REAL MADRID 3 - LIVERPOOL FC 1 | UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Spanish Football Club REAL MADRID CF defeated 3 - 1 LIVERPOOL FC in the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2018 Final in Kiev tonight. Real Madrid continues to make history with their 13th European Cup Title & their third consecutive Champions League, something never done before by a Club under the version of Champions League.

The final had some crucial moments we will discuss later, & an unexpected protagonist in Welshman & Real Madrid forward GARETH BALE. The player was left out of the initial line-up & was visibly affected by the decision of his Coach Zidane. However, Zidane substituted Isco for Bale in the 60th min & the Welshman turned the match around to give Real Madrid the edge & the eventual victory. Plus he was awarded MVP for only 30 minutes of play!

The second goal of Real Madrid in the 64th min by BALE was a spectacular overhead goal that blew the room off the stadium. His goal is currently exploding online & on TV around the World as it was brilliant. Gareth Bale then repeated putting his team further ahead & in the 83rd min he took the initiative to attempt a long range shoot which saw how Liverpool goalkeeper KARIUS fumbled & allowed the ball into the net. A terrible mistake that will haunt Karius for a long time, but an important 3rd goal that shut the door for Liverpool & secured the victory for Real Madrid

Earlier in the 51st min Karius again made another dreadful mistake to allow BENZEMA to tap in the first Real Madrid goal when the Liverpool goalkeeper was passing the ball to his team-mate defender. Benzema reacted quickly and managed to stick his foot between the goalie pass & score the goal. 

The Liverpool FC goalkeeper Karius has a nightmare game, but the unfortunate other incident was the injury to star Liverpool FC SALAH in the 25th min. A disputed ball with Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos saw both players locked & in the fall Salah dislocated his arm. The Liverpool forward could not continue & this broke the whole Liverpool game plan which up to this point had Real Madrid struggling & on the back foot. Liverpool lost their main reference upfront & never found again the groove allowing Real Madrid to regroup & regain control of their Football.

However, Liverpool bravely continued to pressure & was rewarded with their only goal in the 55th min when MANE equalized after the Benzema opener. Mané later hit the post & Liverpool FC created some good opportunities, but Real Madrid also grew stronger in the later part & also hit the bar (Isco) & had many goal opportunities. 

A deserved victory by Real Madrid & an excellent & brave performance from Liverpool FC who showed their spirit. 

To end, the celebrations brought a "Bomb Announcement" when CRISTIANO RONALDO was interviewed. Questioned about his future, the Portuguese 5 time Champions League winner answered that shortly he will announce his future & the it WAS wonderful to have PLAYED with Real Madrid. The past tense response has oponed up all types of speculations that has Media interpreting this as a possible "Goodbye". No doubt we will be hearing more in coming weeks.

To end, the other big winner is SPANISH FOOTBALL with Spanish Team Atletico de Madrid EUROPE LEAGUE Champions & Real Madrid Champions League winners.

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EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL | ATLETICO DE MADRID CHAMPIONS

Spanish Football Club ATLETICO DE MADRID has defeated OLYMPIQUE DU MARSEILLE 0 - 3 in the Final of the EUROPA LEAGUE Cup ( previous UEFA Cup). It is Atletico de Madrid 3rd Europa League Title & their 6th European Title overall.

The "Man of the Match" & protagonist was ANTOINE GRIEZMANN who scored two goals to secure things & put his Club in the correct direction. As most World Class players do, his interventions were precisely in the crucial moments of the game. Simply outstanding.

The French Club started strong & was pushing forward the first 20 mins, but in the 21st min GRIEZMANN pounced on a defensive mistake to score the opening goal that poured cold water over O. Marseille. Then soon after another blow for Olympique when they lost their star player PAYET to injury. According to legend it is bad luck to touch the Cup before the game & Payet touched the Cup! 

The second half was managed perfectly by Atletico de Madrid with Griezmann scoring the second goal in the 50th min. From here onwards it was "Football management" of the pace of the game & tactically solid in defence. This last art of Football is mastered by Atletico & they kept out the few occasions that Olympique did manage to create. 

The "final nail" came in the 89th min when Atletico Captain GABI scored the third goal to seal the title. Coach Simeone ordered that Griezmann be substituted to allow FERNANDO TORRES to get onto the pitch & participate. This way the Atletico legend says GOODBYE to his Club in the best manner possible.

Later as a gesture, Captain Gabi allowed Fernando Torres to lift the Cup for the celebration. 

Congratulations Atletico de Madrid!

