Real Madrid 5-0 Xerez (21-Sep-2009)
Posted on 21. Sep, 2009 by Borris Becker in Match Reports, News, Real Madrid Football Club
Ronaldo (6 goals in 6 games)
Scorers:
Ronaldo (1st min, gliding header at the far post. Wonderful)
Ronaldo(75th min, again a header, this time he really gave it a smack.)
Guti(79nth minute, powerful shot straight through the keeper after Benzema missed a simple volley)
Benzema (82nd min, made up for that, a little less than a embarassing miss on the Guti goal, by scoring a magnificent goal from inside the box)
Van Nistelrooy(89nth min, GOAL MACHINE is up and running)
OK, after my long break. This is what I get from Real Madrid. Tonights victory was just too emotional. Ronaldo was being scrutinized by the media for not showing the same form at Manchester United, Benzema’s night life was being questioned, Van Nistelrooy’s old age and possible retirement questions were being asked, not to mention the fact that most people are pouncing on, that, Real Madrid are now a group of individuals rather than a team.
While that might be true, but this performance I think, more than refutes that statement aside from the fact that in todays match Real Madrid scored against a side that has not played in the first division for 62 years and have become the first team in La Liga not to have scored in the first 3 matches of the season.
But, 3 points are 3 points. Barcelona thrashed Atletico Madrid last night 5-2, well, I cannot remember the last time when I did not see Atletico Madrid conceding 5 goals or more against Barcelona, whether a struggling Barcelona or a treble winning one.
Anyways, Real Madrid started the game in poor fashion, the game was tight and scrappy in the midfield and out forwards just did not connect and this is where I think Ronaldo has a big advantage over Messi. When Ronaldo is not playing his best (by his best I mean, beating defenders all over the field), he is able to contribute aerially alot than Messi would.
Ronaldo is by far the best header of the ball in the current Real Madrid squad in my opinion. So he is useful in defence and I think tonights performance showed that, he is pretty good while attacking it as well.
Another thing which makes it easy for him to head that well is that, the opponents defenders are most of the time expecting him to dribble or make a bicycle kick or something on lobs. A player with so much talent in his feet is generally not required neither expected to head the ball as well as Ronaldo does and Messi, I think, is the prime example of “you do not need to head the ball when you can play this well with the feet”.
Having watched the match, I do not think there was a single highlight after Ronaldo’s first goal till Ronaldo’s second goal. After Ronaldo’s second goal, Real Madrid really started to play like a team. Passed the ball well and were able to get the ball to the forwards quickly for them to attack the defenders.
Ronaldo impressed me alot today. He did not do too many dribbles and neither took his bazooka of a shots at the goal but the way he played, the maturity he showed really made me feel like, Real Madrid have actually robbed Manchester United. Given Ronaldo stays motivated and hungry, there is no reason that he can become Real Madrid’s greatest ever player.
Ronaldo passed well and kept up his goal tally with two quite brilliant headers. He has got speed and for speed, one needs to have some really developed calf muscles, because Ronaldo has great calf muscles, he is able to jump quite high, hardly a defender can match his jumping height and that is why he gets lots of those headers close to the goal.
Amazingly enough, Kaka was the one who did not shine in this match and right after Pelligrini took him off and brought on Guti, Real Madrid’s engine started to kick in and the game completely changed. Real Madrid moved the ball alot quicker after kaka got substituted.
After the second goal, the flood gates really opened up though after the first goal, Xerez looked as if they would easily cave in but they did not and dug their feet into the ground for the long haul though got blown apart by a 94 million euro goal machine.
Anyway, coming back to the goals. Guti’s goal was pretty important. I have a feeling that Pelligrini is going to use him as a super sub for the remainder of the season because Guti is so good at that. If he is asked to run around and track back, he fails miserably but when Guti is given the free role, he is being currently given by Pelligrini, he really shows his class. His passing ability and vision are exceptional and he proved that tonight, first by scoring a relatively good goal.
It was towards the end of the game. Benzema missed his volley effort to a ball that had balooned up inside the penalty area of Xerez. Do not know why Xerez’s defenders were just standing and looking at Benzema while Benzema lined up a volley to a ball that had gone like 20 feet up.
Guti showed his vision when he set up the final goal and my favorite too, The VAN NISTELROOY GOAL. Man, this was really emotional. He had come back from injury after 10 months (Sergio Ramos also played his first match of the season but he was not out that long and yeah I know, we will miss Xabi Alonso too. Though it has to be said that Gago played absolute rubbish today. Gave away possession too many times and thus, got BOOED by the crowd, who we all know are a little less than tolerant of players who do not perform well) and before his injury, he was scoring goals like crazy.
Probably the reason why Barcelona got so ahead of us was because Van Nistelrooy got injured and we did not have an natural striker. Raul is not a striker as I have said a thousand times, he is more like a striker midfielder hybrid.
Guti slipped in a clever through ball for Van Nistelrooy in the 90th minute I think. Van nistelrooy took two wonderful touches on the ball to set it up and then shot it between the goal keepers legs to announce his arrival with a clinically finished move.
I am so happy for this guy. Probably the greatest striker in the last decade or so along with Ronaldo (the fat one, though he is not fat lol). He is 33 and I hope he can give us another 2 seasons of 25 plus goals. One thing is for sure and that is, if Pelligrini starts him in every game. He will score. Such is the quality of strikers like Van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo, is that they are never deprived or in need, of scoring goals. Scoring goals is an instinct that comes naturally to these kind of players. It’s always about motivation and health.
Benzema may be making headlines for the wrong reasons lately, but he is doing his job on the pitch as well
Forgot about the Benzema’s goal but looking him play does gives out strong messages that this kid, does indeed idolize Ronaldo (the Brazilian). Benzema is good with both feet and tries to take on defenders whenever he is able to. Though in his goal tonight, he did a step over pretty similar to Ronaldo’s but it was not as picture perfect as the master himself did in his years.
His goal probably took a deflection because the angle of the shot he took was pretty difficult. Never the less, Benzema took it and so did Real Madrid.
In the midst of all the goals, Raul played his 523rd record equalling game for Real Madrid and just look at his commitment and desire, looks like a debutant
The defense looked pretty solid. Not as a unit but individually. I was pleased to see the way Garay and Raul Albiol played. Both are young and is evident from the energy they show while defending. I think , both of them are wearing the white shirt to prove something and it clearly shows on the level of commitment with which they play.
This victory puts us at the top of the table ahead of Barcelona because we have the better goal difference. Stay tuned. This season is going to be great.
HAL MADRID.
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