The Answer for Politics

Valladolid at home on grass that's wet with rain.

Barça haven't played in near a week and which face they're going to show is in question. Conflicted or cooperative.

Though the team is winning and in first, their game is best measured by the expression on coach Pep Guardiola's face. In today's first goal for the team, Dani Alves led a charge of the forwards rushing to meet his cross. A triumph of horse-power and adherence to a plan. But though they were on the board, Pep seemed unimpressed. Or distracted by some error in execution he'd detected in a play that still scored.



And even less than a minute later when Dani Alves broke out again to run the same bolt/cross. But none of his teammates present, he was forced to lob the ball into the far wall of the net just above the keeper's head. 2-nil. Alves does a little samba dance.

Go ahead, you earned it.



But later in the game, the goal would come that finally brought pleasure to the coach.

When Ibra broke out ahead of Valladolid as he got the ball in position to strike, he didn't get good first touch and the ball veered away from him. Rather than take a shot that was no longer ideal and force it, he hung back for a second, then quickly dished it to Messi who was charging up the field, still with intent for the strike. Messi blasts it in, 3-nil.

Guardiola jumps up, his face ecstatic. But he seems to be thrilled with Ibra for the pass. The assist is the most thrilling accomplishment in a team of superstar egos.

The pass notwithstanding, Dani Alves was for me, the man of the match. He also received notice from the Valladolid fans by hearing whistles every time he came near the ball following his blitzkrieg of the first half.

In a weird turn, Pique got a yellow card for parrying the ball off his hand midfield. It was just the type of touch that Henry did against Ireland while wearing the French jersey. Henry has not been at the top of his form. His fast dribbling with the ball up the top of the field is still thrilling to watch. But the drive up the field usually seems to end in a shot that is not as sharp as it was a year ago.

That rise and fall is what makes the assist so gratifying. As abilities go up and down, people feel compelled to vindicate themselves through their accomplishments. This is the "Ego game." It can turn into a vortex.

So as people watch and some mumble pessimistic missives about the turns of a player's career, the response that speaks louder than words is on the field of play. As we deal with the game our hearts are measured not in size but strength, and words are not measured at all.