Real Madrid vs. Espanyol
Last weekend I watched an exciting football (soccer) match on TV - a Spanish League match between Real Madrid and Espanyol of Barcelona. It was a thrilling affair. Espanyol had a 3 - 1 lead going into half time. But Real Madrid came out of the half time break fully charged up and quickly equalised, before scoring the winner 2 minutes from time, in front of their home crowd.
For a long time in the first half, it seemed that Real Madrid had forgotten how to play, and I could hear boos from the crowd. The mood changed slightly when they scored their first goal, but 2 more goals from Espanyol silenced the crowd. But the scene a little over an hour later was completely different - Real Madrid had gone to the top of the league standings for the first time in nearly 2 years, and the crowd were delirious, cheering as if their team had actually won the league!
In addition to the 7 goals, the match was exciting for the way in which it was played. We in India are more exposed to the English Premier League, where individual skills are sacrificed for team play, and strong physical play. Refreshingly, the European leagues are much less physical, giving scope for players to express their talent.Now if only we got better commentators for these games...
For a long time in the first half, it seemed that Real Madrid had forgotten how to play, and I could hear boos from the crowd. The mood changed slightly when they scored their first goal, but 2 more goals from Espanyol silenced the crowd. But the scene a little over an hour later was completely different - Real Madrid had gone to the top of the league standings for the first time in nearly 2 years, and the crowd were delirious, cheering as if their team had actually won the league!
In addition to the 7 goals, the match was exciting for the way in which it was played. We in India are more exposed to the English Premier League, where individual skills are sacrificed for team play, and strong physical play. Refreshingly, the European leagues are much less physical, giving scope for players to express their talent.Now if only we got better commentators for these games...
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