WorldSport-HD: ATLETICO MADRID VS. MALAGA Encore Presentation 8pm EST

Loaning players is (for once) as straighforward as it sounds. The normal thing is for a club who has somone (normally a youngster) who isn't going to get much first team action to lend him to another (usually smaller side) for a season to allow him to play.

In Spain loans are usually for a season - in England they do month long loans as well, and clubs usually cover their backs by saying that a player loaned to another club in the same division can't play against them.

For example for the new season Real Madrid have loaned central defender Ruben (the player who was so bad when they lost to Sevilla that he started crying when he was substituted) to Albacete. He won't be able to play in the matches between the two sides.

Some of us think that Madrid should have insisted he DID play in the games.

Likewise they have loaned striker Javier Portillo to Italian side Fiorentina for a year, although with today's news that Michael Owen is now a Madrid player, i don't think we shall ever see Portillo play for Madrid again.

Owen has passed a medical and will be officially presented to the press 1pm Spain time tomorrow.

I have to say i am pleased, but surprised to see Owen join Beckham - he's a great player, but injury prone (hamstrings and constant groin strains) and i don't see why Madrid - who already have Ronaldo, Morientes and Raul - need him.

The word is that new Madrid coach Jose Antonio Camacho is furious because he wanted Patrick Vieira, who has today committed himself to Arsenal, and not Owen, so Owen may have problems.....

Still the more English the better - with luck it means we won't have to dub as many player interviews next season!
 
Sean Mota said:

Guti and Solari are still both at Madrid and will probably be first or second choice subs should anyone get injured. A shame as I really like Solari and think he should move to get the first team action he deserves.


I agree, I enjoyed watching Solari play more than any other Real Madrid player last year.
 
Hi I was wondering if Paul (or anyone else) could answer if the feed that is shown on television is provided to them or do are they actually doing the hd filming and editing... in some games it seems the camerawork is sort of poor, with too many closeups and not really getting a sense of the action everytime they get near the goal. (although i must say i enjoyed when during one game the camera cut to a well endowed lady that had mysteriously lost her top)
 
golem said:
Hi I was wondering if Paul (or anyone else) could answer if the feed that is shown on television is provided to them or do are they actually doing the hd filming and editing... in some games it seems the camerawork is sort of poor, with too many closeups and not really getting a sense of the action everytime they get near the goal. (although i must say i enjoyed when during one game the camera cut to a well endowed lady that had mysteriously lost her top)

We provide the feed ourselves - there is a mobile HD unit in Spain, which travels to all of the games (at about 60km per hour) with 6 cameras and a producer, who decides what shots go in etc.

That's one reason why we don't do games in Mallorca, because it's a 10 hor ferry trip from Barcelona and travelling would take just too long.

The coverage we do is pretty similar to what you would get in a game on Spanish TV, where they often focus on the crowd and it gives us something to talk about when the game is a bit dull.

The best thing is that Sid's girlfriend sits behind the goal at Real Madrid and they often focus on her.

As for the topless young lady - i remember it well, She was Brazilian, it was in Valencia and let me tell you it was not warm that night in Mestalla. so full credit to her,

you have to admire somone who goes to a football game wearing only her panties and a flag!
 
I'm curious about anything other than La Liga being shown. Any word on continued UEFA Cup matches, internationals, or possible Serie A coverage? I know WorldSport has some sort of agreement with GolTV and they cover Serie A also ......

Thanks for the wonderful coverage of the beautiful game, it's the reason I'm keeping Voom!
 
From Paul,

At the moment i am not sure if we will be doing the UEFA, but my feeling is that we will be.

There are three Spanish sides already qualified: Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla, Zaragoza and then either Villarreal or Atletico Madrid (who play each other in the Intertoto Cup with Villarreal favourites after winnig the first game 2-0).

So there are places to go in Spain, although i am not ruling out trips to France or even Portugal to see games there.

The pity is that Olympiue Marseilles - who i really enjoyed watching last year - failed to qualify this time around.

As for Italy Serie A - i don't know if World Sport will be giving games or not, but as Italian games kick off early afternoon - as opposed to evening or night in Spain, it would mean you having to get up at 8am to see the games live
 
More from Paul:

Just seen the Atletico Madrid - Malaga game is 8pm ko Spanish time on Saturday 28th

Also Real Madrid have signed ANOTHER Englishman - defender Jonathan Woodgate from Newcastle United for around 22 million dollars - seems a lot of money for a plyer who is clearly class, but who has only played 37 out of a possible 128 games through injury.

Meanwhile Barca have sold winger Luis Garcia to Liverpool for 6 million dollars - Garcia will join Xabi Alonso in Liverpool after completing a $15 million move from Real Sociedad
 
Paul, thank you very much for all the information!

