Real Sociedad Vs. Real Madrid Match Recap: Madrid Get Tough Win
by Lucas Navarrete on Oct 30, 2011 12:19 AM CEST
in Real Madrid CF: Liga BBVA
Email
Print
Jose Mourinho decided to bench some of the usual starters. Lass and Coentrão played instead of Khedira and Marcelo, and we continued to rotate Higuaín and Özil for Benzema and Kaká. It seems that Mourinho is willing to play Kaká and the French striker when we are at the Santiago Bernabéu, and Higuaín will get the chance to start away from our stadium alongside Özil.
This was a very difficult game. Real Sociedad are a very tough team at home (like every northern team in the Spanish league) and even though they are not experiencing a good streak, I was certainly more afraid of this game than ihe Villarreal one.
My expectations were certainly fulfilled as Real Sociedad proved to be a really tough team to beat. Barcelona could only get a 2-2 draw in Anoeta and Madrid suffered a lot in the second half.
In the ninth minute, Higuaín received the ball from Coentrão in the left corner of the box and passed to Real Sociedad's goalkeeper with a chip. It was nice to see our team scoring quickly again, but the Basque team was not going to give up so easily.
The first half went on with Di Maria giving some good passes again that could have been converted into assists if our strikers were more accurate. Cristiano was not at all comfortable during the whole game, but he tried as usual to create some danger into Real Sociedad's defense.
Lass Diarra helped the team but he was not as brilliant as against Betis. I think Khedira is more useful in these kinds of games where the rival is trying hard to put pressure on our strikers and go on the counter attack. The German always keeps his position and he covers Coentrão and Arbeloa's area when they both get into attacking mode.
In the second half our team did not try to score as much. Özil looked lost in the pitch -yet again- and he is not his last year's self. Let's hope he can get back into the form, especially since it was already November or December when the German player started to look fit. His best months came in January and February, so he might be one of those players that gets in shape very late in the season.
It's true that Real Sociedad did not make Casillas work that much, but the team started to lose the ball and the Basque players were able to try some long-distance shots. Ramos completed the game in the CB position, something that is starting to become routine. When he plays in that position, Pepe is allowed to be in a more secondary role. The Portuguese does not need to shine as much with his lightning speed. When Carvalho is playing, Pepe usually needs to go at his full speed to cover Carvalho's lack of it.
Kaká, Benzema and Khedira were our three substitutes, and they were not very dominant during the match. We managed to conclude the game with the 0-1 in the scoreboard, although the referee did not show a red card to Griezmann for a nasty tackle to Sergio Ramos.
When the referee called the end of the game, Mourinho and Cristiano showed their relief, and the team looked quite happy. That speaks from itself. It was not a brilliant game but you need to get the three points out of these tough ones.
Next ahead, we visit Lyon this Wednesday in the Champions League. Let's hope the changes Mourinho made in our lineup today are fresh in the French venue.
18 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I can only imagine what went thorugh Barc’s fan tonight. I mean in the second half they rise thier hope and each time casillas and ramos crash thier hopes.
Like they go: yeeeee…. S**t no. Imagnining them just cheered up my soul :D
Anyway I think if our player had watched barca vs sociedad match, they should have known sociedad player don’t give up that easily, and they get better in the second half beacuse their couch is really good at changing tactics.
But we had another good first 30 minutes.
and Kaka did make a real good opportunity for Higuain. He somehow for the first time in his life decide to pass the ball to Ronaldo. I don’t get Higuain today. When he ddin’t have a chance at the goal he took his shot, but when he had 100% goal opportunity, he passed it behind cr7.
by Payam Fakhraie on Oct 30, 2011 12:58 AM CEST reply actions
Ramos as CB?
Is it just me or is Ramos simply AWESOME at Center Back?
I mean, He was a good Right Back but I feel his talent at CB is so much better. He has been killing it the past few weeks while Albiol/Carvalho are injured. He’s fast, strong and powerful in the air. If Mourinho is Mourinho then I think he might keep him there and start finding a more explosive RB. I know Arbeloa is more than good, but he’s not as explosive at Right Back (Although that might be beneficial seeing how Attacking our LB’s are).
Hypothetically speaking. A solid defender and quite explosive offensive Right Back would complete an already strong team.
I really like the recent form of this Madrid team. It feels like Tika-Taka, but its more directed and offensive moving, which is always what I loved about Madrid. This and the fact that Madrid are extremely good at soaking up pressure and hitting back with a super-fast counter-attack. Barcelona are not as good at this, but they rarely need to be.
