Feed: Real Madrid 1-0 Mallorca: Mourinho Shows Faith And Benzema Squeezes - AggScore: 10.0

Real Madrid 1-0 Mallorca: Mourinho Shows Faith And Benzema Squeezes Out A Brave Bermellones Performance

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Nunes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid, Mallorca Getty ImagesReal Madrid were frustrated for long periods by Mallorca at the Santiago Bernabeu but eventually came out deserved winners thanks to a strike from Karim Benzema.ltspan idquotmore319quotgtltspangtltimg srcquothttpwww.kamkaza.comFootballwpcontentuploads201101wpid122282news.jpgquot altquotNunes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid, Mallorca Getty Imagesquot gtAcircnbspThe striker returned to the starting lineup after missing out against Atletico Madrid in midweek and finally managed to get himself on the scoresheet in La Liga after a long dry spell. Madrid had much the better of the possession but were held out by a performance the Balearic Islanders defence can be proud of. The goal opened the away side up and Real Madrid in the end should have extended their lead with Benzema missing from close range and Cristiano Ronaldo hitting the bar. Jose Mourinho will be happy with a hard earned three points to keep them within four points of Barcelona.AcircnbspReal Madrid had an early appeal for a penalty turned down by the referee, there was contact on Angel Di Maria but it was difficult to judge whether it was inside the area. Either way the official ignored the appeals of the Argentine winger, and play continued.AcircnbspDi Maria started the match with a click in his heels, selling two Mallorca defenders the dummy twice before unleashing a shot which deflected high in the box. Karim Benzema rose highest to the dropping ball but couldnt find a white shirt in the middle with his header.AcircnbspIn the 14th minute los Blancos were almost caught out completely against the run of play. A sprayed crossfield pass found Emilio Nsue in acres of space. The forward cruised in on goal as Marcelo desperately tried to recover, but to the Brazilian fullbacks relief Nsue struck the inside of the post.AcircnbspWith half an hour played the hosts were dominant but found it difficult to break down a gritty defensive pair in Ivan Ramis and Jose Carlos Nunes. The centrebacks were being worked constantly as Pierre Webo cut a very lonely figure in attack for los Bermellones.AcircnbspWith the firsthalf coming to a close whistles of disapproval began to ring round the stadium, the visitors had set themselves deep and Michael Laudrups men had restricted Madrid to very few chances.AcircnbspMadrid coach Jose Mourinho wasted little time, making two changes at halftime with Kaka and Fernando Gago being replaced by Mesut Oezil and Xabi Alonso. Alonso was straight into the action with a shot on goal, then a beautiful pass out to Di Maria.AcircnbspLos Merengues tempo was much improved in the opening five minutes of the second period, Di Maria and Ronaldo trying to pull the strings, leading to Ramis almost turning an Arbeloa cross into his own net.AcircnbspMallorca were beginning to cause problems for the home side, Pierre Webo finally testing Iker Casillas with a powerful shot but the Spanish international keeper was alert to punch clear.AcircnbspHowever, after an hour of holding off the los Blancos attack the deadlock was finally broken. Short passing between Ronaldo and Granero worked the ball to ltstronggtKarim Benzemaltstronggt on the edge of the box. The French striker dropped a shoulder on his marker and bent his shot low past Dudu Aouate.AcircnbspMadrid should have seen out the game despite a short rally for Mallorca, Cristiano Ronaldo hit the bar with a header and Karim Benzema missed two chances that were easier than the one he finished.AcircnbspReal Hearts were in mouths with twenty seconds of stoppage time remaining, Pierre Webo powered himself towards goal but his shot from a tight angle was blocked out Casillas.AcircnbspThe victory keeps Madrid four points off Barcelona after a busy Copa del Rey week, while Mallorca now sit in tenth.

Real Madrid star Ronaldo unimpressed by Ballon d’Or snub for Casillas

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ltpgtBarcelona Cristiano Ronaldo Lionel Messi Manchester United Real Madrid World Cup Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was left bewildered by the nomination process of this years FIFA Ballon dOr. Ronaldo cant believe Real teammate and Spain captain Iker Casillas was not among the final nominees. quotCasillas is a field player and has the same value as the others,quot said the former Manchester United ...ltpgtSee the rest here lta targetquotblankquot hrefquothttpwww.tribalfootball.comarticlesrealmadridstarronaldounimpressedballondorsnubcasillas1379471quot titlequotReal Madrid star Ronaldo unimpressed by Ballon dacircOr snub for CasillasquotgtReal Madrid star Ronaldo unimpressed by Ballon dacircOr snub for Casillasltagt

