LA LIGA & REAL MADRID

[Jeffrey]

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www.soccerproject.com - Is an online football management game. Be one of the more than 10,000 members worldwide. Filipino members still below 20.

[K|D]

Teenage Sensation Walcott set to join Arsenal!!!

[raul julia]

Madrid's on a streak......hopefully they can continue it against Cadiz @ home......

MADRID (AFP) - England captain David Beckham got his first league goal of the season as Real Madrid recovered from the shock of going behind to beat Cadiz 3-1.
Beckham found the net with a thundering free kick from 25 metres after 71 minutes to put Real in front for the first time in the match.
After a scrappy first half, Cadiz's Alexandre Medina made the most of the Real defence's inability to clear the ball when he scored after 55 minutes.
Roberto Carlos then levelled for Real 13 minutes later with a free kick from more than 20 metres before Beckham followed his example from a dead ball situation.
Curiously, all of Real's three goals came from outside the box as Robinho completed Real's comeback eight minutes from time.
The Brazilian international striker celebrates his 22nd birthday on Wednesday but he provided a present for the Real fans with a stunning long-range lob for Real's third goal.

@fingolfin, will there be replay of this match on cable TV?

[fingolfin]

...yes, tomorrow. Tuesday ESPN. 10 a.m.

..i hope this continues. they got to dig deep within themselves. Im more excited on their ECC matchup with Arsenal. I hope Ronaldo will be fit by that time. And Barca vs Chelsea. Two of the hottest teams in football today. yummy.

[raul julia]

Barca's undefeated run on all competition has ended. They lost away to Real Zaragoza 4-2 @ the King's Cup.Return leg will be next wk, with the winner facing Real Madrid who won 2-0 on aggregate over Real Betis

[fingolfin]

.. yaay. we'll be seeing a yummy semi-finals afterall. Too bad none of our sports channel cover the Kings Cup. Oh well, lets just read the reports and the detailed in game analysis.

[raul julia]

After several weeks waiting to recover the long list of injured players, Juan Ramón López Caro has finally been able to train with a semi-full squad. The only absentees were Raúl, Diego López, and Miñambres, because Ronaldo, Pablo GarcÃ*a, Salgado, and Guti trained normally in a 90-minute session to prepare for the 9 pm Sunday match against Celta at the BalaÃ*dos stadium.

[raul julia]

MADRID (AFP) - Sweden forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic heads a list of young stars targeted by Spanish giants Real Madrid to join its band of Galacticos, according to sports daily newspaper AS.
Madrid are keen to revive its aging ranks with some young blood and the 24-year-old Juventus striker is one of six players being trailed by the nine-time European champions.
Also coveted are Arsenal's 25 year-old left-back Ashley Cole, a long-term target, Liverpool's Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso, 24, Schalke's Denmark midfielder Christian Poulsen, 25, Cologne's German forward Lukas Podolski, 20 and 19-year-old Osasuna midfielder Raul Garcia.
After winning three UEFA Champions League titles in five years between 1998 and 2002 and last lifting the Spanish title in 2003, Madrid have been playing second fiddle to Valencia and bitter rivals Barcelona domestically, while also flattering to deceive in Europe.
Aging players such as Spain defender Fernando Hierro and Portugal winger Luis Figo have already been shown the door in the last two close-seasons and now Madrid are keen to reduce the average age of their first team squad.
"Plan 2006: Ibrahimovic and five young guns," read the AS headline on Tuesday before predicting that the Swede will play as a second striker off Ronaldo in the new-look Galactico stikeforce next season.
AS claims Ibrahimovic will set Real back 40-45 million euros although it seems unlikely that the club, which was once more than 300 million euros in debt, can finance such a large spending spree on six players, each likely to cost a minimum of 10 million euros.
The newspaper goes on to claim that Poulsen will replace fellow Dane Thomas Gravesen in midfield with the former Everton man leaving in June.
Cole is slated to take the place of Brazilian full-back Roberto Carlos who has found himself the target of abuse among sections of home fans in the last two campaigns.
AS dispelled concerns that Real would suffer from bringing in so many young recruits, stating: "The players are all under 26 but loaded with experience."
Madrid have been prolifically signing young talent in the last year, bringing in highly rated Brazil forwards Robinho and Julio Baptista as well as Italian starlet Antonio Cassano from Roma.

[fingolfin]

..what?? not again, not another striker. Ronaldo and Raul are the foundations of Madrid's strikeforce. With Robinho and Cassano as likely heirs. Now they're gonna get Ibrahimovic, for what?? Reserve? For sure he'll be the next "Owen". Their midfield is in jeopardy though, Zidane is really old and Becks is slowly showing his age. Xavi Alonso will be a good installment. But their biggest problem is to who will replace Salgado and Carlos, these two are arguebly the best wing backs in the world- coz they attack. Both have speed and agility. Cole for Carlos and whatabout Salgado's position?

I hope Caro, with his humble beginnings can get the best of these young players.

[raul julia]

MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid crushed Espanyol 4-0 to move into second spot in the Spanish championship as Brazilian World Cup star Ronaldo marked his return from injury with a goal.

Skipper Guti and French star Zinedine Zidane, with two goals, were also on the scoresheet as Real cut the gap on runaway leaders Barcelona to 10 points although the defending champions can restore their lead when they take on Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Real even received a standing ovation at half-time at the Santiago-Bernabeu when they opened up a 3-0 lead.
The win also kept up their unbeaten record in 2006 and represented their fourth consecutive win of the championship.
Real were also solid at the back where Alvaro Mejia and Jonathan Woodgate formed a formidable partnership.
"This was a very important victory," said Real coach Juan Ramon Lopez.
"We are working well and we must continue improving."
David Beckham set up the first goal with the cross that found Guti to open the score in the 14th minute.
Zidane made it 2-0 with a right foot shot two minutes before the break before Ronaldo, back in the team after a month on the sidelines, headed in the third in injury time.
It was the Brazilian's 10th league goal of the season.
Zidane wrapped up the points in the 51st minute to register his sixth goal of the campaign.