Raul Gonzalez Blanco

Pay Homage To Raúl, But Not Now - Salgado

2007-10-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

Raúl's omission from the Spain squad for the weekend's game against Denmark sparked the media into a frenzy that eventually saw coach Luis Aragonés lose his cool. The rant that ensued was caught on film as the Spanish trainer politely asked how many trophies the national team had won with the striker in the side. Madrid were furious and registered a formal complaint to the RFEF, which has led to a speeding up of the idea to pay tribute to Raúl for playing 100 matches for the national team. On the face of it, the plan is a good one, but it now appears to be a way in which to placate Madrid and Salgado thinks it is being done at the wrong time. "I thought players received a homage when they have already retired," he said. "I honestly believe Raúl still has many years ahead of him as a professional."

Real Madrid routs Israeli-Palestinian team

2007-06-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

Less than 48 hours after winning the Spanish League title, Real Madrid routed a mixed Israeli-Palestinian team 8-0 Tuesday night in a charity "Peace Match."

Before a crowd of 30,000, Real Madrid played without David Beckham, who did not make the trip. The English midfielder, whose contract with the Spanish club expires June 30, joins Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy next month.

Guti scored four goals, including three goals in the first half against the Peace Team, which included Israel captain Yossi Benayoun and Bolton's Idan Tal.

Raul scored two minutes into the second half, Alvara Negredo made it 5-0, Guti added his final goal, and Ruben de la Red increased the lead to 7-0. Negredo scored again with two minutes left.

The game was organized by the Peres Center for Peace, headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate and President-elect Shimon Peres. The center runs a number of Peace Sports Schools in Israel where Israeli and Palestinian children train together.

Real Madrid won the Spanish League by defeating Mallorca 3-1 Sunday night.

"We are very happy to be here, as we believe we have to work to help these kids," Raul said. "The team is very tired but we have to play a spectacular match for the fans and people watching."

Real Madrid Keeps Lead in Spanish League

2007-05-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

Real Madrid beat visiting Deportivo La Coruna 3-1 Saturday to keep its Spanish league lead with two rounds left. Sergio Ramos put Madrid ahead in the 29th minute and David Beckham almost made it 2-0 when he hit the post from a free kick.

Deportivo's Joan Capdevila tied it in the 57th, but Madrid captain Raul Gonzalez scored with a header a minute later from a cross by Beckham. Ruud Van Nistelrooy made it 3-1 in the 75th.

Raul was playing his 605th game for Madrid, matching Francisco Gento's total with the Spanish power.

Madrid leads the standings on 72 points, three more than second-place FC Barcelona, which hosted Cadiz later Saturday. Even if the clubs are tied at the end of the season, Madrid will win the title because it has the better record in games between the two.

Villarreal won 3-2 at Valencia, with Diego Forlan scoring twice for the visitors.

Madrid edges Valencia 1-0 behind Gonzalez's strike

2006-12-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

Raul Gonzalez scored in the 52nd minute to give Real Madrid a 1-0 win over Valencia and move the team three points off the lead in the Spanish League.

Raul's third goal of the season came from Roberto Carlos' low cross following a swift break down the left wing which also involved Jose Antonio Reyes.

Valencia's defeat yesterday deepened the slump in its league form. The 2002 and '04 champions are in eighth place after gaining just two points from a possible 15.

Madrid's victory at Mestalla stadium was its third straight and was achieved without the injured Ronaldo, David Beckham, Jose Maria "guti" Gutierrez and Ivan Helguera.

The 29-time champions stayed in third place because Sevilla won 3-1 at athletic Bilbao to keep hold of second place.

Two goals by Luis Fabiano and one by Jose Luis Marti extended Sevilla's unbeaten run to six games _ five wins and a draw. Also, Diego Milito scored his ninth goal of the season to help 10-man Zaragoza earn a 1-1 draw at Celta Vigo.

Also, it was: racing Santander 4, recreativo Huelva 3; Getafe 0, Levante 0; Real Betis 1, Espanyol 1; Gimnastic Tarragona 2, Mallorca 3; and Osasuna 4, Deportivo la Coruna 1.

FC Barcelona leads the league with 29 points, while Sevilla has 28, Madrid has 26 and Zaragoza has 23.

Valencia, already lacking six players, including Captain David Albelda, lost striker David Villa through injury in the 16th minute.

Raul Gonzalez wanted to quit Madrid

2006-10-30T00:32:00.000-08:00

Raul Gonzalez threatened to leave Real Madrid after a recent defeat. Club president Ramon Calderon said the captain told him he was "suffering a lot" and "couldn't sleep" following Madrid's 1-0 loss at Getafe on Oct. 14, the club's first league defeat of the season.

