<div id="attachment_3025" style="width: 505px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/03/Sevilla-Trio.jpg"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>The Sevilla Trio in more harmonious times.</div>
When Sevilla hosted cellar-dweller Xerez on Tuesday evening, an aura of uneasiness surrounded the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán.&nbsp; In the front of the&nbsp;Sevillistas‘ minds was the poor form of their team.&nbsp; An extended run of indolent performances culminated on Saturday evening with a 2-0 debacle against Espanyol, where Sevilla would lose Jesús Navas for a month with an ankle injury.
Sevilla manager Manolo Jiménez refused to participate in a pity party for his team, rejecting notions that injuries are the main reason for their current slide.&nbsp; When he spoke to the club’s website about the current situation, he remarked:
<blockquote>“We’ve gotten ourselves in this situation, and it’s us who has to drag the team out of it.&nbsp; We must seek solutions and not make excuses.&nbsp; If we now use the problems as excuses, we are not going to go anywhere… I fear nothing.&nbsp; We will reach third place.”</blockquote>
Sound and logical words from the boss, but in this business, where results remain the only true capital, his team has not recently provided the wins necessary for a club with such high expectations.

When former Sevilla manager Juande Ramos resigned in October 2007 to fill the job opening at Tottenham Hotspur, Sevilla promoted Manolo Jiménez from its reserve team Sevilla Atlético with the hope that Jiménez would continue their upward ascent as a burgeoning Spanish and European force.
This ascension started under Joaquin Caparrós, when he led Sevilla to the Segunda División crown in 2001 and was promoted to the top flight.&nbsp; With homegrown talents José Antonio Reyes, Sergio Ramos, Antonio Puerta, Antonio Barragán, etc. flooding the Sevilla cantera, there was no chance that Sevilla would struggle to remain in La Liga.&nbsp; After an eighth-place finish and a tenth-place finish in their first two years back in La Liga, Sevilla finished the 2003-04 season in a landmark sixth-place, earning a ticket into a European competition, specifically the UEFA Cup, for the first time since 1995.
Sevilla president José María del Nido, however, refused to be caught up with his team’s triumphs.&nbsp; With Real Madrid and Barcelona receiving the vast majority of the TV broadcasting money, del Nido knew he had to sell his most prized assets to infuse extra cash into the team and ensure future success domestically and internationally.&nbsp; He sold José Antonio Reyes to Arsenal in the 2004 winter transfer window for €25 million, and in the 2005 summer transfer window, del Nido sold Sergio Ramos to Real Madrid for €27 million, then a record fee for a Spanish teenager.
To fill the absence of these wonderful talents, del Nido, along with sporting director Ramón “Monchi” Rodríguez, brought in players from around the world at relatively inexpensive prices.&nbsp; These players included Dani Alves, Frédéric Kanouté, Christian Poulsen, Seydou Keita, and Júlio Baptista.&nbsp; All of these players, except for Kanouté, who still plays for the club, were eventually sold at a much higher price tag than at the price for which they were bought, and the Sevilla boardroom continues to be fiscally responsible to this day.
Del Nido made another change that at the time seemed to be a bit of a gamble.&nbsp; He replaced Caparrós before the 2005-06 season with Juande Ramos, an unremarkable manager whose last indentation on La Liga before del Nido bestowed the Sevilla job on him was leading Málaga to a ho-hum tenth place finish in the 2003-04 season.
In the next two and a half seasons, Ramos reached heights that this club never fulfilled in its history.&nbsp; Two straight UEFA Cups, consecutive top five finishes, a UEFA Super Cup over Champions League winners Barcelona, a Copa del Rey, and their first berth in the UEFA Champions League when they finished third in the 2006-07 season.
Ramos’ team played with a relentless style that flourished in the final third while simultaneously kept firm in their defensive half.&nbsp; Two new kids from the youth system began their journeys with the first team: Diego Capel and Jesús Navas.&nbsp; Ramos never hesitated to employ his young talent, and knowing that at some point his veteran players would be sold, it was somewhat necessary to bleed in these youth players into the squad.
