Filipe Luís Kasmirski returned on Saturday as one of the inspirational moments of the season.

The Race for the La Liga Crown

If there were a match on which Barcelona would stumble in their path to a second consecutive La Liga title, Villarreal would stand in their way.

All involved with FC Barcelona said the right statements after Inter Milan eliminated the Catalans from the UEFA Champions League.  Barça president Joan Laporta wanted to focus on the league to give the Culés some joy.  Barcelona entrenador Pep Guardiola mentioned how his players needed to get up from the floor in the three days prior to their league match against Villarreal.  Various players, including Gerard Piqué, Pedro Rodríguez, and Sergio Busquets, mentioned how their whole attention is now on securing La Liga for the second consecutive year.  These are all nice statements, but after a gutting semifinal loss with a chance of competing the final at the Santiago Bernabéu, no one would be surprised if they delivered these quotes with a shade of hollowness.

Barcelona left their European disappointments behind with a 1-4 drubbing of Villarreal at El Madrigal, a fortress for the Yellow Submarine all season long.

If Villarreal would not be the Barça stopper, Sevilla must be the answer.

The Andalusian club became one of the few teams to defeat Barcelona this season when they went to the Camp Nou and won 1-2 in the first leg of the Copa del Rey Round of 16.  Sevilla had something for which to play, as they stood only one point ahead of Mallorca for the final Champions League berth.  Frédéric Kanouté and Luís Fabiano, whom Sevilla relies on so heavily, started together up front, an all-too-rare occurrence this season.

Barcelona handled them with ease for the first hour, building a 0-3 lead and benefiting from a man-advantage after Abdoulay Konko received his second yellow card for pulling down Bojan Krkic as he sped past him.  Even the Catalans can fall into a lull with such a significant ascendancy, and who else but Kanouté and Fabiano to score two quick goals in succession to make the final twenty minutes a nervy experience for the Blaugrana.  They refocused, and Barcelona saw out the rest of the match with relative ease.

With one match remaining, Barcelona needs to win at home against Real Valladolid to assure themselves of their twentieth Spanish title.

Real Madrid is akin to that little Chihuahua that incessantly nips at the heels and tries to protect its territory.  Los Blancos have riposted every Barcelona tally with a win of their own, although the methods in which Real Madrid continue to notch their victories provide more of those “heart in mouth” moments for their fans.

Late goals against Almería, Real Zaragoza, and Osasuna within the past month kept the title race alive, and facing an obstinate Athletic Bilbao team that defeated them at the San Mamés in the first half of the campaign, Real could not afford to put on a mediocre performance.

When referee César Muñiz Fernández sent off Fernando Amorebieta in the 20th minute for what he perceived to be an intentional handball in the penalty area, he gave Real Madrid the gift they needed to relieve some of the stress and nerves that could clearly be seen by those in the Santiago Bernabéu.  Cristiano Ronaldo coolly sent the penalty kick into the back of the net, and Los Merengues looked to be on their way to securing the three points early in the match.

Similar to Barcelona, Real went on cruise control for the rest of the half when Athletic went down to ten men, and Fran Yeste burned them with an impressive solo effort, as he took on four defenders who inexplicably did not close him down at any point while he made his lateral run across the top of the box.

1-1 with seventeen minutes remaining and with Barcelona winning at the Camp Nou, twenty minutes stood from Barcelona retaining La Liga for another season.  As Real are wont to do, they scored late, and Athletic Bilbao simply could not maintain their energy with one less man for 70+ minutes.  The 5-1 final flattered the men from the Spanish capital, but they did their job, and they have extended the title race to the final matchday for the first time since the 2006/07 season, when both Barcelona and Real Madrid were tied on 73 points heading into the final day.  Barcelona won at Gimnàstic de Tarragona 1-5, but Real Madrid against Mallorca 3-1, and Real held the head-to-head tiebreaker over Barça, so Real Madrid won their 30th crown.

The Race for the Final Champions League Place

Mallorca started Jornada 37 one point behind Sevilla for that Champions League qualifying spot, and on paper, Los Barralets had the easier match, as they traveled to A Coruña and faced a weary and beaten down Deportivo La Coruña squad who wanted the campaign to end as quickly as possible, whereas Sevilla hosted league leaders FC Barcelona who has only one trophy for which to play.

A typical Galician night with a steady rain pouring on El Riazor, the Depor fans hardly showed up because of both the weather and their team’s atrocious string of results in the second half of the season.  The first sixty-five minutes of the match was not much better.  The crowd started to rise when they saw that Filipe Luís Kasmirski donned his substitute’s bib and started to warm up on the sidelines.

One of the indelible images and scenes of the 2009/10 La Liga season was Filipe Luís’ foot hanging nearly ninety degrees after his ankle was crushed underneath the weight of a diving Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz.  Constant rehabilitation and sheer perseverance and will brought Filipe Luís to this moment, and less than four months after that horrific incident, Filipe Luís miraculously played for Depor as a substitute in the 66th minute.

Of the supporters who did show up at El Riazor, they created as much clamor and noise as if the stadium were full when Filipe Luís ran onto the pitch.  To complete this Hollywood story, Filipe Luís contributed to the only goal of the match when his run down the left flank brought a couple a defenders with him.  His pass into the center led to Juan Carlos Valerón’s pinpoint through ball to Riki in the box, and Riki placed his shot past Dudu Aouate at the left near post.

Although Mallorca lost 1-0 at Depor, Sevilla could not come back from a three-goal deficit against Barcelona, falling short 2-3 despite playing with ten men for the final half-hour.  Sevilla’s lead remains at one point, and with Mallorca losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with Sevilla, Mallorca has to win against Espanyol and hope that Almería can prevent Sevilla from winning in order for the debt-ridden team from the Balearic Islands to complete their unexpected journey with a shot at the Champions League group stage.

The Race for the Potential Final Europa League Spot

Depending on the result of the Copa del Rey between Sevilla and Atlético Madrid on May 19, seventh place could earn a berth into the UEFA Europa League, but Villarreal and Getafe cannot rely on that, so they continue to fight for sixth place and a certain spot into the third qualifying round of the 2010/11 Europa League.

Usually an entertaining and enthralling encounter, the Valencian derby between Villarreal and Valencia had none of those characteristics.  Valencia ensured themselves of third place and direct qualification into the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League group stage last weekend, so their motivation was near nil.  Unai Emery, whose contract was extended this past week, sent out the B squad against Villarreal, and Villarreal took advantage of their near neighbors with a professional performance that hardly extended any of their resources.

Villarreal manager Juan Carlos Garrido gave Javi Venta his final appearance for Villarreal at El Madrigal, and the fans greeted Venta with the reverence and respect he deserved for being involved with the team from its La Liga infancy eleven years ago to its esteemed status as a European force in 2010.  Robert Pirès, also likely to be gone in the summer, received his final farewell, and the latter stages of the match became more of a testimonial as Valencia obliged to the situation.

Getafe, however, also won on Saturday against Málaga, and while Getafe and Villarreal are equal on points, Getafe holds the head-to-head edge on Villarreal, so Getafe remains in sixth place with one round remaining.

The Race to Avoid Relegation

Whereas the other three races in La Liga each involve only two teams, five teams have a chance by 9:00 PM CEST next Sunday to fall to the Segunda División for next season.  All five teams were involved in matches that included late drama this weekend, and as the results stood at the end of Saturday night, the relegation picture is more muddled than ever.

Sprightly and plucky Xerez continues to linger around, and after their thrilling 3-2 victory over Real Zaragoza, they have a legitimate chance to stay in La Liga for the first time all season.  Their destiny is not in their own hands, but surprisingly, Xerez holds many of the tiebreakers against the other four teams in the relegation scrap, and if they somehow extend their journey in La Liga for another season after they have occupied the foot of the table since Round 12 and mired in the relegation zone since Round 2, that would be one of the top three stories of La Liga this season.

