La Liga Matchday 24: Real Madrid and Atletico go Goal Crazy (Highlights)

Its as you were a the top of La Liga as Real Madrid and Barcelona got the better of Tenerife and Malaga respectively. Real Madrid were by far the more convincing of the two, as they produced yet another display of blistering attacking football, which blew away the relegation candidates from the Canaries. Gonzalo Higuain got his fifth double of the season so far, whilst Raul's last gasp fifth made him the third highest scorer in La Liga history. The other scorers were Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka as their partnership goes from strength to strength. Barcelona had to work hard for their three points, as they enjoyed a total monopoly of the ball, but found a Malaga defence in resolute mood. Pedro opened the scoring, but once Valdo equalised with only ten minutes remaining it looked as if Barcelona were going to finish the weekend joint top with their eternal rivals. but up stepped the world finest, Lionel Messi, to finish off a scintillating team move to ensure Barca maintained their two point advantage at the top. Many, including myself, had written off Real Madrid not too long ago. How wrong we were.

Tenerife 1 - 5 Real Madrid
(0-1) 29' Higuain, (0-2) 41' Higuain, (1-2) 46' Ayoze, (1-3) 48' Kaka, (1-4)  79' Cristiano Ronaldo (p), (1-5) 91' Raul

Barcelona 2 - 1 Malaga
(1-0) 68' Pedro, (1-1) 80' Valdo, (2-1) 83' Messi

Atletico Madrid 4 - 1 Valencia
(0-1) 20' Silva, (1-1) 29' Forlan (p), (2-1) 77' Aguero, (3-1) 85' Forlan, (4-1) 92' Jurado

Villarreal 1 - 0 Deportivo La Coruna

(1-0) 35' Llorente

Sevilla 0 - 0 Athletic Bilbao

Xerez 1 - 1 Espanyol

(0-1) 18' Osvaldo, (1-1) 76' Bermejo

Getafe 0 - 2 Real Zaragoza

(0-1) 3' Suazo, (0-2) 19' Suazo

Real Valladolid 1 - 2 Mallorca

(1-0) 49' Bueno, (1-1) 69' Ruben, (1-2) 83' Julio Alvarez

Sporting Gijon 3 - 2 Osasuna

(1-0) 17' De La Cuevas, (1-1) Nekounam 38' (p), (1-2) 49' Vadocz, (2-2) 70' Barral, (3-2) 80' Diego Castro (p)

Racing Santander 0 - 2 Almeria

(0-1) 29' Soriano, (0-2) 67' Cruzat

Champions League: Alvaro Negredo grabs Sevilla vital away goal

CSKA Moscow 1 - 1 Sevilla

(1-0) 25' Negredo, (1-1) 66' Mark Gonzalez

Sevilla have Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo to thank for securing a vital away goal in the Luzhniki Stadium against CSKA Moscow. Not the most entertaining of games, but with a solid defensive showing, epitomised by Julian Escude and Fabio, coupled with a goal that owed much to a burst of pace from the king of assists, Jesus Navas, Sevilla escaped the cold of Moscow with a creditable draw. Sevilla sat back on their lead, and were punished when ex-Real Betis man Mark Gonzalez rifled in a spectacular long range effort which leaves the tie firmly in the balance for the return leg in two weeks time. Indeed it could have been worse for Sevilla had it not been for a prodigious stop from Andres Palop after Necid had broken free in the box. All eyes had been on Ivan Krasic before the match, but the young Serb, who is the subject of much attention from some of Europes finest, failed to live up to expectations.

Champions League: Barcelona get vital away goal in Stuttgart

Stuttgart 1 - 1 Barcelona
(1-0) 26' Cacau, (2-0) 52' Ibrahimovic

Barcelona will leave Germany relatively content with their nights work, but it could easily have been a different story were it not for Victor Valdes and poor finishing from Stuttgart during a rampant opening half. Barcelona had no answer to Stuttgart in the first 45 minutes, with the Barca players looking shellshocked at their total lack of possession as they soaked up some incessant pressure. Rafael Marquez struggled badly against Cacau, Messi was swarmed off the ball, Xavi left his wand at home, Pique could easily have given away a penalty and Ibrahimovic cut a lonely figure upfront. Jens Lehmann (one of footballs most hated men?) was up to his usual tricks, whilst teammate Alexander Hleb was on a one-man mission to obiterate his former employers. Striker Cacau headed in the opening goal after 26 minutes, with Valdes to thank for keeping it that way until half-time.

But whatever Pep Guardiola said at the break, it worked as Barca reappeared a different side. And it only took them 7 minutes to score that vital away goal as Zlatan Ibrahimovic found space inside the area to slot in at the second attempt from close range; his first goal in this years Champions League. From then on Xavi and Messi saw plenty of the ball, but there were to be no clear openings and so Barca enter the second leg with the clear advantage. It can only go one way at the Camp Nou.

More of Jay Z

Very cute and hilarious short interview with Jonathan Ross of BBC channel.

stoked part 11

part 11a of the stoked series

ALKALINE TRIO- This Addiction

< checkout this song 'Dead on the floor'
After expanding their musical boundaries with their last two albums (Crimson and Agony&Irony), ALK3 is returning back to their punkrock roots.

Their seventh studio release takes cues from their dearly loved earlier records, such as the classic Goddammit and From Here To Infirmary.

checkout interview with Alk3's Matt Skiba here
checkout 'This Addiction' music video here

__________________________________________________________

part 11b of the stoked series

Crime In Stereo- i was trying to describe you to someone

The shape of hardcore to come?

