Real narrowed the gap

Real Madrid got a short but valuable victory on Sunday against Espanyol (0-1) to pick up three points of the two co-leaders of the Spanish Championship , Atletico and Barcelona , which are neutralized in Saturday's shock of the 19th day (0-0) .

The occasion was beautiful , the Real has not missed. In an open and disputed match, Madrid struggled to realize their multiple occasions before finally finding the fault on kick off with the head of Pepe (55).

Success during the last day of the move phase allows the "White House" , third in La Liga, enjoy the draw between his two rivals to return to Barça scope , with 50 points sacred " winter champion " and Atlético second under a lesser goal difference ( 36 against 41 ) .

At Cornella -El Prat stadium , there could be room for more celebrations when Karim Benzema was able to register his 100th goal in the jersey of Real, or if Cristiano Ronaldo was again highlighted on the eve of a run Monday second Ballon d'Or after 2008.

But the lack of offensive precision Madrid and this defensive excitement that catches too often this season have resulted in a victorious match , yes, but frustrating.

In fact, Real could take the lead at the break and just as easily be conducted : Uruguayan Christian Stuani made ​​a shiver in the merengue camp with head right next to the part when he was alone with six meters ( 4).

Against a team of Espanyol is the only one to beat Atletico this season (1-0), the meeting resulted in pretty duels, as between the powerful Colombian striker Jhon Cordoba and Madrid defenders.

Benzema blocked 99 goals

Side merengue , these are not the opportunities missed but accuracy.

Karim Benzema scored in the previous two matches of Real this week, Monday against Celta Vigo in the league (3-0) and Thursday against Osasuna in King's Cup (2-0), has missed the target after a good recovery left ( 7) and then uncrossed a head (42) . His counter is stuck at 99 goals in 209 matches in the jersey of Real, pending its 210th outlet .

Available and stirring , the French however failed to be decisive passer with a nice number on the left side of the box, unfortunately for him unrequited because Ronaldo was unable to resume his pass (19).

Portuguese has also multiplied the banderillas but on the eve of the Golden Ball award which is one of three finalists , it is often encountered excellent goalkeeper Kiko Casilla Barcelona .

" CR7 " has shipped dry strikes boxed somehow by the porter (32 ), then a floating free kick 25 meters out of the foot Casilla in the manner of a handball goalkeeper .

Symbol of the lack of success of the Real, Angel Di Maria was then harvested in a surplus against attack by centering in the middle of the surface without finding any of its partners (42).

In the second half , we had a free kick kicked by Luka Modric that Pepe headed in a finally gives the advantage to Madrid (55).

And although Ronaldo had the opportunity to weigh the score on a cross too hit it against (66) and then a deflected shot Casilla (82) and another sent off (90) Real merely manage his advantage late in the game .

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Three candidates and a lot of comments

D-Day approaches . Who will win the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2013? While we await the verdict of January 13 , FIFA.com brings together the views of the three finalists and other football stars .

" If I deserve to win Maybe , like last year and two years ago . I think I deserve to win the Ballon d'Or every year. "

Cristiano Ronaldo finalist FIFA Ballon d'Or for the sixth time in seven years

" It is a pleasure , pride in doing it again in the top 3 . For me, the major prizes are collective rewards, but it is a very nice recognition . This is not very serious not win the Ballon d'Or. "

Lionel Messi, who could win his fifth FIFA Ballon d'Or in a row

" Whether I win or not, I 'll always be happy. Personally, it is a satisfaction to be among the last three , alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi. "

Franck Ribery , who joined the trio of finalists for the first time

" All three deserve the Ballon d'Or , but the one who has the winning is Santa Claus. "

Zlatan Ibrahimovic , giving his opinion on the three contenders price

"It would have been logical that the gains at other times , but it seems to me absolutely unfair that he did not this year. Regardless of what happens , it is for me the best player in the world . I do not doubt it. "

Paulo Bento , coach of Portugal , about his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo

" Franck has come to Zurich with a big smile and enjoy . This is not obvious to go there. Must enjoy the moment. All three players are incredible. 'm Glad I do not have to choose myself. "

Pep Guardiola , coach of Bayern Munich

"In my opinion , Cristiano Ronaldo is the best . Maybe it will not appeal to Messi and he tells me , when we discuss that I never voted for him. I never voted for him because I think Cristiano merit, especially this year . "

Luis Felipe Scolari , Brazil coach and former Portugal

" To its credit, for what it represents for us and because he is my teammate and my friend, I am in favor of Messi. "

Andrés Iniesta, midfielder of FC Barcelona

" That gives it the Ballon d'Or or not , Messi is the best player in the world and there will be none other like him. "

Jordi Alba, teammate Lionel Messi FC Barcelona

" It is obvious that Ribéry had an outstanding season with Bayern . Course, Andrés Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were again feeling . But I think around Ribery came because he who has everything won with his club last season. "

Andreas Möller , former midfielder Germany, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund

"Personally , I hope Messi will pick up the trophy , but we must recognize that Cristiano Ronaldo deserves it."

