A Barrel Full - User contributions [en]

Main Page

2020-06-27T04:13:09Z

DoloresNorman5:

[/sport/sergio-ramos/index.html Sergio Ramos] equalled Iker Casillas' record of 167 caps for [/news/spain/index.html Spain] as they thrashed the Faroe Islands 4-0 in a [/sport/uefa-euro/index.html Euro 2020] qualifier on Sunday night. The [/sport/teampages/real-madrid.html Real Madrid] defender, 33, set his sights on surpassing 200 matches for his country after moving level with his former team-mate for both club and country. Spain eased to a victory that continues their 100 per cent record in qualifying Group F with two goals apiece from Rodrigo and Paco Alcacer. Sergio Ramos equalled the Spanish record of 167 international caps on Sunday evening The Real Madrid defender played in Sunday night's 4-0 qualifying win over Faroe Islands RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/football/article-7441815/David-Gea-impresses-Spain-manager-Roberto-Moreno-convincing-Faroe-Islands-victory.html David de Gea impresses Spain boss Roberto Moreno in Faroe...] [/sport/football/article-7441503/Spain-4-0-Faroe-Islands-Rodrigo-double-seals-victory-continue-winning-run.html Spain 4-0 Faroe Islands: Rodrigo and Paco Alcacer hit braces...] [/sport/football/article-7441457/Sweden-1-1-Norway-Emil-Forsberg-hits-equaliser-Sweden-Stefan-Johansen-opened-scoring.html Sweden 1-1 Norway: Emil Forsberg hits equaliser for Sweden...] [/sport/football/article-7442517/Real-Madrid-striker-Luka-Jovic-suffers-injury-issue-Serbia-qualifier-against-Portugal.html Real Madrid hit with another injury headache in attack as...] Share this article Share 553 shares Ramos said: [http://footballncrickethub.mystrikingly.com/blog/spanish-goalkeeper-casillas http://footballncrickethub.mystrikingly.com/blog/spanish-goalkeeper-casillas] 'I want to make it difficult for the next player to beat it. 'It is very difficult to have got to 167 matches for your country. It is a reward and a joy. Many years of working hard to get to this point. 'I had the fortune to make my debut at a young age and having the confidence of all my managers. 'Luckily, injuries have respected me and I wish I could defend this badge for a long time to come. 'Records are there to be broken. I like to go match by match and wake up every day with motivation to get better. 'I hope to keep this youthful and energetic side of me for as long as possible to extend my record the furthest possible. 'I wish I could get to 200 matches playing with my country. That is my next objective to achieve.' Ramos speaks to Spain coach Roberto Moreno during Sunday night's victory in Gijon <div class="art-ins mol-factbox floatRHS sport" data-version="2" id="mol-a8c083d0-d2c5-11e9-b2d8-c7e8b184489f" website Ramos equals Iker Casillas' record 167 caps for Spain

Courtois Ships FIVE Against Atletico After Declaring Himself No 1

2020-06-27T03:21:05Z

DoloresNorman5: Created page with "[/sport/teampages/real-madrid.html Real Madrid] goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been mocked for [http://footballncrickethub.mystrikingly.com/blog/spanish-goalkeeper-casillas..."