Crime In Stereo rewrote the melodic hardcore rulebook with 2007's Is Dead, so it figures they would junk it altogether for 'I was Trying to Describe You To Someone', its equally ambitious, unpredictable follow-up.
Alternative Press already reviewed this release, the verdict is 4.5 out of 5 stars< checkout this song 'Drugwolf'

La Liga Monday: David Villa strikes twice to sink Getafe

Valencia 2 - 1 Getafe

(1-0) 39' Villa, (2-0) 52' Villa, (2-1) 76' Manu

Valencia fought their way to a vital three points in their fight for the best of the rest, as David Villa returned to goalscoring ways with a double that ultimately sunk a battling Getafe. 'Chori' Dominguez is starting to show why Unai Emery was so keen to sign him this winter as he put in a fine shift, frequently leaving Cata Diaz in his wake as Valencia mounted a series of attacks in the opening half. Indeed it was the Argentinian who set up David Villas first with a burst of pace that took him past the defender, and an inch-perfect cross which only required a simple touch from Villa. Valencia may not be watertight in defence but if you give them space in attack, they are capable of tearing apart any defence, as David Silva and David Villa showed with the second; Silva stealing the ball and setting lose Villa who produced a delightful chip which left an onrushing Codina grasping at thin air. Alexis was harshly sent off for a second yellow after an hour, and even though Manu pulled one back for Getafe, the locals held on to move four points ahead of Sevilla.

La Liga Sunday: The Cristiano Ronaldo Show

Real Madrid 6 - 2 Villarreal

(1-0) 18' Cristiano Ronaldo, (2-0) 20' Kaká (p), (2-1) 30' Senna, (3-1) 54' Higuaín, (3-2) 66' Nilmar, (4-2) 71' Higuaín, (5-2) 79' Kaká, (6-2) 87' Alonso (p)

Cristiano Ronaldo single-handedly ripped Villarreal apart as he scored a free-kick and set up three more as Real Madrid kept up their 100% record at the Bernabeu. The Portuguese star was simply untouchable with a magical show of speed, trickery and pure power. His free-kick was almost as unstoppable as his barnstorming runs, and Villarreal had no answer. Gonzalo Higuaín and Kaká chipped in with two goals apiece, as Real Madrid served up some scintillating football to appease those fans who had been calling for Manuel Pelligrinis head after the defeat in Lyon. Though there will still be some who will be concerned with how Madrid kept letting Villarreal back in the match early on, although both goals from the Yellow Submarine were worthy of a game of such quality. Back to two points behind Barcelona, the battle for La Liga is hotting up nicely.

Almería 1 - 0 Atletico Madrid

(1-0) 86' Piatti

Right now, if Atlético Madrid don't score, you can say with almost 100% certainty that they'll lose. Whether it be Perea, Ujfalusi, Antonio Lopez or one of their two keepers, someone will commit a howler that costs Atlético dear. Today it was a catalogue of poor clearances that eventually led to Piatti slipping in the winning goal with only four minutes left. It was desparately harsh on Atlético who had created a number of chances, none more so than Tiago, who rattled the crossbar with a scorcher after 80 minutes. Jose Antonio Reyes continued his good run of form with another spritely performance, but with Diego Forlán still looking a shade of last seasons topscorer. Quique continues to start Sergio Agüero on the bench, which certainly doesnt help matters, but even so Atlético still has the artillery to trouble any team, as Barca found out last week. But credit to Almería and their Brazilian keeper Diego Alves, who frustrated Atletico all night long, and struck when it hurts most. Juanma Lillo has done a fantastic job since he replaced Hugo Sanchez, and their presence in La Liga next season is looking more assured with every passing week.

Real Zaragoza 1 - 3 Sporting Gijon
(0-1) 38' Bilic, (0-2) 63' Luis Moran, (1-2) 92' Arizmendi, (1-3) 93' Barral

Sporting Gijon got back to winning ways with a commanding 3-1 win over struggling Real Zaragoza, who find themselves perilously close to the relegation zone once more. Spurred on by yet another impressive away following (best set of fans in La Liga?), Sporting swarmed over a disorganised home side, Mate Bilic taking advantage of some hesitant defending to put Sporting one-up and Luis Moran firing across Carrizo for the second. Arizmendi managed to get Zaragoza on the scoresheet, after an impressive dribble and cross from substitute Jermaine Pennant, but even that was a false dawn as Sporting raged forward to score a classic counter-attacking goal with the last move of the match, Barral applying the finishing touch. Real Zaragoza cannot afford many more slip-ups like this at home, as we all know what they are like on their travels. Sporting will be delighted with this victory after their recent run of form, and the three points ease any worries over a relegation scrap.

Athletic Bilbao 4 - 1 Tenerife

(1-0) 17' Llorente, (2-0) 22' Toquero, (3-0) 51' Iraola, (3-1) 59' Alfaro, (4-1) 63' Gabilondo

Only one team in this on as Athletic Bilbao destroyed lowly Tenerife to plant themselves one point behing Mallorca who occupy the final UEFA spot. Fernando Llorente put them on their way early doors, converting a penalty won by Toqeuro which saw defender Culebras harshly sent off. Gaizka Toquero killed the game as a contest after only 22 minutes with a wonderfully executed goal, as he was put through one-on-one after some route one football from Athletic. Iraola and Gabilondo got the thrid and fourth goals and were it not for a solid performance from goalie Sergio Aragoneses, it could so easily have been a rout. Tenerife appear to be joining Xerez in a one-way slide into La Segunda, whilst Athletic Bilbao begin to mount a serious assault on the European positions.