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SPANISH CUP FINAL | SEVILLA FC 0 FC BARCELONA 5

FC BARCELONA has defeated SEVILLA FC 0 - 5 in tonight's SPANISH CUP FINAL played in the Spanish Capital Madrid. Its the 4th straight Spanish Cup title for Barça & their 30th in total. It was also a special night for ANDRES INIESTA who will leave Spanish Football & FC Barcelona at the end of the season for presumably Chinese Football with a mega offer. Not only did the Barça Captain put in a magnificent performance but also scored a marvellous goal to finish off a perfect night.

The match was one sided most of the night with Barcelona clearly dominating in all areas. The Catalan Club had virtually shut the Final by the end of the 1º st half when they were already up 0 - 3. Sevilla FC just did not find their Football or the groove & went from Ok to less as Barça scored their goals. Difficult night for Sevilla & their many accompanying fans.

Here are all the goalscorers:

• Luis Suarez 13th min
• Messi 31st min
• Luis Suarez 40st min
• Andres Iniesta 
• Coutinho penalty 69th min

Outstanding performances from Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta , Messi & Coutinho, as with the rest of the Barça outfit.

As for Sevilla FC they were outplayed, & basically taken out of the game.

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REAL MADRID - JUVENTUS | POSSIBLE STARTING 11 TEAMS | CHAMPIONS FINAL

The European Football season ends this season with the UEFA Champions League Final in Cardiff (Wales) between JUVENTUS - REAL MADRID CF. The Italians want to break their streak of being "runners-up" (up to 6 times) & give their glorious keeper Buffon a chance at the Golden Ball. While Real Madrid wants to add a 12th European Cup & make history being the only team to win back to back titles.  

Two teams evenly balanced with Juventus very solid defensively - only 3 goals scored against them in this competition - while Real Madrid has its strength upfront with goal fire power. 

One of the talking points in Sports media & Football fans is the possible start 11 team for Juventus & Real Madrid. Above is a diagram of the speculated starting 11 players. Initially it looks fairly obvious. The debate is more with Real Madrid on whether Coach Zidane will start with Isco or Bale. Everything indicates Isco will start & Bale will come on in the last 20 minutes to at freshness & speed to break up the more tired Juve defence.

Said this it is all speculation at this point & we could find surprises at kick-off. Either way top match coming up tonight & game not to be missed.
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SPANISH CUP FINAL | FC BARCELONA 3 - ALAVES 1

The last official title of the season in Spanish Football with FC BARCELONA winning ALAVES 3 - 1 in the Final of the Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey, their 3rd consecutive. Barça deservedly won with a much better performance where the quality was far superior to their ambitious opponents. It was the last match for Barça Coach Luis Enrique who leaves with a Title & with a winning note.

Although the match had intense moments with a very brave & motivated Alaves putting pressure, it was FC Barcelona player LIONEL MESSI who opened "the can" & basically decided the match with his fabulous opening goal (30th min) & later his surgical passing. The Argentine appeared in the correct moments, precisely when Alaves was pressuring the most, to tip the balance the way of Barça.

Alaves had ther "golden moment" when THEO scored a fantastic equalizer from a free kick in the 33rd min, which seemed to indicate that Alaves would take things further. However, Barça reacted with goals from NEYMER  (possibly off-side, 45th min) & ALCACER (48th min).

The second half was a fizzer with Alaves trying but without success, while FC Barcelona controlled things maintaining their 2 goal advantage. There was minor moments of tension as both teams got physical but nothing really big to mention.

The only scare was early in the match when Barça player Mascherano received a head-injury after clashing without intent with a Alaves player. The Argentine was quickly taken off & substituted for Andres Gomes for precaution.

Barça wins the Copa del Rey Final without much fanfare, but being effective. In the end the quality & experience of the Barcelona players was decisive over Alaves.

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FC BARCELONA WINS 1 - 3 JUVENTUS | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL 2015

FC Barcelona wins its 5th European Cup (4th Champions League) after defeating 1 - 3 Italian Club Juventus FC in tonight's Champions League Final 2015 in Berlin. Barça again makes History winning 3 titles in one season something that was last repeated with Coach Guardiola in 2009.

Below is a team photo of the starting 11 side that latter claimed the CL title:

FC Barcelona stamped their authority very early with a 3rd min goal from Ratikic after a magnificent build up that caught the Italians by surprise. It looked at this stage that it would be a Barça whitewash but the Italians showed progressively why they made the final. Grinding away & perhaps catching out an "over confident" Barça, Juventus managed to put its Football together & create danger, especially Morata who was active.

The second half saw Juventus FC continue with its good Football & began complicating things for Barcelona. The equalizer came in the 54th min when Morata got hold of a Tevez shot deflected which put the Italians on a roll. The next 8 minutes would be the worst period for Barça as Juventus created chances but failed to convert. There was a controversial & decisive moment when Pogba was fouled by Alves in the goal square that the referee did not call penalty. It was a clear penalty , & the Italians may well be upset, but the referee also did not call a hand-ball penalty in the 1ºst half by Lichsteiner & he may well have decided to even things.

