Filed under: Quiniela | Tags: espana, football, futbol, la liga, Quiniela, soccer, spain
LAST WEEK: 5/10*
SEASON: 23/40 (57.5%)
*I picked Barcelona to beat Xerez in a match played earlier due to Barça’s involvement in the FIFA World Club Cup
Last round was 2009 and this week is 2010. Some clubs will claim a new start with the new year but there is no escaping the results and, for some, there might be no escaping the relegation zone. One thing you cannot avoid is the excellence of Barcelona. They won a historic six trophies in 2009 and all signs point to more silverware in 2010. They are undefeated in La Liga this season and will seek to open the new year with another win over surging Villarreal (watch it on ESPN360.com). Real Madrid has a tricky road trip to Osasuna while Mallorca will defend their fortress against Athletic Bilbao. Almería start the new year with a new manager after Mexican and Real Madrid legend Hugo Sánchez was sacked following a poor run of form.
Filed under: Plato del Día | Tags: Anthony Bourdain, chivito, colonia del sacramento, food, montevideo, South America, Uruguay
There’s a very good reason why I didn’t lose as much weight on my second backpacking trip to South America as I had on previous trips to Europe and Peru. I usually come home ten to twenty pounds lighter after travel but my Spring 2009 trip was an exception. I didn’t gain weight but my clothes still fit the same when I came home; The chivito is one of the reasons.
Filed under: Camino | Tags: Camino, cantabria, espana, guemes, laredo, pilgrim, pilgrimage, saint james, santiago, spain
Etapa 10: Laredo to Güemes
Distance: 31.2 km (19.3 miles)
Monday, April 20, 2009
Weather: Overcast along coast, sunny near Güemes
Photos: 34
Notables: Tres playas (three beaches), trail around point separating Playa de Berria and Playa de Noja, Güemes albergue
Etapa description continued after the break. Follow the flecha . . .
Filed under: Quiniela | Tags: espana, football, futbol, la liga, soccer, spain
Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images
LAST WEEK: 7/10
SEASON: 18/30 (60%)
After a slow Quiniela start I’ve rattled off two straight 7 out of 10 weeks. The chance of improvement is slim so I’m hedging my bets – this week will be tough. I haven’t done as much research and there are some difficult matches to pick. If I can hit five correct results I’ll be happy.
Champions and league leaders Barcelona are off this week due to their involvement in the FIFA Club World Cup. They play Argentine club Estudiantes in the final on Saturday. Los blaugranes already played this week’s fixture, beating Xerez 2-0 on December 2nd. This week’s highlights include a local derby with Basque tensions and two matches between top-half clubs. The best match of the week will be on the ESPN family of networks.
Filed under: Camino | Tags: Camino, cantabria, castro-urdiales, espana, laredo, pilgrim, pilgrimage, saint james, santiago, spain
Etapa 9: Castro-Urdiales to Laredo
Distance: 28 km
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Weather: Partly cloudy with light wind
Photos: 23
Notables: Eucalyptus forests, evidence of logging, walking through the construction boom of holiday villas, afternoon hike through the hills
Filed under: Quiniela | Tags: espana, football, futbol, la liga, Quiniela, soccer, spain
Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images
The performance I submitted in my debut Quiniela was worthy of a red card, guessing 4 correct out of 10 in an unpredictable La Liga weekend. I was back on the manager’s team sheet, er . . . rather, I sharpened my pencil and filled out a new Quiniela last week and hoped for a better showing. Focused research and a little luck resulted in 7 correct picks. My score would have been even better had I not doubted champions Barcelona and top-4 club Sevilla not slumped to a second consecutive home draw against lesser competition. We’re back at it this week in another Quiniela edition.
The big match of the weekend is missing the biggest star. Cristiano Ronaldo is suspended for Real Madrid’s trip to Valencia due to the two yellow cards he drew last week against Almería. Ronaldo earned the first for taking his shirt off while celebrating a goal. He was sent off for a second yellow after kicking an opposing player. Los merengues will surely miss their #9 for such an important match.
Filed under: Quiniela | Tags: barcelona, espana, football, futbol, la liga, messi, Quiniela, real madrid, ronaldo, soccer, spain
Photograph: Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images
4 out of 10 – what a great introduction to my first Quiniela post. At least I bested ESPN’s professional! To be honest, last week was a crazy one in La Liga. Sevilla and Valencia both dropped points at home and other teams put in quiniela-busting performances. Only one person in Spain correctly guessed the traditional quiniela of 10 La Liga matches and the pre-selected 5 Segunda matches. I got the big one right thanks to the big Swede above – Barcelona registered a 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the much anticipated Clásico.
Barcelona has another tough test this week, traveling to Galicia to face Deportivo La Coruña. Other key matches include a Real Madrid legend returning to the Bernabéu and Athletic Bilbao hosting Valencia.
Filed under: Know Your Flags | Tags: bandera, Camino, cantabria, espana, flag, lábaro, saint james, santiago, spain
My eighth Camino etapa finally ushers in a new installment of Know Your Flags. I started April 18th, 2009 in the Basque Country but ended in Cantabria, the second of four Spanish autonomous communities on the Camino del Norte. Cantabria’s flag does not have its own name or nationalist meaning as the Basque Country’s but is deserving of a blog post nonetheless.
photo by santacrucero
