Thank you, Pep...and Villarreal-Osasuna

Good morning, dear Osasunists! Tonight Osasuna plays against Villarreal at El Madrigal with very different aims, overall if we remind at the beginning of the season the Mediterranean team was supposed to be on the top positions and Osasuna would have to struggle to avoid relegation to Second Division. Actually, the situation is the opposite. We, as Osasunists, have a calculator in our pockets with our home keys. After this week European matches and the European League final confrontation Atletico-Athletic, plus the Copa del Rey final Barça-Athletic, even the team on the seventh position in the final classification in the Spanish League might go to Europe next season. Main rivals for Osasuna are Sevilla, Getafe and Espanyol, as they should lose their confrotations or get the least points up to the end of the season. The match in Villarreal tonight is key for Osasuna as they confront a weak team now. A victory will lead Osasuna to European positions.Villarreal, on the other hand, will have an eye on Sporting and Zaragoza, which are playing against two European rivals for Osasuna: Getafe and Athletic. Osasuna will definitely get their final situation in the Mediterranean stadiums. In fact, they will stay in that area for the next six days as they are playing against Villarreal and Valencia in those days. Both teams could be good rivals to get points, as I said with Villarreal because of their actual position in La Liga, and because Valencia was out of the European League Final against Atletico last Thursday and I am sure that will affect the city, the coach Emery and the players in Valencia F.C. Mendilibar is meeting an old friend for Osasuna on Villarreal bench, Lotina. Good news for Osasuna is Raul Garcia and Ibrahima's back and there are only two injured players, Masoud and Echaide. There are 23 players in this concentration period for those two games in the region of Valencia. Kickoff teams: Villarreal: Diego López; Mario, Musacchio, Zapata, Jaume Costa, Bruno Soriano, Marcos Senna, Borja Valero, Cani, Hernán Pérez and Marco Ruben. Osasuna: Andrés Fernández; Marc Bertrán, Lolo, Roversio, Damià; Puñal, Nekounam; Cejudo, Raúl García, Nino; and Lekic. Finally, I want to talk about this week sport news, which the most important one is Guardiola's leave from Barça's bench. I have always admired the Catalonian's work as you can read from former articles and I have never hidden my support to his achievements and Barça's awards and prizes. Here it is my sincere tribute to Pep Guardiola

Barça-Real Madrid, el clasico: the day of Queen Elizabeth's birthday

Today is the day of one of the most expected football matches in the world: Barça-Real Madrid. The first chapter was celebrated on last November, before Christmas time. Six months later, the situation is that the team from the capital of Spains is with a four-point lead at the top, and it is their opportunity to give a final strike to this season championship and show their strenght in the world.

But both teams face this evening's match after two defeats in the Champions League against Chelsea and Bayern Munich. Anyway, El Clásico is still a colossal confrontation, the biggest in world football, but this was the week that seemed to make both teams beatable. Last season scored a 1-1 draw with Barcelona, which had effectively confirmed the Catalans as league champions, however, this year this last game of El Clásico starts with a record of goals at Real with 107 goals and still five games ahead to finish the season. They have equalled John Toshack's Real Madrid of 1989-90, the last legendary Emilio Butragueño-led Quinta del Buitre, which clinched five consecutive league championships. The Clásico will go a long way to deciding if Real can prevent Pep Guardiola's team reaching a fourth successive title.

