In case you missed it – Madrid vs. Valencia [2010-12-04].
Well, at least we always have Cristiano. It’s a good thing he recovers quickly, no? Because he helped us to recover from the Barcelona game by turning this game into a win. To quote Alejandro Sanz, he’s the “pomada pa’ to’ los dolores.”
One. To get your attention from the very beginning, footballers stripping.
Two. The gametime fashions. Álvaro Arbeloa, who had previously said he would never wear a long-sleeved shirt, stayed true to form in his short-sleeved shirt, but added another layer underneath. Meanwhile, Iker was on the polar opposite end (in more ways than one), as he wore what looks to be a full-length body suit, but probably was just a pair of tights and a long-sleeved shirt. He also had a neck warmer. I still can’t get used to seeing Iker with sleeves.
Three. Mahamadou and I basically had the same reaction for a good part of the game.
Four. But then it was Cristiano Ronaldo to the rescue, with two goals just when we were about to lose all hope.
You might be wondering why Marcelo was just standing around when Cris celebrated his first goal with the banquillo. It was because he got his very own chest bump shortly after.
After both goals, Cris gave high-fives to his midfielders.
And of course, he had to bask in the attention of the crowd, after this genial play.
Five. Mario Vargas Llosa got to do the saque de honor before the game. He’s a fan of Madrid, and is also the director of the Real Madrid chair at the Escuela de Estudios Universitarios, which is attached to the European University of Madrid. He also he’d like to write a book about Cristiano.
Six. More Cris. I love, love, love how expressive he is.
And of course, the taconazo. If that had gone in…
Seven. Also at the game: Zidane, who was sitting next to Jorge Valdano. Neither looked too happy at this point in the game.
Eight. Karim Benzema must stay very hydrated, because each time he’s shot on the bench, he’s holding a water bottle or drinking from it.
Nine. What would a post be without Iker? Even when he’s running, pulling up his socks or just staring, he’s fascinating. Plus, that profile…
Ten. The Xabi Alonso pose section.™
There are many imitators, but only one Xabi Alonso.
Xabi was looking fierce on Saturday. Love the glowering and the pursed lips.
Eleven. The little fight that broke out in the second half. I love how the person on the ground always gets ignored as the fight develops around him. Álvaro was all fired up, and of course it was Xabi trying to play peacemaker.
Along with Iker – gran capitán! A personal highlight – Xabi continuing to pose in the background while Iker helps Pepe up.
Twelve. MFC Álvaro Morata spent part of the game warming up, but did not find himself getting any play, so we have yet to see him debut. But at least he got to sit on the bench, unlike David Mateos and Antonio Adán, the descartados before the game.
Thirteen. Iker is a great teammate.
Fourteen. Front and back.™
Raúl Albiol. What a great game he had, especially considering he doesn’t get regular playing time.
Cristiano Ronaldo.
El Pirata.
Iker.
Sami Khedira.
Lass.
Fifteen. The Mou corner.
He really wasn’t as active as he usually was, and explained why in his press conference after the game. At one point, the ball went out of bounds and Mou picked it up and handed it directly to Sami Khedira. This moment was replayed, to contrast it with another similar moment, I suppose.
In the press conference, Mou said the most important thing was to win, because it’s not easy to know how to respond after a game like the last one.
When asked about his starting line-up, with Benzema on the bench and Cristiano as the only real offensive player, he said it was “because if Valencia scored first, we wouldn’t have the psychological strength or the self esteem to change the result. That’s why I decided to do this. It wasn’t a message for anyone… It wasn’t the day to play a great game or to score many goals, due to the quality of the rival. My team responded well, and here we are, once again winning.” And on why he wasn’t seen giving a lot of instructions to the players, Mou said, “in this game, my team couldn’t feel pressured, not from me or by outside comments. My team needed stability and we gave it to them, allowing them to play without fear of losing or playing a good game.” ¡Grande Mourinho!
He praised Benzema, saying his entrance changed the game, allowing the team to dominate and win. And on the performance of Arbeloa and Albiol, he was equally complimentary: “they’re two important players, very good, serious and team-oriented. They work very hard and have played well each time they’ve played this season. Albiol started his first game in the Liga and he was fantastic. It wasn’t a problem not having Ramos and Carvalho. I knew they would respond.”
Watch a video here on calm Mou.
Sixteen. The game on twitter:
Jordi Codina watched the game, and praised both Iker and Cristiano. He also defended Cris, saying that he received more kicks than he gave out, and that he doesn’t complain a lot. When someone accused him of being anti-Madrid, Jordi replied, “you know where I played before, don’t you? I say what I think… although at times it may hurt my friends…” ¡Grande Jordi!
And Kaká was quite brief in his tweets about the game.
Seventeen. Other notes: There were signs in favor of Sergio, such as “Sergio Ramos – eres grande” and “Estamos orgullosos de ti” (Sergio Ramos – you’re great; We’re proud of you). And it was great to see former canteranos Roberto Soldado and Juanín Mata!
Eighteen. Looking ahead: Madrid held a closed training session today, the first in their preparation for their Champions League game against Auxerre on Wednesday at the Bernabéu. Meanwhile, Sami Khedira will miss the next game against Zaragoza after receiving his fifth yellow card during this game.