duel of the x-men at heart of real madrid passion play with barcelona _ sid lowe _ football _ the...
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7/31/2019 Duel of the X-Men at Heart of Real Madrid Passion Play With Barcelona _ Sid Lowe _ Football _ the Observer
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/duel-of-the-x-men-at-heart-of-real-madrid-passion-play-with-barcelona-sid 1/14
Real Madrid v Barcelona, Champions League semi-final first leg, Wednesday 27
April 7.45
Forget Ronaldo v Messi, the midfield collision of Xabi and Xavi is
set to decide a dazzling Champions League semi-final
Sid Lowe
The Observer, Sunday 24 April 2011
Article history
Xabi Alonso, above, and Xavi are the 'brains' of Real Madrid and Barcelona, supplying their teams with superb
passing and control. Photograph: Richard Sellers/Allstar
There was something striking about the cheat notes an English player smuggled into a
Spanish press room and sneaked under the desk, ready to recite when the moment was
right. "And how," he had asked as he copied out the phrases the day before, "do you say
that?" The answer was simple: exactly as it's written. One of the beauties of Spanish is
that it is largely phonetic. This is not a country that makes spelling mistakes, except for
one: Bs and Vs sound virtually identical, ending up erroneously exchanged. Some things
become indistinguishable – like voting (votar ) and bouncing (botar ).
Or Xavi and Xabi.
Xavi and Xabi, Xabi and Xavi. Xavi Hernández and Xabi Alonso. They are the X-men
currently in the midst of their side's midfields and in the thick of an epic in four chapters
– a saga in which Barcelona have been left as virtual league champions and Madrid as
actual Copa del Rey winners, in which the trophy that matters most, the climax, will be
decided over the next 10 days.
"Indistinguishable" might be pushing it. Not least because Catalan and Basque roots
mean that those with sharp hearing can tell the pair apart – not because of the V or the
B but because of the X, from a "ch" sound for Xavi to "sh" for Xabi. And because there
are differences to their games: Xabi is taller, more imposing, his position is a little more
static, a little deeper; Xavi provides the final pass more often, Spain's most important
assist provider last season. Xabi's passes travel further; Xavi's travel faster.
Yet there is a striking mutual respect between them and a similarity that, for all the
l of the X-men at heart of Real Madrid passion play with Barcelona... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/24/real-madrid-barcelona...
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7/31/2019 Duel of the X-Men at Heart of Real Madrid Passion Play With Barcelona _ Sid Lowe _ Football _ the Observer
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/duel-of-the-x-men-at-heart-of-real-madrid-passion-play-with-barcelona-sid 2/14
focus on Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi, may make of them the central actors in the
drama about to unfold. One that means that it just feels right that they play together for
Spain. These are the men who will face each other in the heart of midfield, the men
entrusted with bringing an identity to their teams, whose job it is not just to play better
but make others play better too.
Xavi is Barcelona's ideologue – bright, opinionated and analytical, the man Pep
Guardiola told: "I can't imagine Barça without you." Xabi is one of the few players to
discuss tactics with José Mourinho, to contradict him and suggest other approaches, a
leader within the Madrid dressing room – intelligent, communicative, quietly
authoritative, bringing calm to a team that plays at breakneck speed. These are Madrid
and Barcelona's cerebros: their brains.
Real football people, insightful and passionate about the game, in awe at the passion it
provokes and absolutely assured as to the way it can be played, they are team-mates and
fellow travellers for Spain. And for all the differences between the clubs, for all that
Guardiola and Mourinho have divergent approaches, for all that their identities diverged
further over the past week than they ever have before, there is an inescapable similarity
between them.
Just ask the men who have faced them. When Almería played Barcelona last season,
their then coach, Hugo Sánchez, ordered one of his players to man-mark Xavi, cuttingoff Barcelona's football "at source". When Almería drew with Madrid earlier this season,
their then coach, José Luis Oltra, was most concerned with stopping Xabi. "We had to
make sure Alonso had as little of the ball as possible," Oltra said. "He is the Madrid
player who most makes sense of the game – he plays the best long passes, the best final
pass and the controls the game best. There is a real criteria to the way he plays."
Only two Madrid players have won possession back more times than Alonso, but it is
that passing, the control, that has been judged to have most defined him here. Just as it
is with Xavi.
Guardiola rests Xavi only when he must. Mourinho has avoided rotations this season
but when big games come it is Alonso he seeks to protect first. Apart from the 5-0 defeat
to Barcelona in November, Madrid have been beaten just twice – by Osasuna and
Sporting. Alonso did not start either game. He was missing last year, too, when Madrid
were knocked out of the Champions League by Lyon. Liverpool fans who witnessed their
side's collapse after Alonso's departure will be familiar with the feeling.
