League (Day 30): Higuain reactions

HIGUAIN: "WE ARE STILL ALIVE"

You came back after an injury, but have gone with a loss ...
It's a shame we lost today because we had a great chance to grow stronger in the fight for the League, but I believe that there is life while there is hope. This club has made comebacks in many leagues. It's hard, but we have to keep winning. We're still alive; you can never leave Real Madrid for dead.

How do you have felt?
I am very happy on a personal level. People believed I would miss the entire season, but I managed to show them statistics don't rule everything in life. It wasn't really a challenge or a competition I had with anyone, but I did want to feel the pride of coming back ahead of schedule. I managed to and I felt very comfortable on the pitch tonight.

The key to my recovery was fighting hard and not to bring myself down. I fought for what I most love, which is to play football. Wearing this shirt at this stadium again is the most beautiful thing there is. I am grateful to all the coaching staff, to the fans, to my team-mates, to my family and to myself. I'm very happy to feel like a footballer again, even if this wasn't the comeback I dreamt of.

Gonzalo Higuian

You look more strong ...
The truth is that I felt good. I tried to play quietly at first to not drown, but it was inevitable and I choked, because the urge to score a goal and help the team was great. Sporting's goal killed me and all my colleagues.

You had a very good chance to score but Juan Pablo saved the goal ...
I would have reached for the sky had I scored from the first chance I got. I wanted to make sure I shot right, but the ball went the wrong way. These things happen in football. I'm happy with my return because a spinal operation is not something to take lightly. To play again and feel like a player once more is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you.

There is still the Champions League ...
We will have two very tough months ahead and hope that everything goes well.

Spanish League: Day 30

REAL MADRID 0 - SPORTING GIJON 1

If the conquest of the matches is a process, this Real Madrid lives a season focused on shortening the proceedings. Against Sporting maneuvers economy reached the peak. The fewer passes, the better. The less time is given the ball in midfield, the better. The longer the game is channeled on the sides, the better. If possible, always straight. Always in the same direction. Far from ensuring a big level of forcefulness, this simplification dragged Real Madrid to the failure. Bernabeu Stadium saw it and took a few minutes to express its mood. Whistles, rumors, silences. Is what inspires the team plan. Sporting, a team that is playing to stay in the category, with no resources to develop other ways, replied shutting in the box. Red and white team threw once into the net. It was goal.

Cases returned a ball-wall to De las Cuevas, who distanced himself in the middle of the area and fooled Casillas with the body while adjusting the shot at the near post. There was 10 minutes left to react. Too little for a team without a rudder, out of square by changes Mourinho introduced from minute 55.

Real Madrid 0 - Sporting Gijon 1

Mourinho never lost a home game since February 23, 2002 with Porto. More than nine years ago. This argument prompted the imagination of the strategists who planned his move to Madrid a year ago. They said: "A guy who takes so many games without losing at home, something must have!". Something, as opposed to nothing, represents anything. None of the qualities that players stand on Mourinho is closely related to the organization of the team around the possession of the ball. The coach has established principles, but lack the sophistication needed on days like yesterday. Against a rival that defends and hopes, Real Madrid has struggled. With or without Cristiano. The weightless opponents were almost always which have caused insurmountable difficulties in the League. Team that fought desperately as Sporting, Levante, Osasuna, Deportivo and Almeria.

Against Sporting, the plan was to protect Casillas with a line of four defenders highly unlikely to join the attack and two midfielders of great athletic ability, specializes in placing and retrieving. In the attack, Lass had order to initiate the moves looking for Özil ,Di Maria or Adebayor, in that order. In case of do not find a way out, go back to the defenses to proceed to throw a ball to Adebayor, who endured while Khedira went like a train on the hunt for rebounds and hanging balls. This Real Madrid never showed special care for the initiation of the game. Mourinho assumed that with a good defense and strikers, the matches would have resolved in the areas. He relied on the expertise of the players in solving problems in front of rival goal. He clung to an inspiration, a stroke of fortune.

To avoid risky transitions, Mourinho moved to Di Maria and Özil to the sides with one target: to receive, move and pass the ball to Adebayor. Granero was placed between the lines, too far from Lass to participate at the start and too far from the side midfielders. Granero and his colleagues were more than willing to comply with instructions, butthey lacked the initiative to find solutions that were not in the coach's manual. Above all, they lacked Xabi Alonso.

