Real Sociedad vs. Atletico Madrid: Winners and Losers from La Liga Game
Real Sociedad earned their second win of the season with a 2-1 victory at the Anoeta Stadium over Atletico Madrid.
Mario Mandzukic opened the scoring for the visitors, but goals by Carlos Vela and Imanol Agirretxe handed the hosts a valuable three points.
The match saw 10 yellow cards handed out, two of which were given in quick succession to Guilherme Siqueira.
Here's a look at the winners and losers from the final game of the weekend in Spain.
Winner/Loser: Carlos Vela
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Let's start with the most controversial figure in Sunday's match.
Carlos Vela turned in a terrific individual effort in the 15th minute to score an equalizer for Real Sociedad. But it was his antics following the strike that brought all the attention to the Mexican player.
Vela was booked for simulation in the 23rd minute, as the referee was under the impression Diego Godin did not make any contact with Vela. The replay did show a bit of contact was made, suggesting the call may not have been the right one.
The Mexican came under fire again in the 53rd minute, when he went to ground after trying to break through a wall of Atleti defenders. He did make contact with Mario Mandzukic's shoulder, but he went down in spectacular fashion and should have earned a booking.
Despite making a positive impact on the match, Vela left the pitch at the Anoeta Stadium with his share of critics.
Loser: Guilherme Siqueira
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Within the first five minutes of the second half, Guilherme Siqueira picked up two yellow cards to put Atleti down a man for the rest of the match.
The left-back kept the first-half theme of bookings alive in the second half, when he picked up his first caution in the 48th minute.
After earning the sixth yellow of the match, he went a step further in the 50th minute. The Atleti left-back took down Vela with a sliding challenge on the wing to earn a deserved second booking.
Being down a man eventually cost Diego Simeone's side in the 83rd minute, when Agirretxe knocked in the game-winning goal.
Winner: Imanol Agirretxe
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In the 83rd minute, Imanol Agirretxe helped Real Sociedad finally take advantage of the red card by scoring on a header.
The hosts did not create many chances while up a man, but the one clear-cut opportunity they did put on goal found the back of the net.
Agirretxe nodded in a cross from Joseba Zaldua after he was poorly marked by Joao Miranda in the box.
The goal clinched the second win of the 2014-15 campaign for La Real, who also defeated Real Madrid at home earlier in the season.
Loser: Miranda
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Alteti center-back Miranda was responsible for letting Agirretxe slip through to head in the game-winning goal. His poor marking allowed the Real Sociedad forward to beat Miguel Moya with relative ease late in the match.
He was also at fault in the 35th minute, when his errant pass was gifted to the feet of Agirretxe. Luckily for the defender, Godin was there to slide in and make a spectacular goal-line clearance.
Miranda will surely bounce back from this performance in his next match, but he did set his team back on a weekend where Real Madrid and Barcelona were both victorious.
Winner: Asier Santana
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Real Sociedad were in the news this week because of the sacking of Jagoba Arrasate. With the club in search of a new boss, Asier Santana was handed the job on a caretaker basis.
Things were looking bleak for Santana's side after Mandzukic's opener, but he got his team to respond well. La Real earned an equalizer five minutes later and never backed down to the challenge Atleti presented.
Santana's side were able to hold the visitors to a minimal attacking threat in the second half. And it was one of his three substitutes who delivered the game-winning assist.
The decision to bring on the 22-year-old Zaldua six minutes after going up a man reaped its rewards when the defender crossed in the ball to the head of Agirretxe.
Due to the international break, Real Sociedad will not play again until November 22. By that time, the managerial search could over, which means Santana could have one important win as an interim boss on his resume.
Loser: Atletico Madrid's Discipline
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Atletico Madrid displayed terrible discipline throughout the match, as eight yellow cards were handed to their players.
A few of the cards were earned for rough challenges, but the bookings that hurt the most were the ones handed out for dissent.
Raul Garcia earned a caution for dissent in the 51st minute, while Arda Turan and Juanfran were booked for the same infraction in the first half.
While frustration is a part of the game, some of the Atleti players took it too far Sunday. Diego Simeone's team let their disagreements with the referees get to them throughout the match, which is something a top-four side absolutely can't do in any European league.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
