Bad Move Guiza and other Transfer News
By: Jeremy |
8 Comments
Now that we have definitely lost two of our heros, I wanted to give my thoughts on these transfers out as well as mention some other transfers in that kind of fell under the radar which I failed to mention in my last post.
Fan favorite Ibagazas transfer has been confirmed to Villarreal and it is a good move for him as he wants to improve his level of competition and pocketbook. The same cannot be said for Dani Guiza. It has long been rumored that he has all but signed for Fenerbache in Turkey, but his noteworthy performance in Euro 2008 seemed to make him think he could get offers elsewhere. This clearly shows Turkey was not his first choice even if Aragones would be his coach but I guess he got impatient and wanted to make a decision.
Who knows what other offers were out there or if Turkey paid more all around then anyone else would have, but this is a bad move for his career in my opinion. I have no doubt that Turkey probably offered the most money and willingly gave Mallorca the 15-17 mil they wanted in a transfer fee, but I wonder if his girlfriend could ever think about something other then the money. I cant believe that he could not attract serious attention from Barca or a club like Arsenal or even Roma where if he signed there, he could really up his world profile with another dominating season. He has that kind of talent. While a move from one big club to another does not always guarantee success and can be a total failure for some players, ie Shevchenko and maybe even Henry, a move from a midlevel club to another club that isnt in one of the big three leagues, who albeit is in the Champions League every year, it is not a move that will further develop his career. Turkey is an inferior league and no matter how much he dominates, he would be better known as a footballer if he tried his luck with a big club. Considering he also likes Spain, the cultural transition will not be easy. Guiza has done wonders for Mallorca and is no doubt a talent, but I think whomever advises him made a bad move here. He will score goals, but will basically be an afterthought in Europe. I am sure Barca, Arsenal, or Roma wanted him and a deal was there to be made, but when Nuria answers my emails for a response, Ill get back to you. With Guizas good looks and talent, combined with a hot wife, he could have become the Spanish version of Beckham or something close. To see how Torres took a move to Liverpool and raised his profile was what Guiza should have done.
With two big names now gone, we have to regroup. The four players previously mentioned in my last post have the best chance to make a difference, but we have added two other players who I did not mention because I was hoping to get more players to add to them before discussing them. With the other four coming so quickly, these guys became an afterthought. The two players I am talking about are Lionel Scaloni and Ayoze Diaz.
Scaloni is a 30 yr old Argentine defender who we got from Lazio on a 12 month loan. Hes very familiar to Spanish fans as he played from 98-06 for Deportivo and was a very important defender for them. He managed to secure a spot for Argentina in World Cup 2006, but the past two years he has done nothing. He spent last year doing nothing in Lazio after a year with Racing with limited appearances. He is clearly on the downside of his career and hoping to get some action in Mallorca. I do not expect much from him and he will be an afterthought on our team next year.
The other player we player we picked up was from Racing as well. Ayoze Diaz is a midfielder who is 26. He did nothing for Racing last year after playing the year before with Real Murcia. He is another one of those guys who is a fringe La Liga player. He got some real playing time from 03-06 with Racing but did not emerge to the point where they saw him in their future. Maybe Racing has improved to the point where they can discard players like this who can turn out to make a difference on another LaLiga club, but I have my doubts. Racing for the most part is relegation fodder and like Mallorca has dodged relegation miraculously on more then one occasion. Now that they edged us for the UEFA Cup spot, maybe they are bringing in talent that allows Diaz to be a help for us, but I am not big on him at all.
It is clear that we are not matching what we are losing, but that is to be expected. I have hope for Juardo and even Josemi, but a lot must go our way to allow us to finish in the top ten next year. I hope Manzano is on the hunt for another striker because we need one. He is stockpiling defenders and midfielders hoping one emerges, but hopefully he sees what a great striker can do as we were outscoring teams last year which is the way to be successful in LaLiga. This is not Italy and with the offense we now have, we will be losing a lot of 1-0 and 2-1 games.
Thanks to Guiza and Ibagaza for all they did to raise the profile of this club. It is a sad day to lose so much talent so quickly with no comparable replacements in sight for now. Hopefully we will get another player or two before the window closes.