Real Madrid came more genius after the break. Granero began to offer more to Özil and Di Maria,who left the sides. From that meeting, the team began to impose and have more occasions. In one of these, Di María forced Juan Pablo to stretch. For 10 minutes, the game of Madrid reached a point of consistency. Mourinho cut it off when removed Granero. Determined to preserve every brick of his wall, Mourinho kept Khedira and Lass, retired Arbeloa, played with Pepe and proceeded to form a three centrals defense. He must believe that Casillas's goal would be safe. The skinny De las Cuevas undertook to prove otherwise.

Doomed to a nervous breakdown during the quarter of an hour remaining, Madrid only improved acceleration and wear. At full thrust, Higuain and Adebayor were close to tie the game. But Juan Pablo stole them the glory with two stops that silenced Chamartín Stadium.

Summary

Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu
Attendance: 77,000
Goals: 0-1, m.78: De las Cuevas

Preview: Real Madrid vs Sporting Gijón

On paper, the Real Madrid faces this afternoon the last quiet match of the month. In none of the meetings are coming (all terrible: Tottenham, Bilbao, Tottenham, Barcelona, Barcelona in the Spanish Cup Final and Valencia) white team will enjoy the great theoretical advantage that today will accompany them; a stadium that does not fail and a modest opponent which will play without its star; Diego Castro. And do not doubt this absence is more important for Sporting than many and famous of the Real Madrid.

However, such obvious predictions contain a risk: the trust. It's easy for players of Real Madrid have assumed that this match is won and they think about the following. And it would not be a sin of pride, or not exactly, it would be a form of survival because, apart Mourinho, no one lives in constant battle stations.

More than a tragedy, Madrid casualties must be understood as a test. Marcelo, Cristiano and Benzema out for injuries and Xabi Alonso for penalty; Four key players as long as the essence of the team feeds on them. Ruled out their presence, Lass, Granero and Khedira assume the task of directing the aircraft carrier, with the invaluable help of Özil who today will be the highest authority (technical) on the grass.

Up front will be written another novel. Adebayor regains the starter position with the hounds snapping at his heels. If Benzema was ahead the last matches, now Higuain spurs him, back to a call after 124 days. His possible participation, with the back greased, is another great stimulus of the match.

In the evaluation of Sporting will not consider the old confrontation between Preciado and Mourinho. We bet that both, natural warriors, appreciate each other more after that. So, Barral will look for the goal with no wind that helps him. Without his fellow soldier, Diego Castro, he is only to the danger.

Sporting Gijon are especially motivated now that they are no longer in the relegation zone thanks to taking seven points out of a possible nine in the last few weeks. "Real Madrid is a team that motivates us", said coach Preciado earlier in the week. "We need the points and, thanks to international games and Champions League fixtures, Real Madrid are in a good situation for us to face them. The venue is also a motivating factor for us and our hopes are high".

Real Madrid Girlfriends: Gisela Dulko (5)

Gisela Dulko is an Argentinian tennis player. She was born on January 30, 1985, in the town of Tigre, in the province of Buenos Aires. In 2011 has won the Australian Open in doubles with Flavia Pennetta, with whom plays as number one female double in ATP ranking. On February 27, 2011 won the Acapulco Open, after three years without winning a tournament like single player. Dulko currently ranks 47 in the singles rankings.

Gisela Dulko: Fernando Gago's girlfriend

Gisela Dulko began playing tennis at 7 years of age. Gisela started playing tennis after seeing his brother Alejandro to play at a club. Alejandro is the current coach and who accompanies her on the circuit. She took a significant step for the junior circuit, becoming in 2001 the number 5 in the world junior rankings, and number 1 in doubles. In single she won important tournaments as Roehampton, Citta Di Santa Croce and the Coffee Cup. In doubles won three Grand Slam titles: U.S. Open 2000 (with Maria Emilia Salerni), Wimbledon 2001 (with Ashley Harkleroad) and Australian Open 2002 (with Angelique Widjaja).

In 2002, Gisela joined the junior circuit to devote himself entirely to his career. Being the number 212 of the WTA ranking, received a special invitation to the tournament in Scottsdale, where she made ​​her debut in the circuit, losing in the first round. In the same year she won the challenger of Jackson, and then competed in Casablanca, where she reached her first semifinal in singles in a WTA tournament and her first final in doubles with Conchita Martinez.