"It turned out that Madrid could play without Cristiano Ronaldo," wrote one columnist,
"but they couldn't play without Alonso." As for Xavi, the thought of his retirement has
fans of Spain and Barcelona breaking into a cold sweat. They play as they do because he
makes them.
Although he identifies most closely with the city of San Sebastián, Xabi Alonso's father,
Periko, played for Barcelona for three years and played for Sabadell, meaning that Xabi
lived in the Catalan capital for six years, near the city's Avenida Diagonal. So maybethere is a natural affinity, born of experience and location. There is a certain a
complicity of criteria and approach, as well as a mutual appreciation.
Friends recall Alonso returning to Liverpool from the Spain squad, stunned by what he
had seen Xavi do. But do not take their word for it. Alonso describes Xavi as the player
who "probably has the best passing ratio in history if you look at possession,
participation and how rarely he loses the ball." "When you are in the middle of a
Barcelona rondo [keep the ball]," he told Público, "you feel impotent. You need to know
when to put your foot in or else, pum-pum-pum and they get away from you. Xavi loses
so, so few. I am lucky to have enjoyed that with the Spanish national team. But when I
am with Madrid, I suffer it." He added: "In fact, that was the worst experience of my
footballing life."
The lack of control hurts. Much like his counterpart, control is what Alonso is there to
provide. While Xavi Hernández has completed more passes than anyone else in Spain
this season, 2,794 – 400 more than anyone else – Xabi Alonso has completed 1,558
l of the X-men at heart of Real Madrid passion play with Barcelona... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/24/real-madrid-barcelona...
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7/31/2019 Duel of the X-Men at Heart of Real Madrid Passion Play With Barcelona _ Sid Lowe _ Football _ the Observer
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/duel-of-the-x-men-at-heart-of-real-madrid-passion-play-with-barcelona-sid 3/14
Staff
Contributor
B r ad Go o d m an
24 April 2011 11:18AM
Anybody else a little tired of Barca and their 1 million passes with
94% pass completion rate, holier than thou attitude? Clip | Link
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B a n k e r B a s h e r
24 April 2011 11:36AM
Watching Barcelona is better than sex - pure orgasm!! Yes
Barcelona is very pleasurable to watch - I just love watching
them!!
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Com m en ts
114 comments, displaying first
(before Saturday's games). That is more than anyone in the Madrid side, by a huge
difference. He is the only Madrid player in the top 10 and just two non-Barcelona
players are ahead of him: Verdú from Espanyol and Villarreal's Bruno. Perhaps, then, it
is little surprise that, asked which Madrid player he would steal ready for this series of
clásicos, Xavi replied: "Xabi." "Xabi," Xavi said, "is the player that could best adapt to
our associative game. He has enormous talent, he is very quick in his use of the ball and
very intelligent."
Last Saturday in La Liga, you might have begged to differ; on Wednesday night in the
Copa del Rey final even more so. Alonso's game appeared altered. He played long and
direct, rarely choosing his passes with characteristic care and reaching half-time with
the kind of statistics that screamed at you, so unusual were they. He had completed
fewer passes than Víctor Valdés. By the full-time whistle, with the score at 1-1, he had
completed just 16. Xavi, in contrast, had clocked up well over one hundred.
That was a fact most noted in the Barcelona camp – and with a quiet hint of
disappointment, as if they looked on Alonso like a good kid who had got in with the
wrong crowd. Patronising, perhaps. Puritanical, certainly. After all, Madrid had
stemmed the bleeding. Defeated 5-0 in November, now the score was 1-1. And better
was to come. But, still, it was true.
Three days later, the feeling grew even more intense, this time turning bitter and angry.In an often fractious Copa del Rey final, in which the mutual affection appeared buried
forever, in which Spanish national team-mates on both sides were locked in feuds all
over the field, Xavi again racked up a huge number of passes: 135. Alonso completed
just 35. But this time, it did not matter: Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey and might
even have found a formula for beating Barcelona in Europe, too.
For Xabi that new formula meant a revolution in his role. Yet he embraced it. He had
not failed; he had, rather, succeeded in playing a different role. The question is whether
it is a role that will prosper over the next two meetings. A role in which Xabi was not like
Xavi. This time telling them apart was easy. Xabi Alonso was the one holding the Cup.
l of the X-men at heart of Real Madrid passion play with Barcelona... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/24/real-madrid-barcelona...
r 14 12/02/2012 15:53
7/31/2019 Duel of the X-Men at Heart of Real Madrid Passion Play With Barcelona _ Sid Lowe _ Football _ the Observer
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/duel-of-the-x-men-at-heart-of-real-madrid-passion-play-with-barcelona-sid 4/14
Being a Liverpool fan I always knew how great Xabi Alonso is -
our best midfielder since the 90s, yes that includes Gerrard!! It's
a shame that he wasn't appreciated in the premiership and still
amazes me how the British press tried to hype Gareth "Snail"
Barry as better than him!!
