The Defense Rests…

The Defense Rests…When It Can’t Afford To

Real Madrid vs Galatasaray – First Leg in Madrid

Here’s a question:  A man is playing Russian Roulette.  He puts a revolver to his head and squeezes the trigger…”Click”

– The chamber was empty.  Do we say that he is good at Russian Roulette?

I call that man, among other things, extremely lucky.

When a team fails to defend properly and the opponent fails to score, it is luck.  Madrid were certainly the better team yesterday, but Galatasaray had at least 3 good chances to score.  In the first half, Drogba shot high into the crowd and Eboue blasted one straight into the keeper from close range.  In the second half, Galatasaray were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty kick.  If the game had ended at 3-3 I would bet on Galatasaray to advance instead of Real Madrid.

It’s remarkable to me that the match commentators barely mentioned Galatasaray’s lack of attention to defending.  Madrid’s careless defending got no mention at all.  Some say it’s better to be lucky than good…but I would rather be good.

To see one of the best defensive teams in Europe, watch Rubin Kazan.  They are kicking off at Chelsea in the Europa league in about 20 minutes.  This will be an excellent test of their ability to defend.

Fox Soccer Channel is carrying the game.  Watch Rubin’s defensive organization, the pressure they get on the ball in midfield, and the way they protect the space behind their back line.  These Russians don’t play roulette.