Author: Admin (Page 1 of 2)

Starting Lineups

Real Madrid starting XI: Courtois, Carvajal, Asencio, Alaba, Carreras, Camavinga, Valverde, Bellingham, Mastantuono, Gonzalo, Mbappé

Athletic Bilbao starting XI (TBC): Simón, Gorosabel, Vivian, Paredes, Lekue, Jauregizar, Rego, Gomez, Iñaki, Navarro, Guruzeta.

Thank You – David and Dani

First Half

Excitement for the match with a twist of sadness as fans entered the stadium. It is Carvajal’s last match as a Madrid player. Devoted fans made a Tifo for him. Both teams started strong. Bilbao with a near chance that glided just past the right post in the 3^rd minute. Madrid became more threatening in the final third. With a great ball played out from the back, Gonzalo Garcia was able to split the Bilbao defenders and slot a beautiful shot to the bottom right of Bilbao’s goal beating Padilla (12^th minute). After Madrid scored, they continued to put on the pressure forcing Bilbao to play a bit deeper. Bilbao on the counter looked threatening at times, however they couldn’t seem to find the back of the net. Jude splits the defense and scores an absolute ripper of a half volley in the 40^th minute to put Madrid up 2-0 on the cusp of halftime. Unfortunately for Madrid, the defense finally caved in the 46^th minute to a wonderful strike from Bilbao’s Guruzeta.

Second Half 

Bilbao opened the start of the second half looking dangerous as they had two great chances in the first minute of play. Madrid needed to wake up if they wanted to maintain their lead as it was  not a comfortable one. In the 50^th minute Mbappe finally gets his name back on the score sheet with a beautiful cut to the right and a dangerous strike from outside the box seeing the ball shot low and driven, Padilla had no chance of stopping that one. After his stunning goal Mbappe finally seemed to have his confidence back as he attempted more chances on goal, most of which fell just wide for the Frenchman.

Jude Bellingham had a great chance stopped by the keeper in the 56^th minute. Madrid looked much more dominant this half and put immense pressure on Bilbao. 61^st minute, Mbappe had another wonderful chance that was stopped by Padilla.  Alaba was subbed off in the 67^th minute to a wonderful standing ovation from the crowd. 

Dani Carvajal made his final strides to the sideline as he was subbed off in the 82^nd minute. An absolute legend of the club who rose through the academy all the way to the first team. His contributions for Madrid are hard to put into words for all that he gave the club. Whether a fan of Madrid or not, it is hard to see a legend go.As the match began to grow closer to the 90th minute Brahim Diaz scored a banger of a goal in the 88^th minute.  This goal wasn’t for just Diaz to own. He ran straight to the sideline to celebrate with Alaba and Carvajal. What a beautiful moment that was! Madrid secured the victory 4-2 even with Bilbao scoring their 2nd goal in stoppage time.

The biggest tournament and the greatest prize, this glorious trophy brings nations together even in turbulent times.

It is more than a trophy beyond the surface. It is a coveted symbol of a summer that unites billions across the globe. The World Cup in all its glory is arguably the most influential and important tournament in sports. Whether one is a fan of football or not, it is impossible not to find oneself invested in the World Cup. Though the 2026 World Cup may look a bit different than in previous years, it is one that will provide absolute cinema.

To start we need to circle back to 1994 where the United States (one of the host nations this year) held the World Cup. This World Cup was unprecedented for the market, setting the record for the most fan attendance in history, especially in a final. In the words from a MARCA article published by Nicole Somma, “Which World Cup had the most attendance in history?” she explains that “the nail-biting Final, where Brazil defeated Italy in a thrilling penalty shootout,
had 94,194 people on the edge of their seats at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles” (Somma, 2026). The scenes at this game were electric showing that the United States is and can host a World Cup. This World Cup will be an exceptional opportunity like it did in 1994 to grow the game even further such as it did in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

