Real Madrid kicked off their preseason with a 1-0 win over Irish outfit and host, Shamrock Rovers. Rovers played a match full of enthusiasm and were difficult to break down in the final third. They were lively and high spirited going into the dressing room at half time 0-0. It wasn't until the last few minutes that Real Madrid's new signing, Karim Benzema, who was introduced to the match at half time, scored a much deserved goal to put los blancos up 1-0. I'm rating the Real player's performances 1-10, ten being the best. I don't dish out high numbers easily and consider myself a tough grader. Those who earn eights, nines, and tens really have something to be proud of. I rank every player according to their standards and how they played in the match, mentally and physically.
Jerzy Dudek: 8. Dudek, in the absence of Casillas, really stepped up and played a solid 90 minutes he often times does not receive during the season. He had a clean sheet, which for any keeper is something to be pleased with. Although a little adventerous on the crucial save he made when Van der Vaart gifted the ball through for a breakaway opportunity, it was affective. He needs to be more control of his box. For example, the corner situation which saw a headed ball loop toward the far post, that he left for Negredo to clear off the goal line, but a great performance nonetheless.
Miguel Torres: 6. He certainly did him self no harm at right back yesterday. He didn't do himself a great deal of standout favors either, but was hard working and solid defending. I would like to see him get more into the attack. Ronaldo was the winger in front of him, often drifting into the middle, leaving the right flank wide open. He should use that space more often.
Pepe: 7. We always see our fair share of shakey Pepe moments. However, yesterday, he kept them to a minimum and was solid standing up defenders 1v1. The back line needs a lot of work though. Far too many times for my liking, they would be breached at center back.
Metzelder: 7. Partnered with Pepe in the first half, Metzelder put in a pretty convincing performance. He was affective on the double team and didn't try to do anything out of his element, but again it concerns me when Shamrock Rovers can get in behind the back line on one or two occasions.
Marcelo: 7.5. I like Marcelo has a left back rather than a winger. He has winger like qualities as we saw him beat his defender and have the first legit crack on goal but he was also on cue defensively. At times he looked to have no where to go with the ball but that's not entirely his fault.
Lass: 5.5. I'm used to seeing better performances out of Lass. He played with great pace and played well in combinations but sometimes played too quickly, giving the ball away on occasions. He needs to slow it down a little bit. The French midfielder can get a bit too adventurous at times, getting him and the back line into trouble.
Gago: 3.5. Gago was my moan of the match. I feel as if Madrid does not get enough out of him. If lass was the holding of the two center mids in the 4-4-2, was Gago the attacking? He is young and still has to develop but gives the ball away far too often. If he is going to be a top notch center midfielder he needs to create more. His work ethic is great but he is wild and needs to control himself defensively, charging around at full speed when Madrid don't have the ball. A bit clumsy and sporadic. He needs work.
Guti: 6. Guti worked well in combination play but often times gave the ball away when playing in tight spaces. He is going to need to do more if he really wants to establish his place on this new look Madrid. He came close on a first half shot he took and placed a great through ball that Higuain misjudged and could not get onto the end of but we need to see more creativity from him
Ronaldo: 6.5. Not a typical blinding performance from Ronaldo by his lofty. Everyone is being hard on him because he failed to score goals but I think he has a lot of positives to take away from the match. He played more as part of a unit when with Madrid. Lots of touches when he received the ball but often passing and moving, opening up space for others. He wasn't spectacular on free kicks, missing and hitting the wall. He found Raul wonderfully in the box before late in the first half and scuffed a shot of his own but the look like warning shots for what's to come.
Raul: 6.5. The "Golden Boy" did well to find the ball, checking deep into the channels to dig it out of Madrid's own half. Raul linked up well with the midfielders. He didn't have his usual finishing touch about him, blocked when Ronaldo found him in the box. He did well with a header from some ways out but didn't look like scoring.
Higuain: 4.5. He should have done better, and I expect better.. He looked a bit off his rhythm. He played decently linking up with the midfielders and Raul at times but just seemed to be off a step from the off season. Perhaps shaking off some rust, the final ball often failed with him.
Salgado: 5.5. Picked up a stupid yellow for diving in a friendly. He played tidy offensively for the most part. He did well to get forward but worried me defensively a bit. Often the Rovers attack, which was clever at times in the second half, broke down his side of the defense.
Garay: 6.5. Showed nothing spectacular, but didn't play badly at all. He gets the ball forward and plays quickly. He didn't look as solid as Pepe or Metzelder but he is still getting used to the new club. At times, as in the first half, he as well as other center backs, were made to chase toward their own goals when rovers were on a counter attack.
Hienze: 6.5. For some reason Hienze always worries me, but yesterday he played alright. He was at center back apposed to left back. For the player he is, I think that center back is a better fit for him. He played a similar match to the rest of the center backs but as a veteran i expect more out of him and to take control over an out of the ordinary back line.
