Real Intrigues

As you could have expected the significance of Real Madrid's embarassing 4-1 Copa del Rey loss went well beyond the final whistle. Not long after it was revealed, or rumored (depending on who you believe), that Guti and Pellegrini really got into it. Guti ripped into his teammates in the locker room, which is totally legitimate, and supposedly the manager stepped in and asked everyone to keep their heads and just go out and do their business in the second half. Guti may or may not have been okay with this but he was absolutely not okay when Pellegrini added that Guti would be on the bench in favor of Fernando Gago when the game resumed. Then some say that he told his manager to stick it up... well you know.

If there was any hope of it blowing over and being seen as a passing heat of the moment thing the squad list for this weekend's match squashed it. Shortly after telling the press he would be surprised to be left out of the squad for the derby with Getafe, claiming he was perfectly fit, Guti received the news that he was indeed not included in Real's plans for the weekend. The manager's explanation ran contrary to the player's comments when he blamed an injury, not a personal spat or punishment, was the reason for his exclusion.

This is an intereseting situation. Guti is not the biggest star at the club, by far, but he does have a special place in the Real Madrid universe. He has been there over a decade and is a club legend. When it comes to fan adoration he is behind only Casillas and Raul at the moment (in my opinion as an outsider). Pellegrini is a new coach on a run of bad form, but if he is to succeed, and there is every reason to think the club believes so (or they would have sacked him already) he can not lose a power struggle with any player, even Guti. So there are a million ways to think about this. Maybe Guti knew he wouldn't be included and made his comments to undercut his manager. Maybe he really thought he would be playing. Maybe he didn't want to be seen as disowning the mess the club is in and wanted the fans to believe he was 100 percent committed, come what may. And the options are many on the other side as well.

This has the potential to really drag on and hurt the club. Given the dismal run of form, the difficult schedule ahead, and the elite level of their competitors the Guti-Pellegrini conflict could go beyond a player and manager not seeing eye to eye. We all know who is more likely to exit the club. Then again a win over Getafe and a result in Milan in midweek and the headlines will be Madrid Regain Form, Ronaldo Coming Soon. It will be a pivotal few days in Spanish football.

Madrid Fall Again

In all honesty I had to check a second website to make sure this wasn't a gag. Real Madrid lost the first leg of their Copa del Rey series to Alcorcon 4-0! This is unbelievable by itself, but take into consideration that a) they went out shamefully last year as well and b) the side Madrid put on the field included Arbeloa, Albiol, Gago, Granero, Raul and Benzema and this has to be in the top 5 most embarrassing Madrid losses of all time.

Since they only managed a meager draw away at Gijon last weekend and got popped at the Bernabeu by AC Milan during the week, naturally calls for Pellegrini's resignation are coming down. It is only natural that someone has to pay the price here, and it may be him. But really who is out there? Does anyone really think what is wrong here is the manager? They finished second in one of the elite leagues in the world then added Karim Benzema, The Greasy One, Kaka, Xabi Alonso, and put two Spanish internationals in their backline.

I still really can't get my head around this. They may be able to turn it around in the second leg, but this is a stain that won't come out in the wash. And like I mentioned before, the margin for error in the league is minuscule. Not only are they chasing the Barcelona machine but a very good Sevilla team is only 3 points back. On current form Sevilla are clearly better than Madrid, and they are in the enviable position of having a perfect record in Europe so far. With their passage to the knockout rounds secure they can prioritize their league matches until the new year. On the other hand Madrid may have a real fight on their hands in a group where they still have to go away to Marseille and Milan. I think Real Madrid will go through but things are very sticky right now at the Bernabeu.

The Shape of Spain

It is impossible to say for sure but I have a feeling when the winner of the Spanish league is crowned in the spring we will look back on this weekend as a pivotal moment. The top two teams (and to be honest it is a two horse race) had critical games. They both suffered disappointing and maybe embarrassing Champs League losses at home during the week, both were coming off deflating league performances from the previous week, both were trying to shake off the lingering effects of the "virus FIFA" from the international break, and both were up against teams near the bottom of the table.

One showed up and the other didn't. Real Madrid flopped on their visit to Sporting Gijon and got a meager nil draw. It is true they were without certain players like Gonzalo Higuain but the most expensive roster in the history of professional sports should be able to put at least one goal past the just-happy-to-be-here crew from Gijon. On the other hand Barcelona bounced back from two underwhelming results and absolutely plastered Real Zaragoza 6-1 in the Nou Camp. The Zaragoza goal was the product of yet another mental lapse in the Barca defense which has been all too common this season but aside from that it was really a masterful performance. As it stands now Barcelona have only a 3 point lead on Madrid but considering how good they are Real Madrid may not be able to afford falling back any further.

