Van der Vaart return not enough for sleepy Hamburg

<b style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;">Rafael van der Vaart's return to Hamburg SV was not enough to save them from a third straight Bundesliga defeat on Sunday as they lost 3-2 at Eintracht Frankfurt.</span><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;">The Dutchman, starting a second stint at the club he played at from 2005 to 2008, set up one goal for Son Heung-min but it was too late as goals from Takashi Inui, Olivier Occean and Stefan Aigner gave Eintracht the points.</span><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;">Hamburg, the only ever-present side in the Bundesliga since it was founded in 1963, played the entire second half with 10 men after Czech midfielder Petr Jiracek was sent off.</span><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;">Promoted Eintracht joined Bayern Munich as the only team with maximum points from their opening three games.</span><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;">Hamburg, who narrowly escaped relegation last season, are one of two teams who have yet to get off the mark alongside Hoffenheim, who earlier on Sunday lost 5-3 at previously winless Freiburg.</span><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;">"We overslept for the first 20 minutes and that is not something which should happen," said Van der Vaart, who became a cult figure on his previous spell at the club.</span><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;">"After that, we saw a different Hamburg," added the Dutchman, who joined the club from Tottenham Hotspur. "There is still a long way to go."</span><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;">Inui pounced on a mistake by Jeffrey Bruma to open the scoring in the 13th minute and Occean added another five minutes later.</span><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;">Heiko Westermann pulled one back scored following a corner but Hamburg were reduced to 10 men on the stroke of halftime when Jiracek was sent off for a late tackle on Anderson, a decision which angered Hamburg's under-fire coach Thorsten Fink.</span><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;">Aigner restored Eintracht's two-goal lead early in the second half but Hamburg refused to lie down and Van der Vaart set up their second, dispossessing Carlos Zambrano to release Son who rounded goalkeeper Kevin Trapp to score into an empty goal.</span><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;">Both teams had chances to score again in a thrilling final quarter.</span><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 16px;">Eight players shared the goals in the earlier game which saw Hoffenheim take an early lead, then twice come from behind to make it 3-3 before goals in the last 10 minutes from Cedrick Makiadi and Sebastian Freis won the game for Freiburg.</span></span></b>

Van der Vaart return not enough for sleepy Hamburg

Rafael van der Vaart's return to Hamburg SV was not enough to save them from a third straight Bundesliga defeat on Sunday as they lost 3...

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Point of view | Why Real Madrid need to Modric?

<br /> Approached Real Madrid to resolve first dealings in the transfer market summer 2012 to contract with an average field of Tottenham Hotspur's Luka Modric after a monumental struggle with a number of other clubs such as Paris St Germain, Chelsea and Manchester United and also after long negotiations very close to the end, according to local newspaper the ace on the morning of Monday.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Luka Modric of Tottenham" src="http://u.goal.com/196900/196909hp2.jpg" /> </div> <br /> In the subject's point of view and ask about the reasons that prompted the Royal team led by coach Jose Mourinho is distinctive to insist on a contract with the Croatian international, more than any other player.<br /> <div> <br /></div> <div> Fluent Luka Modric toy industry from the rear reverse Mesut Ozil, who tends more to play on the parties and start the ball .. Valdola Croatian we saw a lot with Tottenham making many of the goals of the attackers Spurs of assists floor neat Perhaps everyone mentions the goal of Rafael van der Vaart in the range of Inter Milan in the matches the role of groups of the Champions League match played at White Hart Lane, where he received a brilliant pass very Lucca center of the siege of Thiago and Javier Zanetti and that what is missing Real Madrid these days where no one made ​​such a balls minute and malignant from behind the defenders in the rear where is the source of the seriousness of Champions Liga play on the edge of the pitch through the skills of Cristiano Ronaldo, di Maria and join them also Mesut Ozil and Marcelo, but since the days of Zidane disappeared that player passer enormous, and it was Guti tries too timid, and a number of the club's supporters were calling for signed with Riquelme for this reason but his age prevented it.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> <div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img src="http://u.goal.com/200600/200625_hp.jpg" /> </div> <div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img src="http://u.goal.com/199100/199198_hp.jpg" /> </div> <div> Of other reasons that Real Madrid paid for him is the desire to expand the choices Mourinho in the middle of the pitch ..</div> <div> Real Madrid last season was very special in the line of attack and defense, especially after the annexation of Sergio Ramos, next to the baby, but the biggest problem in the central arena in case you missed Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira Let there be a suitable alternative can rely upon, but most of it appeared several Statistics indicate that the absence of Alonso displays Almirengji of the loss or at least draw!!</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> Thus began Mourinho in the search for a player does the same tasks that proficient Xabi Alonso, such as accuracy in the scroll and spare balls, which applies to Luka Modric who speaks also play in a defensive and offensive at the same the same time and cuts the ball from an opponent intelligently large without falling into errors of the naive or heavy.</div> <div> Real need for the player a variety which is characterized by Modric as a player good at playing in more than one center, such as "Player of the focal" late in his specifications the average field of Barcelona Xavi Hernandez Kadakkh in the scroll and control the rhythm of play, in addition to attacking midfielder being good at playing maker games under my head, spear and is one of the followers of the wonderful confused balls into the penalty area, and there may not forget the goal scored against Chelsea in the follow-up of the head after his escape from censorship in depth.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> Finally able to play left-winger, where we saw the play several games the company of Tottenham in the center and the fact that bilateral distinctive with wing flying Gareth Bale was a major win Sbers in a lot of games .. versatility and potential of Luka Modric explain why Mourinho Egypt to sign him at any cost is Mharri mixture between four and technicians, "Scholes and Zidane and Guti and David Silva."</div> </div>

Point of view | Why Real Madrid need to Modric?

Approached Real Madrid to resolve first dealings in the transfer market summer 2012 to contract with an average field of Tottenham Hotspur...

Read more »