Roberto Ayala Interview

In my humble opinion, one of the best centerbacks in the world for the last couple of years has been Roberto Ayala. The rugged Argentine has made up for his short stature (5'10") with his speed, tactical awareness, and the toughness that is inherent in all top shelf South American defenders. Not only can Ayala shut opposing players down in his half of the field, he can be a hard player to track when he moves up for set pieces (see pic above).

Ayala had a great World Cup after enjoying success at Valencia in the past couple of seasons. He was voted on to the Germany '06s squad of the tournament and was looking forward to a trophy-contending season with los Ches. Once Argentina was eliminated, things didn't really go to plan. The defender had some issues with his contract which didn't sit well with the club. After getting that resolved, he's seen a bright start to the La Liga season turn rather sour. Two points from their last five matches has seen Valencia drop to eighth in the league, eleven points off the pace.

Ayala sat down with Diego Pico of Spanish sports daily Marca last Saturday, on the eve of Valencia's 0-1 loss to Real Madrid. Here's a rough translation of that interview:

Have you guys been able to catch your breath now after beating Olympiakos and qualifying for the Champions League round of 16?
We were due a win, especially for how much work we've been putting in. We started well in Sevilla, but the red card changed everything [David Villa picked up two yellows within the first 17 minutes of the game]. After that, against the Greeks, in general we played a good match. We played at a good pace, held onto the ball, and well, a good result...

It seemed like you were all celebrating the goals a little differently...lots of happiness, everyone enjoying the moment.
It's the best way to get out of these rough patches. Come together as a group, be there for the guy next to you and try to help him when he needs it.

How did it feel going so long without registering a shutout [Before beating Olympiakos 2-0, Valencia last held a top-flight opponent without a goal on October 11th]?
We really needed it. There have been a lot of games where we've just given away goals, stupid errors that have just killed us. When you make a mistake in the back, it's tough to come back from. We hope to get on a positive streak and cut out the mistakes that have got us into this position.

At least you've been able to get it right in the Champions League where you're in first place...
We've had a great run so far in the Champions League. The objective has been met and now we can turn all of our attention to finishing the year on a positive note in La Liga. Right now our primary focus is [Real] Madrid. It's going to be a game that turns it around for us.

The truth is that it's the ideal game for you to get your season back on track.
So was the match in Sevilla. [Real] Madrid is a team that's playing better away from the Bernabeu right now. Motivation isn't lacking for us, you can already feel the buzz surrounding the match. The team feels it, the fans...we've been getting lots of positive letters and well wishes. This is a game that you don't need to find any extra motivation for.

Are you going to face a different [Real] Madrid than the one you've faced the last couple of seasons?
They seem to be a tighter team this season, the gaps they leave on the field are fewer. They've let in fewer goals and they have tons of technical ability. In the past, teams haven't really respected them and gone right at them. Today, [Fabio] Capello has laid them out so that they can take those blows and defend themselves more solidly. They've earned that respect back.

That respect has been earned by [Ruud] Van Nistelrooy in the last couple of months...
I hope to be up for the challenge. They have a couple of dangerous players, but with Van Nistelrooy you have someone who puts away everything that falls to him in the penalty area. We're going to have to be very careful with him. He's a player that seems to be asleep at times, but who with half a chance can score. He doesn't have the ball at his feet as much as say Raul. There are times when he looks a little lost out there, but then puts away the slightest of chances. He's a six-yard box predator who gets on the end of every rebound. It seems like he has a magnets in his boots.

Roberto Ayala interview (in Spanish) [Marca]

-ac