That’s 30 percent Madrid, 70 percent cantera, since there was a lot more news about the latter this weekend! But to start things off, another photo of Marcelo feeling the urge to check Cristiano’s pulse. Maybe he was worried that some gel had seeped into Cris’ head.
Blanket of silence: unlike a certain other team, no players from Madrid will speak about the four clásicos. José Mourinho has instructed his players not to say anything about their rival in this series of games, and when asked about Barcelona, the players all reply, “we’re going to be silent.” So they won’t be responding to things like Sandro Rosell’s prediction, Víctor Valdés’ jab on “Buenafuente” or the “manita” ad campaign. Mou has prohibited interviews and he’ll be the only one who will transmit what the team is feeling.
A full week: Here’s what this critical week looks like for Madrid, leading up to the second CL quarterfinal game and then the Liga game against Barcelona:
Today: the team will train at 11h behind closed doors. The session will focus on the game against Tottenham.
Tomorrow: the team will train at Valdebebas in the morning, and then travel to London at 15h. Mou will give a press conference at White Hart Lane, as will a player.
Wednesday: Champions League second quarterfinal leg against Tottenham, starting at 20:45. Once the game is over, the team will head towards the airport to return to Madrid.
Thursday: the team arrives at Barajas at four in the morning. They’ll train on this day as well, with the starters taking it a bit easier.
Friday: training session, Mourinho press conference, concentración.
Saturday: light stretching session at the Bernabéu in the morning, game at 22h.
Sunday: with only three days to go before the final of the Copa del Rey, there most likely will be a training session, but that hasn’t been determined yet.
We don’t like it: Madrid will also appeal Esteban Granero’s yellow card from the Athletic game to the Competition Committee. If the card is overturned, then that means El Pirata will be able to play this weekend against Barcelona. Esteban received the card in the 46th minute as the referee believed he had committed a dangerous play against Ekiza while going for the ball. The team may also appeal Iker’s yellow card.
Fourteen and counting: Castilla and Lugo drew 2-2 yesterday afternoon in the Alfredo di Stéfano, in front of 3,500 spectators, including Esteban Granero and Sergio Llull (a Real Madrid basketball player).
Though the game ended in a tie, it was a great game, because Castilla had to make a comeback after Lugo went up 0-2, and Joselu and Castilla capi Fran Rico answered, scoring two goals in two minutes (in the 74th and 76th, respectively) to save a point for the team. Castilla’s unbeaten streak now stands at 14 games (11 wins and three ties).
And since we always talk about how Castilla players are “promoted” to the first team once in a while, mostly to train, but sometimes to play, well Juvenil A’s leftback Javier García-Noblejas was the lucky one this time, as he replaced the suspended Jorge Casado in this encounter. Here are some pictures of those Castilla players who have trained extensively with the first team this year, during the game yesterday, so you should be able to recognize all of them.
The pictures from the game are great, no? Madrid’s photographers did an excellent job yesterday – they must have sent an intern or a temp (or even a monkey, since it could probably do a better job than the normal photographers) to the game. For example, I love this photo, because it’s the perfect “back” picture. Of course, it would be better if all three of the players were ours, but at least MFC Álvaro Borja Morata Martín is back front and center.
¡Enhorabuena! Meanwhile, Juvenil B became the third team in the cantera to win their division this season (Juvenil A and Cadete B are the others) after they crushed Atlético de Madrid B 2-0 and their closest rival, Rayo Vallecano B, lost to Pinto. In this way, with three games left (two jornadas and a postponed game which will be played on April 13 against Rayo Majadahonda), they became champions of National Group 12. Pablo and Ángel scored for Madrid.
Esteban and the big kid: still on the subject of the cantera, one of my favorite canteranos tweeted this photo of him having lunch with “a big kid” yesterday. Sergio C. is wearing the same shirt that Esteban wore to watch basketball the other night, which just begs the questions: (1) Do they share custody of this shirt? Is so, how do they decide visiting rights? (2) If not, do they each own one? (3) If so, did they go buy them together on a little shopping trip?
Loving the sunglasses!
And for some reason, I find it really hilarious that MFC Álvaro Borja Morata Martín has a cousin with a very similar name, that which is the most pijo of all Spanish names, Borja, and that he’s called “Jita.”