Malaga 2 - 1 Espanyol

(1-0) 17' Fernando, (1-1) 45' Victor Ruiz, (2-1) 75' Obinna

Osasuna 1 - 1 Real Valladolid

(0-1) 80' Medjunanin, (1-1) 86' Camuñas

La Liga Saturday: Barcelona steamroll Racing Santander (Highlights)

Barcelona 4 - 0 Racing Santander

(1-0) Iniesta, (2-0) Henry, (3-0) Marquez, (4-0) Thiago

A comfortable, if unspectacular, victory for Barcelona against a Racing Santander side that looked beaten from the start. Barca moved the ball around well in the first half, even without their midfield crafstman Xavi Hernandez, but it was the helping hand of an absent Racing defence that allowed Iniesta to slot his side infront (unbelievably his first goal since that famous strike against Chelsea last season), before two beautifully crafted free-kicks from Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez put them out of sight before half-time. The second half saw Barcelona take the foot off the accelerator, as you would expect with their Champions League tie against Stuttgart coming up this week. Youngster Thiago put the icing on the cake with a deflected goal in the dying minutes, his first in a Barca shirt. Sergio Canales didnt enjoy his first visit to the Camp Nou as a Real Madrid player, as Racing Santander offered very little in a one-sided affair. The pressure is now on Real Madrid as they prepare to host Villarreal tomorrow, with their rivals now 5 points ahead once more.

 

 

Deportivo La Coruña 2 - 1 Xerez

(1-0) 3' Guardado, (2-0) 7' Riki, (2-1) 36' Bermejo

 

It's a sad yet aweinspiring sight. Xerez slide closer to La Segunda with every passing weekend, but aren't they doing themselves proud. 2-0 down after only seven minutes, they could be forgiven for folding, but they simply roll their sleeves up and fight as if their lives depend on it. They may lack the quality, but if leagues were decided by guts and determination, they'd be challenging for the title. Guardado struck a penalty after only three minutes, and the impressive Riki doubled their lead four minutes later as Xerez threatened to self-destruct. But typified by the battling warrior Sidi Keita, Xerez brought themselves back in with with Mario Bermejos effort and more than played their part in a thoroughly entertaining match that flowed from end to end. It says it all that Xerez were sent from the Riazor with the sound of the Depor support singing 'Xerez es de Primera'. Heartwarming.

 

Mallorca 1 - 3 Sevilla

(1-0) 5' Mario Suarez, (1-1) 23' Jesus Navas, (1-2) 56' Dragutinovic, (1-3) 62' Perotti

One of the surprise success stories of the season so far ended tonight as Mallorca fell to their first home defeat of the season against Sevilla, leaving Real Madrid as the only undefeated home side in the league. Mallorca took an early lead through Mario Suarez, but from then on it was all about Jesus Navas, as he levelled the scores after a mix-up between Aourate and his defender, with the dimuntive winger running riot down Mallorcas left hand side, and even playing a part in Sevillas third when he delivered a pinpoint cross for Perottis decisive third goal. The match was marked by some pretty rigourous refereeing, which saw Alvaro Negredo (again), Ivan Ramis and Didier Zokora sent off. As Mallorca fall away from the fight for the Champions League spots, and Depor continue to blow hot and cold, it seems as if the race for third now has its very own two-horse race between Valencia and Sevilla.

Tiger came out the woods!

Yes it's tiger wood's first appearance since he crashed his car and got caught cheating! I have a great amount of respect for him even before this speech was made last mid night, but sometimes i guess cheating has a price to pay. I'll never look at him the same way i felt before, but non the less you are still a legend in my books. I wish him all the best and can't wait to see him perform again, and hopefully somehow wins his family back.

PS: Tonight will be clubbbbbbbbbing night for meeee =) Phuture here i come!!

UEFA Europa League: Atletico, Valencia, Athletic and Villarreal all suffer

A shocking night for the La Liga contingent in the UEFA Europa League as not one out of the four Spanish sides managed a win. Atletico Madrid can count themselves seriously unlucky as they put in another eye-catching performance against Frank Rijkaards Galatasaray, and looked to be on course for a well-earned win through in-form Jose Antonio Reyes' stunning free-kick. But just after the impressive De Gea had been taken off with a muscle strain, the defence went missing for a split second and it was enough for Keita to sneak in unmarked at the backpost to score a precious away goal. The result will be a blow, but playing like this, I wouldn´t bet against Atlético pulling it off in Turkey. They'll need a sharp Diego Forlán, a fired-up Sergio Agüero and for their back four to concentrate for the whole 90 minutes (possible?), but with players like Reyes and Simao hitting top form further up the field, they can travel to Istanbul in confident mood.

Villarreal took an early lead but had to come from behind to draw with Wolfsburg after prolific Brazilian striker Grafite had netted a brace. Athletic Bilbao also came from behind, as Gorka Iraizoz gifted Anderlecht their opener, with the Basque indebted to on-loan defender San Jose who grabbed the equaliser. Struggling Valencia have it all to do in their tie as their poor recent form continued tonight. A 1-0 defeat against Brugges, a red card for David Silva and another defensive injury to contend with, as Matheiu suffered a sprained ankle, capped off a thoroughly dismal evening for 'Los Che'. Unai Emery will be praying David Villas drought doesn't continue for much longer, because without his goals they are suffering. And how many times does that man hit the post?

UEFA Europa League (Round of  32: First Leg)

Atletico Madrid 1 - 1 Galatasaray

Villarreal 2 - 2 Wolfsburg

Brugge 1 - 0 Valencia

Athletic Bilbao 1 - 1 Anderlecht

Empire State of Mind

Yes it's the name of the song by Jay-Z & Alicia Keys. Not only the song is brilliant but their live performance has consistently blow your brains out! To me Jay is probably the best live rapper of all time and with Alicia's mad singing skills, how not to like this song. I can watch it over and over again, and i can't never miss out on any of their live ones from you tube. So this is the latest from Brit's 2010 awards show, enjoy!




Talk about singing/songs, American Idol finally finished their elimination rounds. Top 24 has been chosen and man... the episode is super tense and emotional =P This year's talent is really great and i can't wait to see them face off next week!