Barça then got things back under control when things were worst with a deadly counter-attack that caught Juventus bad footed. It was Luis Suarez who scored the second in the 67th min & this was a moral blow for the Italians. Juventus never really recovered from this goal as they saw how their "Golden moment" slipped by without taking full advantage of the occasion.

Juventus attempted to find the equalizer putting Fernando Llorente upfront for the long balls, but again a deadly counter-attack caught off their position the Italians & Pedro found Neymar who sealed it with the third in the 96th min. Referee then blew the end.

Xavi Hernandez later received the Champions League Cup - his 25th title - a record for Barcelona & Historical to finish his career at Barça at the highest level. 

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POSSIBLE STARTING 11 LINE UPS JUVENTUS - FC BARCELONA

The big day is finally here, Saturday 6th of June,  the Champions League Final between Spanish Football Club FC Barcelona & Italian Football Club Juventus FC. While the majority of Football experts & observers see Barça as the favourites, the other talk around town is the speculated starting 11 team line-ups. Spanish Sports paper "Sport" puts forward their predictions with the following infographic. 

Possible starting 11 team line-up for FC Barcelona against Juventus:

Ter Stegen, Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba, Busquets, Rakitic, Iniesta, Messi, Suarez & Neymar

Possible starting 11 team line-up for Juventus against FC Barcelona:

Buffon, Lichsteiner, Bonucci, Barzagli, Evra, Pirlo, Vidal , Marchisio , Pogba, Morata & Tevez.

Game kicks off 20:45 local time & will be must not miss encounter. 
Many the better team win!


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FC BARCELONA WINS 1 - 3 AT BILBAO IN THE SPANISH CUP-COPA DEL REY FINAL

FC Barcelona wins its second title this season after winning 1 - 3 Athletic Club Bilbao in the final of the Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey. Convincing performance with most of the "damage" done by Barça in the 1º half.

Packed "Camp Nou" with 95.000 crowd witnessing an inform FC Barcelona firing on all pistons & going into next weekends Champions League Final in Berlin against Juventus FC as favourites. There they will attempt to put the "cherry" on this season's cake with a possible third title.

While Barça collectively played almost flawlessly, the difference was again Lionel Messi who solely takes his Club onto another level that no other Club can reach at this stage. The Argentine is in a "state of grace" & the opener in the 20th min came from his play, his genius & his unique skills, zig zagging 4-5 players & blowing the "roof off the stadium". Heartbreaking for the Bilbao defence which had no answers. 

Said this, I am somewhat personally disillusioned with Athletic Club Bilbao tonight, a Club I expected more from in this Final. Little "real" Football to show overall & even less creative as they attempted to exploit their few resources; counter-attacks & aerial power upfront. Totally neutralized by their opponents with far more talent, which in itself could excuse somewhat the Bilbao overall performance.

Lionel Messi again scored, this time in the second half - 73rd min - from a Alves pass that shut the Spanish Kings Cup Final.

Neymar was a double protagonist tonight: firstly for scoring the 2º goal for Barça in the 36th min, & secondly for infuriating the Bilbao players in the latter part of the second half with "showcasing" when everything was won for Barça. The Brazilian attempted a self "balloon" pass - perhaps unnecessary - that was seen as "arrogant" & "unsportsman" by Bilbao. Heated moments that will go down as another "Neymar incident" that unfortunately are becoming habitual & blemishing the image of the player. Said this, perhaps it's just another moment of tonight's play where it does not need any investigation nor further analysis.

Athletic Club Bilbao got their consolation goal in the 80th min through young Iñaki Williams who headed home. Not taking away any merit for Bilbao, but Barça at this stage had their collective minds in next week's Champions League Final & perhaps sinned of dropping their concentration.

Conclusion, exhibition from Barça & from Messi & the 27th Spanish Cup title for FC Barcelona in its History. Now onto Berlin & Juventus FC to attempt & continue making History.

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SPANISH SPORTS | RAFAEL NADAL WINS HIS 9th FRENCH OPEN

Although this blog has a high percentage (a majority) of Spanish Football content, as its title suggest, there is space for other Sports, especially when Spanish Sportsman rise to the highest level. It is again an enormous pleasure & honour to announce that Spanish Tennis Player & World Nº1 Rafael Nadal has won his 9th French Open Title this afternoon. 

Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 in a titanic struggle between two giants of World Tennis. The Spaniard came back from behind to grind his way in front & hold off an improving Djokovic & his continuous attacks. In fact, post-match the Nadal technical team commented that if the match would have gone into a 5th set, Rafael would have struggled. The Spanish World Nº1 was taken to the limits of this physical & mental capacities to manage to win the 4th & decisive set. Djokovic was again outstanding but as will other occasions the mental aspects of the game were better managed by Nadal, & this was the key. 