"He said if the situation continued he would leave and free the club from paying the salary of his long contract," Calderon told news agency Efe in an interview published on Tuesday. Raul, who last won a trophy with Madrid in 2003, has enjoyed an improvement since that defeat.

Four days later, he scored in Madrid's 4-1 Champions League victory over Steaua Bucharest and added another in Sunday's 2-0 win over FC Barcelona. The 29-year-old striker has had an up-and-down season.

He ended an 11-month goal drought for Madrid and established himself as the Champions League's all-time scoring leader with 54 goals, but was dropped from the Spain team for the first time in 10 years.

Calderon said Madrid would offer to host Spain's European Championship qualifier against Denmark on March 24 on one condition.

"If Raul's not there, we won't lend them the stadium," Calderon said. Madrid is fourth in the Spanish league with 14 points from seven games, two fewer than leader Barcelona.

Spain seeks to relieve woes in Argentina friendly

2006-10-10T12:41:00.000-07:00

Spain hopes to avoid its fourth defeat in six games when it hosts two-time World Cup champion Argentina in a friendly on Wednesday.

The home team and its beleaguered coach Luis Aragones badly need an encouraging result from a match which will inaugurate La Nueva Condomina stadium in the southeastern city of Murcia.

Aragones' problems increased on Saturday when Spain lost 2-0 to Sweden in a European Championship qualifier, leaving the team languishing fifth in the seven-team Group F.

The veteran coach, who has received backing from the country's soccer federation, said Wednesday's game will have no bearing on his future.

"I'm staying on whether we win or lose against Argentina," Aragones told the federation's Web site. "The result won't change anything because ... we have enough work, attitude and time to reach the Euro 2008 finals."

Saturday's setback, without dropped Real Madrid striker Raul Gonzalez, followed a 3-2 loss in Northern Ireland in a qualifier last month. Spain has lost two straight games for the time in 15 years.

"I know, in sporting terms, it's a difficult time for me, but I feel strong and OK," Aragones told the Web site of sports daily As on Tuesday. "Tomorrow's is a big game against an exceptional team which was one of the best at the last World Cup."

Argentina coach Alfio Basile will also seek an improvement after last month's 3-0 defeat to Brazil in London. The game was his first since he returned to the job in place of Jose Pekerman, who quit following the quarterfinal loss to Germany at the World Cup.

"It's the perfect opportunity to remove the bad taste the defeat against Brazil left us with," Basile said.

Basile says he respects Aragones and that the press shouldn't "dramatize" soccer.

"Let's hope Luis continues to work after the game and for as long as his contract runs," he said Tuesday. "I like his idea of soccer."

Basile, who led Argentina to two Copa America triumphs during a four-year spell in the early 1990s, has recalled Zaragoza's Pablo Aimar, Villarreal's Rodolfo Arruabarrena and Valencia's Roberto Ayala to a squad comprising only European-based players. Striker Hernan Crespo and defender Gabriel Heinze are injured.

If central defender Ayala plays he will equal Argentina's record of 106 appearances held by former midfield captain Diego Simeone.

"I don't mean to disparage the Spaniards, but we are about passion," Ayala said. "It's something which the veterans transmitted to the youngsters when we arrived at the national team and which we now try to pass on to the newcomers."

The game will be Argentina's first since playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme announced his retirement from international soccer last month due his mother's health and criticism of his World Cup performance.

Basile is expected to hand Riquelme's role to Aimar, although Borussia Moenchengladbach's Federico Insua is also in the frame.

"Insua and Aimar's style are the same, and the team won't differ much from when Riquelme played. Perhaps there will be more acceleration in midfield, but there will also be pauses," Basile said.

Aragones will again omit captain Raul, Spain's all-time leading scorer with 44 goals from 102 appearances, together with Valencia winger Joaquin Sanchez.

Raul has been replaced in the squad by Valencia's attacking midfielder Miguel Angel Angulo, who at 29 is the oldest member of the squad, while the new captain is Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Spain is without three injured Valencia players — defender Asier del Horno, defender Carlos Marchena and midfielder Ruben Baraja — along with Madrid forward Jose Antonio Reyes.

Argentina has won five of the teams' 10 previous meetings. Spain has three victories and there have been two draws

STRIKER Raul Gonzalez ended his 11-month scoring drought for Real Madrid in a big way

2006-09-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

Injured for much of last season, Raul scored twice in Real Madrid's 5-1 victory over Dynamo Kiev Tuesday in the Champions League to become the tournament's all-time scoring leader with 53 goals.