Category: Mallorca Team News
Some New Blood
By: Jeremy | 7 Comments
Give Mallorca credit. When you have multiple players who are clearly heading to bigger clubs, its easy to sit back and wallow in misery about what could have been and not try to bring in some talented replacements. An attitude like that causes such a quick downfall and the next thing you know you are in Segunda B. One reason Mallorca has continued to dodge relegation the past 10 years is that when they lose their good players or have to return players they have on loan, they act quickly to bring in some new players at a reasonable price before other teams grab them allowing the loss of the big names to be dealt with a little easier. Its easy to be a big club and drop loads of cash on the next great player or the established star, but there is a more difficult task, which many smaller clubs like Mallorca face, which is to bring in some new players who are either young and overlooked or not quit established, or some experienced players who either suffered from injury or found themselves not getting regular time with a big club. That is what we have just done with the lastest players we have acquired.
As of this writing, Guiza still has not chosen a club. While we all want him back, reality says Barcelona or Roma will soon have his signature. Jonas is off to New Castle where he will likely thrive, David Navarro has returned to Valencia, Fernando Navarro is off to Sevilla, and surprisingly, although not official, fan favorite Ibagaza might be heading to Villarreal who has made him a substantial offer. I am sure he prefers to stay in Palma, but with the added money and Champions League football, you cant blame him for leaving. He has always flown under the radar and Mallorca has been lucky to have him, but he clearly has the talent to be in the first eleven of a Champions League Spanish side. Lets see what happens, but I know he is having a hard time with the decision. These losses are substantial and even if we do well with some new transfers, we are back to being relegation fodder again.
This why our four latest transfers are some good news and hopefully they will emerge to make up the losses and keep us out of the relgation zone. In addition to the recently signed striker Keita, here is some information on the four additional players who will play for us next year:
Mario Suarez
We now own him fully after getting him from Athletico Madrid. He is a 21 yr old MF who played last year on loan with Celta. He has played in the Spanish under 20 club in the World Cup so he obviously is talented. This is a young player who simply hasnt emerged like Athletico thought so they sold him to us. Maybe he develops later, but 21 is awfully young and if he can make a U20 World Cup Squad, he is worth taking on. Good move to snap up a young player who could still amount to something.
Jurado
Also picked up from Athletico but he is held in a little higher esteem by them as we only get him on loan. He rarely played for them last year, but is a former Real Madrid youth player with loads of talent. With Guiza and maybe Ibagaza gone, he will get a shot to play in an attacking midfielder role and could emerge. More youth for our side and is a perfect fit for this club. We can deal with giving him back to Athletico later. Lets hope he shows the talent he has.
Oscar Diaz
I dont know much about this guy other then he is a 24 yr old midfielder from Elche in Segunda B. It did not cost us anything and I think our scouts just liked him and wanted to see if he could make the move to LaLiga. If he shows something great, if not, no big deal since he was free. Give the club credit for trying to unearth a gem while he is still in expensive.
Josemi
We got him from Villarreal and he is a defender we are looking to use to replace Navarro. The talent is there and he is only 28. He has dealt with some injuries and has played with Liverpool in the Champions League so there is no doubt some real potential that he could add to our back line and make up for the loss of Navarro. We now own him outright and this is a classic example of a big club having too many players and Mallorca grabbing him quickly. He is not of Navarros quality but he could bounce back and bring some real leadership to our club next year. A much needed addition that could pay big dividends.
Whether any of these players make a difference next year is really unknown, but clubs like Mallorca have to rely on big clubs loaning out or selling players who simply arent able to crack their lineup or are still developing. This creates a lot of uncertainty the big clubs dont face. While these additions are good, we still need to add another striker. Knowing we were going to lose so many players, you have to give credit to management for trying to get some new players with talent on a budget.
I will keep watching the transfer window, but the next news is likely some more subtractions and not additions. It will be sad to lose Guiza and Ibagaza, but until they are gone, I will keep some faint hope that they stay.
Category: Mallorca Team NewsWho is Alhassane Keita?
By: Jeremy | 3 Comments
Now that Euro 2008 is over, things should heat up in the transfer market. Mallorca hero Dani Guiza managed to have himself a good tournament with a couple of goals and he clearly showed why he was La Ligas top scorer. His missed penalty in the Italy game luckilly will not cost him. Where he ends up is anyones guess at this point as it could be Arsenal, Roma, and even Fenerbache in Turkey.
I know his girlfriend/agent is really hot and probably sees money before she sees anything else, but she would be a fool to let him sign for Fenerbache. Yeah they are a good club and make some noise in the Champions League almost every year, but if you are a player on the way up, you dont go to Turkey, especially if you have offers from other big clubs. It seems he took and passed a medical and Fener was ready to pay the 15 mil transfer fee, but he didnt quite sign because after his Euro performance, interest in him has increased. Nuria could learn a word called patience. Dont screw up his career because you have some money being thrown at you. Wait for the right offer and show your talents on a top level stage. I still think he ends up at Barca, but he will have to wait for some bigger names like David Villa to sort out where they will play.
