September 4, 200717 yr Author Miguel Torres knows what it is to win a League. Last season, he was promoted to the first team and earned a permanent spot. There is more competition on the squad this time around, but his versatility makes him an important player for Real Madrid. How did you feel when you weren't called up for the match against Villarreal? It was quite a surprise because I've played many games since the start of the season and it seemed the coach had faith in me. The new players are working very hard and I will have to do the same in order to get chances to play. It seems you and Heinze will be the coach's choices as left backs... My only goal is to earn a spot on the team. I've started the season as a left back, but you must remember that isn't my natural position. I'm here because the team was in need in the last campaign. I'm delighted with that because all I want is to play. My situation is a bit more complicated this year, but I'm not going to give up. On the contrary, this makes me work even harder in order to be more prepared whenever I get a chance to play. Do you think the fact that you played as left back last season has reduced your chances of playing as right or centre back this campaign? No football player should think about the past. I played many games as left back last season and I was very satisfied with my performance given that I hardly had any experience in that position. There are new players on the team now and the coach has different goals. This is natural. The only important thing is to win games, to help the team and to generate competition on the squad. Have you ever thought about leaving in order to play more? Not at all. I've been here since I was eight and I want to be successful at Real Madrid. The Club gave me the chance of a lifetime by making me a first team contract this summer, but I still have the same goal. The Club was very happy with me at the start of the summer and I suppose they still are. I'm still the same player I was when we won the League. I was never as good as people said I was, but I am not as bad as some now say I am. Why do you think youth system players have such a hard time making it to the first team? I think it is important to note that the Club counted on the youth system during the preseason. We have less chances than other players and we are forced to do much better than them when we get one. I'm very happy for the players who had chances this summer. I think that, if they do well, those who left will be received back by the Club. I would love to share a dressing room with them again. They are quality players that could do a lot for the team. Raúl's had a great start to the season. Do you think he should play for Spain? I've always been a staunch Raúl supporter. I don't understand why people criticise him so much. He always makes an amazing effort during training and in games, and he is lucky enough this season to play in his natural position. I am in favour of his return to the national team because he is an iconic player for this country. I think he could help Spain considerably. Have you been surprised by Sneijder's performance? It was obvious he was a quality player from the start. You are surprised by his goals in the last couple of games, but he scores them all the time during training. He has opened up our game and he is going to be very important for us. All we can do is help him to adapt so that he can always give 100%. What do you think of Barcelona? I think they've brought important reinforcements for positions they needed to strenghten. The fact that they struggled in the first two games doesn't mean anything. They will be our strongest foe and they have a very large squad. I don't think it's good for teams like Barcelona to be so heavily criticised because they always prove to be strong contenders for the title. Do you think the halt in the League due to international matches could affect the team's great start? Once you have a good work dynamic the best thing is to carry on with it uninterrupted, but the calendar won't allow us to. Many players have left to join their national teams and those of us left will use this time to improve on our personal skills. The match against Villarreal made us realise our potential and it will help us try to improve even more. We are not going to relax.
November 4, 200717 yr SEVILLA 2: Palop; Alves, Fazio (Mosquera, min.34), Dragutinovic, Crespo (Diego Capel, min.41); Poulsen, Keita, Navas, Adriano; Luis Fabiano (Renato, min.77) and Kanouté. REAL MADRID 0: Casillas; Ramos, Cannavaro, Metzelder, Marcelo; Diarra, Gago (Torres, min.56), Robinho, Guti; Raúl (Balboa, min.70) and Van Nistelrooy (Baptista, min.80). REFEREE: Alfonso Álvarez Izquierdo. Booked Dani Alves (min.30), Keita (min.40), Robinho (min. 47), Casillas (min.51), Raúl (min.58), Capel (min.63), Diarra (min.75) and Guti (min.85). Sent off Sergio Ramos (min.51).GOALS: 1-0 (min.20): Keita finds the right corner of the net from outside the box. 2-0 (min.21): Luis Fabiano capitalizes on a Casillas deflection. NOTES: Matchday 11 of La Liga played at Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium. Attendance: 45,000.
November 5, 200717 yr Olimpiacos vs. Real MadridGoalkeepers: Casillas, CodinaDefenders: Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Heinze, Pepe, Cannavaro, TorresMidfielders: Gago, Drenthe, Balboa, Sneijder, Robinho, DiarraForwards: Soldado, Saviola, Baptista, Van Nistelrooy, Raúl.
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