That 89-90 season, Hugo Sánchez equalled Telmo Zarra's 1950-51 record, scoring 38 goals – every one with a single touch. Cristiano Ronaldo broke Sánchez's record last season with 39. Now he's on 41. Forty-one is the same figure as Lionel Messi. It is sure they will improve that score and make an almost unbeatable new record in La Liga. This is one of the subplots of this evening match: Who will lead the Pichichi charts after this Clásico: Messi or Ronaldo? If we have a look to other figures, we may say that although Ronaldo had worse play in Barcelona, either with Manchester United or Real, he managed to score in the past three Clásicos; Messi has not scored in any of them. Yet Messi has six in six confrontations with Real at the Camp Nou and has scored more against Iker Casillas than any other goalkeeper. It is not just about Messi's goals, though. And it is not just about Ronaldo. Perhaps, the difference between Real and Barça is in the forward side. After Villa's injury, it seems that Guardiola's team is orphan of scorers apart from Messi, but that is not the problem of Real's team. Benzema has 18 in the league. Gonzalo Higuaín has 21. They are the most effective "trident" in history, ahead of Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o, who led Barcelona's 6-2 win at Madrid in 2008-09. Real's goal difference is +78, Barcelona's is +72. On the other hand, Real have been accused of a defensive team in occasions like this evening's match. Actually, there is an option of playing with the famous but uneffective trivote – a three-man defensive midfield and a word laced with negative overtones – in Valencia, Málaga and Villarreal. Some players to make that trivote are Pepe, Marcelo or Coentrao. Will the coach of Real do the same? Will he use the four-point lead as a cushion to attack Barcelona? After all, a draw will almost certainly make Real champions. There will be another battle in the midfield against Lassana Diarra, Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira, on one side and Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas on Barça squad. There is also another important subplot on the benches. Mou and Pep have confronted 10 times and the Portuguese has only won once out of ten, just in the Copa del Rey final last year. We have said that a draw is in favour of Real's interests, but it is also true that Spanish League draws are the actual defeats and Real lost last year championship after their 5-0 loss to Barcelona and also because of 0-0 draws with Mallorca, Levante and Deportivo and 1-0 defeats against Osasuna and Sporting Gijón. Barça against Real. Style against Pegada. Pegada means punch. Barça players want to keep the ball, and Madrid players give you the possession and when you lose it, they punch, kill you with several attacks huge scores. Will it be the final result this evening? The answer starts at eight o'clock this evening! THIS IS REAL MADRID'S PUNCH! Ah! There is another topic for today. It's Queen Elizabeth's birthday and remember this year is The Jubilee's Year. Happy birthday, Eli!

Osasuna-Barça, a game for a good opportunity

Good evening, dear Osasunists! Tonight we are going to receive the best team in the world: Barça! But nothing is lost till the match time is over! Actually, Pep's team in this season is quite a bad team away from Nou Camp stadium ( they have lost 13 points away up to now. ) It will be a match in the cold night of Pamplona, but I am sure that we, the Osasuna supporters will also give warmth to our players to win the unbias game. I hope the below zero temperatures will go up to hot temperatures if Osasuna play wisely and may win Messi's team. Osasuna must make a profit of the tiring game Barça had to play last Wednesday against Valencia F.C. for La Copa del Rey. It is supposed that Guardiola's team is good enough to have a fantastic kickoff group to opposite Osasuna's, but players like Nekounam, Puñal or Sergio Fernandez must face young ones like Marc Bartra, Marc Muniesa, Martín Montoya, or Jonathan Dos Santos. We must take into account that Osasuna have lost two last games in Reyno de Navarra and got two draws in Gijon and Donosti against Real Sociedad! Despite that fact Osasuna may go over Atletico if they win, and now that Simeone is in charge and every mass media praise them, I think that Osasuna is making a very good season. Barça and Osasuna have played four times, with this evening's, with the unforgetable 8-0 of the first round in Nou Camp, and the legs in 1/8 of Copa del Rey. Apart from those games, Barça last lost in El Sadar six years ago, in 2006. And even Guardiola said that Pamplona is a hard place to play, as in the last 10 visits they won four times, got five draws and Osasuna only got two victories ( 0-3, 1-1, 2-3, 0-0, 0-0 )! It was on 12th March 2006 when they last lost with the goals of Valdo and Puñal. Gora Osasuna!Aupa Rojillos!

Real Mandril vs. F.C.Barcelona, a different game in Europe

Good morning, everyone!You know most of my articles are about English culture worldwide and many other articles are about football and my favourite team: C.A. Osasuna. But, at least, twice a year I always write about another traditional confrontation in the Spanish League: Barça-Madrid and reverse.

I had a look to my previous articles and I realized that this derby was on 29th November last year. Therefore, there is another tradition that this game must be played before Christmas.

There are some differences from last year. First, I must say that the team from the capital of Spain is ahead in the classification ( 6 points and 1 less match played, due to El Mundialito ). That should be a handicap for Barça.

Besides, I have to congratulate Mou for his behaviour's change. It's said that the chairman of the club, Florentino Perez, conditioned his support to Mourinho with the promise of more politeness and education in his public interviews and comments. He accomplished, but he is still a bit arrogant and he didn't confront the international media press in the previous hours to the match and Karanka, the second coach, answer the questions.

I still have to honour Guardiola and Barça, because they still play a great football with the same team structure for the last four years, while Real Madril have changed their team structure during the same number of years. Even when they are below their rivals they still keep their speech and talk with education about the players and coaches of the white club team.
I hope at the end of the match tonight the difference between both teams was narrow, so I desire that Barça win.
Gora Barça!Aupa Guardiola!