Mallorca knows they are going to lose him even if the fans have admirably formed a group to keep him around. Of course he is our most important player and any fan wants him to stay, but reality is a bitch. Atleast an attempt has been made to bring in a replacement for his inevitable loss. We just signed Alhassane Keita for 3 million from Al Ittahad in Saudi Arabia. He is 24 years old and from Guinea and was once the Swiss Leagues top scorer for FC Zurich. While still young, something is amiss if this guy hasnt landed on someones radar by now. I know those Arab clubs pay more then anyone else for players who are either too old and on the downside of their career or players who might end up being good. While its easy to criticize a team who will lose a Dani Guiza and replace him with this guy, but atleast they are trying. The guy can score if even on a lower level and is young so improvement is possible. While I think it would be better to take the 3 mil and add it to a bid for a bigger player, we shall see. Im sure Manzano gave his ok so why not. For some reason though I just cant get over this guy being the Guinean Joaquin Larrivey.
With ownership in flux as the current group is willing to sell, former New Castle bossman Freddie Shepherd, who lives in Mallorca for most of the year and is known for making flamboyant statements, is trying to buy the club. I would love to see this guy take over. A big club mentality for a small club by someone who has a tie to the islands and isnt looking at it as just a business purchase will in the long run bring some money into the club. Lets hope he can make a deal to own this team.
There are many rumors about many of our players leaving yet very few about potential new players. Everyone from Ibagaza to Moya is rumored to be somewhere. No need to speculate or guess just to make a story. The fact our players our in demand shows what a team we had last year. Once things shake out and we know who is in and who is out, we can assess the team and see if we will be in relegation dogfight as we are so used seeing as fans.
As much as I want Guiza to stay, I really want to see him end up with the right big club and not just chase the first money thrown at him. Spain in Euro 2008 just summed up what was a great year for the league, Mallorca, and its fans.
Category: Mallorca Team NewsIts going to be a long summer
By: Jeremy | 3 Comments
After just missing out on a UEFA Cup place and refusing to play in the Intertoto Cup, Mallorca and its fans will spend the summer seeing which of the players who made last year so much fun will leave for bigger clubs. With EURO 2008 putting many moves on hold, real news is going to be slow to come. However it is still just a diversion for the reality that this club is going to lose some key players, which is expected when you have success.
The first move that we saw was the club not picking up the contract option on Jonas Guitierrez, the young Argentinian midfielder. This was a player with a lot of potential who played in 30 games for the Reds last year. He had a conflict with the club and really wanted out over the winter to go play in the Premiership. Instead he played in the Spring and once the year was over, the club did not pick up the sizeable option on his contract and it is still up in the air where he will play next year. This was a player we needed to keep, but if the cost was too high and the relationship with the club ruined, it was probably best to let him go. Either way, he is a good player we no longer have.
Now it seems that Fernando Navarro has finally signed for Sevilla and we will be losing our best defender. Navarro played 36 games for Mallorca and was so good he received a call up to Spains national team for EURO 2008. After some interest from Valencia at the last minute, it seems as if Navarro will be in Sevilla for a 5 million fee. The second key player we have lost.
Once EURO 2008 ends, things will pick up in the transfer market. The next key loss will be Guiza, who I expect to sign with Barca, and then David Navarro, who didnt play as much as we would have liked, but is still a talented and in demand defender, will likely be the next to go. With goalkeeping seeming to be a weakness for so many clubs, Moya leaving is not out of the question as he is going to emerge as an even better player over the next few years. He might be scooped up by a big club. Other players who either had a great year or are up and coming that could leave will be Ramis, Chori Castro, and Basinas. This does not even include Juan Arango who will be in demand, but like Ibagaza, could decide to stay. Other then Ibagaza, I think all of these other players are strong possibilities to be with other clubs next year.
With players leaving, money comes in and we will again have to spend it wisely. Manzano has made some good moves so hopefully he has a plan. I think the rumors of him leaving will stop and he should be back on the bench for us next year. It will also be interesting to see if wunderkid Nsue is ready for a prominent role. He has been a key player for Spanish national youth teams for what seems like forever, but if he truly is going to be a dominant player, we will need to see him show something on the big stage next year if he is given the chance.
