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Juan Mata - Player of the Week

Juan Mata - Player of the Week

What's the Mata?

Mata celebrates against Liverpool.Juan Mata was the hero as Manchester United (4th) beat Liverpool (5th) 2-1 at Anfield. The gap between the two teams is now five points, with eight matches of the season left to play. Juan Mata was the hero for United and Steven Gerrard the villain for Liverpool. Mata, who played as what Louis van Gaal calls a 'false right-winger', scored the opening goal in the 14th minute. Ander Herrera's excellent pass found Mata in space, and he hit the ball across Simon Mignolet, the Liverpool goalkeeper, and into the far corner. Manchester Utd were playing some of their best football of the season and were unlucky to be only 1-0 in front at the interval.

"In the first half we played very, very well." Louis van Gaal - Manchester Utd manager.

What happened in the second half?

Mata's second goal- an amazing scissor kick.Liverpool made a change at the break, bringing on captain Gerrard for his last ever game against Manchester Utd, before he moves to the United States in the summer. But after only 38 seconds of the second half, Gerrard was given a red card for a foul on Herrera. It was one of the fastest red cards in Premier League history. With Liverpool down to 10 men, Man Utd took control and took a 2-0 lead after 59 minutes when Mata scored his second of the game and one of the goals of the season. Mata played a lovely one-two with Angel Di Maria and scored with an acrobatic 'scissor' kick, which flew past Mignolet in the Liverpool goal. Liverpool scored a consolation goal, through Daniel Sturridge, 10 minutes later, but it was United that finished stronger and even missed a penalty when Wayne Rooney's spot kick was well saved by Mignolet.

"I think it was my best game in a United shirt. It's probably the biggest game in English football, so to score two goals is great for me." Juan Mata.

What do we know about Juan Mata?

Mata and Rooney on opposite sides!Juan Manuel Mata Garcia was born on 28 April 1988 and brought up in Oviedo, a small city in Asturias in the north of Spain. If you translate his name directly into English it is 'Johnny Kills' and this became his nickname when he arrived in England to play for Chelsea. Before moving to the UK, Mata played youth football for his local team, Real Oviedo, and also Real Madrid B (RM Castilla), where he played 39 times. In 2007, Mata moved to Valencia, which is where he made his name. Mata helped Valencia to a regular place in the Champions League, two third-place finishes in La Liga, and also scored one of the goals to help Valencia win the Spanish Cup in 2008. He also became a regular member of the Spanish National squad at this time. In the summer of 2011, Chelsea paid £23.5 million to take him to Stamford Bridge. In only two and a half seasons with the London club, Mata won the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup. He was also voted Chelsea's Player of the Year for both 2012 and 2013. In January 2014, Mata moved to Manchester United in a deal worth £37.1 million. 

“Chelsea is a top club and I have many friends there but you can't turn down the chance to join Manchester United.” Juan Mata in January 2014.

What has Juan Mata won with Spain?

Mata (third left) has won the World Cup with Spain.Juan Mata, despite being only 26 years old, has already won most of the big prizes in football. In addition to the European competitions he won with Chelsea, Mata was also part of the Spanish squads that won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2012 European Championships in Poland and Ukraine. In the former, he was more of a squad member, he only played in one match, when he came on as a substitute in a group game against Honduras. But in the Europpean Championships, he played a much bigger role, and scored one of the goals in the final as Spain beat Italy 4-0. Mata also helped Spain win the under-21 European Championships in 2011 and was named the tournament's Golden Player. One trophy he hasn't won yet is the Premier League, which is something he hopes to do in the near future.

"It was one of the greatest days of my life, like a dream come true. I couldn't control my emotions." Juan Mata speaking about winning the World Cup in 2010.

Does Mata only like football?

Mata's scored 3 goals against Liverpool this season.Juan Mata has plenty of interests outside of football. Two of these interests are photography and writing. Mata regularly posts to his Instagram account, where he has 1.5 million followers, and amongst the photos of players are plenty of artistic shots of the Manchester skyline and British countryside. For the last two years, Mata has also been writing a weekly blog. It's called One Hour Behind and he writes about his experiences as a professional footballer at Chelsea and United, but also on other topics such as films, other sports and trips back home to Spain. If you want to read his latest blog post, which is about the Liverpool - Man Utd game, you can find it here.

"The second goal was one of the best goals of my career for sure, among other things because it happened in such a massive game. And it helped us win."  An extract from Juan Mata's blog - One hour Behind.

What's the fastest red card in Premier League history?

