José Mourinho's Nine Year Unbeaten Home League Streak Broken: Analysis
Miguel de las Cuevas's fourth goal of the season not only ended Real Madrid's perfect home record this season but also broke José Mourinho's nine year streak of 150 league games unbeaten at home.
Sporting Gijon were 14/1 outsiders to defeat Real Madrid and Gijon manager Manuel Preciado didn't even contemplate about winning. 28% possession, one shot on target and 13 saves from Gijon keeper Juan Pablo. Preciado's Mourinhoesq strategy was aided and abetted by a sluggish Real Madrid missing Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Karim Benzema and Marcelo. Mind you, Preciado was missing his top scorer; Diego Castro.
With the game headed for a 0-0 draw, Mourinho threw caution to the wind, as he substituted Álvaro Arbeloa and Ángel Di María for Pepe and Sergio Canales. Mourinho played three at the back, moving the often defensively AWOL Sergio Ramos into a more attacking position. Eight minutes later, Nacho Cases raided Ramo's empty flank and provided a cross to de las Cuevas whose shot went in off the left hand post. Iker Casillas looked skywards, perhaps knowing it wasn't going to be Real Madrid's day.
79 minutes in, Real Madrid 0-1 Sporting Gijon. For the next 15 minutes, Real Madrid played at PS3 intensity, shooting 15 times whilst Gijon absorbed, wasted time and hoped. In the fleeting moments of the game, Alberto Botía cleared Sami Khedira's attempt off the line. With his head or his hand? ESPN commentator Tommy Smyth was unequivocal in his belief that Botía handled the ball. Referee Jose Gonzalez wasn't in a position to contemplate the decision and ESPN didn't show a replay. Perhaps decades later, Botía will reveal in his autobiography that like Luis Suárez, he created history with his hand.
This slideshow will document the last time Mourinho lost at a league game at home and the times he nearly lost at home.
A Name Mourinho Will Never Forget: Fary Faye
1 of 7It's been 9 years, 1 month and 11 days since Mourinho lost a home league game. Saturday, 23 February 2002 was the exact date.
Mário Jardel was scoring goals for fun at Sporting Lisbon (he ended the season with 55 goals in 42 games). His teammate Cristiano Ronaldo had yet to make his professional debut for Sporting. Portuguese national team manager António Oliveira was praying that the likes of Luís Figo, Rui Costa, Pauleta, Fernando Couto and Vítor Baía would not get injured. Remember, Portugal were preparing for their first FIFA World Cup since 1986.
Mourinho on the other hand was seeking his fifth consecutive league win against a struggling Beira-Mar side, who had only won three of their last 15 games.Though Beira-Mar were no push overs, they had beaten Mourinho's Porto 2-0 a few months earlier and when they won, they won big with 6-2, 5-1 and 4-0 scorelines. Beira-Mar also had pacey prolific Sengalese forward Fary Faye.
It didn't help Mourinho at all that Jorge Andrade was sent off in the 25th minute for taking down Bruno Ribeiro as last man. From the ensuing free kick, Cristiano Rocha gave Beira-Mar the 1-0 lead.
Andrade would move to Deportivo de La Coruña for €13 million. Andrade remarked at how the decision to move to Deportivo was a wise one. Well he played in the match where Monaco won 8-3 against Deportivo having been inspired by birthday boy and former car mechanic Dado Pršo's four goals. Mourinho would win the UEFA Champions League with Porto that season.Wasn't exactly a wise move was it?
Though back to the match, Benni McCarthy equalised for Porto before Faye gave Beira-Mar the lead again. Deco was sent off in the 74th minute after losing it so that meant Porto had to play with nine men for the remaining 16 or so minutes. Against the run of play, Carlos Paredes scored his one of two career goals at Porto, to level the score at 2-2.
However Faye would score what proved to be the winner in the 85th minute for Beira-Mar. Faye scored 65 goals in 178 games for Beira-Mar. He would also become a name that Mourinho will never forget.