Champions League: Real Madrid slip up in Lyon (Highlights)

Real Madrid made a faltering start to their Champions League round of 16 tie against Lyon as they fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat. Two statistics tell the story of the match; Real Madrid enjoyed a whopping 66% of possession, yet Lyon managed 18 shots on goal to Reals 16. Xavi Alonso, Granero and Mahamadou Diarra saw plenty of the ball, but as soon as it got up to Kaká, Ronaldo and Higuiaín, Lyon were quick to double up, win the ball back and hit their opponents on the break. Luckily for Real Madrid, Lisandro Lopez didn't have his shooting boots on as he peppered Casillas' goal. Cristiano was full of tricks, including one outrageous backheel that fed Gonzalo Higuain but as with most of Reals attacks, the chance went begging.

Lyons 4-1-4-1 formation stifled Madrid throughout, and the French side came closest to scoring in a tight first half with a fantastic volley from Delgado from outside the area that smacked the post with Iker stranded. But it took Lyon only two minutes to open the scoring in the second half, as Granero carelessly lost possession in the middle, allowing Jean Makoun to surge forward and sent a rasping, swerving shot past the despairing dive of Iker Casillas. The goal should have served to wake Madrid from their slumber, but they failed to create any clear cut chances apart from a viscious Ronaldo snapshot that Hugo Lloris tipped round the post. Plenty of possesion; little bite. All in all a lacklustre evening for Manuel Pellegrini and his men, as they fall to their third straight loss in the Stade Gerland. They will also have to contend without the suspended Marcelo and Xabi Alonso in the second leg as their march towards a possible final in the Bernabeu is met with fierce French resistance. With all that money spent this summer, they dare not complete a comeback in two weeks time.

Tenerife victory in first La Liga Monday match

Tenerife 1 - 0 Mallorca

(1-0) 13' Nino

Tenerife secured three points at home against Mallorca, in La Ligas first ever monday match. The move to arrange monday night fixtures has been met with a little bemusement among fans in Spain, with saturday and sunday league football so ingrained within spanish society, but 18,000 Tenerife fans responded by almost filling the Heliodoro, and there was extra colour and vibrancy within the stands with the island celebrating the Carnival this week. They had even more to celebrate when Nino put them ahead after 13 minutes, although his positioning for the goal had more than a whiff of offside about it. Apart from another solid performance from Borja Valero, Mallorca were never at the races, and they missed out on a glorious opportunity to stick themselves in the top four. Tenerife, meanwhile, edge closer to the pack in their fights against relegation.

randomness #1

part 1 of the randomness series

L-r; joker, jim, epi, dino, na'me, sham, amin

circa 1997
joker : currently practise in dub**
jim    : currently m.i.a
epi    : just back from dublin. currently practise in Kuching
dino  : currently practise in london
na'me: currently practise in manchester
sham: currently in family business in KL
amin : currently practise in KL. future firm principal

on the deck: Tsunami Bomb's El-Diablo (from 'The Ultimate Escape')
their female vocal 'Agent M' rule!

tweak

an attempt to spice up the blog
i will add two new features:

appendix (a) new serial
randomness- miscellaneous lame photos

appendix (b) at the end of each blog entry
on the deck- shitty music that i currently listening into
 
sad rite? example on the next post

Chinese New Year update

Remember i went to Genting the other day? Well, lets just say i wished i did not, lol! I ended up losing quite a lot and din't expect it to be that BAD..

But so far the gambling sessions in open houses has been not bad, i think i am up in terms if i do not include what i lost in Genting. Hopefully i could still gain back that money in lost :(

I will only start posting all the pictures i've taken during visiting after CNY, so until then, i guess i wont be posting anything else :)

Happy Gambling

Barcelona lose Xavi as injury crisis worsens

Barcelonas injury crisis took another hit this morning when it was confirmed that Xavi Hernandez has been struck by a muscle tear in his right leg, rendering Barcelonas midfield wizard out of action for two weeks. This means the brains behind Barcelona and Spains recent run of glory is out of the league ties against Racing Santander next weekend at the Camp Nou and away at Malaga the week after, as well as the Champions League clash next week against Stuttgart. A massive headache for Pep Guardiola who already has to contend with the absences of Eric Abidal, Dani Alves, Toure Yaya, Chygrynskiy and Seydou Keita, who was also injured against Atlético Madrid.

Pep quite rightly states that these things happen in football, and they will have to make do with the resources available, just as Real Madrid did when they lost Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, Pepe and Ruud Van Nistlerooy for considerable periods of time. Barca will be boosted by the returns of Gerard Pique and Rafael Marquez at the back, so whilst the defence should now be in safe hands, it is now the midfield that will concern Guardiola. Xavi is an vital cog in the Barca machine, and without him that effortless link between defence and attack will be missing. The manager will surely stick with the 4-3-3 formation that has served them so well against Stuttgart, so whilst Lionel Messi and Pedro will be tasked with providing the width upfront, it is the central three that will be threadbare.

Sergio Busquets is available for that Champions League QF first-leg, but against Racing Santander he is suspended, leaving Barca short of that specialist defensive midfielder so important to their formation. Without him, Toure Yaya nor Seydou Keita, you have to think that against Santander, Pep might even have to switch to a 4-4-2, with Lionel Messi and Ibra upfront, and Thierry Henry, Andrés Iniesta, Pedro and Jeffren in the middle. A seriously attacking midfield quartet, but unless Guardiola wants to delve into the Barcelona B side, it's all he will have available. It's that or stick with the usual formation and push Pique or Marquez forward into midfield. Barcelona enter into a critical couple of weeks that will shape their season, with Real Madrid breathing down their necks at home and an important Champions League quarter-final to negotiate in Europe. They'll be glad they only drew Stuttgart and that Racing are suffering from an injury and suspension crisis of their own.