However, Xavi is absolutely amazing especially the way he
controls and dictates play, and Alonso is no way near his class -
he is easily one of the best midfielder ever to grace football!! I
remember some stupid comments made by the British media
during Euro08!!
Lond on 20 12
24 April 2011 11:39AM
Me too!
Much as I like Real Madrid, I can't be bothered with the hype
over Mourinho. Shame there are only two teams in the Primera
Ligue this year.
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Pe te t e
24 April 2011 11:39AM
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Lond on 20 12
24 April 2011 11:41AM
Banker seriously? I can only think that either you are doing it
wrong or you are doing it with the wrong person. Clip | Link
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Gwlad g a r o l
24 April 2011 11:47AM
@ Brad.
No.Clip | Link
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B a n k e r B a s h e r
24 April 2011 11:50AM
London2012,
Lol....No mate, don't have a problem doing it wrong in that
department!! My speciality is doing it the "Tika-taka" style -
complete domination of the opposition!!
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e l t e l sp u r ca
24 April 2011 11:58AM
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Plu to m u s t s t ay
24 April 2011 11:59AM
As a Liverpool fan I find this article compelling but also
incredibly depressing. This is a player who never had any
intention of leaving, but was forced out by the sheer
pig-headedness of our erstwhile manager. Rafa is a complete
gent and a wonderful human being, but any notion that he
should manage our club ever again should be measured against
the seeds of havoc he sew through his treatment of Alonso.
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f u tb o la r i24 April 2011 12:00PM
bankbasher- do not forget it was Rafa who hyped up Barry and
targeted him as a replacement for xabi-maybe because the latter Clip | Link
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l of the X-men at heart of Real Madrid passion play with Barcelona... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/24/real-madrid-barcelona...
r 14 12/02/2012 15:53
7/31/2019 Duel of the X-Men at Heart of Real Madrid Passion Play With Barcelona _ Sid Lowe _ Football _ the Observer
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/duel-of-the-x-men-at-heart-of-real-madrid-passion-play-with-barcelona-sid 5/14
wanted to be presenrt at his son's birth instead of going to work.
As a Rsociedad and Liverpool fan I will never forgive him for
going to RM
Steven Sm ith 19
24 April 2011 12:07PM
As a Rsociedad and Liverpool fan I will never forgive
him for going to RM
Can you blame him? He has come out several times since and
stated that he loved Liverpool and wanted to stay but was made
to feel insignificant and unwanted by Benitez.
It didn't help that the British media campaign tried to declare
Barry as England's most important player, versatile, truly
brilliant etc.
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i l locon
24 April 2011 12:09PM
Great article, Sid.
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v o lv e r a lp u eb lo
24 April 2011 12:16PM
Well, in terms of injury situation, peak in form and ability to
close down Barcelona for two games I guess most people's pick
will be RM to go through.
Just a little reminder then....Barcelona completely dominated
the 2nd half on Wednesday and did actually create 3-4 fantastic
chances, including an absolutely incredible Messi-move leading
to a goal disallowed because Pedro was leaning 20-30 cm into
offside.
In addition, if there is something these players relish it is to play
when everyone is up and questioning them and their style - cue
November, where the consensus seemed to be that Madrid would
win in the Camp Nou to affirm the 'regime change'.
So I guess not all is lost just yet for us culés.....
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Ta lo n ad e
24 April 2011 12:21PM
I find Sid Lowe's writing hard to read, it just dosnt flow, he has a
clumsy style that puts me off some interesting content.
Also feels like a lot of ideas are regurgitated from Spanish press.
Sweet gig he's got anyway, so peace.
Hype over Barca is unbearable, tho I love their ethos. The clash
with Mourinho's footballing realpolitik and tactical brio is
fascinating, these are golden times.
Man Utd - Madrid final as Mourinho's trial to take over from the
great SAF and extend their imminent domestic preeminence?
Raul to break Barca hearts at Wembley?
"Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't
take it, like my heart's going to cave in"
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For m icaAtom ica
24 April 2011 12:36PM
Both great great players.
