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發表於 2005-8-30 19:23:07
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Let the show begin
Phil Ball
Bit of a tease I'd say. After enduring three weeks of the Premiership, Anglo-American coffee and turning to cricket for inspiration during a shortish English summer, the long-awaited return to La Liga action was a bit of a damp squib itself, to be followed by two weeks of no further action. A bit like being stranded on a desert island, waving in the saviour ship, only to find that the crew itself is starving.
Anyway, to extend the metaphor a wee bit further, things will almost certainly get better once the fully-laden ship comes in. And there were some small but significant indicators at the weekend as to how this season might shape up.
Lots of folks thought that Real Madrid might come an early-season cropper at Cádiz, last seen in the top flight back in 1993. Cádiz, one of those especially resonant Spanish twisting-alley maritime cities with an equally resonant football team, fanatically supported by some of the country's wittiest and noisiest urban dwellers, have the TV pundit Michael Robinson on board as 'Sporting Adviser'- whatever that means - and the veteran manager Victor Espárrago, the forgotten man who nineteen years ago took the club to its highest ever top-flight finish (12th) and who presided over their promotion last season.
They'll bring some extra colour to the scene this season, but everything about them, save the signing of the 17 year-old Paraguayan Acuña, seems to be rather veteran. Their star man Oli, a short stubby attacker who sounds like the sort of thing you put on artichokes, has been around for ever, and the useful loanee from Betis, Benjamin, is hardly a youth at his boxing weight of 30 years.
Nevertheless, the rowdy Ramón de Carranza is hardly the sort of place you'd want to visit to kick off your season, especially with the hosts celebrating their return to the elite.
The squad at Real Madrid were definitely nervous about the fixture, and the pre-match press mutterings suggested that they'd be happy to take home a point. The fact that they took home three, despite a blustery keen performance by the newcomers, suggests that Barça might not have it all their own way this year. Well - that may be a rashly premature conclusion, but let's be rash. Nothing ventured nothing lost.
Cádiz is also a place that has loomed large in Real Madrid's history. In February 1984 Cádiz were 2-0 against them up at half-time, and the cold wind blowing in from the Straits suggested that things might not get better. Di Stéfano, then the manager, told the legendary Santillana to get dressed and in the same breath indicated to the cherubic young sub, Emilio Butragueño, that he was about to make his senior debut. In subsequently scoring two and making the other in the eventual 3-2 win, a king died but another was born.
Twenty-one years later, the Brazilian Robinho, born exactly a month before Butragueño made his famous debut, came on in the 2nd half at the same ground and turned the game - not quite so spectacularly perhaps, but in a manner that suggests that Madrid may have recovered that magic element this season - 'alegria' (bouncy happiness). This is a crucial word in Spanish football, and certainly one that was applicable long ago to Cádiz, whose greatest ever player, 'Mágico Gónzales' used to serve up in large dollops, when he wasn't missing a match for oversleeping.
'Alegría' is also the stuff that Ronaldinho has returned to the Camp Nou, after several seasons of angst and agony. To be bouncy and happy, you have to be able to do lots of step-overs, sit defenders on their butts, smile gormlessly and preferably be Brazilian. All these qualities were on Robinho's CV, and on the evidence of Sunday's game, he looks like he can do all the things indicated. Owen who?
Up in Vitoria, the champs were also subjected to an opener at the ground of a newly-promoted side, this time Alavés. The Basque side have not been absent from the highest ranks for so long as Cádiz, but they do not possess such a rowdy following. Not too many twisting alleyways in the rather chic Vitoria either, but Barça failed to find the place to their taste, incapable as they were of getting the ball past their erstwhile keeper, the Argentine Bonano. Hell hath no fury like a 'keeper scorned, and the chap kept the Catalan hordes at bay for the full ninety minutes.
Several analysts reckon that Rijkaard is confusing last season's main man, Sam Eto'o, by playing him out wide on the left, pushing Ronaldinho too far forward and isolating him from Xavi. Maybe so. But as Mark Twain himself might have commented, the reports of Barça's death are both premature and exaggerated. But it will keep the hacks talking for the next two weeks, with a brief break when the national side host Serbia on September 7th.
Did anybody else look the part? Not really. Valencia and Betis, who in theory should be up amongst the top six this season, slugged out a fairly entertaining encounter in the Mestalla, finally decided by the ever-promising whippet Pablo Aimar. At his best, the Argentine has few peers, but he remains an injury risk every time his fragile body gets near the ball.
The excellent Vicente is back, of course, and even Kluivert (who was sub) might just surprise himself and most onlookers by remembering how to play football, but the most likely route to getting back to their successful selves lies in the recuperation of Albelda and Baraja, two players whose previous solidity and consistency formed the spine of the team's tough-to-beat reputation.
Atlético Madrid were highly fancied to improve last season, but they didn't. This time around they've made a couple of interestingly high-profile signings in Petrov and Kezman, but the mix was as soggy as ever on Sunday, culminating in a 0-0 home draw against the mighty Zaragoza. The jury is still out, to conclude.
Two of last season's surprise packages, Espanyol and Villarreal, both got off to losing starts, although the former, taken apart at home by a zippy-looking Getafe side looked more ragged than Villarreal, beaten undeservedly up in Pamplona after dominating the game. Golden Boot and golden-haired Diego Forlan carried on where he left off last season, and as long as the Champions League doesn't prove too much of a distraction, expect them to do well this season too.
The Basque 'derbi' between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad, which has now taken place on the opening day of the season for three years in the last five, ended in a 3-0 win for the former, mirroring the previous campaign's result. Nothing new for Sociedad then, who are getting used to kick-starting their seasons by staring up from the bottom at the rest. Nothing much in their performance suggested that things will get better either, and they are expected to struggle.
Deportivo, who surprised Mallorca and themselves by beating them 0-1 on the island, will surely miss Luque this season. They have a new manager (Caparrós) - another person who sounds like he belongs in a salad - but not much else.
Now that Irureta has gone, Diego Tristán will have no-one left to argue with, and the only hope on the horizon lies in the re-birth of Bible-basher Valerón, on his day the country's finest midfielder, but a man so seriously Christian that he turns the other cheek rather too often. Lovely bloke, but being nice has never won teams many trophies in Spain.
Whatever, it's good to be back. The sun was shining today, the coffee tasted good and the excellent El Día Después (The Day After) was back on the telly, in the coveted 8 0'clock slot. Familiar and comforting routines. Let the show begin.
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IP卡
狗仔卡
發表於 2005-8-30 16:41:53
顯身å¡
發表於 2005-8-30 19:53:57
沙巴利達正選
