Real Sociedad

Real Sociedad booked their spot in the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday, beating Mirandes 1-0 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate.

Mikel Oyarzabal gave the La Liga club the lead from the penalty spot in the first half, and Mirandes barely threatened the Basques after the break.

La Real won the first leg 2-1 at their home ground. Granada and Athletic Bilbao will battle it out for the other ticket to the final on Thursday.

The 2-1 scoreline from the first leg meant this match was evenly balanced going into the return, and La Real could not afford to sit back.

The visitors came out swinging, and Adnan Januzaj nearly headed home after eight minutes, just missing the target.

La Real were the aggressors, led by midfield maestro Martin Odegaard, but Mirandes had plenty of good moments as well. Martin Merquelanz―on loan from the Txuri Urdin―was once again the main danger man, and this effort went very close:

This was close!!! Just over half an hour played. 0-0 @sidlowe#tsfpAtTheGames pic.twitter.com/bU7wavQTOo

— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) March 4, 2020

Willian Jose also went close, testing Limones with a good strike, while Januzaj was heavily involved and could have scored after 32 minutes following a good run from Oyarzabal.

It was the star forward who got his team off the mark shortly before the half-time break from the penalty spot. A Joseba Zaldua cross was handled in the box, and Oyarzabal made no mistake:

Quite a hop, skip and jump penalty from the generally pretty reserved Oyarzabal...

— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) March 4, 2020

Januzaj crashed a shot off the cross bar early in the second half, signaling even more attacking intentions from the Txuri Urdin. 

A Merquelanz free-kick was nearly turned home by Jon Guridi, and Igor Zubeldia's deflected shot harmlessly bounced into the arms of Limones.

Copa del Rey top scorer Alexander Isak came on for the final 25 minutes to help out with Mirandes' push for a comeback. Merquelanz found the head of Matheus, but Alex Remiro made a great save at his back post. 

The Txuri Urdin did a great job killing the pace of the contest as the final whistle drew closer, although Remiro had to make a strong save to deny Mario Barco. Matheus fired a shot wide, and Isak had a late goal called back for offside.

   

What's Next?

Barcelona host La Real on Sunday in La Liga. Mirandes visit Alcorcon in the second division the same day.

Mirandes will attempt to further their 2020 Copa del Rey giantkilling exploits in Thursday's semi-final first leg at Real Sociedad.

The Segunda Division club have sliced through La Liga opponents in the cup this term, eliminating Celta Vigo, Sevilla and Villarreal.

Sociedad, meanwhile, claimed a shock 4-3 quarter-final victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The semi-final second leg will be played at the Estadio Municipal de Anduva on March 4.

            

Date: Thursday, Feb. 13

Time: 9 p.m. local, 8 p.m. GMT, 3 p.m. ET

Stream: ESPN+

Odds: Sociedad 43-10, Mirandes 13-2, draw 73-20 (per Caesars)

               

Preview

Mirandes arrive in San Sebastian as outsiders, but that won't deter the visitors during their latest Copa adventure.

The Reds sit 10th in the Segunda Division after a moderate league campaign but will be hoping to force their way into the play-offs for a chance to join the Spanish top flight.

However, their minds will be focused on a Sociedad outfit that slammed four goals past Madrid on their own turf in the Spanish capital.

And Imanol Alguacil's team will now be considering the prospect of an all-Basque final against Athletic Bilbao.

How La Real handle being overwhelming favourites could dictate who emerges victorious from this tie, and Mirandes have nothing to lose.

Alfredo Relano of AS noted Mirandes are "the thunderclap that roars on" after their impressive 4-2 quarter-final win over Villarreal, with the La Liga side twice fighting back to make it 2-2 before the Reds completed the win in the second half.

Relano wrote: "These thunderclaps Mirandes produce like nobody else give the kind of flavour to the cup that La Liga is lacking, with its slow and steady development where it seems as if everything has a solution."

Sociedad were the outsiders at the Bernabeu against a Madrid team that had been in convincing form. The La Liga leaders were expected to progress, but found themselves 3-0 down after 56 minutes.