Gerrard is sent off against Manchester Utd.Steven Gerrard was sent off only 38 seconds after coming onto the pitch as a second half substitute, but it's not the fastest ever red card in football and not the fastest red card in Premier League history. Here are three red cards that were even faster:

 

  1. Keith Gillespie - Reading v Sheffield United (Premier League - 2007) 12 seconds. The Sheffield United midfielder, who had previously played for Manchester Utd and Newcastle Utd, came on as a subsitute, there was a throw-in and he hit an opponent with an elbow and was given an immediate red card. He received the red card without the ball entering the pitch, so perhaps it could be counted as 0 seconds!
  2. Giuseppe Lorenzo - Bologna v Parma (Italian Serie A - 1990) 10 seconds. This is the record for the fastest ever red card in professional football. The Bologna midfielder was sent off just 10 seconds into the match for striking an opponent in the face.
  3. Lee Todd - Cross Park Farm Celtic v Taunton East Reach Wanderers (English amateur football) 2 seconds. At the start of the match the referee, who was standing directly behind Lee Todd, blew his whistle. Todd was frightened by the noise and swore at the referee. The referee immediately gave him a red card for foul and abusive language! 
Mata celebrating with teammates - Robin van Persie

What did you understand?

 
Activity 1: In this activity, try to answer the questions to show how much of the article you understand.
How much did you understand?

What's the Mata?

Juan Mata was the hero as Manchester United (4th) beat Liverpool (5th) 2-1 at Anfield and the gap between the two teams is now five points, with eight matches of the season left to play. Juan Mata was the hero for United and Steven Gerrard the villain for Liverpool. Mata, who played as what Louis van Gaal calls a 'false right-winger', scored the opening goal in the 14th minute. Ander Herrera's excellent pass found Mata in space, and he hit the ball across Simon Mignolet, the Liverpool goalkeeper, and into the far corner. Manchester Utd were playing some of their best football of the season and were unlucky to be only 1-0 in front at the interval.

"In the first half we played very, very well." Louis van Gaal - Manchester Utd manager.

What happened in the second half?

Liverpool made a change at the break, bringing on captain Gerrard, for his last ever game against Manchester Utd before he moves to the United States in the summer. But after only 38 seconds of the second half, Gerrard was given a red card for a foul on Herrera. It's one of the fastest red cards in Premier League history. With Liverpool down to 10 men, Man Utd took control and took a 2-0 lead after 59 minutes, when Mata scored his second of the game and one of the goals of the season. Mata played a lovely one-two with Angel Di Maria and scored with an acrobatic 'scissor' kick, which flew past Mignolet in the Liverpool goal. Liverpool scored a consolation goal, through Daniel Sturridge, 10 minutes later, but it was United that finished stronger, and even missed a penalty when Wayne Rooney's spot kick was well saved by Mignolet.

"I think it was my best game in a United shirt. It's probably the biggest game in English football, so to score two goals is great for me." Juan Mata.

What do we know about Juan Mata?

Juan Manuel Mata Garcia was born on 28 April 1988 and brought up in Oviedo, a small city in Asturias in the north of Spain. If you translate his name directly into English it is 'Johnny Kills' and this became his nickname when he arrived in England to play for Chelsea. Before moving to the UK, Mata played youth football for his local team, Real Oviedo and also Real Madrid B (RM Castilla), where he played 39 times. In 2007, Mata moved to Valencia, which is where he made his name. Mata helped Valencia to a regular place in the Champions League, two third-place finishes in La Liga, and also scored one of the goals to help Valencia win the Spanish Cup in 2008. He also became a regular member of the Spanish National squad at this time. In the summer of 2011, Chelsea paid £23.5 million to take him to Stamford Bridge. In only two and a half seasons with the London club, Mata won the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup. He was also voted Chelsea's Player of the Year for both 2012 and 2013. In January 2014, Mata moved to Manchester United in a deal worth £37.1 million. 

“Chelsea is a top club and I have many friends there but you can't turn down the chance to join Manchester United.” Juan Mata in January 2014.

What has Juan Mata won with Spain?

Juan Mata, despite being only 26 years old, has already won most of the big prizes in football. In addition to the European competitions he won with Chelsea, Mata was also part of the Spanish squads that won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2012 European Championships in Poland and Ukraine. In the former, he was more of a squad member, he only played in one match, he came on as a substitute in a group game against Honduras. But in the Europpean Championships, he played a much bigger role, and scored one of the goals in the final as Spain beat Italy 4-0. Mata also helped Spain win the under-21 European Championships in 2011 and was named the tournament's Golden Player. One trophy he hasn't won yet is the Premier League, which is something he hopes to do in the near future.