Until Málaga’s loss to Getafe on Saturday, they had been unbeaten in their previous five matches.  An impressive statement on its own until delved deeper, and it is realized that all five of those matches were drawn.  Málaga deserved to win none of those matches, and save for their battling performance against Mallorca at the ONO Estadi, Málaga failed to progress forward when their other relegation rivals earned victories.

Unfortunately for Málaga, La Liga is one of the few leagues in Europe to employ head-to-head results as the first tiebreaker as opposed to goal difference, or else they would stand at 16th in the table, but hosting Real Madrid on the final day, Málaga has little chance of achieving a result, and they wrote their own writings on the wall with substandard play in the past five rounds.

Racing de Santander and Real Valladolid arguably played the most significant match of the weekend, and it was a typical Javier Clemente match: slug it out and see what happens.  A disputed penalty and player unrest in the final fifteen minutes led to overtime work for referee Carlos Velasco Carballo, but at the end of the ninety minutes, Valladolid stole the three points that were absolutely necessary, as their final match is on the road against Barcelona.

Javier Clemente is on the brink of another successful late-season revival, and he has become the quick-fix doctor for Spanish teams whose season teeters between La Liga salvation and relegation ignominy.  No one will ever confuse Clemente’s football philosophies with Pep Guardiola or Arséne Wenger, but a team that usually wants his services does not care about style; they just want to stay in the top flight.

With Nino’s equalizer in the third minute of stoppage time to poach a vital point against Almería, Tenerife is on thirty-six points, tied with Valladolid, Racing, and Málaga and Xerez just three points behind.  The numerous permutations with these five teams will sort itself out next Sunday, and Round 38 of the 2009/10 season shapes up to be one of the most unpredictable final days for the whole table in recent memory.  Who says La Liga is boring?

The Tower of Hercules in A Coruña, built in the 2nd century CE, is the oldest Roman lighthouse currently in service.

There will be a Spanish team in a European final, but it is not the team that many expected.  Atlético Madrid completed their strange and wonderful trip to the Europa League final with an extra time goal by Diego Forlán against Liverpool.  As per usual, Atlético did not win the second leg of their Europa League semifinal against Liverpool, losing 2-1, but for the third consecutive round, Los Colchoneros progressed on the away goals rule.  Normally, if a team only wins twice throughout its whole European campaign, it has a million to one shot of advancing to a European final.

Who better than the 2009-10 Atlético Madrid team to defy any logic.

Only receiving the parachute from the Champions League to the Europa League with a last matchday group stage draw against APOEL Nicosia, Atleti completed the Champions League group with zero wins and three draws.  Their only two wins in the Europa League knockout phase came against Galatasaray with a Diego Forlán goal at the death and against Liverpool with another Forlán late show goal.

Although standing a mediocre tenth in La Liga, Atlético looks forward to their hectic May schedule with two cup finals scattered among their final four league matches.  The 2009-10 Atlético Madrid team is reminiscent of the 2000-01 Liverpool team that won the UEFA Cup, the FA Cup, and the League Cup but only finished third in the Premier League.  Atlético would have certainly taken third place in La Liga, but cup triumph is in the forefront of their minds, and they will likely be a shell of themselves when they face Sevilla on Sunday afternoon.  Atlético has nothing for which to play in the league, and Sevilla continues to fight Mallorca and Villarreal for the final Champions League berth.

Do not be surprised if Sevilla runs over Atlético Madrid with ease.

Then there is that other Spanish team that competed in a European semifinal.  Barcelona failed in its attempt to win consecutive European Cups since the AC Milan teams of Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten completed the double in 1989 and 1990.  The vaunted attack could not break through Inter Milan’s brick wall, and now they have seventy-two hours to recover from their Champions League hangover to encounter a Villarreal outfit that has enjoyed a renaissance under their second trainer of the season, Juan Carlos Garrido.

After their disastrous start to the campaign, Villarreal has climbed to within four points of Mallorca for the final Champions League place, and while they have recently done well on their travels, Villarreal relies on its solid home record, earning thirty-nine of their fifty-two total points at El Madrigal.  Because they dug themselves such a cavernous hole early in the season, they cannot afford to lose any of their last four matches if they have any inkling of joining Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Valencia in the Champions League next season.

Barcelona could only muster a draw at the Camp Nou at the beginning of the new year against Villarreal because of an inspired performance by the Yellow Submarine, David Fuster in particular, so the question arising from this match is if Barcelona can recover and regain their wits about them to focus on their slim one point lead over Real Madrid in La Liga, or will Villarreal derail the already faltering Barça train with their new-found confidence and panache.

The times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Note: ESPN 360 has rebranded itself as ESPN3.

May 1

Málaga vs. Sporting Gijón – 11:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456

Real Valladolid vs. Getafe – 11:45 AM on DirecTV channel 457

Tenerife vs. Racing de Santander – 11:45 AM on DirecTV channel 458

Deportivo La Coruña vs. Real Zaragoza – 11:55 AM on Gol TV

Espanyol vs. Valencia – 1:55 PM on Gol TV

Villarreal vs. FC Barcelona – 3:55 PM on Gol TV

May 2

Sevilla vs. Atlético Madrid – 10:55 AM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3

Real Madrid vs. Osasuna – 12:55 PM on ESPN2 HD/ESPN Deportes/ESPN3

Athletic Bilbao vs. Mallorca – 2:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3

Unfortunately, the Xerez – Almería match at El Chapín will not be shown on US TV

The Plaça de Catalunya in Barcelona's city center links old Barcelona with modern Barcelona.

La Liga heads down the home stretch with five matches remaining, and Jornada 34 is littered with matches between the top and the bottom of the table.

FC Barcelona hosts Xerez at the Camp Nou in the early Saturday kickoff, and both teams are running opposite of their position in the standings.  Despite propping the ladder and laying six points away from relegation safety, Xerez has only lost one of their last seven contests, and they are playing with a vigor and desperation that has inspired a group of players that seemed resigned to dropping to the Segunda División as late as a couple of months ago.

As for Barcelona, Espanyol frustrated them in El Derbi Barceloní 0-0 last weekend, and then Inter Milan struck them with an unexpected upper-cut on Tuesday with a 3-1 upending of the current European champions.   Normally, the discussion about a Barcelona – Xerez matchup would center on how wide the final margin would be in favor of Barça, but the excellent form of Xerez combined with the “stumbling” and possibly unfocused Blaugrana side with the second leg of the Champions League semifinal in mid-week should create an intriguing juxtaposition between two drastically different teams.

Barcelona’s championship rivals Real Madrid travel to Aragon and encounter a Real Zaragoza team that needs to earn a few more points to disassociate themselves from the relegation fight.  Los Blancos took advantage of Barcelona’s slip at Espanyol when they defeated Valencia 2-0 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, and they sit one point behind the Catalans, prowling the landscape like a hungry wolf spying on its prey.  They cannot take Zaragoza lightly, however, because they have shared the points with Zaragoza in their last three matches at La Romareda, and if Real does not win their final five matches, any hope of snagging La Liga from Barcelona will be in vain.

Real Zaragoza comes into their match with Real Madrid in decent form, losing only one of their last five, including two draws against Athletic Bilbao and Mallorca and a 3-0 drubbing of Valencia.  Six points away from the magic forty point tally, José Aurelio Gay and his band of winter signings have turned Zaragoza’s fortunes around in the second half of the season.  Zaragoza gave a late scare to Barcelona at La Romareda in March, nearly overcoming a 0-3 deficit, and adding their anger from their 6-0 humiliation at Madrid earlier in the season, revenge will be in the forefront in the minds of the Zaragoza players on Saturday night.

