http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/ en Copyright 2012 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:54:25 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Éric Abidal signed a new contract on Monday, January 16, keeping him with the team until at least the end of June 2013. Two days later he scored just his second goal for Barcelona; his other goal, against Athletic Bilbao, was in a January Copa del Rey match last season. Since that goal in San Mames, Abidal has suffered and recovered from a liver tumor that sidelined him for more than a month. He returned in the Champions League semifinal second leg against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou, subbing on for the final few minutes to rapturous applause. When the team won the Champions League a few weeks later, it was Abidal who was given the armband and the right to lift the trophy in front of the obligatory volcano of blue and red confetti. http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2012/01/abidal_signs_on_for_another_ye.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2012/01/abidal_signs_on_for_another_ye.php Club/Politics Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:54:25 +0000 Champions League Copa del Rey encounter last night was nowhere near as bad. Yet it is merely a part of a pattern of behavior that stretches back at least to the beginning of his Real Madrid career and it deserves a lengthy suspension. The match last night had several moments of contemptible actions by both teams, including Xabi Alonso's repeated deliberate fouls and Ricardo Carvalho's tackle from behind on Lionel Messi. Cesc Fabregas kicked out at Pepe, and Lionel Messi and Fabio Coentrao got into it before the latter attempted to shove the former's head into the ground. Both teams also engaged in play acting resulting from some of this harsh play and Pepe was a major actor in that part as well.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2012/01/pepe_should_be_banned.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2012/01/pepe_should_be_banned.php Champions League Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:43:33 +0000 Marca went with a play on words about it and even Raúl Rodríguez, the man who committed the late handball, admitted that it was one - but rather that there are no easy games and never a dull moment when you're the worldwide target. Perhaps the team were looking forward to Monday’s FIFA gala and Messi's third consecutive Ballon d'Or win (with Xavi coming in 3rd for the 3rd year running as well), but whatever it was, they looked listless and were outplayed. Pochettino put out a squad that, in very imprecise terms, "wanted it more" and filled the midfield. Barca gave the ball away more than Espanyol (88 to 86) while they had fewer shots (9 to 13), which suggests that, in several areas they were outplayed by their city rivals.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2012/01/espanyol_teaches_barcelona_a_l.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2012/01/espanyol_teaches_barcelona_a_l.php La Liga Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:41:56 +0000 A question such as this—whether a particular tournament is meaningful—is often extremely subjective. Ask pretty much anyone outside of eastern Spain if the Copa Catalunya is important and they’ll ask what that is before shaking their head. I’ve compared the Europa League to the American college basketball second-tier National Invitational Tournament (NIT); the Intertoto Cup stopped existing in 2008, but you probably noticed right now when you read those words. The FIFA Club World Cup, a yearly tournament since 2005 (there was a 2000 version as well) is the new incarnation of the Intercontinental Cup created in 1960. That tournament was hosted in Japan from 1980 until its assimilation into the FIFA brand after its 2004 edition (prior to 1980 there was a home-and-home format). Not everyone in Europe cared a massive amount about that tournament either and the trophy tally shows that: South America won 22 times to Europe’s 21. South American teams won the first 3 Club World Cups, but the 4 since then have all been won by European teams. http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/12/is_the_club_world_cup_importan.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/12/is_the_club_world_cup_importan.php Club World Cup Sat, 17 Dec 2011 22:51:20 +0000 It was 0-1 and the match was looking good for Barça until David Villa went down awkwardly and immediately signaled to the bench that he was, er, screwed. It was the end of his match, his tournament, his calendar year, and possibly his season. A fractured tibia put him on a plane back to Barcelona while the rest of the team stayed to continue with the FIFA Club World Cup. Villa is now Barcelona’s second long-term injury for the season, Ibrahim Afellay having torn knee ligaments in practice in September. That both men are forwards puts pressure on the remaining attackers and will probably signal a more regular shift to the 3-5-2 formation (as well as the increasingly usual 3-4-3) Guardiola has been experimenting with. But it’s not just any other forward that Barcelona are losing. http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/12/losing_el_guaje.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/12/losing_el_guaje.php La Liga Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:29:34 +0000 At the end, when Fernández Borbolán blew the final whistle, things were put right again. Or so we told ourselves, hoarse and happy, the victors of another Clásico. There were no Madrid fans waiting to challenge Barça’s win as a scandalous refereeing debacle or indictment of the entire European footballing system. In fact, there was no one, at least no one in the bar this writer was in, who even suggested that the match was anything other than a wonderful display and a just scoreline. And it was certainly both. Yes Madrid had clear chances, but scuffed their lines. Barça too scuffed some lines, however, and then rode its talent to the finish line while Madrid seemed to collapse in slow motion as the exertion of their first 70 minutes took its toll. The winner was the correct one on the night and now the league is fully in play again, with Barça provisionally top. The prevailing mood, however, suggests that Barça will overcome a three point deficit when the squad returns from the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan. http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/12/a_classic_clasico_luck_or_tale.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/12/a_classic_clasico_luck_or_tale.php La Liga Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:45:45 +0000 Real blog: Madrid starting XI for El Clasico Now it has returned and while the game itself should be thrilling given the number of stars on hand and the way the teams are playing, it will also bring about a maelstrom of journalistic and fan-based frothing at the mouth. There's nothing quite like a full-fledged international freak out whenever a referee makes a mistake or, indeed, when he does nothing wrong. There's been eye-poking, red cards, and more bluster than parliament.