The goal moved him one ahead of Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko, who has played most of his career at AC Milan.

Ruud van Nistelrooy also scored two goals for Madrid in the Group E game, improving his Champions League total to 49. Spain winger Jose Antonio Reyes scored the other against Dynamo, which played with 10 men after goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovskiy was sent off on a straight red card in the 68th.

Lyon, which beat Real Madrid 2-0 two weeks ago, picked up another victory to head Group E, winning 3-0 at Steaua Bucharest. Brazil striker Fred scored for Lyon in the 43rd, Tiago netted 10 minutes into the second half, and Karim Benzema made it 3-0 in the 89th.

"I had no emotions, they were too good for us," Steaua owner Gigi Becali said. "After 15 minutes, I realized that even if we played 100 years we couldn't score against them."

Meanwhile, Arsenal had a 2-0 win over FC Porto.

In Arsenal's victory, Thierry Henry and Alexander Hleb scored. Henry scored in the 38th with a rare header, and Belarus midfielder Hleb made it 2-0 in the 48th from 15m after clever passes from William Gallas and Henry.

Gallas limped off with a hamstring injury in the last few minutes, but manager Arsene Wenger tried to be optimistic.

"It looked serious (initially), but at the moment we are reassured because it does not look too bad," Wenger said.

Wenger also warned that his team is quickly improving.

"We are getting stronger and stronger," he said. "We are sharp and we always looked dangerous, and I feel it has a lot of potential and we are getting better by the game."

Arsenal, last season's runner-up to FC Barcelona, leads Group G with six points in two games. Porto has one point.

Brazilian defender Dudu headed in a 59th-minute goal in CSKA Moscow's 1-0 win against Hamburg. CSKA has four points and the Germans have lost their first two games.

Manchester United won its second straight game in Group F, beating Benfica 1-0 on Louis Saha's 60th-minute goal. Saha evaded two Benfica defenders to score from the corner of the penalty box.

Benfica has one point from a 0-0 draw against Copenhagen two weeks ago.

Celtic picked up its first victory in the group stage, beating Copenhagen 1-0 on Kenny Miller's 36th-minute penalty. Celtic has three points in Group F and Copenhagen has one point from two games.

Miller converted the penalty after Japanese midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura was tripped in the area by Michael Gravgaard at Celtic Park.

Six-time champion AC Milan slogged to a 0-0 draw against Lille in Lens. Milan has four points to top Group H and Lille has two.

Milan's best chances fell to Brazil midfielder Kaka and Italy striker Alberto Gilardino, while Lille's Ivory Coast winger, Abdul Kader Keita, often troubled Milan's defense.

Nicolas Frutos gave Anderlecht a 1-0 lead in the 25th, but Julio Cesar equalized three minutes later. Anderlecht has two points in two games and AEK has one point from two.

Today's games: Group A: Levski vs. Chelsea, Werder Bremen vs. Barcelona. Group B: Spartak Moscow vs. Sporting Lisbon, Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich. Group C: Liverpool vs. Galatasaray, Bordeaux vs. PSV Eindhoven. Group D: Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Olympiakos, Valencia vs. AS Roma.

Raul makes 100th appearance for Spain

2006-08-22T23:08:00.000-07:00

Spain captain Raul made his 100th appearance for the national side when he led his side in their friendly international against Iceland in Reykjavik on Tuesday.

Only goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta, who made 126 appearances between 1986 and 1998, has played more games for Spain than the 29-year-old.

The Real Madrid striker, who made his international debut against the Czech Republic in October 1996, is also Spain's all-time record scorer with 44 goals.

He has played in three World Cups and two European championships.

(Writing by Simon Baskett in Madrid)

Raul reaches century mark

2006-08-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

Madrid ace has found the net 44 times for Spain since his debut a decade ago and had hoped to grab a landmark goal against Iceland.

Raul told Marca: "A hundred games in the shirt of Spain is something to be very proud and happy about.

"I am happy to have reached that figure. It is a very important achievement.

"To have played for the national team so many times shows I have been working hard.

"It is a shame the match did not turn out as we'd hoped. It was tough for us. We gave it everything.

"But the most important thing is that qualifying for Euro 2008 starts in 15 days and we have a good feeling about this."

Raul Laments Exit

2006-06-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

Spain captain Raul was devastated following his team's exit from the World Cup in the second round after a 3-1 defeat to France.