Leaving Sevilla to follow the money at Tottenham (although who would not be tempted with a four-year contract worth €9 million a year), in stepped Manuel Jiménez Jiménez, a Sevilla lifer.&nbsp; He was Sevilla’s first-choice left back for nearly fourteen years from the mid 1980s to the late 1990s and after retirement as a player, he coached Sevilla Atlético for seven years, nurturing the Sevilla youth talent as they made their way into senior-team prominence, such as Carlos Marchena, Jesús Navas, etc.
With the keys to the car, Jiménez knew he had to impress immediately because his initial contract as the first-team manager was to expire at the end of the season.&nbsp; Topping their Champions League group with five wins out of six and relegating Arsenal to second place in the group helped Jiménez’s cause.&nbsp; Although Sevilla would lose to Fenerbahçe in the first knockout round on penalties and finish fifth in La Liga because Atlético Madrid held the head-to-head tiebreaker over them, del Nido was convinced that Manolo Jiménez was the right man, and he gave Jiménez a contract extension.
A third-place finish in the 2008-09 season, including one of the matches of the year when they defeated Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu 3-4 (a win, along with comments about Real Madrid having no shot to beat Barcelona in El Clásico the following week, that cost Real manager Bernd Schuster his job), gave Sevilla another chance to improve on their previous Champions League effort.
Through February 20 of this year, Sevilla achieved a place in the Copa del Rey final in May, their run capped off by dismissing title-holders FC Barcelona, first place in their Champions League group, handing Mallorca its first home loss in the league, and constancy in the top four of La Liga.&nbsp; Everyone involved with the club sought even higher aspirations in this campaign.
Then the slide commenced.&nbsp; A four-game winless streak in La Liga before the match with Xerez and a languorous effort in their second-leg defeat to CSKA Moskva that eliminated Los Rojiblancos in the first knockout round for the second time in three years threw the team into a black abyss.&nbsp; Surely, a home match against Andalucian neighbors Xerez would become the perfect antidote to cure Sevilla of its current malaise.
Through 90+ minutes, Sevilla looked to be on their way to a much-needed win.&nbsp; Although far from impressive, Frédéric Kanouté’s 62nd minute penalty seemed to be the decisive blow against a desperate Xerez squad that needed points wherever they could find them.
Marius Stankevicius gave away a cheap foul deep in the right flank, and although Fabián Orellana’s free kick was headed away into touch, the resulting throw-in by Sidi Keita led to a penalty box scramble, in which Xerez defender Leandro Gioda capitalized on the loose ball and slotted it past Andrés Palop.&nbsp; 1-1 final.&nbsp; It was only Gioda’s second goal this season for Xerez, the other coming in Xerez’s only away win this season, a 2-4 victory over Málaga.
Gioda might just be the kiss of death for the opposition when he scores, but that was little consolation for Manolo Jiménez, who could feel and hear the unerring venom from the Sevillistas at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, whistling and chanting for Jiménez to be sacked.
Their wishes came true on Wednesday, when Manolo Jiménez became the eighth manager fired in La Liga this season.&nbsp; In the press conference that confirmed Jiménez’s dismissal, sporting director Monchi commented:
<blockquote>“He (Jiménez) has done everything possible and impossible, and we only have words of appreciation for his work because he could not have been more professional.&nbsp; It is time to rejuvenate the team.”</blockquote>
Sevilla’s first-choice replacement, Luis Aragonés, did not accept the job, apparently quibbling with del Nido and Monchi over the length of the contract.&nbsp; Aragonés wanted the assurance of being contracted through the end of next season, but del Nido would only guarantee Aragonés through the end of this current campaign.
