap between the top two and the rest keeps growing. Real Madrid and Barça earn 140 million a year on TV revenues alone. 19 times more than the newly promoted teams.

The future of the league is worrisome and the questions remain: Will Spain lose their 2nd place UEFA co-efficient ranking to Germany? Why has Real Madrid spent so much, but done so little in Europe? Will the new "collective" deal proposed by the big two, be more of the same? Will the league become boring and start affecting viewership as well as the big two's performance in Europe? What now?

LA REAL SOCIEDAD'S ANTOINE GRIEZMANN GOAL CELEBRATIONS

Check out Antoine Griezmann's goal celebration after Real Sociedad's 2nd Goal against Deportivo La Coruña. The young phenom and other players go into a car that is on display for commercial purposes and pretend they are driving and honking, like they won the car LOL.



Not to be outdone, check out another Antoine Griezmann goal celebration from last year, at the 92nd minute against Cadiz. Love the snow dive! The boy loves to show off!

Could La Liga dominate the EPL?

Could we see La Liga domination of the EPL again in the Champions League?
Author: Rapheal Harry ---
Gone are the days when La Liga teams easily destroyed EPL teams in Europe, back then the nemesis of La Liga was the Serie A and to an extent Bundesliga. One could predict the winner of ties between La Liga teams and EPL except for games involving Barcelona (who had a poor record against British teams).

When European games come up, I still remember games like Arsenal vs. Deportivo in 2001/2002 thereabout, I believe that was the day Arsene Wenger became crazy with the idea of Beautiful Football. I watched the game with my uncle who supports Arsenal, the look on his face was priceless, He said “This Spanish teams should be banned, Look at how they embarrassed us (Gunners)” . The clash between Barcelona and Liverpool at Anfield was another of those games where La Liga was educating the EPL teams, all Liverpool fans watching the games with me and my friends walked out after the first half. But my Favorite was Real Madrid’s conquering of Man.utd. Funny enough it was the second leg which Man.utd won that made some of my EPL fans admit that La Liga was on its own. A red devil fan was amazed that Real attacked 4 times and scored 3 goals and struck the bar once. To him what would have happened if Real needed a result like in 2000? I remember Arsenal fans praying against meeting Valencia in the knockout stages cause to them Carew may not score all season but soon as he sees the Arsenal colors he starts to score.

Since then Billionaires have gone into the EPL, the average team there spends so much money and all of a sudden their teams began to get results against La Liga. Mourinho started with the Chelsea vs.Barsa drama, Arsenal embarrassed Real Madrid (still one of my worst games in Europe), Manchester united has been earning results in Spain and Liverpool have beaten Barcelona and Real Madrid on Spanish soil (the 2nd leg made me puke). Now they do not fear us, they see La Liga teams as what they can conquer; even present Barcelona needed the referee’s help to overcome Chelsea two seasons back. Is it still possible for La Liga teams to change the tide against EPL? I say YES it is.

Despite the influx of Cash into the EPL the quality of the game there is still very much the same, ‘Kick and Run’ football is still played by most of the teams. The Giants of the EPL are coached by foreigners and you can tell by the style of play. But even the Giants all struggle against teams that can keep the ball on the ground and not load crosses upon crosses into the box. If La Liga teams keep to that style that has made our teams a classic to watch and add more physicality, I believe we can overcome EPL again.

Take Valencia’s game against Manchester United. A Man.utd fan said to me, Valencia was too
respectful. This is one of the worst Manchester sides ever based on form, Valencia should have gone for the kill, and believed they could get a result. I’m sure they would have gotten at least a draw. This season should Barsa meet Chelsea and Madrid meet Arsenal what do you think would happen? I believe Madrid would be able to survive Arsenal's inability to match beautiful football with scoring and Madrid has more Physical men to do the job in the midfield. But Chelsea is a different thing entirely, they are the strongest and most physical side in the Champions League. I do not see Barsa been able to match them on the physical side especially since losing Yaya Toure who was a beast with brains, unlike Mascherano he is simply a Beast the brain part is more with Busquets.

I want to see 3 La Liga teams in the Semi finals again, we did it before without spending like the EPL teams do today. I believe Valencia are on the right part to what they did in the early 2000s, something tells me Barcelona have pressed the self destruct button on themselves while if Mourinho stays more than two seasons with Real, Europe would fear Madrid just like she did during the Del Bosque era. Should Manzano be able to lift Sevilla like he did with Mallorca they might just have found the real replacement to Juande Ramos. Atletico Madrid has shown that when they want to, they can take on anyone. Question is can they be more consistent? They will have to find adequate cover /replacements for Aguero and Forlan. Villareal is on a quite revival, never under estimate them. It would also help a lot for the revenue sharing in La Liga to be resolved quickly and the big two no longer getting a huge chunk of all the revenues. It should be shared accordingly and evenly, it will go a long way in saving La Liga teams and giving them a more competitive edge over their Rivals from other Leagues.

VIVA LA LIGA!

La Liga Round 6: Crossroads

Another exciting week in La Liga with so many goals, 30 to be exact. Sevilla bounced back with an important win under their new manager, and Valencia remain on top.

Valencia beat Athletic de Bilbao at home 2-1. It was truly a game of two halves, where Valencia struck while the iron was hot in the first half, but almost allowed Athletic back into the game in the second. Dear old Athletic can be so frustrating. Game after game, they start off slow, but only turn on their engines when they go down a goal — usually in the second half. At least they never stop fighting. If only Joaquín Caparrós would start their two attacking X Factors: Iker Muniain and Markel Susaeta. Sometimes you need to take risks to beat the big boys.