To watch players that made a huge difference the previous year slowly leave the club is scary. Players we likely know little about will take their place and the hope is that they will emerge. However, with La Liga being so strong, you cannot lose the above mentioned players and replace them with uncertainties or question marks and not expect to have to fight to survive relegation. After getting a taste of Europe, to see such a drop back as reality is really frustrating. We have dodged relegation for so many years that letting talent leave is not going to be easy to swallow.
Hopefully once EURO ends, the players will decide what they are doing so we know what the club has for next year. The problem with being a small club is that we dont know who will be coming in early because we basically get the leftovers. Lets hope there is a new Guiza to emerge for us next year.
In the meantime, I will just keep my eyes open for news about who is going where and try to post accordingly. I hope fans are enjoying a great summer after what was a truly memorable season in Palma.
Category: Mallorca Team NewsUEFA, the Intertoto, and Ignoring Year End Gossip
By: Jeremy | 1 Comment
First lets all be reminded of how great Memorial Day is and for the freedoms that allow me to write this blog and for us to enjoy the beauty that is America and thanks to the efforts of our soldiers, the beauty that is many countries in the rest of the world…..
Anyway, now that the Liga season has ended, we can take a step back and reflect on what was a great season for Mallorca and its fans, yet in my opinion a disappointing one. It is also a time for questions to be pondered while also ignoring the gossip about what will happen to our players during the transfer market.
Thanks to last weekends 3-2 home win over Zaragoza, Mallorca finished in seventh place in La Liga, just one spot below Racing who finished sixth and claimed the final UEFA Cup Spot. These results also saw Zaragoza take the final relegation spot in what was a great finish to the year at both ends of the standings. The surge in the last quarter of the season saw the Ballerets go from relegation candidates to almost securing sixth spot and European football. The team just ran out of games and an early season love fest for draws saw this team too far down in the standings to make European football a reality. However, with the exciting offense filled with great goals and the Pichichi winner, no matter how disappointed we fans were, it was one of our best seasons in years and one of the most exciting teams in La Liga this year and also our history.
The last quarter of the season allowed the fans to see the team that we expected to see throughout the whole year. This team should have finished with a UEFA Cup spot and to me was almost Champions League quality. With disappointing years from Valencia and Deportivo, we really should have made a push for a top four spot. This just shows you how tough a league Spain is as it takes a remarkable effort to secure a Champions League spot and any UEFA Cup spot would be considered a great year.
Finishing seventh should have allowed us to play in the Intertoto Cup. From what I can gather, it will be Deportivo in the Intertoto Cup as both Mallorca and Almeria decided to pass on the competition allowing ninth place Deportivo to take a run at UEFA Cup qualification. I know the players need a break after a tough year and summer is not always a time to play football, but someone explain to me why Mallorca would pass on the Intertoto when it could allow them a path to the UEFA Cup. When you rarely finish this high in the standings and havent played in the UEFA Cup since winning the Copa five years ago, you have to sign up and play. I dont get it.
Since the year is now officially over, we get to read all the rumors and gossip about where players like Guiza and Arango et al will be playing next year. Unless you are a fan of a big club who will truly be active in the transfer market, why would you read all these stories about who is going to get transferred when there is so little credibility to them. Another reason to ignore the soccer columns for a few weeks is the attiude of the players and what they say. Does anyone think Guiza will stay in Mallorca? As the season drew closer to an end, it became obivous that big clubs want him and he talks about Baecelona being a dream move, yet as they approached the end of the season and he wins the Pichichi, he talks about staying in Mallorca being a dream for him. Which is it? The players need to keep their mouths shut and stop teasing fans of their current club and clubs that would like to obtain them. This is a reason I dont read much soccer for the next month. I know my club will likely lose its best players and will need to be creative to bring in replacements that can help it improve over last years season or the likely scenario, players who can keep them out of the relegation dogfight. However, I dont like to get my hopes up or get frustrated that a player might leave based on what he says or does not say in response to rumors about him.
Mallorca is a solid mid table club and should be every year. We dont have the resources to compete for European football except when we aqcquire players relatively inexpensively who perform well above expectations ie Guiza. This happens on occasion, but is a rarity. The scary thing is that because of the competitiveness from top to bottom in La Liga this year, without Guiza we are in serious relegation trouble. Who will be next years Guiza? I dont know, but if we dont replace him, we arent moving up in the standings.