Words have all be used & published to express & explain Rafael Nadal. With 28 years of age the player equals Peter Sampras with 14 grand slams & is 3 away from the Historical Record of 17 held by Roger Federer. The French Open has become his place with an amazing 9 titles & is the undisputed "King of Clay". The man has still up to 2 - 3 years left of top level Tennis to keep gaining more titles & the limits are unknown.

From a Spanish perspective, not only is Nadal the Greatest ever Spanish Tennis player but the Greatest Spanish Sportsman in History. The player is the Nations ambassador & model for the younger generation.

Without more Words to describe this "one in a lifetime" phenomenon, all I can say is congratulations & thank you again Rafa!

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CRISTIANO RONALDO FAR FROM A TRUE CHAMPION

Firstly, congratulations to Real Madrid CF for winning their 10th UEFA Champions League (European Cup) after defeating Atletico de Madrid 4 - 1 in extra time yesterday in the Final at the "Estadio da Luz Stadium" in Lisbon Portugal.

Epic goal from Sergio Ramos in the last moments to take the match into extra-time after Atletico de Madrid was leading 0 - 1 which virtually had the title in their hands. The disappointment of watching the title slip & a fresher Real Madrid was enough to allow later Bale, Marcelo & Cristino Ronaldo to score the rest of the goals to take the maximum European Football prize.

However, its the last Real Madrid goal that I would like to spend some time & write some words. The above picture sees Cristino Ronaldo celebrate his penalty goal taking the scoreline to 4 - 1 with just minutes left of the extra-time left. This unnecessary form of celebrating yet typical of the Portuguese has received a wave of criticism that has all the reasons to be denounced. That was not all, Real Madrid defender Rafael Varane also showed an "unsportman" & perhaps "arrogant" attitude kicking the ball into the Atletico de Madrid bench which lead to an intense arguement with Atletico de Madrid Coach Simeone. In the Varane case, it can be excused as a mistake given his youth & lack of Finals experience. In the Cristiano Ronaldo case, it wipes off all the marketing & public relations efforts & shows the true Ronaldo as an arrogant & ego-centric personality that keeps him far from a true Football Champion no matter how many goals, titles or FIFA Golden Balls the man may acquire. 

To add context, Cristiano Ronaldo did relatively nothing for 117th min of the match. With his team already 3 - 1 up with three minutes left, it was obvious that Real Madrid had secured & won the title & that the penalty earned by "CR7" was just an extra. The merit exists in scoring the goal, a celebration is totally justified as an expression of joy & release of pressure, but to consciously stop & pose as the "Incredible Hulk" to get some media exposure - perhaps to sell more jocks - & rub more salt into the Atletico wounds was totally unnecessary, totally out of order & very unsportsmanlike. 

The truth is that Cristiano Ronaldo unmasked himself. The man with his management team & public relations machine continually works to clean up the "ego-rubbish" that their client (Cristiano Roanldo) leaves behind on repeated ocassions. The constant "fabricated" TV coverages of visiting children at Hospitals & charity donations gets flashed down the toilet when their "Star" turns into a "Black-Hole" that sucks in everything around him into his ego centre. 

Total megalomania in the realm of Football, & the highest exponent is Mr Cristiano Ronaldo. The player will retire & history will look back to remember that he had a excellent muscle structure & that he looked great in Armani jocks. However, very few will remember Ronaldo as a true Sportsman, full of elegance & with fair play. Even less, a true Champion of any reference or example to others. 

Perhaps the player can be an interesting case for human behaviour specialists studying the extent of self-esteem taken to the extreme in wild self idolatry.

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REAL MADRID - ATLETICO DE MADRID CHAMPIONS FINAL | POSSIBLE STARTING TEAM LINE-UPS

Everything is in place for tomorrows UEFA Champions League Cup Final that hails the end of the European Football season. Two Spanish Football Clubs, Real Madrid CF & Atletico de Madrid, will meet 19.45 (Lisbon, Portugal time) to fight it out between themselves to claim the maximum European Football title. Atletico de Madrid goes in on a roll after claiming last weekend the Spanish Liga Title & are full of hope & dreams to claim their first ever European Cup. The other opponent, Real Madrid, goes in with an almost "psychotic obsession" to claim their 10th European Cup, added pressure that could take its toll.

However, apart from the "brain factors", the talk is about the possible starting team line-ups with both Clubs hit by important injuries. Real Madrid go into Saturdays Final with Cristiano Ronaldo under a cloud, along with Pepe & Benzema. Added to all this Xabi Alonso cannot play due to yellow card accumulation & will sit with the crowd. Atletico de Madrid has two injury worries, the first Arda Turan who looks positive & Diego Costa who seems to have overcome a leg-muscle injury in a "mircale" fashion after visiting controversial Serbian Dr. Kovacevic.

