Mirandes miracle upstages Clasico row
Source: Agencies |
January 26, 2012, Thursday
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Print Edition
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TINY third-tier club Mirandes failed to knock Real Madrid and Barcelona off the front pages but its incredible Copa del Rey win against Espanyol on Tuesday provided a welcome distraction after a week of controversy swirling around the big two.
The humble club based in Miranda de Ebro in northern Spain pulled off a huge upset when it scored in added time in the quarterfinal second leg to snatch a 2-1 comeback win that gave it a berth in the last four.
The 4-4 aggregate result, which put Mirandes through on away goals, fuelled a pitch invasion by ecstatic fans at the club's 6,000-capacity stadium and set up a semifinal against Athletic Bilbao or Real Mallorca.
Mirandes, whose annual budget is around 1.2 million euros (US$1.56 million), had disposed of La Liga clubs Villarreal and Racing Santander in earlier rounds and it was only the second time a team from the third level of Spanish soccer has reached the last four of the Copa del Rey.
"Miranda de Ebro has found a place in the hearts of all Spaniards," columnist Tomas Roncero wrote in sports daily As yesterday.
"Superheroes!" read the headline in As's rival Marca. "Mirandes have delighted Spain with their football, their passion, their effort, their confidence, their humility and their joy," the paper added.
The scenes of jubilation at the Anduva stadium marked a stark contrast with the bickering that has further soured relations between Real and Barcelona since the Catalans won last week's quarterfinal first leg at the Bernabeu 2-1.
The alleged stamp by Real defender Pepe on the hand of Barcelona's World Player of the Year Lionel Messi was the latest in a series of ugly incidents in games between the arch rivals, who play their second leg at the Nou Camp yesterday.
Portuguese international Pepe said he did not mean to tread on Messi's hand and the Spanish federation took no action, meaning he is free to play if fit.
In Italy, a sublime Alessandro Del Piero goal helped Juventus to a 3-0 Italian Cup quarterfinal win over AS Roma on Tuesday and preserved the Turin club's unbeaten record in all competitions this season.
Nine-time winner Juventus will play either AC Milan or Lazio in the last four.
The humble club based in Miranda de Ebro in northern Spain pulled off a huge upset when it scored in added time in the quarterfinal second leg to snatch a 2-1 comeback win that gave it a berth in the last four.
The 4-4 aggregate result, which put Mirandes through on away goals, fuelled a pitch invasion by ecstatic fans at the club's 6,000-capacity stadium and set up a semifinal against Athletic Bilbao or Real Mallorca.
Mirandes, whose annual budget is around 1.2 million euros (US$1.56 million), had disposed of La Liga clubs Villarreal and Racing Santander in earlier rounds and it was only the second time a team from the third level of Spanish soccer has reached the last four of the Copa del Rey.
"Miranda de Ebro has found a place in the hearts of all Spaniards," columnist Tomas Roncero wrote in sports daily As yesterday.
"Superheroes!" read the headline in As's rival Marca. "Mirandes have delighted Spain with their football, their passion, their effort, their confidence, their humility and their joy," the paper added.
The scenes of jubilation at the Anduva stadium marked a stark contrast with the bickering that has further soured relations between Real and Barcelona since the Catalans won last week's quarterfinal first leg at the Bernabeu 2-1.
The alleged stamp by Real defender Pepe on the hand of Barcelona's World Player of the Year Lionel Messi was the latest in a series of ugly incidents in games between the arch rivals, who play their second leg at the Nou Camp yesterday.
Portuguese international Pepe said he did not mean to tread on Messi's hand and the Spanish federation took no action, meaning he is free to play if fit.
In Italy, a sublime Alessandro Del Piero goal helped Juventus to a 3-0 Italian Cup quarterfinal win over AS Roma on Tuesday and preserved the Turin club's unbeaten record in all competitions this season.
Nine-time winner Juventus will play either AC Milan or Lazio in the last four.
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