All we know at this point is that Jonas Guitierrez is not coming back, but that has been known for some time. Mallorca was not going to exercise its 8 million option on a player who was not happy in Palma. He is clearly talented, but it was a good move to let him go relative to the price. Guiza is gone. Arango is 50/50, and Ibagaza is likely to stay. Navarro will also attract interest from other European clubs. It is also not clear that Manzano will stay on as coach, but I think he will. He has a knack for bringing in the right players for the right price, but until this year getting them to develop has been tough. Hopefully he stays and continues to solidify this club.
This year was a great year from a team and player standpoint, but now that I have taken a deep breath from watching the drama of the season unfold, it is time to take a break and not read too much into the gossip that continues to swirl around the players. I hope all fans of Mallorca can be proud of this team, but also hope that some changes can be made that can allow us to not only keep the players who succeed, but also add players to take us to the next level on a more consistent basis. With the majority shareholder selling for 40 million euros, maybe a new owner can step in and put some money into the club. I wish I had 40 million Euros and Id move to Palma and buy a soccer club.
Until things sort themselves out, lets be thankful for what was one of our better years in some time even if it turned out to be a little disappointing. Ill be back to post when there is some real news and not just a bunch of anxious specualtion and gossip.
Category: Mallorca Team NewsMallorca-Zaragoza; Guizas Last Stand
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
Even though I dont want to accept the reality that Dani Guiza, the likely winner of the Pichichi this year, is playing his last game for the club on Sunday, I do accept that if not for him, the final game of the season would mean nothing and we would be celebrating anything that kept us from relegation. Instead, we come into the final weekend with a real shot at finishing 6th and securing a UEFA Cup spot. While such a result would not cause Guiza to change his mind and stay, it might allow us to sign some other players with the 15 million we will be getting for him.
As big a game as this is for Mallorca, its probably a bigger game for Zaragoza. For a team that was expected to be where Mallorca is now, they instead find themselves in the relegation zone and will not only need to win on the road, where this year they have one win in eighteen matches, they will need help from other clubs. The irony is there are two games where the teams will be trying to help each other as Racing Santander sits on 57 points with Mallorca on 56. Santanders weekend opponent is Osasuna with 43 points and Zaragoza has 42 points. Zaragoza beating Mallorca helps Santander maintain their hold on sixth place and Osasuna beating Santander not only keeps them in the top flight but gives Mallorca a real chance for the final UEFA Cup Spot.
There is no reason to believe that Guiza will not have a big game. It is his final game in the Mallorca shirt, he needs to win the Pichichi, and show the big clubs yet again that he is a bargain at 15 million. With the team goal on the line, their recent form including a stunning win against Barca last week, the home fans cheering, combined with Zaragozas woeful road record, should make this a seriously winnable game for the Reds. I know teams fighting for survival tend to play better, but Zaragoza has been so poor this year that combined with all the infighting, they are going to end up in 18th place and go back to Segunda. Considering what was expected of them this year, this would be a major surprise.
As Mallorca tries to wind down the year and secure European football, there is still the issue of who will be leaving and staying. With Guiza gone, we did receive some positive comments from Ibagaza this week as he made it clear he was not going anywhere and will likely stay in Palma to finish his career. He is one of those players that is settled with a family, likes where he lives, and is happy to play for Mallorca. He knows who he is and where he is with his career. He also knows where Guiza is and has made it clear that Guiza needs to move to a big club. While Ibagaza still has a couple years left of great play, we should be happy to have him if for no other reason then his maturity and guidance in the dressing room. A player like him is key to a small clubs success. Now we just have to see what Arango will do and who will come to Mallorca to play with the money we have. Manzano has shown great ability to bring in players and he will have more money to spend in the summer, but with UEFA Cup football, he might get some better players then he thought which would solidify the club as a top half of the table team and not a relegation candidate.
With so much on the line this weekend and all the factors for victory in our favor, I cant see Mallorca losing this game despite Zaragozas needing to win. If Osasuna can get a tie on the road, I think we can slide into sixth and that would be something. For all the joy that would bring, you have to wonder if we could be in the Champions League if not for the inconsistent play in the beginning of the year.
Prediction Mallorca 3-1 Zaragoza.
Party in Palma this weekend.