Michael Laudrup seems to be the second choice, although Sevilla has denied of any talks with the former Barcelona and Real Madrid midfielder and former Getafe coach.&nbsp; Whatever decision the Sevilla brass makes, the incoming manager will know that the Sevilla job has reached the point, at least in the mind of José María del Nido, where a Champions League spot is necessary and progressing beyond the first knockout stage of the Champions League is paramount.
For Manolo Jiménez, his first stint as a manager in a top-flight division can be classified as a success.&nbsp; No one questioned his passion for the game or his commitment to his players.&nbsp; For those who grew up in the Sevilla academy under Jiménez, like Jesús Navas and Diego Capel, this decision will affect them both professionally and personally.&nbsp; There is little doubt that he will manage again, possibly as soon as next season, but for a person that gave more than twenty-five years of his life to Sevilla, the hurt he feels at this moment will take time to heal.
Fueras de Juego
– Coming into this mid-week round, the top three teams had the top three defenses in terms of goals allowed, but who had the fourth-best defense?&nbsp; The men from Pamplona.&nbsp; Osasuna’s defensive line of César Azpilicueta at right-back, Nacho Monreal at left-back, and Miguel Flaño, Josetxo, and Sergio González as central defenders have propelled their team to a relatively comfortable gap above the relegation zone.&nbsp; With the third-worst attack in La Liga, their defensive intensity is essential to their success, and Barcelona certainly knows what kind of defense Osasuna possesses.
In October, Osasuna held Barça to a single goal, and a Gerard Piqué own goal in stoppage gave José Antonio Camacho’s men a share of the points.&nbsp; On Wednesday evening, credit is due to Osasuna’s defense more than the Blaugrana being off their game, and even though Barcelona would eventually win 2-0, Osasuna proved to be one of Barça’s fiercest competitors this season.&nbsp; Any team that can hold Lionel Messi scoreless twice in one season should be commended.
– Racing Santander, who has the worst home record in the league, hosted Mallorca, who had only won twice out of twelve away matches, on Wednesday evening.&nbsp; A 0-0 draw was inevitable, and that is exactly what happened.&nbsp; A valuable point for Mallorca at this stage of the season, but this chasm of a disconnect between home and away form is astonishing.&nbsp; Mallorca has earned a staggering thirty-six points while only gaining eleven points on the road, a point difference of twenty-five.&nbsp; Only Villarreal has a similar gulf in La Liga, with the Yellow Submarine garnering thirty points at El Madrigal while attaining only seven points away from home, a difference of twenty-three points.
– Valencia distanced themselves from the pack with their 1-0 win over Málaga and now possess a six-point lead over Mallorca for third-place and an automatic berth into the group stage of next year’s Champions League.&nbsp; As for the final Champions League spot and the two Europa League places, every team involved for those European invitations apparently wants to back into those invites rather than earning them.&nbsp; No team ranked fourth through ninth won in Round 29, and these teams have been so mediocre that Atlético Madrid, the model of inconsistency this season, now sits in eighth place after they defeated Athletic Bilbao 2-0 on Thursday.
– Getafe manager Míchel provided the quote of the round about his own dismissal late in his team’s 2-4 pounding by Real Madrid:
<blockquote>“All I said was, ‘If you were from Madrid you’d have protested it.’&nbsp; The linesman understood that I disrespected him, and I was sent off, but I have never spoken about referees or shown disrespect.”</blockquote>
George Orwell would be proud of Míchel for his valiant attempt at doublethink.

La Liga Review: The Guillotine Falls On Manolo Jiménez - World Soccer Talk

La Liga Review: The Guillotine Falls On Manolo Jiménez

<div id="attachment_2984" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/03/Athletic-Club-Getafe.jpg"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>Referee Alfonso Pérez Burrull had many situations with which to deal in this match.</div>
While Real Madrid and Barcelona run away from the rest of the field in the struggle for the La Liga title, the tussle for the next four European spots is just as fascinating.&nbsp; The mix of teams truly runs the gamut from the usuals to the upstarts.
