In case you missed it – Dinamo Zagreb vs. RM [2011-09-15, CL group stage, 0-1].
Grammatically speaking, the title of the post is incorrect, but there really was no other name for this ICYMI. More on that later… To sum up the game, the jerseys weren’t the only red things out there (the boys looked great in that color, no?) because Cristiano ended the game with a bloody ankle. Ángel di María was the only one that managed to get one past Saint Ivan on Wednesday, which was also the first goal that Madrid has ever scored while wearing red. I’ll take that, plus the win, even though I had hoped for more.
ONE. I love this little moment between I. Casillas and F. Coentrão, plus of course the red and yellow color combination, as it reminds me of Spain (or ketchup and mustard). And I laughed when I heard Iker yelling, “Alonso, Alonso!” Does that mean that for once, Xabi was not perfectly positioned?
TWO. As stated earlier, Ángel di María broke Madrid’s inability to wear the red and score goals (it’s actually not that big of a deal, since they have only worn red three times before in their 109-year history) and the boys looked great celebrating. As this was Ángel’s first goal of the season, and also his first goal for Madrid as a married man, it was no surprise to see him do his traditional heart celebration (and because we’re used to it by now).
Marcelo gave Angelito a great pass, Angelito scored, jumped up, and then Marcelo jumped into his arms.
Marcelo Sunshine definitely knew that 50 percent of the goal was due to him. Look at him celebrate! Meanwhile, the bench also erupted. Normally, I think Aitor Karanka would have been more exuberant, but since he was playing the Mou role on Wednesday, he was much more restrained.
THREE. Back to the beginning of the game. These are much better than their club portraits, no? But I don’t think Madrid would have been happy had Iker stuck his tongue out for the portrait…
FOUR. You think this was the moment when Tonel whispered to Cris that he wanted his shirt? Tonel had also hugged Pepe, Carvalho and Coentrão as they made their way down the receiving line.
FIVE. Ivan Kelava was excellent, no? He added to his “Saint Ivan” nickname. He made a lot of great saves, and unluckily for him, he also spent a lot of time on the ground after he kept colliding with our players, such as Cris, Karim or Sergio. Or else he’s very lucky, because they all gave him a hug/high five in the end.
SIX. Even though Cris and Lass were in pain on the ground, I was amused because I liked how Marcelo was trying to make the referee notice Cris’ ankle with some strategic pointing, and how Ricky had his hand placed right on Lass’ derrière.
SEVEN. More of our players on the ground. I liked how Fábio managed to get a few choice words out before falling back down to the ground.
EIGHT. I just like this picture. And the very tight jersey.
NINE. At the beginning of the second half, the camera must have used a special filter or something to give the footage a retro/vintage effect and Mesut and Karim a dreamy quality. And Xabi would be proud of Karim’s pose – it’s quite fierce, no? And look how stylishly the shorts are knotted and how effortlessly the jersey is tucked into the shorts..
TEN. Cris kept me entertained with his gestures…
ELEVEN. … as did Aitor Karanka, who looks like he’s about to break out into a rap right here.
TWELVE. The Perfect Profile, in action. But I don’t know why Iker was wearing his patented, pissed off, I can’t believe they just scored look, because he didn’t allow any goals in.
THIRTEEN. More Cris in action and gestures.
FOURTEEN. The Xabi Alonso pose section.™
FIFTEEN. In the stands were Zidane and the three players cut from the game day squad – El Pirata, Arbeloa’s twin and Tomy – and of course Mou (behind them and behind a glass wall, pictures below).
SIXTEEN. Mou looked quite pissed off by Marcelo’s expulsion. Was he thinking, we’re ending with 10 AGAIN? Due to the red card, Marcelo will miss the next CL game against Ajax on Sept. 27.
SEVENTEEN. As soon as the game ended, Cris hobbled over to Dinamo coach Krunoslav Jurcic to show him his bloody ankle. He didn’t reveal what the response was.
EIGHTEEN. Some post-game scenes. It appears that no one got Cristiano’s shirt (at least on the field) because he was in no mood to be approached, and because he had to be interviewed (and the club, much to my dismay, doesn’t allow the players to do those interviews topless). But it seems that Luis Ibáñez scored either Ángel or Pipita’s shirt, as both were walking around topless, as well as Carvalho. And Xabi’s profile is quite nice too, no?
NINETEEN. As for the shirts, Iker wore head to toe yellow to accompany the red, and everyone wore dark blue/gray Champions League jackets with neon green accents onto the field. Add to this the variety of boot colors – purple for Marcelo, orange for Cristiano, black and yellow for Sergio, white and yellow for Di María, white for Mesut, white and purple for Carvalho, silver for Pepe, blue for Benzema and Coentrão – and there was a rainbow out there. Of course, Xabi opted for classic black. Plus, we had the refereeing team in lilac. And the subs wore azure jackets.