Of all the teams in the relegation scrap, Málaga has done the least to ascend from the fight.  Winless in their last six matches, they visit the fortress known as the ONO Estadi on Sunday afternoon to meet a confident Mallorca side.  Mallorca continues to battle Sevilla for the final Champions League spot, and their fourteen for sixteen haul at home has been the surprise package of La Liga this season.  With Tenerife playing an Atlético Madrid team that could care less about their five remaining La Liga fixtures, Málaga will likely find themselves in the bottom three unless they can pull a monumental upset in Mallorca.

The times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Note: ESPN 360 has rebranded itself as ESPN3.

Apr. 24

FC Barcelona vs. Xerez – 11:55 AM on Gol TV

Real Zaragoza vs. Real Madrid – 1:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3

Valencia vs. Deportivo La Coruña – 3:55 PM on Gol TV

Apr. 25

Almería vs. Espanyol – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456

Mallorca vs. Málaga – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 457

Racing de Santander vs. Villarreal – 10:55 AM on Gol TV

Atlético Madrid vs. Tenerife – 12:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3

Getafe vs. Sevilla – 2:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN3

Apr. 26

Osasuna vs. Athletic Bilbao – 2:55 PM on DirecTV channel 456

Unfortunately, the crucial bottom of the table clash between Sporting Gijón and Real Valladolid at El Molinón will not be shown on US TV.

UEFA Champions League

Barcelona finds itself requiring a multi-goal win over Inter Milan to advance to the UEFA Champions League final in Madrid on May 22.  José Mourinho’s team made Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernández look pedestrian, and Inter took advantage of Barça’s normally efficient and effective back four.

As per usual after a loss, Barça had plenty to say about the referee and their opposition after the match.  This trait mars a truly historical team, who does not need to fall into this blame game nearly every time they fail to win.  Pedro Rodríguez complained how referee Olegário Benquerença interrupted the match with too many fouls, Sergio Busquets claimed that Barcelona dominated the match despite the scoreline, and the leader of the excuses, Xavi, reportedly shouted at Mourinho how Inter’s win was partly due to Benquerença’s bias for Mourinho since they are both Portuguese.

Excuses aside, Barcelona will feel confident inviting their Italian adversaries to the Camp Nou on Wednesday evening.  Even though they will expect Mourinho to keep the match at 0-0 for its entirety, the power of the Culés in the massive 98,000 stadium and Barça’s constant offensive pressure will test Inter Milan’s nerve and resolve to its outstretched ends.  The fate of Serie A in the Champions League for future years rests on Internazionale.

The German Bundesliga is on Serie A’s tail in the UEFA league coefficient, and with Bayern Munich and Hamburg fighting for European finals in the Champions League and the Europa League, the Bundesliga has a decent chance of replacing Serie A as the third-ranked league in Europe, thus earning four Champions League berths.  Serie A will lose one of their Champions League places if the league falls in the ranking to fourth, so not only the Inter die-hards of the Curva Nord will support Inter but all of Italy.

Apr. 27

Olympique Lyonnais vs. Bayern Munich – 2:30 PM on FSN HD and Fox Sports en Español (Lyon 0 – 1 Bayern Munich after the first leg)

Apr. 28

FC Barcelona vs. Inter Milan – 2:30 PM on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español (Barcelona 1 – 3 Inter Milan after the first leg)

UEFA Europa League

Atlético Madrid threw in the towel in La Liga many weeks ago, so their focus gazed upon their domestic and European cup exploits.  Atleti will face Sevilla in the final of the Copa del Rey, and through the first leg of the Europa League semifinal, they hold a tenuous 1-0 lead over Liverpool as they travel to Anfield on Thursday evening.

The volcanic ash spewing out from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland forced Liverpool to recreate their own version of the Steve Martin and John Candy comedy Planes, Trains, and Automobiles to reach Madrid, and while the Reds made no excuses about their journey to the Spanish capital, their ponderous and lethargic performance against Atlético Madrid would suggest that their travels directly affected their play.

Luckily for Liverpool, Atlético could not capitalize on most of their chances.  Los Colchoneros felt the absence of Sergio Agüero due to suspension, as even Diego Forlán’s goal was a product of a mishit from a few yards away.  Former Atlético players Maxi Rodríguez and native son Fernando Torres were unable to play for Liverpool, the former cup-tied and the latter due to knee problems, and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard created little inspiration as the match flew by with little consequence at either end of the pitch.

How typical for Atlético Madrid.  If they had won by two or more goals, it would have denied their fans, Los Colchoneros, to self-loathe and pessimistically look to the future.  Bottle the angst of the pre-2004 Boston Red Sox fans and the “lovable loser” moniker of the Chicago Cubs fans, shake it up with fury, and the football piety of Atlético Madrid supporters fizzes out.  And they would not want it any other way.

Apr. 29

Liverpool vs. Atlético Madrid – 2:55 PM on Gol TV (Liverpool 0 – 1 Atlético Madrid after the first leg)

Fulham vs. Hamburg – 2:45 PM on DirecTV channel 461 (461-1 for HD) (8:00 PM on delay on Gol TV) (Fulham 0 – 0 Hamburg after the first leg)

“NINO, NINO, NINO!” chanted Los Chicharreros in the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López.  When shouted aloud, the chant sounded like an onrushing ambulance through a traffic-jammed street, and for Getafe, who fell victim to the brilliance of Nino, they needed the assistance of EMT workers.

After a 0-0 draw at home to Real Valladolid last Saturday, a result most favored by new Valladolid entrenador and former Tenerife head man Javier Clemente, Tenerife stood seven points behind Málaga for the final place of safety in La Liga.  The criticisms laid upon this team fell squarely on José Luis Oltra’s naïve tactics.  In the same way that Tony Mowbray’s West Bromwich Albion team in last year’s Premier League was deemed too naïve as they were relegated to the Coca-Cola Championship, Oltra’s Tenerife incorporated an open style that needed clinical finishers in the front line to be successful because there would be several chances for their opponents to capitalize on the counter-attack.

Nino and Alejandro Alfaro scored forty-nine goals between them in the Segunda División last season, and Nino’s twenty-nine goals earned him the Pichichi trophy as the highest goal scorer in the second division.  Seventeen goals for the pair in the top flight this season is not a bad return, but when their team has conceded the most goals in La Liga, seventeen is simply not enough.

No single match illustrates Tenerife’s frustration more than their 0-5 humbling by Barcelona at home at the dawn of the new year.  Through the first thirty-five minutes, the islanders completely outplayed the Blaugrana in every facet of the game, but Alfaro failed to exploit three wonderful opportunities, two of them created by Nino.

Tenerife’s high defensive line initially surprised Barça and put them off their game, but this gamble would soon prove to be suicidal, as Bojan Krkic’s blistering pace left the Tenerife defense in shambles, and Lionel Messi finished Bojan’s cutback pass with aplomb.

Sucker punched in the gut, the prudent play would have been to drop deeper and work more on the counter-attack.  Call him brave or declare him stubborn, Oltra kept to his strategy, and at fulltime, Tenerife conceded five goals, including an Ezequiel Luna own goal and a Messi hat-trick.

While José Luis Oltra has somewhat toned down his offensively aggressive tactics since that match, the flair associated with this team has not left them.  Consequently, Tenerife still had not won away from home all season, an unwanted feat only shared by a few teams in all of the European leagues.

Tenerife righted this wrong on Tuesday evening when they went to Asturias and defeated Sporting Gijón 0-2 with that same end-to-end mentality instilled by Oltra.  Unfortunately for Tenerife, their compatriots in the bottom three, Xerez and Real Valladolid, also won in the mid-week.  Racing de Santander, one of the teams teetering just above the relegation zone, scored a 3-1 victory over Espanyol with the help of two deserved penalties, both of whom were scored by Mohammed Tchité, to further complicate the situation for Tenerife.