Sevilla and Valencia continue to be the consistent teams that finish in the top five.&nbsp; Deportivo La Coruña is trying to regain their European pedigree that glittered the Galicians from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s.&nbsp; Athletic Bilbao and Mallorca have ridden the roller coaster in the past decade, from top-ten finishes to relegation scares in other years.&nbsp; Then there is Getafe, the little team from the outskirts of Madrid that has actually competed in European competition more recently than Athletic, Mallorca, or Depor.
In the early Saturday kickoff, Athletic Club and Getafe squared off in San Mamés in a match that included direct consequences to the European race.&nbsp; Unlike most leagues, if clubs are tied on points at the end of the season, the first tiebreaker is the head-to-head record.&nbsp; In the reverse fixture in October, Getafe handled the Basques with little problem 2-0, although that game occurred at a time when Athletic reeled from losing four of their previous six matches.&nbsp; Now that the end-of-season possibilities become much clearer, both of these teams had plenty of incentive to take the three points with Europe in the front of their minds.
This was Getafe’s first match since they received the news that Roberto Soldado would be out of action for a month and a half with a torn meniscus in his right knee.&nbsp; Miku, the striker that Getafe got on a free transfer in January from Valencia, became the natural replacement for Soldado as the lone striker in Getafe’s 4-2-3-1 formation.
Getafe’s back line was a bit of a hodgepodge because right back Miguel Torres filled in as a central defender in place of Cata Díaz, and David Cortés got a rare start at right back.&nbsp; Preparing a makeshift defense to face a fierce three-pronged Athletic attack, especially at San Mamés, was one of the top priorities for Getafe manager Míchel heading into Saturday.
Athletic Club, however, had its regular players ready for selection against Getafe.&nbsp; In their 0-0 draw with Sporting Gijón last weekend, Athletic missed another penalty that cost them points.&nbsp; That time, it was Igor Gabilondo that was denied, and with none of the relevant teams in the European scrap winning last weekend, Athletic threw away two more vital points that would have tied them with Sevilla at fourth place.
When Athletic plays at home, they tend to play more football on the ground than in the air, and they ratchet up their typical physical play.&nbsp; Saturday’s match was no exception, and when Pablo Orbaiz scored in the 14th minute for Athletic, they deserved to be in the lead.&nbsp; Bilbao’s manager Joaquin Caparrós employed his tactics to perfection, as his team pushed around Getafe, and El Geta had no answer.&nbsp; Even though Getafe played with more of the ball, Athletic did not allow them to flow with their usual fluidity.&nbsp; The only way that Getafe could get into the match was through an Athletic mistake, and that mistake transpired in the 32nd minute, when Manu del Moral’ shot/cross somehow sneaked past Gorka Iraizoz to equalize 1-1.
The Getafe attack seemed to have passed, and Manu’s cross from the left flank initially looked harmless, but Bilbao central defender Mikel San José, on loan from Liverpool, decided to let the ball go at the last second towards Iraizoz instead of clearing it, and Iraizoz could not adjust himself in time when he realized the ball was coming toward him.&nbsp; The ball nestled into the side netting, and the shock and frustration from that conceded goal spilled over in the 37th minute when Pablo Orbaiz was sent off with a red card.
After Orbaiz suffered a late challenge from David Cortés, Orbaiz retaliated by viciously kicking David Cortés in the groin.&nbsp; Cortés received a yellow card for the tackle on Orbaiz, but Orbaiz’s indemnity for the tackle was uncalled for and potentially damaging for Athletic in the long run, as he will likely be suspended for more than one match.
Athletic continued their on-the-edge physical style when Carlos Gurpegui was cautioned for studding Javier Casquero’s ankle late in the first half.
To start the second half, Caparrós made an aggressive and positive substitution by inserting Iker Muniain in place of Gabilondo on the left side of Fernando Llorente.&nbsp; Gabilondo ghosted through the first half, and whether David Cortés gave him fits down the left flank, or he had not recovered from his missed penalty hangover, Caparrós made the right move by giving Muniain a chance to spark his ten-man team.
