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Double Dutch red as Madrid clinch Supercup
Herald
Tribune
Monday 25 August 2008
A nine-man Real Madrid rallied
to beat Valencia 4-2 and lift the Spanish Supercup 6-5
on aggregate on Sunday.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, Sergio Ramos, Ruben De La Red
and Gonzalo Higuain scored for Madrid, which had midfielder
Rafael van der Vaart ejected in the 39th minute and
striker Ruud van Nistelrooy in the 73rd.
Valencia's David Silva opened the scoring, with Fernando
Morientes completing a late goal rush at Santiago Bernabeu
Stadium.
It was the eighth time Madrid won the trophy —
contested annually by the league champion and Copa del
Rey winner — and the first since 2003.
The result represented a disappointing start to the
new season for Valencia's recently appointed coach Unai
Emery.
The kickoff was preceded by a minute's
silence as a mark of respect for those who died in Wednesday's
deadly airplane crash in Madrid.
Spain's worst air disaster in 25 years took the lives
of 154 people — including the mother of Madrid
junior Martin Kozhuharov and the daughter of former
FC Barcelona forward Juan Carlos Perez Rojo.
Madrid sported black armbands, while Valencia —
wearing black shirts — wore white ones.
Playing its first game in the capital
since winning the Copa del Rey final in April, Valencia's
3-2 first-leg advantage
was barely threatened by a lackluster Madrid in the
first half.
The visitors increased their overall lead in the 33rd
minute when Silva culminated a slick passing move with
a low shot from just outside the area which left Madrid
goalkeeper Iker Casillas rooted to the spot.
Madrid's problems quickly worsened when van der Vaart
was sent off for a studs-high tackle on Valencia midfielder
Juanma Mata. Van der Vaart was making his home debut
for Madrid, which he joined from Hamburg this month.
Madrid and referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez were
whistled and jeered by home supporters as they left
the field at halftime.
However, Madrid received the chance to equalize when
Valencia defender Raul Albiol handled van Nistelrooy's
goalbound header. The Dutch striker's successful spot-kick
brought his tally from both legs to three goals.
Madrid's hopes were then dealt
another big blow through van Nistelrooy's dismissal
after he received his second yellow card for a foul
on Valencia captain Ruben Baraja.
Yet the Spanish league champion responded with three
goals in 12 minutes.
Ramos gave Madrid the overall lead in the 77th by firing
home from close range after Mahamadou Diarra's header
from Arjen Robben's corner rebounded off the bar.
Substitute De La Red added Madrid's third goal in the
86th with a spectacular long-range chip which caught
Valencia goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand off his goalline.
Another substitute, Higuain, then took advantage of
Valencia defender Alexis Ruano's misplaced back pass
to score the fourth goal in the 89th.
Valencia substitute Fernando Morientes — a former
Madrid striker — reduced the home team's lead in
injury time after slotting home Vicente Rodriguez's
through ball.
Madrid forward Robinho, who last Friday pleaded with
his club to sell him to Chelsea, spent the match on
the bench.
Some Madrid fans carried banners criticizing the Brazilian
and jeered when his name was read over the loudspeakers
before the game.
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