Here I Am!!!…And Guess Who Beat Madrid?
By: Paul |
20 Comments
Before I get down to the latest Athletic news, I have some good news that involves this blog and me personally. As you may know from previous posts, I have had computer trouble recently. About a week before my semester ended (early December) the keys on the line “~” through “Backspace” as well as the “F(#)” keys stopped working. When I returned to Houston for my winter break, I was able to access the computer some, but it was more difficult without my own laptop and often didn’t feel right. Yesterday, though, I received a new keyboard in the mail and installed it. Therefore, I am back in business and should be back to writing regularly. I would also like to apologize for the recent technical problems and my absence.
Anyway, enough about me- what’s been going on in the world of Athletic lately?
First, Athletic picked up their first point of the decade with a 1-1 draw against Malaga. Honestly, I view it as a sort of lame win- the tying goal came late off of a penalty. But, hey, I am a fan of the “play to win at home, play for a draw away” approach and, a point is always a point no matter how it is earned.
Bigger news, though, comes out of Athletic’s first win of the decade. It was the first home game of the decade against a team of star players. Real Madrid came to San Mames with the likes of Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, and, a Basque, Xabi Alonso. This was a game I had been waiting for since I took over the Athletic Offside. I wanted to write an in-depth preview of the match and live blog it, with lots of trash talking inserted into both of those things. Honestly, I did not expect a win against the Madridistas, but I hate Real Madrid almost as much as I love Athletic so the result of the game is all the more pleasing. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Athletic Bilbao Team News
A Haunting in Mallorca
By: Paul | 5 Comments
Athletic began the new year and new decade this past Sunday, and, things got off on the wrong foot. I don’t think the team looked terrible, but a 2-0 loss is still a 2-0 loss.
In this game, Athletic was also haunted by the ghost of seasons past: Aritz Aduriz.
Aduriz never was great for Athletic, but he was still a good player and looked to be forming a good partnership with Llorente. I, personally, was shocked when he was sold to Mallorca and he’s been very good for them. Consider this: according to Wikipedia, Aduriz scored 22 goals for Athletic in 84 matches. For Mallorca, in only 46 matches, he has scored 19. My point, though:
1) It was a mistake to sell him.
2) He looked very good the entire game (other than his yellow card) and was able to score a goal in last Sunday’s game.
Muniain has been back in action but hasn’t seemed to make the impact he did early, while Mikel San Jose has stepped up and looked great lately. I’m personally hoping that, if his performances continue, San Jose can be signed on a permanent contract.
Category: Athletic Bilbao Team NewsTeam of the Decade
By: Paul | 4 Comments
This seems to be the popular thing going on all across The Offside, so here is my version: the Athletic Club Team of the Decade
Formation- 4-2-4
GK: Aranzubia
With Athletic from 2000-2008, “Dani” is a product of the Cantera and a key member of the 2003-04 Athletic team that finished 5th in La Liga and reached the UEFA Cup that year. He had struggles reaching the number one spot initially competing with Lafuente, and had even more after Iraizoz came in. He departed after the 2007-08 campaign, and now plies his trade at Deportivo La Coruna. He made his lone appearance for the Spanish National team in 2004.
RB: Iraola
Another Lezama product, Iraola is essentially a right-back/midfielder hybrid. He is able to orchestrate attacks down the right, as well as provide stiff defense. He also has a knack for taking set pieces, and has been able to score 41 league goals since his career began for Athletic’s first-team in 2003. Iraola is a workhorse, and has never featured in less than 30 league games in a season. Iraola has appeared for Spain at the U18, U21, and senior levels, with another 5 appearances for the Basque national squad.
CD: Amorebieta
One of my personal favorites, this guy is the kind of defender Athletic are famous for. He is tough and earns lots of cards, but is a rock in the center of the defense. He has great aerial ability and is young enough that he will probably be a key defender in the upcoming decade as well. Amorebieta was a member of the U-19 squad that won the 2004 UEFA U-10 Championship, and was called up for the senior team once, but has yet to earn a senior cap.
CD: Aitor Ocio
Aitor Ocio is now in his second spell with Athletic, first appearing from 2001-2003, and then returning in 2007 a spell with Sevilla, where he won the UEFA cup twice, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Spanish cup. Currently, he is a bit past his prime, but his experience with successes and his professionalism are invaluable to Athletic. Plus, the ladies love him.
LB: Del Horno
This was a player who Athletic just could not keep- he was too talented and moved to more successful clubs. Del Horno is a similar player to Iraola, except he has a bit more fire in his belly and plays on the left side. Del Horno spent 2000-05 at Athletic before transferring to Chelsea and then on to Valencia, his current club. He returned on loan in 2007, but injury held him to just 15 league games. He has made 10 appearances for the Spanish national squad, and was also capped at the U-18 and U-21 levels. Today, though, he is far from the player he once was, and seems to spend more time either on the bench or with the physio than he does on the pitch.