Muniain did just as he was prescribed, catalyzing an attack that nearly gave Gaizka Toquero a tap-in to give Athletic the 2-1 edge.&nbsp; In the 51st minute, Muniain performed some fancy dribbling to lay it off for Andoni Iraola, and Iraola’s hit his squared ball across the face of goal a shade too hard for Gaizka Toquero to get a toe on it, and it flashed just past the left far post.
With the game opened up completely with only twenty-one players on the pitch, Getafe expectedly had the upper hand, but Athletic endeavored into Getafe’s final third quite often, especially since the inclusion of Iker Muniain.
The game came to a lull until Miguel Torres brought down Markel Susaeta in the box to give Athletic a penalty kick to regain the lead.&nbsp; Torres received a straight red card for a “pull” on the shirt of Susaeta in the box on top of his yellow card he received earlier in the match.&nbsp; There was little to no contact from Torres on Susaeta, but Torres caused the problem when he tried to shepherd the ball back to Getafe goalkeeper Jordi Codina but could not reach Codina before Susaeta got there.
<div id="attachment_3001" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/03/Fernando-Llorente-Penalty.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3001" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3001" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20100322_WST_2985_Fernando-Llorente-Penalty.webp&amp;width=500&amp;height=332" alt="" width="500" height="332"></figure></div></a>Fernando Llorente squeezed his penalty past Jordi Codina.</div>
The penalty responsibility laid upon their talisman Fernando Llorente, and Athletic’s poor three for seven conversion rate from the penalty spot this year could easily have weighed on Llorente’s mind as he stepped up to take the penalty.&nbsp; Maybe that was on his mind, but he did not show it as he stroked the ball into the back of the net.&nbsp; Codina guessed the right way, but Llorente placed it in the corner, where Codina could not get a hand onto it.
The lead did not last long, as Pedro León completely baffled Carlos Gurpegui with a couple of cutbacks in the box, and Gurpegui could only recover enough to partially deflect Pedro León’s shot and fool Iraizoz as it went past him.&nbsp; A 2-2 final that both teams would feel as though they should have earned the full three points.
What a match for referee Alfonso Pérez Burrull to call.&nbsp; A couple of weeks ago, after a horrific performance in the Atlético Madrid – Valencia match, the Liga de Fútbol Profesional (LFP) suspended Pérez Burrull for a couple of matches.&nbsp; Unfortunately known for his high-profile gaffes, Pérez Burrull had to control a match that was on the verge of chaos.&nbsp; The belief is that a strong referee can limit a match from becoming out of control, and while in most cases that is true, the referee can do little if the players have it in their mind to follow through on their cynical ideas.
Athletic Club is one of the hardest teams for referees to call in La Liga because their physical style borders on the line from legal to illegal.&nbsp; Maybe Pérez Burrull could have warned both teams earlier when the challenges flew around with little abandon, but he could not prevent what Pablo Orbaiz did to David Cortés.&nbsp; In addition, the other talking point was the penalty and subsequent red card he brandished to Miguel Torres late in the match.&nbsp; Yes, the contact was minimal, but Torres did prevent Susaeta from a goal-scoring opportunity, and Pérez Burrull had little choice in the matter.
The referee aside, Athletic can only blame itself for surrendering two points to Getafe.&nbsp; Los Azulones are a solid team, but they lacked their top scorer, and Athletic’s supernal home form would suggest a win against Getafe.&nbsp; Luckily, for Athletic, none of the teams with whom they are involved in the competition for Europe strung a series of positive results that would have put Bilbao in a severe uphill climb.&nbsp; Eleven matches remain, and if Athletic can stay disciplined for those upcoming matches, they can easily qualify for Europe due to placement in the league, not because they were the losing team in the Copa del Rey final.