"It was one of the greatest days of my life, like a dream come true. I couldn't control my emotions.Juan Mata speaking about winning the World Cup in 2010.

Does Mata only like football?

Juan Mata has plenty of interests outside of football. Two of these interests include photography and writing. Mata regularly posts to his instagram account, where he has 1.5 million followers, and amongst the photos of players are plenty of artistic shots of the Manchester skyline and British countryside. For the last two years, Mata has also been writing a weekly blog. It's called One Hour Behind and he writes about his experiences as a professional footballer at Chelsea and United, but also on other topics such as films, other sports and trips back home to Spain. If you want to read his latest blog post, which is about the Liverpool - Man Utd game, you can find it here.

"The second goal was one of the best goals of my career for sure, among other things because it happened in such a massive game. And it helped us win."  An extract from Juan Mata's blog - One hour Behind.

What's the fastest red card in Premier League history?

Steven Gerrard was sent off only 38 seconds after coming onto the pitch as a second half substitute, but it's not the fastest ever red card in football and not the fastest red card in Premier League history. Here are three red cards that were even faster:

 

  1. Keith Gillespie - Reading v Sheffield United (Premier League - 2007) 12 seconds. The Sheffield United midfielder, who had previously played for Manchester Utd and Newcastle Utd, came on as a subsitute, there was a throw-in and he hit an opponent with an elbow and was given an immediate red card. He received the red card without the ball entering the pitch, so perhaps it could be counted as 0 seconds!
  2. Giuseppe Lorenzo - Bologna v Parma (Italian Serie A - 1990) 10 seconds. This is the record for the fastest ever red card in professional football. The Bologna midfielder was sent off just 10 seconds into the match for striking an opponent in the face.
  3. Lee Todd - Cross Park Farm Celtic v Taunton East Reach Wanderers (English amateur football) 2 seconds. At the start of the match the referee, who was standing directly behind Lee Todd, blew his whistle. Todd was frightened by the noise and swore at the referee. The referee immediately gave him a red card for foul and abusive language! 

Activity 2: Have a go at this hangman game. Can you guess the right word from the article about Juan Mata? Remember to use the clues to help you!
Choose the right word before you get squashed!

 

Did you know......?

  • In 2012, Juan Mata along with Santi Cazorla (Arsenal) and Michu (Swansea City) bought shares in Real Oviedo to save it from extinction.
  • Mata loves studying and is currently studying degrees in Marketing and Sports Science.
  • Mata's dad was also a professional footballer. He played as a striker for Burgos in the 1980s and 1990s.
  • Mata has a park in Oviedo, Spain named after him. It's called 'Juan Mata Park' and is next to Real Oviedo's stadium.
  • He loves travelling, when he was younger he used to go backpacking around Spain in his free time.
Juan Mata celebrates his winning goal against Liverpool.

Quiz

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What do you think?

Juan Mata scored an incredible goal against Liverpool - an acrobatic scissor kick.

What do you think is the most difficult type of goal to score?

What's the difference between a scissor kick and a bicycle kick?

 

 

Answer the questions and leave your message below.

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Comentários

hsn's picture
hsn
18/11/2022
TR
5560
points

He was brought on in the second half as a midfielder but was fouled and got injured.Game extinct for him.
Joke
The player who swear on the pitch, also red pepper should be put on his tongue not to do this again as well as being sent off.


hsn's picture
hsn
18/11/2022 18:14
Turkey
Tottenham Hotspur
5560

He was brought on in the second half as a midfielder but was fouled and got injured.Game extinct for him.
Joke
The player who swear on the pitch, also red pepper should be put on his tongue not to do this again as well as being sent off.

Gabriel Amaral's picture
Gabriel Amaral
16/06/2021
BR
1512
points

I think bycicle kick or long range shots.
In a scissor kick the player is sideways from goal. In bycicle kick the player is backwards.


Gabriel Amaral's picture
Gabriel Amaral
16/06/2021 21:44
Brazil
Arsenal
1512

I think bycicle kick or long range shots.
In a scissor kick the player is sideways from goal. In bycicle kick the player is backwards.

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
22/06/2020
TR
6539
points

( Bicycle kick ) is the action of the legs while the body is in mid-air resembling the pedalling of a bicycle.
This term is also called ( an overhead kick ) in which refers to the ball being kicked above the head
Whereas ( scissors kick ) is reflecting the movement of two scissor blades which are the legs coming together.