[/sport/teampages/real-madrid.html Real Madrid] goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been mocked for [http://footballncrickethub.mystrikingly.com/blog/spanish-goalkeeper-casillas footballncrickethub.mystrikingly.com] declaring himself the club's number one and then shipping five first half goals against city rivals [/sport/teampages/atletico-madrid.html Atletico]. And the former [/sport/teampages/chelsea.html Chelsea] keeper's problems are only a small part of what is turning into a disastrous North American tour. Madrid's pre-season was in bits after a mauling in New Jersey at the hands of Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid. Thibaut Courtois had a night to forget between the sticks at the Metlife Stadium Arena The Belgian was left to pick the ball out of his own net on no fewer than five occasions Courtois picked the ball out of his net five times as he continues to struggle at Real Madrid RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/football/article-7292273/Real-Madrid-news-Zinedine-Zidane-left-reeling-Real-Madrid-lose-7-3-Atletico-Madrid.html 'I'm hurt': Zinedine Zidane left reeling after Real Madrid...] [/sport/football/article-7292005/Real-Madrid-news-Zinedine-Zidane-refuses-panic-Atletico-drubbing.html 'Our season is going to be good... I'm convinced': Zinedine...] [/sport/football/article-7291441/Transfer-news-Real-Madrid-set-James-Rodriguez-Marco-Asensio-injured.html Real Madrid set to keep James Rodriguez with Marco Asensio...] [/sport/football/article-7291045/Gareth-Bale-verge-completing-Jiangsu-Suning-agreeing-terms.html Gareth Bale on verge of completing move to Chinese Super...] Share this article Share 2.8k shares 'Courtois shot himself in the foot just hours before the game,' said Diario AS. 'In a conversation with a media from his own country he said: "It's clear that I am the number one in goal now". 'Well the No 1 let in five against Atletico. You never heard Iker Casillas or Keylor Navas coming out with something similar. And they have six European Cups between them. It is nothing strange that Courtois heard some whistles [directed at him] in the first half.' Zidane said last season that there would definitely not be any uncertainty around who was Real Madrid's first choice keeper this campaign but that is not how things are turning out so far. Navas was a second half improvement on Courtois and most fans want the Costa Rican to start in goal with Courtois either playing cup games or being sold. Zidane also prefers Navas but had given in to the club over Courtois in the hope that his other demands would be met. So far his request for the signing of Paul Pogba have not been heeded. The only plus point for him from this pre-season humiliation is that there might now be even more urgency to bring in the Manchester United midfielder. The club definitely need to do something to turn around what is being called 'Zidane's no revolution' this summer. It won't have impressed Zinedine Zidane, who has stuck by him at insistence of club's board At the start of the game the French coach picked a side remarkably similar to the starting line-up he was selecting in the final third of last season. There were only two new faces in the shape of Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic and with no change in personnel it was no great surprise to dejected fans that there was no change in performance. Madrid were sloppy at the back, completely lacking in intensity in midfield, and — with Gareth Bale on the bench until the 62 minute mark — completely toothless in attack. The game was well beyond Real Madrid by the time the Welshman entered the fray, but that hadn't stopped him laughing and joking on the substitutes' bench. Full backs Marcelo and Alvaro Odriozola were on the pitch for Madrid's worst performances under Zidane last season - in particular their first ever home defeat in the league to Girona who were eventually relegated. On Friday night they were unable to stop an impressive Atletico Madrid who had Diego Costa looking mean and lean bullying Sergio Ramos much as he had done in the European Super Cup 12 months ago. That Super Cup win for Atletico in Estonia ruined the start of Real Madrid's season and hastened the sacking of Julen Lopetegui. This time the damage has been done sooner and there maybe time to fix things but the club will have to move fast. Diego Costa was the architect of Real Madrid's downfall, scoring four goals during the mauling There are no plans to replace Bale if his move to Jiangsu Suning goes through with all efforts to be concentrated on bringing in Pogba but the 7-3 reverse has left president Florentino Perez wondering if practically gifting Bale to the Chinese is the correct thing to do in the circumstances. Midfield is certainly where Zidane believes Madrid needs a revolution. They were over-run by the sprightly Saul and the sensational Joao Felix. This result could also affect Atletico's chances of signing James Rodriguez from Real Madrid - it was bad enough that Atletico won with four former Real Madrid players on the pitch, without giving them James too. There is time to turn things around but there are major concerns. 'We treated it like a friendly; they didn't,' said Ramos after the game. It was not lost on Real Madrid supporters, increasingly disillusioned with the captain both on and off the pitch, that both these teams will start the new season at the same time. They should be at the same level - but on Saturday's evidence they are not. Atletico Madrid are flying; Real Madrid are a mess. Sergio Ramos (centre) was bullied by his Spanish counterpart on a night to forget for Real RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/football/article-7292273/Real-Madrid-news-Zinedine-Zidane-left-reeling-Real-Madrid-lose-7-3-Atletico-Madrid.html 'I'm hurt': Zinedine Zidane left reeling after Real Madrid...] [/sport/football/article-7292005/Real-Madrid-news-Zinedine-Zidane-refuses-panic-Atletico-drubbing.html 'Our season is going to be good... I'm convinced': Zinedine...] [/sport/football/article-7291441/Transfer-news-Real-Madrid-set-James-Rodriguez-Marco-Asensio-injured.html Real Madrid set to keep James Rodriguez with Marco Asensio...] [/sport/football/article-7291045/Gareth-Bale-verge-completing-Jiangsu-Suning-agreeing-terms.html Gareth Bale on verge of completing move to Chinese Super...] Share this article Share 2.8k shares [ ]