Madrid striker Higuain has successful back op

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ltpgtReal Madrid says striker Gonzalo Higuain has successfully undergone surgery on a back injury that has sidelined him for the last six weeks. The Argentina international will be discharged Wednesday from a hospital in Chicago, where the operation was carried out. Madrid didnt say when it expected Higuain to return to firstteam action.ltpgtFollow this link lta targetquotblankquot hrefquothttpsports.yahoo.comsownewsslugaprealmadridhiguainsurgeryquot titlequotMadrid striker Higuain has successful back opquotgtMadrid striker Higuain has successful back opltagt

The Truth Behind Real Madrid

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ltPgtWhether you are new to the sport of football, or you have been a fan for years, odds are you have heard some mention of the team Real Madrid. Now known as one of the most successful professional football clubs they, like other teams of its time, started from humble beginnings.ltPgtltPgtThings were rough when they started out in the first decade of the 20th century. While much effort went into finding a permanent plot of land for the team to play on, success was made with the rental of a plot of land on Bullring Avenue. Not long after that, Real Madrid was formed. Once considered part of Espanol de Madrid, Real Madrid was officially founded back in 1902, with club regulations being approved not long after the teams creation date.ltPgtltPgtWhile the team had some success, its first official title was not achieved until 1905 with the first international event taking place later that same year. Real Madrid began to make their name known with the accomplishment of winning the Cup of Spain for three consecutive years, from 1905 to 1907 to be exact. When 1909 rolled around, it proved to be quite a successful year for Real Madrid. After a meeting with delegates from other Spanish football clubs, the Spanish FA was created with Real Madrids president being named as the secretary of the organization.ltPgtltPgtAs time passed and the teams popularity grew, Madrid obtained their first league title in the 1931 to 32 season. This proved to be the start of the teams power with this title being the start of the 29 League titles that they would accomplish over the years. Due to the start of the war in 1936 Real Madrids popularity started to decrease. Attempts were made by Pablo Hernandez to keep the team in the public eye, but multiple attempts failed miserably. While all hope appeared to be lost, 1939 brought the first full house at Chamartin Stadium for Real Madrid. While it was perceived that interest in football decreased with the war, support held and grew as the war rolled on with its popularity becoming well known when the war was over.ltPgtltPgt1943 brought their first historical win. In a semifinal game against the Catalans, Madrid defeated them with a score of 111. As the years passed, the team proved itself to be a power to be reckoned with. The 1950s brought the teams third league title after 23 years.ltPgtltPgtWhen it comes to league titles, Real Madrid is one of the only teams in the league to win five consecutive times in the 76 year history of the competition. They accomplished this feat in the 196061, 196465, 198586 and 198990 seasons. No other team in the history of the competition has been able to meet or even break the record that has been created by the successful Real Madrid team.ltPgtltPgtThe present and the future show great promise for the team. With the team having just celebrated their 106 birthday in March of 2008, the team continues to achieve success. With a mixed history, their past has proven them to be a force to be reckoned with and they may just be one of the most powerful teams for years to come.ltPgt

Real Madrid legend Figo stunned by Ronaldo form

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ltabbrgtReal Madrid legend Luis Figo admits hes stunned by the form of ltabbrgtCristiano Ronaldo.ltspan idquotmore312quotgtltspangtAcircnbspAcircnbspFigo believes Ronaldo has suffered in the publicity stakes because of ltabbrgtBarcelonas amazing form.AcircnbspquotThe great play of ltabbrgtBarcelona makes you forget the rest. ltabbrgtCristiano Ronaldo is setting records all the time at ltabbrgtReal Madrid. People do not see how well he is doing at Madrid because it is a great club.AcircnbspquotLets see what happens in the Liga. If the level of ltabbrgtBarcelona drops ltabbrgtReal Madrid will win.quotAcircnbspIts all kicking off again!Acircnbspltabbrgtltabbrgtltabbrgtltabbrgtltabbrgtltabbrgtltabbrgtltabbrgt