Rivaldo , former striker of Brazil and FC Barcelona

" I would give the Ballon d'Or to Messi. If it is not he who wins , I hope that the player will be rewarded Ribery . Cristiano Ronaldo ? After Messi and Ribery . "

Xavi Hernández and preferences for the final podium of the FIFA Ballon d'Or

" I'd like Cristiano wins. Firstly because I am Portuguese, on the other hand for all he has done over the past few seasons . It was just amazing . It is constantly improving, is well mannered and is still young. When I met and I worked with him, he always gave me the impression of being someone who set targets . his immense ambitions will enable the achieve. He deserves this recognition. "

Paulo Sousa , former Portugal midfielder and current coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv

" These are the two best players in the world, but for technical reasons , I choose Messi. "

Ronaldo , former Brazil striker and former winner of the FIFA Ballon d'Or.

" In my opinion, Ribéry was an extraordinary season . He won everything with his team , he scored very important goals and was licensee at all major appointments. Franck is a great boy, essential for Bayern and the team of France . You speak of Cristiano or Messi. Leo won La Liga with Barcelona offering some spectacular performances , while Cristiano has gained nothing . He ran a lot , fought like little have, but did not raise a single trophy. logic suggests that Ribery is the winner . "

Paul Breitner , former midfielder Germany

"I think Cristiano Ronaldo will get the Ballon d'Or with his playing . Ribery also plays very well, but Cristiano is at the top of his art and merit. "

Jefferson Farfan , attacking Peru and Schalke 04

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Capello: "Arriving with a winning mentality"

Inducted into the head of Russia in July 2012, Fabio Capello has accepted the mission to build a successful team for the FIFA World Cup Russia ™ 2018 . Participation for Brazil 2014 was the ideal way to this goal, but the Italian coach does not want to see the route of his foals stop on an unfinished , as in his first World Cup with England South Africa 2010. The Three Lions were eliminated shortly by Germany ( 4:1) in the second round after a period of laborious groups.

To FIFA.com , Capello evokes Russian ambitions in Brazil, his tactics philosophy, his memories of World Cup technology on the goal line and his favorite of all time Brazilian player .

Mr. Capello , what do you expect the World Cup in Brazil?
We were not trained for 12 years for the World Cup. Brazil 2014 will allow us to gain size experiment in the context of the next World Cup in Russia. So we go to Brazil with great interest and a willingness to make a good tournament. But if our primary goal is to allow our players to gain a lot of experience , this does not prevent us from being ambitious.

What are your goals and larger ahead to achieve them?
The first objective is to pass the first round in order to play the knockout phase with tranquility. Our aim is naturally to go as far as possible , but knowing that there are difficulties to pass the first round, it will allow players to successfully integrate these difficulties. We have more or less the same problems , such as climate or distance. But this should not be an excuse . The most important thing is to come up with a winning mentality and the desire to store a lot of experience

How did you manage to revive your team after qualifying defeats against Portugal and Northern Ireland?
The speech was clear and simple: always remember that we were the first group and that we must continue to address the latest games with the same will to win that we had at the beginning . We have never been described as some of us , especially after our match against Azerbaijan where we conceded an unnecessary goal. In general , there was a very high level of game .

What is the recipe of your offensive efficiency (20 goals ) and your defensive strength (5 goals against ) ?
We try to develop a certain mindset adapted to modern football. Today , we must remain compact and short play . We qualified because we found the right balance between the offensive team will , without unbalancing provided our defensive system.

What is your philosophy of play?
In my philosophy of play, the team must be well organized . But this organization must allow the possibility for talented players to express themselves freely. The system is defined according to the type of players you have at your disposal. With very strong technically but less physically as Spain players can opt for based on possession of the ball and the game triangle football. But if you run a team like Belgium, where all players are more 1m86 , it is possible to rely on a more physical football. It is the coach to take into account these parameters to define his style of play Personally, I 've always played with multiple attackers but I've always been well organized in defense and ready to throw in attack teams.

What are your key players ?
I do not think there is a key player , but rather a " key position " . The teams are formed as a tree. The trunk is a little the central axis with a good goalkeeper , a good defender , a good environment and a good striker . The team is built around the base. The captain must be a leader, as important in the locker room and in the field . Not only he who does the draw camps with the referee. If it is not a leader, not a captain.

