Andalusian Corner: La Cantera. How important?

July 4th was, in addition to burgers and hot dogs, full of futbol for me. I watched one of the Under 17 World Cup game. Watching the youngsters play, I remembered how important the enhancement and promotion of younger categories is in futbol in order to create a good base (cantera in Spanish).
As a decent Sevilla FC fan, I am delighted that Luis Alberto recently renewed his contract until 2015. We know how relevant he can be as a left winger that joins the attack with ease. We have seen players like Cala and Jose Carlos moving to Greece looking for minutes. Currently, Sevilla FC has several players representing the Spanish National Team in different categories. For example, Campaña is in Bucarest for the Under 19 European Championships. Luna will be on his way to Colombia for the Under 20 World Cup. In addition, we all know Capel plays with the Under 21 while Navas has become a regular for Del Bosque.

Nowadays many teams form their line-ups with experienced players and more and more often this is resulting in the inability of a younger player to come through and demonstrate his value. The immediate results in futbol determine the length of stay for a coach and it is hard for coaches to “gamble” with youngsters when their clubs can afford “well-known players.” Arsene Wenger has admired Sevilla FC’s cantera in the past and he continues to build Arsenal with a median age very low compared to other Premier League teams.

When "La Masia" closed its doors it was all over the news in Spain. After all, world class players have developed there with a style of play that has benefited Barcelona greatly over the years and with this, added talent to the Spanish National Team. Sevilla FC’s youngsters are part of one of the most important canteras in Spain without perhaps the big institutional structure.

The future of a national team rests on the junior categories and how we help them improve so they can contribute to the most fabulous game.

USA v SPAIN - a fan's perspective!

A few months ago, I heard the news that the Spain National team would come to the US to play the national team in Foxboro Massachusetts and well, I just had to be there. The last time that I had seen La Roja live was during the group stages of the Germany World Cup 2006 when they played Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. So it had been too long and I really wanted to see los Campeones del Mundo, especially those players that I had never seen play LIVE like David Silva, Victor Valdes, the Villarreal crew, etc, etc, etc.

Of course there were deadlines at my day job, so I really couldn't take off Friday nor Monday, so we took a red eye Friday night from LA to Boston, and would head back on another red eye back home Sunday night. The Spain-USA whirlwind extravaganza was on.

It had been ages since I flew on a red eye, so when we arrived Saturday morning, we were knackered. I was supposed to meet my fellow LA Madridista, Peggy (@Peggles12) and NYC Madridista Leora (@SR4CR9), at the Westin Providence to go look for (stalk) La Roja. But once my husband and I checked into our hotel early, we crashed. Peggy, Leora, and co. had the time of their lives bumping into the team at the elevators.

My husband and I woke up late and decided to head straight to Gillette Stadium. The arena was a bit of a nightmare to enter and exit, much like the Rose Bowl. Parking was steep, but the atmosphere was great in the parking lots and it was nice to see everyone tailgaiting before the game. Both USA and Spain fans were mingling well and showing their colors. La Roja was well represented inside and outside the stadium. I would say 60% Spanish fans and 40% USA fans.

A couple of notables: Alexis Lalas and Tony Meola (ex USA Internationals) were on hand signing autographs. The World Cup was on display. I love the fact that La Roja travels with La Copa del Mundo! I was able to meet Allen (@groguet01) from Villarreal USA and talk footy etc before we got into the stadium. Allen was able to attend the training sessions on Friday and was impressed with the contrasting styles. He also mentioned that someone in Spain saw him on Spanish TV. I guess they were surprised to see a head to toe Villarreal fan, in attendance. We soon got separated from Allen due to our seating.

My husband is crazy about taking pictures of fans and football stadia atmosphere, so as soon as we entered Gillette, we ventured over to the American Outlaws/Sam's Army area. The USA supporters were seated behind the goal. My husband went down to the front, but I waited and tried to meet up with the conlaroja group to take a photo together. Needless to say, I couldn't find anyone at the appointed time. Then all of a sudden La Roja came out to train, right in front of the American Outlaws/Sam's Army goal, so I dashed down to the front and started taking tons of warmup and training pictures. (Yours truly took all of the Spain National team photos.) The stadium security were not thrilled with me being in the aisles upfront, so I made my way into the second row and proceeded with my photo shoot. Little did I know that I was sitting right next to another tweep or twimigo and LA Madridista Leslie (@lesliej_) who was sitting in the US Supporters section. We didn't figure this out until AFTER I posted my pictures on facebook. Small world, no? Where would we be as soccer/football fans without the twitter and facebook communities?

Once La Roja finished their training, I caught up with my husband back in our seats. I also finally connected with RMLA Peggy, who was sitting nearby. The game started and I decided not to take photos so I could fully experience the game. Peggy was surrounded by some pissed off US fans. My husband and I were sitting among some very happy La Roja fans. (Including me) My husband however was extremely grumpy and upset at the US display.