Spain had taken a 28th-minute lead with David Villa converting from the penalty spot before the French hit back with Franck Ribery equalising before half-time.

Late second-half goals from Patrick Vieira and Zinedine Zidane sunk Spain and guided the 1998 champions into the last eight.

"Today the real World Cup began and it has been a big disappointment for us," said Raul, who had hoped to celebrate his 29th birthday with a place in the quarter finals with Brazil.

Spain has never progressed past the quarter-final stages in this tournament but having won all their group games in convincing fashion, netting eight goals and only conceding once, they really believed this could be their year.

"It's always the same," said Raul.

"In the moment of truth we fail to deliver, we don't prove our worth.

"The fact is that our fantastic start served for nothing because the important thing was to win tonight."

Real Madrid striker Raul praised their rivals, who were considered the underdogs having only scraped through their group.

Raymond Domenech's men had drawn with Switzerland and South Korea before defeating Togo to finish second in Group G.

"We faced a great French team tonight," said Raul.

"They have used their experience to good use and have played at a high level.

"They have proved tonight that this team is by no means dead but they are alive and well.

"I wish them the best of luck."

Raul had been an uncertainty going into the tournament having sustained a serious injury earlier this year.

Luis Aragones' decision to included him in the squad for Germany had been given a mixed reception, with the Madrid captain having struggled to make an impact this season.

He did score the equaliser against Tunisia to inspire Spain to a 3-1 triumph in their second group game.

Despite the setback, Raul is determined to bounce back.

"I want to continue to play for the national team," he said.

"I hope that I will be called up by this coach or whoever takes over.

"That is my intention and what happened tonight doesn't change this."

Bottle crashed says Raul

2006-06-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

But the champagne stayed corked as Spain, who rattled eight goals in the group stage, headed for the exit. "It's always the same," said Raul. "In the moment of truth we fail to deliver, we don't prove our worth. Our fantastic start served for nothing because the important thing was to win tonight."
Raul insists he will still play for Spain, despite losing to France. He added: "That is my intention and what happened tonight doesn't change this."

Raul aims to have last word at finals

2006-06-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

Raul's usual goal celebration involves a brief kiss of his wedding ring but this time he careered off to the corner packed with Spanish fans, punched his chest and pointed to the crest on his red shirt.

Moments later the Spain captain was enveloped by every player on his team bar the goalkeeper. It was only the second time he had scored since October.

The goal, a trademark poacher's effort netted on the rebound, cancelled out Tunisia's early lead and restored the confidence of a side running out of ideas about how to break down the North Africans's muscular back four.

Spain proceeded to tear into the Tunisian defence and ran out 3-1 winners courtesy of two late Fernando Torres strikes.

It should not have come as a surprise, but it says much about the predicament of a player who has for so long been the talisman of the Spain team that a single goal meant so much.

Three years ago Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson hailed the Real Madrid striker as the finest player in the world after he scored twice during a 3-1 victory in the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final at the Bernabeu.

"Real buy these big players like Figo, Zidane and Ronaldo but I think the best player in the world is Raul," he said. "I hope he doesn't like travelling. Failing that we will stop him entering the country."

ACUTE APPENDICITIS

Ironically, a case of acute appendicitis ruled the Spaniard out of the return leg and since then Raul's career has taken a downward turn.

He scored 16 league goals that season and another six in Europe, the following campaign he notched 11, then nine and this term he managed a paltry five.

Real have not won a trophy since 2003, Raul has become increasingly marginalised at the club as foreign galacticos like Ronaldo, David Beckham and Robinho hog the headlines and his form has dipped alarmingly.

Pushed further and further away from goal and expected to play more like a midfielder than a striker, Raul has lost his sharpness, his vision and his spontaneity.

He did beat Alfredo di Stefano's European Cup scoring record by totting up his 51st goal at the start of this season, but that mark was soon erased by Ukraine goal machine Andriy Shevchenko.

Still there was always the outlet of the national team, although even that was threatened by a serious knee injury in November as he miscued a shot during Real's humiliating 3-0 defeat by arch-rivals Barcelona at the Bernabeu.

Instead of taking the more usual course of action and having an operation with the consequent risk missing the World Cup, Raul decided to opt for more conservative treatment in the hope of a rapid recovery.

INJURY GAMBLE

The gamble paid off as he returned to action a little over three months later, though his form did not. Spending much of the late season on the sidelines at Real, his place in the Spain side even came under question and a subject of national debate.

Although he only turnw 29 later this month his critics believe his career is in terminal decline.