Hala Madrid!
Problem is
The world of soccer is facing a draught in the RB position. There are not good RB’s today other than Alves and Maicon who is not in his best shape
Hasta el final, vamos Real.
by Lucas Navarrete on Oct 31, 2011 6:49 AM CET up reply actions
He's cool, he's casual, he's Coentrão...
I’m proud of Fábs today. He had a rapist touch with the through ball to Higuain. All jokes aside, I wasn’t all to keen on Fábs in the beginning of the season (I was of the Marcelo camp). I’d like to see him play more midfield to be quite honest. I’m not 100% sure of his ball control, but I think he’s improving.
I think this is our worst win, in a while. lol.
My 2 cents on today's game.
I’m going to start with today’s line up, I personality did not like Mou’s starters well just two, Higuaín and Ozil. I don’t think they have a chemistry on the pitch, I don’t see it and the last couple of times Ozil has started with Pipita he just doesn’t shine but when Ozil and Benzema are together, they are amazing. It’s pure magic, I love it. It’s really entertaining to see this on the pitch. I feel Pipita and Kaka should be together and Ozil and Benzema, just look back on the games when they are starting together and you should see the difference. What do you guys think? Am I the only one who thinks this way?
by madridista10 on Oct 30, 2011 2:26 AM CET reply actions 1 recs
that make cents
Yes, Ozil and Benzy make a killer duo as do Pipita and Kaka. It’s weird, some players just perform better with certain players. But that’s certainly true.
Speaking of Ozil, I haven’t seen much of him recently, what the hell Ozil?! I really get upset when I don’t see Ozil performing on par with the rest of the gang. I understand that Ozil is #10 now, and is the play-maker but he has only had 4 assists and no goals this year in La Liga. I’m pissed, because I know he can do way more, Waaaaay more. If I was Mourinho, he wouldn’t even be a starter in this form, Di maria actually is the top assister in La Liga with 7 assists I believe. Mesut needs to be more classy.
by TIQUITACATACO on Oct 30, 2011 3:32 AM CET up reply actions
Sergio Ramos as a CB
My opinion on SR as a CB is this. He is a good tackler, alert and wins pretty much all challenges and 50/50s but he does not have the MIND of an experienced CB like Carvalho. In the box Carvalho is brilliant and knows how to due last minute tackles that save us. Also Carvalho is more astute as to when he should play the offsides trap. Pepe is becoming a more intelligent CB each year and especially since he is learning from Carvalho, but Pepe isn’t smart enough yet to be teaching Ramos how to properly play off-side traps, something Ramos isn’t all that great in. If you want an example of this think the Super cup. Ramos was out of position as a RB against Villa’s first goal (although he recovered well and Villa’s goal was virtually great, but if he was in a proper place he would have pressured Villa more). Ramos also allowed Iniesta to score as he was the last man on Iniesta’s almost off-sides goal. If Ramos is caught off-sides so often as a RB, imagine how he would be as a CB. Although he did do rather well in the Copa Del Rey, remember we were so nearly defeated on that game with Pedro’s off-sides goal.
oh and as a side note
Two things I noticed in this game. In the first half Coentrao was open on the left side SO MANY TIMES but we never passed it to him. He was lifting his hands and calling for a pass and we kept ignoring him for some reason when I saw we easily could have played a ball to him and widen up the game.
And as someone said before me, there are two extremely good pairs in our group. The Ozil-Ronaldo-Benzema pair and the Kaka-Di Maria-Pipita pair. And playing Lass today was a bad idea i think. Lass is more when we need to absorb pressure, but today Sociedad gave us none. If we had Khedira we would have been more attacking. Lass should be playing on Wednesday when we go against Lyon cuz:
1) He’s French and can understand what the players on the field will be saying to each other and will be able to read the game more)
2) We will be attacked far more in that game and will need to take more pressure and defend better. We are playing away after all.
by Ben Papismedov on Oct 30, 2011 3:51 AM CET up reply actions
Coentrao was open on the left side SO MANY TIMES
I agree with you. I think the problem was in the middle Ozil was not moving ball in the middle at all but i do notice on thing, I think its great as team, Ronaldo and Di Maria tries to help Ozil to move ball as much as they could when Ozil was not seen in the middle they took his place and tries move ball in the middle of the park.