Fueras de Juego
– Sevilla’s malaise continues as Espanyol thrived on Los Nervionenses‘ impotent performance with an easy 2-0 win.&nbsp; Aside from the match itself, the fans at the Cornellà – El Prat paid a poignant tribute to both teams’ fallen players, Daniel Jarque and Antonio Puerta.&nbsp; All season long, the Espanyol fans all clap in unison during the 21st minute in honor of their previous captain Daniel Jarque, who wore the number 21 and who tragically died in the preseason from a heart attack.&nbsp; If there were any team that would know this pain, it would be Sevilla because in August of 2007, they lost their own player, Antonio Puerta, to a cardiac arrest.&nbsp; When the game reached the 16th minute, the Espanyol fans stood up and clapped for that whole minute in honor of Antonio Puerta, who wore the number 16.
– Three golazos of the week.&nbsp; The golazo for pure technique goes to Felipe Mattioni of Mallorca.&nbsp; Mallorca kept its stellar home form with a 4-1 dismissal of Atlético Madrid, and the exclamation point for the islanders was Felipe Mattioni’s exquisite volley in the 90th minute that astonished Atleti goalkeeper David de Gea.&nbsp; From a curling cross from the left flank, Mattioni side-volleyed a bullet that required perfect timing and technique from twenty-five yards.
– David Silva provided the golazo of the week for pure improvisation as his Valencia team struck an impressive 2-0 victory over an Almería team that could be argued as the third best team in La Liga in the second half of the season.&nbsp; Knocked down on the floor from a Santi Acasiete tackle, Silva still possessed the presence of mind to keep himself involved in the play, and from the seat of his pants, he swept and hooked the ball into goal past a diving Diego Alves.
– In Lionel Messi’s hat-trick in Barcelona’s 2-4 win against a tough Real Zaragoza side when they play at home in La Romareda, his second goal was the golazo of the week for pure determination.&nbsp; Not known for his physical prowess, Messi bullied the ball away from Ander Herrera near the halfway line, and he proceeded to go on a mazy run, skipping past a sliding Jiri Jarošik, then cutting back twice against Matteo Contini, who screwed himself into the ground with the twist and turns that Messi forced them to do, and ultimately shooting across the face of goal and past Roberto to give Barça the 0-2 lead.&nbsp; In contrast to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s glaring misses, Messi’s ingenuity continues to awe.

La Liga Review: Athletic Bilbao Misses An Opportunity To Inch Closer to a Champions League Spot - World Soccer Talk

La Liga Review: Athletic Bilbao Misses An Opportunity To Inch Closer to a Champions League Spot

Part one of the 2009-2010 La Liga season preview will be out in the next couple of days, but today is devoted to Daniel Jarque González, who tragically passed away at the age of twenty-six while his RCD Espanyol team and he were on their preseason tour of Italy.&nbsp; According to the RCD Espanyol website, “Tragedy struck Espanyol and the family of Dani Jarque this evening.&nbsp; The blanquiblau player died of cardiac arrest.”
“The doctor carried out CPR on the player and used a defibrillator which showed that the arrest was non-responsive.&nbsp; The medical services continued carrying out CPR, administering adrenaline and atropine for an hour, but the player’s heart did not react, so finally that determined his death.”
“RCD Espanyol, broken with pain, wish to put themselves at the absolute disposition of the family of our captain Dani Jarque, to whom go our warmest thoughts.”
When any death like this occurs, rivalries are set aside, and everyone grieves for the deceased and his family.&nbsp; From San Francisco, where FC Barcelona is on their American preseason tour, Joan Laporta said on the Barcelona club website, “We are filled with extreme dismay at this tragic event which we deeply regret.”
“Today we are all in mourning.&nbsp; I want to send, on behalf of FC Barcelona, our deepest sympathies to RCD Espanyol for the painful loss of their captain Dani Jarque, and to his family.”