Both sides have last training sessions planned & will test their doubtful players & then make the decision if they will start in tomorrows final. Local Football observers & media insiders have already speculated with the starting XI line-ups of both Real Madrid-At Madrid for tomorrows UEFA Championship Final. I will give my idea of what I think may be the starting teams for both Clubs after checking all the local media sources & counter-checking with all the last minute news coming out of Lisbon. 

The speculated starting XI team line-up for Real Madrid is (4-4-2):

• Iker Casillas
• Carvajal
• Varane ( Pepe will not make it)
• Sergio Ramos
• Coentrao
• Illaramendi
• Modric
• Di Maria
• Isco
• Cristiano Ronaldo
• Gareth Bale

Karim Benzema will start on the bench. The Frenchmen is adamant that he can start & will have a final exam this afternoon/evening,  but there is doubt with the technical team.

The speculated starting XI team line-up for Atletico de Madrid is (4-3-3):

• Courtois
• JuanFran
• Miranda
• Godin
• Luis Felipe
• Tiago ( or Mario Suarez )
• Gabi
• Koke
• Arda Turan
• David Villa
• Diego Costa ( if not Raul Garcia)

Diego Costa will risk. However, predicting the line-up of Atletico de Madrid is difficult. Simeone seems to be playing "mid games" with his line-up & may well surprise. There is talk that Sosa could start & that perhaps Villa will not. Lets not forget Adrian could start if Costa finally fails to make it. Coach Simeone has more resources available & more possible line-up combinations to play around with.

In both cases, & at this relative early stage, the above announced starting teams from my part are pure speculations. The final XI will not be known until 45 minutes before the kick-off & I am almost certain there will be surprises from both teams.

Good luck to both Clubs & may the better team win.

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INJURY WORRIES ATLETICO - REAL MADRID FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL

Things are really beginning to heat up in the city of Madrid as both big Spanish Football Clubs Atletico de Madrid & Real Madrid will meet this Saturday in the Final of the UEFA Champions League in Lisbon (Portugal).

However, the news has is focused on the injuries of players in both teams, players which are & have been very important all season for both Clubs. The long Spanish Football & European Soccer season has taken its toll on players who are now suffering the strains & wears with injury.

Atletico de Madrid has two main worries. The first, their star forward Diego Costa has a small back muscle thigh tear that has been diagnosed & has been recommended 15 days of rest. At first sight this would cancel out totally his participation in the upcoming Final. However, the player is looking for a "miracle" & has flown to Serbia to be treated by Doctor Marijana Kovacevic who uses "horse placenta" to recover players from muscle injury in record periods. She is famous for doing "miracles" with English Premier League Football players, example Man Utd forward Van Persie. Will he make it? Still very doubtful, but faith can move mountains. The worrying part to the Diego Costa story, & if he plays, is that if he "breaks" he could well put all his Spanish National Team duties in the upcoming World Cup 2014 in Brazil in the garbage. He could be watching Spain at home recovering from injury on the TV. Huge risk if he does finally jump onto the field.

The other injury cloud over Atletico de Madrid is Turan Arda. Here it is less dramatic as he suffered a knock on his hip last Sunday in Liga, & now seems to be moving freely. He is almost certain to make it to the final.

Real Madrid on the other hand has a longer list of important players under a cloud & it is more worrying for the Club. Apart, they will have Xabi Alonso sitting on the bench due to yellow cards accumulation & it is an important missing element to the side.

The "sick list" is a follows:

Pepe: a twin muscle problem. Difficult the he will make it.

Benzema: a groin muscle strain. Coach Ancelotti said that it will be difficult that he will make it 100%. The player is trying to recover in time...50/50.

Cristiano Ronaldo: back muscle thigh tear. Although minimal the tear, the player has been nursing this for weeks & has even risked in the past. The player made all the alarm bells sound when he retired from the field last weekend after "feeling something" in the warm-up. He has commented that he is OK & will make it to the Final.

In the Ronaldo case their is a psychological element as he has the fear of missing the World Cup if he "breaks", this may limit his efforts & play. 

Overall, some big worries on both sides with Real Madrid the more affected. Stay tuned!

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SPANISH CUP FINAL - KINGS CUP FINAL | POSSIBLE TEAM LINE-UPS

The country is slowly grinding to a halt as the Easter vacations commence & the Final of the SPANISH CUP-COPA DEL REY ( Kings Cup) is about to kick-off tomorrow - Wednesday the 16th of April at 21.30 hrs Spanish Time - between FC Barcelona & Real Madrid.

