During the 2013-14 season there was no doubt that Keylor Navas was the best goalie in the Spanish League. The Costa Rican almost singlehandedly saved Levante from relegation with one brilliant performance after another.
"Remontada" or bust is what they were saying. Over turn a 2-0 deficit or walk away embarrassed in front of fans at the Santiago Bernabeau, almost washing away the good will built over the last few months. For Real Madrid this was the situation heading into Thursday's meteoric tilt with rival Atletico Madrid.
Week 19 of the 2014-15 La Liga season kicks off with Córdoba and Eibar on Friday afternoon. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid should have easy week against their opponents. Latin Post.com previews and schedules the entire La Liga weekend.
Everyone and their mother has probably dreamed up the scenario at some point in their lives. But few would ever have even brought the conversation up as a serious talking point if Cristiano Ronaldo had not said the following during his Ballon d'Or press conference: "It would be nice to have the three of us together on the same team. That would be a good thing!"
On Monday Cristiano Ronaldo continued to cement his legacy as one of the best players of all time by winning his third Ballon d'Or and second straight. It was a feat that the superstar celebrated with an emphatic shout during his acceptance speech, drawing ire, joy and confusion from fans the world over.
James Rodriguez has won the 2014 FIFA Puskas Award for his outstanding goal against Uruguay in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Lionel Messi may be the best soccer players in the world, but many believe Rodriguez is the future of soccer. Take a look at the goal that gave Rodriguez the 2014 FIFA Puskas Award.
It was another great soccer week in La Liga. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona picked up big wins, but Atletico Madrid lost. For the first time in a long, Cristiano Ronaldo was held scoreless. Latin Post.com breaks down Week 18 of the 2014-15 La Liga season.
Chelsea regained the top spot in the Barclays Premier League table after scoring a 2-0 win against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge, while Manchester City settled for a 1-1 draw against Everton at Goodison Park.
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manuel Neuer. In just a few days time, their fates as Ballon d'Or candidates will be determined. And then in 365 days, the world will be looking at another three candidates, possibly two of the same trio vying for that same award. Of course many have wondered whether decline is imminent for both superstars due to injury woes, overuse and in the case of Messi, a declining team. So the big question is: Will Ronaldo and Messi still be favorites to lift the Ballon d'Or in 2016?
Week 18 of the La Liga season is set to kick off with Levante and Deportivo playing each other on Friday. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona are both coming off losses last week, and will look to get back on track this week. Latin Post.com provides a full La Liga schedule for Week 18.
Luis Suarez's time in Barcelona has not been what most have expected. And as a result, the Uruguayan, who already has a target on his back every time he steps on the pitch for his biting antics, is under ever increasing scrutiny at one of the most challenging places to play in the world - the Camp Nou.
They often say that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The cynical would say that the poor who get poorer get themselves stuck in their own problems and should not be considered. This certainly seems to be the attitude of some in the Barcelona camp as things go from bad to worse. And the one person who apparently feels that the only way to be freed from problems is to escape them is Lionel Messi.
It is far from a happy new year for Real Madrid. The defending World and European champions have yet to win a single game in 2015 and have looked increasingly embarrassing over the last few matches. First it was a blunder in the second half against Valencia that saw the team lose its 22-game winning streak.And then on Wednesday, the team met with its seeming Kryptonite and lost 2-0 in the first leg of the Copa del Rey knockout round. Never mind that Atletico Madrid has not lost to Los Blancos in the four games since that fateful Champions League final last May. When Real Madrid plays its crosstown rivals these days, the team simply looks lost.So what is Atletico doing that brings out the worst in arguably the best team in the world?
A year ago, Real Madrid headed to Schalke 04 with a lot of question marks. Of the 25 games the team had played on German soil heading into this matchup, it had won one, drawn six and lost an appalling 18.This Madrid side knew that to make a deep run it would have to break the curse and did it ever. After plundering Schalke 6-1 on the road and running away with a 9-2 aggregate win, Los Blancos would overcome Borussia Dortmund 3-2 (though losing 2-0 in Dortmund) before making the statement of all statements in a 5-0 annihilation of then reigning Champions Bayern Munich (including a 4-0 win in Bavaria).So a year later, Los Blancos head into the tournament against a Schalke side that is arguably weaker this time around, while the reigning champions themselves look a cut above the squad that dominated last year. But is that sufficient to escape the round of 16?
The most popular soccer league in Spain, La Liga, is home to some of the best players in the world. However, some soccer fans believe that a playoff system should decide the ultimate winner rather than most wins. How do you think the Spanish Football Champion should be decided?
While most see it as a done deal that Cristiano Ronaldo will hoist his second straight Ballon d'Or and his third overall, there are some that view Manuel Neuer as the true contender to run away with the individual honor.Goaltending and the Ballon d'Or was analyzed in depth in a previous post, but one perspective is that Neuer's involvement in the World Cup winning side should have a huge bearing on the outcome for the personal award. In fact, many have been vocal about it.
Can Barcelona B save Barcelona during its transfer ban? Barcelona's transfer ban is a huge issue for the legendary Spanish side. The team will be stripped of the opportunity to buy up reinforcements for its squad for the next year, forcing it to rely on the mixed bag that it currently has.
The Los Angeles Galaxy announced that Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will sign an 18-month deal with the club when he makes his move from Barclays Premier League to Major League Soccer in July.
It seems that anytime Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the topic during the transfer window, Manchester United surfaces as the top destination for the reigning Ballon d’Or winner