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l of the X-men at heart of Real Madrid passion play with Barcelona... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/24/real-madrid-barcelona...
r 14 12/02/2012 15:53
7/31/2019 Duel of the X-Men at Heart of Real Madrid Passion Play With Barcelona _ Sid Lowe _ Football _ the Observer
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/duel-of-the-x-men-at-heart-of-real-madrid-passion-play-with-barcelona-sid 6/14
Liked the x-men thing. Clip | Link bel lo ta
24 April 2011 12:42PM
Yes two football player and they are different. In Spanish
Selection they are magic middle-field, but Barcelona and Real
Madrid are different team. Two ways if you will win. Well Xavi
and Xavi are special football player, the style, the kicker.
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Do lp h in b o y 1 9 8 424 April 2011 12:43PM
Plutomuststay
I'm a Liverpool fan also but your, and other, comment/s seems
to forget the 2006/2007-2007/2008 seasons when Alonso was
dire. In my opinion Rafa had good justification to sell a player
who seemed content warming the bench. Then amazingly when
an attempt was made to sell him to Juventus but fell through, he
upped his game, and, for me, was player of the season
2008/2009. It would be very easy to blame Rafa but Alonso has
to take responsibility for his poor performances during those
seasons.
I guess the story itself has some relevance to the Gerrard fiasco
in 2005 when he flirted with moving to Chelsea. Benitez, being a
terrible man manager, because of his cold hearted approach
made Gerrard feel unwanted, maybe the same happened to
Alonso.
Although, reflecting on these events does make me happy that
times seem simpler at Anfield.
Anyways, on to the subject. Decent article Sid, although it will be
very difficult to ever come to a real conclusion as to who is the
superior. On paper Xavi will have the most direct influence on
goal scoring but Xabi will usually orchestrate the beginning of a
move rather than assist it. So many times watching Liverpool did
I get to see Alonso provide that pass just before the assist.
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e l t e l sp u r ca
24 April 2011 12:43PM
@Talonade
I find Sid Lowe's writing hard to read, it just dosnt
flow, he has a clumsy style that puts me off some
interesting content.
Like, um Dan Brown or Stieg Larsson? Knock it off, Sid's good to
read.
"Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel
like I can't take it, like my heart's going to cave in"
except when Mourinho's teams are playing . . .
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R ea lMad
24 April 2011 12:50PM
Why Real Madrid would let Sergio Ramos be vice-captain overXabi Alonso is beyond belief. Why they would let him hold the
Copa del Rey? Ludicrous.
Iker Casillas makes a good enough captain, but he isn’t in the
middle of the field. This seniority thing is over-rated.
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l of the X-men at heart of Real Madrid passion play with Barcelona... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/24/real-madrid-barcelona...
r 14 12/02/2012 15:53
7/31/2019 Duel of the X-Men at Heart of Real Madrid Passion Play With Barcelona _ Sid Lowe _ Football _ the Observer
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/duel-of-the-x-men-at-heart-of-real-madrid-passion-play-with-barcelona-sid 7/14
Time for Capitan Equis.s u b s u b
24 April 2011 12:56PM
utbolari
24 April 2011 12:00PM
bankbasher- do not forget it was Rafa who hyped up
Barry and targeted him as a replacement for
xabi-maybe because the latter wanted to be presenrt
at his son's birth instead of going to work.
As a Rsociedad and Liverpool fan I will never forgive
him for going to RM
Bit harsh, that.
He was bought for £10m and sold for £30m. His wife,
apparently, told him that she wanted their children raised in
Spain. He acted like a gentleman while at Liverpool.
I wish he hadn't left, but I have nothing but good wishes for the
man.
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s u b s u b24 April 2011 12:59PM
I find Sid's writing a little strained at times, too.
The British media has an obsession with slipping in a word or
two of foreign language in the mistaken belief that it makes them
sound sophisticated.
I know Sid is fluent in Spanish, and that there are some words
that really cannot be translated easily, but he chucks them in his
copy so often, it feels like he's doing it for effect sometimes.
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BlueinBet is
24 April 2011 1:01PM
For all those, who only weeks ago were predicting Barca's
unprecedented winning of primera and segunda.
¡Toma!
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v o lv e r a lp u eb lo
24 April 2011 1:05PM
As an interesting aside...
Just read Guardiola's comments after the game last night and it
seems he has decided a change of discourse is called for:
- Questioned on the possibility of a Portuguese ref on Wednesday
he said Mou would be 'delighted, just as he was in the first leg
last year'.
- Speaking of going to the Bernabéu he said they'd 'have the
chance to see if the grass has grown some more'
And so forth.