There has been a lot of criticism about this World Cup for the expansion and inclusion of more teams that were able to qualify. This is beautiful for football as it opens the door to a more exciting and inviting tournament. Tyler Thrasher words it best in his article “First-time nations: The 4 teams making their FIFA World Cup debut in 2026” explaining how “The World Cup is no longer just expanding in size; it’s expanding in identity” (Thrasher, 2026). FOUR NEW
TEAMS is incredible so let’s list them off, Cabo Verde, Jordan, Curaçao, and Uzbekistan. It is an absolute joy that these teams have qualified and get the opportunity to represent their country on the grandest stage which is exactly what this tournament is about. It will and I repeat will be a fun watch.

Okay, enough about the excitement and more into the politics. Yes, this tournament is controversial because of the geopolitics, turf, weather, travel, etc. It is understandable as those are all factors that play into the difficulty of enjoying or winning the game, but sport transcends issues to unite. It is easy to look at how things are as they are, but the question lies within the
excitement. There were many questions ahead of the World Cup in 2022 whether it was ethical or not, the truth is no host country is going to be perfect. The matter of fact is that this is a game so it will be played, and it will be enjoyed.

Sources Cited

Thrasher, T. (2026). First-time nations: The 4 teams making their FIFA World Cup debut in 2026. Retrieved from https://www.fox5ny.com/news/first-time-nations-4-teams-making-fifa-world-cup-debut-2026-soccer
Somma, N. (2026). Which World Cup had the most attendance in history? Retrieved from https://www.marca.com/en/world-cup/2026/03/17/69b9bef0e2704e27768b4576.html
(N.d.). Retrieved fromhttps://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022

Intervention in the Middle East, overpriced ticket resale, and questionable pitch conditions plague the 2026 World Cup and if FIFA made the right decision to host in North America.

As only 23 days separate North America from hosting the biggest tournament in sport on the planet, it continues to find itself shrouded in controversy. Despite Canada and Mexico being the other two host countries, it is America yet again putting themselves in a position to compromise and ruin what is such a beautiful tournament. Whether it is through unnecessary conflict overseas, poor infrastructure to hold the tournament, or politics, this is a World Cup that is held as the most controversial in years. While Qatar 2022 had many political and humanitarian issues, or 2018 Russia for diplomatic issues, this 2026 World Cup in North America seems to hold both as we sit just a few weeks away. Here are the reasons that this World Cup should not go on because it almost seems impossible that it can at this point.

Let’s start with the most obvious, while it is not just the United States’ World Cup, it is also Canada and Mexico’s as well. However, the United States holds the most host cities within the upcoming World Cup which has posed many issues for fans and teams that want to enter the country. As of February 28 th , 2026, the United States under President Trump and his cabinet alongside the aid of Israeli forces were engaging in preemptive strikes on the country of Iran after constant months of dispute (Reuters, 2026). This conflict created even more uncertainty when it came to this World Cup and what it means for other countries around the world in such a tribulating time. This outbreak of conflict coupled with the changed immigration laws within The United States makes it almost impossible to attend the World Cup, at least in the States. Despite this maybe a solution was found, but only in retrospect as the “FIFA Pass” still has many flaws. In the words of United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, “It guarantees you an expedited appointment. You’ll still go through the same vetting process as anyone else. The only difference here is that we’re moving you up in line,” Rubio said (Sophia Cai, 2025). This statement is just completely flawed when you see multiple countries are banned upon entry to this country. It is quite disappointing and upsetting considering that the 1994 World Cup in the United States bolstered some of the highest numbers in attendance ever. This more than likely won’t change ahead of the World Cup and all one can do is feel for the fans who will miss out on such an amazing tournament.

