Today they play the classic ..... again
speak tomorrow I'm seeing
Ball Point
only ten days ago (though now they seem to ten years) we ufanábamos (some) of how the Real Madrid celebrated a home draw virtually ended with little hope to snatch the league club. Then interpret it as a sign of weakness but now I think I was wrong.
Now I have the certainty that the stud game displayed by the white team in the second leg of the league responded to a default interpretation of a meeting in which Madrid had little to gain and much to lose, the slogan was not going for the three points, even draw, the slogan was not humiliated out of the first and the least important of the four league games this mini personal. Mourinho managed the unusual feat and become a moral victory (cheered on by a press and a hobby that not many years ago would not have tolerated such an attitude) what was obviously a defeat mathematics.
The next chapter of history took place just a week ago. The Copa del Rey is like a shot of Jagermeister: It a nice finish to a sumptuous dinner but neither is missing if we have eaten well before, nor sufficient comfort to an empty stomach. A Cup season but does not justify turning a victory obtained with fortune (in a good sense of the word) after a balanced match (logical AND between two great teams) in a kind of Homeric victory can only be explained because it was another step towards I would have to happen in the coming weeks. Even the crushing victory against Valencia in a competition, again, almost solved (in combination with a painful local Barca victory against one of the last classified) seemed to indicate that it was all part of an intense and effective moral rearmament campaign to what all that really mattered, which ultimately gives holders after fame and fortune: the access to a final Champions League bypassing the closest rival who is also the leading three years, from above you.
Jose Mourinho is a complex person, I will not speak clearly of his personal side that neither know nor will ever know (even if he was interested in doing, which I'm not), I speak rather of his public image. It is curious that in recent days he has been compared to both Clemente because I've always thought that, apart from similarities in tactics or strategy, both coaches are alike in one thing: his greatest interest seems to lie in nurturing their own pride, and it is not enough victories (which are essential anyway or ask you Clement that since leaving the national team has become a nobody): it is necessary that these victories come dressed for an endless spectacle which, again, seems to stand above even what should be the ultimate goal of a coach. In short, the show is not a garnish of success, but success is a precondition to the show. Under these conditions the way in which that victory is achieved appears to be immaterial.
Now about the game and start from the end. In the high-profile press conference after the game Mourinho personally what shocked me most was precisely the least talked about: the cold, unbiased and disturbing analysis that the Portuguese made the pre-match approach: to thwart the contrary by the use of all resources of the office giving him even the first 45 minutes, and later to incorporate a further nine to ten quality (ie good players who started the game on the bench) with a minimum acceptable target to complete the match zero to zero in your field. Remember we are talking about a team that has won nine times this competition.
In contrast to Barca he thought the setbacks came well before the game to lower smoke a little too raised, the team took the field tense in the best sense of the word, meaning to dominate the ball as usual but without falling into the network as the Madrid she knitted the first 45 minutes from the end of last week. This was the first time tactically interesting, but athletically leaden, Madrid and surrendered the ball without being able to this time (unlike before the final review) to attack risk (significant gesture of frustration of Cristiano Ronaldo in the absence of pressure on the ball, something that will become a heap left alone). Barca on the other hand continued to maintain control of the ball, reducing the risk at least in passing and trying to find alternatives in the attack (which were implemented in two good chances to Villa and Xavi) but too much fanfare.
This led to the break and after the break Mourinho thought went into Defcon 2 with the introduction of Adebayor Kaka while warming to prepare Defcon 3. Therefore gave the impression that the locals began to take that step forward that his coach had anticipated when, at the time, came the play that will make you remember this game.
And what of the play? Well first clear statement that so many I'm afraid I have to go back to being unintentionally ambiguous. Pepe's entry may be yellow or red, that is the opinion of the referee, and everyone in your home can interpret whether it was an aggressive or violent entry. If Pepe had taken the full Alves leg possibly could have retired from football, I think even completely ignore the ball, possibly his original intention was to do just that but then thought better and decided to leave a Barca defender with recadito encouragement to continue with that underground game his team had shown in general and him in particular. But he went overboard, and he knew right away, possibly a English referee would not have dared to expel him, possibly another international school would not have found well-deserved, but the German is so decided and a questionable decision but not unfair and all NO you can mount a heist movie based on that play. Everything else is crap I do not think that comment and I put the press conferences and post-meeting reports and consequent tubular brawl.
But the truth is that, arguably or not, it is clear that this move marked the later meeting, Madrid lost a player, sportsmanship aside, is a cornerstone of his game, gave the pressure at the center field, further isolated his players to attack and left the white team at the mercy of the Blaugrana played a pleasure knowing well that their own environment does not tolerate that again let out the most opponents with one less player in the field. This attitude helped the entry of a fresh Afellay that energizes the right wing that the willing but very touched Pierre and Alves had failed to explode. A powerful change of pace from the Dutch ended in a lateral pass to Messi finished off the net.
Madrid may forget that a goalless draw was also a good result for the visitor, but there is no doubt that it can not be compared to a 0-1 and even less with a 0-2, especially if preceded a new Messi gift to the world. Full
and tie track. Is the return match in which we need to avoid injuries and suspensions but that can not come up with alternates so penalty that no one wants to rough it. It will not be me as a viewer, I'm done with this mini league, I am unable to watch a match where victory would increase not my satisfaction and that defeat would be a catastrophe I do not want to see live, and I'm also frankly sick. I just want to believe the tie and the league and flying a little to pour all this dirt on what really matters. coincided