Without a doubt Sevilla B are the best visiting side we have seen at the New Condomina this year. They played some really good stuff at the end of the first half came close to scoring on a few occasions, and thanks to Alberto making 3 good saves, Real Murcia went in at the break ahead. We dominated the first half an hour, and should have already been ahead, Richi and Aguilera missing easy easy chances before Albiol scored with a great shot. The second half was pretty even until Carles was sent off for 2 yellow cards; after that it was a case of defending, something we did pretty well until the 91st minute when Sevilla scored a scrappy equalizer after a bit of a scramble.
Real Murcia : Alberto Ander Gago - Gotor - Ivan Amaya - Óscar Sánchez Aguilera - Richi (Carles 59') - Albiol - Pedro Cañadas (Aquino 68') - Chando (Mario Marín 74')
Sevilla B : Dani Jimenéz Bernardo - Campaña (Javi Martínez 74') - Rodri - Luis Alberto Deivid - Luna - Caballero (Jairo 61´) - Salva Alejandro (Adrián 86') - Ñoño
Goals : 1 - 0 Albiol 44' 1 - 1 Jairo 91'
Referee : Mr. Pintado Calero. Card-happy, short sighted, confusing and clueless. It's hard to get so much wrong even if you try. After 4 minutes of the second half he had made crystal clear he was going to put Seville back in the game with any help he could give them.......and his over zelous, premeditated punishment of Real Murcia was clear for all to see. Neither of Carles challenges warranted a card, but he got two. Time after time after time he failed to see clear illegal tackles, shoves and elbows by Sevilla, while at the same time being ultra intolerant of even the slightest contact from Real Murcia players. Drove the crowd to dispair with his weird decision making. A very very poor refereee indeed.
Kick off is at noon (11 a.m. UK time), can be followed via the club website (www.realmurcia.es), hope the feed works for the whole game! Alternatively you may be able to follow on www.rojadirecta.es as the match is on our local TV channel....and on their website ( http://www.7rm.es ) it has a link to 7RM en directo (7RM live) but am not sure if this will work.
I've been driving here since 1989....the road system has improved greatly, and before driving was only OK, but without the common courtesy we expect and give in the UK, you know the ...."after you!"...."oh no, please, after you!" thing that we used to do. But now?
Before we had intersections with traffic lights. Too many lights, but....relatively safe, if you obeyed the red means stop, green for go code. Over the last 4 years the DGT (Dirección General de Trafico) in their wisdom have gone for more roundabouts. Great...you may think. But, unfortunately, they decided to reinvent the wheel, and with terrible consequences. Firstly....roundabouts are to control traffic and replace traffic lights. Here many roundabouts include lights which completely defeat the object. Secondly and worst of all.....we have all seen how well roundaboiuts work in the UK if you obey 2 basic simple rules:
1. Never go round the outside. 2. Always give way to those already on the roundabout.
The geniuses at the DGT in Madrid know better however, and made 2 rules that make the natural function of a roundabout almost totally impossible :
1. (remember in Spain you are going round anticlockwise). When on a roundabout you have to give way to the right, and are not required to put yourself on the inside if you are taking the third exit. 2. You only have to give way to those on the roundabout if they are in the lane you are going on to.
Rule 1 means that, effectively, the inside lane of a roundabout is redundant. Say you have 2 lanes going into a roundabout....you take the inside lane to go straight on, as you know (or expect) that those on the outside lane are going to turn right at the first exit or go straight on as you will. Wrong! In Spain "going round the outside" is legal. If you do as I do and use the inside to go straight on, and some numpty drives across the exit and you have the bad luck to have him drive into you.....he is in the right. Incredible but true. Rule 2 also makes the inside lane worthless, as those coming on to the roundabout see the outside lane as free, and come on just as you are indicating to come off. Result? Chaos, horns, shouts, insults, bumps, scrapes, increased insurance and bodyshops full of dented vehicles. The DGT solution? Instead of teaching the 2 basic rules we all have drummed into us in the UK...they say that you must go round again and try to get into the outside lane as soon as possible (even if that means driving right across other exits - of course, as those exiting have to give way to the right).
