Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad Liveblog

Today Real Madrid play host to seventh place Real Sociedad in the first match of the new year. After a tumultuous close to the year, the Whites are looking to begin anew and win as a team. As Casillas put it, “Teams look at us now in a different light from last season, but we are the ones who have to earn respect. We will try to win and not dwell on the past.” It is true, teams do not look at Madrid the same way they did a year ago, and it is up to the boys to reassert themselves as a dominant force in La Liga. In other news, Gonzalo Higuain as returned to the squad, however Sergio Ramos is out due to suspension, and Pepe, Coentrao, Albiol, and Marcelo are all out due to injury. Despite this, Madrid will certainly look to claim three points today and start the new year on the right foot. Hala Madrid!

Squad List:
Casillas, Adán y Jesús
Varane, Carvalho, Arbeloa, Llorente y Nacho
Xabi Alonso, Khedira, Özil, Essien, Modric, Callejón, Di María y Kaká
Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuaín y Benzema

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justjust

our 1st keeper gets red card and our 2nd keeper looks a bit shaky.. this isn’t looking good :S
http://twitter.com/iFinchlean nomis

some whistles at half time but no more, maybe aimed at the ref.
Guest

1st half was not that bad, but was not that good either. Carvalho Benzema and Khedira are the only ones putting their hearts into it. Ronaldo needs a wake-up *itch slap !!!

Don’t know if we are winning this or not, but if we do its cause Sociedad are not that good of a team. Simply horrible defending by Madrid.
- Agirexx
  
  Ronaldo has been giving his heart full of effort for nearly 4 years in every game and he is still doing so.
  He certainly deserved to be captain much more than Iker.
- guest
  
  Ozil, Ronaldo, & Alonso definitely put their heart.
boeder

Well, more of the same, no? The season reboot looked promising until Adan got sent off. I don’t really blame our young GK; 8 out of 10 times a GK will concede a penalty and get a colored card in that position, let’s not forget Casillas got sent off in 2010/11 vs Espanyol for a similar intervention. I actually put more blame on Carvalho, he nearly did the same (poor anticipation and ball control) with Casillas a mere seconds later. Not sure Adan deserved a sending off though. I’m not liking the fact that were playing without REAL fullbacks. Arbeloa gives his all but that really isn’t enough at this stage, he doesn’t have the physical ability to be a modern fullback. WhereTF is Mr. 30mil? Too fat from Christmas? or did he break a nail again?

I think we can beat Soceidad quite comfortably if we put half an effort, we should be 3-2 up by now..
Guest

It took almost 45 minutes of field play for Ronaldo to try to hand the captaincy band back to Casillas. Nice!!!
- SaraMadridista
  
  You are lame
http://twitter.com/iFinchlean nomis

Adan kept a clean sheet today. Iker let 3 in.
- Loknath
  
  When was the last time Iker Casillas saved a penalty in an open play? If someone knows this please answer. I need this.
  - Rag2
    
    Against Bayern Munchen in the penalty shoot-out in the semi-finals of UCL? – I guess.
  - http://twitter.com/iFinchlean nomis
    
    I honestly thought he was going to save it, “another miracle from st Iker” but not to be.
    
    I found this one
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7Wy4Drsk9k
    - Loknath
      
      oh.. thanx. so, in 2008 against Athletico Bilbao did he save a penalty in an open play. Not one, since then. Won best GK award for five consecutive years. He should be doing the other things right then. oh.. wait!
br00k

If that is the best Casillas has to offer god help us all.

He looked helpess and super unmotivated.
- real2
  
  He’s been this way for while now.
- Loknath
  
  I remember his face, right before the penalty shoot out against Bayern Munich last season. That said it all.
MCurto

Missed the first 25min but it seems all player rose to the occasion, playing a thought adversary out-numbered, even Carvalho considering he is 34 and hasn’t seen much play time did quite well and even went forward a few times with confidence and good results.

Only Arbeloa even considering he worked hard seemed to lack something, cant quiet say if its judgment or skill, but guess would have to go easy on him considering he was playing LB.

The whistles I heard thought were directed at Sociedad players when playing the ball back but I guess the spanish media will have a different opinion.
http://www.facebook.com/mohanad.aljibreen Ned Jibreen

People still watching La Liga? =P
- MCurto
  
  I try to watch a bit of everything just cant digest the new Torres FC,run by Benitez apart from that I even go to the extend of watching a occasional Uefalona FC game
  - Makoluchi
    
    Learn to pronounce this name:
    
    Demba Ba
    
    Now repeat after me……
    
    DE…………….
    - MCurto
      
      Michu?
    - arshjot
      
      But I like Newcastle, and I don’ know what will they do without him. Hopefully Cisse starts performing now
    - Rich10messi
      
      DEEENNNNCCCHH?
    - MCurto
      
      What did I tell you?
      
      Repeat after me:
      
      M I C H U
      
      j/k.
nomz

Missed the game but just watched the goals. Ronaldo was wearing the captains arm banned after scoring his first goal when iker was on. Is this what I saw or am day dreaming!!!???
- Agirexx
  
  He deserved it much more than Iker
- Richzorz
  
  Iker was subbed on and refused the armband when offered by Cristiano (also apparently you’re not allowed to switch captain unless the original is subbed off!)
  - nomz
    
    thank u rich
  - Loknath
    
    Exactly. Some people did not even know this yet they comment on that and they will have a 1000 followers on twitter. Gosh.
- guest
  
  this clearly showed the fraction between Portuguese led by Mou and Spaniard led by Iker. In any club, if the 1st capt is on the pitch, whoever wear the capt armband before should give it to the 1st capt as sign of respect
  - nomz
    
    and he did, check the link
    
    http://t.co/YuIPEwex
  - MCurto
    
    Does not take a all-time hard core Madrid fan to realize that “fraction” you and media like so much to talk about is just crap to fuel the tabloids.
    
