Forza Fútbol Podcast: Issues in La Liga and the Spanish Game
Last Thursday, I was invited by Armando and Elisa from Forza Fútbol to be on the site's podcast, and the discussion centered around several topics: the state of La Liga in terms of overseas marketing, the flourishing cantera youth academies throughout Spain, the controversies with the upcoming La Liga TV contract agreement, the matches from...
La Liga European UEFA Preview and U.S. T.V. Listings: Feb. 15 — Feb. 17
UEFA Champions League The tie of the round begins at the Emirates Stadium (Arsenal Stadium according to UEFA) as Arsenal and FC Barcelona meet in the knockout phase of the Champions League for the second consecutive year. When Arsenal failed to win their group, the Gunners always knew that there would be a chance that...
La Liga Jornada 23 Review: Manolo Preciado and Sporting Gijón Shock Barcelona
There was a time on Saturday night when Lionel Messi actually became frustrated with himself and his teammates. There was a time on Saturday night when Xavi Hernández could not find the killer pass through the hard-working, organized defense. There was a time on Saturday night when Gerard Piqué was absolutely skinned alive by an...
La Liga Jornada 23 Review: Manolo Preciado and Sporting Gijón Shock Barcelona
There was a time on Saturday night when Lionel Messi actually became frustrated with himself and his teammates. There was a time on Saturday night when Xavi Hernández could not find the killer pass through the hard-working, organized defense. There was a time on Saturday night when Gerard Piqué was absolutely skinned alive by an...
La Liga Preview and U.S. T.V. Listings for Jornada 23: Feb. 12 — Feb. 14
Round 23 of 38 might be a little too early to mention relegation six-pointers, but with teams twelfth to twentieth a within a slender five points of each other and the gap widening between these teams and the first eleven of La Liga, a three-point win should not be underestimated as time snowballs downward to...
La Liga Jornada 22 Review: Málaga’s Dour Draw Against Sevilla Signals An Upward Trend for Los Boquerones
Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Abdullah Al Ahmed Al Thani could have done anything with his time, and with all of his responsibilities on his docket, president of a football club would seem to be near the bottom of his list. Born from Qatari royalty, the Sheikh billionaire currently sits on the Board of Directors of...
La Liga Preview and U.S. T.V. Listings for Jornada 22: Feb. 5 — Feb. 6
Two of the most active clubs in the January transfer window meet together this weekend in an Andalucian derby at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán between Sevilla and Málaga. Málaga and new owner Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani scoured the world in January for bright, young talents and seasoned veterans (or washed-up former stars depending on...
Copa del Rey Semifinal Second Leg Preview and U.S. T.V. Listings: Feb. 2
With the league title slipping away from Real Madrid's hands, their two cup competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the Copa del Rey, could be the tournaments that they can realistically expect to win. Real can stamp its name in the final of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night if they can navigate a...
La Liga Jornada 21 Review: Athletic Bilbao Fortifies Sixth Place in La Liga Over Atlético Madrid
The headlines emanating from Bilbao have had little to do with Athletic's white-hot form, as the rumors swirling around Fernando Llorente's future destination have blanketed this historic club. Tottenham Hotspur has been the main culprit of the Llorente saga, originally offering €30 million, but after Athletic rejected the bid, they upped the ante to an...
La Liga Preview and U.S. T.V. Listings for Jornada 21: Jan. 29 — Jan. 31
Espanyol's surprising start has not only stretched to this juncture of the season but has also improved from a club that only garnered points at home to a team that can win the tough matches away from home. Impressively winning at Sevilla and Getafe in their last two games have shown that a top-six finish...
Copa del Rey Semifinal First Leg Preview and U.S. T.V. Listings: Jan. 26
For the past several seasons, Real Madrid treated the Copa del Rey as a nuisance and a burden rather than a competition worth winning. José Mourinho has changed that mentality. One Taça de Portgual with FC Porto, two Carling Cups and an FA Cup with Chelsea, and a Coppa Italia with Inter Milan signals Mourinho's...
La Liga Jornada 20 Review: Real Madrid Struggles Yet Again and Wins Unconvincingly Yet Again
Maybe Florentino Pérez might start to appreciate Gonzalo Higuaín now. The man that Pérez wanted to offload since he returned for his second stint as Real president sits in the stands because he is recovering from surgery that repaired a herniated lumbar disc in his back, and José Mourinho has not developed a successful system...