Los Blancos fought back to level the tie at 3-3, but Mikel Merino's effort in the fifth minute of injury time made sure Sociedad claimed a famous victory.

Martin Odegaard has developed as an increasingly important figure for Sociedad, and the Madrid loanee has two Copa goals in as many appearances this season.

The 21-year-old could be the player who fires La Real to the final and, in the process, proves he is worthy of a first-team spot at the Bernabeu next term.

First-leg prediction: Real Sociedad 3-1 Mirandes.

Real Sociedad continued their remarkable start to the 2017-18 La Liga season on Sunday, beating Deportivo La Coruna 4-2 to maintain their spot at the top of the standings.

The Basques join Barcelona as the only perfect teams left, with three wins from three outings.

Elsewhere, Celta Vigo beat Alaves and Athletic Bilbao edged Girona. Here's a look at the results:

Deportivo 2-4 Real Sociedad

Athletic 2-0 Girona

Celta Vigo 1-0 Alaves

Villarreal 3-1 Real Betis

To access the La Liga standings, visit WhoScored.com.

      

Recap

Asier Illarramendi scored twice and Juanmi and Diego Llorente also got on the scoresheet on Sunday, as La Real continued their remarkable run in Galicia with a 4-2 win over Deportivo.

As shared by the Spanish Football Pod, the Basques have won all of their matches so far this season and have done so with vibrant, attacking football:

Real Sociedad have scored at least three goals in each of their three La Liga games so far 🔥🔥🔥

— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) September 10, 2017

Adrian Lopez and Florin Andone were on point for the hosts, but Deportivo eventually relented under Sociedad's heavy pressure, conceding two goals inside the final 10 minutes.

La Real finished the 2016-17 season in reasonable form, but even their biggest fans likely didn't foresee such a great start to the new campaign. As shared by Colin Millar of Football Espana, the squad didn't see the arrival of big-money stars this summer:

Real Sociedad: 3 wins from 3, 10 goals scored. 14 of 24 players in first team squad (6 starters today) came through youth system.

— Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin) September 10, 2017

Their biggest test of the season so far will come in Week 4, as Real Madrid pay a visit to the Anoeta. The stadium has long been known as a tricky place for top visiting teams, and Los Blancos enter the contest in poor form (five points from three matches), on short rest after a midweek Champions League match (Wednesday against APOEL) and without the likes of Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Meanwhile, Maximiliano Gomez scored the only goal in Celta's win over Alaves, delivering the team their first points. Vigo have aspirations for a European berth next season and desperately needed a result, finding it against last season's Cinderella team.

Per OptaJose, it's clear where their issues lie:

0 - Alaves have failed to score in their first three games of a La Liga season for the first time ever. Drought. pic.twitter.com/XyxSfPFURa

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) September 10, 2017

Iker Muniain and Aritz Aduriz guided Athletic to a 2-0 win over Girona, putting the Basques inside the top four and only two points behind their rivals from San Sebastian. 

In the final match of the day, Villarreal fell behind early against Betis, but Carlos Bacca, Samuel Castillejo and Enes Unal turned the situation around for the Yellow Submarine.

Carlos Vela is set to leave Real Sociedad to join Los Angeles Football Club, who will play in MLS beginning next season. 

The La Liga side confirmed the departure via their official Twitter account (h/t ESPN's Dermot Corrigan), as the Mexico international makes the switch to the United States. Vela is set to join his new team in January.

Vela took to Twitter to announce his decision: 

My new Club in 2018. @LAFC pic.twitter.com/hR0tZ8eLFI

— carlos vela (@11carlosV) August 8, 2017

The L.A. based franchise was announced in 2014 and are due to play their matches at the Banc of California Stadium in Exposition Park.

Kevin Baxter of the L.A. Times (h/t transfermarkt.com) reported Vela becomes the new club's first designated player after agreeing a contract. LAFC will have to find the Mexican star a loan club until they begin training after Christmas.

The attacker scored nine goals last term in La Liga, according to WhoScored.com, and has previously featured for Arsenal in the Premier League.

Real Sociedad completed the signing of Adnan Januzaj from Manchester United on Wednesday. 