What are your memories of South Africa 2010 ?
I still have a memory that I have not yet managed to erase ... I remember the meeting we had for coaches . I asked " why did you not come arbitrators line ? " I was told that it was not planned . I recalled that we had worked hard for two years to get there, and for a simple mistake, a ball came out or not , whistled a penalty or not , we could be eliminated. And ultimately that is what happened to us ! I could never forget this meeting remains unanswered, because I planned without knowing what happened to us ...

Are you in favor of technology on the goal line ?
Absolutely ! Or even using a linesman which reduces the error to 10 or 5%.

What is the atmosphere of the World Cup in Brazil, according to you?
Brazil is the world of fantasy football. Hopefully it will be like that . Just fancy and beautiful football ...

How do you see the performance of Russia to Brazil, you already projecting Russia in 2018 ?
I said it was important for us to build our experience . I think without thinking 2018 because right now , I'm focused on Brazil. I want results in the World Cup , my players are focused and aggressive , and make progress mentally. I want them to get good results from the World Cup .

What is your favorite all-time Brazilian player ?
I got lucky with the Nazionale playing against Pele in a match where he played for the U.S. team . Before , I had just seen on TV. During this match, I saw two things that impressed me . I realized that this was the greatest of all .

What is your first memory of the World Cup?
Final Sweden 1958 ( Brazil beat Sweden 5:2) I followed on television in black and white in a bar. I remember two things: fantastic goal Pelé was still only 17 and a half years , and the penalty Nils Liedholm , who then played in Italy, AC Milan, was transformed with great serenity .

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AC Milan - Honda want to display a spirit of Samurai

The new Japanese midfielder of AC Milan (1st div Italian . ) , Keisuke Honda announced that it would be on the ground, " the spirit of the samurai " , during his official presentation Wednesday at the San Siro stadium .

Honda , 27 , joined Milan after three and a half seasons with CSKA Moscow ( Russian 1st div . ) . He signed until June 2017.

"I 've never met a samurai ... but Japanese men are known to never give up ," said the player , dyed blonde hair and tanned face, told reporters. " We have a great mind and are disciplined , so I hope to show in the field this type of mind ," said he added.

Honda, who became the first Japanese to play for AC Milan, will wear the number 10 , and other famous foreign players have brought before him : Ruud Gullit , Dejan Savicevic , Zvonimir Boban , Rui Costa or even Clarence Seedorf .

Honda, who told her "heart had spoken " by choosing to come to Milan , said he would " train hard from now on ." " I know that much is expected of me and I intend to show what I can do," he added.

The Japanese should play behind the Rossoneri attack duo of Italian international Mario Balotelli and Kaka , who have both scored eleven goals in their team this season in the league .

"I can play any position but if I had the choice , I'd rather be positioned behind the strikers . This is my favorite position ," said the midfielder , who also confided that he was already dreaming to wear the number 10 Milan when he was 12 years old.

AC Milan occupies the 11th place in the championship of Serie A after 18 days.

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Messi dies after scoring a goal in FIFA 2014

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Koke releases Atlético

Atletico Madrid won easily Saturday at Malaga (0-1) at the opening of the 18th day of the Championship of Spain , Koke issuing Madrid who take the championship lead in anticipation of the match against Barcelona promoted to Elche camp Nou Sunday ( 1500 GMT ) .

This short success of " rojiblanco " club allows them to temporarily take three points clear of the Catalans , a week before the summit clash between the two teams .

Monday, Real Madrid, third eight points of Atletico , try to keep pace against Celta Vigo at the Santiago Bernabeu ( 18:00 GMT ) in order to re- consider its next weekend delay while his two rivals s' face . Maybe head to the future already appears, the " Atleti " Saturday struggled to extricate himself from the defense five of Malaga , which often squeezed Diego Costa, La Liga top scorer (19 goals).

This is also the only real opportunity of Hispano- Brazilian striker Koke that could open the score Costa went on the left side of the area , attracting him three defenders before shifting Adrian , whose shot was blocked by the keeper Willy Caballero . Koke , on the lookout , pushed the ball into the empty net and Atletico out of the trap (70).

Nine yellow cards
Because the meeting was long and hung heavy , as evidenced by nine yellow cards by the referee. Booked for shoving his vis- à-vis (52) , the lateral international law and Spanish Juanfran should be suspended against Barcelona on January 11 . Only thinning early in the game , the same Juanfran worried Andalusians with a large deck followed by a shot away but chained by Caballero (21).

Malaga responded against attack on set pieces and could even have opened the scoring on a tumbled from Eliseu , whose shot weakly and was easily captured by the Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (30). Deprived of their captain Gabi suspended , the " Colchoneros " never seemed to dominate their subject and Adrian entries on the right wing and then the stirring Cristian Rodriguez on the left wing have not changed much.

Nevertheless, Atletico did most by winning and that 's the kind of victory that sacrent champions at the end of the season.

Barca , the defending champion and the next visitor to the Vicente Calderon stadium , is prevented.

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