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Turnaround Real Madrid looking better after months of struggling
Posted: Thursday February 17, 2000 05:35 PM
MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Maybe all Real Madrid needed was a new millennium. Two months after flirting with demotion, Real is a different team altogether, at least on paper, having risen to third place in the 20-team Spanish soccer league and almost within striking distance of first-place Deportivo de La Coruna. The numbers are indeed impressive. Since bottoming out on Dec. 4 with a 5-1 loss at home to Zaragoza and sinking to 17th place, Real Madrid has notched up seven wins, two ties and just one defeat. Despite barely squeaking by in some games, and an ugly 5-2 loss at Deportivo on Feb. 6, never in its 98-year history has the team risen so far so fast. Still, going into its 25th-round game Sunday at Valencia, the rejuvenated Real boasts a respectable record of 10-9-5 and 39 points, four behind Deportivo. Real is one point behind second-plac Zaragoza, and one point ahead of fourth-place Barcelona. Real Madrid coach Vicente del Bosque, an assistant who took over for the fired John Toshack in November, has succeeded in bringing harmony to a team driven by locker-room infighting. News reports say Real's players find him much easier to get along with than the authoritarian and sometimes irascible Toshack, whom they allegedly never forgave for publicly criticizing the performance of young substitute goalkeeper, Albano Bizzarri, after a 3-2 win by Real over Rayo Vallecano on Nov. 6. "I notice that players pay attention to me and are fond of me," del Bosque told the sports daily Marca. "When I talk, they pay attention, know how to listen and accept advice." Spanish newspapers say another turning point came on Dec. 22 when Real transferred Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf to Inter Milan. Seedorf had been seen as somewhat of a prima donna, and had more enemies than friends among teammates. "We got rid of a player who had trouble getting along and did not create a good atmosphere," del Bosque said. "We had no choice." Despite its hot streak, though, Real Madrid faces an uphill battle in the second half of the season. Competition is fierce, with only six points separating the second- and sixth-place teams. Deportivo will be trying to overcome a 1-0 loss last weekend at league newcomer Numancia. Deportivo saw an equalizing goal in the dying seconds of the game disallowed. On Saturday at Riazor Stadium, Deportivo will welcome seventh-place Athletic de Bilbao.
In Sunday's games, Barcelona is smarting from a 2-1 upset to lowly Betis as it plays host to 16th-place Valladolid. Zaragoza travels to Real Sociedad, while Rayo faces Racing Santander, Mallorca takes on Celta, last-place Sevilla takes on Alaves, Oviedo plays Betis and Malaga meets Numancia.
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