F.C.Barcelona-C.A.Osasuna, a match of handsome football players

Photos of the past at the Camp Nou The actual champion and Osasuna are playing this evening at the Camp Nou! It may be a waste of time to watch the match as most people probably foresee the defeat of Osasuna in advance, but the hesitant start of the season of Barça give Osasuna supporters a chance to surprise even to the most hatred trainer in the Spanish Lesgue!!! After the last two draws of the champion in the League and the Champions, supporters in Barcelona are nervous and some journalist there start making criticism of Guardiola's team and the coach too! Therefore, Osasuna must make a profit of that unusual situation and bring another positive result from the Camp Nou. Remember that Osasuna have played quite well lately, and they won or got some points when those handsome brilliant players that Barça have nowadays were relaxed and joyful. As you may reckon, I am a bit sarcastic with the most famous sentence of this weeek. I am not saying who is the owner of such a nonsense, as everyone already knows, but I think that we were talking about football and not about the catwalk or the award of Miss Universe! Anyway, this is the match I enjoy the most when I watch on the tv, because first my team is playing and also because they play against the actual best team of the world. And we must remember that idea when we talk about the final target of Osasuna this season. It is clear, at least for me, that it must be the avoid of relegation to Second Division, as always! That idea doesn't mean to keep relax and the lack of effort from our players, but we must be honest and thoughtful with our situation. Osasuna have got very good players, as good as Real Sociedad and probably worse than A.C. Milan, but we can also get points from Barça! Gora Osasuna!Aupa Rojillos!

F.C. BARCELONA vs. REAL MADRID, a WORLDWIDE FOOTBALL MATCH

Good morning, dear football fans! ( As you see I change my greeting as my loved football team is not involved. ). Tonight we have a FOOTBALL MATCH, in capital letters.div>

During the whole week, even before, it has been the only game to play for many sport journalists. This is my only criticism for the "previa" of this match. I think that this issue is dealt wrongly by the mass media, as even though they believe it makes La Liga stronger than other European Leagues, the fact that the sport mass media only talk about the "clasico" for a week make the rest of the Spanish League team less than a favour.

In the last few years, this game has been devalued as the white team ( you know my policy ) did not arrive at Camp Nou as a powerful historical team as they are. But this situation has changed this year after the arrival of a new coach in the capital of Spain.

You also know my policy since a few weeks ago about the coach in the white team, and I am not going to change my policy yet. Thus, when I started this blog my goal was to educate my students in English through topics related to English spoken world, and I really believe that the coach in the white team from the capital of Spain is many things but an educated person. So, I'm ging to talk volumes about Guardiola. an intelligent player when he was playing in Barça and a very educated, supportive, clever coach now in his loved team, F.C. Barcelona.

Since I was a child, my favourite football team has been the main team in Barcelona ( sorry Espanyol F.C. ), and I evolved my likes to my town team, Osasuna, from the very beginning moment I knew there was a football team in Pamplona, Osasuna, in the arly 80's, when they promoted to First Division with that brilliant team. So, I used to support the team that Cruyff leaded as a football player and then he knew how to leave a football style as a coach.

That style is still in Barcelona through Guardiola and I hope that when he leaves his club, the chairman and people leading the club will know to find a similar person to follow that way of playing football that so many people like.

Well, I want to finish this article with a short comment for those supporters of the whhite team. I have some friends who support them. But they usually tell me that they do not like their coach at all, as he is so uneducated and showoff, not at all the style of the club, and another reason is the success of the Spanish National team, full of Barça players, but I think this is a covered Nationalism that arises in this successful moment to hurt the Independent feeling of the Catalonian people.

I hope to see a brilliant game tonight! So,, here is my cry:

GORA FOOTABALL! AUPA BARÇA!

Osasuna-Zaragoza, a brotherhood confrontation

Happy Sunday, dear Osasuna supporters! Today we're, I hope, enjoying one of those games all Osasuna fans mark in red from the very beginning of the season as we get the calendar: Osasuna-Zaragoza.

As I said in November when Osasuna visited Zaragoza, I have relatives in that city and the rivalry between both teams is something I've learned from my childhood. There have been more times in the past when we, Osasuna fans, had to hide and go headoff as "the maños" were going mad laghing at us.

But in the last five-ten years the joy is at El Sadar, as it was known our stadium then, or now at the Reyno de Navarra stadium. R.C.D. Zaragoza is again in first division this year after playing in the so-called "Inferno" of the Second Division, and now that the League is eight games left to come to an end, they are still suffering to keep in the First Division.