Edgaras Jankauskas's 97th Minute Equaliser
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The reverberations of Portugal's appalling 2002 FIFA World Cup performance were still in affect. Sporting Lisbon were without two of their main forwards, João Pinto and Mario Jardel. Pinto was always a hot head and was serving a lengthy suspension for lashing out at referee Ángel Sánchez at the World Cup. Jardel was on injury leave and unfortunately, he would never return to the same heights again.
This was Mourinho and Porto's time but on opening day, they struggled against Belenenses (Mourinho had played professionally for Belenenses). Youngster Neca had put Belenenses in the lead but Helder Postiga equalised with a header in the 66th minute. Neca who was in the form of his life, converted a penalty in the 87th minute, giving Belenenses a possibility of an upset.
Though deep into injury time, Lithuanian super sub Edgaras Jankauskas equalised in the 97th minute with the last possession of the game.
It was Mourinho's and Porto's time as they won the treble including the Champions League in a shock final against Monaco. Sporting meanwhile struggled as they finished 27 points behind Mournho's Porto. They also lost their two brightest prospects, Ricardo Quaresma to Barcelona and Ronaldo to Manchester United. Sporting haven't won the Portuguese Liga since the 2001/2002 season.
Mourinho would move to Chelsea anointing himself as "The Special One". As they say, the rest is history.
Didier Drogba Denies Birmingham
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Mourinho's Chelsea were on a high after defeating Bayern Munich 4-2 in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg. With only three days to recuperate physically and mentally, Chelsea were searching for their sixth consecutive league win against Steve Bruce's Birmingham City.
Chelsea looked tired and uninspired against a resilient Birmingham who had the pace of Jermaine Pennant to break on the counter. At half time, Mourinho vented his displeasure by replacing Mateja Kežman and Alexey Smertin with Didier Drogba and Eiður Guðjohnsen. This unorthodox, drastic and risky tactic of substituting players at the half time break would become a regular Mourinho strategy.
Walter Pandiani, a consistent scorer in La Liga as somewhat forced to to Birmingham having had a series of disagreements with La Coruña manager Javier Irureta. Even though Pandiani was unimpressive in his only season for Birmingham, he did score against Chelsea.
It gave Bruce's Birmingham sights of victory until Dider Drogba scored in the 82nd minute with Frank Lampard providing the assist. Guðjohnsen almost scored the winner a minute or so later though Maik Taylor denied his rasping shot. If Guðjohnsen scored, it would have vindicated Mourinho's bold substitution policy.
That season, Chelsea won the Premier League by 12 points, displacing Arsène Wenger's Invincibles. Birmingham finished in 12th place. Chelsea exited the Champions League in the semi-finals after a dubious goal from Liverpool's Luis García. Liverpool would memorably come back from three goals down to defeat A.C. Milan on penalties in the Champions League final.
Michael Essien Rescues Chelsea
4 of 7For the 2006–07 season, Mourinho had invested in Michael Ballack, Ashley Cole (who he tapped up much to the dismay of Wenger) Khalid Boulahrouz (who would have a remarkable game against Ronaldinho) and Salomon Kalou.
These were the players Mourinho wanted but owner Roman Abramovich inserted his £30 million for Andriy Shevchenko. Mourinho and Shevchenko never saw eye to eye and Silvio Berlusconi's Milan were laughing their way to the bank. Five years later, Liverpool would do the exact same thing when Abramovich intervened to buy Fernando Torres. The writing was on the wall for Mourinho.
Already nine points behind Manchester United, a win was required against Arsenal. The match was a tempestuous one given the Arsenal fan's vehement dislike for Cole who they dubbed as "Cashley" and Cole was fortunate to escape a red card after a ugly challenge on Alexander Hleb. Hleb would move to Barcelona in 2008 and since then, his career has been in freefall.
Mathieu Flamini gave Arsenal the lead in the 78th minute and Arsenal looked set to win against Chelsea. This was until the 84th minute when Michael Essien's long range thunderbolt pierced the net, giving Chelsea a dramatic equaliser. The game wasn't over there as Essien and Lampard both struck the woodwork after Jens Lehmann was being well... Jens Lehmann.