Málaga, however, heeded the bottom three’s protestations of slowing down their point accumulation.  Two points in their last five contests left the Andalucians only three points above Tenerife and the drop zone.

Tenerife had to keep their focus on Getafe and away from the other matches affecting their standing. No one understood this more than Juan Francisco Martínez, otherwise known as Nino.

Nino has played every minute in every match for Tenerife this season, an astonishing accomplishment in this modern age, where squad rotation and injuries beset even the fittest of players.  Standing at a relatively minuscule 5′ 7″, a center forward like Nino would not strike fear into the hearts of central defenders.  Tossed around often due to his slight frame, Nino fought through these nicks and knocks to lead the line every single minute he plays on the pitch.  With the season on the line, his hard work came to fruition with a hat-trick that will be remembered by Los Chicharreros for many years.

After Pedro León scored early for Getafe, Nino’s equalizer on the half-hour mark was the result, from all the different ways he can score, of a header!  A seriously demented betting man would have gone away with bucketful of cash for predicting a Nino header, but Román Martínez’s perfectly weighted cross from deep in the right flank found a completely unmarked Nino in middle of the penalty area.  David Belenguer and David Cortés stood frozen as Nino rose in the air between them.  Of course, it would have to be unchallenged for Nino to score a header, but the box score will not indicate that he had enough room to build a house with all the space that the Getafe central defenders gave him.

His second goal to give Tenerife the 2-1 lead showed his technical ability to control a ball in the air.  Marc Bertrán headed a hopeful, looping ball into the penalty box, and nothing seemed to come of it; however, Nino kept himself onside while the Getafe defenders were heading forward, and Nino found himself all alone in the box.  He had to take down the lofted header softly, and his first touch was nothing short of immaculate.  It took a bounce, and he whacked it to the left far post, where Jordi Codina could only watch as it passed by him into the back of the net.

Getafe would score to even the game at 2-2 several minutes later, and it could have been a crushing blow to this club that continues to fight for its La Liga life.  Nino would have none of that negative behavior, and in the 76th minute, exactly a minute after Javier Casquero headed the tying goal for Getafe, Nino completed his hat-trick to whisk Tenerife back into a lead they would not relinquish.

Alejandro Alfaro and Nino combined yet another time, with Alfaro perfecting a through ball that sliced through the Getafe defensive line.  Nino still had work to do, as Jordi Codina rushed off his line to attempt to clear the ball away from Nino outside of his area.  His third goal exhibited his calm composure, dribbling to his left to avoid a sliding, lunging Codina and slotting the ball into the unguarded goal.

Three goals.  Three different goals.  One outcome: three points for a thankful Tenerife.

Tenerife would find out later that Málaga and Real Valladolid would draw 0-0, and Xerez could only draw 2-2 at home against Racing de Santander, so the Nino hat-trick meant more than an isolated three points.  Tenerife is now only one point behind Málaga for the magic 17th position, and 16th is not too far away with Real Zaragoza only two points ahead of El Tete with five games remaining.

In a place where two well-known British names, Gill Hornby and a certain Barcelona striker from the 1980s, were forced to stay in Tenerife a little longer due to the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud, they both could have enjoyed a beautiful afternoon at the Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López to witness two desperate teams in one of the premier matches of the second half of the season.

“Riki-raca, zumba-raca, sim-bomba; ra-ra-ra, Tenerife, Tenerife, y nadie mas!” the fans sung throughout the match and after their team came out victorious.  The first part is merely a set of rhyming words, but the latter half translates as, “Tenerife, Tenerife, and no one else.”  If Tenerife rises above the relegation zone and extends their stay in La Liga, Los Chicharrones may alter this chant in honor of Nino, “Nino, Nino, y nadie mas!”

Fueras de Juego

- Sevilla goalkeeper Andrés Palop might be better with his head than his hands, and his hands are quite superb.  His best individual moment in his career occurred in the Round of 16 of the 2006-07 UEFA Cup when his last-gasp header sent the tie against Shakhtar Donetsk into extra time, which Sevilla would win 3-2.  Sevilla would go on and lift the UEFA Cup trophy for the second consecutive year by defeating Espanyol on penalties in the final.

In the early Saturday kickoff, Sevilla led Sporting Gijón 2-0 when Sporting central defender Grégory Arnolin headed the ball on target from a corner.  The header came so quickly from a short distance that Palop could not get his hands up in time to parry it away.  Instead, he decided on the next best option: counter Grégory’s header with a header of his own.  It was just as effective as if he used his hands to slap it away, and Sevilla would eventually add a third to win 3-0.  In dire situations, Sevilla should use Andrés Palop as a center forward.

- If one would want to introduce people to the flair and skill of Spanish football, do not show them a tape of the drab 0-0 draw between Deportivo La Coruña and Almería from this Sunday afternoon.  Two teams going nowhere, and the match fit their paths.  When there were decent opportunities to score, both teams scorned them with such poor technique that it was literally laughable.  The fans at El Riazor did not share the same mirth.

- The champagne for Barcelona’s La Liga title can be put back on ice for the time being, as their 0-0 draw at derby neighbors Espanyol, combined with Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Valencia, means that Real has shaved Barça’s lead to a mere point.  Pep Guardiola’s 4-4-2 did not work against Espanyol, and Inter Milan boss José Mourinho surely took some notes on how Espanyol flooded the midfield to prevent Xavi’s distribution across the final third of the pitch.  The absence of Andrés Iniesta may loom large for the Blaugrana as they continue their drive for a domestic and European cup double for the second straight year.

Even the dog felt low after Athletic Bilbao's performance against Valencia.

Sevilla failed to show up against a desperate Real Valladolid side.  Mallorca could only muster a draw against Real Zaragoza at La Romareda.  Athletic Bilbao knew that a win against Valencia on Thursday would ascend them to within one point of Mallorca for the final Champions League spot.

Sure, Athletic has not won away from the San Mamés since the middle of December, so they were not expected to win at the Mestalla against a Valencia team looking to lock up the final automatic Champions League place.  Coming off an impressive 4-1 dismantling of an in-form Almería on Sunday, however, Joaquín Caparrós and his men seemed to have the confidence necessary to defeat Valencia.

As for Valencia, they went back to the future because of their sheer amount of injuries.  Vicente Rodríguez, David Albelda, Joaquín, and Rubén Baraja all started for Los Che, hearkening back to the days when Valencia regularly competed in the later stages of the Champions League.

The apparent rift between Éver Banega and Unai Emery seemed to be repaired after Banega’s choleric behavior in being substituted against Mallorca on Sunday, but again, Banega’s inclusion in the starting eleven had more to do with the lack of midfield players at Emery’s disposal than any other factor.

With any match against Athletic Bilbao, the opposition should expect a physical affair and have a muted emphasis on quelling Bilbao’s direct style of play.  Fortunately for Valencia, Athletic played with a languid style that did not suit their personnel.

Joaquín Caparrós lamented his team’s lack of energy and intensity in his press conference after the match:

“Today we have not been at the competitive level we can show at home.  We knew it was a very good chance, but things do not go as one wants.  In the locker room, it feels like the season is already over.  We had hopes, but we knew that Valencia does really well in their home matches.  We still feel anger that we did not come out with greater aggression.”

With Athletic ceding most of the possession to Valencia, David Villa, David Silva, and the Valencia attack needed to figure out how to break through the obstinate Athletic defense.  Valencia plays it best football on the counter-attack, and it is no surprise that after Barcelona and Real Madrid, Valencia has the best away record in La Liga.  Through the first half-hour, there was no constant threat on goal from either team.  Joaquín and Rubén Baraja had headers that endangered Gorka Iraizoz’s goal, but Iraizoz handled them with relative ease.

