La Liga Team Of The Week: Round 16

Formation: 4-4-2

Goalkeeper

Carlos Kameni (Espanyol) – The Cameroonian has a habit of stopping everything in his path against La Liga’s big guns. It was no exception against Valencia as he pulled off eight vital saves to frustrate Los Che for 90 minutes and a bit, while also showing a safe pair of hands in the air as well as his bravery by making last minute interceptions. Incredibly unfortunate to concede a late injury time header to Nikola Zigic... a goal which he could little about.

Defence

Cesar Azpilicueta (Osasuna) – At just 20 years of age, the promising wingback defended against Real Madrid’s glittering attacking stars like a seasoned pro. He went toe to toe with Cristiano Ronaldo and matched the Portuguese’s pace stride for stride. He also kept the likes of Marcelo and Karim Benzema quiet and allowed almost nothing to breach his side of the backline.

Alexis (Valencia) – The gangly centre-back has not always been consistent, but he defended his goal against Espanyol with a cool and calm head. He was ever-present at the back, especially in the air, and he made a pivotal block to deny Luis Garcia’s goal-bound effort. Like every good centre-back, Alexis was also instrumental in bringing the ball out of defence and distribute it forward accurately to begin the launch of an attack.   

Roversio (Osasuna) – Another defender from the Navarran outfit who pulled out all the stops to deny Real Madrid. The Brazilian did not put a foot wrong as he made sure Gonzalo Higuain was starved of clear cut chances. He read the game well and intercepted a number of crosses and through balls that the Merengues attempted to sneak in. Also caused a few headaches for the opposition in the other end of the field.

Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid) – Amazingly, Arbeloa was the only player who managed to breach Azpilicueta’s flank as he played a massive role in lending a hand to his attacking team-mates. The former Liverpool man is finally starting to come out of his shell, displaying some neat tricks on the ball as he bombarded forward and he looked comfortable running up and down the wing to attack and defend at the same time.

Midfield

Pedro Leon (Getafe) – Another one of Spain’s outrageously talented young wingers. Not for the first time this season, he was a handful for his opposition full-back. His outstanding close control of the ball allows him to take on and beat defenders with ease and his crosses caused panic every time it was swung into the box. Could have had a few assists to his name if he had better finishers to aim for.

Marcos Senna (Villarreal) – In the midfield battle against his La Furia Roja compatriot, Xavi, Senna emerged victorious with a superlative watertight performance. the Yellow Submarine midfield hardman constantly harried the Barca playmaker off the ball and also forced Sergio Busquets into making stray passes and uncharacteristic errors. At 33, Senna has shown that he still has plenty of legs left in him and he has thrown down the gauntlet to anyone who dares challenge him for a place in La Seleccion.

Ever Banega (Valencia) – The young Argentine continues to impress with Los Che. He ran the show from midfield against Espanyol, popping up everywhere on the pitch to recover possession, bring the ball forward and initiate attacks by dictating the direction of the play. Also demonstrated his incredible work rate with his off-the-ball movement as he frequently made himself available for his team-mates to pass the ball to.

Borja Valero (Mallorca) – A central midfielder by trade, the versatile former Real Madrid canterano is comfortable playing on either side of the flank. But it was indeed through the middle that the 24-year-old did the most damage against Athletic Bilbao as he tormented the opposition backline with his cleverly disguised and perfectly weighted through balls.  

Attack

Aritz Aduriz (Mallorca) – The San Sebastian-born striker had to face his former club but he didn’t let sentiments get in the way as he single-handedly guided the Balearic Islanders to their eighth home win in eight league outings at the ONO Estadi. He played a part in his side’s opener and also netted the insurance goal midway through the second period. Could’ve had a hat-trick as he left the Athletic rearguard chasing shadows thanks to his searing pace and ghosting runs into the box.

Thierry Henry (Barcelona) – After struggling woefully in the final months of 2009, ‘Titi’ suddenly came to life against a dogged Villarreal side. He was back to his usual energetic best, making a nuisance of himself all game long down the left wing and cutting in to the middle to cause havoc. Could have scored a classy half-volley on the turn, but gladly settled for Pedro to pounce from the rebound.

Honourable Mentions

Diego Alves (Almeria)
Josemi (Mallorca)
Ezequiel Garay (Real Madrid)
Juanfran (Osasuna)
David Fuster (Villarreal)
Pedro (Barcelona)
Nikola Zigic (Valencia)

KS Leong, Goal.com