in case you missed it – the cara y cruz edition

In case you missed it – Zaragoza vs. Real Madrid [2010-04-24].

One.  Iker wore red for only the second time this season (the last time was in December, against Valencia).  Iker also changed his gloves at one point during the game (and the crowd booed him for taking too long to do that).

Meanwhile, Zaragoza keeper Roberto was dressed like Iker, in an orange top and white shorts (the guy in charge of uniforms at Zaragoza knows better than to match orange shorts with that top, unlike his counterpart at Madrid).

Two.  Iker yelling as the game was ending (he goes, Guti, Guti!, GUTI!!! GUTI!!!!!!!!!!! Guti).  There’s something strangely fascinating about that, at least for me.

Three.  Cara y cruz for Raúl – he scored Madrid’s first and an absolutely necessary goal but also injured himself (having come into the game to replace an injured Rafa van der Vaart).  It appears that the two of them could miss the rest of the season, but at least Madrid won the game.  I was so happy when he scored, and so crushed when I saw him so upset on the bench.

(The pictures say:  Raúl crashes into Edmilson.  His grimace was a sign of things to come.  Kaká warms up, Raúl is in pain.  Chendo is unable to console him.  Raúl is depressed – the injury is serious.  Raúl takes with him the game ball.)

In scoring, Raúl became the third leading goalscorer in La Liga history, with 228 goals (he passed Di Stéfano on Saturday).  His next target is Hugo Sánchez, with 234 goals.

After the game, his teammates showed their appreciation for his strength and heart.  Marcelo took the ball at the end of the game to present it to Raúl, since this could become his last game this season, depending on the severity of his injury.  Sergio Ramos dedicated the win to his captain in public declarations after the game.

Four.  Kaká’s goal celebration consisted of running to the bench to celebrate with Jerzy, and then later on (and only later on) did it involve Cristiano.  Anyone surprised?  I love how much of a piña we are, and even those that don’t get regular playing time are as much a part of the team as the habitual starters.

The background: during the month and a half that Kaká was injured, Jerzy told him every day, “you are one of the best players in the world and you’re going to show that to everyone.”  Before this game, Jerzy had said to Ricky that he was going to score an important goal this season and predicted it would be at La Romareda.  He told him via song: he sang “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas – “I gotta a feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good night.”  Why didn’t anyone capture that moment on film?

And that’s why Kaká celebrated by embracing Jerzy Dudek, just as Rafa van der Vaart had done against Almería (because Jerzy cheered him up and told him he would score, and for the Polish plane accident that took the life of the president), and Cristiano against Santander, for the goalkeeper’s 37th birthday.

Five.  The following video makes me sad; I hate seeing players demoralized.  At the same time, I love seeing how much the players care for each other.

AS has, via Cuatro, a video of Esteban Granero and Mahamadou Diarrá speaking before the game (and looking nice in their suits).  Diarrá said to Granero, keep your head up, there’s only 22 days [left in the season].  (Granero had been the player removed from the final playing list before the game).  Look at me, I’ve played six games in 11 months, you have to hold on as best as you can.  Then they start speaking in English!  I didn’t know that these two spoke English!  They did that so that Lass and Karim Benzema, who were standing next to them, could understand the conversation.  Yet another example of how much of a team we are!  Anyway, then, according to the Cuatro guys, they start talking about what will happen to them if Pellegrini stays or leaves.

Six. And if you needed yet another example of our team spirit?  On the way back to Madrid, in Zaragoza’s airport, while the players were waiting to check in, Cristiano and Marcelo sang to Diarrá: “¡ese malinés, qué hijo de puta es!” (this Malian, what a son of a bitch he is!), paraphrasing a common chant heard in football stadiums (although in Spanish, the correct term for someone from Mali is maliense or malí).

Keep reading, because there is more, more MORE!!! (to copy Iker).

Seven.  Pipita gave his shirt away to a Madrid fan at La Romareda.  Other players need to start copying his example RIGHT NOW.  Everyone, and I mean everyone, benefits from that.

Eight. It was a physical, physical game.  Here’s Cristiano telling the ref, that’s the second time I’ve been fouled in the game (and we weren’t even in the tenth minute!)

Nine. And finally, Sergio Ramos and Ezequiel Garay sharing a water bottle.

What were your moments of the game?