It is not a question of age they say, but rather like a car -- friend and club colleague Fernando Hierro once likened him to a Ferrari -- the number of km accumulated by the engine.

Raul has been playing at an elite level for 12 seasons and has a medal collection, which includes three European Cups, four league titles and two World Club Cups, that would be the envy of most players when they end their careers.

He has twice been top scorer in the European Cup and Primera Liga, he is Spain's all-time top scorer with 44 goals in 97 games and their equal highest marksman at World Cups with five.

But his admirers, and Spain coach Luis Aragones is among them, believe he still has plenty to offer, not just as a player but also because of his importance in captaining the squad.

He has yet to win anything on the international stage for Spain and his goal against Tunisia proved that he still has the ability to decide matches.

"I'm not in as bad a condition as some would like to believe," Raul turned and mumbled to one reporter before the Tunisia match. The whole of Spain hopes he is right

Spain captain Raul Gonzalez hurt his right toe in practice Friday

2006-06-09T12:31:00.000-07:00

The Real Madrid forward "hit the ball bad" in one of the training exercises, but was not seriously injured, team doctor Genaro Borras said.

Borras said Raul had some pain in his "first toe," without saying exactly which toe.

Moments earlier, Raul had walked off the field, carrying his soccer shoes, with no obvious signs of injury.

Now in his third World Cup, Raul is the Spain's all-time leading scorer. He saw a seven-month scoring drought end this year with a goal in the Spain's penultimate warmup against Egypt.

Raul scores as Spain beat Egypt

2006-06-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

Spain defeated Egypt 2-0 in an international friendly on Saturdays, with goals from strikers Raul and Reyes.

Raul was visibly relieved when opening the score for the home side in the 14th minute. The Real Madrid forward had not scored for the national side since October and pressure was starting to mount.

Arsenal's José Antonio Reyes added a second goal in the 56th minute, and 2-0 would also be the final score in Elche, near the town of Alicante.

The African champions did manage to create some chances but goalkeeper Iker Casillas looked stable and kept a clean sheet.

Raul's yellow card

2006-05-26T12:52:00.000-07:00

The Real Madrid star faced the wrath of Spain coach Luis Aragones after turning up to a get-together in a yellow surf-style t-shirt.

Aragones, who follows the religion of kabbalah, believes the colour is bad news, despite the fact it makes up half of the Spanish flag.

The incident at the Las Rozas ground was reported by the El Pais newspaper, under the headline "Raul, with the forbidden colour".

The article read: "Apparently Raul does not know, or else is not worried, about the fact that yellow is an object of vexation to his coach.

"Luis Aragones, who practises kabbalah, considers it a colour which brings bad luck."

The paper said Aragones shouted to the player: "Raul, take it off, take it off!" as soon as he spotted him.

El Pais claims the manager's fear of yellow is so strong that he once ordered a set of training cones in the offending shade to be replaced with red ones.

Spain are in line to play Brazil in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Could be interesting.

Raul backs Laudrup for Real Madrid job

2006-04-25T23:59:00.000-07:00

Real Madrid captain Raul has tipped Michael Laudrup to be the club's next coach.

Laudrup, currently in charge of Brondby, is on the shortlist of candidates to succeed Juan Ramon Lopez Caro next season.

Raul said: "Why could he not coach Madrid? He has already shown he knows what to do and I like his philosophy. If he wishes to return to Spain, I would welcome him.

"I think that he could do great things at Madrid. People have not forgotten what he did for this club."

Raul added: "He is probably the best player I have played with and is a great person. I will never forget how he helped me."

Liverpool boss Benitez wants Real’s Raul

2006-04-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

European Champions League holders Liverpool have set their sights on Spanish forward Raul Gonzalez, who appears to be no longer wanted at Real Madrid, the Daily Mirror reported Wednesday.

The Mirror said Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez, who knows Raul well from his time as Real's B-team coach, wants the 28-year-old to spearhead a new-look attack.

Real are set to off-load several stars in summer and according to the report Liverpool aim to reshape their attack, with Benitez ready to let go of Djibril Cisse, Robbie Fowler and Fernando Morientes.

The Mirror said that Liverpool would join a bidding race for Raul because they believe Real will let him go for a free transfer.

Raul was the only local “Galactico” on the team of Real, for which he has played 12 years. But the record scorer in the Champions League with 51 goals is no longer a regular starter in Madrid.

Raul to make World Cup squad, says coach

2006-04-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Spain coach Luis Aragones says captain Raul Gonzalez will make his World Cup squad even though the striker has been recently dropped by Real Madrid.

