Showing posts with label Real Zaragoza SAD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Real Zaragoza SAD. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

30 August 1994 - Zaragoza Got Close, But Barça Got The Cigar

On 30 August 1994, Barcelona won their fourth Supercopa de España, beating Real Zaragoza 6-5 over two legs. 

Barça won the first leg at Zaragoza by the comfortable margin of 0-2. The second leg, though, was a much tighter affair. Playing before a crowd of 70,000 at Camp Nou, Zaragoza took an early lead with a 10th-minute goal from defender Alberto Belsué, who blasted the ball right over Barcelona keeper Carles Busquets (father of current Barcelona player Sergio Busquets). Neither keeper looked very impressive, as Zaragoza's Andoni Cedrún misplayed a ball three minutes later to concede a goal from Barcelona winger Txiki Begiristain. 

Things got worse for Busquets as Zaragoza evened the aggregate score at 3-3 before the break with goals from striker Juan Esnáider (32') and Francisco Higuera (33'). But Barcelona pulled ahead in the second half with a brace from striker Hristo Stoichkov (pictured) (50', 69'). 

Higuera scored again in the 77th minute after Busquets misplayed another ball and left him with an open goal, but Cedrún committed a similar error at the other end, allowig Txiki an uncontested strike in the 87th minute. Higuera completed his hat-trick two minutes later to win the second leg 4-5, but it was small consolation as Barça took the trophy. 

It was the eleventh trophy for Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff, a record haul that was surpassed only recently by Pep Guardiola, who appeared as a substitute in that match. Guardiola's twelfth trophy came in August 2011 when Barça beat Porto in the UEFA Super Cup.

Friday, June 7, 2013

7 June 1970 - With That Many, He Could Open His Own Millinery

On 7 June 1970, Marcos Evangelista de Moraes, better known as "Cafu," was born in São Paulo. He went on to become Brazil's all-time appearances leader with 142 caps.

A right back, Cafu started his professional career with São Paulo in 1990 and played there for five seasons before moving to Spain in 1994 to play for Real Zaragoza. But after only one season in La Liga, he returned to Brazil, joining Palmeiras in 1995. Two years later, he was back in Europe, this time in Italy, where he spent the remainder of his career, first with Roma (1997-2003), then with Milan (2003-2008).

He won silverware at each step along the way, including multiple league titles in Brazil and Italy, the 1992 and 1993 Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cups with São Paulo, the 1995 Cup Winners' Cup with Zaragoza, and the 2007 Champions League with Milan. (His only trophy with Palmeiras was a local one, the 1996 Campeonato Paulista).

But despite those successes, he is best known for his time with the Brazilian national team. After earning his first cap in 1990, he was a member of the teams that won the 1994 and 2002 World Cups (appearing primarily as a substitute in the former), as well as two Copa América titles in 1997 and 1999. His last appearance, however, came during their disappointing 2006 World Cup, as a 1-0 loss to France eliminated Brazil in the quarterfinals.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

30 August 1994 - Zaragoza Got Close, But Barça Got The Cigar

On 30 August 1994, Barcelona won their fourth Supercopa de España, beating Real Zaragoza 6-5 over two legs.

Barça won the first leg at Zaragoza by the comfortable margin of 0-2. The second leg, though, was a much tighter affair. Playing before a crowd of 70,000 at Camp Nou, Zaragoza took an early lead with a 10th-minute goal from defender Alberto Belsué, who blasted the ball right over Barcelona keeper Carles Busquets (father of current Barcelona player Sergio Busquets). Neither keeper looked very impressive, as Zaragoza's Andoni Cedrún misplayed a ball three minutes later to concede a goal from Barcelona winger Txiki Begiristain.

Things got worse for Busquets as Zaragoza evened the aggregate score at 3-3 before the break with goals from striker Juan Esnáider (32') and Francisco Higuera (33'). But Barcelona pulled ahead in the second half with a brace from striker Hristo Stoichkov (pictured) (50', 69').

Higuera scored again in the 77th minute after Busquets misplayed another ball and left him with an open goal, but Cedrún committed a similar error at the other end, allowig Txiki an uncontested strike in the 87th minute. Higuera completed his hat-trick two minutes later to win the second leg 4-5, but it was small consolation as Barça took the trophy.

It was the eleventh trophy for Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff, a record haul that was surpassed only recently by Pep Guardiola, who appeared as a substitute in that match. Guardiola's twelfth trophy came in August 2011 when Barça beat Porto in the UEFA Super Cup.