United wished the 22-year-old winger well on Twitter:

Good luck to @AdnanJanuzaj, who has left #MUFC to join Real Sociedad. pic.twitter.com/K2SSIXj9e8

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 12, 2017

Januzaj joined United's youth academy from RSC Anderlecht in 2011 and impressed as a teenager in his first senior appearances for the Red Devils under manager David Moyes in the 2013-14 season.

However, his progress has stalled in the years since. He endured a miserable loan spell at Borussia Dortmund in 2015-16, which was ended early due to a lack of game time.

In 2016-17, he spent a season on loan at Sunderland, making 25 Premier League appearances and returning three assists as the Black Cats were relegated.

Januzaj will be desperate to revitalise his career at La Real, and a move to La Liga could be beneficial.

He has plenty of ability and boasts a number of key assets that could mean he thrives in the Spanish game, including pace, close-ball control and fine link-up play.

But Januzaj will need game time if he is to make progress and will need to impress La Real manager Eusebio Sacristan early if he is to hit the ground running at his new club.

Real Sociedad climbed to sixth in La Liga after defeating Sporting Gijon 3-1 at the Anoeta Stadium on Monday night.

The victory sees La Real jump above Eibar and Athletic Bilbao in the standings as they battle for a place in Europe next term.

Sociedad controlled the match for the majority of the game, only allowing their relegation-threatened opponent a consolation goal in the final minutes.

Here is the latest table from Spain's top division:

Pos	Club	P	W	D	L	GD	Points
1	Real Madrid	30	22	6	2	48	72
2	Barcelona	31	21	6	4	60	69
3	Atletico Madrid	31	18	8	5	32	62
4	Sevilla	31	18	7	6	17	61
5	Villarreal	31	15	9	7	21	54
6	Real Sociedad	31	16	4	11	4	52
7	Eibar	31	14	8	9	10	50
8	Athletic Bilbao	31	15	5	11	4	50
9	Espanyol	31	12	10	9	1	46
10	Celta Vigo	30	12	5	13	-6	41
11	Alaves	31	10	10	11	-9	40
12	Valencia	31	11	6	14	-7	39
13	Las Palmas	31	10	8	13	-2	38
14	Malaga	31	8	9	14	-11	33
15	Real Betis	31	8	7	16	-18	31
16	Deportivo La Coruna	31	6	10	15	-17	28
17	Leganes	31	6	9	16	-22	27
18	Sporting Gijon	31	5	7	19	-29	22
19	Granada	31	4	8	19	-38	20
20	Osasuna	31	3	8	20	-38	17

Monday Recap

The misery continued for Sporting as they collapsed to their 19th league defeat of the campaign.

The visitors were always favourites to be on the losing side against their lofty challengers, and they were behind after only three minutes when Willian Jose met Xabi Prieto's cross to head home.

The opener was an ominous warning for the Rojiblancos, but they had neither the drive nor inclination to compete.

Juanmi almost immediately doubled the lead for the hosts as he fluffed his lines, but he made amends after 27 minutes with the second of the game.

The player found the bottom-left corner with a smart shot, and the points appeared to be in the bag before half-time.

OptaJose highlighted the performance of Carlos Vela as he exercised his influence:

100 - Carlos Vela has had a hand in 100 goals in his 200 La Liga games for Real Sociedad (63 goals and 37 assists). Bomber. pic.twitter.com/a834vamrJE

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 10, 2017

The encounter continued in the same vein in the second half, with the visitors battling to find a way forward against a superior outfit.

La Real had to wait until 13 minutes from time to claim their third of the night as Yuri scored after an assist from David Zurutuza after a fast break.

There was time for a late consolation for the visitors as Sociedad took their foot off the gas.

Elderson Echiejile side-footed home as he latched on to a Borja Viguera pass with three minutes remaining.

Sporting appear destined from the drop and are now five points from safety behind Leganes.

Sociedad have struggled in recent weeks but are back to winning ways at a vital point in the season.

Real Sociedad continued their bid to finish the 2016-17 La Liga season inside the top four with another win on Friday, as the Basques battled to a 2-1 triumph at Espanyol.