Category: Mallorca Team NewsLa Liga at its Best and Worst
By: Jeremy | 2 Comments
Although I support Manchester United because of George Best(my favorite player of all time) who I met briefly while serving as a ball kid back in 1977 for the LA Aztecs of the old NASL, I am not a passionate fan like I am for Cagliari and Mallorca. Therefore I dont feel the joy or sorrows like most genuine Man U fans feel when they win or lose. Therefore as a passionate fan of smaller clubs, maybe it is unfair for me to comment, but I dont get the fans of biggers clubs who show anger at their team because heaven forbid they finish second or third and dont win the their league every year. Id get it if they were finishing mid table or heaven forbid were in the relegation battle, but Barcas players deserve better then what they got this weekend. Even their coach did not deserve what he saw, but a win for Mallorca is all that matters.
This is my attitude toward Barcelona as their behavior lately toward their players and coach to me is reprehensible. There is nothing wrong with voicing frustration and all players deserved to be booed on occasion for a brief moment, but for the fans to boo their players the way they did this weekend and to call for the resignation of their President no doubt contributed to the loss against Mallorca.
Barca came out strong and put two past Moya in the first half and while it looked like the Reds defense was swiss cheese, Barca could have had more goals but Mallorcas defenders and Moya made some stops that prevented the score line from getting worse. Barca was playing well even if the results meant nothing to them. They still wanted to put on a show for their fans and they could have blown Mallorca out very easily. I think the soccer gods werent going to give it to Barca so easily.
Mallorca on the other hand had everything to play for and came out flat. Going to Madrid or Barca can be a harrowing experience when you know that you are up against a more talented side, but that also the home sides fans will be out in full force. While all road games in La Liga are tough, teams feel that they can win when they feel like they match up talent wise. No one matches up with Madrid or Barca so you expect to take your lumps. However Mallorca is one of the few teams that manages to thrive on the pressure of these big clubs so it was surprising to see them so dominated in the first half, final home game for Barca or not.
The second half was a different story. As the fans began to boo their players more, Mallorca continued to push forward. Surprise bench warmer Ibagaza came on for Mallorca and they seemed to respond pushing two past the Barca goalie. By then the fans were becoming even worse. Booing players like Deco and Etoo every time they touched the ball was not deserved so when Guiza pounded in the third Mallorca goal to seal the game with seconds remaining, it was as if Barcas fans got what they deserve. Wasnt this the same team that finished in the CL semis? I dont get the booing as the big clubs must share the spoils with few exceptions.
For all the inspired play by Mallorca and not quitting, the game was lost because of the fans. Players have egos yet are very insecure in many cases. They need the love of their home fans and cheers inspire results. While they can ignore brief boos for bad play, with everything surrounding the club and even after jumping into the lead, they lost it easily as the negativity continued to increase. Analyzing aside, this was a great game for any fan to enjoy with the result in doubt as soon as Mallorca got on the board. I hope this game ends up on Barca TV on FSC someday for me to tape. These kinds of games are what make La Liga the most exciting soccer in the world. You felt something was going to happen as Barca could not get more then two in the first half.
With that 3-2 win Mallorca has achieved so much and can now do the impossible, qualify for the UEFA Cup. We are now guaranteed no worse then 7th which puts us in Intertoto. This gives us a shot at Europe. It sure would be a lot easier to finish 6th if we can make up a point on Racing. We play Zaragoza at home and they play Osasuna at home. Two teams fighting for the final UEFA Cup spot versus two teams fighting for a spot in La Liga next year. Two great games coming up. With Guizas goal, he now leads the Pichichi by two goals and it would be something for him to win it for the glory of Mallorca. With a lot to play for at home, finishing 6th is certainly possible.
Under any circumstances, winning this kind of game against Barca has to give the players confidence and fans have to be excited. While finishing 6th should have been realistic at the beginning of the year, the never quit attitude of the players to bring it back to this final chance is amazing. I hope we get a full house next weekend for the game. I have no doubt the fans will treat the players better then Barca fans treat theirs. Why Guiza would want to go there other then for money to me makes no sense, but we will talk about his future later. Right now we need him for one more big performance.
Category: Mallorca Team NewsMallorca-Barcelona
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
With two weeks left, our boys from Palma sit in seventh place and have Racing Santander in their sights who occupy the final UEFA Cup spot in sixth place just three points ahead of us. In recent weeks we have gone from looking at relegation to the Intertoto spot with a real chance at gaining European football. This is all thanks to Dani Guiza, who currently leads the race for the Pichichi, and some key plays by other team members who have helped us win games easily and with some last miniute dramatics.
However this week is a different animal as we travel to the Camp Nou to face Barcelona who will be playing their final home game of the year, Rijkaards final home game as coach, and a game that means nothing in the standings to them. The fact they will also be fielding a depleted lineup with up to six regulars missing also will make a difference. These factors could be to our advantage or could cause Barcelona to play an inspired game to hopefully help their fans forget, atleast temporarily, that they have now gone two years without a major trophy.
