Tag: Ronaldo

The One with the Spanish Inquisition…

The_Spanish_Inquisition_by_lyonlamb You didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition?

Ben and Sophie return to the Lounge to discuss where it all went wrong for Barcelona and Real Madrid in the Champions League this week.

Was Messi selfish to start? Who is helping Ronaldo? Is it time these teams looked beyond their individual icons in favour of collective choreography? Did Mourinho mess up? Why didn’t Tito react? Is a miracle comeback possible for either side? Just where do they go from here?

Let’s credit Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund for their beautiful performances. They certainly shocked Spanish football to its core and have started a debate about the rise of German football. Is it premature? Is everyone getting carried away with their claims that Spanish football is dead?

Sophie and Ben discuss it all in La Liga Lounge. And if you agree or disagree with any of their opinions, let them have it volley style @LaLigaLounge. It’s always happy hour here.

Verbal Memo | The Bite, the Bale & the Special One…

1931Dracula There’s no biting in football…unless you are Luis Suarez of course! Liverpool’s star player is in hot water once again and the biggest question is what will this legendary and historical club do with him?

Unless you’ve been living under a gigantic rock, Suarez took a healthy bite out of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during a game at Anfield over the weekend. It’s not the first time Suarez has done this to an opponent. In April 2011 while playing for Ajax, he sunk his teeth into PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal. He received a seven-match ban and it was the last time he ever played for Ajax, a club with as much rich football history as Liverpool. This is unacceptable behaviour from a player who doesn’t even need to act like Mike Tyson on the football pitch.

Suarez is undoubtedly one of the best players in Europe, let alone the Premier League. His continual bad decision making however leads you to believe he is definitely a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic. Where do Liverpool go from here? They will probably support him because without his thirty goals this season, they’d be languishing below mid-table and Brendan Rodgers would probably be standing in the football unemployment line.

In this week’s verbal memo you can also catch soundbites about Tottenham, Jose Mourinho and there’s even a mention about my chat with Brazil football legend Carlos Alberto. There will be more of that interview posted in the coming days.

Sit back. Relax. Rant. Rave. If you agree or disagree with anything you hear, lob me @soccerdiva and let me have it.

The One With the Quarter Finals…

La Liga Lounge returns with a Champions League special after this week’s first leg matches in the quarter-finals.

As the competition reaches its business end, Sophie and Ben discuss Barcelona’s depleted defence (who will partner Piqué?), Messi’s mini-absence, disagree on Víctor Valdés and question whether the Catalans have a mental issue late in games.

The Lounge bar staff also talk Madrid and how it’s all coming together for Mourinho, Casillas vs Diego López, the strikers and how this could be their year. We also chat Cristiano Ronaldo, look at his amazing stats and those of Messi, remember Ronaldinho, weigh up Neymar and big up Málaga, probably the story of this Champions League campaign. Will we see them back next year?

And the show wouldn’t be complete without predictions, some banter, fun, info, insight and interaction. From Sophie in LA and Ben in Barcelona, to you the world: This is La Liga Lounge…The One with the Champions League Quarters. Join us! It’s always happy hour here.

The One with El Clasico Special…

Two Clásico clashes in five days and both were won by Real Madrid. We haven’t seen that for a while. Sophie and Ben discuss the two latest installments of the famous fixture in an hour-long special not to be missed!

What is wrong with Barcelona? Qué pasa con Messi? We also talk Tito and Roura, Pique and Alves, the penalty incident and much more!

And then there’s Madrid, of course. Is Mourinho having the last laugh? Is Ronaldo the world’s best player right now? We look ahead to the Champions League clashes, talk Milan and Manchester United and even made some predictions for our respective teams in the North London Derby!

It’s an epic! So join us for our Happy Hour special!!

The One with Tito & the Champions League Draw…

La Liga Lounge returns for a little chilled, relaxed and at times, passionate football talk. Despite the looming winter break in Spain, the Lounge bar staff are putting in some overtime to bring you enlightening and groundbreaking opinions!

In this week’s episode, we chat Tito Vilanova and his illness, how Barcelona will cope without their coach, a mouth-watering meeting between Real Madrid and Manchester United in the Champions League, Mourinho’s must-win match, Malaga and Valencia, Atletico, Falcao’s future and much more.

