|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
The usual suspects Real Madrid, Barca, Valencia expected to lead in Spain
When Deportivo La Coruna won the Spanish title last season it was only the second time since 1984 that a club other than Real Madrid or Barcelona took the gold. They said it couldn't happen, they said Javier Irureta's men, at times brilliant, at times infuriatingly inconsistent, would never be able to go to the next level. They were wrong. And, what's more, they could well be wrong again. AIMING FOR THE TOP: When you're the defending European champion and you sign the world's most expensive player, you rightly expect to be in pole position. Real Madrid has all the tools to win, but it has just as many question marks. In fact, this club looks like something assembled with little rhyme or reason. Everybody knew Nicolas Anelka was leaving but, when he finally did, nobody was brought in to replace him, leaving Fernando Morientes as the only genuine centerforward. To make matters worse, Morientes is currently injured which means that Raul and Pedro Munitis (both of whom are better suited elsewhere) have to do the dirty work up front, which is a little like taking a Lamborghini to do the grocery shopping: it will get the job done, but it's still an utter waste. The sale of Redondo to AC Milan makes little sense as well. Redondo was as close to irreplaceable as anybody on this team last year. Claude Makhelele and Flavio Conceicao will be asked to pick up the slack. Both are quality footballers, but neither can run a team the way Redondo does. Vicente Del Bosque will have to tinker with the system which served him so well and that is never a good sign. The defense overachieved last season and, apart from the immensely underrated Ivan Helguera, it looks soft down the middle (though utility man Albert Celades is a great addition). The mere presence of Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos and Raul on the same pitch, wearing the same color jersey will be enough to scare the daylights out of most teams, but Del Bosque's jigsaw looks far from complete. If Real wins, it will be on sheer talent and some tactical wizardry from Del Bosque, which, funnily enough, is how the Champions League was conquered last year. Barcelona reacted to Real's signing of Figo by going on a spending spree of its own and luring the likes of Emanuel Petit, Alfonso, Gerard, Richard Dutruel and Marc Overmars to the Nou Camp. That's a lot of big names for new boss Serra Ferrer to integrate into a coherent starting lineup. Louis Van Gaal's Orange Revolution is over and Serra Ferrer will probably go for a more traditional looking lineup. He did wonders at Betis, but with Barca he is on the world's biggest stage and has more than a few headaches to deal with in rebuilding the club. Patrick Kluivert, Frank De Boer and Philip Cocu are the only Van Gaal favorites likely to figure regularly ( Winston Bogarde and Ronald De Boer are gone, Jari Litmanen, Boudewijn Zenden and Michael Reiziger could soon follow). That is some serious turnover.
When fit, Overmars is arguably the best traditional left wing in the world, but Emanuel Petit is coming off a lackluster season at Arsenal and Alfonso hasn't been the player he was before his injuries. Skipper Pep Guardiola is hurt (again) and some are beginning to wonder whether he can last a whole year. Throw in the fact that the hugely talented Gerard has only one truly great season under his belt and it's easy to get a little suspicious about just how good Barca will be. With a happy Rivaldo (he signed a new contract last month) weaving his magic anything can happen, but, until Serra Ferrer gets a chance to make his mark on the club, Barca will offer up more questions than answers. Don't be too surprised then if Deportivo takes advantage of the situation. True, it lost Flavio Conceicao, but, with a little luck, should find a decent replacement among its three new central midfielders: Emerson, Valeron and Cesar Sampaio (provided his legs don't give out). Nobody expects Roy Makaay to replicate last year's scoring exploits, but then, he doesn't need to: new boy Diego Tristan can more than make up the slack. And Jose Molina, acquired from Atletico Madrid, is a quality pick-up with plenty of good goalkeeping left in him. If Donato can continue to defy Father Time at the back and if Irureta can maintain the right intensity, Deportivo could well repeat as champion. Hector Cuper's Valencia isn't quite on the same level as the other three contenders, but last season's Champions League finalist has built a team to win right away, after losing three key players (Gerard, Francisco Farinos and Claudio Lopez ) over the summer. If newly acquired midfielders Didier Deschamps and Zlatko Zahovic play like they did at Euro 2000, Valencia will shine and Gerard and Farinos will be quickly forgotten. If, on the other hand, they revert to their league form with Chelsea and Olympiakos respectively, Cuper is in big trouble. Both were disappointing and both need to bounce back straight away. The aging backline ( Jocelyn Angloma, Amedeo Carboni and Miroslav Djukic are all 34+) needs to stay healthy and somebody needs to replace Lopez up front. Easier said than done. Diego Alonso and Jon Carew are promising, but still young and painfully raw. They'll have to develop quickly if Valencia is to have even an outside chance. By the way, look out for teenage prodigy Vicente, a guy who had scouts salivating since he was sixteen. GUNNING FOR EUROPE: Victor Fernandez's Celta at times played some of the best soccer in Europe last year and, if Brazilian striker Catanha (bought from Malaga for US$14 million), can prove that last season wasn't a fluke, it could be a lock for a UEFA Cup spot. As ever, much will depend on the whims and genius of Alexander Mostovoj. Real Mallorca is now in the capable hands of veteran boss Luis Aragones, who'll have to deal with three major questions. Can Argentine goalkeeper Carlos Roa return to his best after his year-long sabbatical? Can Samuel Eto'o finally tap into his immense potential now that he has regular playing time? Can Finidi George regain his missing magic? If the answer to at least two of those three questions is "yes", this team can go far. Last year's surprise club Rayo Vallecano managed to keep most of its talented core intact and even added to it, by signing Elvir Bolic from Fenerbache. Look for it to do well, along with Athletic Bilbao, another club ripe for a comeback after some disappointing seasons. The goalkeeping exploits of Martin Herrera and the managerial genius of Jose Manuel Mane could steer Alaves into the top six, while Zaragoza, despite the loss of Savo Milosevic, will also be hoping for a European spot. HOPING FOR RESPECTABILITY: It's hard to see Espanol getting far, but keep an eye on wonder kid Raul Tamudo, a striker who could be on the verge of superstardom. Villareal spent some US$20 million to ensure that its first season back among the elite isn't too bumpy. Victor and Arruabarena are quality players who could give the club just the boost it needs. Racing Santander should also be OK, despite losing Salva and Munitis, while Javier Clemente's Valladolid, with its new Turkish blood ( Tayfun and Arif ), should finish middle of the pack, along with Malaga's talented youngsters and Valladolid (who picked up Mexican striker Cuauhtemoc Blanco, he of the "kangaroo trick"). RELEGATION DOGFIGHT: Osasuna and Las Palmas are in big trouble from day one and they will probably both be heading straight back down. Numancia survived last season and could do the same this year, provided it gets the better of Radomir Antic's Oviedo. London-based Gabriele Marcotti writes a weekly column on international soccer for CNNSI.com.
| |||||||||||||||||||||