Mourinho's Chelsea didn't catch Manchester United and eight months later, Mourinho unsurprisingly quit in sensational fashion during the season.
Two Goals in Two Minutes
5 of 7Having already secured the Serie A, the final game of the season against Atlanta was made more emotional given it was Figo's final professional game.
In a game which swung from side to side, Atlanta found themselves 3-2 up with ten minutes remaining, mainly due to the influence of aging but gifted playmaker Cristiano Doni. However in the 81st minute, Esteban Cambiasso who has great positional awareness, poached a goal. A minute later, Zlatan Ibrahimović's sensational back heel goal capped of a memorable and entertaining 4-3 victory.
Figo moved into an ambassador role for Inter and found himself on the Inter bench in the Champions League semifinals against Barcelona. Just one of the many methods Mourinho has used to divert attention away from his team. Ibrahimović would move to Barcelona in exchange for €46 million plus Samuel Eto'o.
Sneijder and Samuel Shock Siena
6 of 7Mourinho's Inter Milan were looking for their fourth win in five games against a struggling Siena side.
Though Siena hardly struggled against Inter Milan with Massimo Maccarone providing clips to his highlight reel and Juventus prospect Albin Ekdal on loan at Siena provided a reason why his parent club should give him more game time. With seven minutes left, Siena were ahead 3-2.
A trademark Wesley Sneijder free kick provided an 88th minute equaliser... then deep into injury time, Walter Samuel who had replaced the ineffective Ricardo Quaresma, received Goran Pandev's pass, sent Inter into ecstasy and shocked a silent Siena.
Siena would finish the season in 19th place and were relegated. Maccarone moved to Palermo and now plays for Sampdoria. Juventus decided not to recall Ekdal and transferred him to Bologna.
Inter would win the treble, including the Champions League. Though the memorable anecdote of the Champions League wasn't their victory against Bayern Munich in the final, it was a pulsating back to the wall defensive masterclass against Barcelona in the semi final second leg.
Mourinho would move to Real Madrid, Inter replaced him with Rafael Benítez who would be replaced with former Milan star Leonardo.
Final Comment
7 of 7Mourinho's bravado and winning mentality has evidently rubbed off on his players. His maverick style in substitution players off at half time, at times playing with three or four forwards and playing players out of position, has contributed to this record.
He has dared to venture into the unknown, utilising Michael Essien and Samuel Eto'o's impressive physical qualities in positions no-one would have even contemplated. Essien provided world class performances at right back, overshadowing an unfortunate Paulo Ferreira. Eto'o's performances as an auxiliary defender, was the backbone to Inter's treble winning success. At Real Madrid, Mourinho has transformed a selfish and a selfish and petulant Emmanuel Adebayor into a hard working team player.
Mourinho's 150 league games unbeaten at home will be an easy record to remember, as 150 is a round number. Though the record mainly is due to Mourinho's excellency, luck has also played an unerring part.
Jankauskas equalising with the last possession of the game in the 97th minute. Referee Alan Wiley not calling a foul on Alexander Hleb, from the ensuing possession, Essien scored a dramatic equaliser. Siena hitting the post against Inter whilst Mourinho was playing with two defenders. Remember he had substituted a very poor Ricardo Quaresma out for Samuel, which makes no sense, but it worked out. In fact, in an interview with Sports Illustrated journalist Grant Wahl, Mourinho said, "I finished the game [against Siena] with two defenders. I risk in a crazy way ... So you also need a little bit of the luck!"
Beira-Mar's Fary Faye and Sporting Gijon's Miguel de las Cuevas will be names that Mourinho will never forget. Nine years on, Beira-Mar are still playing in the Portuguese Primeira Liga whilst Faye is playing for Aves in the Portuguese second division. It will be interesting to see in nine years time, where Sporting Gijon and Miguel de las Cuevas are. In nine years time, Mourinho may be on even longer unbeaten streak at home whilst managing the red half of Manchester, or even the blue half.
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