The second issue that revolves around this upcoming World Cup are the egregious ticket prices and resale value of these tickets. In Canada, Mexico, and the United States, FIFA has already found themselves in trouble for ticket pricing. When you then couple that with resell sites such as Ticketmaster, StubHub, and so many others, fans are having to pay a fortune to not only travel to the country, but just to afford a game. These are stadiums that hold large capacities of fans, but it is near impossible to travel to them. It is a true travesty to the fans who are wanting to watch the greatest tournament on earth traveling from miles away, can’t even afford a decent ticket price after the thousands it cost to travel to North America.

I finally conclude with the pitch factor as it was a disgrace in the United States after this past summer. Players were asked to put out performances after such long seasons, just to come the United States and play on pitches and in heat that could not suit the long-term health of these world class players. It was a disgrace, yet the United States keeps getting awarded the privilege to host the biggest and best tournaments in the world. Infantino and Trump might have a great connection, but it is so far beyond where and what football has been and should be. Maybe there is a possibility that these stadiums figured out a formula to cultivate proper grass, but too many players have suffered incredible amounts of fatigue from the lack of infrastructure that is over here.

With all this the World Cup will be a disaster. Shrouded by politics, political controversy, poor planning, and so much more, what can this be? It could and has the potential to be great, but that is difficult to see unless you are sitting with rose-tinted glasses on your eyes. It looks like much of what FIFA does now is a money grab, something to appease the nations that hold a lot of influence. Maybe there will be a change one day, but it didn’t come soon enough.

Sources Cited

(N.d.). Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-says-it-launched-pre-emptive-attack-against-iran-2026-02-28/

(N.d.). Retrieved from https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IN12631161385360554578. (2026). World Cup ticket prices in FREEFALL as sky-high costs sees fans refuse to pay. Retrieved from https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/39117488/world-cup-ticket-prices-freefall-fans-refuse-pay/

Walker, A. (2025). Top human rights group challenges FIFA over Trump and 2026 World Cup.Retrieved from https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-fifa-world-cup-2026-gianni-infantino-us-canada-mexico/

(N.d.). Retrieved from https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/17/trump-prioritize-visas-world-cup-ticket-holders-00655272

Real Madrid Starting XI : Courtois, Carvajal, Rudiger, Huijsen, Fran García, Thiago, Valverde, Camavinga, Tchouameni, Brahim, Vinicius.

Elche Starting XI : Dituro, Affenbruger, Chust, Petrot, Sangare, Valera, Febas, Aguado, Neto, Silva, Mir.

A thriving Real Madrid squad comes into La Liga match week 28 off an incredible win in an impactful victory against a Man City side which had the opportunity to strike fear. However, Valverde decided to etch his name which is already in the history books for Madrid with a stunning hat-trick, sending Madrid into a great position at the Etihad for the return fixture.

Shifting the attention to La Liga play, they (Madrid) currently still sit four points behind league leaders Barcelona with so much to play for. The Champions League victory over the midweek was the confidence boost this team needed as many of the key players return to full health again.

Between the likes of Eder Militao, Mbappé, Jude, and many others, this squad is about to return to their full form which will be dangerous for any team they face.

Matchweek 28 brings a struggling Elche side, just a point above relegation to the Bernabeu. With the form and confidence Arbeloa holds in his squad and his formation, Real Madrid looks poised to take all three points in this Saturday night fixture.

It was a strong starting lineup from Arbeloa with senior players starting alongside youth players

as he likes to play. They enjoy playing together in a structure that holds a 4-4-2 because they fluently play through the mid field where Thiago plays a ball forward to Gonzalo Garcia. 

It was great to see Brahim Diaz after a successful AFCON tournament. His level of play surpassed even what his strongest critics have said about him. The contributions have leveled up the club and made them dangerous at this final part of the season. 

Madrid’s pressure has been dominant as of the 30th minute. Real Madrid was able to get things started with an excellent attempt from Valvaerde. They finally broke through and it was Rudiger’s goal courtesy of a ripper from a Valverde strike that deflected off the Elche’s goalie right into Rudi’s path for a 39th minute goal.