When David Silva scored from a goal-line scramble in the 35th minute, Athletic neither stepped up their game nor fought back with anger, in line with Caparrós’ assessment of his team after the match.

Athletic’s lack of confidence away from home was clearly evident against Valencia, but they missed two key players that would have been vital in raising the spirits of their teammates: Gaizka Toquero and Pablo Orbaiz.

Gaizka Toquero has been the loyal sidekick to Fernando Llorente as the right-sided forward this season, but his contributions have gone well beyond his seven goals scored this season.  A journeyman throughout most of his career in the lower divisions of Spain, the twenty-five year old would appreciate his opportunity to play with a top-level club more than most players, and his never-ending engine only helps to endear himself to his teammates and the Basque faithful.

Toquero wears the number two jersey, a number usually designated for a fullback, but many times, he helps Andoni Iraola on the right side of defense.  Whereas Wayne Rooney sometimes receives criticism for running all over the pitch instead of focusing on his duties up front, fans laud Toquero for his abundance of energy and his willingness to help his defense when necessary.

With Pablo Orbaiz, he provides the steel in front of the defensive live that breaks up the opposition’s play as well as providing that extra slice of intimidation that comes with the Athletic Club brand.  Orbaiz has gone over the line in a couple of instances this season, including receiving a two-match ban for his part in the ugly fracas at the end of the Villarreal match in February and receiving another two-match ban in March for kicking the cajones of David Cortés.

Athletic needed that extra bite in the midfield (the legal bite) against Valencia because of their skill players up front, and Carlos Gurpegui, Javi Martínez, and David López did not supply the girth necessary to bother Valencia.

After the halftime break, the insertion of Fran Yeste and Ander Iturraspe for the lagging David López and Igor Gabilondo brought a sense of vitality into the squad, but when David Silva scored his second goal in the 62nd minute, the fight and tenacity intertwined with Athletic Club players dissipated slowly into oblivion as Valencia cruised to a facile 2-0 victory to fortify their third-place position in La Liga.

This column has covered Athletic Club’s struggles when they have had a chance to threaten fourth-place, but to come up so small with the season reaching its climax is inexcusable for a team so close to qualifying for the Champions League.  A common theme in La Liga this season has been the failure of the second tier teams below Real Madrid and Barcelona to fulfill their potential.  Sevilla, Villarreal, and Atlético Madrid have seen significant dips in form, and while Athletic Club may not have been in that tier to begin the season, they have been consistent in the top ten.

To Bilbao’s advantage, four of their final six matches are at the San Mamés, and with their Dr. Jekyll – Mr. Hyde act, they should consider themselves favorites to garner at least ten out of twelve points from those matches.  A Europa League berth based on league standing would be a good achievement for Athletic Club, but if they can finish in fourth and negotiate the playoff round in the Champions League, any European team would dread traveling to the San Mamés on a European night.

Fueras de Juego

- The golazo of the week must go to Pedro Rodríguez of Barcelona in their 3-0 win over Deportivo La Coruña.  With Barça holding a slim 1-0 lead, Víctor Valdés went long with his goal kick, a rare occurrence for Valdés, because he saw Dani Alves streaking down the middle of the pitch with only one defender back.  Depor goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia came out of his area to clear the ball away from Alves.  It was not the greatest clearance, but it went as far as the halfway line.  From that point, Pedro kicked a soaring, curling ball first-time nearly from the halfway line into the back of the unguarded net.  In a season full of awe-inspiring moments for Barça, that Pedro goal ranks near the top of the list in terms of pure difficulty and technique.

- Whenever a club from the bottom half of the table needs a signature victory over a top-five team, Sevilla is the most charitable team to give those lower clubs that sense of belonging.  In Round 32, Real Valladolid took advantage of a below-par Sevilla side, and with their 2-0 victory on Wednesday evening, La Pucela climbed to within four points of Málaga and relegation safety.  As much as Quique Sánchez Flores pulls his hair out for Atlético Madrid’s inconsistency, Manolo Jiménez and now Antonio Álvarez cannot understand how their collection of talented players have shut it down for the most part at the end of the season.  Injuries took its toll on Los Nervionenses, but that is no excuse for the dearth of passion late in the season as they try to qualify for the Champions League for the third year running.

- Tenerife and Xerez, the other teams besides Valladolid in the drop zone, also won on Wednesday to increase their chances of staying in the top flight next season.  With Málaga and Real Zaragoza just above them but hardly running away from the relegation fight, a surge to end the campaign is not out of the question for the bottom three teams.

Jornada 28 is only the second mid-week round of the La Liga season, the first occurring well back in late September.  Three teams in particular are glad that they get to play so soon: FC Barcelona, Getafe, and Xerez.  Xerez?   Yes, that same Xerez club that threatened to become the team to secure the fewest points in one campaign since La Liga went to a thirty-eight match season.

They have earned points in three of their last four matches, including their first ever road victory in the top flight at Málaga and a 2-1 win at home against Tenerife on Saturday.  They travel the short 90 km trip north to Sevilla on Tuesday, and while Xerez would almost be certain to lose at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán in normal times, these are not normal times.

Manolo Jiménez’s reign as manager of Sevilla remains in the air, the players have not responded in a constructive manner since they surrendered a two-goal advantage to Real Madrid earlier this month, and they have not won a match in any competition since they broke Mallorca’s 100% home record on February 20.  A turnaround against Xerez seems inevitable, but Néstor Gorosito’s men can actually sniff a chance to stave off relegation for the first time all year, and if their Andalusian neighbors are able to snatch any points, Jiménez may not make it to the end of the week.

For FC Barcelona, they would one of the last teams to welcome a mid-week round on the surface because if they can negotiate past Arsenal in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, they would endure a sixteen match stretch over the span of just fifty-six days.  All told, they would have a mid-week game along with a weekend match every week from March 14 to May 9.

Already a squad suffering with injuries in key positions, a full week of rest would appear to be on Barcelona’s wish list, but their building momentum has eerie parallels to last season, when they became the first Spanish team to win the treble.  While they will not defend their Copa del Rey championship, La Liga and the Champions League are well within reach, and with the scheduling in this round, Barcelona has the opportunity to put the pressure on Real Madrid, as Barcelona’s match against Osasuna is on Wednesday, and Real will have to wait until Thursday to respond to Barça’s performance.

As for Getafe, they need wins to creep into the European discussion, and they host the royalty of Madrid to their humble abode in the southern zone of the Madrid metropolitan area in the final match of the round on Thursday night.  Getafe’s impressive record against Real Madrid in the last five years, three wins and two draws in nine meetings, gives Los Azulones a shot of confidence against a Real Madrid side that has retained only one goal from the beginning of the season: conquering La Liga.

With Real Madrid’s eyes solely focused on winning the league, they cannot afford to drop any points with the pace that Barcelona set at the top of the table.  Los Blancos have caught up with the Blaugrana, but Getafe is Real’s thorn in their side, and Getafe manager Míchel will not miss an opportunity to impress Florentino Pérez and the Real boardroom should Manuel Pellegrini be relieved of his duties at the end of the season.  While former Real cantera product Roberto Soldado will not participate in this Madrid derby, other cantera products Adrián González, Miguel Torres, and Dani Parejo need no extra incentive to show up their former employers at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.

The times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Mar. 23

Sporting Gijón vs. Deportivo La Coruña – 2:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Sevilla vs. Xerez – 4:55 PM on Gol TV

Mar. 24

Tenerife vs. Villarreal – 2:45 PM on DirecTV channel 456

Racing Santander vs. Mallorca – 2:45 PM on DirecTV channel 457

Almería vs. Real Zaragoza – 2:45 PM on DirecTV channel 458

FC Barcelona vs. Osasuna – 2:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Valencia vs. Málaga – 4:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Mar. 25

Getafe vs. Real Madrid – 2:55 PM on Gol TV

Atlético Madrid vs. Athletic Bilbao – 4:55 PM on Gol TV

Unfortunately, the Real Valladolid – Espanyol clash at the Estadio José Zorrilla will not be shown on US TV.