The in-form Catalans gave La Real quite the contest, but goals from Carlos Vela and Asier Illarramendi secured the win. Hernan Perez scored a wonderful goal for the hosts.

Here's a look at the latest standings following Friday's result:

Pos	Team	PL	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Real Madrid	19	14	4	1	51	17	+34	46
2	Barcelona	21	13	6	2	55	18	+37	45
3	Sevilla	21	13	4	4	43	28	+15	43
4	Real Sociedad	22	13	2	7	36	31	+5	41
5	Atletico Madrid	21	11	6	4	36	16	+20	39
6	Villarreal	21	9	8	4	28	14	+14	35
7	Athletic Club	21	9	5	7	26	25	+1	32
8	Espanyol	22	8	8	6	30	29	+1	32
9	Eibar	21	9	5	7	32	29	+3	32
10	Celta Vigo	20	9	3	8	31	33	-2	30
11	Las Palmas	21	7	7	7	31	32	-1	28
12	Alaves	21	6	9	6	21	22	-1	27
13	Real Betis	20	6	5	9	21	31	-10	23
14	Malaga	21	5	7	9	28	35	-7	22
15	Valencia	20	5	4	11	29	40	-11	19
16	Deportivo La Coruna	20	4	7	9	25	32	-7	19
17	Leganes	21	4	6	11	15	35	-20	18
18	Sporting Gijon	21	3	4	14	22	43	-21	13
19	Granada	21	2	7	12	17	44	-27	13
20	Osasuna	21	1	7	13	23	46	-23	10

Friday's outing started in disappointing fashion for La Real, who lost star forward Willian Jose to injury just a few minutes into the contest. Sports writer Simon Harrison feared it could have a major impact on the rest of their campaign:

Willian José limping off this evening is a huge talking point for Real Sociedad. Can Juanmi help them keep the top-four pace? #LaLiga

— Simon Harrison (@simonhfootball) February 10, 2017

The Basques played well during the opening stages, however, and Vela gave the visitors the lead after 26 minutes with a nice finish.

But once La Real had the lead, the visitors sat back and invited trouble. With 10 minutes left to play in the half, Perez pulled the hosts level with a fantastic goal. He was sent through with a fine pass and wrong-footed two defenders before blasting home from close range, to the delight of BeIN Sports USA's Ryan Catanese:

https://twitter.com/rcatanese/status/830150179114385408

La Real took control of the ball to start the second half, and Vela went close to restoring the lead after 54 minutes.

It was team-mate Illarramendi who took care of the scoring, however, producing a fine strike that had his team's official Twitter account buzzing:

📷 What a goal from @illarra4 1-2 #espanyolrealsociedad pic.twitter.com/ffR23M6maD

— Real Sociedad 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 (@RealSociedadEN) February 10, 2017

Espanyol pushed for a late equaliser, but La Real displayed great maturity in seeing out the match. The result sees the Basques leap over Atletico Madrid in the standings, but the Rojiblancos still have a match in hand.

Leaders Real Madrid face a trip to lowly Osasuna on Saturday and are expected to cruise to yet another win. The hosts have won just a single match all season long and field the league's worst-ranked defence.

Manager Zinedine Zidane still expects a difficult trip, however:

☝️🎙💬 #RMCity #Zidane: "El Sadar has always been a difficult place for us to go and that's not going to change."

👉 https://t.co/6d8kmioDKm pic.twitter.com/RKcxFmHzey

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 10, 2017

Barcelona's trip should be slightly more difficult, as the Catalans face an in-form Alaves side. The Basques sit well ahead of the relegation zone and qualified for the final of the Copa del Rey, turning the 2016-17 campaign into something of a Cinderella run.

Atletico Madrid host Celta Vigo, who have won three of their last four matches in La Liga.

The idea was that he would change them and that they would change him. In both cases, it was hoped for the better, the anticipated journey one of mutual evolution. 

But it didn't quite work out that way. 

When David Moyes took over at Real Sociedad last November, he inherited a team that lingered just above the relegation zone, their record two wins from 11 games; when he left them 363 days later this November, they lingered just above the relegation zone, their record two wins from 11 games. 