In the 45th minute just on the stroke of halftime Valverde was able to notch a goal for Madrid before the team headed the tunnel. 

Elche came out with a fiery start in the second half as they are positioned near the bottom of the table. Fighting against possible relegation. Diaz with a prime opportunity, but put it over the net.

Another great opportunity from Vini who couldn’t wriggle his way past defenders. Then in the 65th minute a goal from Huijsen courtesy of Yanez. The stout defense of Real Madrid and the youngsters unfortunately conceded to Elche in the 84th minute after a resilient display of defense throughout much of the match.

It was a terrific day for Madrid as they pushed the gap closer to Barcelona defending their title at their home stadium. It’s been a turbulent year but Alvaro Arbeloa’s men have started to find their form after losing their previous manager Xabi Alonso.

Starting Lineups

Real Madrid Starting XI: Courtois; Trent, Rüdiger, Alaba, Carreras; Tchouaméni, Valverde, Thiago, Güler; Vinicius and Gonzalo.

Getafe Starting XI: David Soria, Kiko Femenía, Juan Iglesias, Romero, Boselli, Domingos Duarte, Diego Rico, Arambarri, Luis Milla, Satriano, Vázquez.

Pre Match Thoughts

• Real Madrid looks to get back to winning ways after a surprising loss to Osassuna in Match-week 25 to Osassuna. Despite the loss, they still only sit 1 point behind the league leaders Barcelona. 
• Getafe have been a quality side away from home picking up 14 points from 12 matches away from home making it 4 consecutive away from home. 
• It will be a tough match for Madrid as Getafe loves to play a low block as many of these bottom half La Liga sides like to do. 
• Arbeloa went with a very interesting lineup giving the start to one of his own Castilla players Thiago. He is resting a lot of his key players ahead of a tricky schedule upcoming for them. 

First Half Notes 

•  A quiet start for Madrid through the first 10 minutes that saw Real Madrid dominating possession, but not quite able to break through the Getafe back line. 
• This changed in the 13^th minute when a Getafe Centre back made a grave mistake that saw Vini through on goal but was unable to convert as his shot was just barely saved by the Getafe keeper. 
• The game came back to life again in the 23^rd minute after Arda Guler put the Getafe defense into a spin cycle. With a cheeky spin move inside the box he was able to put a shot on goal but again another great chance was met with another great save. 
• Arguably the most dramatic part of the first half came after a challenge from Rudiger sending a Getafe’s Rico to ground who was in visible pain holding his face after it was later shown Rudiger’s knee accidentally hit Rico in the cheek. The ref stopped play and Real Madrid and Getafe players both started sending shoves at each other that had to be broken up. Thankfully play resumed just 2-3 minutes later and Rico was okay. 
• The second yellow of the match was against Getafe again after a reckless challenge came in on Guler from Armbarri 
• Finally, in the 38^th minute a goal was scored, but in a shocker, it came from a stunning ripper of a shot for Getafe that was rocketed past Courtois to put the cross-town rivals in front. On a spectacular half volley, Getafe’s Satriano was able to get himself on the scoresheet putting the pressure on Madrid to respond. 
• Madrid almost responded immediately with a great cross in from Vini that found Tchouameni’s head, but again another incredible save from David Soria kept Getafe in front. 

2^nd Half Notes 

• Again, another slow start to the second half, Madrid looked livelier but again were struggling to break through Getafe’s stout defensive line. 
• After 55 minutes of service, the youngster from Castilla was finally taken off the pitch for Rodrygo. He played an incredible match and almost found his name on the scoresheet with a brilliant curling shot from outside the box. 
• Getafe racked up yet another card that saw Rico being booked for a tactical foul on Valverde.
• Some questionable officiating.
• Huijsen nearly finishes a beautiful cross whipped in from the corner but is just wide of the ball that makes it to the far side post. 

