Chasing the Big Leagues Deportivo La Coruna (Spain Segunda) is a post from: Just Football

Just Football's Tales from Tier Two series continues now with a look at the promotion chances of Deportivo La Coruña in Spain's Segunda Division:

Deportivo La Coruna

Deportivo have a three point lead on Valladolid and Hercules going into week 22 as the blanquiazules aim to bounce back to La Liga at the first time of asking.

In the wake of an encouraging win it would be easy to simply focus on the positives like normal, happy people who know how to enjoy success. But what those happy people who know how to enjoy success don't know is that failure and pain is lurking just around every corner, waiting to spring. So really, you're much better off embracing a more negative outlook that asks, "Why hasn't Jose Enrique been called up for Spain yet, and does it mean there's something wrong with him we don't know?

For some it was the sort of day where one points to the end result—a victory at Goodison—as being enough, as being the only thing that really matters after a far from convincing performance. There was Luis Suarez, who scored a goal in the end though his touch often seemed heavy and his play a step off the pace.

For the first time in quite a while, neither Real Madrid nor Barcelona placed among the five biggest spenders of the summer according to Transfermarkt.

Madrid shelled out just 55 million euros, and a large chunk of that was reserved for Fabio Coentrao. Nuri Sahin, Jose Callejon and Raphael Varane arrived for modest fees, while Hamit Altintop was acquired on a free.

For the first time in quite a while, neither Real Madrid nor Barcelona placed among the five biggest spenders of the summer according to Transfermarkt.

Madrid shelled out just 55 million euros, and a large chunk of that was reserved for Fabio Coentrao. Nuri Sahin, Jose Callejon and Raphael Varane arrived for modest fees, while Hamit Altintop was acquired on a free.

It's only a friendly but Wednesday's match between Italy and Spain is a huge match for both clubs as he head towards the 2012 Euro's next summer.

Italy suffered a nightmare defence of their crown at the last World Cup, finishing below New Zealand at the bottom of Group F.

They have shown signs of improvement under Cesare Prandelli, and lead their Euro 2012 qualifying group by five points.

The team is in Portugal tonight to play our last pre-season warm-up against Benfica. Kick-off is 7:45 UK time, 2:45pm Eastern, 11:45am Pacific. The liveblog will start an hour before the game. Come on by and give us your thoughts. Liveblog is at the bottom.
Benfica had a strong, strong team two seasons ago, winning the Portuguese league, but that squad has since been partially dismantled, some in high-profile moves to big European teams:

Fábio Coentrão and Ángel Di María went to Real Madrid, Ramires and David Luiz joined Chelsea, and Nuno Gomes (Euro 2004, anyone?

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has called up Barcelona's Thiago Alcantara into his 22-man squad for next Wednesday's friendly against Italy in Bari. Thiago has been impressing fans on two continents with his play this summer and he has some Barcelona fans asking Cesc Who?

Thiago helped Spain's Under-21 team win the European championship last month, and has been eligible to play for Brazil, with his father Mazinho being a member of the 1994 World Cup winning team.

Tracked by Barcelona and heading for Liverpool Jose Enrique is ready to become Spain's new left-back

The 25-year-old defender was Joan Capdevila's predecessor at Villarreal and could become the veteran's successor for the national team as Vicente del Bosque prepares for Euro 2012

View the full story here: Goal

A news article on 2011-08-04 08:22:00 from: Goal

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Trabzonspor will take on SL Benfica of Portugal on Wendsday....
Turkish Super League runners-up Trabzonspor will play an away UEFA Champions League qualifying match with SL Benfica of Portugal on Wednesday.
The first leg of the Trabzonspor v SL Benfica UEFA Champions League third qualifying round will begin at 9:45 p.

By Jon Levy Disclaimer: I'm a big believer in scheduling a warm-up friendly match right before a big tournament. That being said... This match is basically a sideshow. Sure, the revenge storyline is in play for La Furia Roja, but will it actually manifest itself on the pitch? The 2009 Confederations Cup was (to quote [.

US frontman Clint Dempsey is coming off a platinum and record-setting performance abroad this year...

See this: "*"

That asterisk is a huge disclaimer on this match.

You have a Spain team with many players coming off an arduous and elongated (read: Champion's League schedule) club season preceded by a lengthy World Cup run.

GK: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Jose Manuel Reina (Liverpool), Víctor Valdes (Barcelona). DEF: Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Andoni Iraola (Athletic Bilbao), Carlos Marchena (Villarreal), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) MID: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Santiago Cazorla (Villarreal), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Bruno Soriano (Villarreal), Borja Valero (Villarreal) FOR: Fernando Llorente, (Athletic Bilbao), Manu Del Moral (Sevilla), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla), Pedro Rodríguez (Barcelona), David Silva.

Spain plays the U.S. in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on June 4 and Venezuela in Puerto La Cruz three days later.
Roster:

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool), Victor Valdes (Barcelona).

Defenders: Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carlos Marchena (Villarreal), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Andoni Iraola (Athletic Bilbao).

The U.S. men's national team will be facing a very strong Spain side when the team's meet in a friendly at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro on June 4th.

Barcelona teammates Andres Iniesta, David Villa, Pedro, Sergio Busquets, Victor Valdes and Gerard Pique lead the group, with Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas and Chelsea striker Fernando Torres among the other selections.

Porto booked a place in the Europa League final in Dublin against Braga, despite a valiant effort by Villarreal at El Madrigal. Goals by Cani, Joan Capdevila and Giuseppe Rossi gave the Spanish side a 3-2 victory, with Falcao and Hulk scoring for Porto, who held a 5-1 lead from the first leg. Falcao's goal saw him set a new Uefa Cup goalscoring record in a season, with 16.

Villarreal's Joan Capdevila must surely be cherishing every Spanish cap he receives from here on in. The 33 year old will only have one or two more years left playing for his country or even football all together. This opens the door for a new Spanish left back to fill the void and there is only one name that springs to mind.

Cani has become the latest Villarreal player to sign a contract extension, as his new deal will keep him at Villarreal until June 2014. The 29-year-old former Real Zaragoza player's previous deal had been due to expire at the end of the campaign.

Cani's deal follows on the footsteps of contact extensions for Giuseppe Rossi and Joan Capdevila, and all three are locked up at the Madrigal for the next three seasons.

MADRID, Spain — A spectacular lob from the half-way line by Ruben Cani helped Villarreal to a 4-2 victory over Osasuna on Saturday which kept them in third place in La Liga and maintained their push for a place in Europe. Villarreal went into the game with several important players missing but Marco Ruben took [.

A brilliant goal from Cani helped high-flying Villarreal continue their impressive home form with a 4-2 victory over battling Osasuna. Cani scored from the halfway line to put Villarreal 2-1 ahead in the 50th minute, just moments after Osasuna forward Krisztian Vadocz had cancelled out Marco Ruben's 22nd-minute opener for the hosts.