You made a good point about time difference and how it affects the selection of matches for live broadcast. Although I was very excited about the idea of live broadcasts from UEFA Cup last season, the truth is that I missed most of them because they occurred during business hours. For many of us here in US, weekends is the only real opportunity to watch live European soccer. Which brings me to the following question: Is it technically possible for your team to do two live broadcasts in a row: Saturday and Sunday? Or do you normally need more time to get from one place to another to set up the equipment, etc. I would love to see two live broadcasts each weekend, but I don't know if this is doable with a single crew.

Ilya.
 
Hi again

In response to Ilya's question, it would be theoretically possible, but physically almost impossible to do two games in two days.

The camera teams start setting up in the morning before a game and it takes several hours.

We need less time to pack up afterwards, but it's still a couple of hours, so the technical people rarely get away before midnight at best.

Bear in mind the mobile unit can't go much over 45 mph because it's heavy and has a lot of fragile equipment then form Madrid to Valencia say there is a 6 or 7 hour dive - longer to Seville or Barcelona and it would mean driving through the night, arriving and setting up again with no sleep...

Also some grounds are easier than others: do you remember the Portugal -Italy game we did in Braga in the ground that was carved out of a quarry?

The ground was actually below the car park and we actually had to hire some local mountain climbers to hang them...packing up afterwards in a pouring rainstorm was by all accounts lie something out of the Eigar Sanction!
 
That's what I thought. Hope you will have more than one mobile unit eventually! For now, I will be happy even with one live HD broadcast a week! This is still more than I expected when I signed up to VOOM last year. Seeing what NBC did with Olympics, makes me respect your efforts even more. Great job!
 
PROPOSED GAMES:
WEEK 2:
Real Madrid vs. Numancia LIVE September 11/12 (Date/Time TBD)

WEEK 3:
Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona LIVE September 18/19 (D/T TBD)

WEEK 4:
Barcelona vs. Zaragoza LIVE September 22 (Time TBD)

WEEK 5:
Sevilla vs. Real Sociedad LIVE September 26/27 (D/T TBD)
 
From Paul:

We've just finished recording the voices on the 1st programme and it looks pretty good (if i say so myself)

Sadly, Sid's voice is missing as he's still in the boiling sun in Athens, cheering the brits on to gold (sic) - well Kelly Homes was great wasn't she! So i spent a long period in the studio.

There is an interview with Atletico midfielder Jorge, and a couple of very funny 'fan' pieces - on Numancia's celebrations on winning promotiion and Atletico Madrid's young fans.

We also have a look at some of this summer's signings and take a stroll round Cordoba - lovely city and if you listen to the text about it's tolerent past - a centre for Jews and Arabs at the same period - perhaps an example we should all heed in these violent times.

As you know Saturday's game - I am so looking forward to the kick off - is Atletico Madrid - Malaga - doubly interesting because Malaga's top scorer from last season (Salva) has joined Atletico (for his second spell) and Gregorio Manzano - Atletico's coach last year, now coaches Malaga!!!

Meanwhile Real Madrid have signed English defender Jonathan Woodgate (we are taking over) and Deportivo will play next season's Champions league after beating irish side Shelbourne.

In the programme we talk about Atletico being 'suffering fans' ...and it's true. Last night they missed out on a place in the UEFA Cup in the hardest possible way.

They lost the first leg of their qualifying game 2-0 to VIllarreal last week, meaning they had to win 3-0 to qualify.

They went 2-0 up on 55 minutes and then MISSED a PENALTY that would have seen them qualify. With the tie level 2-2 over both games, it went to a penalty shoot out and Villarreal won. Their goalkeeper Pepe Riena saved one penalty and Atletico hit two against the post...so VIllarreal are through again - looks like more Paella for me and Sid this year!

Ironically Reina's father was also a goalkeeper - for Atletico!!!!
 
Ouch! Sounds like Atletico Madrid are the Boston Red Sox of La Primera Liga :)

I must say those pre-game shows are fun to watch. I always enjoy the city profile segments and really like the fans that are featured - interesting characters. That one guy with all of the shirts and the guy with the drum. Do the La Liga teams have cheerleaders? There's an idea for a feature that you and Sid ought to fully investigate.
 
I corrected the thread title. La Liga is usually a 30-minute pre-game show, so it is expected to stat around 1:30 PM EDT. (In less than 15 minutes!)

Less than an hour left before the match. The soccer season is back!
 
Hmmmm - has everyone lost their Worldsport feed? Right after La Liga, the screen went black and hasn't come back. Other channels are fine.

Ok - we're back in business - but with La Liga again?

Ok - nevermind! LIVE ACTION!!! WOOOHOOOOO!
 
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