Personally, I'm happy with the change of style. While I don't
want my manager moaning about the ref after every game, I
don't see why Barcelona should never ever pressure the refs likeMou does on a daily basis. O senhor Benquerenca had a decisive
impact last year at the San Siro and without him Inter would've
been out, which is something that bears repeating every bit as
much as Chelsea fans love to remember a certain Norwegian
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l of the X-men at heart of Real Madrid passion play with Barcelona... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/24/real-madrid-barcelona...
r 14 12/02/2012 15:53
7/31/2019 Duel of the X-Men at Heart of Real Madrid Passion Play With Barcelona _ Sid Lowe _ Football _ the Observer
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/duel-of-the-x-men-at-heart-of-real-madrid-passion-play-with-barcelona-sid 8/14
official. L o r d X e n u
24 April 2011 1:13PM
Anybody else a little tired of Barca and their 1 million
passes with 94% pass completion rate, holier than
thou attitude?
Fuck no.
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J am esPatr ickPage
24 April 2011 1:14PM
I think Mourinho will be very happy indeed with a guy that sent
off twice while at Porto in Portugal...
But that cannot be Guardiola surely! Because Pep has literally
stated several times that he never talks about referees. There
must be a mistake somewhere.
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Ki th o u
24 April 2011 1:20PM
This article is totally wrong. Xavi is pronounced with a 'sh' sound
not a 'ch' one. Sounds exactly like Xabi, except maybe in the
Balearic Islands where they do make a distinction between 'v'
and 'b'.
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a g u e r o
24 April 2011 1:23PM
Pedantry warning
I am sure Sid speaks very good Spanish and it seems churlish to
point out that voting and bouncing are actually tranlsated as
votando and botando not vote and bounce, but his "[t]here is a
real criteria to the way he plays..." not only is not good English
and makes criteria a singular when it is really plural but also falls
into the trap of using a false friend. "Con criterio" (not "criteria")
means something like with great judgement or, more
idiomatically, "with fantastic vision"...
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m ar k e f r an k
24 April 2011 1:27PM
No, I don't get bored of their passing. It amazes me to be honest.
And, I thoroughly enjoy when they are in form, their constantriddle-solving, always looking for the way through. It is like
watching someone pick a lock. I love it. I know many, especially
in the UK, don't really care for Barça, but I can't think of another
team I would prefer to watch (although Tottenham on a good
night is fantastic as well!).
And, I think Sid Lowe is actually a splendid writer. He may be
hard to follow sometimes, but that is because he is actually
enjoying his choice of words, and playing a bit with them and
what he is trying to say.
I think Madrid are favourites, but I think Barça could still
triumph.
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lam b ino
24 April 2011 1:37PM
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l of the X-men at heart of Real Madrid passion play with Barcelona... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/24/real-madrid-barcelona...
r 14 12/02/2012 15:53
7/31/2019 Duel of the X-Men at Heart of Real Madrid Passion Play With Barcelona _ Sid Lowe _ Football _ the Observer
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/duel-of-the-x-men-at-heart-of-real-madrid-passion-play-with-barcelona-sid 9/14
Outside of the clásicos, they are the key men for each team. But
when they go head to head, it looks much more like Di María and
Pepe are the key for Madrid, whereas Barça are still searching for
theirs. They've not had one standout player in the last two
games, not writing any of them off, mind.
Can see Pique and Iniesta being the men for the job.
Clip | Link
ReportR u p r i c t
24 April 2011 1:43PM
Xabi Alonso is a very good player, but he is not remotely in the
same class as Xavi Hernandez. Clip | Link
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e l t e l sp u r ca
24 April 2011 1:49PM
@aguero
Pedantry warning
I am sure Sid speaks very good Spanish and it seems
churlish to point out that voting and bouncing are
actually tranlsated as votando and botando not vote
and bounce, but his "[t]here is a real criteria to the
way he plays..." not only is not good English and
makes criteria a singular when it is really plural but
also falls into the trap of using a false friend. "Con
criterio" (not "criteria") means something like with
great judgement or, more idiomatically, "with
fantastic vision"...
It is churlish, because in Spanish you tend to use infinitives
where we use gerunds in English. Try "Fumando perjudica su
salud".
I'll give you "criteria", though. "Criterion" would be OK, and not
really a false friend. It can mean "standard" which I think is what
he wants to say.
Any other teachers out there?
PS What do teachers call Santa's little helpers?
- Subordinate clauses.
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R ich te r B o jack
24 April 2011 1:50PM
@BradGoodman:
No. I'm not sure what astounds me more, your post or the
number of recommendations. When you can articulate what
exactly is wrong with enjoying the best pure passing side in
years, I'd like to hear it.
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M e h d i
24 April 2011 1:55PM
Xabi Alonso - a celebration of complete mediocrity. Xabi Alonso
is the most overrated footballer in the World. Real Madrid paid
€35 million for a player that can't tackle, can't shoot and
averages 5 assists a season. "That's not his role" yes his role is to
pass square to superior team-mates. €35 million for that?
