The Unlikely Underdog

Kill em' with kindness

Here it is:

The Clasico.

Though Barcelona are the reigning champions of Europe and Spain, this week finds the team in second place behind their brawny rivals from the capital. Real Madrid are currently widely regarded as the strongest team in Europe; dominating the power listings of sports journalists and sitting on top of the domestic table by three points with a game in hand--the widest margin since Pep Guardiola took over the Blaugrana three-and-a-half seasons ago.

Pep has only lost a single game in all of his squad's 11 meetings with the men in white, but as Madrid have just won every game in the Champions league qualifying round (the only team to do it since Barça in 2002), the challenge facing the Catalans is greater than ever. Though the season is not yet half-over, with the way things shake up in la Liga it seems that this game could be a deciding factor in the outcome of the 2011-2012 season.

Speaking of shake-ups, FC Basel beat Manchester United today in Switzerland to knock out the giants from the Champions league and into the second tier Europa league. It was a milestone achievement for the Swiss outfit, and a humbling shock for the English champions who got outclassed by Barcelona in the Champions League final in London this past May. It seems that the Sir Alex Ferguson has no antidote for claret and blue.


Brothers from another mother, FC Basel send Man U out of the Champions league

If Basel's uniform seems familiar, it should. The red and blue kit echoes Barcelona, as both teams were founded by Joan Gamper back in the 19th century. Though Gamper would move away from his Swiss homeland for the sunnier pastures of Catalunya and create what would become one of the world's most celebrated teams, he first hailed from Basel.

One has to wonder if he had some magic in place that would be the downfall of English teams.

Let's hope Pep has a similar juju to make meringue collapse.


Joan Gamper wearing claret and blue

ILOILO

Patron saint of Football.
Iloilo City, Philippines. 2002.
photo by janine lim


Today Barça played Portuguese champions FC Porto in the UEFA Super Cup.

The cup is put on before the start of the new season, and pits the Champions League winner against the Europa Cup winner. Though the Europa Cup translates to a second tier competition, the games are not necessarily totally lopsided.

Porto, who have gone over a year since their last domestic loss, were unstoppable under their coach Andre Villas Boas--but after they won the Europa League he left the team and returned to Chelsea where he'd worked with Mourinho, this time as Boss.


AVB: Goddamn that's handsome

Now that he has left (along with their pre-eminent striker Falcao), Porto looks potentially shakier than they had.

By contrast, Barça are getting their legs again, and their performance in the 2-0 victory over the Portuguese was a fairly invigorated display. Messi scored one and assisted Cesc to the second just before the clock ran out on regulation. Another cup; 12 major ones tallied up in the last 3 years under Guardiola.

Messi looks set to mark himself as the team's all-time leading scorer in the next year or so. Up to now, that title has been held by a man who debuted one hundred years ago at the age of 15.


the net breaker

Paulino Alcántara was born in Iloilo Philippines in 1896, the sixth child of an Ilongga mother and Spanish father. He moved to his father's country to play football as a teen, and he was soon discovered by club-founder Joan Gamper and signed to the team. Thus, the first Filipino player entered into European football.

He was a total phenomenon and scored a goal for each of the 365 games he played for the team over the span of his legendary career. He ushered in the first Golden era of Barça. Paulino also represented the nations of both his parents--featuring in the Philippine whomping of Japan 15-2 in 1917 as well as playing for Spain against France and kicking the ball clean through the back of the net--cementing his fame.

The fact that one of the great legends of the club, nearly 40 years before Pele, was from the Philippines is really endearing and speaks to the culture of the team. There's a fair share of nationalism in the support of them and Catalunya (which are nearly inseparable in the eyes of the world), but the great figures of the club have been from other nations and come together under the shield.

Gamper was Swiss, Alcántara from Iloilo, Crüjff from the Netherlands and now Messi has brought Argentina to the league of distinguished gentlemen. Players of the world unite.


Mr. Alcántara and Mr. Gamper

Gamper

The founder of the club was Joan Gamper. He was born in Switzerland, moved to Barcelona and in 1899 created the FC Barcelona. Mr. Gamper scored 120 goals and later became club president. After FC Barcelona got scandalized and painted as a Catalan separatist team, he fell on hard times and took his own life in 1930. Mr. Gamper remains the great spiritual martyr of the club.

Hence, they play the Gamper invitational Cup at the Camp Nou as the last pre-season game for the team. Today's game brought AC Milan to the stadium and it was Ronaldinho's return to the stadium 2 years after his being traded to Milan.


photo by Dennis Doyle

Ronnie had played five landmark seasons and left just as Pep Guardiola became coach and steered the team to pure class. Ronaldinho has been sited by him as an inspiration for their renaissance, and he was greeted with love. Puyol, even called him with the squad for the pre-game team photograph.



The game was dominated by Barça, though they seemed perpetually unsettled at playing at least six substitutions during it's course. Ibrá looked like tall crap and it is possible he may be traded in the next few days. They are also talking about acquiring Mascherano, though where they would put the Liverpool/Argentine defensive wall is puzzling. They already have Puyol and el matador, Pique.

The other new guy, David Villa played the first half and he scored the only regulation goal for the team. But why does he have to suck his thumb after he scores? I hope Pep talks that shit out of him...



Milan scored in the second half and neither Messi, nor Pedro or Bojan could break through to the winning goal. Game went to penalties and second choice goalie Pinto stopped three of Milan's and, thump!, Barça wins the Gamper Cup.

Young men keep playing this game. Some grow into the organization after the pitch. They build the team up in different architecture of the game's philosophy. Swiss, Brazilian, Dutch and Catalán, it's a collection of guys that are willing to sweat, bleed, play and love for the team. At all costs.