Alfredo di Stéfano said in his column in Marca that he didn’t like the color of Iker’s jersey, as it was very “eye-catching, and it shows the rival where he’s positioned.”
Bonus Sergio picture: here he is zipping up his jacket on the way to the field. He was the only player not wearing it in the tunnel, and the team got called onto the field before he had a chance to finish putting it on.
TWENTY. On the way to the bus, Cristiano said what he was feeling about the refereeing, his ankle and the whistles from the crowd. “I had to get three stitches. I don’t understand this refereeing, those who appeal for fair play, the protection of the most skilled players. I don’t have this… I’m sad because the referees say that they protect those players that have the most skills and sensitivity. But when I play, they don’t protect anything. Other players are treated fantastically, and you can’t touch them. But you can hit me or knock me down and nothing happens. I don’t understand. The truth is I don’t understand. Let’s see if my ankle will swell up.” As for the whistles, “I think that because I’m rich, handsome and a great player, people envy me. I can’t find any other explanation… ” Cris also said of the referee, “I hope we won’t get this referee again because he really is an embarrassment.” Cris was limping after the game.
Now I see a lot of people are taking the “rich, handsome, great player” remark out of context. It was in response to queries as to whether the whistles of the rival fans had affected him, and while Cris was still very upset over the ankle incident. He also said it in a very resigned tone, he wasn’t bragging at all, which is what it may sound like if you just read the quote without any background information. Plus, he even said it himself – it’s the last explanation he could come up with, so it’s not like it was the first thing that came to his mind, or something that he believes. And because Cristiano Ronaldo said it, there are lots of people who would prefer to misinterpret the quote than learn about the truth.
Meanwhile, Karim Benzema also complained about the ref: “he sent Marcelo off but he didn’t send Leko off for a very rough tackle. Cristiano’s ankle is very bad.” And Ángel said, “the refereeing was not good. The kick to Cristiano deserved a yellow card. But the referee didn’t see it like that and now Ronaldo is being stitched up and Marcelo was sent off for nothing. I believe the referee make a mistake. In the locker room, we gave all our support to Marcelo.” I wonder if UEFA will fine any of our players for these words?
TWENTY ONE. The Mou/Karanka corner.
Aitor Karanka was more composed, and didn’t say anything about the refereeing, just “you have to treat all the players the same, and not just protect some. There’s no need to say that you protect some players, while for others anything can happen without consequences.” He added, “right now they’re stitching up Cristiano in the locker room. We hope that it’s nothing serious.” Karanka also said that they were satisfied with the game, despite the difficulties.
As for Mou, he arrived at the stadium with the rest of the team, on the team bus. However, he wasn’t sitting in the first row, where he usually sits, but in the second one. The bus dropped off the team at the players’ entrance, but Mou wasn’t allowed to go anywhere near there, so he stayed on the bus for the next hour. But he wasn’t alone, as two members of the club’s security team was with him, as well as Javier García Coll. At 20:30h, he left the bus wearing a cap, and got into a black Mercedes minivan with tinted windows. The vehicle drove him (his two bodyguards walked next to it) the 800 meters to the entrance of the private box where he was going to sit. During the game, he was accompanied by his two security guards and didn’t stop taking notes for the entire game, just like if he were on the field. The end of the game elicited a pissed off gesture from Mou, and I love how the cameras made him look so sinister, because we know that the reality is nothing like that.
During the game, cameras captured García Coll, who sat next to Mou in the box, using his mobile, and a couple of minutes later, Chendo answering his mobile. Shortly after, Chendo was seen speaking to Karanka…
TWENTY TWO. After the game, Iker posted two messages on his Facebook, one in Spanish, and the other in Google-translated English. The result was the following: “Well, the most important are the three points. We have had enough and good times. Ever allow scares but overall good. We started winning in the Champions League. Now I think playing in the Levant. A party will not be easy. Already last year we let 2 points. Good night kids!”
What he meant to say was, “well, the most important thing are the three points. We had many and good occasions. We had a few scares, but in general, we played well. We started out the Champions by winning. Now it’s time to think about Levante. The game won’t be easy. We gave up two points to them last year. Good night kids!” But I think I prefer him to be talking about parties, don’t you kids agree?
That caused Álvaro Arbeloa to tweet, “I’m shocked by Iker’s English…” Jajaja!! That’s one of the best things he’s ever tweeted! And he’d probably be shocked by Raúl’s German as well, as Iker posted this photo of some “lost in translation” action going on between Mesut and Albiol. The expression on Raúl’s face is priceless! And I like how Sergio has even taken out one earbud out to listen in. These boys are an endless source of amusement, no?