Real Madrid win but Mourinho unhappy with Benzema

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Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho saw his side take a strike towards the semifinals of the Copa del Rey with a 31 home win over Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie on Thursday night, but the Portuguese trainer said Friday there were still aspects of the performance he was unhappy about. ltPgtStriker Karim Benzema was given another chance in the Madrid starting 11, but again disappointed Mourinho and was substituted by Kaka with the score still 11.ltPgtltPgtIn declarations broadcast on television station Canal Plus on Friday morning, Mourinho said that Benzema was still not playing at his full potential.ltPgtltPgtquotHe is a striker who is not selfish and tries to help his companions play, but he lacks the hunger to score goals. He had one chance that a goal scoring fanatic such as Cristiano Ronaldo would have scored, but he lacks that,quot said Mourinho, who added that he was still optimistic of signing a striker during the January transfer window.ltPgtltPgtquotWhen I say we are looking for a player, it is not because of Karim, but because we dont have anyone else. I look at the substitutes bench and I see Fernando Gago. Lassana Diarra and Esteban Granero, but I dont see strikers,quot said the Real Madrid coach.ltPgtltPgtThursdays game was a highenergy affair between the two neighbors and the return leg next week promises more of the same, but Mourinho said he was happy to run the risk of his players feeling the pace.ltPgtltPgtquotI would rather the physical effort than not playing the Cup. When I see signs of tiredness, I will have to rotate the squad. We want to get to the Cup final, and the final of the Champions League and also the end of the league. It is better to be in this situation that to have to train with nothing to play for,quot said Mourinho.ltPgt

Would Chelsea Become a New Real Madrid?

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Lately in the press in increasing frequency we can hear about the great Chelseas tansfers.ltspan idquotmore320quotgtltspangtAcircnbspTopstars Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko had already joined the team, but therere constant rumors surrounding Chelsea about the other big purchases like Philipp Lahm and Sergio Ramos.The purpose of Jose Mourinho is quite clear. He wants to make the most powerful football team in Europe, which would be able to obscure even the elegant Barcelona.Chelseas new squad list seems a bit like a world football team, not the English club. Lampard, Shevchenko, Terry, Cech, Ballack! And itd be beared in mind that Drogba, Essien and Robben are not going to leave yet for some other clubs...Here theres a question to be asked. What if Chelsea a stable, interesting team would turn into the English variant of Real Madrid, which, having so many stars in its squad, cant stop surprising pleasantly Barcelona fans by loosing to such great Spanish teams like Mallorca and Murcia...Of course at the head of Real there was no such an outstanding coach like Jose Mourinho. Hes an excellent tactician and knows what job exactly this or that player is doing. But by no means less important is if he can make the right psychological atmosphere within the team, so that stars would not call in question whos playing the dominant role in the field, but playaction pass and make chances.Are all these big players ready to give all one has got in each episode whether its the attack or the clearance Maybe Mourinho knows what he is doing, but what if he is overrating his authorityIn Chelsea Terry and Lampard had become the charismatic personalities, the embodiment of teams game style. But its again not so certain that new players would agree with that kind of hierarchy, and Shevchenko is not dreaming of wearing Chelseas captain armband. Now when even the substitutes are the world class footballers, the aim of the each teams player is not just to win in the match, but to have the very opportunity of going out on the field actually! Joe Cole having been careless in the defence in several matches last season though he did scored goals, spent than some unforgettable hours on the substitutes bench, and he was not glad for sure for his companions replacing him. The squad rotation system is useful for the game, for the results and for fans, but not for the footballers playing practice and mentality. Each coach convinces his players, that they should think what the best for the team is firstly, but its harder than for the young sportsman especially the famous one being at the peak of his powers to hear that itd be better for the team he rest some time.Actually when the start squad is more likely the Adidas commercial, some doubts are cast upon the possibility of these guys to achieve a teamwork.On this point the Russian mentality of Roman Abramovich is telling upon it a bit. Hes the man of means and so buys the expensive footballplayers like some buys horses or cars just because he enjoys the idea of having them. And its not important whether theyll be on the field or in the reserve. In fact joining Chelsea, players are risking to lose their playing practice and subsequently their star status.Speaking of the propriety of Mourinhos purchases we cant help recollecting that Liverpool in the Champions league last season did not have any big stars in its squad but Gerrard and in the final match defeated the honoured Milan. Barcelona as a matter of fact possesses one vivid superstar Ronaldinho. But only within the team with Puyol, Deco and EtoO Ronaldinhos genius has revealed itself properly and Barcelona began to overcome. The same Chelsea without any help of Shevchenko and Ballack 2 years running easily won the English championship, not to speak of the League Cup.Maybe the thing is just in the right ratio of stars and simply good players in one teamThe problem of the wellknown Real Madrid is indeed in the absence of one vivid leader. Everyone considers himself to be the most important and no teamwork can be seen there. Players spare their feet, slight the clearance. So the beautiful and exciting football of Real Madrid exits no more now.Would Chelsea repeat the Reals fate or would win as confident as it did before is just a matter of time. And this time will be the examination of Mourinhos coach faculties, and itll show whether it is worth gathering all stars under the same roof.By the example of Real Madrid we can see only the groundlessness of this kind of undertaking.Vote for your team.Get a plot of virtual football field. I hope you dont mind if I ask you to vote for your favorite football team and help to determine the most popular football club in the world at a website, which goal is charity. This is just one click and you will get a piece of free virtual football field. lta hrefquothttpwww.myfootballteam.comquot targetquotnewquotgthttpwww.myfootballteam.comltagt

