Real Madrid skipper Iker Casillas side thumped La Liga rivals Barcelona to wrap up their first Copa del Rey trophy ever since 1993. The Real Madrid captain praised the authority of manager Jose Mourinho for the accomplishment.

In a turbulent night-time celebration, thousands of Real Madrid fans packed central Madrid, chanting, waving flags and dancing to thumping music after their first Spanish Cup win since 1993. The city exploded as fans honked car and truck horns and descended into the streets waving or wrapped in the club and Spanish flags, as the final whistle blew on Real Madrid’s dramatic 1-0 extra-time victory over Barcelona.

To overwhelm Pep Guardiola’s side 1-0, Cristiano Ronaldo scored an extra-time header and the Spanish ‘keeper was quick to commend the impact that the Portuguese coach has made at the Bernabeu. Not much time was squandered by the shot-stopper before turning his attentions to their Champions League semi-final ties against Barcelona. In 18 days, this will be the third and fourth clashes.

For what may be the first time this season, Barcelona is witnessing Real Madrid’s supremacy as they have finally learned the trick to put down the lid down on Barcelona’s useful control of the ball.  Real Madrid was able to seize passes to the likes of Lionel Messi and Xavi and Barca’s other star players. With a constant, pressing attack, Real Madrid did a good job of menacing Barcelona.

On 27 April 2011, Real Madrid will be challenging against Barcelona once again in first leg semifinals of the 2011 UEFA Champions league. Internet Sportsbook oddmakers believe that Barcelona will have an edge. The best odds for Real Madrid are 9/5 and for Barcelona 12/7.

On Saturday August 28, 2010, the Los Angeles Galaxy will host the Kansas City Wizards at the Home Depot Center. Kick off will be at 7:30 P.M Pacific Time, as a large crowd is expected to fill the stadium for this weekend game.

The previous meeting between the two teams in April ended with a scoreless draw. But the next game is going to be a different story.

The clash between Los Angeles and Kansas City may not be full of surprises but the soccer betting odds will definitely be an interesting one. The preview for this game is based on nothing more than pure statistics. The Galaxy are currently the best team in the MLS, compiling 43 points in 21 games. As of the last week of August, Los Angeles leads the league in most goals scored (32) and wins (13.) The stats say that LA Galaxy should easily beat Kansas City Wizards on Saturday. Manager Bruce Arena has done an excellent job in keeping his team at top of the league table.

However, LA Galaxy have lost 3 games in August, which somewhat disrupted the team’s momentum as the undisputed kings of the MLS. A Loss to Chicago Fire and San Jose Earthquakes shook up Galaxy’s confidence. Even a friendly 3-2 loss to European powerhouse Real Madrid was demoralizing.

On the other side, Kansas City Wizards had some mixed results in August including a draw with Real Salt Lake and a convincing 4-1 victory over New England Revolution. The Wizards only have 23 points in 20 games, and are ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference. What the Wizards and Galaxy share in common is a loss to the Earthquakes in August. Based on the most recent results, Kansas City may take advantage of Los Angeles’ inconsistent performance in August.

When the game day arrives, there are high expectations on the attacking forces of Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle to lead the Galaxy to an easy victory. The Wizards are just a mediocre team, and will be nothing more than underdogs trying to stop a powerhouse. There is simply not enough star part on the Kansas City squad to stop the best team in the league.