At halftime, I went upstairs to buy my husband a coke with Peggy and missed Forza Futbol friend and guest ~ Señor Segunda from La Liga Weekly and Futbol En Vivo co-host, Arch Bell (@archbell). Nevertheless, I was able to meet him and his wife and catch up at the end of the game. Arch is a 100% red, white and blue fan, so he wasn't too thrilled with the goleada nor the way the team played. I was estatic that La Roja won and that I got to see 4 goals. That said, I felt bad for the US fans who spent all that money and travelled all the way to Foxboro, only for the US team to not even try. Bottom line it was merely a commercial outing for Bradley and the boys. Very sad.

What can I say but La Roja were at their best and put on quite a show. I loved watching El Guaje play upfront with el Tiburon de Vallecas (Negredo). I thought Santi Cazorla was brilliant in attack and clinical in front of goal. He was definitely my MotM. David Silva was simply amazing advancing the play forward. Xabi Alonso and Sergi Busquets controlled the midfield and tempo brilliantly. Pique was a wall at back, while Pepe Reina was solid in goal. With all the changes in the second half and the fact that La Roja led 3-0, the boys decided to take it easy. It was nice to see the Villarreal trio: Borja Valero, Santi Cazorla, and Bruno link up, combine and not miss a step. Andres Iniesta was also playing some stunning fantasy football. All in all a brilliant match for the spectator, with so much juego bonito.

I finally got to meet Leora at the end of the match and hear her stories at the hotel and sitting upfront behind the Spain National team bench. I can't wait to meet up with Leora and Peggy in LA, when Real Madrid arrive for their preseason training! Penyas Unite!

It took a long time to exit Gillette Stadium and the parking lot, but all in all I went to sleep exhausted but with a big smile. On Sunday, we met up with a friend of my husband's living in Boston and got to do the touristy things around Quincy Market, the Boston Commons, etc. We even got to eat some tasty Italian panini and yummy cannoli, before we took off again. Would I do it again? You bet!

You can find my fotos on facebook or here on flickr. Enjoy!

USA v SPAIN - International Friendly coming to the US!

Fabulous news today, the Spanish National team will be coming to the East Coast of the US to play a friendly agains the US Men's National team. They will be playing June 4th in Foxboro, Massachusetts near Boston, at Gilette Stadium, the home of the New England Revolution.

Who knows if all the stars will be attending? No word yet on when tickets go on sale. We at Forza Futbol will keep you up-to-date with the latest news via twitter, facebook, our website, and podcast!

This will be a bit of a revenge match for La Furia Roja, as the USMNT broke their winning streak at the Confederation's cup in the summer of 2009 during the semifinals. (15 games wining streak, 35 games without a loss, was put to bed by the US.) Surprisngly, this is the first time that La Roja has played a match in the US against the red, white and blue!

This is a fantastic opportunity to see the World Cup champions in the flesh. The USMNT will be using this game as preparation for the upcoming Gold Cup tournament.

Are you going to the game? How will you be making your trek? Where will you be staying? We want to hear from you!

Update: One member of Forza Futbol will be going to Boston! Elisa! I have booked my flights, hotel, and car for a quick weekend of La Furia Roja love and USA spunk! Contact me! Let's meet up! Twitter: @eu_forzafutbol, facebook: medelliae (elisa forza futbol uranga), email: forza.futbol@yahoo.com!

NEWS FLASH Update: 4.14.2011 Club Seleccion TV and US Soccer are reporting that the game time will be at 4:30pm or 16:30pm EST, to ensure that it airs in Spain at a reasonable hour aka 22:30pm or 10:30pm CET (!!). Tickets are going on sale to the general public on Wednesday April 20th at 7am via ticketmaster. Tickets start at $40.00. The match will be televised on Univision and ESPN. Let's get this party started!!

UPDATE Apr.29.2011: Spain will play Venezuela on June 1st per the latest news from the RFEF. More details to come. Rumor has it that it will be in Maracaibo. 4 days AFTER the Champions League Final on May 28th. Sigh. Lots of travel for La Roja. Once again the RFEF plans to parade the team around as much as possible, regardless of the distance and travel. Oh well, part and parcel of being World Champions.

UPDATE MAY.20.2011: Both Spain and USA will have training sessions open to the public on Friday June 3rd. Prices start at $20. Check out US Soccer website for more details.

UPDATE May 25.2011: Spain announced their roster for the USA and Venezuela friendlies. Jesus Navas and Cesc Fabregas were not called due to injury. Carles Puyol and Xavi Hernandez were given a break as well. All in all a calvalcade of stars! Welcome to new boy Manu de Moral recently transferred to Sevilla, ex Getafe. Welcome back to Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla), Andoni Iraola (Athletic Bilbao) and Bruno Soriano (Villarreal) as well as the usual suspects aka World Champions!

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

VIDEO: Adidas & the RFEF announce sponsorship renewal

As a huge La Roja fan, I really like this Video in honor of the Spanish National team & the RFEF sponsorship renovation of their agreement. A 30 year long sponsorship deal and 30 years of suffering as a Spain fan. Memories of Luis Enrique in 1995, Raul's missed penalty in Euro 2000 and Joaquin's missed penalty during World Cup 2002, just to name a few dark memories. Lots of suffering, oh yes indeed, I remember. But the silver lining is breaking through that vicious cycle and at last earning the accolades.

The effort (to succeed) has come from many, but the shirt, has always brought us together. Gotta love it. Enjoy.