In case you missed it – Málaga vs. Real Madrid [2012-01-10, Copa del Rey round of 16 vuelta, 0-1].
We have qualified for the Copa del Rey round of eight, after beating Málaga 4-2 in aggregate in this round. While this game wasn’t the most entertaining of games (see, even Aitor Karanka was a bit bored), it did leave us with many great moments, in fact too many for one post, so this ICYMI post is split into two!
The angrier they get, the hotter they become moments: at one point or another, most of our players got upset with the refereeing, missed opportunities, themselves, their teammates, their opponents… While Sergio and Álvaro Arbeloa argued with the referee (and Xabi decided everything could be resolved by posing)…
… Fábio Coentrão and Gonzalo Higuaín lamented missed chances and rough play. I love Gonzalo using his hands to get his point across (Sergio did the same too, above).
I also love angry and in charge Iker. On the left, he’s yelling at Karim: “Karim, ven aquí, joder” (Karim, come here) which was followed by “la puta madre” and then “¡Hostia!” If you need a crash course in (Spain) Spanish swear words, this is it (though I might add coño).
Pepe was also a target of some anger (¡Pepe! ¡PEPE!) [the new Guti, Guti, no?], as was Fábio Coentrão (Fabio, aguanta, joder).
By the way, Álvaro Arbeloa will miss the next Copa del Rey game, after being sent off in this game.
The bromance moment: despite being in different places – Marcelo on the bench and Cris on the field – the two of them did the same thing. They must have some telepathic connection. By the way, I think that’s Marcelo’s jersey that he’s smuggling there under his jacket.
The fish lips moment: Sergio’s gesture instantly reminded me of the Iker fish lips moment. Maybe they practice together? And who knew Sergio had such full lips?
The Marcelo sunshine moments: Marcelo decided to celebrate Karim Benzema’s goal by imitating him. Adorable! I also love the little tap on Fábio’s head from Sergio, and how Marcelo went up to Fábio for an extra hug. What a great team we have.
Judging by his expression, Karim approved of this goal celebration! He’s thinking, it’s like looking in a mirror, well if I had hair that is.
The coach knows best moments: Mou was a busy, busy man during this game. In addition to pacing up and down the sideline, he called various players over to speak with them during the course of the game. I love how Sergio put his arm around Mou, and how Marcelo seemed to ignore Aitor Karanka’s suggestions.
This moment just makes me laugh.
Meanwhile, Fábio got an earful from Mou, and right after that, Marcelo had even more instructions for poor Fábio. I hope he remembered everything!
Mou also spoke with Karim, but it seemed like he was using him as a messenger, because Karim then related something to Xabi Alonso, who appears to have responded, “okay…”
The Cris moments: he didn’t have the best game, but he did bring it on in terms of moments, from bringing the ball to the corner…
… to deciding to rest for a second next to the publicity after getting pushed out of bounds. I also love the moment where the camera panned up his body.
The negative moment: one of the few negative moments on the night came with Sami Khedira’s injury. He was obviously in a lot of pain as soon as he collapsed to the ground, and when I saw him convulsing, I feared the worst.
Of note: Madrid’s medical staff spoke to him in English, since I’m sure that in his moment of agony, he wouldn’t have understood the Spanish words for ankle, twisted and calm down. As Sami was carried off the field, past Madrid’s bench, Mou gave him a reassuring pat on the head. Sami would return to Madrid on crutches.
Sami has been diagnosed with a sprained right ankle, following tests at Sanitas La Moraleja yesterday. Madrid’s web site did not specify how long he’d be out, but normally this type of injury requires three to four weeks of recovery time. ¡Ánimo Sami!
The why can’t I have hair that sleek and shiny after a long workout moment: do you need any explanation for this moment? In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been jealous of Sergio’s hair for quite some time now.
The mouments: José Mourinho was satisfied with his team, telling the media after the game, “we have scored eight goals in the last two games, but we’ve been accused of defending poorly. Today we were focused on results and being pragmatic. We defended well and we didn’t give the rival any possibilities. Without having a brilliant game, we achieved qualifying for the next round against a team that in my opinion played very well.”
However, he didn’t look to happy during the game, as there were many, many things he didn’t agree with. I love the 360° turn to show his anger.