La Liga Sunday: Atletico Madrid hand first league defeat to Barcelona

Atlético Madrid 2 - 1 Barcelona

(1-0) 9' Forlan, (2-0) 22' Simoa, (2-1) 26' Ibrahimovic

Real Madrid have shot straight back into the reckoning after their rivals from across the city, Atletico Madrid did them a huge favour by inflicting a frist league defeat of the season on a weakened Barcelona side in the Vicente Calderon. The Jeckyl and Hyde of La Liga put on a dazzling show of attacking football that had them 2-0 up within 22 minutes after Diego Forlans clinical finish from Reyes' through ball and Simaos peach of a free-kick. That man Perea did his best to ruin the party, letting Zlatan Ibrahimovic escape his grasp to knock in after Carlos Puyol had caused chaos in the Atletico box from a corner, but they more than held on as they had several opportunities to add to their lead. Barcelona had sent out an unfamiliar looking defence after their numerous injuries and it got worse after only two minutes when Seydou Keita went off injured. Neither Xavi, Iniesta or Messi looked anywhere near their best as Barca fell to a defeat that breathes new life into La Liga.  

Sevilla 1 - 0 Osasuna
(1-0) 34' Luis Fabiano

Sevilla just about did enough to beat a limited Osasuna side and finish the weekend within the Champions League spots. It was hardly a classic, with Sevilla not offering their usual attacking penache and Osasuna not daring to overdo it in their search for an equaliser; a tactic that ultimately lead to their demise. Diego Capel responded well to being recalled to the starting line-up with a inch-perfect assist onto Luis Fabianos head. The Brazilian striker is guaranteed goals, and his strike today was as good a header as you'll see all season.

Real Valladolid 1 - 1 Real Zaragoza

(1-0) 22' Diego Costa, (1-1) 39' Humberto Suazo

A draw that doesn't do much for either team although Real Zaragoza will be the happier of the two teams, finishing the weekend two points above todays rivals. Diego Costa put Real Valladolid ahead, taking full advantage of another disastrous misunderstanding between the Zaragoza defence, with keeper Carrizo mostly at fault once again. Humberto Suazo drew Real Zaragoza level only 17 minutes later with a glorious chip, and although Ander Herrera got sent off for a stupid foul on Costa, the subject of many second-half fouls, 'Los Maños' held it together at the back to head back to Aragon with a priceless point.

Getafe 2 - 2 Almeria

(0-1) 46' Piatti, (1-1) 54' Casquero, (2-1) 70' Soldado, (2-2) 92' Soriano

Getafe let slip an excellent opportunity to edge closer to European spots after keeper Jordi Codina committed a shocker which allowed Soriano to salvage a well-earned draw for Almeria. Juanma Lillos side had even gone infront just after half time through Piatti, but Getafe responded with two goals through Casquero and one for Roberto Soldado on his 100th game in Spanish football. Almeria earn a vital point in their fight against the drop.

Racing Santander 0 - 3 Malaga

(0-1) 8' Weligton, (0-2) 34' Caicedo, (0-3) 66' Obinna

Espanyol 2 - 0 Deportivo La Coruña

(1-0) 38' Verdu, (2-0) 59' Callejon

La Liga Saturday: Cristiano Ronaldo scores double in Xerez

Xerez 0 - 3 Real Madrid
(0-1) 64' Arbeloa, (0-2) 70' Cristiano Ronaldo, (0-3) 71' Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid didn't falter as they successfully added extra pressure on Barcelona at the top of La Liga. It wasn't pretty and it took them until the 64th minute to make the breakthrough, but once they did they devastated a worn-out Xerez side that had given as good as they had got. The atmosphere inside Chapin was predictably hostile and they got right behind their side as they got stuck into Real Madrids new galacticos. Xerez even had the better of the chances in the first 45 minutes as Momo and Carlos Calvo could easily have out their side infront. But in the second half, they tired badly and after Arbeloa had put Madrid infront with his first goal in Spanish football, finishing off a slick move with a wonderfully calm finish, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká took over. For Cristianos first, Kaká whipped over a lovely ball that Ronaldo bullet-headered into the net. One minute later the Brazilian repeated the trick with a squared pass in the area that Ronaldo tucked away with minimal fuss. Thats what €150 million gets you. The biggest disappointment of the match was Gonzalo Higuaín, who went completely missing and was subbed after 66 minutes. But today was all about Cristiano as a ruthless Madrid leave Jerez with three points in the bag, with an injury-hit Barca under pressure to maintain their five point advantage at Atlético tomorrow.

Villarreal 2 - 1 Athletic Bilbao

(1-0) 5' Capdevila, (1-1) 24' Gabilondo, (2-1) 45' Nilmar

A fantastic game of football that was soured by an absolutely disgraceful last 5 minutes that saw 4 red cards and a missed penalty. Joan Capdevila put the Yellow Submarine infront, slotting past Iraizoz after a delicious dummy from Robert Pires put him through one on one. The full-back is deadly infront of goal. Then Gabilondo responded for Athletic with a stunning goal from outside the area the gave Diego Lopez no chance. Villarreal looked more like there former self as they set about Bilboa with the verve and tenacity of old. Brazilian striker then put the home side back ahead as he raced onto Canis inch perfect pass to slot in. He could have had a couple more in the second half, but whilst the scoreline didnt budge, plenty of players gave themselves an early shower as the game turned into a brawl in the final few minutes. Iker Munian won his side a penalty with one minute left, with what looked like a dive, but Iraola was unable to covert the penalty; he fifth missed penalty in his fledgling career. Then the match turned nasty. First to go were Godin and Javi Martinez. The Bilbao midfielder was shown a red for a raised elbow, whilst Godins red looked less clear, but must have been for something he did in the aftermath. Joaquin Caparros went sent off for protesting, and Orbaiz quickly followed for a disgraceful tug of Marco Rubens hair.