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B e s o n d e r s
24 April 2011 1:59PM
BradGoodman
24 April 2011 11:18AM
Anybody else a little tired of Barca and their 1 million
passes with 94% pass completion rate, holier than
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l of the X-men at heart of Real Madrid passion play with Barcelona... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/24/real-madrid-barcelona...
r 14 12/02/2012 15:53
7/31/2019 Duel of the X-Men at Heart of Real Madrid Passion Play With Barcelona _ Sid Lowe _ Football _ the Observer
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/duel-of-the-x-men-at-heart-of-real-madrid-passion-play-with-barcelona-sid 10/14
thou attitude?
I get bored with it sometimes.
I wouldn't watch them if they didn't have (1) incredible quality
(2) Lionel Messi doing something different.
On (1), it gets like watching someone play a perfect ten-pin
bowling match, or game of pinball. Remarkable, yes, but for how
long? How long could you admire the Arsenal offside trap, as
outstanding and successful as it was? And put up with their fanseulogising it because it won trophies?
On (2), imagine if every team in the World tried to play like
Barcelona? They can't all be as good, and they can't all have
Messi. It'd be like watching the 1994 World Cup finals, where all
the sussessful teams had the same defensive-minded counter-
attacking style.
I don't know about any holier-than-thou attitude. But I have had
the experience that if you do anything less than drool over
tika-taka, some people talk to you as though you don't know
anything about football. (Whereas they know everything,
because they worship Barcelona and Spain).
Tika-taka is just one kind of football, same as catennaccio, Total
Football, and passing it back to Clemence/Grobbelaar. Barcelona
are great at it, but I'm glad they're the only ones devoted to it.
el ju l i
24 April 2011 2:11PM
Velazquez or Picasso? King Kenny or Ian Rush? Tesla or Edison?
Why do we always have to choose one? It is in this society to
undermine one and support the other one.
Madridista myself and in love with Barcelona' style (most likely
because that gave us the most important trophy I will ever
celebrate) and I think we have one of the best confrontations of our times in front of us.
Mourinho is an excellent coach that has excelled in a lot of
different situations and Guardiola has turned a well known style
into pure art. Xabi is Mourinho's guardian in the field and Xavi is
Guardiola's mirror.
They are both equally admirable.
P.S. Touching briefly on the Xabi situation at Liverpool. I
personally blame Rafa for misreading the situation, for thinking
that football was on top of someone's family. Rafa' success is
precisely due to his extreme dedication to football and having
everything under control but that time Xabi's life was way ahead
football and Rafa didn't understand or didn't want to
understand.
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J am esPatr ickPage
24 April 2011 2:18PM
Xabi Alonso is a superb football player,. It's not even funny
suggesting the contrary. Whoever has followed Madrid last two
seasons, or Liverpool the previous one knows how important and
influential the Basque has been. He's an incredible footballer
with fantastic positioning, awareness and ability to set the tempo
in midfield and read an incredibly wide set of game situations
executing the right option at the right moment. I fail to see a
player who is as good as him as deep lying midfielder in the
world at the moment.
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a g u e r o
24 April 2011 2:22PM
@etelspurca
Fair enough re: the infinitives! (Though in your example I'd
translate it as smoking - he wouldn't let it lie...)
on criterio do you really think he means standard? I think the whole point is the players are above standard... cultured,
superior reading of the game, fine judgement, discernment, etc. I
suppose I said false friend because its a classic case of a single
word translation not working and I think Sid does that quite a
lot.
But I know this thread isn't about this - it's just that I've got
nothing useful to say about the football, other than that I think
they are both great, but that I've always particulalrly liked Xabi's
bearing.
Sorry I won't bother you again
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subjec t iveobjec t ive
24 April 2011 2:26PM
Superb stuff Sid - I really like your staccato sentences
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l of the X-men at heart of Real Madrid passion play with Barcelona... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/24/real-madrid-barcelona...
ur 14 12/02/2012 15:53
7/31/2019 Duel of the X-Men at Heart of Real Madrid Passion Play With Barcelona _ Sid Lowe _ Football _ the Observer
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/duel-of-the-x-men-at-heart-of-real-madrid-passion-play-with-barcelona-sid 11/14
punctuating the longer paragraphs. It makes for great reading.
Personally I prefer Xabi to Xavi. Despite the wonderful viewing
that Xavi and his teammates provide his style sometimes
frustrates me, as if he is playing one pass to many. I realise this is
somewhat paradoxical considering the philosophy of 'tiki-taka'
and the rondo, and especially Xavi's role in the team as the
metronome, but I sometimes long for more of those Xabi passes
that float languidly over the heads of the midfield and land on
the chest or the feet of the winger on the other side of the pitch.