The Sevillana, one of the variants of the iconic Flamenco style of dance that the city of Sevilla made famous, normally gets confused with the traditional Flamenco dance.

The marquee matchup of the weekend is the late Saturday kickoff between top four teams Real Madrid and Sevilla.  The reverse fixture in early October was one of the matches of the season, and while Sevilla’s title chances faded away during the dregs of mid-season, they still lie fourth in the league, they have the away-goal advantage in their Champions League tie with CSKA Moskva, and they made it to the final of the Copa del Rey.  Their second leg with CSKA will not commence until March 16, whereas Real’s second leg with Lyon occurs on Wednesday, four days removed from this important La Liga match.  Real will likely field their strongest eleven against Sevilla, but how that will affect their performance against Lyon will be unknown until Wednesday night.

Another compelling match this weekend pits Atlético Madrid visiting Aragon to face Real Zaragoza at La Romareda.  With their glamorous conquests of Barcelona, Valencia, and Galatasaray comes their disappointments against Málaga, Almería, and Racing Santander, all within the span of one month.  Where Zaragoza has something for which to play (top-flight survival), Atlético’s hunger in La Liga waned eons ago.  A true iconoclast of conventional thought, however, Atlético Madrid may just play at the level they perform against top teams to show the doubters that they do not play to the level of their competition (Logic with this team does not work, so any maniacal theory fits in this situation).

The times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Mar. 6

Deportivo La Coruña vs. Tenerife – 11:55 AM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Almería vs. FC Barcelona – 1:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Real Madrid vs. Sevilla – 3:55 PM on Gol TV

Mar. 7

Espanyol vs. Villarreal – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456

Mallorca vs. Sporting Gijón – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 457

Osasuna vs. Getafe – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 458

Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Valladolid – 12:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Real Zaragoza vs. Atlético Madrid – 2:55 PM on Gol TV

Mar. 8

Valencia vs. Racing Santander – 2:55 PM on Gol TV

Unfortunately, the Málaga – Xerez matchup at La Rosaleda will not be shown on US TV.

UEFA Champions League

Staring elimination in the first knockout round for the sixth consecutive season, Florentino Pérez and Real Madrid did not assemble this second galáctico generation to bow out unceremoniously yet again.  A 1-0 deficit to overturn at the Santiago Bernabéu hardly constitutes as an overbearing chore on its own merit, but the expectations set by the Madridistas, the board, and the players’ own internal goals have Los Blancos in a more anxious situation than all of their past five Champions League failures combined.

Barring any injury in this weekend’s top-four clash with Sevilla, Real Madrid will have a nearly full squad from which to choose against Lyon.  The only significant injury issue for Los Merengues is Karim Benzema’s hernia.  Although he most likely would not start ahead of Gonzalo Higuaín, he can be a great option off the bench if Madrid still needs a goal with half an hour or less remaining.

Although it would be pusillanimous to blame Manuel Pellegrini should Real Madrid fail to advance to the quarterfinals, there would be little surprise if the generally capricious nature of the Real Madrid brass decided to fire him at the end of the season, regardless of his results in La Liga.

Mar. 10

Real Madrid vs. Olympique Lyonnais – 2:30 on Fox Soccer Plus (5:00 PM on delay on Fox Soccer Channel)

UEFA Europa League

With Wolfsburg and Anderlecht enervating what little vitality Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao contained in their respective second legs, Atlético Madrid and Valencia will have to carry the torch for La Liga in the Europa League.  Romelu Lukaku, the Anderlecht 16-year-old wunderkind, torchered the Bilbao defense throughout the match, the pinnacle of his contributions being the fourth minute goal that gave his side the edge in the tie.  Unsurprisingly, he caught the eye of some top European clubs, including Barcelona and Real Madrid.

For Atlético Madrid, the wave trajectory continues, as they head up their highest amplitude this season.  Wins over Barcelona, Valencia, and Galatasaray within the past few weeks gear Los Colchoneros into their most important matches of the season.  They will not reach any of the top four spots in La Liga to secure a Champions League berth, and with Sevilla virtually guaranteeing themselves a spot in European competition next season, Atlético Madrid will grab a Europa League spot due to reaching the final of the Copa del Rey.  Thus, the Europa League is Atleti’s most important objective until the Copa del Rey final, whose date is still up in the air.

Atlético Madrid’s opponent in the Round of 16, Sporting CP, can commiserate with Los Rojiblancos because their season has not met expectations as well.  Although they stand fourth in the Portuguese Liga, they are nine points behind FC Porto for the final Champions League place with only nine matches remaining.  Like Atlético, however, their most impressive results occurred in the past few weeks, with their victories over Everton in the Europa League and a shock 3-0 depredation of FC Porto.  A team with Miguel Veloso, João Moutinho, and Liédson can never be underestimated despite their uneven results in their league.

Valencia had to break through one of the great goalkeeping performances in recent European history when they finally blasted Stijn Stijnen’s brick wall in extra time to defeat Club Brugge in the Round of 32.  With the lineup of teams in the Europa League Round of 16 nearly as strong as the final 16 in the Champions League, Valencia’s tie with Werder Bremen is one of the star attractions of this round.  It matches the third-ranked attack in La Liga versus the third-ranked attack in the Bundesliga.  With both teams having the affinity to play better in the counter-attack, it will be interesting to see which team decides to take the majority of possession and how they react to this responsibility.

Mar. 11

Atlético Madrid vs. Sporting CP – 12:45 PM on DirecTV channel 462 (462-1 for HD) (8:00 PM on delay on Gol TV)

Valencia vs. Werder Bremen – 3:00 PM on DirecTV channel 462 (462-1 for HD)

A ridiculous question with what should be a simple answer.  First, a cursory investigation.  Is Barcelona on top of the standings in La Liga?  Yes.  Has Barcelona obtained sixty-one points from twenty-four matches, one more point than it had at the same point last season?  Check.  Does Barcelona have the edge in its UEFA Champions League matchup against Stuttgart because of the away goal?  True.  Does Barcelona have some of the greatest players in the world of football?  Absolutely.  Has Barcelona been figured out?  From all the previous affirmations, the headline answer should be a definitive NO, but peering underneath the surface reveals a few cracks in their perfect facade.

As Chelsea and Rubin Kazan proved last year, one strategy to eke out a positive result against the Blaugrana includes conceding 70%+ possession to the Catalans and hope to capitalize on one or two chances when Carles Puyol’s defensive four play their extremely high line.  Many teams have unsuccessfully tried this tactic, but on Saturday evening, Málaga decided to employ this type of football, believing that they can be akin to Chelsea and Rubin Kazan.  It almost worked.

After a frustrating sixty-eight minutes, where nearly every Dani Alves cross was cleared and Lionel Messi’s wondrous runs were eventually snuffed by the Málaga defense, it took a special strike from Barcelona’s clutch performer of the season, Pedro Rodríguez, to break the deadlock.

Fernando and Manolo did not close Pedro’s space down, and with only Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the penalty area, Pedro decided tto take the shot himself from just outside the box.  He powered it to the point where goalkeeper Gustavo Munúa could only get a hand to it at his left near post despite him covering that side of the goal.

The unthinkable occurred twelve minutes later, when a one-two between Valdo and Victor Obinna at the halfway line sent Valdo free for nearly half of the pitch, and he converted the opportunity with aplomb, as he slotted the ball past a determined Victor Valdés.

