One touch, half-a-touch

*
There is a refrain on the training grounds of FC Barcelona that is emphasized to the players as they move the ball around.

One touch, half-a-touch.

This ideal can be applied in different ways.

To interact with people as a quick boost of energy that only moves you both toward your ultimate goal. A half-touch even that doesn't get tripped on possessing a single moment; instead, each action reflecting and bouncing the momentum further and further.

It's not me, then you, then me... it's a steady uninterrupted movement that gains clarity as it winds.

If it's slow enough to own then it isn't really shared.

February is the Coldest Month

Although they are still on top of the table and favored to win the Champion's League, the club has had a month that saw them dip slightly in form and get a lot of casualties among their squad.

Captain Puyol has been out injured for most of the month, which led to Xavi being the Captain on the pitch until injury sidelined him in the last week. I always get nervous when Puyol is not wearing the band. The team statistically do around 30% spottier without him, and though Xavi is a brilliant player and organizer on the field, something about him as Captain feels a little shaky. Puyol wears the band like a birthright and everyone falls into line. Xavi wears the band like he's a little nervous if the thing might fall off.

Puyol got to spend February taking care of his other interests

Dani Alves was sidelined with injury as his contract negotiations have stretched on and on...he may be threatening to split for the rich and bumpy pastures at Man City or Chelsea. The Premier league is a mess of contract negotiations and trades that saw Spain's weakest World Cup Striker Torres dealt from Liverpool to Chelsea for £50M (!!!) Four weeks later, he still hasn't scored a goal. Upside-fucking-down.

el niño Torres

It was in England that Barça lost to Arsenal in the first leg of their final 16 Champions League draw. It was a lot like last year's weak showing at the Emirates stadium. The game was played alright, with Barça giving Arsenal a clinic in play for the first 45, but then two late strikes gave the gunners the win. Remember Messi scoring four against them last year in the second leg? Payback's a bitch.

In the meantime, Barça are in first by a margin of seven points (still) as they mopped up in Mallorca yesterday 0-3. Messi, Villa and Pedro all scored--the front line delivering the goods to hush up the critics who had talked of the rough patch. They put it down without Puyol, Xavi or Valdes and delivered with the kind of confidence of a brash young rascal.

What, me worry?

7 ~ the Magic Number

Today R. Madrid played at Osasuna for their sunday game, and they lost 0-1. That, combined with yesterday's revenge victory against Hercules means that Football Club Barcelona are now the league leaders by 7 points ahead of the Madrileños.

It's a relief. The season is past the half-way point and the near-perfection of Barça in the season seems overwhelming and undeniable. The team, which is so great to watch, are clever and tricky and pretty, but would that charisma equal championships and success as measured in silver?

With the Copa Del Rey finals coming up soon, the next step in the Champions League competition against Arsenal in two weeks, and finally, the last stretch of the season of la Liga Español to be played out over the next 12 weeks, the momentum the team has established has almost given them wings to glide above the pitches they meet their opponents upon. This is the angel football of genius.

Leo is the team's angel. The gift. He tries so hard, it cannot fail to convince those that watch--both on the pitch and in faraway apartments and bars. Alone, or with company. Jordan-esque. Time-suspending.

Yesterday's victory over Hercules was tough. Pedrito came through to the goal just before the half, but other than that, the game was almost entirely mired in a tug of war by two savage shouldered ogres. Barça were off the mark. They had good control, but their counterparts in Hercules defence simply did not allow them the space to get a comfortable finish.

In the final minutes, as Hercules were reduced to a 10-man team thanks to two quick yellow cards for Farinos, Messi snapped to the goal and scored two in quick succession to finish the job at 0-3 Barcelona. The best team in Spanish and possibly world football, had avenged their last loss in the league against Hercules back in September at the Nou Camp.

Week 19 - Mid-Season Champions

Today R. Madrid tied with Almeria and Barcelona beat Malaga. Barça is at the head of the table by 4 points. Its mid-season and they are winter champions of la liga.

Harmonic Alignment

Leo Messi scored his first goal in the Champions League against Panathinaikos in late 2005. He played the ball forward before losing it to the defenders, it then got recovered by Eto'o who played it back to Leo, who wrestled it to the inner top of the net as the world was falling apart on all sides of him. He was 18 years old at the time.

The celebration after the goal is incredible. Ronaldinho, Eto'o and Messi huddled together-
The eldest genius brother, the middle child at his prime, and the youngest one who you love only as a younger brother can be loved;

With the belief that he can be brighter and more brilliant than you.

Is Iniesta going to go?

I read somewhere that Iniesta as a key contender for the Ballon D'or (against Messi and Xavi), may very well be sold from the club--the only club he's ever played for since childhood. The move would come as the team is cash strapped in spite of it's fame. The club is supposedly several hundred million dollars in the hole.

By selling the world cup winning goal scorer/ballon d'or player of the year to Man U, the club would free up a big chunk of money. Maybe that is why they are bringing in another Ibra...

Ibrahim Afellay from Holland has been signed to the team and he will arrive before the end of the year. He plays a lot like Iniesta. They both are skaters and passers that can come up with some cannon shots. Truth be told, there isn't that much room for him on the pitch as the team plays now. Plus he's a hothead. The catalan fascination and debt to the dutch rises up in weird ways. Will a Dutch kid be the replacement for the team's left lung?

Brothers

Barcelona are playing so incredibly these days.

The team look unstoppable. They get on the pitch and chat back and forth with each other, weaving the ball in and out through their opponents like they are exchanging inside jokes in the presence of strangers.



I saw a photo of them training this week with Dani Alves doing something that looks like capoeira and the other dudes around him smiling and laughing. The Bahiano, Dani Alves is such an integral part of how they move the ball. Him and Iniesta, Pedro and Messi have created such a water tight style of passing play in front of the goal that it always looks to be just a matter of time before they score.

They beat Real Sociedad today 5-0. Four teammates scored. It was sparkling. They completed 900 passes during the game--the most ever recorded.

Though there is still a lot of season left to play before May, no matter what the outcome of La Liga and the Champion's league, to watch them right now feels like we are watching the greatest team to ever play the game.

It's a joy.