If we had Khedira we would have been more attacking. Lass should be playing on Wednesday when we go against LyonI agree that Khedira would be more attacking option but against Lyon Khedira should play and the reason for that is his last game against Lyon he was everywhere in the park attacking and defending. I do agree Lass is much better in defense then Khedira.
I Noticed it too....Coentrao was Very open and the team Neglected to pass
And one of the Few times he got the Ball he created a Goal….i watched over and over and it makes no sense.watching my team not passing in the Open Spaces disappointed me Alot…For this reason i would think we are not as solid a unit in togetherness as we think….
Every team has bad days.
I think the Sociedad match was just a bad day at the office. Like Sergio Ramos said after that game, We’re not gonna beat everyone 3-0 or 4-0 in the first half every time like we have been recently. No one was great but we got the 3 points and that’s what’s important. Games like these build character. People talk about the mental strength Barca has well they got it by winning close games. This game will keep our team on they’re toes and we won’t get complacent as easy….Though it was a bad game it was an important one.
by MychalShannon1 on Oct 31, 2011 8:05 PM CET up reply actions
GREAT NEWS !!!!
We are officially in top spot in the standings thanks to Levante’s 2-0 loss to Osasuna.
We're number one for this week! Should work harder to maintain
In my opinion Lass and Coentaro were both albatrosses. Let me star with Coentaro I am well aware that he gave a nifty assist that broke Real soceidad tight fit five man defense but he’s too slow and he gave the ball away very easily even Marcelo is faster than him as a left back atleast with Marcelo he and Cristiano have this psychic connection that enable them to maul through defenses but today it was evidently not there. His assist is appreciated but his poor form for the remainder of the match is even more so noted, perhaps I’m being hard on him especially since he just came back from a lengthy stay on the sidelines but still Mou should have known better.
Next mistake Lassana Diarra, the guy is walking on egg shells he loses possession a lot but it’s the nature of how he loses it, because real soceidad started some of their better attacks after retrieving the ball from lass or lass’s nervously gifting them. As a testament the minute kheidra came on the game started flowing better in those tense last moments.
some thoughts on the other players,
Casillas had two key saves and one charge that he had to do because Ramos couldn’t catch up with that real soceidad striker.
Again Higuain’s goal was textbook but he missed atleast two other good chances and failed to create anything for his fellow teammates, it’s in matches like these that Karim Benzema is more useful in opening up defenses.
I agree about Ozil being lost on the pitch but more so his passing was dull, lacked creativity and ineffective. Lately he doesn’t shine for Madrid as much as he does for Germany,. I don’t know Ozil personally but the general vibe I’m getting from the media and his father’s outburst during internationals week is that maybe Ozil is expecting too much of himself or perhaps too much from Madrid because of the highs he had last year and now to be overtaken by Dimaria and Kaka is probably creating a negative atmosphere in his head. I think this is more a mental side effect than physical and as we know mental rehabilitation Is Mou’s forte and he should be giving Ozil those psychotherapy sessions.
Arbeloa should get more credit, I never once felt threatened by opponent attacks that came towards his side, he also forced the opponents to commit nasty fouls on him, he’s strong , tall and bulky, he did his job well (defense)but perhaps not so much on the attack but we all know he can be really deadly when he goes front, soceidad’s five man defense and tight midfield prevented Arbeloa from taking risks.
Well I babbled long enough,.
I think Lass, he shouldn’t be there with the team, I know Mou and others want him to stay but I feel like he doesnt have his heart there in the game like last season. I know he said he never wanted to leave but come on!. Coentrao, he just came back from injury, he made an assist which is great! just little by little he’ll be back 100% just like Pipita.
And Ozil, he’s amazing, I know right now he’s going through some issues you can say but I just know that if you put him with Benzema he’s going to shine! they both will! I know as a football player you need to know how to be in chemistry with anybody from your team but sometimes you have that one person, like when Cristiano is with Marcelo, or when Xabi is with Khedira, thats with Ozil and Benzema. When they are together on the pitch, their magic shows, and I’m not talking about from the 60’ minutes, I mean from the starting point, they will shine. I just wish Mou could do that.
Cristiano is with Marcelo, or when Xabi is with Khedira, thats with Ozil and Benzema. When they are together on the pitch, their magic shows, and I’m not talking about from the 60’
Agreed, I don’t know if Mou has noticed or not but Ozil and Benz have great chemsity and can read each others game and movements quite well. While ozil has been flat this year, he tends to do better when he is partnered with Benz.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