RW: Etxeberria
If you know anything at all about Athletic, Etxeberria should be one of the first names to come to mind. Etxeberria is primarily a right-winger, but has also played as a right-midfielder, an attacking midfielder, and as a forward. A great dribbler, Etxeberria in his prime was able to create opportunites as well as adding a few beautiful goals for himself. His best year came in the 2002-03 season, where he scored 14 goals for himself. Etxeberria is the leader of Athletic, and in 2008 he announced he would play in 2009-2010 for free and then call it a day on his long career. Etxeberria managed 53 caps and 12 goals for the Spanish national team, before retiring from international football in 2004. Additionally, “Etxebe” has the second most caps for Athletic Club, coming in behind Jose Angel Iribar.
CM: Tiko
Arriving in 1999 from local rivals Osasuna, Tiko made a name for himself as a good playmaking or ball-winning midfielder who had a knack for powerful, long-range shots. These shots were given their own name, in fact: Tikotazo. He was an essential first-teamer from 2001-2006, before being overshadowed by Gurpegi and Javi Martinez. He departed for Eibar and played 16 matches in 2008-09, before calling it quits on his career. He enjoyed his best season in 2001-02, scoring 7 league goals while adding another 4 in just 6 Copa del Rey matches. This season earned him his lone call-up to the Spanish national team in 2002.
CM: Orbaiz
Orbaiz has been Athletic’s primary ball-winner for all of this decade. Like Ocio, he is a stoic professional. Like Etxeberria, he is a leader. Orbaiz has struggled with injury some years, but when healthy he is a key member of the squad, despite usually being pretty quiet on-field. Pablo Orbaiz has also been capped by the Spanish national squad 4 times during his career.
LW: Yeste
Much like Etxeberria, it is hard to remember a time when Francisco Yeste has not been a member of Athletic’s squad and has been at Athletic since his Cantera days up until the present. Yeste can play well as an attacking midfielder due to his playmaking ability, or on the left wing due to his excellent ability to deliver crosses. Despite the ability Yeste showed in his prime, he never earned a call-up to the senior Spain squad.
ST: Llorente
Fernando Llorente is a classic target man- tall and strong, with great finishing and aerial ability. Llorente is another player who has been with Athletic after rising through Lezama. He doesn’t top the scoring charts by any means, but his 14 goals in 2008-09 (a career best) always seemed to come at the right time. Without Llorente, Athletic would likely have lost many points and possibly even been relegated by now. Time will tell if he’ll be a staple next decade (he’s still young) or if a bigger club will come knocking and snatch him up. On the international front, Llorente won a silver boot in the 2005 FIFA Youth World Championship and a third-place medal at the 2009 Confederations Cup with the senior Spanish team. Llorente has earned 5 caps for Spain and another 5 for the Basque National team.
ST: Urzaiz
Another great target man who featured for Athletic for almost an eternity was Ismael Urzaiz. Much like Llorente, he wasn’t a golden boot winner, but was a workhorse who won games for his team. Urzaiz was capped for Spain 25 times, netting 8 goals, and made another 7 appearances for the Euskadi XI.
Category: Athletic Bilbao Team News2009 In Review: Resurgence?
By: Paul | 6 Comments
The year is winding to a close, and after a run of disappointing seasons, Athletic are performing once again. This year has seen Los Leones fight their way out of the relegation zone, reach the Copa del Rey Final, return to European football, and have what amounts to the best season Athletic cans could ask for at this point (so far, at least). Caparros was able to bring in a few good signings and has continued Athletic’s tradition of bringing youngsters up through the Cantera. The big boys up top of La Liga certainly had better years, but I’d say things are looking up for Athletic going into 2009- despite many ups and downs.
Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Athletic Bilbao Team NewsMerry Christmas: Where Have I Been? Part 2
By: Paul | 1 Comment
I hope everybody is enjoying their Christmas! I got a new camera (a “friend” stole mine) and some money. I’m also pleased with Athletic’s performances of late (saomething which I have wanted to post more about, see explanation below). How is everyone else’s x mas going?
Also, I’m sure there are those of you wondering where the hell I am. I have really wanted to post, but my laptop is still crap. The problem is that none of the keys on the line where the numbers are (~ through ‘Backspace’) won’t work- and the password for me to log in has numbers in it. It’s about three years old, so I think it’s reached the end of its service, so asked my father to get a new one (I’m a jobless college student, you see). Of course, he doesn’t realize that laptops only have a 3-5 year lifespan, and insists on getting it repaired- which will probably cost more than the current value of the thing or at least half of that.
So, I’ll come by soon with a post from the home computer, and then from either a new computer (very unlikely, unoless someone can give me an irrefutable argument as to why it’s not worth it to fix mine) or from my own revived computer.