More stagnation than evolution, then? Probably, but this is a case that, like many others, goes beyond the raw facts. 

Though history might eventually use numerical indicators to briefly assess Moyes' tenure in San Sebastian, his Spanish adventure can't be defined in such a manner. Instead, his time at Real Sociedad should be viewed through a prism of culture, language, habits, style, assimilation and change—more specifically, the difficulties involved in each, and what the Scot's stint in the Basque Country says for British managers and spells abroad. 

When Moyes arrived at the Real Sociedad, he wanted to instil a somewhat British character in his new team. "Can we play a 'British' style? I hope so," he told the Guardian's Sid Lowe back in May. "I want to play fast, the ball moving, energy." The club wanted that too.

One of the reasons behind his appointment wasn't just that he'd previously managed a colossal club in Manchester United, or that he'd compiled a sterling record at Everton; it was that La Real had lacked a really distinguishable identity. A bit passive, uninspiring, a lack of verve affecting them, Sociedad didn't feel as though they stood for anything on the pitch. As a team, they needed personality more than anything. A trademark. 

In theory, Moyes would give them that. He'd give a Spanish outfit a British twist, and thus, a point of difference. But that never really happened. 

Instead of becoming dynamic, La Real became sort of confused, as we noted just prior to his sacking:

Watching Real Sociedad right now is a difficult experience. Though the team is organised, though they're hardly shambolic, there's an unshakeable sense of confusion in attack, muddled thinking becoming paralysis. The ball goes sideways more than it does forward. Their motion is stagnant more than it is fluid. The buildup is painfully slow. Invention is absent.

According to WhoScored.com, Moyes' side ranks fifth in the league for possession but 14th for shots on goal. For shots on target it's worse: 20th. Dead last.

Moyes had wanted fast and direct, and his players tried, but that's not who they were or how they'd been trained and developed. It had been hoped that a fusion of cultures and ideas would lead to positive change, but rather than getting a fusion, La Real got a clash. "Moyes came in with the intention of improving and changing things and it hasn't worked out so well," defender Inigo Martinez said at the end of last season. 

In September, midfielder David Zurutuza added that the team needed "an idea." The suggestion was that they didn't have one, that a philosophy wasn't there to embrace, reinforcing the perception that Moyes hadn't been able to adapt to the more tactical Spanish game after struggling to instil the British essence he'd originally intended. 

In short, change proved difficult, but the manager wasn't the only one at fault. 

Throughout his career, the Scot's great strength has been his ability to build sides thanks to a prodigious work ethic. Relentlessly, he travels to games to scout talent, and his commitment to working harder than the next guy to unearth players is matched by few, as illustrated in Michael Calvin's wonderful The Nowhere Men. Consequently, though Moyes' best sides have never been particularly renowned for their invention, they've always had a reliability about them because of the reliability of his squad construction. 

But Real Sociedad didn't let him do that. Not quite. 

In May, AS indicated that the former Everton boss had wanted to perform a squad overhaul in his first summer. With targets in mind, he'd wanted to reshape the team in his image to give it a new identity, but the club resisted such a change in policy, president Jokin Apperibay and sporting director Loren preferring to stick more closely to the method they knew. 

Compromise was the result, but what it meant was that Moyes' distinguishing feature was blunted. Without a squad he built, without his sort of players, Real Sociedad were asking him to give his own twist to a team not suited to taking that twist on—perhaps unwilling, too. In a foreign country, surrounded by a foreign language and culture, in a league he was still getting to grips with, Moyes couldn't turn to the pillar of his management. 

Consequently, the difficulties presented by those foreign aspects were heightened. And reinventing oneself at 52 isn't easy. 

Despite attempts to learn the language, Moyes' progression in that regard was minimal, complicating his communication with staff and players while also contributing to a sense of isolation. Such a situation wasn't helped by the fact that the staff around him weren't his own, or by the fact that a hotel was his place of residence in San Sebastian. 

Such elements, that feeling of a coach who went on an adventure but quickly grew lonely, made building a rapport difficult and can't have helped his authority. What's more, it gave the impression he wasn't connecting with the area, or understanding the fiercely proud Basque region in the way John Toshack and Howard Kendall had done before him. 