Real Madrid Takes A Big Kick In Social Media

2020-06-27T03:06:47Z

DoloresNorman5: Created page with "id="article-body" class="row" section="article-body"> Real Madrid uses its global popularity and tha..."

id="article-body" class="row" section="article-body"> Real Madrid uses its global popularity and that of star player Gareth Bale to reach hundreds of millions of fans on social media. Helios de la Rubia/Getty images It's pretty safe to say David Annor is obsessed with soccer juggernaut [ Real Madrid]. He checks his phone several times a day for updates by following the club on[ Facebook] and [ Instagram]. He even glanced at it while standing in line to buy hot dogs during Real's recent [ exhibition match] against Manchester United at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. And despite his favorite player, Real star [ Cristiano Ronaldo], not being there, Annor checked his Instagram feed to see that Ronaldo, with 107 million followers -- the third-highest behind pop stars Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande -- was [ touring in China]. "I can't stop," said Annor, 31, in between looks at (what else?) his phone. He's among Real Madrid's 200 million-plus followers on social media, a figure equivalent to two-thirds of the [ population of the United States]. This consumption is part of a shrewd strategy by the club that's won this year's [ La Liga] and [ UEFA Champions League]. Arguably the world's most popular soccer team, Real Madrid now aims to win the social media prize by creating social content to satisfy its loyal legion. The club has such a strong presence on Facebook, Instagram and [ Twitter], its social index value is worth about $1.7 billion (about half of the team's estimated $3.6 billion value), the highest in pro sports, said Kyle Nelson, co-founder of [ MVPindex], a social measurement platform. Partly as a result of its online fan engagement, Real Madrid spent three weeks of its exhibition season in the US, where [ American football] traditionally rules over the European variety. That includes last Saturday's [ El Clasico] against [ FC Barcelona] in Miami, the first time the [ storied] rivalry was played outside Spain in nearly 40 years. It's been called "[ the biggest men's soccer match in the United States] since the 1994 World Cup final." Real wrapped up its US summer tour on Wednesday in Chicago, in [ a match against Major League Soccer's (MLS) all-stars]. In many ways, Real Madrid's efforts reflect the newest game in professional sports: Using social media to build a large fan base outside a sports clubs' local region. "The days of siloed sports are coming to an end," said [ T. Bettina Cornwell], a University of Oregon marketing professor. Sports has become one of the most popular topics followed on Instagram. About 243 million users, a third of Instagram's 700 million users overall, follow at least 10 sports-related accounts, said Brandon Gayle, the platform's head of global sports partnerships. Of those users, 146 million follow soccer, and basketball is a distant second with 45 million. Real Madrid's social media index is valued at $1.7 billion, half of the franchise's estimated total, [http://footballncrickethub.mystrikingly.com/blog/spanish-goalkeeper-casillas footballncrickethub.mystrikingly.com] says MVPindex, a sports social measuring platform. MVPindex Real Madrid heavily uses videos and photos to capture teammates at, well, play. There are posts of them[ kicking an oversized soccer ball] down the street, a snappy Instagram Story [ introducing new player Jesus Vallejo] -- complete with English subtitles, and defender Marcelo[ shaving] the head of goalkeeper Keylor Navas in a show of solidarity with really sick kids. Real Madrid is a model that other teams try to emulate, Gayle said. Its digital staff of 20 speak multiple languages and work practically around the clock to reach the club's worldwide fan base. The approach seems to be resonating. Real Madrid alone has more than 51 million Instagram followers (up from 3 million two years ago). That's almost five times more than the combined totals of US pro sports champions, including the NBA's [ Golden State Warriors] (7 million), the NFL's[ New England Patriots] (2.6 million), the MLB's [ Chicago Cubs] (1.1 million) and the NHL's [ Pittsburgh Penguins] (918,000). But Real's popularity doesn't mean it's inundating fans with Instagram posts, said Rafael de los Santos, who oversees the club's digital strategy. Where other teams may put something online several times daily, Real has taken a "less is more" approach -- sometimes going two or three days without posting anything. "We'd rather have more quality than quantity," he said. "We don't want to bore our fans." Real knows that a single post can easily get a million views. This playful video showing Marcelo and Danilo throwing eggs and flour at each other has racked up more than 2.4 million since it debuted two weeks ago. [ 🤣🥚🎁 #RMTour @marcelotwelve had a very special birthday surprise for @daniluiz2... @marcelotwelve tuvo una sorpresa muy especial para el cumpleaños de @daniluiz2... #HalaMadrid] A post shared by Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) on Jul 15, 2017 at 1:25pm PDT window.CnetFunctions.logWithLabel('%c One Trust ', "Service loaded: script_instagram with class optanon-category-5"); Real's global reach can also be seen in its Facebook page. While 3 percent of its 104 million followers are based in Spain, the rest hail from Indonesia, the Middle East (Saudi Arabia), Latin America and the US, de los Santos said. Content is translated into Arabic, Chinese, French, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese and English. It's also packaged differently for fans in Costa Rica interested in[ Navas] as compared with England, where midfielder [ Gareth Bale] is a massive draw. For its US exhibition tour, Real relies heavily on Instagram data to track its fans and pinpoint where they could have a "home field advantage," said Gayle. That may be why it's played matches in cities such as Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago. A heat map shows Real Madrid where its highest number of Instagram followers in the US are located and helps determine where the club may play its exhibition matches. Instagram Sporting a white Real jersey, Adia Tabatabaei, 21, learned about the July 23 match in Santa Clara a day before on Instagram, assuming LA would be the club's only California visit. She bought two tickets and got her mother, Ghazale, who likes Italian club [ Juventus FC,] to wear one of her Real jerseys. Tabatabaei watched under a scorching sun and took plenty of pics of [ Marcelo], her favorite player. She planned to post them on, you guessed it, Instagram. "This is once in a lifetime," she said. "I want to show the world I was here." [ ]: CNET tells you everything you need to know about VR. [ ]: Get all your tech news and reviews in Spanish. [#comments Comments] [/tags/facebook/ Facebook] [/tags/instagram/ Instagram] [/topics/sports/ Notification on Notification off Sports]