A rock in central defense with Nicolás Pareja, they led Espanyol from the bottom of the table as late as Round 30 and from relegation as late as Round 32 to tenth place, an astonishing turnaround to a top half finish.&nbsp; A proud player of the Espanyol cantera since the age of twelve, Daniel Jarque reached the highest peak individually when his native Espanyol asked him to be captain one short month ago.&nbsp; He then captained the first match in their newly built stadium, the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat, where they impressed the home supporters with a 3-0 thrashing of Liverpool FC.
This kind of catastrophic event reminds people of their own mortality and how life can be taken away in an instant, even if you are only twenty-six years old, in top physical shape, and seemingly at a good place in your life.&nbsp; No one truly knows why these events occur, and surely, Jarque’s teammates are asking the same questions.&nbsp; If anyone knows through what they are going, it is the players of Sevilla in the 2007-2008 campaign because their teammate Antonio Puerta died shortly after he played in the first match of that season.&nbsp; Sevilla finished fifth that season, narrowly missing a Champions League spot because while they had the same total of points as Atlético Madrid, Atlético Madrid had the better head-to-head record against Sevilla.
While it is a noble idea to suggest that Dani Jarque’s death will spur on Los Perequitos to play their best football ever, the truth is that each player will take his death in his own private way.&nbsp; If they can envelop the spirit of Dani Jarque and, as the untimely, yet apt and appropriate cliché goes, play as if their lives depended on it, they will honor their fallen friend in the most respectable way possible.
Rest in peace, Dani.&nbsp; The football world will sorely miss you.

Daniel Jarque: An Untimely Death - World Soccer Talk

Daniel Jarque: An Untimely Death

<a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/uploaded_images/Puerta1-700652.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.laligatalk.com/uploaded_images/Puerta1-700652.jpg"></a></figure></div>As we reported yesterday, Sevilla midfielder Antonio Puerta collapsed during a Primera Liga match on Saturday. Today brought the sad news that Puerta has died, just three days later. He had suffered a heart attack and had been on life support since Saturday. What makes this even sadder is that Puerta was going to become a father for the first time in about six weeks’ time.
According to CNN, a spokesman for Virgen del Rocio hospital stated that “We regret to report that the patient Antonio Puerta died at 1430 (1230 GMT) today. The death was caused by postanoxic encephalopathy and a multiple failure of his organs caused by the prolonged cardiac arrest that provoked his admission to hospital.” The spokesman said that Puerta had also suffered irregular palpitations or arrhythmia in the right side of his heart.
Sevilla’s Champions League third qualifying round second leg against AEK Athens was postponed but Friday’s European Super Cup match against AC Milan could still go ahead. Uefa’s William Gaillard was quoted as saying: “Friday’s game goes ahead at the moment but we will transform the game into a tribute to Antonio Puerta. Of course, we will respect the Sevilla players if they feel they do not want to play, but we hope that this can be a dedication to their former team-mate.”
Puerta was a product of Sevilla’s acclaimed youth system, breaking into the side in the 2004-5 season before becoming a regular the following year as a versatile left sided player who could play as a wing back or midfielder.He became a hero to Sevilla fans for the spectacular goal he scored against Schalke 04 that secured their place in the UEFA Cup final for the first time in April 2006.
Puerta made his debut for Spain in October last year, in a 2-0 loss to Sweden in a Euro 2008 qualifier. Although he only had one cap he was considered one of the players for the future for Spain and had caught the eye of a number of Europe’s top clubs. 
<div>
<div>Our condolences go out to the family, friends and teammates of Antonio Puerta as well as the staff and fans of Sevilla. </div>
</div>

Sevilla's Puerta dead at age 22 - World Soccer Talk

Sevilla's Puerta dead at age 22

As The Gaffer already mentioned Sevilla kicked off their season on Saturday with <a href="http:\/\/www.veoh.com/videos/v1037118TyWfFeM6">a 4-1 win </a>over Getafe. While I had been looking forward to the Madrid derby, I decided to watch the Sevilla-Getafe match and was not disappoined at all. The game had plenty of excitement, flair and talking points. In the first half alone there was enough action and drama for an entire match.
