Salute the new champion

Courtesy: MARCA.com

The entire word of soccer stopped last Saturday to witness what promised to the match of the year.

Barcelona and Real Madrid didn’t disappoint. As expected, the game was  be very close. Real Madrid defended most of the match but stuck first at minute 17′, when midfielder Kedira scored the first goal.

Barcelona’s reaction came in the second half when forward Alexis tied the scored 1-1.

However, CR7 shut down Barcelona’s hopes of earning the three points. At minute 73′ the Portuguese forward scored to practically win their 32 Liga championship.

Real Madrid puts a stop to Barcelona’s dominance. Since season 2007-2008 barcelona’s dominance over the Spanish soccer had been absolute. Barcelona’s coach, Guardiola,  won three consecutive league  championships and aspired to win the fourth one.

However, playing each game as if it were the last one was not enough of the Catalan team, who currently stands 7 points behind the leader and most likely to be champion, Real Madrid.

Barcelona can’t cry for too long.  They have to analyze what they did wrong and prepare for the crucial game against the English team Chelsea, which will determine one of the finalist of the Champions League.

Real Madrid will face Bayern Munich Wednesday to determine the other finalist.

The table is set for El Clasico

Courtesy: zapegato.blogspot.com

The engines are running. The most anticipated game of La Liga is almost here.

Barcelona will face Real Madrid  at Camp Nou, next Saturday.

Neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid got the results they expected in the first leg of the semifinals of the Champions League. They both lost against Chelsea and Bayern Munich, respectively.

Real Madrid lost a 20-unbeaten game record when they lost to the German team, Bayern Munich, Tuesday. Their last loss had been last January 18 against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey.

Despite playing better than the English team, Chelsea, Barcelona couldn’t score and ended up losing 1-0. Barcelona didn’t had the luck to score a goal like Real Madrid did.

However, there is no time for sorrows.

Both teams have pick themselves up and prepare for the most anticipated game of the year. The spotlights throughout the world will be focused on the clasico between one of the oldest rivalries in soccer.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are not just fighting for honor. They are fighting for three points. If Barcelona wins, they will stand only one point away from the leader, Real Madrid who is currently four points ahead.

The outcome of the game will be a decisive for the conclusion of La Liga. For Barcelona, the equation is simple:  they must-win if you want any hopes of being champions.

The table is set.

Barcelona vs. Real Madrid.  Get ready to enjoy what promises to the game of the year.

Villa: Tuilla’s Prodigy

Courtesy: David Villa's Facebook

I was struggling to find a topic to write about for this week’s analysis section. I logged-in to Facebook and saw a post from Spanish soccer player David Villa (who currently is signed by Barcelona) that read “We are preparing something great.”

I asked myself: “preparing something great? Isn’t Villa injured?” Later I found out that Villa is partnering with McDonald’s for a children’s campaign.

But it made me wonder how Villa’s life was been since the injury where he broke his left tibia, last December playing against Al-Sabb.

I cannot imagine five months of inactivity for the thirty year old who has won it all, who was the world champion in the 2010 World Cup. I just couldn’t.

David Villa better known as the “Guaje” or the “kid” in Asturian, was born and raised in the small mining town of Tuilla in Asturias, Spain.

Villa began to play soccer when he was 9 years old. The forward recalls “I would often forget the books, but not the soccer ball, not the soccer ball.”  Later, he would leave his native Tuilla to live in Gijon, Spain, where a phenomenon was born.

Villa was unstoppable. He scored goals in every match, and so, the bigger and more powerful teams began to notice him. He was signed by Valencia in 2005, where he played for 5 years.

Finally, in 2010 and $50M dollars later, Villa began to play in a soccer club of his level, Barcelona.

But perhaps Villa’s biggest accomplishments had come with the Spanish National team. In six years, Villa has become the top scorer in Spain’s history.

Teammate Xavi Hernandez describes him as “as very smart player.” “To me, being a smart player is having the ability to adapt to any situation, and Villa has everything.”

Despite having accomplished everything there is to accomplish in soccer, humbleness is what characterizes Villa.

Courtesy: funscup.com

El Guaje can easily vacation to exotic beaches all over the world. Instead, he spends his free time in his native Tuilla.

When asked why he always returned to Tuilla, Villa answered: “Because I love to be there. I’m happy there. Because the people treat me like a normal person, like the boy who lived there a few years ago.”

Suddenly, it became apparent what David Villa might be doing during his recovery. He must be enjoying his native hometown.

David Villa’s song: