picture taken after the winning goal by the Argentine Lionel Messi for FC Barcelona in the 54th minute of yesterday’s UEFA Champions League 2011 final Prematch promotional video All The Match Goal Highlights
Archive for May, 2011
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, the financial world is a mess right now and things on the Iberian peninsula ain’t exactly peachy keen. This crisis has a firm grip on Spain where austerity measure are sure to take hold at some point as the country tried to right itself from a financial meltdown. Of course some futbolistas are suffering as well which may lead to some rather questionable decision making. Enter the famous ‘maletines’, otherwise known as briefcases [...]
Two weeks still remain in the Segunda season however our friends right below in the Segunda B and the Tercera have already started their playoff competitions. There is something quite special about these playoffs, especially in the Segunda B because of the difficulty of emerging from a total of 80 teams to claim just one of four spots. Now it can seem a bit complicated so bear with me as we review the current status of the playoffs both in [...]
When the Segunda season of 2003-2004 came to an end, the lowest of the lows reverberated around the Madrid neighborhood of Vallecas. Not only had Rayo Vallecano just completed its first season after getting relegated from the Primera the year before, but the club was destined for a new home: the dreaded Segunda B. By this point, Rayo Vallecano were an afterthought in Spanish futbol. Neighbors Getafe became known as Madrid’s ‘third’ club, even though just four years prior Rayo [...]
So while the big news in Spanish futbol over the weekend was who would be joining the Segunda next year after a drop from the Primera (still can’t believe it’s Depor), the playoff race effectively ended on Sunday with Rayo’s swift butt-kicking of Xerez. The victory earned Rayo promotion to the Primera and also left Xerez with just a sliver of hope at a playoff spot. That’s because Valladolid took care of business at home and defeated Gimnastic 1-0. Again, [...]
After the most congested La Liga season in recent years, the same questions about the competitive nature of the league continue to resurface. Once again Real Madrid and Barcelona are the top two teams in Spain, that’s no surprise to anyone. But the staggering nature of their point’s total and goal difference raises the old fear that Spain’s top flight is just far too uneven. And certainly if you just look at some of the results over the past few [...]
As mentioned in the Coruxo article, I am back in the US but that doesn’t mean my attention has wavered away from my dearly beloved Segunda. In fact, being in Spain for those 10 days only stoked it more, especially after visiting Vallecas on a match day (NOTE: I’ll have a separate Rayo promotion article… once it happens). Anyways, Jornada 40 in the Segunda kicks off tonight and it could be a weekend where all promotion, playoff and permanencia spots [...]
So now that I am finally back stateside I can take a moment and reflect back on my trip to Spain that saw me get to talk with some of Spain’s brightest stars but also visit some of the best of the Segunda and beyond. One unexpected moment that turned out to be memorable was last Saturday in Vigo. After taking a dip in the Atlantic (yes, it was freezing) on one of Vigo’s beautiful beaches, myself, my brother-in-law and [...]
We are live here in Madrid getting ready for the match tonight between Rayo Vallecano and Elche! A victory for Rayo coupled with both Celta and Granada either drawing or losing would send the Vallecanos to the Primera. I was lucky enough to catch up earlier today with Rayo midfielder Juli who said that the players are “nervous and excited for tonight and everyone is expecting an incredible environment at the Estadio Teresa Rivero.” There is already buzz around the [...]
So first and foremost I need to mention that I’ll be hopping on a plane on Sunday and traveling to Spain where I plan to get in plenty of futbol watching. Of note, I’ll be at Thursday’s Rayo Vallecano – Elche game in the press box doing live blogging/Tweeting in what could be the match that sends Rayo to the Primera. For anyone interested in seeing Tweets, just follow me @archbell. Needless to say it should make for a pretty [...]
It was truly the last thing I ever expected but it is what makes futbol such a great game. I am of course talking about Saturday’s epic match between Salamanca and Elche which saw Salamanca come back from a 2-4 deficit in the final 30 minutes to win 5-4 and keep their ‘permanencia’ hopes alive. Neither of these two teams have really shown much of a prowess for piling on alot of goals. Certainly that has been the case more [...]
Welcome back for Part II of Champions League El Clasico with the Madridista Hour. Joining Kevin this round is regular panel guest Mark Ong from far flung Singapore and visiting supporter Mando Garcia from our sister site, ForzaFutbol.com. Give the boyz a listen as Mr. Ong was on the top of his game, this Madridista read the signs. Don’t forget to listen to the out-take after the closing music. All you Cules mare sure to turn back the clock and [...]