Firstly, my thoughts go out to Sevilla’s Antonio Puerta who collapsed during the game and a teammate had to prevent him from swallowing his tongue as he lost consciousness. His collapse was ruled to be a heart attack caused by repeated incidents of ventricular arrhythmia. Puerta was able to walk from the pitch but collapsed again in the locker room and had to be given cardiac resuscitation before being taken to hospital. Puerta remains in intensive care and I wish him a full recovery.
As for the match itself, Getafe started brightly and jumped into the lead thanks to a spectacular free-kick by Pablo Hernandez in the second minute. Before half-time, Getafe found themselves down to nine men following the dismissals of Francisco Sousa and David Cortes. Sousa was dismissed for receiving two yellow keys while Cortes saw a straight red for his harsh studs-up tackle on Diego Capel.
After the break Sevilla wasted little time in taking advantage of Getafe’s reduced numbers. Jesus Navas headed home the equalizer just minutes after the restart but Getafe continued to fight and held on for another 20 minutes before finally wearing down. Luis Fabiano, Frederic Kanoute and Alexander Kerzakhov fired home late goals to give the <a href="http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andalusia">Andalusian</a> side a comfortable win.
The man of the match was undoubtedly midfielder Sergio Duda, whose plethora of pinpoint passes were central to three of Sevilla’s four goals. Diego Capel, Jesus Navas and Fredric Kanoute also had strong games for Sevilla. Kanoute had numerous chances to score and seemed to need a while to find his rythmn in the match. The added space was probably also a factor but he did score a goal and setup teammate Fabiano for one before being substituted for Kerzakhov. For Getafe, a
A noticeable absentee for Sevilla was Daniel Alves, who is unhappy at being priced out of a move to Chelsea, and has basically gone on strike. Alves has refused to travel with the squad for their Champions League third qualifying round clash with AEK Athens.
As for the Madrid derby, it ended in a <a href="http:\/\/www.veoh.com/videos/v1036980JKz6tWY2" target="_blank">2 -1 win for Real </a>Real fell behind less than a minute into the match after Sergio Aguero capitalized on some shoddy set-piece defending by Real. Raul equalised in the 14th minute as he headed home a lovely cross from Sergio Ramos. Debutant Wesley Sneijder scored from a free-kick in the 79th minute and seal all three points for Real.
There were a couple of surprising results from the weekend including 10-man Racing Santander holding FC Barcelona to a 0-0 draw. The Catalans, who spent well over 60 million euros on new players including Thierry Henry, were expected to come out and turn on the style but by all reports were outplayed by their modest opponents who are one of the lowest spenders in La Liga.
Villarreal continued from where they left off last season with <a href="http:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q11G3q3bUG0">a 3-0 win</a> over Valencia who were reduced to nine men with over 20 minutes to play. Jon Dahl Tomasson opened the scoring in the 17th minute. Valencia’s David Villa was given a second yellow card for a dive just before the break. Valencia made a brave move before the second-half kickoff, bringing on Jaime Gavilan and Fernando Morientes to bolster their attack despite the numerical disadvantage. However, it was Villarreal who scored next, doubling their advantage through new signing Giuseppe Rossi’s penalty kick. Shortly after that Valencia lost Joaquin to a red card before Villareal’s Santi Cazorla completed the rout.
All three promoted sides got off to winning starts, Almeria trouncing Deportivo La Coruna 3-0 , Valladolid pulled off a 1-0 win away to Espanyol and Real Murcia beat heavily-favored Real Zaragoza 2-1.
Other scores: Athletic Bilbao 0 – Osasuna 0 Mallorca 3 – Levante 0 Recreativo Huelva 1 – Real Betis 1