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Hello there Madridistas.
It has been a difficult couple of days hasn't it? The 2-1 loss to Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey was disheartening to say the least. And although I've been a bit detached from football over the last few days, the overall attitude of Madridistas at the moment seems to be disappointed and hurt. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's completely okay to be sick and tired of losing to Barcelona all the time, because God knows I am too. Watching your favorite team lose to their arch rivals is never easy, and sometimes it is easy to lose faith. So if you're reading this, props to you for sticking with your team through these difficult times, and when Real Madrid finally manages to best Barcelona, you will be able to cheer the hardest and the loudest.
When Real Madrid head to Camp Nou on Wednesday for the second leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinal, the Catalans will have two away goals plus a home stadium advantage. This doesn't look too good for Los Blancos so it is easy for us fans to be discouraged.
So in light of a disappointing result or what may soon become disappointing results, I'm here to brighten the mood a bit and try to put a positive spin on losing.
Thomas Edison once said, "I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Do you see what I'm trying to get at? Before and after every single Clasico, you can bet that Mourinho is sitting down stroking his chin and watching replays of past matches, thinking of tactics that could be employed. And every single time Madrid lose, he crosses out the failed options and moves on to the next.
Currently, Barcelona are arguably the hardest team to beat. With their possession football stifling the opposing team's style of play, the creative Catalans make weaving past professional footballers looks like child's play.
However, one of their only weaknesses is that they are increasingly predictable. The Catalans don't truly have a Plan B--despite what Barcelona fans might say. Possession is their offensive and defensive tactic, and they employ it against every single team. What Mourinho is trying to do is find the key to unlocking--and thus beating--this tactic. And no matter how long it takes, the moment it is discovered, beating Barcelona will become much easier. And what better place to experiment with different tactics than in a smaller competition like the Copa del Rey?
So when Real Madrid take the field in Barcelona this Wednesday, try to look at it with a different perspective. Whatever happens, look at it not as though our team failed, but rather that our team succeeded in finding another way that didn't work, which logically takes us a step closer to actually finding the answer. And although this may be of little comfort, it is better than nothing. HALA MADRID!