Surgeon expects Real Madrid striker Higuain to miss four months

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ltpgtGonzalo Higuain Real Madrid Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain faces four months out of action. Higuain, 23, has been sidelined since November with a herniated disc and he went under the knife on Tuesday at the Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, United States. Dr Richard Fessler, who performed the surgery, was quoted as saying by the Spanish press quotThe operation ...ltpgtSee original here lta targetquotblankquot hrefquothttpwww.tribalfootball.comarticlessurgeonexpectsrealmadridstrikerhiguainmissfourmonths1381861quot titlequotSurgeon expects Real Madrid striker Higuain to miss four monthsquotgtSurgeon expects Real Madrid striker Higuain to miss four monthsltagt

Real Madrid fans: Bernabeu with Mourinho until death

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ltabbrgtReal Madrid fans made their support to ltabbrgtJose Mourinho clear during victory over Real ltabbrgtMallorca.Acircnbspltabbrgtltabbrgtltabbrgtltspan idquotmore313quotgtltspangtFans turned up yesterday concerned with reports that Mourinho was getting itchy feet over his public row with general manager Jorge Valdano.AcircnbspBut Real fans unfurled two large banners in support of the coach.AcircnbspOne read quotNo violence or villain, the Bernabeu to death with Mourinho.quotAcircnbspquotI appreciate it, but I do not need the support,quot said Mourinho. quotIts more important we all support the players, the team.quotAcircnbspIts all kicking off again! Click here for the No1 coverage of Real Madrids winter market transfer news.

Real Madrid would welcome back Van Nistelrooy

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ltpgt Mourinho would be quotvery happyquot if Dutchman returnedltpgtVisit link lta targetquotblankquot hrefquothttpsports.yahoo.comsownewsslugreuspainrealvannistelrooytvquot titlequotReal Madrid would welcome back Van NistelrooyquotgtReal Madrid would welcome back Van Nistelrooyltagt

The History of Barcelona V Real Madrid

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Football is full of professional rivalries Liverpool Vs Everton, Manchester United Vs Man. City, Arsenal Vs Tottenham, however none of them are arguably as explosive as games between Barcelona and Real Madrid. ltspan idquotmore321quotgtltspangtWhenever the two teams meet, the match even has its own name El Clasico and is billed as one of the most exciting matches to watch in the world.Like many professional rivalries in sport, the BarcelonaReal Madrid animosity stems from a general competition between the two cities. During the Civil War, Madrid was an ally of General Franco, where as Barcelona was more tied to its Catalan roots and resented Francos attempted control. They had their reasons Franco was determined to unify the country and therefore quash Barcelonas traditions and independence, including trying to wipe out its local language Castilian Spanish.During the Civil War, Barcelona was even told to deliberately lose a game against Madrid on Francos orders. They took this to the extreme and lost 111. Officials were so incensed, that the Barcelona team was fined and suspended. This started the beginning of the rivalry and saw Real Madrid seize the lead, wining five European Cup titles.Real Madrid became the most respected and well known team on the planet until 1961 when Barcelona fought back with a vengeance, knocking Madrid out of the European Cup tournament. This took the rivalry to a whole new level.Barcelona also refuse certain commercial aspects that other teams utilise, such as sponsorship and other moneygrabbing schemes. The fact that Real Madrid do so, is also seen as sticking it to the opposition, who Barcelona see as selling out, as opposed to them being a sporting club in it for the glory.Today, when players move between the teams, the newspapers make an event of it. In 2000, Luis Figo moved from Barcelona to Real Madrid for a record transfer fee, but as a result incurred the wrath of fans who let their displeasure be known by throwing rubbish and even a pigs head at him during matches.While the rivalry is a symbiotic relationship, with both teams needing each other to make the headlines and drawing the crowds, the rivalry is as strong as even. Both teams are members of the G14 group a collective of the 14 most powerful football teams on the planet, and whenever the two teams meet for a match, it is always a sell out event with millions of others tuning in to watch the clash.Paul spends a lot of time in Barcelona and sometimes works with lta hrefquothttpwww.barcelonafootballtickets.comsitemapRealMadridFootballTickets.htmlquot targetquotnewquotgtBarcelona Real ticketsltagt and lta hrefquothttpwww.barcelonaadventure.comquot targetquotnewquotgtBarcelona Stag weekendsltagt.