Another beautiful cross found Rodrygo who placed it towards the far post, but Mastantuono was unable to meet it as it gently rolled out of play (79^th minute).

Lineups 

Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Trent, Rüdiger, Asencio, Carreras; Tchouaméni, Valverde, Camavinga, Güler; Vinicius, Gonzalo.

Benfica XI: Trubin; Dedic, Otamendi, T. Araújo, Dahl; Aursnes, Barreiro; Lukébakio, Sudakov, Schjelderup; Pavlidis.

It has been quite the turbulent period since the first leg of this playoff that saw Madrid secure a 1-0 win in Lisbon.  A game that was largely overshadowed by an incident that occurred on the pitch. Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni made a racist remark to Vincius Jr covering his mouth with his kit before calling Vini a “Mono” in Spanish which means “Monkey” in English. Because of this there were a lot of emotions and tension heading into the Wednesday night clash at the Bernabeu. 

Benfica came out of the tunnel with vengeance. Through the first 10 minutes of the match it was all Benfica, dominating possession and creating some very insightful chances. Vini had an opportunity in the 6th minute of the match, but it landed just left of the post. Benfica with a great through ball out wide was able to break through a shaky Madrid defense that had been holding on for dear life (Goal from a deflection tapped in by Rafa Silva in the 14^th minute). Real Madrid finally decided to wake up after conceding to Benfica, they immediately went down the field and from a beautiful cross put right in the path of Tchouameni, he was able to slot one home from outside the 18-yard box to even the score (16^th minute). Arda Guler found himself in the right place at the right time to notch what seemed to be a goal, however after a speedy VAR decision, the goal was disallowed as a Madrid player was in an offside position in the build-up play. The first half ended up coming to a quiet close as both teams headed for the dressing room to regroup for another huge 45 minutes of play.

Both Madrid and Benfica ultras roared their sides on to start the half. There was a great corner from Trent that found Asencio’s head who thumped the ball just over the net. Trent had a great drive into the box, cutting up the defender and putting a great shot on target that whizzed just by the back left post (56^th minute). Raul Asencio received a yellow card in the 57^th minute immediately after Trent’s chance, a completely reckless challenge. Benfica took the ball back from Madrid just outside the 18 where a beautiful trivela shot was put on frame thundering off the top of the woodwork.  In the 70^th minute Benfica began to play extremely aggressively, putting shots on goal forcing Courtois to stay alert and on his toes. Asencio and Camavinga collided with each other when going up for a 50-50 ball.  Then Asencio was stretchered off after an apparent head injury in the 76^th minute. In the 81^st minute a beautiful ball is played through from Valverde to Vini where he takes it all the way and slots it around the keeper to the bottom right corner. He ran immediately to the corner flag and did the celebration he did the last time playing Benfica! Los Blancos solidified a 2-1 win.

Madrid was looking to win its 8th consecutive LaLiga match. Sociedad was coming into the match with 4 wins and 1 draw in the last 5 La Liga matches. This could have proved to be an even match. Sociedad beat Basque country rivals Bilbao in the first leg of Copa Del Rey. Trent is returning to health and got to start in the match. Unfortunately, Mbappe was resting on the bench due to injury. Another Arda Guler start, he had great form. Madrid won the last fixture against Sociedad and hoped to add a second today. The odds are in Madrid’s favor because Sociedad has not won at the Bernabeu since 2023.  

Madrid looked seamless in the fast paced start to the match. Cross into the box where Gonzalo Garcia has a one touch to finish what Trent Alexander-Arnold started and land the ball in the back of the net. Madrid conceded a penalty in the 20^th minute after a poor challenge came in from Dean Huijsen. Sociedad scores the penalty courtesy of Oyarzabal tying the match 1-1.