Category: Athletic Bilbao Team NewsWhere Have I Been?!
By: Paul | 1 Comment
Very, very sorry for my recent absence but, I can assure you, I have a valid reason!
For me, classes ended on December 4. On December 8, exams started, and they end tomorrow. Because of this, I have had to finish up work before classes ended, and then work on exams. On top of this, my laptop decided to stop working (for at least the fourth time since I’ve had it, here’s to hoping that it miraculously recovers as it has in the past) I go home tomorrow, though, and will be home for almost a month- I promise that I will be back with something real to write about very soon, I just wanted to fill everybody in just in case there were concerns.
Since I’ve been away, though, Athletic has been doing well and I’m pleased. More on this (and other developments) later…
Category: Athletic Bilbao Team NewsAthletic 1-Barcelona 1: Hangin’ on…and a bit of controversy
By: Paul | 8 Comments
Happy Thanksgiving to all! Sorry about posting late, been busy with school, then for Thanksgiving break I went up to New York City and am now typing this from my sister’s apartment in Connecticut.
Before I get started on the match itself, let’s review something that has cause a little bit of controversy. I’m talking, of course, about Messi receiving a kick in the face from Amorebieta. Let’s review:
So, what’s your opinion of this play? Note that no foul was called and no cards were given.
Personally, I don’t really see a major problem with the play. I agree with the commentators in the above video- to me it looks like Amorebieta was following through and Messi just didn’t seem to be able to stop himself in time. I think Barcelona should have had maybe a freekick and that a yellow might have been a bit harsh if it were given. Red card? No way, no how. Anyway, I am glad that Messi wasn’t hurt by this play, unlike certain other teams (yeah, that means you Real Madrid) I have respect for Barcelona and unlike certain players (i.e. Cristiano Ronaldo) I don’t dislike Messi. On the other hand, I’m always a fan of seeing hard play from Athletic players- this may not quite be that, but, hey, it’s entertaining.
I, personally, don’t think this was too controversial, but read below for something I think actually is!
So, how about the match itself? Let’s review: Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Athletic Bilbao Team NewsFirst Translation: Iker Muniain Interview
By: Paul | 9 Comments
Today, I am pleased to announce that I have added Elizabeth as my translator here, and she has sent me her first translation- Iker Muniain’s interview (original in Spanish can be seen here). Translating some of the videos on Athletic’s site has been something I have always wanted to do, but unfortunately my Spanish is very limited so I’m very glad to have somebody around to help me out. I chose Muniain’s interview because he is a very exciting young player and I wanted to see what the player himself has to say.
Before I continue, I want to say I’m pleased about Athletic’s draw with Barcelona yesterday, and I’ll post a match report on that very soon- but right now I am stuck writing a paper for my Western Political Theory class. Till then, here’s a short intro by Elizabeth herself before the body of her work (comments are appreciated, I wanna know what you all think!): Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Athletic Bilbao Team News…crap
By: Paul | 7 Comments
I really don’t know what to say- Athletic is out of the cup already. Shit.
I was able to turn on the game for the last 30 minutes or so- I had to reinstall Windows after a crash so spent time reinstalling TVU player and the required plug-ins to watch the match. I did get it going, though, and was happy to see Athletic up 1-0. “Ok, just one more goal, hang on and this will go to penalties, and I like Athletic’s chances in that.”
Then I saw every attack (of which there were many) be thwarted by Dani’s excellent goalkeeping (the guy seriously was putting on a clinic).
Then Collantes scored a beautiful goal making the score 1-1 with about 20 minutes left in the game.
A glimmer of hope came a few minutes later, after more (thwarted, but nice looking) attacks, Javi Martinez directed a beautiful header in- a glimmer of hope??
Only a few minutes after that, another goal by Rayo. I turned the game off and took a three hour nap.
But, hey, Rayo did well- I commend them on their upset. However, I may just be in a good mood about it because Real Madrid is out too.
I realize I didn’t post on the Nacional draw and the win against Racing. I missed them entirely, so decided my summary wasn’t necessary. Glad to see some good results coming back, though!
Category: Athletic Bilbao Team NewsAthletic 1-Atlético 0: I’ll take that
By: Paul | 4 Comments
Before yesterday, it had been over a month since Athletic won their last game. They started off strong, winning the first three matches of the season for the first time in a long time, the last of those being a 3-2 victory against Villareal (yes, it has been that long).
The game was played on what seemed to be a below-average level, which is something that can be expected from two teams that have seen a dip in form. Still, Javi Martinez’s lone goal was enough, and that’s something I can be satisfied with.
The next game will be played on Thursday at Nacional in the Europa League. I’m expecting another win, and hoping that Athletic can finally shake off bad form officially and come back strong into La Liga.
Category: Athletic Bilbao Team News
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