While it is unfortunate the schedule is set up to where we have to face Barca in their final home game of the year, you have to face them some time and Id rather face them under these circumstances where they might be distracted and ready to pack it in and we are in form and a win could have a dramatic effect on us for next year.
The goal at this point is to do everything we can to achieve European football for next year. While the Intertoto is still a way to slide in, sixth place locks us in and it may cause some of our stars from leaving as they all want to be on a team that plays in Europe next year. No matter how the team finishes, Guiza is gone, but its players like Arango and Ibagaza that might think twice about leaving if they can play in the UEFA Cup for us next year. We have everything to play for and this is the best time to go to the Camp Nou and hopefully steal points.
If this was a normal match where Barca was at full strength and needed a win to remain in the hunt for La Liga, even as well as we are playing, points on the road would not be realistic. However with all these side issues, we can get points this week.
Guiza will be out to prove that Barca lacks the kind of finishing he can provide and will want to show he can work with his teammates and finish the chances they create. Barca will be bidding huge for him next year and I personally think he will be playing for them next year. He is still a Mallorca player and has made it clear he wants them in Europe so his teams goals, his individual goals, and his desire to show himself in front of his potential home crowd for next year, will make for a big match with atleast one goal and maybe two from him.
Any team wants to go out on a high note in their last home game of the year and Barca will have some young reserve players who want to show their talent for the new coach. This makes their performance this week very unpredictable. The end result will be a wide open match with lots of mistakes on the back line, especially with Marquez not scheduled to play.
Mallorcas defense is not their strong suit and they will have their problems with teams like Barcelona who even with some offensive players missing, will run Mallorca to death.
Mallorca is no Real Madrid but they play similar football so Barcelona can be beaten like Madrid beat them last week. We could end up with a Mallorca blowout or a Barcelona blowout, but it will be a great game to watch. As much as I want to think we can pull a huge upset on the road, I think a wide open draw is the best we can hope for.
Prediction Barcelona 2-2 Mallorca
Category: Mallorca Team NewsIntertoto and Pichichi..thanks Nuria.
By: Jeremy | 2 Comments
After this weeks results, the Intertoto and Pichichi rest firmly, or maybe not so firmly, in Palma. With three weeks left in the season it is clear that soon to be Barcelona star Dani Guiza is going to give his all for Mallorca and lead us to a chance at the UEFA Cup and the Pichichi for himself.
Did anyone doubt that Guiza would play a deciding factor in Mallorcas 2-1 road win against a tough at home Bilbao team. It only took him three minutes to give the Reds a 1-0 lead and even though Bilbao soon equalized, Guiza scored a second in the 70th minute and Mallorca held on for a 2-1 win. With other favorable results including a loss by Deportivo, Mallorca now sits alone in 7th place in the Intertoto spot giving them a chance for Europe and Guiza now has 24 goals on the season, one more then Fabiano in the chase for the Pichichi.
Who do we have to thank for all of this? I dont think we can underestimate the value of Nuria Bermudez, Guizas agent, mother of his child, and girlfriend. Guiza is ver similar to Diego Tristan. He loves to party, has immense skill, and has put things together to where he is a top scorer in Spain and wanted by all the big clubs. Lets hope his form continues to get better unlike Tristan who wasted his talent and now begs for a game in Livorno, the Levante of Serie A. Any man who has been in love or so infatuated with the physical appearance or sexual performance of a woman will tell you that this magic, as rare as it is, can make a man feel like any mountain is climable. He wants to achieve and do all because of the motivation of that particular woman. Combine that with talent and you Dani Guiza in 2007-08.
While Nuria has probably slept with more Spanish soccer players in her career then Guiza has goals, she obviously won his heart and attention. While Im sure Dani sees beautiful women all the time, this girl in addition to her looks probably is sexually so superior to any woman Dani has been with and add the fact that she is obviously smart enough to qualify as an agent, must make Dani the happiest man possible. Some drugs work for some while others not so much. Dani has found his crack and it is addicting and he feels like he can conquer the world as long as she is in his life. Hence the goals come so easy. Although we know Guiza will be in Barca or maybe Madrid next year, all we can say is thanks for this year and thanks Nuria for doing whatever it is you do to get Dani so amped up. Those of us who have experienced this kind of interaction with a woman understand and wish it was us.