Sporting Gijon 1 - 1 Valencia

(1-0) 5' Diego Castro, (1-1) 76' Mata

Xerez v Real Madrid: David v Goliath

Tonight Chapin will see security the like of which it has never seen before. Local derbies against Cadiz will have provoked increased police presence in the past, but the visit of Cristiano Ronaldo and company will surpass even the strictest measures seen at Xerez, as they host Real Madrid for the first time in their history. But whilst there is unlikely to be any problems in that regard, Real Madrid are seriously concerned about the state of the Chapin pitch. As you can see from the photo, it's seen better days, and is certainly no pitch for first division football. But they should count themselves lucky, they only have to play on it once. Xerez have to play on it every other week. But to say thats the main reason for their demise this season would be churlish. Goals, or a lack of, is the reason they are where they are. Gonzalo Higuaín has scored the same amount of goals this year than the whole of the Xerez squad. Although with 4 goals in their last two matches, there is reason for optimism within the blue army ranks.

Tonight sees the return of Cristiano Ronaldo who has been suspended for the last two league matches. Madrid achieved six points out of six in that time with convincing wins against Depor and Getafe, but even so all eyes will be, and have been, on CR9 after a turbulent couple of weeks following his run in with Mtiligas face. But his return is soured by an injury crisis that has robbed the Madrileños of several players. Real Madrid come to town minus Karim Benzema, Guti, Pepe, Rafeal Van der Vaart and Gago. Still, with a midfield diamond of Kaká, Xabi Alonso, Granero and Lass topped off with Higuain and Ronaldo up top, they are a match for any side in world football, let alone little Xerez.

So can Xerez do the unthinkable and beat Real Madrid? To be fair to my adopted team, even a draw would be a spectacular result. It says it all when you think that last summer, as Real Madrid were chasing the biggest names in football, Xerez were looking to contract a gardener. Looking at the state of the grass, they didnt break the bank with that signing. The pace and trickery of Momo and Carlos Calvo will be vital, as they look to exploit Marcelos positional frailty and Arbeloas lack of speed. My new hero Sidi Keita will need to be at his hustling best, throwing himself into tackles as his life depended on it as he attempts to stem the creativity of Alonso and Kaka. Mario Bermejo simply cannot let a chance go begging and the defensive line cannot go to sleep as they have so many times this season. The pitch will play a huge role, as it almost converts the game into a cup tie, and we all know what happened to Real Madrid when they made that fateful journey down the A5 to Alcorcón in October. The upper realms of the club have let us down again, charging a ridiculous €55 for entry to season-ticket holders, but one things for sure, the players will do us proud. Let the battle commence.

Happy Chinese New Year !

Hey'all!!

First of all Happy Chinese New Year to all my Chinese friends & if you are celebrating Valentines Day, screw you =P Cause mine isn't around!! I hope you guys enjoy it as much as i can enjoy with my baby through MSN, how romantic :D

Well tomorrow is the EVE, and i practically have not much stuffs to do today except for running around to get some things done. I went to One Utama as early as 10AM to grab my babie's cotton pads, and some brown tape for the box, then went home to pack it & headed to the post office! After that i also went over to TM COCK Point to see whats the situation with my Streamyx upgrading plan. Apparently its done 8days ago, but my internet connection is still the same shit ass speed, so they have lodge a report to the technician team. Hopefully those fuckers can settle this piece of shit by next week, real dick heads.

On a brighter note I think i will be heading to Genting with Tim & Calvin to kill some time, and hopefully win some money! But the main purpose going up is the weather... Kuala Lumpur heat is burning through my skin and i swear it's not funny anymore, i could shower and sweat in the next couple of minutes.. Wish my baby could go up with me, missss you presence there. Plus you are now old enough to enter the CASINO!! Woohohooo =D

Time to get ready for my 1 day Genting trip, pray pray i win some money back to start my Chinese New Year gambling =D

Happy Holidays and Drive safe everyoneeeeee!
Cheers

Copa del Rey Final: Sevilla v Atlético Madrid - 19th May 2010

Just like Sevilla before them, Atlético Madrid booked their ticket to the final of the Copa del Rey with a defeat. In truth the tie was over as a contest after 9 minutes, but Racing Santander had threatened to start a comeback to match all comebacks when they opened the scoring after 3 minutes, as Juan Valera turned the ball into his own net. Yet as soon as Jose Moratón returned the compliment six minutes later, Racing needed five goals to send themselves through. So inevitably heads dropped and the crowd lost all will to urge their team on.

As soon as Jurado knocked in a delightful second following a neat one-two with Sergio Agüero, it really was all over, although Atlético decided to treat us all to some more appauling defending as David De Gea and Tomas Ujfalusi both commited criminal errors during the last two minutes that allowed Xisco and Mohamed Tchite to give ten-man Racing (Christian received a straight red for a forearm in Ibrahims face) the consolation of at least winning the second leg. The long-suffering Atlético fans and players finally have their shot at a piece of silverware ten years after last appearing in a cup final, and after months of nothing but misery in La Liga. The fans will rightly lap up the occasion, but a final against Sevilla will be a tough ask unless they sort out these defensive lapses that seem to be occuring with alarming frequency. The final is scheduled to be held on 19th May in Barcelonas Camp Nou Stadium, for the first time in 40 years.

Raul off to US Major League for career swansong

Raúl González Blanco appears set to end his illustrious career in the United States Major League after the New York Red Bulls offered the Real Madrid legend a juicy contract for next season. It would mean an end to a glorious 17-year career in the Bernabeu, where the striker has contributed to six La Liga titles, four Spanish Supercups, three Champions League trophies, two Intercontintal Cups and a European Supercup.

Ever since a fresh-faced 17 year-old Raul broke onto the scene with a dashing performance against Real Zaragoza in La Romareda, he has racked up 364 goals in 816 matches, averaging just under a goal every two matches. His finest season came in 2000/2001 when he totalled 32 goals in 50 matches in all competitions. He reached 100 La Liga goals at just 22 years of age with a goal against Zaragoza and is the all-time leading goalscorer in Clasicos with 15 goals against Barcelona. A Real Madrid legend in every meaning of the accolade.