In 2003 she won her first career doubles title in Casablanca with Maria Emilia Salerni and debuted that year in the main draw of a Grand Slam. It was at Roland Garros after passing the preliminary rounds and where she was eliminated in the first round. In the 2007 season, Gisela won the first individual title of her career, winning in the month of April in Budapest on clay. In the Australian Open 2011, with her partner Flavia Pennetta, won the first Grand Slam title of her career.

Fernando Gago and Gisela Dulko

The tennis player will marry Fernando Gago the month of July, reason why she will not participate in the Federation Cup series in the middle of that month. This means that the Real Madrid midfielder will not be part of the Argentina team that will play the Copa America tournament which will be launched in his country on July 1. The press agrees that Gago and Dulko met during the Madrid Master Series in 2009.

Preciado: "I'm sure Mourinho is a good guy"

Manolo Preciado (Sporting Gijón coach) will face the match against Real Madrid the next day, with all the controversy of months ago forgotten, with "enormous enthusiasm" and the idea of "visit the Bernabeu Stadium each year because that means we are still in first division" as announced to reporters at press conference.

After the famous controversy he had with Mourinho months ago, Gijon coach does not hesitate to talk about the Portuguese "I think he is a great coach and I am sure he is a good guy", adding that "sure Real Madrid have said him the same about Preciado".

Manolo Preciado

Therefore, to put an end to this situation, the red-white coach does not doubt to ensure that: "I have no problem with anyone". About the possibility that his players have a"hostile" reception, he said "It is being just a football game".

About the chances of Sporting in the white arena, Preciado said that "we will start to play in the field with the point that gives us the Federation, and we will try to win two more" noting that playing in Chamartin "Is always special". Thinking of salvation, the coach predicted that "Ten teams will fight for playing next year in the first division. We need about 40 or 42 points".

Finally, focusing on his teamplate and the change that has suffered in recent months, notes that "We have changed in terms of results. The team was almost dead with a very bad dynamic, but I think before Santander match, we play with more confidence and we were lucky that lacked in the past".

Taiwo is in Real Madrid's spotlight

Taye Taiwo, lefty side defense of Olympique Marseille and with Nigerian nationality, is the bargain of the market that Real Madrid has targeted to strengthen this position for the next season.

What makes this move really interesting, if finally all parties at the white club agree, is that he would come free. The Nigerian defender is 25 years old and ends his contract with Marseille at the end of this season. He announced publicly that he will not renew and has already initiated talks with several major European clubs, including Real Madrid.

Taye Taiwo

Mourinho likes Taiwo. Portuguese thinks he is a great player and already wanted him for Inter Milan... and now may be for the white template. He is a player who plays with great intensity and a high pace throughout the match, who works tirelessly and is a beast physically. He is a '3 'all the way, something that still lacks Real Madrid, which only has Marcelo who is not considered a pure left side defense.

The main problem that presents the recruitment of Taiwo is his salary. The player's agent is getting 3 million net per season for Nigerian footballer because he will leave the French club on a free transfer. Will have to wait for the summer.

Higuain will debut with Nike against Sporting

Gonzalo Higuain is like a child with new boots, literally. The Argentine striker has a good chance to return to the squad tomorrow, to face Sporting Gijon, after four and a half months off. And he will debut with his new sports firm, Nike, with whom he has just signed a "juicy" contract.

"Pipita" leaves Adidas, with whom he signed shortly after arriving at Real Madrid, by the competitors, the U.S.A. multinational which has hired one of the icons of white club and also the Argentina team. Higuain, 23 years old, will earn about one million euros per season, a remarkable amount for Madrid striker. So Gonzalo will release new boots on his return to the pitch which is becoming closer. In fact, in his gradual return to training, the Argentine has been testing several models of boots to choose which one best fits his feet.

Gonzalo Higuaín

His target, once he was operated in January by Dr. Fessler in Chicago, was trying to reach the Spanish Cup Final against Barcelona on April 20. But the Real Madrid striker has been reduced by more than one month, the initial period of injury that pointed he could not play until May. "Pipita" takes a couple of weeks training at the same pace as his peers. Even last week completed a practice match of non-international players against Castilla (Real Madrid B), proving to be fit to return but with lack of match fitness, of course.

Although the German firm Adidas has lost Higuain, still maintains a monopoly among the first team players because it also wears Real Madrid team. From the attackers Benzema, Di Maria, Kaka and Adebayor to Xabi Alonso, going through youth players like Canales, Adam or Granero. "The jewel in the crown", Cristiano, is still Nike and other top players; Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and Özil. Casillas is the only player who works with Reebok, owned by Adidas. Pepe and Garay are Umbro players.