Top match of Spanish & World Football as two of the best Clubs on World Soccer meet up once again to attempt to claim the first big title of this season. FC Barcelona is super hyped up as they see this as a way to get back their prestige after being knocked out of the Champions League, while Real Madrid wants to beat their rivals for the first time this season & grab the first title in their attempt to also notch up Liga & Champions League.

Both sides have important players missing, Real Madrid being the most notable with Cristiano Ronaldo missing due to injury along with Marcelo. FC Barcelona will be without Spanish International defender Gerard Pique & youngster Marc Bartra.

Everyone pre-match is speculating on the possible starting XI line-ups for both teams. The general consensus is the following, for FC Barcelona:

Pinto, Alves, Mascherano, Puyol, Alba, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, Neymar & Messi.

LATEST: Puyol OUT, in his place Adriano.

For Real Madrid the speculated starting line-up in tomorrows Spanish Cup Final is:

Casillas, Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Coentrao, Xabi Alonso, Modric, Di Maria, Isco, Bale & Benzema.

A Final not to be missed & the perfect stage for some players to claim back their "star" status in World Soccer. Messi has a chance to push aside recent criticisms along with team-mate Neymar. While tomorrow is the perfect match & moment for Gareth Bale to find his place in World Football along with Benzema.

Lastly, the above starting line-ups are speculation-rumour & may suffer last minute changes according on how the Coaches of both teams may see fit.

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BRAZIL DEFEAT SPAIN 3 - 0 IN FINAL FIFA CONFEDERATIONS CUP

Brazil won Spain 3 - 0 & took the FIFA Confederations Cup in a Final that will be remembered as perhaps the "rebirth" of Brazilian Football. Lead by their young star Neymar Brazil suffocated literally the Spanish play makers & took the ball away from them to dismantle the "Spanish Machine".

Said this it was a night too forget for Spain as it seemed that it was destined to be the night of Brazil as they were also pushed their 80.000 local supporters & nearly 200 million Brazilians who looked at this tournament as a "release valve" for more than Football issues.  Luck was not on the Spanish side either as they missed a penalty & then went down to 10 men when Pique fouled Neymar, which was perhaps harsh. 

With all these elements in motion, Brazil was clearly superior on all fronts & deserved their win. This will give them wings for the upcoming 2014 World Cup where they are hosts & look now favourites. 

The match could not have started better for Brazil as Fred grabbed a fumbled ball in the 2nd min to score a "deadly psychological goal" that shook Spain & put them on the back foot early. From here it was pressure & more pressure & Brazil literally rattled Spain to play in a manner that the Spaniards have not been accustomed too. Spain lost control & this was the key tonight.

Spain kept losing the ball & Brazil pounced every time to create their chances, opportunities that Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas bravely managed to keep the ball out of the net.

Pride & honour kept Spain standing & Andres Iniesta was one who gave his team glimpses of hope. Spanish winger Pedro nearly managed an equalizer but Brazilian defender Luiz saved on the line.

But when Spain looked like withstanding the Brazilian blows, a 44th min Neymar produced a power-drive goal that put things back into their place.

The second half started like the first, Fred scored the 3rd goal in the 46th min & this was the virtual last nail in the Spanish coffin. Spanish Coach Del Bosque put on Azpilicueta ( on for  Arbeloa with a yellow card ), Navas ( for Mata ) & Villa ( for Torres ) to find solutions.

Spain then won a penalty when Navas was fouled by Marcelo & Sergio Ramos missed it which must have been a moral blow to the whole Spanish side. The question will be, why did Ramos take the penalty? 

Moving on, things got worst when Spanish defender Gerard Pique fouled a run away Neymar & got a red card, harsh perhaps, but this left Spain with 10 men which was by this stage psychical "destroyed". Obviously, Spain from here had one objective, to limit the damage.

This objective was achieved at a cost that will be remembered for a long time by the Spaniards. The positive elements for Spain tonight is to study well the lessons of this match & this defeat to make some improvements. The right back position needs solutions, Arbeloa is not cutting it in my opinion. Spain also has a problem with its forward line & needs to find a true "goal-square killer", Torres is not the solution & Villa may have his best days passed.  The worst part is that Xavi Hernandez, the play maker , can´t keep up with the physical efforts needed in theses types of games as he is getting on in age & a substitute will be hard to find.

But theses are my humble ramblings as they are mild compared to the 45 million Spaniards who all will have their opinions & criticism. The Spanish National Sport is to "kick hard" when your on the ground & I hope we aren't too severe with this great Spanish Team. The reality is that Spain had everything going against them in this FIFA Confederations Cup it was destined for the host team.