Rauls current contract with Madrid runs until 2011, although if he feels like spending more time on the pitch than the bench at this stage in his career, a move to the America would provide him with just that, with Real Madrid unlikely to provide any obstacles to the move. He might also be tempted by New Yorks plan to unite him with Thierry Henry and Paolo Maldini, as they seek to build a European Legends elect. If New York pulled it off, it would be a fantastic signing for the Major League. He might not be the player he was, and he receives plenty of flak, even from his own fans, but he can still stick the ball in the net and is no less fit now than he was when he stepped on the Romareda turf 17 years ago. A tough decision awaits for 'El Ferrari'.

Copa del Rey: Sevilla reach Cup final with nervy defeat at Getafe

Sevilla reached the final of the Copa del Rey in defeat as they fell 1-0 to a fired up Getafe, but go through courtesy of their 2-0 victory last week. A rampant Getafe were all over Sevilla from start to finish, with Pedro Leon and Manu constant threats down the wings, and Boateng and Casquero dominating Romaric and Zokora in the central areas. Manolo Jimenez charged up an already electric atmosphere inside the Coliseum as he was unceremoniously sent to the stands after 25 minutes, complaining that Boateng deserved a red for an elbow on Diego Perotti. In a scene reminiscent of Arsene Wengers debacle at Old Trafford last year, he sat in the stands only to be approached by aggrieved Getafe fans. He wisely exited the arena.

Back on the pitch, Andrés Palop embarked upon another of his one-man missions to win Sevilla the cup as he thwarted a whole host of Getafe chances, the most notable of which was a prodigious one-handed stop from a Boateng drive with only seconds remaining. Roberto Soldado did manage to get the better of the Sevilla keeper on 51 minutes with another classy finish in what is turning out to be an excellent season for the ex Real Madrid hotshot, but they couldnt add the vital second goal. So Sevilla await the winner of tomorrows semi-final between Racing Santander and Atlético Madrid, although with the Madrileños taking a 4-0 lead up north to Cantabria, Sergio Canales and company will have to pull something pretty special out of the bag for it not to be an all red and white final.

Guardiolas defensive dilemma for Atlético clash

Pep Guardiola has some problem on his hands as he tries to piece a defence together for sundays clash against Atlético Madrid in the Vicente Calderon. Gerard Pique and Rafael Marquez both received their marching orders against Getafe at the weekend, carrying with them a one-match sanction. Dani Alves, Toure Yaya (normally pushed back to the centre-back when needed) and Eric Abidal have all been ruled out through injury. So it's just as well Gabby Milito has just returned from a lengthy lay-off as Guardiolas faith in summer signing Chygrynskiy dwindles, although even the Ukranian looks set to be involved now Abidal has been sidelined. Providing talismanic captain Carlos Puyol shakes off a niggle, Barcas starting XI should look something like this:

4-3-3: Valdes; Maxwell, Chygrynskiy, Milito, Puyol; Xavi, Busquets, Keita; Messi, Ibrahimovic, Iniesta

Guardiola will surely opt for added defensive weight in the middle of the park, with Sergio Busquets and Seydou Keita both more than capable of shielding their back four whilst providing options in attack. The makeshift defence might have more work than usual in attempting to keep Diego Forlán and Agüero quiet, but on recent form, and even with this weakened side, you would have to predict a Barca win. That said, Atlético Madrid always seem to summon up something special for their match-ups against the Catalans at home. The white half of Madrid will be hoping thats the case come Sunday night.

La Liga Sunday Highlights: Real Zaragoza lift themselves out the relegation zone

Real Zaragoza 2 - 1 Sevilla

(1-0) 30' Contini, (1-1) 32' Kanoute, (2-1) 40' Negredo (o.g)

Sevilla clearly had their minds focused elsewhere as Real Zaragoza recorded an important win that lifted them out of the relegation zone. Manolo Jimenez rested Luis Fabiano and Jesus Navas, but the Sevilla team still had enough quality to trouble a newly-assembled Zaragoza outfit. They even managed to pull level only two minutes after going behind to Continis foirst goal for his new club, but a moment of indecision from striker Alvaro Negredo saw him divert the ball past Andres Palop for what proved to be the winning goal. Real Zaragoza will be pleased with what was probably their best performance of the season so far, but they were helped by an impotent Sevilla side who clearly wanted to get the game out of the way before their cup semi-final second leg against Getafe; a game that Stankevicius and Negredo will miss through suspension having seen red tonight.

Athletic Bilbao 3 - 2 Xerez
(1-0) 2' Muniain, (1-1) 10' Moreno, (1-2) 40' Bermejo, (2-2) 64' Llorente, (3-2) 88' Llorente

It's so painfully predictable, but once I saw Xerez 1-2 up at half-time, I just knew they would throw it away. They've finally got the knack of sticking the ball in the net (thats four in two now), but regardless of Renans best efforts, they find it impossible to keep the ball out of their own. Iker Muniain got Athletic off to the perfect start when he nodded in Toqueros cross, but credit to the Andalucians as they got right back in it with a screamer by veteran Vicente Moreno. Bermejo tapped in to give Xerez a surprise half time lead, but the second half was all Athletic and they got the two goals they needed for victory through their lethal international marksman, Fernando Llorente. Momo, Carlos Calvo, Keita and Vicente Moreno all played their hearts out and ran around as if their lives depended on it, but careless errors at the back get punished in La Liga and it's onto Real Madrid at home next saturday.

Racing Santander 1 - 1 Atlético Madrid
(0-1) 24' Forlán, (1-1) 36' Colsa

Strange how often two teams fighting out a cup tie also meet each other straight away in La Liga. Sandwiched inbetween their Copa del Rey semi-final Atlético Madrid and Racing Santander fought out a league encounter which was characterised by defensive mistakes. Infact both goals were the result of errors from both back fours as Forlán took advantage of a woeful attempt at an offside trap, whilst Colsa pounced upon yet another foul-up by underfire defender Perea. Racing were the only team who then went for the three points whilst Atletico set about conserving energy for this weeks second-leg; strange when you consider they take a 4-0 advantage to the Sardinero. Quique sat Sergio Agüero on the bench once more as he played Forlán alone upfront. A luxury Atletico surely cannot afford themselves as they sit 12th in La Liga.

