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Archive for August 25, 2010

Real Madrid 2-0 Peñarol | Post-match comments

Mourinho: "To stand undefeated at the end of the preseason is very good indeed"

Jose Mourinho was satisfied with his team’s performance, but regretted Fernando Gago’s injury.

There have been positive and negative things tonight, just like in any other game. We’ve played two fixtures in three days and we had to control the amount of minutes played by all our men, including those from the academy. The worst thing tonight was Gago’s injury because it looks serious.

Tonight’s match was a realistic test because many teams in La Liga will play against us like Peñarol did tonight. They will focus on defending and will showcase positive aggressiveness. It wasn’t important to win tonight, but winning is always positive and to stand undefeated at the end of the preseason is very good indeed. We have to be more patient, move the ball better and pressurise more in attack.

Our preseason was very difficult. We’ve had little time to come up with a new style taking into account the team has a new coach and six new players. We are satisfied with our work so far and we will improve with time. It will be easier to improve by winning.

This is a very young squad, but full of quality. We have European champions, World Cup winners and Ballon d’Or players. We have the emotional quality needed to play in any competition. What matters is that we have room to grow, to be solid and to play at a medium-high level while being consistent in our style and results.

I don’t like Lass much as a full back, but he does very well nevertheless. He keeps possession. He has greater quality to construct the team’s game than natural defenders.

My decisions are the product of circumstance and of what my players have to offer. It’s a shame Mateos can’t join us, but I like him a lot and I would like him to be part of the first team.

I like Van der Vaart. He played less today because we had to play other men that needed more playing time. Cristiano had to play more today because he didn’t face Hercules.

Di Maria is going to grow as a player. He is 21 years old, creative and unbalancing. It is hard to stop him once he’s on the run.

Mallorca are the same side they were last year and they will face us at their stadium, so the game will be difficult. Nevertheless, we are Real Madrid and we will do our best to take three points.

August 25, 2010 | Categories: Post-match Comments, Santiago Bernabéu Trophy | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave A Comment »

Real Madrid 2-0 Peñarol

The Whites defeat Peñarol and stay undefeated in the preseason

The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium was packed with fans anxious to see the 2010/11 Real Madrid in action against Uruguayan side Peñarol in the 32nd edition of the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy.

Xabi Alonso hit the post with a powerful shot early in the game (2′) and Higuain scored a goal on the 7-minute mark that was disallowed. Peñarol focused on defending more intensely to stop the Madridista onslaught and soon had a breather as Real Madrid dropped the intensity of the game. The Uruguayan’s even reached Casillas’ box on occasion. Nevertheless, Mourinho’s men kept control of the ball and moved fast. More local chances came from a corner taken by Khedira and a cross/shot from Ronaldo. The Whites lacked pause in attack and Peñarol used this to drop the pace of the game even more until half-time.

Mourinho changed the lineup in the second half but kept the initial 4-2-3-1 system. Benzema, Gago, Pedro Leon and Arbeloa came on and, in just two minutes, the French striker and Ronaldo had a double chance to score. Cristiano tried again in the 49th minute, but Sosa cleared his shot. Gago was injured on the 59-minute mark and Mourinho replaced him with Di Maria, positioning Canales further back with Xabi Alonso. A few minutes later, the coach replaced Canales with Granero amidst a standing ovation for the former player.

Di Maria proved to be decisive, as he scored a master strike; the Argentine ran towards the area with the ball, dribbled past a centre back and defeated the goalkeeper with a beautiful shot (68′).

Peñarol became slightly more offensive and timidly tried to net an equalizer, but Real Madrid were solid in defence and thwarted all their chances. In injury time, Van der Vaart was tackled inside the box and scored from a penalty, sealing a victory that ends Real Madrid’s preseason with a clean sheet in defeats.

Lineups:

Real Madrid: Casillas, Lass (Arbeloa 47′), Sergio Ramos, Ricardo Carvalho (Mateos 77′), Marcelo (Juanfran 73′), Xabi Alonso, Khedira (Gago 47′ (Di María 56′)), Özil (Pedro León 47′), Canales (Granero 60′), Cristiano Ronaldo (Van der Vaart 85′), Higuaín (Benzema 47′);

Penarol: Sebastián Sosa, Guillermo Rodríguez, Matias Aguirregaray (Alejandro González 89′), Gerardo Alcoba (Emiliano Albín), Ríos, Marcelo Sosa, Estoyanoff (Heber Collazo 80′), Domingo (Matías Corujo 72′), Pacheco, Alejandro Martinuccio (Diego Alonso 87′);

Goals:

1-0, min.69: Di Maria;
2-0, min.93′: Van der Vaart (Pen);

Booked: Ricardo Carvalho, Pedro Leon

Played at: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu

August 25, 2010 | Categories: Match Reports, Santiago Bernabéu Trophy | Tags: , , , | Leave A Comment »

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