Raul has struggled to find form since returning from serious left knee damage — his worst injury in an 11-year career — sustained against FC Barcelona in November.

He was omitted from Madrid's team, which drew 1-1 with Barcelona last Saturday. It was the first time he had been dropped in 30 games against the Catalan powerhouse.

``I know he will play again, that he'll be in Madrid's first team in what remains of the league and I'm sure he will go to the World Cup. He'll earn it,'' Aragones was quoted as saying by sports daily As on Tuesday.

Aragones said it was ``possible'' Raul wouldn't be picked if Spain's opening game in the tournament was to be played now.

Lavish in praise

But the coach praised Raul, who is Spain's all-time leading scorer with 42 goals in 92 internationals, for his display and headed goal in the 1-1 draw with Serbia-Montenegro in a World Cup qualifier last September.

``He almost won single-handed the match with Serbia not so long ago. He is a fundamental player for us,'' Aragones said.

Spain's opening game in the World Cup is against Ukraine on June 14. Tunisia and Saudi Arabia are also in Group H. — AP

Real salvages draw with Zaragoza

2006-03-24T07:12:00.000-08:00

The strike by Ronaldo, making his first league start since club president Florentino Perez resigned on Feb. 27, tied it with a 48th-minute goal by Diego Milito, the Argentine's 14th of the season.

Madrid's draw appeared to deal a mortal blow to its faint hope of catching leader FC Barcelona, which it trails by 13 points with nine games remaining.

Osasuna replaced Madrid in second position with a 2-0 victory over lowly Real Sociedad, while Valencia dropped to fourth by drawing 1-1 with regional rival Villarreal.

Barcelona, which beat Getafe 3-1 on Tuesday, leads the league with 67 points. Osasuna has 55, Madrid 54 and Valencia 53.

Other 29th-round results were: Mallorca 1 Cadiz 0, Athletic Bilbao 1 Espanyol 1, Deportivo La Coruna 2 Malaga 1, Real Betis 1 Racing Santander 0, and Alaves 1 Celta Vigo 0.

On Thursday, Atletico Madrid hosts Sevilla.

Ronaldo's goal prevented Zaragoza's second victory over Madrid at La Romareda stadium in six weeks. Zaragoza humiliated Madrid 6-1 in the Copa del Rey semifinals and eventually won 6-5 on aggregate.

The Brazilian was joined in Madrid's starting lineup by David Beckham, who was omitted in last Sunday's 0-0 draw with Real Betis.

Milito, who scored four goals against Madrid last month, broke the deadlock by running in to steer home Ewerthon's low cross.

Lopez Caro responded by bringing on Zinedine Zidane and Raul Gonzalez in the 68th minute but Madrid didn't begin to rally until Beckham hit the bar 20 minutes later.

The visitors equalized two minutes into injury time after Zaragoza goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez dropped the ball, allowing Ronaldo to fire home.

Osasuna midfielder Inaki Munoz opened the scoring against Real Sociedad at El Reyno de Navarra stadium with a sixth-minute volley, with captain Patxi Punal sealing the team's club record 17th win of the season on a last-minute penalty.

Valencia dominated Villarreal at Mestalla stadium until the 44th-minute ejection of its forward Miguel Angel Angulo after receiving a second yellow card.

Midfielder Ruben Baraja gave Valencia the lead six minutes earlier with a long-range curling free kick.

Villarreal then made the most of its numerical advantage and Diego Forlan netted from close range to equalize in the 70th, with Juan Roman Riquelme spurning a golden chance to win the game 13 minutes later when his penalty was saved by Santiago Canizares.

Valencia's Argentine forward Pablo Aimar was carried off on a stretcher just before time with what appeared to be a serious injury.

Mallorca forward Victor Casadesus' 16th-minute goal proved enough to beat struggling Cadiz and extend the team's unbeaten run to six games since coach Gregorio Manzano took charge.

Fran Yeste's strike deep into injury time earned Bilbao a 1-1 draw with Copa del Rey finalist Espanyol which boosted the team's hope of avoiding a first relegation in its history.

Juanfran Torres scored for Espanyol in the 39th minute, four minutes after Bilbao striker Aritz Aduriz missed a 35th-minute penalty.

Victor Sanchez scored from two second-half free kicks to bring Deportivo its first victory in seven home games and leave last-place Malaga winless in seven games.

Sergio (Duda) Barbosa's 36th-minute deflected shot opened the scoring for Malaga, for which Juan Rodriguez and Alexis Ruano were ejected in injury time.