Then we have the almost total lack of any form of indication. I'm a stickler for this, even if I can't see any other cars, I still indicate, as otherwise I am saying that I am infallible, and have 360º vision and can always see everything, cars, pedestrians, cats, dogs and anything else that may possibly be in the way or be wanting to avoid me. I would say that 35% of Spanish drivers never use the indicators, another 30% only when it suits them, and the rest only most of the time. Don't expect to know what other drivers are thinking of doing.
The mobile phone. Girls are most guilty. I had some bird bump my beemer reversing out of the school car park a few weeks ago. I mean, reversing is already a challenge for the female of the species, but reversing with 3 screaming kids in the back while balancing and phone under your chin whilst discussing shopping or whatever they cluck on about .....that's asking for trouble. Every time I see strange driving, in a good 90% of times the driver in question is on their mobile. I even saw a geezer on a motorbike texting while travelling along at 80.
Don't expect any thanks for letting anyone through or for giving way either. None will be given....they just think you're a mug. Motorway slip roads? Don't be surprised if you have the ridiculous situation of a bunch of cars trying to come off the motorway while another bunch are all trying to get on, all within the same 100 metre stretch.
The DGT take the easy PC route and blame 99.9% of accidents on excess speed. Of course if we all drove around at 20 kilometers an hour there would be no accidents. But their crazy, skimpy road design, and unbelieveable, suicidal attempts to reinvent roundabout flow, are causing massive problems. Every day it's getting worse and I see terrible driving each time I go out.
I myself am the lovechild of Sterling Moss and Jenson Button.
- Segunda B group 4 is a very tough division. FACT - Segunda B isn't the dungeon our local sports journo's make it out to be. FACT - Our stadium is the best (if not the biggest) in Spain. FACT - Real Murcia are top. FACT - Cadiz have lost 7 games (SEVEN!) against our 2. FACT - Only Sevilla B have scored more goals. FACT - No team in the 4 groups of segunda B have more points. FACT - Only 9 goals conceded in 19 games. FACT - Defending well also constitutes good play. FACT - Real Murcia are now out of administration. FACT - "Real Murcia are at their worst moment" (Angela Moreno from La Opinion, mid December) is the biggest load of crap I have ever heard! FACT. - Going down was bad but has cleared out all the crap. FACT - We have a very very good chance of going straight back up. FACT
The future's bright, the futures Grana. FACT!
Photo : The Nueva Condomina....the real thing, not a computer generated image. FACT!
The rest of round 19's games were played yesterday, and Real Murcia are better placed without playing. Cadiz's recovery under ex Murcia coach Jose Gonzalez seems to be over after they lost their second consecutive game, this time at home to Melilla. Ceuta only managed a home draw with San Roque, but Sevilla B managed a 2 - 0 away win at Alcala.
This means Real Murcia are 3 points clear of Sevilla B, seven clear of Cadiz and Ceuta, and eight clear of fifth placed San Roque. Given we beat Sevilla away (1 - 3) and that in Spain it is goal difference directly with them, we are as good as 4 points clear right now......and have a home game against them on Sunday. If we can win that one and our next home game against Cadiz - or get through those games undefeated, we will be well set to finish first. I can't see us dropping 7 points more than Cadiz (who will probably have another change of coach). A win on Sunday would be massive.
The window is now open, and the mere mortals have to scrape around for a player to reinforce their squad for the "segunda vuelta". For the footy authorities, all is rosy.....Spain are world champions, Barsa and Madrid rule...and as this fact contents 90% of the consuming public, they are not under scrutiny. But you only have to look into the second division to see how bad things are. Half of the division in administration, Rayo and Betis prohibited from bringing in players due to non payment of wages. Further down the ladder it's worse. In our own division of "B" Real Jaen have been unable to supply transport for away games and players have used their own cars, Estepona are on the brink and may withdraw from competition, Caravaca's players protesting by kneeling for the first minute at the New Condomina.
And what are the radio and telly on about? How to sort out the lower leagues? How a profound restructure is necessary? A detailed analisis of club finance? No, unfortunately.....Barcelona and Real Madrid's under 12's played in a tournament and that was deemed more newsworthy. A kid's 7 a side competition. You couldn't make it up.
