2011 Anti-Clásico Dream Team

With the current year drawing it’s final few breathes what better time is there to decide on a definitive la Liga dream team for 2011? So as I sit here munching away on my last turkey sandwich of the festive period all I need to do is choose between which Real Madrid and Barcelona players I think would work best together. Valdés or Casillas, Busquets or Alonso, Ronaldo or Messi, blah blah blah blah blah.

Don’t worry, this tired old debate wears thin with yours truly as well. Instead my starting XI contains a very important stipulation: only players from outside the top two clubs can be included. Believe it or not, there is actually some top quality to be found further down the league table that deserves a mention despite maybe not receiving the same level of international plaudits as their counterparts in the Camp Nou and Bernabéu do.

I’ve gone for a 4-2-3-1 formation, in the fashion of Real Madrid’s structure, with over lapping wingbacks covered by two deep playing midfielders, while the three attacking midfielders are left to their creative devices further up the pitch.

Roberto (GK): Granada

Granada FC have by no means set the world alight this season but haven’t been a pushover either, boasting a pretty decent home record for a recently promoted side. Although firepower is lacking, Fabri’s team is pretty sturdy at the back, and is impressively tied with Valencia’s for having conceded the third fewest goals so far this season (16). Part of the reason for this robustness in defence is down to having Roberto between the sticks. His catlike reflexes and commanding presence have kept his team in many a game this year, as Atlético, Sevilla and Zaragoza can testify, and had the Spaniard been born any other nationality, he’d surely be in contention for an international call up.

Juan Valera (RB): Getafe

I feel awful. Not one member of this season’s fairy tale side, Levante, makes it into my side. I would loved to have thrown Javi Venta in but alas, although the ex Villarreal man is having a wonderful season, he’s clearly in the autumn of his career and I’d be wary of his old legs’ stamina working the flanks over 90 minutes. Therefore, a more spritely Valera gets the shout. Strong defensively but even better when going forward, the former Atlético player always seems to have acres of space to run into and is an excellent crosser of the ball.

Guillherme Siquera (LB): Granada

Another sure-footed full back, this Brazilian is enjoying his first season in the Spanish top flight with much aplomb. As mentioned above Granada has a stubborn back line but Siquera also adds a bit of South American flair to the Cármenes outfit. He and Arda (more about him later) will compliment each other well on the left flank.

Emir Spahic (CB): Sevilla

New coach Marcelino’s pragmatic approach to the game hasn’t exactly been the return to the easy-on-the-eye football Sevilla fans have been yearning for, and what’s more the goals have dried up somewhat. One thing the manager has been successful with since taking charge though is shoring up the traditionally leaky defence - one that conceded 59 league goals last season. At the heart of this improvement is new signing Emir Spahic. At 31 the veteran is no spring chicken but his solid performances since moving from Montpellier have shown that he has plenty of life left in him. Towering in the air and good with possession Bosnia’s second most capped player in history is everything this team is looking for in a centre half.

Adil Rami (CB): Valencia

Another masterstroke in the transfer market by Unai Emery saw this towering hulk of a man make his way to Mestalla from French side Lille. Not averse to throwing his weight around and also possessing a surprising amount of pace and agility for a big fella, he’s quite handy with the ball at his feet to boot. His adjustment to life in Spain has been impressive, as has his introduction to what is sure to be a long international career – the correlation between him coming into Laurent Blanc’s side and Les Bleus’ recent revival in form is hardly a coincidence.

Éver Benega (DMF): Valencia

Another Valencia man into the mix and it’s hard to argue against this one - the nickname El Elegante is pretty self-explanatory after all. At his best when sitting in a holding role, this former Boca Juniors player acts like the conductor of midfield, pulling the strings in the middle of the park and controlling the pace and rhythm of the game. In a deeper position he can get plenty of the ball, allowing him to distribute it accordingly, either by spraying it wide, playing it short, through the middle or over the top. Whatever he chooses to do it always seems effortless, so he gets a most assuring of nods from this fantasy manager.

Javi Martínez (DMF): Club Athletic

Although having played the majority of this season as a centre back on Marcelo Bielsa’s orders, Martínez broke onto the scene as a defensive midfielder and knows the position well. More than capable of doing the scrappy work to frustrate opponents’ attacks, this seasoned Spanish international would make life much easier for Banega alongside him. Don’t be fooled into thinking that doggedness is all he brings to the table though, apart from his strong ability to intercept and win the ball he can also act as a catalyst for counterattacks due to his natural instinct to pass forwards.

Santi Cazorla (AMF): Málaga

This bucktoothed and affable Andalusian was the pièce de résistance during Malaga’s summer spending spree and, although Pellegrini’s project has been slow getting off the ground, El Cuín has remained as classy as ever and at a plucky 5’5’’ has been head and shoulders above the all the other new arrivals to La Rosaleda. Former teammate Marcos Senna compared his departure from Villarreal to losing a finger, and looking at the Yellow Submarine’s plummeting form since his exit it’s easy to see why. Smart, versatile and technically superb he is a menace to any side he faces, which has not gone unnoticed by Del Bosque, who has called upon his services for the national team of late, no mean feat considering la Roja’s abundance of world class talent. With Banega and Martínez marshalling things behind, he would have licence to push on further forward, where he would best be utilised, as was witnessed during the glory days of last season when the trio of him, Borja Valero and Giuseppe Rossi tantalised and delighted fans and neutrals in equal measure.