LA LIGA WEEKEND PREVIEW: Villarreal Look To End Alaves Hoodoo

2020-06-27T01:39:00Z

DoloresNorman5: Created page with "This was the weekend the world was supposed to have its eyes fixated on the grandest and most significant game in [/news/spain/index.html Spain]. But because of a political..."

This was the weekend the world was supposed to have its eyes fixated on the grandest and most significant game in [/news/spain/index.html Spain]. But because of a political decision made by football people, that is now not the case. Instead, we will have to wait until December 18 to watch El Clasico between [/sport/teampages/barcelona.html Barcelona] and [/sport/teampages/real-madrid.html Real Madrid]. Barcelona will welcome Real Madrid in El Clasico in December now after it was postponed RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/football/article-7612849/Barcelona-eye-Brazil-duo-Everton-Rodrigo-Caio-January-moves.html Barcelona 'eye Brazil duo Everton and Rodrigo Caio' in...] [/sport/football/article-7605187/Jose-Mourinho-serial-winner-dominate-Borussia-Dortmund.html Is Dortmund the right club for Mourinho? Jose would relish...] [/sport/football/article-7609829/La-Liga-confirm-APPEALING-Spanish-FAs-decision-play-rescheduled-El-Clasico.html La Liga confirm they are APPEALING Spanish FA's decision to...] [/sport/football/article-7609299/Jaime-Mata-dubbed-Spanish-Jamie-Vardy-opens-targets-firing-Getafe-Europe.html Jaime Mata almost quit football to become a customs...] Share this article Share The motive for postponing Spanish football's biggest fixture was the serious street protests and clashes with police which began in Barcelona last week after nine Catalan separatist leaders were jailed for their role in a failed 2017 independence referendum. Another huge demonstration was planned for Saturday - originally, the scheduled day of the game - which prompted unprecedented action from football authorities. La Liga first proposed to switch location from the Nou Camp to the Bernabeu, but that fell on deaf ears with neither Barcelona or Real Madrid overly struck by the idea. The Spanish government then got involved, publicly admitting they saw no reason why the game needed to be put back for security reasons. El Clasico was due to be played at Nou Camp on Saturday but is off due to planned protests EuroLeague has not allowed Barcelona to cancel the club's basketball match on Friday and there are other sporting events going ahead this weekend. However, fears that the match would be used as a platform for protests in the presence of an estimated global TV audience of 650 million proved too ominous for Spanish Football Federation chiefs not to postpone the derby. Since then, the row over the rescheduled date has descended into farce with La Liga threatening to take legal action against the SFF - and they have this week appealed their decision to play the game on December 18. Not only will there be financial implications from this unnecessary decision, but La Liga's global reputation is bound to suffer as a result. Villarreal vs Alaves - Friday, 8pmThere was a reoccurring topic that Javier Calleja just couldn't escape this week: Villarreal's recent record against Deportivo Alaves. If he wasn't aware of it, he most certainly is now. In the previous three times Villarreal have hosted Alaves, they haven't managed to earn a single point, losing on each occasion. Alaves haven't walked away from the Estadio de la Ceramica empty handed since 2006 and also did the double over Villarreal last term. Deportivo Alaves have won on their last three visits to Villarreal's Estadio de la Ceramica Who knows what that could do to Villarreal's players mentally. Calleja, [http://footballncrickethub.mystrikingly.com/blog/spanish-goalkeeper-casillas http://footballncrickethub.mystrikingly.com/blog/spanish-goalkeeper-casillas] though, insists there is no significance. 'We cannot trust these numbers or statistics,' he said this week. 'We know every time they have come to this stadium they have put us in a lot of difficulties, so we know they are going to complicate us a lot again. We just have to focus on us and try and impose our game.' Recent records aside, this is expected to be a battle of attack vs defence - Villarreal are currently the second highest scorers in the league and Alaves have the third best defence. It's the recipe for a classic. Santi Cazorla (left) and Co will be keen to put an end to their recent hoodoo against Alaves Leganes vs Mallorca - Saturday, 3pm As if things couldn't get any worse, Leganes' woes were compounded last week when they lost 2-0 against bitter rivals Getafe. A derby win would have been just the trick to kick them back into gear after an atrocious start, but alas, they remain bottom of the league, winless and managerless. It's a sorry sight. And things aren't getting any easier for them. En-Nesyri shows his frustration after missing a chance to score for Leganes this season Mallorca are in red-hot form with two wins on the bounce, beating Real Madrid last time out On Saturday, they will welcome a rejuvenated Mallorca side who have won two games on the bounce, most recently against Real Madrid. They are operating on a budget smaller than most sides in the Segunda division and were playing in the Spanish third tier only two years ago. Boss Vicente Moreno has been the mastermind behind their meteoric rise. If you're wondering what his secret is though, you're wasting your time. Moreno is very protective of his methods and even made his team train behind closed doors for much of this week. So there could be an element of surprise come Saturday. Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Bilbao - Saturday, 8pm These two clubs have history. They were once 'brothers' that shared players during the pre La Liga era, but on Saturday Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao will very much be out for themselves. Both Atletico and Bilbao are currently dealing with the backlash that comes with just one win in their last five league games. Atletico Madrid spent big money on new signings in the summer but have started slowly In Madrid, Atletico fans have been revolting over their side's underwhelming start to the campaign - which has been heightened by their £200m summer splurge on new players - while boss Gaizka Garitano has been made the scapegoat for Bilbao's recent rut. Players from both sides stood defiant this week amid difficult periods. Koke insisted that there is no division with the fans, saying: 'I saw them singing and supporting us in our last game. That is important. They have a big role to play in helping us win the home games.' While Inigo Martinez gave a timely reminder of the wonders Garitano worked last season in an impassioned defence of his boss following the intense criticism. This fixture is always a momentous occasion, and this weekend has the added spice of two teams desperate for three points. Athletic Bilbao boss Gaizka Garitano is under pressure, having won one of last five games Granada vs Real Betis - Sunday, 1pmGranada are third and Real Betis are 18th. Before the start of the season most would have assumed after nine games it would have been vice versa. But no, newly-promoted Granada, who spent just £6.5m this summer, are third with five wins from nine, and can actually go top with victory this weekend. Is this just a case of them riding some early-season luck, or do they actually have the legs to maintain this form? Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas certainly doesn't think their start to the season is a flash in the pan and this week warned the rest of the league about their title credentials. 'Look at Leicester a couple of years ago,' he said earlier this week in reference to their unlikely Premier League triumph back in 2016. Granada have been this season's surprise package and can go top with victory on Sunday Summer signing Nabil Fekir pictured in action for Real Betis during a La Liga game last month Real Betis, on the other hand, find themselves in a middle of a crisis. They lost some key players in the summer but appeared to do an adequate job of replacing them. Nabil Fekir's signing from Lyon outlined their ambitions for the season, but for one reason or another, things have not gone according to plan. CEO's Angel Haro and Jose Miguel Lopez Catalan attended their training sessions this week and held meetings with the players in a bid to inspire them ahead of Sunday's clash after Betis slipped into the relegation zone for the first time since they took over the club. They may be in poor form, but 18th, you'd think, is a false position for Betis and they will provide the perfect acid test to see if there is some substance in Casillas' claims. ---------------------------------------------------- PSReal Sociedad can be the main beneficiaries of Real Madrid not playing this weekend and will move up to second if they beat lowly Celta Vigo. Valencia will also hope to catapult themselves into the top-six conversation when they travel to Osasuna while Sevilla face a tricky game against in-form Getafe. Valladolid are also in action hosting Eibar in a relegation six-pointer this weekend while Levante face off against Espanyol. RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sport/football/article-7612849/Barcelona-eye-Brazil-duo-Everton-Rodrigo-Caio-January-moves.html Barcelona 'eye Brazil duo Everton and Rodrigo Caio' in...] [/sport/football/article-7605187/Jose-Mourinho-serial-winner-dominate-Borussia-Dortmund.html Is Dortmund the right club for Mourinho? Jose would relish...] [/sport/football/article-7609829/La-Liga-confirm-APPEALING-Spanish-FAs-decision-play-rescheduled-El-Clasico.html La Liga confirm they are APPEALING Spanish FA's decision to...] [/sport/football/article-7609299/Jaime-Mata-dubbed-Spanish-Jamie-Vardy-opens-targets-firing-Getafe-Europe.html Jaime Mata almost quit football to become a customs...] Share this article Share [ ]

User:DoloresNorman5

2020-06-27T01:38:58Z

DoloresNorman5: Created page with "The sad news of Michael Robinson's passing had just been revealed by his family when the tributes began to arrive in torrents. Friends were heartbroken, [http://footballncr..."

The sad news of Michael Robinson's passing had just been revealed by his family when the tributes began to arrive in torrents. Friends were heartbroken, [http://footballncrickethub.mystrikingly.com/blog/spanish-goalkeeper-casillas http://footballncrickethub.mystrikingly.com/blog/spanish-goalkeeper-casillas] former team-mates and colleagues were crestfallen. Feel free to surf to my site [http://footballncrickethub.mystrikingly.com/blog/spanish-goalkeeper-casillas http://footballncrickethub.mystrikingly.com/blog/spanish-goalkeeper-casillas]