Don´t read more further in my last words. Brazil was brilliant tonight & was great in all their games. Deserved winners of this tournament & they have some names that will be soon World Football stars if not already. Thiago Silva & David Luiz are a formidable defensive team, Hulk is a machine, Fred has surprised us all & Neymar is now MVP & the new World Football star. Congratulations Brazil, after all you are 5 times World Champions while Spain has its lone star on top of its emblem.
I have a feeling this World Soccer duel with continue...at least I hope so.

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SPANISH CUP - COPA DEL REY - FINAL | REAL MADRID 1 ATLETICO DE MADRID 2

Fourteen years without being able to defeat the City rival Real Madrid & tonight Atletico de Madrid defeats them 1 - 2 in the Spanish Cup - Copa del Rey - Final & in the home ground of Real Madrid. Its the 10 th Spanish Cup title for Atletico de Madrid.

The game had it all; intensity, hard work, opportunities, posts, incredible saves & plenty of yellow cards & three reds cards: Jose Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo & Gabi. A tense extra-time as the nerves overwhelmed many & with a sideline "brawl" included between Club benches, players & Coaches. It was a "classical derby" & Final.

The first half started with both team nervous & accelerated, but Real Madrid struck first with a brilliant 14th min header by Cristiano Ronaldo. To Atletico´s merit they kept at their game plan & in an excellent Falcao won a ball midfield & passed to Diego Costa who equalized in the 34th min. 

From here Real Madrid lost the match. Four clear chances that were not taken with either the post intervening or the brilliant young Atletico de Madrid goalkeeper Courtois stopping the ball. Ozil hit the post in the 42nd min, Benzema hit the post in the early second half & another post close to the end, it was clear that the Football "Iron Law" would be applied ( if you miss your goals you will lose ).

The game rose in tension - Mourinho was sent off for protesting - & it was rough stuff,  as Atletico played with their hearts & fought for every ball. The Atletico fans sang all night & pushed their team onwards with the official 90 mins finishing 1 -1 & going into extra-time.

Atletico de Madrid hit hard in the 98th min with the second & to be winning goal by a Miranda header that brought the Atletico part of the stadium down with joy. A moral blow to Real Madrid which was tired & Di Maria, Higuain & Arbeloa came on to give oxygen to the team. Real Madrid had another clear chance which Higuain missed with a spectacular Courtois save, another missed opportunity.

From here Atletico held out & stood firm to defend the result. Real Madrid grew more & more frustrated & Cristiano Ronaldo lost his nerves with a foul on Gabi that gave him a red card & the sideline brawl afterwards. It was clear that the Final had been lost.

Some names that need to be mentioned: excellent game from Diego Costa & Captain Gabi, with goalkeeper Courtois tonight on another level who was absolutely brilliant. Great win for Atletico & a barren year for Real Madrid without any titles which will cause "shock-waves" at Real Madrid in coming days & weeks. 

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SPANISH CUP | COPA DEL REY FINAL - 17 MAY 21.30 SANTIAGO BERNABEU

The Spanish Football Federation has announced & made official the date & stadium of the 2013 Spanish Cup ( Copa del Rey ) Final. It will be Friday 17th of May at 21.30 at the "Santiago Bernabeu Stadium". 

Both Real Madrid CF & Atletico de Madrid had to give in with their desires. Real Madrid wanted to celebrate the Final at the "Camp Nou Stadium (Barcelona) or at (Mestalla) Valencia . Real argued that a Final should be played on a neutral ground ( or at least that´s their official version ). Atletico de Madrid refers to an unwritten "agreement" that it was their turn at the "Vicente Calderon Stadium" as the last time both Clubs meet in a Spanish Cup Final it was played at the "Santiago Bernabeu". The Spanish Football Federation believes that the logical approach is to play the Final in Madrid & in a Stadium that permits the maximum attendance for all the fans & in this case it's the Real Madrid home stadium which has 30.000 more seats than the Atletico ground. 

In the end both Clubs win:

1. Each team gets around 35.000 tickets each.
2. Real Madrid gets the home ground advantage
3. Atletico de Madrid the maximum joy possible if they defeat their rival on their "home turf"
4. No extra costs in travelling , hotels etc . They both stay in their city.

The true winners are the fans. Or at least that's the official line :O)

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BASKETBALL | SPANISH CUP FINAL RESULT | FC BARCELONA 85 VALENCIA 69

FC BARCELONA proclaimed themselves winners of the Basketball Spanish Cup ( Copa del Rey ) Final defeating VALENCIA BASKET 85 - 69. The Catalan Basketball Club joins Real Madrid as the Club with most Spanish Cup titles with 23 each. 

The scoreline fools, as Barça worked hard in this Final. But it was their consistency & Finals experience that managed to open up a gap on their rivals & slowly grind them down. The teamwork was an important element in the Barça victory, a true team effort with everyone participating with 6 players above the 10 points mark individually.

The MVP was awarded to FC Barcelona player MICKEAL.