We also give a shout-out to our global listeners and look ahead to many more months of fantastic football in Spain throughout 2013. So join us for our laid-back look at the game in Spain. Let’s Liga Lounge!

The One with the Ballon d’Or…

Sophie and Ben’s laid-back look at the game in Spain has been very laid-back of late, but they return to discuss Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and the fight for the Ballon d’Or. How would Ronaldo cope if he lost out to Messi again? What would it mean if Messi won for a fourth time at the age of 25?

The Lounge staff continue the Messi dialogue and chat about his pursuit of Gerd Muller’s single season scoring record. How would Barcelona cope if he were injured? And it wouldn’t be a fulfilling show without a little Mourinho at Madrid and the possible destination for both he and his great rival Pep Guardiola next season.

There’s also some weekend picks and much, much more. Join us in the Lounge for our laid-back look at the game in Spain.

Why Are People Jealous of David Beckham?

This week, David Beckham made a huge announcement that will shape the story arc in the final chapter of his exceptionally successful football career. On December 1, Beckham will play his last competitive game for LA Galaxy, and there’s no doubt he has divided opinion since his arrival to Major League Soccer in 2007.

Sometimes, the opinion of Beckham has little to do with him as a football player and more to do with him as a person. Despite the fame and fortune, Beckham has always remained a passionate football player. Ultimately, he just loves to play. He wishes he could play forever. And surely, the game would be better off with him prolonging his career for as long as he could, right? You would think so.

There seems to be an unnecessary undertone to some of the dialogue related to Beckham. Upon his announcement, fans took to social media to voice their opinions, and he is definitely a polarizing figure who can bring out the ugly in some people.

But why is this the case when Beckham has always been a solid professional, a great role model for kids and is generally a very good bloke?

Is there a tinge of jealousy in the air? Read my latest article on Bleacher Report. It’s definitely brushed with a little fun!

The One Where We Catch Up…

It’s been way too long! We missed hanging out in La Liga Lounge talking Spanish football over delicious cocktails.

Barcelona lose to Celtic in the Champions League. Yes it was shocking, but wasn’t it inevitable this would happen at some point? And which team does this result mean more to? Ben and Sophie come to an insightful conclusion!

Real Madrid are still eight points behind Barcelona. They have two semi-tough games left in the Champions League. Cristiano Ronaldo might play a central role at the weekend. Ben and Sophie dissect!

The La Liga Lounge bar staff also talk Malaga and heap even more praise on Manuel Pellegrini’s men. And we chat Oviedo and their incredible battle for survival. Plus we make four hot picks for the weekend. Grab your favourite drink, have a listen and let us hear from you @laligalounge. Get stuck in there. Pepe does!

The One with El Clasico…

La Liga Lounge returns for Episode III and it’s all about El Clasico! One of the most exciting and infamous sporting events on the calendar year has been heightened over the last couple of years because of the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi rivalry.

Both of their games have been elevated to levels we only dream of. Both of their games have improved because they fuel each other to be the best. These already declared legends continue to grow and so does the battle for Europe’s top individual football prize, the Ballon d’Or. Is Ronaldo going to knock Messi off his throne? Or will the little genius break CR7’s heart all over again?

It’s not all about the big two, though! We also chat about Atletico Madrid’s chances of La Liga glory. Should we believe they can win it? And what about Malaga and their start to the season? Can we trust them?

Sit back in your comfy chair and enjoy the sound of La Liga Lounge. It’s Happy Hour!

The One Where Ronaldo is Sad…

La Liga Lounge is an exciting new project I’m working on with Ben Hayward from Goal.com. We take a laid-back look at the game in Spain. Join us in the La Liga Lounge for happy hour each week! Drinks are on us.

In this episode, we tackle Ronaldo and his sadness. What could possibly be bringing one of the world’s best footballers down? He has a hot job, a hot car, a hot girlfriend! What is there to be sad about CR7?

It doesn’t seem Ronaldo is alone in the sad department either. Cesc Fabregas is having a rough ole’ ride at Barcelona and the La Liga Lounge bar staff delve into why! There’s even a little room to talk Falcao, Javi Martinez, Pep Guardiola and Catalan independence.

Don’t miss Ben and Sophie’s predictions for some of the top fixtures in La Liga this weekend. Join in the banter and fun. Follow us on Twitter @LaLigaLounge and you can also join our Facebook community too.