I have been watching the most recent Real Sociedad matches, not because I am a big fan of the team, but because they have gotten so much attention in media recently. The big star of the team has been Martin Odegaard, the Norwegian midfielder who finally seems to be back on track, after a few average seasons playing for Real Madrid Castilla and Heerenveen. He played for Vitesse in the Netherlands last year, and he was the only player from outside Ajax and PSV who get into the "team-of-the-year." But, how would he succeed in La Liga in Spain? People were both worried and looking forward to seeing him play.
Martin, a big success in La Liga
Many people were surprised as they discovered that Martin Odegaard had no trouble fitting into the highest football league in Spain. In fact, he didn't only fit in, he has been considered the best player in La Liga in Spain so far this season by many people. He has scored two goals, and after last nights match in which they lost 3-2 against Sevilla, he has 2 assists. But, he has impressed with his running, fighting spirit, and some magic moves and passes. According to some stats, he seems to be the player that has ran the most so far in La Liga in Spain this season.
And so, I have been watching quite some Real Sociedad matches this season to see how good they are, and to see if Martin Odegaard really is that good.
Is Real Sociedad a top-team in Spain?
Their 2-0 victory against Atletico Madrid was really impressing. Their 3-0 victory against Alavas was a nice one... But, I have also seen them lose 2-0 against Athletic Bilbao and yesterday, 3-2 against Sevilla. To be honest, those matches showed me that Real Sociedad isn't really among the best teams in Spain. Yesterday, they had two shots on goal and scored twice. It is very efficient, but they weren't good at all. Against Athletic Bilbao, they didn't stand much chance either.
We can often see that Real Madrid and Barcelona and Atletico Madrid lose matches. But, they are never running around without the ball having no chances at all. They are normally keeping the pressure on their opponents, and they have the ball much more, but they don't manage to actually score the goals.
Real Sociedad isn't a team of that caliber. But, they can be very good at their best days, and they are capable of beating any team. However, they are not really good enough to be among the top 3 teams in Spain.
Currently, the Rugby World Cup is running Japan. There were some awesome matches played in the Rugby World Cup this weekend, so I will return writing more about this in another article. Until then, find more Rugby World Cup information at http://www.watchworldcup.net/
Don't forget about Leicester
However, when I say that Real Sociedad isn't good enough to be at the top of the Spanish league, do not forget about Leicester. They weren't good enough to be among the top teams in England either, but some years ago, they still won the Premier League. I will not say that Real Sociedad cannot surprise and end up among the top teams in Spain, but based on what I have seen so far, it would greatly surprise me.
But still, I have greatly enjoyed watching Real Sociedad, and it is with great pleasure I watch Martin Odegaard and his team-mates. I know that they can beat any team on a good day, and therefore, it is always a treat to watch them play.
Sevilla, the team against which they lost yesterday, played great yesterday. They had some players showing fantastic tricks yesterday, and to be honest, they probably have a stronger squad than Real Sociedad.
So, what is the conclusion?
Spanish football is great to watch!!