Vinicius Jr. wins a penalty in the 25^th minute which he scores after a cool hop, skip, and jump, sending the Sociedad keeper flying in the wrong direction. From a beautiful buildup play that started with a gorgeous cross from Trent, Madrid was able to pass around the outside of the box breaking Sociedad down where in the 31^st minute Valverde placed a thoughtful shot from outside the 18 to curl into the right side of the Sociedad net. Vini Jr. looked amazing in the first half of the match. Just before the halftime whistle Gonzalo missed a sitter, but Madrid headed into the half with a 3-1 lead.

In the second half  Vinicius won a penalty and delivered within the first 3 minutes. 4-1 Los Blancos had a secure lead. This didn’t mean they could lighten up on their defense. Courtois was put to the test twice with about 30 minutes left in the match. His two close range saves kept the score 4-1 which ended up being the final match score.

Real Madrid Dominate Emporio Milan in Movistar Arena: 106 – 77

In a massive victory this past Friday over Barcelona, Real Madrid look to continue their four-game win streak in EuroLeague competition ahead of their busy week. A EuroLeague double header awaits Los Blancos with the first test coming Tuesday night at 20:45 pm against Emporio Armani Milan. 

Milan arrives in Madrid having won four of their last five matches across all competitions. They are led by star point guard Armoni Brooks and versatile forward Shavon Shields. To win, Madrid will need to channel their stellar defensive performance seen against Barcelona. The Italians are a notoriously high scoring team posing a serious threat. 

Real Madrid looks to capitalize on another massive victory against the Italian side as they sit 5^th on the EuroLeague table with a record of 14-8. Having gone unbeaten in their last five, the defense has been the instrumental part of their success. 

Despite the threat Milan poses, Madrid has the X-factor in Edy Tavares presence within the paint. Alongside Tavares, Trey Lyles is a sharp three-point shooter and post player, averaging 13.8 points per game this season. Together these two will be the key that influence the direction of the game, enforcing head coach Scariolo’s tactics.

First Half 

As the ball tipped, Real Madrid came out the gates firing on all cylinders. Abalde stole the show early as he was knocking down shot after shot. His clinical three-point shooting helped Madrid jump out to an early lead against Milan. At the conclusion of the first quarter, it was evident that it was going to be a great night shooting the basketball for Madrid. 

The second quarter saw Real Madrid turn the burners on even more, dragging themselves ahead of Milan by 18 points. Trey Lyles was an absolute game changer after not playing the entirety of the first quarter. Through crafty post play and a sharp three pointer, he was able to reach 11 points in 10 minutes of game time, sending Real Madrid into the half with a 54 – 36 lead.

Second Half 

In the third quarter the game finally slowed down a bit and there wasn’t much action. Milan was finally able to pressure Los Blancos and slow their tempo of play down making it difficult to score. However, Real Madrid with three minutes left in the quarter was able to score some crucial baskets to place themselves up 24 heading into the fourth quarter. 

Emporio Milan had no answers to stopping the dominance of Real Madrid. Throughout the fourth quarter, Trey Lyles, Mario Hezonja, and Tavares all combined to stretch Real Madrid’s lead further leading them to a comfortable win. Madrid looked fluid in every area of the game and were all over Milan from the jump. 

It was an impressive victory for Los Blancos and demonstrated why it is challenging for opposing teams to come play in the Movistar arena.

Press Conference

On the back of an amazing win for Madrid, head coach Sergio Scariolo spoke with the media praising his team. He explains it was a “great game on both sides of the court. We rebounded and defended well and had a great contribution from every player that stepped on the court”. Scariolo was extremely pleased with the effort his squad put in against Milan resulting in total domination through four quarters. He then went on to explain “the most important thing for us is where we are heading”. Well, if this is the direction that Real Madrid is heading, they are going to be in great shape. 

Overall, it was a terrific performance for Real Madrid who completely dismantled and dominated Milan in all areas of the game. Unbeaten in their last 6 matches, Real Madrid looks ahead to their next matchup against Monaco at home this Thursday. Emporio Milano’s next match is in Milan against Zalgiris this Thursday.