Indeed, Toshack and Kendall are both fondly remembered for their spells in Spain. The former, whose use of British idioms translated literally into Spanish became legendary, successfully embraced his surroundings and propelled Real Sociedad to the capture of the Copa del Rey in 1987; the latter, who arrived at Athletic Bilbao in the same year, lived at his club's training ground and embedded himself in the environment similarly. 

But timing and differences in eras are important here. 

When Toshack and Kendall went to northern Spain, the stock of British managers as a collective was strong. On the back of the successes of Liverpool, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Everton in European competition in the preceding years, British football was viewed favourably on the continent, its talent in demand. Then the Heysel disaster occurred in 1985, seeing English clubs banned from competing in Europe, prompting an exodus of that talent, managers and players alike tempted abroad. 

So much so that, as noted by Nick Miller for the Guardian, "in the summer of 1987, seven of the 20 managers in the Spanish top flight were British."

As such, even if just for a short time, British managers carried a helpful authority built on perception. On collective success. Many of them were also considered to be at the very pinnacle of their craft, too. 

But not anymore. 

The wider perception of British football now is that it's grown dated. With English clubs in particular struggling in Europe, with the England national team enduring similar difficulties, the game in Britain is seen as lagging behind, its structure viewed as failing, its coaching perceived as limited and short-sighted. 

Consequently, the stock of British managers may have never been lower, the reality of their collective standard perhaps the same. And a look around this season's Champions League group stage says it all: There isn't a single British manager to be seen. What's more, before his sacking, Moyes was the only Briton managing abroad in one of Europe's top 10 leagues by UEFA's rankings. 

Now there are none. (For the sake of comparison, there are five Spanish managers holding positions abroad in those leagues at present; there are also five Portuguese managers and three Frenchmen, too.)

Perhaps contributing to that is a reluctance among Brits to move away, but for men like Moyes who do seek such a challenge, the perception becomes problematic. Before they've even started, cynicism exists for their appointment. Their tactical acumen is doubted. They don't command the confidence and authority others might.

Of course, perception can be altered, but does it mean that British managers are short on time from the beginning? Might the lack of collective success reduce one's margin for error? Might a flying start in a new club abroad not just be desirable but actually a necessity? 

It's possible. And if true to even some extent, it heightens the need for any adaption process to be rapid. For British managers, there isn't time to burn in learning the language. In embedding oneself in the culture. In getting to grips with the league. In growing accustomed to a club's workings and internal structure. 

Was Moyes on the way to achieving those things? He might say yes; Real Sociedad might say no. 

But perhaps the bigger question with the more concerning answer is: Will others now be willing to follow his path?

David Moyes lasted all of one year with Real Sociedad, as the former Everton and Manchester United manager was fired by the Spanish club on Monday, via Ed Malyon of the Mirror.  

Moyes, 52, took over for Jagoba Arrasate at Sociedad last November, helping lead the club to a 12th-place finish in the league. Sociedad have gotten off to a rough start this season, however, with just nine points after 11 games. The club are currently out of the relegation zone only due to goal difference.

Worse, the club have shown little sign of improvement in recent action, having lost four of their last five league games. Friday's 2-0 loss to Las Palmas was the final straw, as Sociedad have now won just four of their last 21 games dating back to last season, and Las Palmas came into the matchup buried in the relegation zone.

After spending 11 years with Everton, Moyes has found less stability at his next two jobs. His tenure with Manchester United was disastrous, as he took over from club legend Sir Alex Ferguson and was sacked before his maiden season ended after failing to qualify for the Champions League. 

Things have not been much better at Real Sociedad, where he's struggled to maintain any consistency and has reportedly developed rifts with some of the veteran players he inherited at the club who questioned his training methods, per Malyon.

Eusebio Sacristan, the former Celta and Barcelona B manager, will have a tall task of turning around Sociedad's season as the interim manager, per Pete Jenson of the Daily Mail. After a season of mostly disappointment and underachievement, however, it was clear a change was needed.