It's the trademark of Scholes and, recently I've noticed, Rooney
too, and it's what makes an indiviudal a particularly special
footballer en mi opinión.
Although these two men are unfortunately nearing the end of
their careers the man to take over the mantle is an even more
beautiful player to watch methinks - Andres Iniesta.
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24 April 2011 2:52PM
To even mention Gareth Barry in the same sentence as either
Xabi or Xavi is a joke. I agree though, Alonso when he was at
Liverpool was effective but not amazing. Xavi and Iniesta on the
other hand are outstanding.
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Eldr i tch24 April 2011 2:56PM
It has to be said: this is lovely writing.
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bm m alik8 0
24 April 2011 2:58PM
no point mentioning mourinho and beauty in the same post,
those 2 words simply dont go together, and frankly, i dont think
the growing number of nihilists in madrid really care.
and i think its time pep did voice his opinion on certain issues
that impact games.
" we will see if the grass has grown longer". hahah thats
hilarious.
and perhaps is answers one of the questions that this article
throws up.
xabi vs xavi, ronaldo vs messi, ozil vs iniesta.
i know barca are a well tuned unti, but its pretty obvious that the
barca players mentioned above are reasonably far ahead of their
madrid counterparts and i guess mou knows this or he wouldnt be packing players behind the ball and kicking the shit out of the
opposition.
barca are certainly down right now, and it seems that the
footballing world in general believe that the tide has turned (
even barca fans are now filled with trepidation).
mourinho said that barca were very good but they were only
spanish champions.
i guess his mama never told him not to tempt fate.
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R ea lMad
24 April 2011 3:19PM
Off topic: Sid's interview with Raul was pretty soft, none of the
hard questions we'd all like to hear his answer to. But more
importantly, here's an interview I would love to see in the
Guardian: Sid Lowe takes on Matilde Mourinho.
Enquiring minds want to know.
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M a g n u s s o n
24 April 2011 3:26PM
bankerbasher
Being a Liverpool fan I always knew how great Xabi
Alonso is - our best midfielder since the 90s, yes that
includes Gerrard!! It's a shame that he wasn't
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l of the X-men at heart of Real Madrid passion play with Barcelona... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/24/real-madrid-barcelona...
ur 14 12/02/2012 15:53
7/31/2019 Duel of the X-Men at Heart of Real Madrid Passion Play With Barcelona _ Sid Lowe _ Football _ the Observer
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/duel-of-the-x-men-at-heart-of-real-madrid-passion-play-with-barcelona-sid 12/14
appreciated in the premiership and still amazes me
how the British press tried to hype Gareth "Snail"
Barry as better than him!!
What are you on about? The only person in England that didn't
appreciate how important Alonso was to Liverpool was his
compatriot: Benitez!
J u l ioGotan Corn el io
24 April 2011 3:34PM
Good article Sid Lowe
Xabi Alonso is overrated. In England he was seen as a tactical
master and midfield beacon because:
1.It' was England.. where anyone with 10% tactical knowledge is
already ahead of locas
2.Next to Steven Gerrard it isn't hard to look composed and
measured.
Xabi's first season with Real was poor. As a few switched on
media folk said, if he'd been an African player the press would
have attacked him (Mahama Diarra).
In the World Cup Xabi was a slow, ponderous substitue for
Marcos Senna (who had a similar role at Euro 2008). He takes
ages to decide what to do.
The odd throughball on the counterattack against weaker la Liga
teams isn't enough for him to be anything but the worst player in
the Spain team. He isn't the brain of anything.
Nice man though, I gather
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M a g n u s s o n
24 April 2011 3:37PM
Don't really understand the criticism regarding Sid Lowe's
writing. Seems a bit petty and pointless given that this is a
football (not litterature) blog.
Anyway, not a Liverpool fan but always admired Alonso as a
player. From interviews Ive read he also seems to belong that
very rare breed of footballers that are talented, modest and
knowlegeable.
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lam b ino
24 April 2011 3:41PM
Hard to say who is better out of Xavi and Xabi. Hard to compare
anyone to Barça midfielders, they practically play a different
sport. Xavi has been brainwashed playing rondas and i'm sure
Alonso would be just as good in the role if he'd been doing it for
so many years. Likewise i'm sure Xavi would be just as good at
spreading it about were he to play in a more open system. He'd
probably be quite like Sneijder.
People criticise Guardiola for making poor signings but for me
most of them fail because they need time to adapt to this system
and are shot down by impatient fans/press. It nearly killed off
Mascherano, and i'm sure even Alonso would suffer for a while.