Drenthe: 7. If you would have asked me if I thought Drenthe would have earned a 7 at pre-match yesterday, I would have said no. He impressed me. His work ethic was good. He was on defensively as well as offensively, up and down the left wing all half long. He seems to be regaining some confidence that he lost last season. He was caught out a few times defensively but used his pace to make up the ground effectively.
Parejo: 8. I was extremely impressed with this youngster. At 20 years old trying to break into a star studded Madid team is difficult but he really made a claim. He helped run the midfield. He never did anything to outrageous, keeping it simple and changing the point of attack. He worked hard and popped up everywhere, filling in holes and connecting possession spells. Hopefully there is more to come. Well done!
Van der Vaart: 7.5. Despite the horrific give away that almost put Shamrock Rovers up 1-0 on a breakaway, I very much liked Rafael Van der Vaart's performance. He was an engineer in the midfield. He linked up well and stirred up plenty of trouble. His over head kick was delight to watch but he is really showing Juande Ramos and Bernd Shuster what they were missing out on last year. Good performance.
Sneijder: 7. He started very well and injected pace and creativity into the game. The commentators took the words right out of my mouth when they mentioned he had been deliever cutting passes that reeked havoc for the Rovers back line. He often fancied himself on the dribble when a simple pass would suffice, but not bad from Sneijder at all.
Marcos Tebar: 5.5. Not a lot is known about Tebar. He came on for Lass about 15 minutes into the second half. Never really made an impact or put his stamp on the game. There was much to be desired from his performance. He seemed a bit nervous and gave away a handful of balls.
Negredo: 7.5 A good performance from returning Negredo. He showed goal scoring ambition as a forward with a good attempt on a volley and tried to curl one in as well. He even cleared a ball of the line on a corner. He had a good work ethic and I think he deserves more than just one look, even with all the talented strikers at the club. Good work.
Benzema: 8.5. Clearly the man of the match and not just because he scored either. He was everywhere. Benzema was a hard man to mark and worked for his chances that he earned a handful of in the second half. Perhaps, unlucky with the volley off the post. He was hardworking and a key part of combinations, he found space for himself and found his first Madrid goal which was pretty and well deserved. As a forward, he seemed to be lively and active, constantly moving and finding areas to cause defenders stress.
Man of the Match: Benzema
Moan of the Match: Gago
Madrid have a lot to work on to live up to high expectations as Shamrock Rovers, much respect to their performance, should have been an easier win. Pellegrini is still toying with tactics. He decided to go with a 4-4-2 with a condensed midfield, leaving wing play mostly to the ouside backs, especially on the left. Did anyone else notice the absence of Robben? I don't remember reading an injury report. Madrid's next match is against Al Ittihad at the Bernabeu a week from today as the Peace Cup gets fired up.
Viva el futbol y Hala Madrid
Bobby
Jerzy Dudek: 8. Dudek, in the absence of Casillas, really stepped up and played a solid 90 minutes he often times does not receive during the season. He had a clean sheet, which for any keeper is something to be pleased with. Although a little adventerous on the crucial save he made when Van der Vaart gifted the ball through for a breakaway opportunity, it was affective. He needs to be more control of his box. For example, the corner situation which saw a headed ball loop toward the far post, that he left for Negredo to clear off the goal line, but a great performance nonetheless.
Miguel Torres: 6. He certainly did him self no harm at right back yesterday. He didn't do himself a great deal of standout favors either, but was hard working and solid defending. I would like to see him get more into the attack. Ronaldo was the winger in front of him, often drifting into the middle, leaving the right flank wide open. He should use that space more often.
Pepe: 7. We always see our fair share of shakey Pepe moments. However, yesterday, he kept them to a minimum and was solid standing up defenders 1v1. The back line needs a lot of work though. Far too many times for my liking, they would be breached at center back.
Metzelder: 7. Partnered with Pepe in the first half, Metzelder put in a pretty convincing performance. He was affective on the double team and didn't try to do anything out of his element, but again it concerns me when Shamrock Rovers can get in behind the back line on one or two occasions.
Marcelo: 7.5. I like Marcelo has a left back rather than a winger. He has winger like qualities as we saw him beat his defender and have the first legit crack on goal but he was also on cue defensively. At times he looked to have no where to go with the ball but that's not entirely his fault.
Lass: 5.5. I'm used to seeing better performances out of Lass. He played with great pace and played well in combinations but sometimes played too quickly, giving the ball away on occasions. He needs to slow it down a little bit. The French midfielder can get a bit too adventurous at times, getting him and the back line into trouble.
Gago: 3.5. Gago was my moan of the match. I feel as if Madrid does not get enough out of him. If lass was the holding of the two center mids in the 4-4-2, was Gago the attacking? He is young and still has to develop but gives the ball away far too often. If he is going to be a top notch center midfielder he needs to create more. His work ethic is great but he is wild and needs to control himself defensively, charging around at full speed when Madrid don't have the ball. A bit clumsy and sporadic. He needs work.
