so, what's the skinny on Madrid?

[DragonFly]

A few q's for you RM afficianados:

-- At this point, what's the starting lineup
for RM?

-- Will Portigol get some real PT, or is he
too young for the 1st team (ah, he did
score like 400 goals for RM younger
teams :) ).

-- Also, if Makalele leaves (and no new
MF is brought in) who would start in
MF for Real?

-- Any other news or new players that are
coming up outta the youth teams or off
the bench that we should know about?

Quiero mas noticias en este ?forum?, y
tambien en ingles, por que mi espanol
es ******************, como siempre. No entiendo
todo lo que es en espanol, lo siento.

Quando hay noticias de Pichi, puede
escribir un poco en ingles tambien, para
traducir por favor. Gracias.

-- Colin

[dmar]

1. Starting lineup

Raul Morientes/Guti

Makelele Zidane Cambiasso/Solari Figo

Roberto Carlos Hierro Helguera Michel

2. Portillo is a full member of the 1st squad. He's the 4th forward, behind of Raul, Guti and Morientes. Knowing del Bosque, he'll have to work hard to become a starter.

3. Helguera will be Makelele's substitute in the mid for sure.

4. I suppose you already know about Bravo, Miñambres, Pavón and Portillo...

Julio César is a young brazilian defender that has already played with the 1st team, was on loan elsewhere and RM want to loan him again.

Fernando was last year with Valladolid, he's an offensive mid ("mediapunta") and scored 14 last year. Dunno about his future.

Tote (forward) was with Valladolid, too, but I think they want to loan him.

Congo is a columbian young forward that always scores in friendlies but seems to count little else for del Bosque. They want to loan him or sell him.

Ruben is a tall, blonde centreback from the youth team.

Carlos Sanchez is the 3rd goalie.

Other players from the youth team that could play with the 1st team: César (centreback), Sousa (mid), Valdo (forward/right winger, looks like Henry)

Hope you're satisfied!

[MadridForever]

The current starting team is which dmar has said, but this team can change in the pre-season and in the first games of "la liga".

The possibilities are:

Goalkeapeers:

Casillas or Cesar. Casillas is more popular and charismatic. And have the support of the media. He make a great games in the world cup and in the
CL' final. Cesar is a very solid goalkeeper. They have each one a 50% of possibilities to play in the starting team.


Defenders:

Roberto Carlos - unquestionable

Bravo *- Young player. This will be the first "official" year with the first team. He will be the first sustitute of Roberto Carlos.

Hierro - unquestionable. This year he can begin to have problems to play in the starting team.

Pavon-Young player that begin to play in the starting team the last year. He will fight with Helguera and Hierro to play in the center of the defense.

Helguera - He is a midfield but he has many possibilities to play in the center of the defense this year.

Salgado - He will be in the starting team in the right of the defense

Miñambres *- Young player. This will be the first "official" year with the first team. He will be the first sustitute of Salgado. He will be more opportunities that Bravo with Roberto Carlos.

Midfields:

Figo - unquestionable

Zidane-unquestionable

Fernando *- He is a player of the RM's young teams. He played the last year in the Valladolid. He will have very few opportunities because he plays in the position of Zidane.

Makelele - He will play in the center of the midfield with Cambiasso, Helguera and in few cases with Solari.


Cambiasso *- Young Argentinian player. The RM sing in with only 15 years and he played with the young teams 3 years. Then he played yielded in big clubs in Argentina. Now he has return to the RM and he is a very solid option to play in the center of the midfield.

Flavio and Celades - They are after Makelele, Cambiasso, Helguera and Solari to play in the middle. Very few options to play.


Solari - He fought very hard and was unquestionable last year. He will have to fight this year to play in the starting team



Macca - He is after solari to play in the starting team.

Savio - He is after Macca to play in the starting team


Forwards:

Raul -unquestionable


Morientes - He will fight with Guti and Portillo for a position in the starting team.


Guti - The same that Morientes.


Portillo *- Young player. The same that Guti and Morientes.



* new player this year

[soccermasta28]

Yo, hey drangonfly whos usmnt?

[Sinko]

Originally posted by soccermasta28
Yo, hey drangonfly whos usmnt? United States Mens National Team

[DragonFly]

Originally posted by soccermasta28
Yo, hey drangonfly whos usmnt?

Better yet, who's Portugal? ;) Just kidding.

dmar and MadridForever, thank you very
much for the info (and in English). Very
informative and much better info than I'd
been able to find (uh, or translate) on my
own.

Thanks again,

-- Colin

[soccermasta28]

oh god I feel so stupid

[Qdog]

One more thing, dragonfly. Your titles a bit off. There's nothing skinny about Madrid. It's all muscle.

[Juanele]

Originally posted by MadridForever
Midfields:

Fernando *- He is a player of the RM's young teams. He played the last year in the Valladolid. He will have very few opportunities because he plays in the position of Zidane.



He also scored more goals than Raul did last season. Interesting in that he led all midfielders in scoring with 15 goals.

[dmar]

Originally posted by Juanele


He also scored more goals than Raul did last season. Interesting in that he led all midfielders in scoring with 15 goals.

Yeah, interesting... he seems a very useful player, hope they don't loan him again. There's a lot of games this year and for sure he will have chances.

[Juanele]

Originally posted by dmar


Yeah, interesting... he seems a very useful player, hope they don't loan him again. There's a lot of games this year and for sure he will have chances.

Too late. Madrid just sold him to Real Betis.

[dmar]

Originally posted by Juanele


Too late. Madrid just sold him to Real Betis.

Yes, I just heard it... it's a pity that guys like him have to leave and others like Flavio or Celades remain...

[DragonFly]

So what do you guys see as the new
lineup with all the changes (Ronaldo
in, Flavio/Fernando/Campo/Congo out)?
The same formation, with just Ronaldo
starting in place of Morientes?

Also, good reports of Cambiasso
for the Supercup game. Where exactly
in the MF was he playing/will he play?

Wouldn't have minded if RM had gone
out and got another central Def. Hierro's
not getting any younger, and not sure
Helguera/Pavon/Bravo can handle the
central defensive responsibilities for
the La Liga and Champions League
campaigns. But let's hope.

Anyway, the new lineup/formation
would be...?

thanks.

[dmar]

Well, the new lineup doesn't change much...

Raul Ronaldo

Makelele Zidane Cambiasso Figo

Roberto Carlos Hierro Helguera Michel

But the chances of the non-starting forwards (Guti, Morientes, Portillo) get scarce. I hope del Bosque gives them all opportinities instead of exhausting the starting pair.

Cambisso will play as central midfielder.

And another centreback would have been fine... but let's hope the younger ones are as good as expected.