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
22/06/2020 13:33
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

( Bicycle kick ) is the action of the legs while the body is in mid-air resembling the pedalling of a bicycle.
This term is also called ( an overhead kick ) in which refers to the ball being kicked above the head
Whereas ( scissors kick ) is reflecting the movement of two scissor blades which are the legs coming together.

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
22/06/2020
TR
6539
points

I think the most difficult type of goal to score is the Rabona kick.


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
22/06/2020 13:28
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

I think the most difficult type of goal to score is the Rabona kick.

englishman
26/08/2019
DZ
1734
points

it's ok


englishman
26/08/2019 11:56
Algeria
Manchester City
1734

it's ok

englishman
26/08/2019
DZ
1734
points

ok


englishman
26/08/2019 11:54
Algeria
Manchester City
1734

ok

kirito2001
16/11/2017
VN
180
points

Mata is good and I like him because he play for MU


kirito2001
16/11/2017 13:49
Vietnam
Manchester United
180

Mata is good and I like him because he play for MU

Talapker's picture
Talapker
28/01/2017
KZ
205
points

Juan Mata is very outstanding and attractive player


Talapker's picture
Talapker
28/01/2017 12:35
Kazakhstan
Manchester City
205

Juan Mata is very outstanding and attractive player

HakanUslu1881's picture
HakanUslu1881
14/03/2016
TR
1761
points

goal which type of James Rodriguez


HakanUslu1881's picture
HakanUslu1881
14/03/2016 14:26
Turkey
Leicester City
1761

goal which type of James Rodriguez

assemjuve's picture
assemjuve
18/01/2016
PS
3705
points

Scoring a bicycle kick is the most difficult.


assemjuve's picture
assemjuve
18/01/2016 17:08
Palestinian Territory
Liverpool
3705

Scoring a bicycle kick is the most difficult.

aragorn1986's picture
aragorn1986
05/12/2015
ME
3557
points

Mata should have stayed in Valencia. He could get the best out of himself because he would have more space. I doubt he is a player for the PL even he's not so bad.


aragorn1986's picture
aragorn1986
05/12/2015 13:00
Montenegro
Arsenal
3557

Mata should have stayed in Valencia. He could get the best out of himself because he would have more space. I doubt he is a player for the PL even he's not so bad.

MUGEMANYI's picture
MUGEMANYI
21/11/2015
RW
2320
points

I think scoring scissor kick is more harder.


MUGEMANYI's picture
MUGEMANYI
21/11/2015 17:11
Rwanda
Arsenal
2320

I think scoring scissor kick is more harder.

nikosonris
13/11/2015
UA
2453
points

A long-distance goal. Apart from good awareness on the pitch, power and precision you should be lucky to spot the moment to kick it


nikosonris
13/11/2015 14:23
Ukraine
Arsenal
2453

A long-distance goal. Apart from good awareness on the pitch, power and precision you should be lucky to spot the moment to kick it

aragorn1986's picture
aragorn1986
03/11/2015
ME
3557
points

This one, a scissor kick is the most difficult.


aragorn1986's picture
aragorn1986
03/11/2015 15:41
Montenegro
Arsenal
3557

This one, a scissor kick is the most difficult.

almirpereira's picture
almirpereira
24/10/2015
BR
1339
points

Okay!!!!!1


almirpereira's picture
almirpereira
24/10/2015 18:29
Brazil
Chelsea
1339

Okay!!!!!1

Abdallah
28/09/2015
KW
1814
points

I'm really sad that he moved from Chelsea he was absolutely superb player


Abdallah
28/09/2015 12:16
Kuwait
Chelsea
1814

I'm really sad that he moved from Chelsea he was absolutely superb player

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Top Scorers
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1Alex_from_Ukraine6578
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3hsn5560
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8assemjuve3705
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Country ranking
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Club ranking
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1Manchester United146938
2Liverpool111456
3Chelsea90265
4Arsenal86299
5Manchester City58908
6Tottenham Hotspur19506
7Newcastle United10626
8West Ham United7701
9AFC Bournemouth4915
10Crystal Palace4568

Level

4
Average: 4 (1 vote)

Goals

In this article, you will:

Practise reading.

Learn all about Manchester United forward, Juan Mata, and learn some new vocabulary.

Tips

Recording Vocabulary

How do you keep a record of new vocabulary? There are some great apps you can use on your computer, tablet or smartphone. Here are a couple of suggestions:

  • Evernote is a fantastic tool for storing and categorising vocabulary.
  • Anki is another great tool - you can use it to create flash cards and then test yourself.