    Why else Alonso never ever gets replaced if he is fit, Arlbeloa gets played most of the time despite many times not playing up to the par, debuted and playing Callejon every chance there is (and he steps up to the occasions).
SaraMadridista

Happy late New Year everyone, Hala Madrid! hope you enjoyed your holidays everyone
Sagosoosmar

Carvalho = Class
rodo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IJJ2uVDQfk
boeder

An ok 3 points even though I expected more from the team, hopefully this will give us grounding to keep improving. Above all, I liked the fact that the team showed resilliance and motivation. Let’s not forget we played with our entire defensive line either out or shuffled; we had psuedo fullbacks which really limited our game. I think this is the first time this season we play with 10-men for over 75 mins?

What worries me the most is that “nobody” forwards are getting braces, scoring hattricks and ending month of their scoring drought against BOTH Adan AND Casillas. This game should make a case against the argument that we lost vs Malaga because of Adan; we simply leak goals regardless who the GK is. At this point, the only difference between Adan and Casillas is their name, well, and the fact that the media thinks one of them is an untouchable god. But of course the saint is not responsible for ANY of the goals we’ve conceded. I can perhaps now see where Mourinho was coming from when he said Adan was “better” AT THE MOMENT than Casillas, mentally more than anything. That said, the situation Adan found himself in [and in 8 out 10 times that incident would be a PK + Card] has put even more pressure on him. I feel for him and that is why I want him to start the next game back from suspension.

Love him or hate him, Jose said it well:

“My personal opinion is that Adan deserves much more respect. He has been at Real Madrid for 16 years, he trained at Real Madrid, he comes from a home of Real Madrid fans, born in Madrid. Why doesn’t he have a right to be happy? You have transformed a problem and an attack on Mourinho into a lack of disrespect towards Adan”

All that aside, Ozil, CR, Benzema, Essien and Khedira had a great game. Carvalho really put on a show even though he was partially responsible for the goal, but the lack of anticipation does come with being 34 and an outcast. Best thing about the game (almost) is Di Maria sitting his arse on the bench for the entire 90! ZERO minutes is EXACTLY what he needs. I do see him playing in the CDR and I hope he makes up for lost time. Arbeloa gives his all but I really think he has regressed to a mediocre RB/LB.

Happy 2013 and Hala Madrid.

PS: Cristiano’s tan is DISGUSTING ;P
Rich10messi

Ozil was better than Iniesta today.

#CristianoBalónDeOro
- Assumption
  
  Barca were better than Madrid today.
- a true cule
  
  How dare you compare them?
  
  The job Ozil does in 90 minutes can easily be shadowed by Iniesta’s 1-minute-to-go art pieces.
  - llollypopz
    
    But you gotta give credits to Ozil’s noble effort; he was running round, helping the team more than everyone on the entire pitch. I guess the distance he covered was 14kms+.
rodo

ESPN FC Press Pass: 7 January 2013 with sid lowe and marcotti

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/video/espnfc/video?id=1291090&cc=3888
senjojo

dont understand why people r reading so much into the captain armband issue. i see it as a sign of respect from casillas. More like if someone tried to adress me as Ms. Sendere and i am like , “No! call me Joyce”
- Loknath
  
  Captain’s armband should be changed from the player wearing it only when the peron captaining the side is being substituted. Cristiano did not knew that. Casillas knew it before. He has once done the same thing to David Villa for his Spain NT, If you guys don’t have bad memory.
  - senjojo
    
    i have a feeling casillas, still would have refused despite the rule. i mean, a captain is more than an armband!
  - boeder
    
    exactly!
- Makoluchi
  
  I prefer Senjonjo!
Ramses27

True captain’s performance from our no. 7. Well deserved.
http://twitter.com/iFinchlean nomis

No problem with CR7 being made captain, but in Spain usually the player with the most games for the club has the arm band. So why wasn’t Alonso given the arm band?
- Ramses27
  
  Ronaldo was bought before him. Even Benzema came before Alonso I think
- boeder
  
  seniority in the team
  - http://twitter.com/iFinchlean nomis
    
    Ah if its whose been there the longest I stand corrected. I thought it was the most games played.
    
    Adan been there longer than the lot of them
    - Ambuj Chaturvedi
      
      the same i had thought.
      
      REMEMBER PORTUGUESE-POWER!!!!!!!!!!
      
      OF COURSE JOKING….
    - http://twitter.com/_kaushik7 Kaushik
      
      Time spent with first team.
http://twitter.com/iFinchlean nomis

Casillas let in 4 against Barca yesterday
nomz

u dont have to agree but worth watching

http://trollstyle.com/watch_video.php?v=7UW66992KS4K
- AddyDBaddy
  
  Agree….Truth hurts, CR/Mou know the rules or criteria for winning. They won’t win it.
AddyDBaddy

Wow…what a game !!!. I hope the team wakes up, this first half of the year is going to make us or break us.
rodo

La Liga is back in weird fashion – and so is Real Madrid’s Iker Casillas-sid lowe

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2013/jan/07/la-liga-iker-casilla-real-madrid

Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad Liveblog

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