SFS FLASHBACKS | MANCHESTER UTD 4 - REAL MADRID 3 | YEAR 2003

If tonight´s Champions League 2º leg return match between Manchester United & Real Madrid CF at "Old Trafford" looks anything like the 23rd of April 2003 match between these two giants of World Football, we will be indeed blessed.

That night in 2003 World Football fans witnessed a game that still remains clear in the mind & is still talked about with footy mates as Brazilian Ronaldo scored a "hat-trick" to be applauded by the local fans, while Manchester United majestically came back each time to eventually win 4 - 3. However, the English Club was eliminated on aggregate ( 5 - 6 ) as Real Madrid won at home in the first leg 3 - 1.

Below is a video,  a "flash-back" in time. We see plenty of known names with some still with their baby faces. Also we see some "galacticos" like Roberto Carlos, Figo, Zidane & of course Ronaldo. Later David Beckham was to leave Manchester United for Real Madrid & become the other "galactico".

Nice video to warm up the pre-match atmosphere for tonight's big European Football clash that has basically eclipsed the rest of the scheduled games. Good luck to both teams.

Tweet

Share

SFS FLASHBACKS | 15 YEARS AGO | THE "FAMOUS" RONALDO GOAL

Fifteen (15) years ago the below occurred in the Spanish Football League when FC Barcelona played away Santiago de Compostela.



Spectacular goal from the Brazilian star RONALDO , bit more younger & slimmer, that has comeback to all our memories after 15 years. Great player, one of the best Nº9s in Football History.

Tweet

Share

REAL MADRID TENSIONS 2010 | THE QUANTUM PHYSICS OF WINNING - "THE IRON LAW" OF FOOTBALL

We mentioned here that the 5 – 0 defeat of REAL MADRID at the hands of FC BARCELONA would have lasting “after-shocks” & lingering effects. Not only was the loss a setback classification wise, but a heavy blow on the Clubs moral & psychological levels, along with the coming to the surface of some in-house tensions that have been the talk of the press the last few days.


The Club has some visible cracks on its wall on all levels: the players, Coaching & Directives that are being currently sorted out & that some hope that the “Christmas spirit & break” will help further to mend. But there is only one true effective way to put ghosts back in the can, which is, winning again & constantly. This is nothing new to write about or explain to you as the reader, it´s an “Iron Law” of Football.

José Mourinho

The first of the “problems” is more psychological than anything else. The "mystical aura" of Coach Mourinho has been dimmed after what he describes as “the biggest defend in his career”. The “Special One”, or the “Messiah” for some at Real Madrid, now radiates out his mortality as he retired into a “shell” to recompose himself. The Team Spiritual leader, the Captain of the RM super-tanker & their ideologist has been absent these last weeks from the “World” which has lowered dressing room spirits & allowed the dreaded phantom of “Doubts” to enter the big picture. True to Coach Mourinho´s pedigree, experience & intelligence we are now slowly seeing the “Average One” gradually return to his more comfortable “Special One” category, something the Club & players are relieved to see, appreciating & desiring to happen as soon as possible.

Mourinho - Valdano

The second problem is at the Directive level. Real Madrid General Director Jorge Valdano & Coach Jose Mourinho are not exactly the Best Friends in the World. They have pushed aside past differences in order to work together,  & because they are excellent professionals. The 5 – 0 defeat at Barcelona & the injury of Higuain has accentuated the doubts that Mourinho has with the depth of his squad & with Karim Benzema in his capacity as substitute for Higuain. Coach Jose Mourinho wants the Club to sign a forward with guarantees in the upcoming “Winter Transfer Market”, but the Club – Valdano – believes that answers are already present in-house with the youngsters, the recovery of Kaka in January 2011 & that the Club should give Benzema their confidence after costing more the 30M€ to get him over. Both Cocah Mourinho & Jorge Valdano have turned this player solicitation into a mini “power struggle” over who has more influence & sway over President Florentino Perez. Although we have as yet to see the final result & if Mourinho finally gets his player, the turbulent waters will be calmed again if Real Madrid manage to keep winning again, that is, follow the already mentioned “Iron Law” of Football. Once back in the winning groove both personalities will focus on their responsibilities & not on each other.