Now for 99.7% of teams with a slim one-goal advantage with ten minutes to spare, playing deeper in their own half is not only prudent but the correct tactic.  Not for Barcelona.  What some might consider naïveté, Barcelona sees as the only way.  For the most part, Barcelona executes with total clarity, but on rare occasions, as with Valdo and Obinna, they pay a steep price for their loyalty to the club philosophy.

As with true champions, however, they managed to discover the game-winner in the late stages to make one point into three.  Xavi Hernández had an unusually quiet game, but his field vision is incomparable, and he played a cutting, diagonal ball to a streaking Dani Alves on the right wing.  A straightforward, first-time squared ball across the six-yard box to an unmarked Messi, and the tap-in gave Barça a 2-1 lead in the 84th minute, a lead they would not relinquish.

For the defending La Liga champions, stringing twenty to thirty passes to find an opening in the defense is normal business for them, but after they took the lead, their passing took more of a defensive nature.  They passed it around the field almost in an attempt to wind the clock down rather than initiate another attack.  With Málaga producing a dogged and earnest effort throughout the match, this mode was the right move, but it was quite peculiar to witness Barcelona passing it around with no ambition.

The other stratagem falls only for the brave (some might say for the suicidal).  It involves taking the game to Barcelona.  This inevitably means that there will be plenty of space for the Barcelona dynamos if they retrieve possession.  Tenerife was successful for the first thirty-five minutes against Barcelona in their match in January by putting the Barça players on their back heels.  A recurring problem for the Chicharreros all season, however, has been their lack of finishing, and when they could not score on some promising opportunities, Barcelona smelled blood, and a 0-5 thumping ensued.

When Barcelona visited the Mercedes-Benz Arena to face Stuttgart, no one would have blamed Die Schwaben if they used the Chelsea/Rubin Kazan strategy.  Although their form improved dramatically since Christian Gross took over the manager position from Markus Babbel, they still lied ninth in the Bundesliga and needed to defeat Unirea Urziceni on the final group stage match to advance to the Round of 16.

Cautious in the beginning, Stuttgart ventured forward when Barça could not organize an effective attack.  Cacau scored once and could have had another two, and by halftime, the 1-0 score line in favor of Stuttgart flattered Barcelona.  According to Gerard Piqué in the Spanish sports newspaper Sport, “If we play as we did in the first half, we are not going to last long in this competition.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s crucial equalizer in the second half gave Barça the precious away goal and the 1-1 result away from home, but that does not take away from Stuttgart outplaying the Catalans for long stretches of the game.

Lionel Messi admitted that his side is not performing up to their celestial expectations.  On the club website following the Stuttgart match, he said, “I don’t know what went wrong.  It’s true that recently we’ve not been playing the same football we are used to, but now is the key moment and we have to get back to that level.”

Injuries clearly have hindered their play as of late.  Xavi and Ibrahimovic have recently returned from injury spells, and Seydou Keita, Éric Abidal, and Dmytro Chygrynskiy remain in the trainer’s room.

Around this same time last season, Barcelona lulled in relative mediocrity.  In a span of five matches from February 14 to March 4, they drew three and lost two, including a loss to a then relegation-bound Espanyol and a 2-2 draw with Real Betis, who would be relegated to the Segunda División at the end of the season.  What happened from that point forward is now immortalized in Barcelona’s six-trophy 2009, so why would this current momentary slip be any different from last year?

The final three months of the season should provide the final answer to the opening rhetorical question, but for any team to win against Barcelona, they have to believe that they have the solution to the Barça question.  Managers now have a large sampling in which to study Pep Guardiola’s coaching tendencies.

The doubt creeping from both the Barça fans and the press corps may be sounding the alarm bell a little early, but now this team cannot evade the comparisons to last year’s Barcelona squad that won every competition they entered.  They have only lost three times in the 2009-10 campaign: once in La Liga, once in the Champions League, and once in the Copa del Rey.  With Real Madrid breathing down their neck in Spain and other European teams wanting to dethrone the European champions, Barça cannot afford to “struggle” much longer if they want to defend these two crowns.

Has Barcelona been figured out?  Hardly, but that air of indomitability that they imposed last season has lessened to a degree.

Fueras de Juego

- Another natural disaster rocked the globe early Saturday morning.  This time, an 8.8 earthquake off the coast of Chile crumbled buildings and roads, leaving at least seven hundred dead with the toll rising at this moment.  One of the stars of the Chilean national football team, Humberto “Chupete” Suazo, paid homage to his homeland by scoring two goals in Real Zaragoza’s 0-2 victory over Getafe.  After scoring each of his two goals, he lifted his jersey to reveal his message, “Fuerza Chile.”  We all echo the same sentiment.

- The most surprisingly entertaining match of the weekend was the back and forth affair between Sporting Gijón and Osasuna.  A meeting of two mid-table teams that have a lack of scoring, a 3-2 result for the Asturians included a couple of penalties, a lightning pace, and an intense atmosphere rare for a match between teams that do not have much for which to play.

- Apparently, Carlos Marchena wants goalkeeper César Sánchez’s job because Marchena did a wonderful job in slapping away Sergio Agüero’s attempt to dribble away from him inside the box.  Neither referee Alfonso Pérez Burrull nor his linesman called the obvious penalty, but after harassment from the Atlético Madrid players and a chat with the fourth official, Pérez Burrull awarded Atlético the penalty kick, and Marchena rightly received a red card.  Atlético routed Valencia 4-1, and consistency might actually be arriving at the Vicente Calderón (but if they limply fall to Real Zaragoza next Sunday, no one will be surprised).

Elogio del Horizonte (Eulogy to the Horizon), one of the famous works of Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida, stands sentry over the Gijón coast.

After a less than impressive performance by the Spanish Armada in European competition, these teams return to their domestic responsibilities in order to regain their confidence.  Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao traveled to Wolfsburg and Anderlecht, respectively, and became punching bags for those teams as both Wolfsburg and Anderlecht scored four goals on their visitors.  They never had a chance, and both Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao exited the UEFA Europa League with a silent whimper.

The three Spanish representatives in the UEFA Champions League failed to display their prowess in Europe’s most glamorous club competition but still maintain the upper hands in their ties.  Although Real Madrid faces a one-goal deficit against Olympique Lyonnais, they return to the Bernabéu in the second leg, and they have won every single match there this season.

Sevilla visited frigid Moscow and secured the away goal in a 1-1 entertaining draw.  Mark González, a former rival of Sevilla when he played for Real Betis, scored the goal of the round with a wonder strike from thirty yards that froze Andrés Palop to even the score, but Sevilla still controls the tie as they return to the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.

FC Barcelona’s attacking intimidation took a significant hit against Stuttgart because the Germans did not relegate themselves to playing with ten or eleven men behind the ball.  Barcelona will always have a dominant possession edge, but the chances they created were few and far between, whereas Die Roten could have easily scored two or three more goals with a slightly better touch in the penalty box.  This match is akin to Barcelona’s first leg against Lyon in the Round of 16 last year, where they struggled but managed to squeak out a 1-1 draw away from home.  When they came home to the Camp Nou, they demolished Lyon 5-2 in a match that was not close as the score indicated.  The Catalans hope to reincarnate those same spirits this year, but this Stuttgart team seems determined to become the giant-killers of the round and defeat the reigning European champions.

The two teams that actually played well were Atlético Madrid and Valencia, although both needed late winners to advance to the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League.  An otherworldly performance by Club Brugge goalkeeper Stijn Stijnen kept the Belgians into extra time, but the persistence of David Villa and Pablo Hernández eventually broke the brick wall to score twice in extra time to advance to the next round.

Atlético Madrid controlled their match against Galatasaray, but the match looked prime to go into extra time until Caner Erkin received his second yellow card for a late challenge on Juan Valera.  Diego Forlán converted on an ingenious pass from man of the match José Antonio Reyes in the 90th minute to send Los Colchoneros into the second knockout round.  Both Atlético Madrid and Valencia will play against each other in the late Sunday kickoff, and a prediction for how Atleti will perform against Los Che is a useless exercise given their completely incomprehensible form from one match to the next.