Arda Turan (LMF): Atético Madrid

There was some stiff competition for this left midfield slot, what with Levante’s Juanlo having the season of his life and Malaga’s wonder kid, Isco showing all the signs of being a star in the making, however, it’s the Turkish maestro who makes the cut. His first season in the Calderón has so far entailed all the chaos and instability any new signee should come to expect from the south Madrid club, yet where others usually lose themselves amidst the sea of backroom debacles and in-house fighting, Arda has done something quite peculiar for an Atleti player: consistently play well. Already leading the colchonero charts for most assists (5) (which will be important for our loan man up front) he is now finding his own name on the score sheet more and more as well. A combination of things, including a tireless work ethic, great decision-making and a penchant for a long range shot when it’s on, has endeared the former Galatasaray captain to this blogger.

Iker Muniain (AMF): Club Athletic

The second member to make it into the team from the Bilbao club is prodigious Lion Muniain. Under the guidance of Joaquín Caparrós, and now Bielsa he has become an omnipresent fixture in the Athletic team-sheet, coupling the mandatory toughness required by the Basque outfit - a necessary component when you’re the most fouled player in the league – and an intelligence way beyond his 19 years. This old head on young shoulders reads the game remarkably well, always tuned in to harass opposition defences with intricate passing and penetrating runs, and is at his most dangerous when given freedom to roam. Therefore, he’d more than likely work well with a similarly multitalented player like Cazorla along side him.

Roberto Soldado (FW): Valencia

Without question Spain’s most in form striker at the moment, Soldado has found the back of the net no fewer than 17 times this season in all competitions. His nickname, el Guerrillero (the Guerrilla) implies that he lays low only popping up now and then to score, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. A constant thorn in the side of opposition defences he’s not only capable of scoring a wide range of goals, from the ugly to the sublime, but also of bringing others into play. While Del Bosque might be hesitant to use him in his squad, I sure as hell am not!

Bring it on Mou and Pep!

Valencia v Getafe

With Halloween just around the corner, the paranormal trickery that this time of year brings with it must be playing on the psyche of Luis García Plaza, more than anyone. Reading the sports press lately must feel like a grotesquely lucid dream for the current Getafe boss.

Levante, the club he was in charge of for three seasons and not only helped in gain promotion to La Liga with, but also managed to keep up (despite having the tightest budget in the division), sits puzzlingly, yet deservedly, at the summit of the table, after nine games. Above flipping Barca and Real!

The Madrileño returned to the familiar city of Valencia today, but not to his old stomping ground, the Ciutat de València (he’ll have to wait until late January for that). Today his new side was in town to face Valencia, the traditionally higher ranked local club, in the Mestalla. Last time here, his Levante side took a valuable point from their bitter rivals, however salvaging something from “El Che” would prove too difficult for his side today.

Sofiane Feghouli will no doubt take much of the credit for the home team’s victory, finally breaking his goal duct for the club since moving from Grenoble. Scoring not once, but twice. Everything he touched during the first half turned to gold. Éver Bandega in the middle of the park was also instrumental for Valencia, stringing passes together effortlessly from start to finish and controlling the pace of the game superbly. This will have pleased his coach, Emery no end, as Sergio Canales’ injury is certain to be causing him some real selection head aches at present.

The first half made for some gripping viewing. Feghouli set the score board alight early on when a blocked Jonas shot came his way just outside the box, which he dispatched beautifully, driving the ball into the turf for it to loop exquisitely into the roof of Miguel Torres’ net.

But by no means did Luis García’s men sit back and allow their hosts to dictate the game. The likes of Barrada and Valera caused problems for the home side in the first half, while Güiza (having himself broken his own scoring duct against Osasuna midweek) looks like he is finally readjusting to the pace of La Liga. The veteran set Diego Castro up coolly with a cushioned header across goal to equalise, after a nicely worked Getafe move. However, their celebrations were short lived, as Feghouli wasted no time in regaining the lead, with a simple finish from close range.

Half time saw the teams enter their dressing rooms with the score reading 2-1 to Valencia, something “Los Azulones” could feel hard done by, having matched their opposition for chances on goal and having played positively all round. 

The second half played out much like the first, with both sides creating some half decent chances. However, the the home side edged it, thanks in big part to the aforementioned Bandega.

All the same, things could have been different as Valencia were lucky to keep 11 men on the pitch after the first half’s hero, Feghouli, showed his ugly side on more than one occasion: first picking up a yellow for mauling Barrada’s face, then moments later escaped what should have been a straight red for a reckless racking of his studs across the same players shins. Emery, sensibly took him off in case he continued to act so rashly.

With this weeks Champions League encounter with Bayern Leverkusen on his mind, Emery took Soldado off to replace him with Artiz Aduriz who took full advantage of the opportunity by scoring the third,  and effectively killing off the game. Bandega’s pass split the Getafe defence inch perfectly in the 75^th minute, leaving the Basque with just the keeper to beat.

Valencia deservedly finished as the victors, winning 3-1. This performance should boost their confidence going into what is essentially a final against Leverkusen on Tuesday night, as they hope to rescue their European campaign.

Getafe, on the other hand will feel disappointed with the result and will have to dust themselves off before facing Atlético Madrid at home next week in what’s sure to be a heated local derby.

Luis García is probably happy to be leaving Valencia tonight all the same. His decision to leave the city in the first place must play on his mind constantly, as he is continually reminded of his old side’s fairy tale success. The pain of seeing your old team’s name in the number one position must be excruciating when your current one slips perilously close to the bottom.