To read more go here:

Welcome Aboard, Watch Out for the Door on Your Way Out

Yes it's time to review the latest slate of suckers, no I mean Managers in La Liga for the 2008-9 Season. Managers can't win for losing. Yes they get paid the big bucks, but they get all the blame from the fans, players, staff management and press. This time around there are only 4 Foreign Managers in the Primera, very strange? (Schuster, Pellegrini, Aguirre and Kresic) Why the sudden decrease? That means 16 Spanish Managers. Is this the Golden Age of Managers, to go with the Golden Generation of Players? And only 8 manager changes in La Liga? (Guardiola, Lopez, Arconado, Emery, Marquez, Muñoz, Kresic, Tapia) Which means 12 Managers did the business and kept their job. Interesting...some stability? Well let's run down the list at the top of the table and let me know what you think.

1 Bernard Schuster - Real Madrid
He's back! Just friend of player, president and socio alike. Schuster did not bring to the club jogo bonito, but he brought harmony and a cohesiveness. He still has his detractors. Some may say the top of the table was weaker than normal. The real task will be this year as fans and background staff all yearn for La Decima. (The 10th Champions League Title) Will this be known as a cycle of stability at Madrid? Or will last year just be a fluke, riding on Fabio Capello's coat strings? It should be a very interesting year.

2. Manuel Pellegrini - Villarreal
The mild mannered Chilean Manager has brought this club back to greatness once again. They will be participating in the Champions League for the 2nd time in history and this time they are bringing some very interesting signings with a lot of quality. Of course the majority are South American, but Pellegrini knows that market intimately and is quite a crafty buyer to boot. Will they have enough depth to vie for all 3 titles? I say yes!

3. Pep Guardiola - Barcelona
The new kid on the block with the biggest job, IMO. Catalan born and bred in the Cryuff style. Can this superstar on the pitch succeed off the pitch? Does he have the man management skills and tactical nuance to battle with the big boys? Bringing in Pep so far has saved Joan Laporta's job, but just barely. He has spent the most money in La Liga and probably in World Football, this silly season. It will be very interesting to see how he will handle Ronaldhino and Eto'o should they stay at the Camp Nou. Is he in over his head? We shall see.

4. Javier Aguirre - Atletico de Madrid
Vasco had a very tough year last season. He had to break the mental barrier of Los Pupes. A disease that literally used to affect the team in the 2nd half of the season, so that they were always the nearly men. Nearly Europe that is. Kudos to Aguirre for building mental strength and fortitude. Looks like he is making some quality signings, especially in defense. Looks like Atletico is going to have another good year.

5. Manolo Jimenez - Sevilla
President Del Nido and company decided to stay with the ex player and youth team coach. Sevilla had an extremely tough year with the death of Antonio Puerta early on and the loss of Juande Ramos. They missed the CL and now have to settle for UEFA Cup. Is Manolo the man to bring Sevilla to the glory of two years ago? Not sure.

6. Juan Roman Lopez - Racing de Santander
The ex Malaga jefe, did wonders last year to earn promotion for the Anchovies back to La Primera. And his prize, well the Manager position at Racing. Can Lopez fill Marcellino's shoes? Does this small team from Cantabria have the depth and money to compete in the UEFA Cup? Is the team a Celta Vigo or a Sevilla? The reinforcements have been little to none, thus far. The future looks hazy.

7. Gregorio Manzano - Real Mallorca
The Spanish Manager made do with what he had and eked out tremendous results. Unfortunately, Mallorca's parent company has filed for bankruptcy and so they are selling all of their key/star players. Where they will stop, no one knows? Arango is probably the next one out the door. But Manzano is making some bargain basement buys, so you never know? I would put my money on Manzano to pull out another mid table performance and Copa Del Rey run.

8. Gonzalo Arconada - UD Almeria
No one can repeat what Unai Emery did last year at Almeria, so hopefully expectations will be managed accordingly. Arconada had a stellar year with Numancia in the second division. They clearly outshined the rest of the pack and earned promotion quite early. But playing in the Primera is a whole other ball game. Almeria has made some very good signings with Piatti from Estudiantes, a record signing for the club. But the jury is still out with the little team from Andalusia. The sophomore slump is boding.

9. Miguel Angel Lotina - Deportivo La Coruña
The long time Vasco coach had a remarkable year with Baby Depor last year. The team is currently in pre-season preparing for their Intertoto matches at the end of the month. Will Depor return to Europe with a bang? We shall see. Will Lotina continue to play 5 at the back? I hope not. Lotina has made some selective transfers that on the surface complete a very balanced team. Look for another good year for the team from A Coruña. One step at a time.

10. Unai Emery - Valencia
Into the fire, head first. One of the hottest Managers in La Primera last year who played with a very attacking style. Now for something completely different? The bad news: dressing room drama, an enormous squad with the majority of players either not wanted or inconsistent at best that screams out for a major renovation. Financial debt mounting that is relying on the Nou Mestalla as it's salvation. No Champions League, just UEFA Cup. The good news: two of the hottest players in World Football. A coach with 4 years of Football Managerial experience and some fresh ideas. Who's worried? Me.

There's no sure thing in La Liga, especially when it comes to the Managerial revolving door. But if I look at my crystal ball, here's what I see. Look to Atleti to have another good year. Yes Atleti! Look to Villarreal to beat their every other year glory with a coach who has learned from his past CL Run. Chaos will continue at the Camp Nou and at the Mestalla. While being on the top of the table will be a one hit wonder for Racing and Almeria. Both teams should be weary of relegation. The former with fixture congestion and the latter with a coach in over his head. What do you think? Does the future look bright for Depor? Is Mallorca going to surprise us again? Who will be the hottest coach this year?

Next week I will review the Managers in the 2nd Half of the table. I cannot wait for the new season to start.