Betis rose from the relegation zone by beating Santander, only its second win in the last seven matches.

Santander defender Pablo Pinillos was ejected in the 29th minute, with forward Edu Schmidt scoring the winner nine minutes later.

Alaves also moved out of the bottom three with a hard-earned victory over Celta, courtesy of an 86th-minute penalty by John Aloisi.

Raul scolds Ronaldo for timing of complaints

2006-02-24T15:23:00.000-08:00

Ronaldo protested Monday, a day before Madrid played Arsenal in the Champions League, saying he may be forced to leave at the end of the season. Madrid lost the second-round, first-leg match 1-0 at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

"His only mistake was in the day. It wasn't the best time. He disturbed the magic of the Champions League thinking of himself more than the team," Raul was quoted as saying by news agency Efe on Wednesday.

Raul said Madrid players "would help him so he feels better."

"We need Ronaldo at his best and he must fulfill his obligation by scoring goals for the team. He is loved at the Bernabeu when he does things well," the Spain striker said.

On Wednesday, Madrid denied a report suggesting it may sell Ronaldo at the end of the season, while AC Milan president Adriano Galliani said he would welcome the chance to sign the Brazilian.

Ronaldo has scored 94 goals in 144 appearances for Madrid.

Raúl returns to Real Madrid after missing three months to injury

2006-02-19T15:20:00.000-08:00

Raul was named in the Real squad for the first time in three months ahead of Saturday's league match against Alaves.

The 28-year-old suffered a partial tear of the cruciate ligament and damaged the cartilage in his left knee when he miscued a shot on 19 November.

Real Madrid entertain Arsenal in the first leg of their last 16 tie on Tuesday, 21 February.

Doctors at the Spanish club followed a conservative programme of treatment for Raul's injury rather than opt for an operation in the hope the player would make a quicker recovery.

Raul is expected to skipper Spain at the World Cup in Germany.

Barcelona seeks to end slump against Betis

2006-02-16T21:08:00.000-08:00

Barcelona has lost its past two league games, allowing Valencia and Real Madrid to creep closer in the standings and inject life into the title race. Coach Frank Rijkaard's team has also recently been eliminated from the Copa del Rey.

Barcelona, with 52 points from 23 games, now leads Valencia by six points and Madrid by seven.

Striker Samuel Eto'o seemed unconcerned by his team's slump, saying its six-point advantage still represented a large gap.

"We're under no pressure because we can lose twice while other teams can't. If Valencia slips, up they'd be nine points behind. And another team (Madrid) 10. So who should be more worried?" said Eto'o, who was expected to be named Africa's player of the year for the third straight season in Abuja, Nigeria later Thursday.

The defending champion will be relieved to welcome back Brazil striker Ronaldinho, who was suspended for the defeats against Atletico Madrid and Valencia.

Ronaldinho, who helped Barcelona gain 46 points from 57 in his 19 league appearances this season, will be joined by midfielder Deco, who has recovered from injury.

Injured Ludovic Giuly and suspended Rafael Marquez will be sidelined, while Lionel Messi is likely to be saved for next Wednesday's Champions League game at Chelsea.

Betis coach Llorenc Serra Ferrer, who was in charge of Barcelona for most of the 2000-01 season, badly needs his 16th-place team to pull off a surprise after losing three of its last four games.

Valencia's 1-0 win over Barcelona last weekend has increased its belief it can win its third league title in five seasons.

Striker David Villa, who has scored the team's winning goals in the last two games, said Valencia will benefit from its lack of involvement in other competitions.

"We only have the league to concentrate on. I hope Barcelona and Madrid get affected by the Champions League and we stay on form," Villa told sports daily Marca.

On Sunday, Valencia aims for its fifth win in six games when it visits 13th-place Real Sociedad, which has won once and lost once under new coach Gonzalo Arconada.

Valencia goalkeeper Santiago Canizares, who has conceded just four goals in the team's 12-game unbeaten streak, will be making his 250th league appearance for the club.

Valencia continues to be without injured Patrick Kluivert, Vicente Rodriguez, Roberto Ayala and Edu. Forward Miguel Angel Angulo is suspended.

Madrid will feel mixed emotions when it hosts Alaves on Saturday.

The team was heartened by its rousing display which crushed Zaragoza 4-0 in the Copa del Rey semifinal, second leg on Tuesday. However, the victory wasn't enough to overturn a 6-1 deficit from the first leg.

Madrid's elimination left it with the Spanish league and the Champions League to target in its attempt to lift its first major trophy since 2003.