Casillas - Ronaldo

The third problem is a dressing room situation. Apparently Captain Iker Casillas & Cristiano Ronaldo are not having a good time relationship wise. The situation came to notice when Ronaldo scored his last goal & only Marcelo, Pepe, Carvalho & Di Maria celebrated it with him. The apparent split is due to two main reasons (1) the comments made by Iker Casillas journalist girlfriend Sara Carbonero on Spanish TV that Ronaldo was egoistic & an individual on the field, something that Ronaldo reproached Casillas about; &  (2) the call to attention by some heavy-weight players in the dressing room ( Casillas, Ramos, Xabi …etc) to Ronaldo to ease his on-field antics ( provocations, out of tone comments to team-mates & his “party pieces") to concentrate on his Football & be more co-operative. This last aspect isn’t the problem, Ronaldo assumed the “positive constructive criticism”, what is the problem is that the Portuguese star feels that his team-mates have not been supporting him 100% outside the Club with the media & that he feels left alone facing all the latest criticism. This has been apparently all solved in the last days if we are to believe the comments from Casillas & Xabi Alonso on radio saying that things have been solved in-house.


The other dressing room issue is Sergio Ramos. Coach Mourinho is very disappointed with the Spanish International who seems to have his head somewhere else. His terrible performance in the 5 – 0 defeat at FC Barcelona along with his “loss of control” which lead to his famous Red Card has taken the glitz out of the player. Last news is that Mourinho has had a meeting with Ramos to attempt to sort out his “wavering” performances.


Why are we posting all about this today? Because it is possible that most of these tensions already existed ( as with any other Club) before the Barcelona 5 – 0 defeat but that the pre-unbeaten winning streak was serving to put the lid over it all. The humiliating loss at the hand of the arch rivals, the first of the season under the new Mourinho proyect, & its dimension has shaken off the “gravitational force” holding in place the frictions & allowed a mini Big – Bang to occur that is shaking the Club within. This is not a new phenomenon or the last, look at English Football & Chelsea FC with their particular turn of events as they too are under the influence of the need to return to the “Iron Law” of Football.

While winning everything is kept under control, when you begin losing & constantly everything goes out of control. We could be talking today of an institutional crisis & team problems at FC Barcelona if Real Madrid had won 0 – 5 …its just Football & the whimsical day to day, week to week of the Sport that is fuelled by the results. Tweet

Share

ZIDANE-KAKÁ-HENRY-PIRES TOGETHER FOR HAITI CHARITY GAME AGAINST BENFICA (VIDEO)

Finally found the video on "YouTube".

Ex Real Madrid player - Zidane - with current Real player Kaká,
along with Villareal Pires & Barça Henry participated yesterday in
a charity match for the Haiti Earthquake victims. The
friendly was between BENFICA "All-stars" & a "Zidane All-star" line
up. Final score 3-3



Thanks to "LaLigaOficial1" Tweet

Share

REAL MADRID SURPRISES KARIM BENZEMA WITH A MEETING WITH BRAZILIAN RONALDO

Check this amiable video. REAL MADRID organized a surprise visit
for the French forward KARIM BENZEMA. The Club brought in his
childhood Football idol, ex-Real Madrid & Brazilian International
RONALDO, for a meet & greet session & interview.

Watch the face of Benzema light up as a Xmas tree when he sees
that the surprise is his all time idol:



Sorry guys it’s in Spanish, but you can guess reasonable close
what’s its all about. Tweet

Share

"I WILL FOLLOW RONALDO" - VIDEO WITH FOOTBALL ALL-STARS (SISTER ACT)

It´s a "mash-up" & what an effort. All the great Football (Soccer)
stars represented following the orders of Ronaldo in which they pay
homeage. Its a must been seen to believe clip, SFS has very little
words more to add:

Tweet

Share

SFS FLASHBACKS: RONALDO WHEN AT FC BARCELONA

Here is an amazing goal by Brazilian RONALDO when he was part of
FC BARCELONA. The goal was scored during a Spanish League game
against Santiago de Compostela. This is Ronaldo at his maximum peak form,
unstoppable.

Tweet

Share

ZIDANE 2 - RONALDO 2 - FRIENDLY PLAYED AT MALAGA AGAINST POVERTY

A friendly game of ex & current football stars along with celebraties,
including Michael Schumacher & Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia, joined
together to divide up in two teams Captained by Zinedine Zidane &
Milan forward Ronaldo to raise funds against poverty. The game was
played in Malaga (Spain) & finished a respectable 2-2. Lots of fun &
simple entertainment with humourous moments, all for a good cause.
Here are the VIDEOs of all 4 goals:

Zidane - 1-0
Roque Jr - 2-0
Dos Santos - 2-1
Negredo - 2-2


Friends Ronaldo - Friends Zidane - 0-1 Zidane


Friends Ronaldo - Friends Zidane - 0-2 Roque Jr.


Friends Ronaldo - Friends Zidane - 1-2 Julio Dos Santos


Friends Ronaldo - Friends Zidane - 2-2 Negredo Tweet

Share