First blood to Chelsea

Chelsea  defeated Barcelona in a match that left a lot to be said. And boy do we have a lot to talk about.

First of all Chelsea rode their luck and really capitalized on the one or two serious chances they got through their ever-green star, Drogba, who incidentally spent a LOT of the game rolling on the floor! Barca was unlucky to have hit the bar twice, get a shot cleared on the goal line and a few other shots that were saved by great acrobatics from Cech. I also assume things cannot stay the same in Nou Camp. But at the same time I think there are things that need to be addressed or at least considered as note-worthy.

Attack routes:  Barcelona’s  pointless crosses and corners into the opponents’ box and how they proved impotent only reinforces the fact that they DO need a tall, physical forward like Van Persie  to give them  some sort of an option in such situations. Yes, they experimented with the vindictive and egotistic Ibrahimovic. But that doesn’t mean every other striker will be the same.  But it was painful to see they try crosses and corners into the box for short forwards like Alexis, Messi and Cesc  who were always crowded by the tall, physical defenders.

Barca  has to think about adding other dimensions to their game and attack. Merely satisfied with “walking the ball into the goal” is going to get the team through each and every game and situation is just futile.This becomes more apparent when Barca faces teams that park the bus in front of their goal and fill their 18 yard box with 9 or even 10 players for long periods of the game.

Shooting: The shooting by almost everyone was atrocious. Most of the time the players don’t even look for a shot. But the scant few instances they did attempt, they rushed it or were amateurishly off target.

Overpassing and lack of urgency:  While the passing and tiki-taka is very pleasing and all, when the team falls behind and needs to show urgency, there is no change of pace or tactics. It still stays the same patient tiki-taka which allows the opponent to regroup and gather in their box and block our through passes from the middle. Don’t get me started on the wasted crosses from flanks.

And I’m afraid by now the whole world knows how Barca plays and what could impede their game. From leaving the grass uncut (in some pitches you could even see flowers at the tip of the grass!!) to parking the bus in the box to getting violently physical and rash style. Therefore mixing it up with a few new tricks and routes to attack will prove extremely successful for the club and will make defending against them that much more difficult and unpredictable.

Bottomline: No need to fret yet, though. We have the return game in Spain and with the crowd behind the team, given Barca’s great form at home leaves a lot to look forward to.

A date with History

4/18/2012 Will bring in a flood of memories for Barcelona fans when once again they travel to London's Stamford Bridge to take on one of their toughest rivals, Chelsea in yet another European champions league do-or-die match up. The prize? A place in the final against either the free-flowing German attacking machine of Bayern or the ...well, a Madrid team that frankly has lost all its glorious tradition and respect of the yore mostly because of the methods and attitude of their coach, one sad little man called Jose Mourinho.

Any football fan, even the neutrals would wish for a Bayern-Barcelona final. If for nothing else, just to watch two contrasting attacking styles go head to head to see whose knife is sharper and whose cut  runs deeper. But first, Barca have to deal with a rejuvenated Chelsea, fresh off a thumping 5-0 win over no less than Tottenham this week-end. One wouldnt bet against many eyes in the Bridge to focus on a diminutive, balding figure of Iniesta who dealt the death blow with his last minute shot three years ago that eliminated Chelsea and helped Barca go all the way to win the trophy.

Who will steal the spotlight this time 'round? Don Andres? or the greatest football player the world has ever witnessed, Leo Messi? Perhaps the most overlooked but greatest midfield masterminds of our time, Xavi? Or maybe it will be a new name and someone most people would have overlooked whose flash of brilliance will see Barca through? Yes, as is evident, I am betting on Barca stealing the three points necessary. Come on. Should we discount the magnificent form Barca is at the moment? Then it is on to the mother of all battles, this year's final (looks like it, if Bayern has a say in it) Clasico in Nou Camp where Barca will make life a living hell for the dirty, unsporting and pampered lot from Madrid.

Speaking of Madrid's diving team, did it come as a surprise that as soon as they faced a decent team they crumbled and looked so vulnerable and weak in both defense as well as midfield, while their so called star players mis-firing against decent defenders and opposition? The way bayern approached their first leg, I wouldnt be surprised if we see another flowing attacking display in the return leg with Madrid  still smarting after yet another defeat at the hands of Barcelona.

Guardiola surpasses Cruyff

Barcelona reign supreme in Europe's Super Cup by defeating gutsy Porto 2-0

A whopping 13 titles in only 3 seasons screams of Guardiola's mastery and Barca's undisputed reign of world football. And with the upcoming World Club Championships besides the rest of the yearly/seasonal tournaments and championships (domestic and international), you can bet your house that Barcelona and Guardiola are going to need a much bigger trophy cabinet.

(Barcelona joins forces with Bill Gates to fight and eradicate polio)

Barcelona f.c. defeats Madrid Zoo f.c.

Spanish Super-copa, 2011. Football, the beautiful game, triumphs over ugly animalistic circus called Real Madrid. That game was more like a match between 11 skillful football players committed to the beautiful game versus 11 ugly, rabid dogs, led by one of the most disgraceful coaches in the world, hell bent on reminding the world why they dont have the respect of the true football aficionados.

If there was any doubt remaining in the mind of some people who were either in denial or suffering from extreme bias, Mourinho’s disgraceful behavior, twisting the ears of Barca’s assistant coach, Vilanova, in hope of provoking even more reaction and controversy should have been proof enough as to who the instigator behind Real Madrid’s shameful displays ever since this pitiful man took over as coach. It is no wonder his team continues to fail in terms of sportsmanship and discipline, if their coach is anything to go by. The Spanish F.A. ought to consider if such things go unchecked, there could come a time when Pepe or Marcelo or a host of other Madrid players may take things too far with a rash tackle and end up depriving the world of football of the likes of Messi or Xavi or Iniesta.

He single-handedly gives a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘sore loser’. And if the Spanish League authorities have an inkling of fondness for the game of football, they ought to take a very serious look at Mourinho’s antics and especially violent players with track record like Marcello, Pepe and a few others in the Madrid side. Otherwise, Mourinho and his Madrid team will cause untold damage to the game of football as well as the Spanish football as a whole.

It is a shame to see this happen since the Madrid side, jam-packed with highly skillful players IS capable of playing attractive football without such horrible antics.

However let us not get distracted by the ugly display and miss the positive side of the game too. Real Madrid came into the match full of energy and hope that their strategy of high pressing and full intensity frontal attack on Barca’s back-line would bear fruit as it did in the first leg. This is testament to the ability of its players who can put the best club in the world under such intense pressure (which begs the question why should they resort to unsportsmanship and violent behavior). But Barcelona once again proved why they are hailed as arguably the best football side in the history of football, by shrugging off the initial pressure and settling into their game and scoring some magnificent goals that will be etched in the memory of all those who watched the game. From Messi's exquisite through pass to Iniesta that carved the Madrid backline with a hot knife through butter for the first goal, to the central defender, Pique’s cheeky backheel to Messi who scored the team’s second, to the marvelous combination play involving the new signing Fabregas, for the match winner. Barcelona lived up to its reputation as the most fantastic footballing side with pomp and heralding the shape of things to come in the upcoming season.

By the by, did I mention this win marks Guardiola’s amazing 11th title (equaling Johan Cruyff's) out of the possible 14 since he took over as the coach of Barcelona and Xavi's record breaking 16th title at the club?

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