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M a g n u s s o n
24 April 2011 3:45PM
J u l ioGotan Corn el io
1.It' was England.. where anyone with 10% tacticalknowledge is already ahead of locas
Nothing like a good stereotype to justify an argument!
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J u l ioGotan Corn el io
l of the X-men at heart of Real Madrid passion play with Barcelona... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/24/real-madrid-barcelona...
ur 14 12/02/2012 15:53
7/31/2019 Duel of the X-Men at Heart of Real Madrid Passion Play With Barcelona _ Sid Lowe _ Football _ the Observer
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/duel-of-the-x-men-at-heart-of-real-madrid-passion-play-with-barcelona-sid 13/14
24 April 2011 3:48PM
@Magnusson
Cheers ;-)
p.s. your Skeletor (or Rivaldo) pic- best avatar I have seen at
Guardian EVER
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Sta te s id eAu ss ie
24 April 2011 3:54PM
I admire Barcelona's pressing game but that endless passing
bores the crap out of me. I do not agree that 650 passes, with a
95% completion rate and 70% dominance of possession, mean a
team "deserves to win" (even if they actually didn't score more
goals). This is football, not synchronized swimming. The "better
team" is decided by the scoreboard, not by some elitist,self-promoting concept of what constitutes "beautiful football",
or how football "was meant to be played".
The idea behind dominating possession is pretty obvious: to
score goals, you need the ball; also, to avoid the other team
scoring goals, you need the ball. What bores me about Barcelona
is that they value possession over, it seems, almost anything.
Whereas I see possession as a means to an end, Barcelona see it
as a means unto itself. It smacks of conservatism. They would
rather hang on to the ball than take the risk of losing it, even if
that means doing nothing with it for long periods of time as
opposed to actually attacking.
And even now I can imagine some of you getting ready to slate
me for promoting "long-ball" (or "route 1") football, but that isn't
what I mean. And if you think ti is -- if you really believe there
are only two alternatives, tikka-takka and route 1 -- then the only
thing that matches your arrogance is your ignorance.
Barcelona only know one way to play. To their fans, this is a
point of principle, a badge of honor as it were: if Barcelona could
play a different way, they would of course refuse to do so. The
problem with that, in any sport, is that once someone figures out
how to beat or neutralize your method, then unless you have a
Plan B, you're stuck.
And that is precisely what has happened: Barca have now come
up against a coach who has figured out how to beat them -- and
who has proved himself capable of getting his players to execute
those plans (with two different groups of players, too).
Oh, I know, some of you are frothing at the mouth in your
eagerness to rant about Mourinho "parking the bus" and playing
"anti-football", but before you do, remember that those tactics
were executed in the second leg of the CL semi-final last year -- a
match that Inter actually lost. The matches where Mourinho has
won were those in the first leg of that semi-final, and last week's
Copa del Ray. And while the execution of the tactics was slightly
different, the idea was basically the same: compete in the
midfield, be disciplined in defense, and attack with speed and
width.
As has been pointed out elsewhere, Barca's pressing game, and
their high defensive line, are interdependent aspects of their
game -- you can't really have one without the other. In order to
press in the midfield, they have to shift their troops forward.
Because for your midfielders to press constantly and
successfully, they have to be mobile and they have to move in
pairs or groups (which is in fact what Barcelona do). It is great to
watch (as I said, I do admire their pressing game), but with the
midfield that mobile, the defense has to move up in support.
Which of course, simply means the space is shofted to a different
part of the field.
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l of the X-men at heart of Real Madrid passion play with Barcelona... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/24/real-madrid-barcelona...
ur 14 12/02/2012 15:53
7/31/2019 Duel of the X-Men at Heart of Real Madrid Passion Play With Barcelona _ Sid Lowe _ Football _ the Observer
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/duel-of-the-x-men-at-heart-of-real-madrid-passion-play-with-barcelona-sid 14/14
That is a weakness Mourinho has figured out how to exploit, and
it is very difficult to see what Barcelona can do to counter it. If
they continue to play a high line, Real have the players to get in
there. If they don't continue to play a high line, their own
pressing game will be riskier and less effective.
J am esPatr ickPage
24 April 2011 4:01PM
Xavi Hernández and Xabi Alonso don't have the same role and
don't play in the same position either. They provide different
solutions to teams with different needs. Since some years ago
Xavi plays in a more advanced zone, a change of position that
was basic for him to find his best level. Alonso is the main
reference just in front of the back four.
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l of the X-men at heart of Real Madrid passion play with Barcelona... http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/24/real-madrid-barcelona...
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