We still have three games left to decide our own fate. At 50 points with many teams just waiting to get to seventh and that last hope for Europe, we cannot slip up. With Sevilla 55 and Racing at 56, I think we have maxed out our position in the table and I am hoping we can hold on to where we are. We face Osasuna mid week and they are fighting for survival. This will not be an easy game, but Mallorca is at home and Guiza will likely put a couple more goals in the net.
I think Mallorca wins 3-1
After that is where it gets rough. We travel to Barcelona for a game at the Camp Nou against a pissed off Barca team. They made Valencia look horrible and will no doubt try to make its remaining opponents suffer as well in their push for second place. To think we can win this game is asking a bit much but the players will give their best. The game wont matter unless we beat Osasuna.
The last week of the season will be at home against Zaragoza and they are really struggling. They will likely need a win to preserve their La Liga status so Mallorca must play tough. Lets hope that the final game means something and that with the right results we can slide into the Intertoto.
As for now, I salute you Nuria.
Category: Mallorca Team NewsMallorca-Athletic Bilbao
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
One thing I remember about my summers in Spain MANY years ago while in college was travelling through Basque country. This was a time when Basque Seperatists were a little more active and we would ride the trains hoping for none of them to get blown up(sorry no Clinton sniper stories). My knowledge of the history of the area as well as the Athletic soccer team was minimal. As I educated myself and spent time there and got to interact with the people, I really found them to be quite proud of their heritage and very nice. I love European culture and wish I could meet more people outside of my own country.
As I learned more about the local teams years later, I was amazed to find out that Athletic has been in La Liga without being relegated for as long as anyone and they manage to survive only using players with Basque heritage. How impressive is that in todays modern world of big time football? They are like my team Mallorca in that recent years they have fought and survived some serious relegation battles. The question is how long can they stay in La Liga with their homegrown policy and will they change it. I am big on certain traditions whether it be the Citadel staying all male or Athletic only using home grown players, but the reality of the world is that traditions are often lost and forcibly destroyed by outside forces and realities.
But enough of the history and reminicising BS as Mallorca heads to the Basque region to take on Athletic and instead of both teams facing relegation scares, they both feel they have an outside chance at a European place with four games left. One of them will likely lose their faint European hopes after this weekends matches.
Mallorca got a big lift today with seventh place Deportivo losing to Zaragoza so they stay stuck on 49 points. Almeria is on 48 and Mallorca 47. Even Manzano is talking up the European chances in his weekly local press conference. He is so confident he isnt using the word Intertoto, but instead thinks 6th place is possible. This requires us to not only pass three teams above but to make up 5 points on Sevilla who is still a pretty decent team. I think Mallorca has a better chance of catching Racing who is on 53 points. If Sevilla is 5th, maybe we can slide into 6th but Ill take 7th all day.
Manzano probably spoke up to deflect rumors of his leaving and taking Guiza, Arango, and Ibagaza to Valencia. Valencia might think they are too good for Manzano, but they need a good coach and some transfers and any one of these three players would start for Valencia. Manzano is as good as any coach they will find but I know the big clubs need the big names when at all possible. Manzano might be saying he hasnt been contacted and that he is focusing on getting Mallorca into Europe, but things change real quick when results do or dont go your way. Ask Kobe Bryant. In other words we need to just play the games and see what happens in the offseason. I will be very upset if we lose a solid foundation of players and our great manager, even if the team has underperformed in my opinion this year. Manzano has shown he can buy the right players in Mallorca and I would hate to see a solid foundation destroyed, but if this team makes Europe, everyone might not be so ready to leave.
Now to the match. Athletic has won its last three home games and this is going to be a tough road match for Mallorca. Mallorca is on good form and should have everyone available including Ibagaza and Ramis, key players who have been missing recently. The thing I enjoy about La Liga is that even in late season matches that could determine a lot, the teams still play wide open football and try to score, even if it takes awhile to warm up. Look for the tactics that Mallorca used last week against Racing to work again this week. The first half they will play defensive with lots of long down field passes in order to neutralize Athletics offense. If that is successful, they will come out more aggressive in the second half and get a couple of goals.
With Depors loss, Mallorca has to be more fired up for this match and even though Athletic has been on good home form recently, Mallorca can steal the points. Europe is not out of the question and with four weeks left, this weeks results will only tighten things even more.
This will be a great game for the fans in the stands. I expect Guiza to have a say regarding the final result.
Prediction
Athletic 2-2 Mallorca
Category: Mallorca Team News
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