Actually, the three teams which were promoted to First Division are in danger to return to Second Division, but Osasuna, though is in a comfortable position, is not completely saved. These three points, besides those against Malaga next Wednesday, are key to leave any doubt behind, and perhaps to enjoy the last games of the season in May and to think of next season needs and resolutions.
Yesterday, 40 million people in Spain alike, I watched the derby between Real Madrid-Barça. In spite of not being the best match I've ever watched, I could appreciate how Guardiola's players were completely concentrated on their target: to win the match and, maybe, with the final result to get at least "half of the League Cup". And in the end they got their aim, and when their coach was interviewed how he makes his players play so well, his answer was he commands them to run and keep their position to help their playmate, and of course they are very good players.
My point is that, of course, Camacho's players are not as good as Guardiola's, but Osasuna's coach has been unable to mentalize Osasuna players in key matches. I'm still angry, as many Osasuna supporters, of the defeat against Racing in Copa del Rey in Pamplona, and I'm sure our players didn't leave the dressing room as they had to. The final result could have been the same, but the attitude was of lack of concentration. Valdano, Real Madrid's manager, said that his players were very stressed and anxious before and during the game. I'M VERY STRESSED AND ANXIOUS AT MY JOB POST!

Football players must be and feel lucky of their proffesion, because they are working in a job they chose, probably, since they were less than five years old. They get paid quite well, though there is a strike announce for next Sunday, and they are very well considered by the society, they are the new era heroes and icons. And as they have that figure, they are guilty of many of our disappointments in life, and our anger during the complete week. A supporter is willing of watching his team every Sunday and when games like today come, we feel nervous, anxious and desireful to defeat our maximum rival: in this case, Zaragoza.

I'll be very disappointed if Osasuna don't get the three points this afternoon. It will be a very frustrating end of Easter holidays to face some of my Zaragoza supporter students and see their smile in their faces. This is the most important game in the year for Osasuna players, as it was for Barça yesterday's. I hope we'll be as happy as those fans who went out at Canaletas Square after the result at Bernabeu Stadium, and perhaps all us can meet at Plaza del Castillo and sing Osasuna songs soon.
Gora Osasuna! Aupa Rojillos!

Barça-Osasuna, a game of contrasts

Hi, Osasuna supporters! Here we are in another week game. And what a game!!!
Osasuna is visiting one of the most beautiful and astonishing stadium in the world: The Nou Camp, the F.C. Barcelona stadiu, where everything is overdimensioned and even mature, experienced players become small and shrink.
But this kind of games must be special for everyone and teams like Osasuna, which I remind have their own "second or third League", do not have anything to lose, and more than three points to win.
Last year the match between both teams, Osasuna and Barça, was completely different as Osasuna was struggling to avoid relegation to Second Division and Barça was thinking in the Champions Final, which some days later got and was their third consecutive title in that glorious year ( the only team in the world to win six cups in a complete year ).

Today the situation is not so extreme. There are ten more matches left to finish this year season and relegation posts are eight points away, but as you know Osasuna haven't won in the last six games and since the second part of the season started we only added two points.
I'm not talking any longer about Osasuna's posible ambitions at that time, but we are now very disappointed by players, coach and club. Last week, after losing against Racing for the fourth time this year, there were some critical whistles against Camacho and Izco, and perhaps it wasn't the most appropiated match to critizise, because as tonight Osasuna is playing with some non-habitual players and new forwards, but the game against Racing was a game of revenge and it seems that players do not make effort enough to motivate us, their supporters.
Camacho helped Osasuna to avoid relegation last year, but all that is over now. I'm not talking about Ziganda and the causes of his destitution, but Camacho is not completely loved in Pamplona. His Real Madrid past and way of being has always been a load for him, and now that the supporters' goal ( Copa del Rey final ) is over, we can't stand some attitudes and comments.
Well, to put an end to all this article and as you see, the less is the match. In Barcelona they have been talking about Messi's skills and comparasions with other football stars of all the times ( Pelé, Maradona, Zidane, etc...) or the 25th anniversary of the League Champions 84-85 when the young Guardiola was one of the "ball boys" ( recogepelotas ) in that time.



Meanwhile, in Pamplona the newspapers and supporters are worried of next game in the Reyno de Navarra stadium against Almeria, another of those teams which have improved a lot with their new coach, in this case Jose Maria Lillo, who substituted Hugo Sanchez, another ex-Real Madrid player and with more ambitions than good ideas on the bench.
Anyway, let's see what happens tonight in the Nou Camp and perhaps Camacho can help his former club and still member of Real Madrid Club to win this championship if Osasuna surprise everyone and win tonight's game against F.C. Barcelona.
Gora Osasuna! Aupa Rojillos!