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/12/el_clasico_returns_for_whats_l.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/12/el_clasico_returns_for_whats_l.php La Liga Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:24:06 +0000 It may come as some surprise to those who regularly read this column, but I was surprised at Saturday's victory against Real Zaragoza. Not particularly shocked that Barca won despite the team's penchant for dropping points after international breaks (I predicted a 2-1 victory, after all), but I was not expecting such an easy victory. The stats, however, put it a bit into perspective: 11 shots on goal to 0. 68% possession to 32%. Zaragoza never really showed up or at least if they “showed up” they never really tried to leave their own half for any real amount of time. Part of that was Barça’s technical superiority, but it was also Javier Aguirre’s tactical approach that doomed them. They held out for just 18 minutes and then it became a test of how few goals they could allow rather than a question of whether they could get back into the match. Holding on valiantly for another 25 minutes before Lionel Messi scored could be viewed as a moral victory, but not much else. http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/11/pedro_the_great_savior_of_barc.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/11/pedro_the_great_savior_of_barc.php Champions League Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:06:59 +0000 Alcorcon's win in 2009 was huge for the team and big news throughout the country--schadenfreude is fun, after all. When Barça won the CDR in 2008-09, it was heralded as a massive achievement and celebrated wildly.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copa_Catalunya]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/11/is_the_copa_del_rey_important.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/11/is_the_copa_del_rey_important.php Copa del Rey Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:36:50 +0000 Sandra Sarmiento tweeted today that under Guardiola, Messi has scored a goal every 87 minutes, but this season it's been one every 66 minutes. That's absolutely incredible. It has even inspired a Real Madrid fan to honour the team with a song.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/11/another_broken_record.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/11/another_broken_record.php Champions League Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:25:45 +0000 This weekend, a friend joined my regular watching crew for the Racing match. He doesn't follow the sport and he likes to mess with me, so he put a few dollars on Racing and spent the day cheering against me. When he arrived and announced his decision, it was quickly pointed out to him that the three goal cushion from the bookie wasn't necessarily as large as he thought it was. His outlook on the game got less rosy when we told him that the three league matches Barça had played at home had ended 5-0, 8-0, and 5-0. In the end, he won a small amount of cash on the 3-0 final score, but it should have been a complete loss for him as Barça dominated the game and created a host of chances that should have ended in a couple more goals. 83% possession and 19 shots! http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/10/this_weekend_a_friend_joined.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/10/this_weekend_a_friend_joined.php La Liga Sun, 16 Oct 2011 17:52:18 +0000 suggests how good he is. 194 goals in 280 competitive matches is an astounding, and downright insane, statistic. But how good is it, actually?]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/09/the_messi_question.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/09/the_messi_question.php Champions League Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:49:01 +0000 I missed the first few matches of the season for personal reasons (good ones, fortunately), but I returned in time to catch a delayed version of Barça-Atleti and what a show it was. The best defense in the league versus the best offense turned out to be something of a one-sided affair that really could have been a lot worse than its final score of 5-0. Certainly Atleti was complicit in their own demise, at least in the first half when they sat back and often failed to challenge Xavi in possession: that lack of pressure created David Villa's first goal (though nifty footwork was still required of the Asturian striker) and a host of other chances. Fabregas nearly scored a brilliant chip from distance thanks to a complete lack of off-the-ball marking that left him alone in a good position. But it was also Barcelona's brilliance that put them solidly ahead when Messi smashed in the third after a brilliant, mazy run that left the defense scratching its head. http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/09/the_brilliance_returns_barcelo.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/09/the_brilliance_returns_barcelo.php La Liga Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:25:50 +0000 Barcelona have confirmed winger Alexis Sanchez will miss the next eight weeks with a thigh injury sustained in Saturday night's draw at Real Sociedad. Alexis, a big-money arrival from Udinese this summer, was carried off on a stretcher during the first half of the 2-2 draw in San Sebastian and Barca have announced the Chilean is facing a lengthy lay-off. He is expected to miss the next 13 games with Barca pencilling in the clash with Real Zaragoza on the weekend of November 19/20 as a date for his possible return. http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/09/sanchez_ruled_out_for_eight_we.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/09/sanchez_ruled_out_for_eight_we.php Sun, 11 Sep 2011 13:15:19 +0000 Sport claimed on its website that 35,000 spectators jammed into the Camp Nou - as if that would fill it up - in order to see the official presentation of Cesc Fabregas. Sid Lowe, writing in The Guardian, claimed 20,000, but it doesn’t much matter. It’s the narrative that appears important here, the closing of a saga eight years in the making. It would be virtually impossible to fail to be excited about Cesc’s inclusion in the squad. When taken at face value, the move makes sense: giving Cesc, one of the better midfielders in the world, time with Xavi before the latter retires and also to let Guardiola coach the kid who grew up idolizing him and dreaming of one day wearing the number 4 in blaugrana. That the transfer became a saga instead of a business transaction is everyone’s fault; now that it’s over it’s hard to imagine a world where every summer morning doesn’t include a glazed over eye rolling while perusing the day’s headlines.]]> http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/08/benvingut_cesc.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/barcelona/archives/2011/08/benvingut_cesc.php Transfers/Transfer Rumors Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:50:00 +0000