An excellent tournament for both teams, but more so for Barcelona which nearly did not qualify to get in. Their opening match & victory over favourites Real Madrid which went down to the wire was the catalyst that set them off on the the title road. 


FC Barcelona Regal (17+19+25+24) 85 : Sada (7), Navarro, Mickeal(14), Wallace (6) & Tomic (13) -starting 5-; Huertas (13),Oleson (12), Lorbek (10), Jawai (10), Rabaseda & Todorovic ().

Valencia Basket (18+15+20+16) 69 : San Miguel, Ribas (8),Kelati, Doellman (14) & Lishchuk (2) -starting 5 -; Markovic(14), Rafa Martínez (10), Pietrus (4), Faverani (12) & Dubljevic(5). 

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SPANISH FOOTBALL FLASHBACKS | EUROPA LEAGUE 2010 FINAL

Here is a SPANISH FOOTBALL Flashback moment on video, the Europa League 2010 Final at Hamburg with finalist ATLETICO DE MADRID & English Club FULHAM. Historical night for Atletico & Spanish Football with a 2 - 1 victory for the Spaniards.

Great match by both teams that went into extra-time. Two goals from Diego Forlan ( 32 & 116 mins ) for At Madrid & Davies for Fulham ( 37 th min ). This game marked the take - off for Atletico that lifted them later into the European Football elite. The last IFHHS ranking puts Atletico in N º2 position behind FC Barcelona in European Club rankings.

Atletico de Madrid had back then two of the Best Forwards in World Football, Forlan & Aguero. Enjoy the highlights!




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HANDBALL | SPAIN 35 - DENMARK 19 | SPAIN WORLD CHAMPION

SPANISH SPORTS received a shot in the arm in a spectacular fashion when the Spanish National Handball Team proclaimed themselves 2013 WORLD CHAMPIONS on home turf in the "Palau St Jordi" Stadium of the city of Barcelona.

SPAIN which organized the the Handball World Championships won DENMARK the current European Champions in the final with a crushing 35 - 19 & thus win their second World title, the first being 8 years back (Tunisia 2005).

No one would have believed beforehand that the final would be so one-sided after Denmark crushed Croatia ( which finished third ) in the semi-finals. Spain went in super concentrated & took the Danes by surprise with fierce attacking & with an impenetrable defence, special mention here to adopted Spanish goalie Sterbik (14 saves).

The second half continued the same way with Spain attacking & scoring more gaols while wearing down the moral & strength of the Danes which dropped their shoulders to the reality that they were being overrun, out played & well beaten. Mention here to Spaniard Cañellas for his seven goals.

Historical victory for Spanish Handball & Sports. Congratulations guys!


SPAIN (18+17): Sterbik (p); Rocas (-), Maqueda (5), Aguinagalde (5), Cañellas (7, 1p), García (2), Rivera (6) - initial team -, Entrerríos (3), Tomás (1), Sarmiento (1), Montoro (2), Morros (1), Ruesga (-), Ariño (-), Guardiola (2) & Sierra (ps).

DENMARK (10+9): Landin (p); Eggert (3, 2p), Lindberg (1), René Toft (-), Mollgaard (4), Hansen (2), Nielsen (-) -initial team -, Sondergaard (4), Mortersen (-), Markussen (2), Lauge (1), Noddesbo (1), Svan (-), Henrik Totf (1) y Green (ps)

Partials every 5 minutes: 3-1, 6-4, 8-5, 9-8, 14-9, 18-10 (half-time), 22-11, 26-12, 29-12, 30-15, 34-16, 35-19 (final).

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SPAIN WINS U-19 EUROPEAN TITLE

SPAIN keeps up with its winning ways in European Football claiming the U-19 EUROPEAN TITLE after defeating GREECE 1 - 0 in the Final. Extraordinary year for Spanish Football at all levels, with the Female Spanish U-19 team nearly winning their U-19 Final yesterday against Sweden ( lost 0 - 1 extra-time) which would have put the cherry on the cake.

Jese for Spain

Take note of these names as they are the Spanish U-19 starting 11 in the Final:

Kepa, Castro, Grimaldo, Ramalho, Derik, Campaña, Oliver, Suso, Deulofeu,Jesé & Paco Alcácer.

Most already are playing in the top class or are about to get in & many are still around the 16 - 17 year old mark. The MVP of the tournament & the European U-19 Leading goal-scorer with 5 goals is JESE RODRIGUEZ, forward with REAL MADRID ( Castilla, their B - team ).


The match victory was well deserved for Spain as they created chances all match & dominated. Greece was solid in defence all game & very rocky which made Spain work very hard to find the winning goal which came finally in the 80th min when Deulofeu found Jese who scored.

Congratulations to the Spanish U-19 boys, well done!

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