Guti: 6. Guti worked well in combination play but often times gave the ball away when playing in tight spaces. He is going to need to do more if he really wants to establish his place on this new look Madrid. He came close on a first half shot he took and placed a great through ball that Higuain misjudged and could not get onto the end of but we need to see more creativity from him
Ronaldo: 6.5. Not a typical blinding performance from Ronaldo by his lofty. Everyone is being hard on him because he failed to score goals but I think he has a lot of positives to take away from the match. He played more as part of a unit when with Madrid. Lots of touches when he received the ball but often passing and moving, opening up space for others. He wasn't spectacular on free kicks, missing and hitting the wall. He found Raul wonderfully in the box before late in the first half and scuffed a shot of his own but the look like warning shots for what's to come.
Raul: 6.5. The "Golden Boy" did well to find the ball, checking deep into the channels to dig it out of Madrid's own half. Raul linked up well with the midfielders. He didn't have his usual finishing touch about him, blocked when Ronaldo found him in the box. He did well with a header from some ways out but didn't look like scoring.
Higuain: 4.5. He should have done better, and I expect better.. He looked a bit off his rhythm. He played decently linking up with the midfielders and Raul at times but just seemed to be off a step from the off season. Perhaps shaking off some rust, the final ball often failed with him.
Salgado: 5.5. Picked up a stupid yellow for diving in a friendly. He played tidy offensively for the most part. He did well to get forward but worried me defensively a bit. Often the Rovers attack, which was clever at times in the second half, broke down his side of the defense.
Garay: 6.5. Showed nothing spectacular, but didn't play badly at all. He gets the ball forward and plays quickly. He didn't look as solid as Pepe or Metzelder but he is still getting used to the new club. At times, as in the first half, he as well as other center backs, were made to chase toward their own goals when rovers were on a counter attack.
Hienze: 6.5. For some reason Hienze always worries me, but yesterday he played alright. He was at center back apposed to left back. For the player he is, I think that center back is a better fit for him. He played a similar match to the rest of the center backs but as a veteran i expect more out of him and to take control over an out of the ordinary back line.
Drenthe: 7. If you would have asked me if I thought Drenthe would have earned a 7 at pre-match yesterday, I would have said no. He impressed me. His work ethic was good. He was on defensively as well as offensively, up and down the left wing all half long. He seems to be regaining some confidence that he lost last season. He was caught out a few times defensively but used his pace to make up the ground effectively.
Parejo: 8. I was extremely impressed with this youngster. At 20 years old trying to break into a star studded Madid team is difficult but he really made a claim. He helped run the midfield. He never did anything to outrageous, keeping it simple and changing the point of attack. He worked hard and popped up everywhere, filling in holes and connecting possession spells. Hopefully there is more to come. Well done!
Van der Vaart: 7.5. Despite the horrific give away that almost put Shamrock Rovers up 1-0 on a breakaway, I very much liked Rafael Van der Vaart's performance. He was an engineer in the midfield. He linked up well and stirred up plenty of trouble. His over head kick was delight to watch but he is really showing Juande Ramos and Bernd Shuster what they were missing out on last year. Good performance.
Sneijder: 7. He started very well and injected pace and creativity into the game. The commentators took the words right out of my mouth when they mentioned he had been deliever cutting passes that reeked havoc for the Rovers back line. He often fancied himself on the dribble when a simple pass would suffice, but not bad from Sneijder at all.
Marcos Tebar: 5.5. Not a lot is known about Tebar. He came on for Lass about 15 minutes into the second half. Never really made an impact or put his stamp on the game. There was much to be desired from his performance. He seemed a bit nervous and gave away a handful of balls.
Negredo: 7.5 A good performance from returning Negredo. He showed goal scoring ambition as a forward with a good attempt on a volley and tried to curl one in as well. He even cleared a ball of the line on a corner. He had a good work ethic and I think he deserves more than just one look, even with all the talented strikers at the club. Good work.
Benzema: 8.5. Clearly the man of the match and not just because he scored either. He was everywhere. Benzema was a hard man to mark and worked for his chances that he earned a handful of in the second half. Perhaps, unlucky with the volley off the post. He was hardworking and a key part of combinations, he found space for himself and found his first Madrid goal which was pretty and well deserved. As a forward, he seemed to be lively and active, constantly moving and finding areas to cause defenders stress.
Man of the Match: Benzema
Moan of the Match: Gago
Madrid have a lot to work on to live up to high expectations as Shamrock Rovers, much respect to their performance, should have been an easier win. Pellegrini is still toying with tactics. He decided to go with a 4-4-2 with a condensed midfield, leaving wing play mostly to the ouside backs, especially on the left. Did anyone else notice the absence of Robben? I don't remember reading an injury report. Madrid's next match is against Al Ittihad at the Bernabeu a week from today as the Peace Cup gets fired up.
Viva el futbol y Hala Madrid
Bobby
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