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La Liga Comment: Higuain Saved Ramos, Pepe & Real Madrid
Madrid are still in it - just - and this is all beginning to feel very familiar, says Goal.com's Sulmaan Ahmad.
Apr 21, 2009 6:51:27 PM
Everybody remembers when Fabio Capello's Real Madrid clawed back ten points in an incredible run-in to overthrow Barcelona, win a trophy after three previous barren years and wash away at least some of the embarrassment that had engulfed the Bernabeu in recent seasons.
Instrumental in that comeback, without playing particularly well, was Gonzalo Higuain. Capello was utilizing him as an auxiliary right-winger and from there he scored in the Madrid derby against Atletico and an incredible last-gasp winner against Espanyol.
Then last season, as Madrid strolled to a successive Liga, Higuain again proved a consistent match-winner, particularly in the game that won the league, providing first an assist and then a goal in Pamplona against Osasuna to turn a 1-0 scoreline on its head and give Madrid not just the title, but the pasillo they then received from Barcelona at the Bernabeu in the following game, thumping them 4-1 in the process.
He ended that season as a bona-fide super-sub and started this as an undisputed top class striker. He has continued winning games; he is the club's leading goalscorer and provider of assists so far this season and tonight illustrated once more that he has the bottle for the big occasion. He did it in the last minute against Atleti, he did it by himself against Malaga, but tonight was arguably more spectacular than either.
Raul and Huntelaar started up front, relegating him to an attacking midfield role, yet he still popped up at the end of the first half to give Madrid an equaliser they did not deserve with great striker's instinct, strength and composure in front of goal. And then at the end of the second, he produced a piece of individual magic - not completely foreign to those familiar with his performances - to snatch the most unlikely of three points with a stunning strike on his wrong foot.
What more does he have to do? Raul nodded on a good assist for the opener but was otherwise, as he has been recently, not up to scratch at all. Huntelaar isn't even having the ball drop to him as it was, and the few chances he's getting he's not quite managing to put away. Neither have been awful, but neither are even close to 'Pipita' at this moment in time. They should be fighting for the right to play alongside him.
This was Madrid's worst performance since Juande took charge and in this instance, he could easily be held personally responsible. The withdrawal of Cannavaro for Javi Garcia seemed tactical, not enforced - as Metzelder was available as a defensive swap - and it backfired, as both Javi and Gago became dazed, confused and wholly incompetent for duration of the game.
Introducing Arjen Robben was a good move that backfired, as he pulled up with his first injury in quite a while. Madridistas will be hoping it isn't serious, as he will be needed for the Clasico in ten days, never mind Sevilla on Sunday. Van der Vaart being withdrawn seemed yet another scapegoating exercise to keep Guti happy, but the vice-captain proved his worth by scoring a scorching free-kick that Van der Vaart may not have necessarily been able to - that's how good it was. No one has the magic quite like Guti, but that doesn't change the fact that he needs to be the centre of the team to find consistency, and he will never have that privelege bestowed upon him at this club.
The onus was on Juande Ramos not to select a team that looked too 'defensive', which is without doubt why he started with such a skillful yet ultimately lightweight midfield that threatened to lose his side the game. It was that very same crowd that then whistled their side relentlessly due to their weakness. The irony was two-fold. Dropping Raul could have cost the ex-Sevilla and Spurs coach his head if things had gone wrong for Madrid, but starting him meant that all the width had to come from Sergio Ramos and Marcelo, who as a result were caught out time and time again on the counterattack, but what else were they supposed to do?
Not even Pepe seeing red - both metaphorically and literally - could stop Madrid doing what they had to do. When Iker Casillas saved Casquero's poor attempt at a cheeky chip spot-kick, it was as if it would be written in the stars, as it was so often under Capello, that Madrid would win the game.
And if this season does end up mirroring that overseen by Don Fabio, then there is one man that deserves to take as many of the plaudits as there are available. The man of the season, the star of the future: Gonzalo Higuain.
Sulmaan Ahmad, Goal.com
Instrumental in that comeback, without playing particularly well, was Gonzalo Higuain. Capello was utilizing him as an auxiliary right-winger and from there he scored in the Madrid derby against Atletico and an incredible last-gasp winner against Espanyol.
Then last season, as Madrid strolled to a successive Liga, Higuain again proved a consistent match-winner, particularly in the game that won the league, providing first an assist and then a goal in Pamplona against Osasuna to turn a 1-0 scoreline on its head and give Madrid not just the title, but the pasillo they then received from Barcelona at the Bernabeu in the following game, thumping them 4-1 in the process.
He ended that season as a bona-fide super-sub and started this as an undisputed top class striker. He has continued winning games; he is the club's leading goalscorer and provider of assists so far this season and tonight illustrated once more that he has the bottle for the big occasion. He did it in the last minute against Atleti, he did it by himself against Malaga, but tonight was arguably more spectacular than either.
Raul and Huntelaar started up front, relegating him to an attacking midfield role, yet he still popped up at the end of the first half to give Madrid an equaliser they did not deserve with great striker's instinct, strength and composure in front of goal. And then at the end of the second, he produced a piece of individual magic - not completely foreign to those familiar with his performances - to snatch the most unlikely of three points with a stunning strike on his wrong foot.
What more does he have to do? Raul nodded on a good assist for the opener but was otherwise, as he has been recently, not up to scratch at all. Huntelaar isn't even having the ball drop to him as it was, and the few chances he's getting he's not quite managing to put away. Neither have been awful, but neither are even close to 'Pipita' at this moment in time. They should be fighting for the right to play alongside him.
This was Madrid's worst performance since Juande took charge and in this instance, he could easily be held personally responsible. The withdrawal of Cannavaro for Javi Garcia seemed tactical, not enforced - as Metzelder was available as a defensive swap - and it backfired, as both Javi and Gago became dazed, confused and wholly incompetent for duration of the game.
Introducing Arjen Robben was a good move that backfired, as he pulled up with his first injury in quite a while. Madridistas will be hoping it isn't serious, as he will be needed for the Clasico in ten days, never mind Sevilla on Sunday. Van der Vaart being withdrawn seemed yet another scapegoating exercise to keep Guti happy, but the vice-captain proved his worth by scoring a scorching free-kick that Van der Vaart may not have necessarily been able to - that's how good it was. No one has the magic quite like Guti, but that doesn't change the fact that he needs to be the centre of the team to find consistency, and he will never have that privelege bestowed upon him at this club.
The onus was on Juande Ramos not to select a team that looked too 'defensive', which is without doubt why he started with such a skillful yet ultimately lightweight midfield that threatened to lose his side the game. It was that very same crowd that then whistled their side relentlessly due to their weakness. The irony was two-fold. Dropping Raul could have cost the ex-Sevilla and Spurs coach his head if things had gone wrong for Madrid, but starting him meant that all the width had to come from Sergio Ramos and Marcelo, who as a result were caught out time and time again on the counterattack, but what else were they supposed to do?
Not even Pepe seeing red - both metaphorically and literally - could stop Madrid doing what they had to do. When Iker Casillas saved Casquero's poor attempt at a cheeky chip spot-kick, it was as if it would be written in the stars, as it was so often under Capello, that Madrid would win the game.
And if this season does end up mirroring that overseen by Don Fabio, then there is one man that deserves to take as many of the plaudits as there are available. The man of the season, the star of the future: Gonzalo Higuain.
Sulmaan Ahmad, Goal.com
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