"After such an enormous effort, we want compensation. We have two competitions left and we have to keep going. The team is making spectacular progress. We have commitment, work, optimism and unity," Madrid coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro said.

Madrid, which has won its last five league games, may be boosted by the inclusion of captain Raul Gonzalez in the squad for the first time since he suffered a serious knee injury in November.

Lopez Caro will lack two midfielders, suspended Thomas Gravesen and injured Pablo Garcia and, with Tuesday's Champions League game with Arsenal in mind, may rest Zinedine Zidane and Jonathan Woodgate.

Alaves, which looked a clear relegation favorite a month ago, has lost just once - to Barcelona - in its last five matches and risen to 15th position.

Last-place Mallorca will be under Gregorio Manzano for its visit to 18th-place Malaga. Manzano began his second spell in charge on Wednesday following the resignation of Hector Cuper.

In this weekend's other 24th-round games, it's: Cadiz vs. Osasuna; Deportivo La Coruna vs. Zaragoza; Sevilla vs. Celta Vigo; Villarreal vs. Espanyol; Racing Santander vs. Athletic Bilbao; and Getafe vs. Atletico Madrid.

Real Madid captain returns to training after injury

2006-02-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

Raul Gonzalez, captain of Real Madrid soccer club, trained with the rest of the team for a few minutes on Friday, for the first time since his November knee injury, the team said in a statement published on its website.

Gonzalez received a round of applause from his collegues, celebrating his rapid return to form, and even scored a goal during a training game, the statement said.

The footballer injured his left knee in a November first division match against Real Madrid's arch-rivals Barcelona, and it was feared he would be out for the rest of the season, and might well not play in the World Cup, which begins in Germany in June.

The Madrid captain had asked the manager to take part in training, and all his colleagues felt pleased to see him participate.

Madrid's management said they would not force the pace of Gonzalez's recovery, but they had noted his rapid improvements. They said they would increase his workload by stages and it would not be long before he would be able to join in a whole day's training like any other player.

Barcelona seek club record victory

2005-12-16T07:07:00.000-08:00

Last weekend's 2-1 victory over Sevilla equalled the league leader's 11-game run in the 1955-56 season, when they managed 10 domestic wins and one in the Inter Cities Fairs Cup.

Barcelona have scored 34 and only conceded four goals during their league and Champions League streak, leading midfielder Rafael Marquez to conclude the defending champions are "on a higher rung than last season".

"We've got to keep on piling up the points. If we can break records that's even better but we must always keep our minds on the next game, the most important one," Marquez said.

The defending champions look unlikely to be troubled by Cadiz, who have gained only two points from their last seven games and have slipped to 16th place.

Barcelona will be without injured midfielders Xavi Hernandez and Mark van Bommel, although the team will be boosted by Marquez and Deco returning from suspension.

Coach Frank Rijkaard's team heads the standings with 34 points, ahead of Osasuna on goal difference. Real Madrid are next with 28, two more than Villarreal, Deportivo La Coruna, Valencia and Celta Vigo.

Barcelona's closest challengers meet Sunday when Osasuna visits Madrid, for which coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro will make his home debut.

Lopez Caro, who became Madrid's fifth coach in the past 2 1/2 years when he replaced the fired Vanderlei Luxemburgo on Dec 4, guided his team to a morale-boosting 2-0 win at Malaga last weekend.

Madrid will again lack injured captain Raul Gonzalez and defender Jonathan Woodgate, while Zinedine Zidane is a doubt with an ankle problem.

Osasuna's Raul Garcia said despite their continuing upheaval, Madrid were "still one of the best teams in the world".

"It's going to be a hard game even though Real Madrid is going through a pretty bad patch. A lack of concentration in this type of clash can cost you the game," the teenage midfielder said.

This weekend's other 16th-round games are: Villarreal vs Getafe; Celta Vigo vs Deportivo La Coruna; Sevilla vs Real Sociedad; Espanyol vs Zaragoza; Athletic Bilbao vs Real Betis; Alaves vs Valencia; Mallorca vs Atletico Madrid; and Racing Santander vs Malaga.

Raúl Awaits Green Light To Train

2005-12-15T06:29:00.000-08:00

Real Madrid skipper Raúl says he is eager to resume light training, but must first wait to hear if surgery is necessary for his injured left knee.

"I expect to work extremely hard for the rest of the year, although I'm waiting to hear from the doctors," said the veteran forward. "I hope I don't have to have surgery because I'm eager to start some ball work and running."

"The one positive is that I get to spend more time at home," said Raúl, who recently celebrated the birth of twins with his wife.