Almería 3 - 1 Sporting Gijon
(0-1) 12' Diego Castro (p), (1-1) 15' Cruzat, (2-1) 42' Cisma, (3-1) 80' Guilherme

Entertaining encounter with Almeria doing a Barcelona on us and winning having played a large part of the match with ten men. It was a remarkable turnaround from Juanma Lillas men, after a handball from Chico in the 11th minute saw him sent off, with Castro converting the penalty to leave Almeria with a mountain to climb. But climb it they did, levelling almost immediately through Cruzat and even having the audacity to take the lea before the break when Cisma hit a shot that Juan Pablo simply had to stop, but contrived to let it in, unaware that the shot was on target. Sporting offered very little in the second half and went further behind when Guilherme sealed the points for the home side. Manuel Preciado will not be a happy man.

Mallorca 1 - 0 Villarreal
(1-0) 81' Nunes

Mallorca made it ten wins out of ten in the ONO Estadi, with only them and Real Madrid able to boast a clean sweep of home league wins. Villarreal were unlucky to leave the island empty-handed, but they simply didnt make the most of their opportunites, whilst Mallorca scored the only decent one that came their way; centre-back Nunes getting the goal with a header from Julio Alvarezs cross when only ten minutes remained. Nilmar and Llorente missed a hatful of chances for the Yellow Submarine, as Rossi was forced to miss the match due to a personal matter. Jose Carlos Garrido was unable to change Villarreals fortune on his debut, and he has a huge task ahead of him as he seeks to inject confidence into a beleagured side, so used to challenging for the Champions League spots in recent years.

Osasuna 1 - 0 Tenerife
(1-0) 47' Aranda

Málaga 0 - 0 Deportivo La Coruña

Euro 2012 Group Draw: Spain given easy ride to Ukraine and Poland

Spain were given an easy passage to the 2012 European Championship finals in Ukraine and Poland as they were drawn in one of the three smaller groups against Czech Republic, Scotland, Lithuania and Leichtenstein. Along with England, Spain have been drawn into one of the easier qualifying groups, with Italy, Germany, France and Portugal given tougher assignments.

Czech Republic jump out as the biggest threat in the group, but you have to remember that they didn't even manage to qualify for the World Cup. Then there's Scotland and Lithuania, who Spain should dispose of home and away, and the whipping boys from Leichtenstein who should pose no problems at all. Whilst Vicente del Bosque will be delighted with the draw, it will be brushed under the carpet for the time being as his and everyones prime focus is the World Cup this summer in South Africa, with Spain many peoples tip for glory.

The rest of the groups drawn today in Switzerland: (Ties to be played between 3rd September 2010 to 11th October 2011)

La Liga Saturday Highlights: Messi leads nine-men Barca to Getafe win

Barcelona 2 - 1 Getafe

(1-0) 5' Messi, (2-0) 66' Xavi, (2-1) 93' Soldado

Lionel Messi ran the show as Barcelona recorded an impressive win against Getafe, having played for more than 65 minutes with ten men. Messi gave Barca the lead with a cracking effort after only 5 minutes and it looked like a rout was on the cards as Barca mounted wave after wave of attacks. But then a moment of madness saw Gerard Pique sent off for a nasty challenge on Rafa, which threw the game wide open. Both teams went for the jugular, as Getafe could finally match their opponents now they were down to ten. But lead by a possessed Lionel Messi, Barca went two up when Xavi struck home just after the hour. Game over. But there was still to be some drama, as Marquez was sent off after felling Kepa, with Roberto Soldado slotting home the penalty. Guardiola didnt want to enter into any debates about the refereeing, but he'll have a few late nights as he ponders how to structure his side for their next match against Atlético Madrid without Pique, Marquez, Alves and Toure Yaya.

Real Madrid 3 - 0 Espanyol

(1-0) 5' Ramos, (2-0) 29' Kaká, (3-0) 90' Higuaín

Real Madrid offered their finest performance of the season so far as they took a resigned Espanyol apart at the seams. Kaká finally displayed the sort of form that made Florentino part with €60 million, whilst the back four and Iker Casillas hardly had anything to contend with the whole 90 minutes. Before the game, youngsters Javi Marquez and Verdú had been tipped to give Madrid a run for their money in the middle of the park, but they were blown away by Xabi Alonso, Guti and Granero as Real Madrid turned it up a notch, with some stylish football; toying with their opponents at times. Gonzalo Higuain came back from injury for an eye-catching cameo, topped off with a spectacular goal as the striker topped off Madrids impressive display. The way he took down Van der Vaarts pin-point 40 yard pass was magical, as it allowed him to turn inside the defender, race past Kameni and slot in. Real Madrid are really getting into their stride, and with Cristiano to come back next week, the race for the title is well and truely on.

Valencia 2 - 0 Real Valladolid

(1-0) 8' Banega, (2-0) 29' Villa

Valencia ran riot against Real Valladolid as only poor finishing stopped the scoreline from resembling that of a rugby match. It was Onésimos first match in charge of Valladolid, but the expressive manager was left exasperated on the touchline as his new troops simply couldn't handle the potency of Valencias fantastic four. But even they were a little off the boil as Pablo Hernandez never got into the game and Juan Mata and David Villa wasteful infront of goal. Eva Banega was once again Valencias main man, as he ran the show after scoring a wonderful goal from outside the box to put them one up. Villa headed in Valencias second and from then on it was a blur of white as Valencia set about that elusive third goal that never came. For Valladolid the signs were worrying, with only a couple of breaks from dangerman Diego Costa to show for their efforts. Onésimo has a hell of a job on his hands if he is to stave off relegation.