2 Quick Things

Franck Ribery out for a month. Bad for Bayern because he will miss the CL match with Bordeaux after they lost in France. It could come away being the match that decides BM's Champs League fate. Equally as bad for France because it puts him out of the squad for the two-leg play-off with Ireland for a trip to South Africa. Even before this injury I thought it would be a surprisingly competitive match-up. Even more so now.

And there is news that Wolfsburg have had a "talking to" Brazilian striker and last year's German golden boot Grafite. He hasn't scored in what seems like ages, is lacking focus, and was sent off for a capricious and needless elbow. Raise your hand if you are surprised. Grafite had a hot streak last year but throughout his career he has been a total flake. Now it is just a matter of waiting for the inevitable pictures of him in nightclubs and allegations of a drinking problem followed by the mandatory loan stint back to a Brazilian club so he can "find himself". Yawn.

Upset Tuesday

I am shocked. I don't think there has been a single day with this many upsets in the Champs League group stage in years. I am not going to say ever, because that is not the kind of thing I do, but off hand none that can top this come to mind. Two outright upsets: Rubin Kazan win 2-1 at the Nou Camp and Lyon knock off Liverpool at Anfield by the same score. Rangers getting stomped 4-1 at Ibrox by a Romanian team alien to most of Europe until recently is surprising, but the more objective and honest you are about Rangers the less shocking it is. They are not an elite European side. Dinamo Kyiv's 2-2 draw at San Siro counts as an upset in nearly every way.

I am only marginally surprised Arsenal were held 1-1 on their visit to AZ Alkmaar. I thought Sevilla would win away to Stuttgart but maybe not by 2 goals, and reading reports of the match it sounds like they really put the screws to Stutt. I know they lost at the weekend with most of their starters on the field but right now Sevilla deserve to be in the conversation for best team in Europe (on current form not favorite to win XYZ, best line-up, etc.).

As always happens in situations like these people are going to be crying about the "FIFA virus" and blame it for the big boys losing games they should walk through. When you consider injuries to guys like Fernando Torres and travel from international duty on other continents it might seem reasonable, but this is the Champions League, nearly every team is loaded with internationals.

As an Inter fan I am legitimately worried about qualifying for the knock out stages. Inter sit bottom of the group with a meager 3 points, although they are the only undefeated team ;) and the other three are only a point ahead. Still, the road ahead is difficult. Away in Kyiv and Barcelona with a home game against R. Kazan sandwiched in between. It seems very likely that Inter will be traveling to the Nou Camp needing a result to go through on the last day of the group stage.

Almost Set

So spots in South Africa next summer are almost all full. There are 8 left. 2 in Africa that I have no idea/opinion about. New Zealand-Bahrain already played their first leg and I can't really say who is a better team. I believe Uruguay will beat Costa Rica with relative ease over two legs next month. And today UEFA released the match ups for the remaining 4 European spots at the World Cup. Russia has to be a heavy favorite over Slovenia. Portugal take on Bosnia (wink, wink) and would have to beat themselves to not qualify. Greece and Ukraine may be competitive but I admit to know little about either national team. France should cruise past Ireland but for some reason I think this one will be very tight and an upset is possible.

I love the World Cup and now that Argentina have their spot secure I am relaxed and looking forward to South Africa. The play-offs next month and the group drawing shortly thereafter... here we go.

It All Comes Down to This

Saturday was an emotional roller coaster for Pitch Itchy. On line at Nevada Smith's getting more and more nervous as kick-off time of the Argentina-Peru match approached and we only advanced a few feet in an hour, I was pretty sure it was going to end poorly. Then a friend of a friend got a bar in Brooklyn to pay per view the game and there was a mad scramble over the W-burg bridge and into Green Point. Got there just in time for kick off. Awesome stuff.

The game itself was extremely trying as well. Argentina dominated possession, run of play, opportunities, etc but it was scoreless into the break. After Higuain's goal they took their foot of the gas and just when it looked like they were going to get away with Peru got the equalizer. I was still descending to progressively darker levels of depression when out of nowhere Martin Palermo (!?) slotted the game-winner home. Then the night got really weird/good/bad/memorable. Maybe when you are older we can have a talk about it.