The times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Feb. 27

Getafe vs. Real Zaragoza – 11:55 AM on Gol TV

Tenerife vs. Real Madrid – 1:55 PM on Gol TV

FC Barcelona vs. Málaga – 3:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Feb. 28

Real Valladolid vs. Mallorca – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456

Sporting Gijón vs. Osasuna – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 457

Racing Santander vs. Almería – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 458

Villarreal vs. Deportivo La Coruña – 10:55 AM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Sevilla vs. Athletic Bilbao – 12:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Atlético Madrid vs. Valencia – 2:55 PM on Gol TV

Unfortunately, the Xerez – Espanyol match at El Chapín will not be shown on US TV.

International Friendly

Next Wednesday is the last international date before the end of the club season, and national team managers will use these friendlies more as a training regimen than anything else.  Spain will play France at the Stade de France, and while Raymond Domenech bled some new blood in his 23-man squad, Vicente del Bosque featured little change.  What is most significant is that Álvaro Negredo keeps his spot over Fernando Llorente, and Jesús Navas’ excellent play has kept his place in the squad.  A winning formula over the past three years, del Bosque need not change for the sake of change.

France vs. Spain – 3:00 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Snow-capped El Teide in Tenerife, the highest point in Spain and the highest point in the Atlantic Ocean.

The obvious surprising result of the previous round was Atlético Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Barcelona to hand the Catalunyan champions their first loss in La Liga this season.  If analyzed deeper, however, Barça’s defeat at the hands of Los Colchoneros becomes less of a shocker.

Historically, Atleti had a respectable record against Barcelona in Madrid, the boys from the capital play to the level of their competition (which frustrates their fans when they get blown out by lower clubs like Málaga and Recreativo Huelva), and Barcelona was ravaged by injuries and suspensions to the point where Josep Guardiola employed winger Jeffren Suárez at right back. The blaugrana were never going to march through the whole season without a loss, and losing at place where they always struggled would be better than falling to a team they own.

Real Madrid cares not a single iota about Barça’s injury problems, as their less than impressive performance against Xerez still profited a 0-3 road victory.  They climbed to within two points of their eternal rivals, but in the late Sunday kickoff, Los Blancos face a Villarreal club that is hard to predict.  Much like Atlético Madrid this season, the Yellow Submarine plays with a sublime nature in one game, as they did against Barcelona at the beginning of 2010, and in another match, the Villarreal “B” team, who currently lies sixth in the Segunda División, deserves to be playing in the top flight over the senior team.

The most important match of the weekend in terms of final placement will occur on the island of Mallorca.  Mallorca hopes to extended their 100% home record in La Liga when they host Sevilla in the late Saturday kickoff.  Both continue to tussle for the final Champions League spot, and with Sevilla winning their first meeting in September 2-0, Mallorca needs to win by a higher margin to overtake Sevilla in the tiebreaker should they be equal on points at the end of the season.  Unlike in some leagues, where goal difference over the whole season is the first criterium in settling a tie in points, La Liga uses the head-to-head tiebreaker to determine who lies ahead in the table.

The times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST) and include the pregame pleasantries, although sometimes the matches on the DirecTV La Liga specific channels may not go to match coverage until right before kickoff.

Feb. 20

Deportivo La Coruña vs. Xerez – 11:55 AM on Gol TV

FC Barcelona vs. Racing Santander – 1:55 PM on Gol TV

Mallorca vs. Sevilla – 3:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Feb. 21

Athletic Bilbao vs. Tenerife – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 456

Málaga vs. Espanyol – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 457

Real Zaragoza vs. Sporting Gijón – 10:45 AM on DirecTV channel 458

Almería vs. Atlético Madrid – 12:55 PM on Gol TV

Real Madrid vs. Villarreal – 2:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Feb. 22

Valencia vs. Getafe – 2:55 PM on ESPN Deportes/ESPN 360

Unfortunately, the Osasuna – Real Valladolid match at El Reyno de Navarra will not be shown on US TV.

UEFA Champions League

Real Madrid’s performance against Lyon on Tuesday was not poor, but give credit to the Ligue 1 side, who tactically and strategically played the match to perfection.  Real maintained possession more than 60% of the time, but the chances they created were few and far between, whereas Lyon had many fewer opportunities, but those they fashioned were of high quality, highlighted by Jean Makoun’s Champions League goal of the week, a thirty-yard missile to the top left corner of the goal.

The other two Spanish teams left in the competition, Barcelona and Sevilla, will kickoff their first legs in the Round of 16 next week.  They will be considered heavy favorites to advance into the next round against Stuttgart and CSKA Moskva, respectively.  Stuttgart steadily improved from a disastrous start to the season, but defeating Barcelona over two legs may be a chore they are not ready to handle at this point.  As for CSKA Moskva, they have not played a competitive match since the Russian Premier League season ended in late November.  Sevilla has no idea what kind of team they will face at the Luzhniki Stadium, and CSKA may not know either.  On paper, this looks to be the least appetizing of the four Champions League ties, but the uncertainty of both teams may lead to the tightest of the four matches.

Feb. 23

Olympiakos vs. Girondins de Bordeaux – 2:30 PM on Fox Soccer Channel (5:00 PM on delay on Setanta Sports)

Stuttgart vs. FC Barcelona – 2:30 PM on FSN HD and Fox Sports en Español

Feb. 24

CSKA Moskva vs. Sevilla – 12:15 PM on Setanta Sports (5:00 PM on delay on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español)

Inter Milan vs. Chelsea – 2:30 PM on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español

UEFA Europa League

A mediocre week for all of the Spanish teams in European competitions, the four La Liga teams in the Europa League face deficits coming into their second legs next Thursday.  Athletic Bilbao surged in the second half of their match against Anderlecht and should have taken a league to Belgium, but a lack of finishing touch by Fernando Llorente and company forces the Basques to score in Brussels in order to advance to the next round.

Atlético Madrid played the most complete football of the Spanish teams in Europe this week, but when David de Gea was forced to leave the game due to injury, Sergio Asenjo, the deposed number one goalkeeper, came in and gave the shaky performance that caused him to be benched.  Hesitation cost him at his near post, as he conceded an acute-angled equalizer to Abdul Kader Keita late in the match.  As they head into “Hell,” as the Galatasaray supporters call the Ali Sami Yen Stadium, there is good news for Atlético fans in that David de Gea may be available for the second leg on Thursday, although he will likely be out for their domestic match against Almería.

Valencia and Villarreal were also average, but these two teams may be the ones that have the best chance to overturn their ties.  For Valencia, they return to the Mestalla with a mere one-goal deficit.  While they do not have a stellar home record in La Liga, they have not lost in four home matches in the Europa League, and they have the ability to score in bunches.  As for Villarreal, their inconsistency can benefit them when they travel to the Volkswagen Arena.  Wolfsburg has only won three out of eleven matches at home in the Bundesliga, and Villarreal has the experience of playing in contentious road European ties.

Feb. 25

Anderlecht vs. Athletic Bilbao – 12:45 PM on DirecTV channel 467 (467-1 for HD) (Anderlecht 1-1 Athletic Bilbao after the first leg)

Galatasaray vs. Atlético Madrid – 1:00 PM on Gol TV (Galatasaray 1-1 Atlético Madrid after the first leg)

Valencia vs. Club Brugge – 3:00 PM on DirecTV channel 465 (465-1 for HD) (Valencia 0-1 Club Brugge after the first leg)

Wolfsburg vs. Villarreal – 3:00 PM on DirecTV channel 463 (463-1 for HD) (Wolfsburg 2-2 Villarreal after the first leg)