Anyway with Uruguay's victory in Quito this Wednesday's edition of the Battle of the River Plate takes on monumental importance. Because people are miserable and it is the nature of South America (in soccer yes but you can say that about many aspects of life) the conspiracy theorists are busy suggesting there is an agreement between Argentina and Uruguay. This is ridiculous for a bunch of reasons. The easiest way to dispel this myth is by stating the obvious: a draw does not change either team's fate, it all depends on the outcome of Ecuador-Chile which will play at the same time. Argentina have 25 points, Uruguay sit at 24, and Ecuador are right behind them with 23. A draw would leave Uruguay at the mercy of Chile. Are they really going to sign for a draw and hope a team that has already qualified and has nothing to play for goes out and beats an Ecuadoran side fighting for its life? Probably not. Uruguay and Argentina both hold the tiebreaker over Ecuador so if Argentina wins and there is a draw in Santiago, Urguay still go through to the play-off. If there is a draw in Montevideo and Ecuador win, Argentina goes straight to South Africa and Ecuador gets the 4th place team from Concacaf. There are just too many unkowns for these teams to agree a draw.

I thought Argentina's line-up was right for the match on Saturday, although not perfect. So it was not too much of a bummer to learn it will be significantly tweaked for Wednesday. Diego Maradona has had a well chronicled series of debacles as the national team manager and his team selection has left a lot to be desired but right now it looks like he has finally gotten it right. The preliminary line-up appears to be:

Higuain Messi

Lucho Gonzalez Veron Mascherano Jonas

Heinze Schiavi Otamendi Pareja

Romero

This is a more defensive formation than what was really a 3-5-2 against Peru, and for good reason. Uruguay know the only way to ensure they live to see another day is to attack, and they will be willing to do so at home. It is prudent to shore up the side in the back and be patient. Peru allowed Argentina 2/3 of the field essentially free and the formation on Saturday was able to exploit that, but it will be much different in the final match. This line-up is better suited to win balls and battles in the middle of the park. Although I really liked Aimar's performance in Buenos Aires and admit he is a better playmaker than Veron at this point in their careers, Veron's physical attributes and ability to win tackles makes him a better option. A similar argument can be made for the inclusion of Lucho Gonzalez in place of Di Maria (who in my opinion was exceptional against Peru). Lucho is underrated in his ability to do the dirty work sometimes required to win. He is a phenomenal playmaking midfielder but can do the grunt work when asked, and in a clasico against Uruguay that is indispensable. The two guys up front are capable of making the difference in a one-on-one situation and also have the speed to make the counter-strike a realistic threat. All in all I like the line-up as it is taking shape. This will be a classic.

Argentina Squad Takes Shape for Saturday

It feels like an eternity has passed since the Argentine national team limped out of Asuncion a 1-0 loser last month. Now only 3 days remain until the must-win match against Peru in Buenos Aires. There is mountains of speculation around any international match Argentina plays and it has been even more hectic this time. Today Maradona put together what will likely be the starting 11 for a scrimmage.

Romero

E. Insua Heinze Schiavi Jonas G.

Mascherano Enzo Perez Aimar Di Maria

Messi Higuain

This line up isn't terrible but it is concerning in some areas. Gabriel Heinze has been willing to leave his natural leftback position when asked throughout his career. Unfortunately that has usually resulted in disaster for his team at both club and international level. Against Paraguay he looked out of his element in the middle of the defense, although he did make a superhuman effort to stop a late insurance goal on a Paraguayan counterattack. Next to him will be Rolando Schiavi, closer to 40 than 30, making his second (2nd) appearance for the national team. This duo doesn't fill me with confidence, especially considering center-halfs like Nico Parejo and Martin Demichelis are in the squad. But at the end of the day if Argentina can't get the job done against Peru at home, the deciding factor will probably not be the central defense.

As far as Jonas playing rightback, I think that is a very flexible rightback, kind of like Dani Alves at Barcelona.

I like Aimar as the 10 and Angel Di Maria is a player I have been very high on going back to his days at Rosario Central. Having him attack wide with the possibility of seeing Jonas bomb forward on the opposite side of the field with the two strikers between them I think is a better approach than a line of 3 forwards like Argentina have used in recent qualifiers.

And as for the strikers, the position that has been the biggest source of contention with this team. Higuain as the 9 and Messi doing what he does alongside him. I like this pairing because they complement each other and because pound for pound I think they are best two available players for those positions.

This is a pretty good place to start from. If Peru clam up and park the bus as most expect them to, the Aimar-Messi partnership might be effective in making quick and short passes with other players making runs alongside them. If at first Peru come out to play, Argentina will have the players to stretch the field with. I can not overstate the importance of having a true 9 out there that adds an air dimension to the attack.