Return of the Jedi

FC Barcelona vs Sevilla 5-0. 10/30/10

The Blast from Maxwell

In yesterday's Copa del Rey opener against third division Ceuta, Maxwell scored a sick goal in the 16th minute. It was his first goal for the team since coming aboard as left-back this season.

It showed the level of play that even defenders carry for the team. Dani Alves is an unbelievable right-back for the team, and he makes more plays and assists to the scorers than nearly anyone playing the game professionally. Alves is now sought out by Chelsea when his Barça contract expires in 2012. It would be a shame to lose him, in my opinion worse for the team than their shedding of Liga top scorer Samuel Eto'o in 2009.


Alves celebrates back in the Eto'o days

The team has been playing well--they have locked down the most artistic elements of the World Cup-winning Spanish(but isn't it really Catlan?!?)-style. They are in a three-way tie for second in La Liga, behind Real Madrid. While Real Madrid have blown some of their opponents clean out of the water with high scores, Barça have won most of theirs with 2-0 scores or even tighter--same low-ish scores that Spain rode to the World Cup win. It's all about trickery-dickery play that keeps their foes on edge.

With the game yesterday against third-division Ceuta in the half-esoteric Copa del Rey, many of the first team mainstays remained seated while the reserves and bench stepped up for the match. Bojan wore the captain's band for the second time ever. He looks to me like Gael Garcia Bernal. Anyone??

Sporting

Barcelona went to Madrid yesterday and played the Europa League Champs, Atletico Madrid. Barça haven't beaten the team in three years, and Atletico is particularly hot in this year--what with their Europa title and the star performance of their Uruguayan captain Diego Forlan in the world cup this summer.

But though Messi was not hot to win games in the Cup and Forlan was, yesterday it was Messi who played brilliantly and scored while Forlan was shut out. Barça played their slinky attacking game and after Atletico equalized in the 23rd minute, Barça scored again from a great close range shot from Pique to lock the score at 1-2. They kept attacking for the next hour of play and Madrid never really got any momentum. Unfortunately, in the extra time at the game's close, Leo Messi got his foot stomped on by Atletico's Ujfalusi.

He rolled on the ground in pain and covered his face as he was taken off the field in a stretcher. Though the injury is said to not be too grave, it sends shock waves through the club whose system is apparently dependent on him. The immediate diagnosis: a ligament sprain and (at least) two games missed.

Its a tough week in La Liga. The team plays on Wednesday hosting Sporting Gijon, and then they'll play in Bilbao against Atletic Bilbao on Saturday. The Bilbao game last year was pretty tough, and this upcoming one will be a good one to watch.

That's still too far to look ahead to. The team have to perform on Wednesday. Now they have mixed momentum at their handling of At. Madrid, hobbled by the loss of Messi.

For the Sporting Gijon game, the young guys have to come up. Pedro has to connect, and Bojan better get into form already in the season's third week. There is no more Ibra to act like Shaq and hang out and wait for dunks. Boys, set your phasers on whoop-de-whoomp.

EMF

I like watching Arsenal play, but why do they have to look like EMF? Right now it's the half of their first champion's league game against Braga from Portugal, and they are whomping em' 3-0. Cesc plays great for the team and it is easy to see why the club didn't want to let him go to Barcelona this summer. He's stands tall with the international outfit of London, but when he plays with his countrymen he seems intimidated. It's probably for the best that the switch didn't come this season.

Barça played yesterday and beat Panathinaikos, the visiting Greek champions. After scoring the opening goal (their only shot), the Greeks had to deal with a Messi answer goal within a minute, followed by two more by the half. The Greeks played like whipped donkeys. In the last moments of extra time, Messi got a great assist to Dani Alves for the fifth point header that closed it. It was a point you don't see everyday and it sealed the game and Barça's introduction to the Champions League season, 5-1.

Hercules!

Today Barça lost to Hercules 0-2.
They are a team that is newly promoted to la liga from the 2nd tier, and they've made their entrance by beating the Blaugrana at the camp nou, against the champion's in their first home game of the season.

The team lacked the finishing spark that the Spainish national side failed to show as well in Argentina a few days ago. Argentina whomped Spain 4-1.

I shaved clean a few days ago. As I looked at the screen and saw Pep on the sidelines, he was also clean shaven. I thought we were playing Hercules..? Did that make us Samson? It's been a tough little stretch of days. They say that everyone has a great struggle.

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.

Supercopa

FC Barcelona are lifting the Super Copa right now, having trounced Sevilla 4-0 at the Camp Nou.

Today was all about showing how the team is the perfect activator of Messi's talent. Messi scored a hat-trick and he was set up with grace and beauty by his teammates. Alves gifted him incredibly on a break, and Xavi found Leo with a world-class pass to set his score. It was like some best-of football from the team of National side players.



Pedro started off the scoring about 15 minutes into the game with a stunning run and cross that was knocked in by Konko of Sevilla. After that, the superstar from Argentina who'd had a disappointing World Cup took over the scoring. But though the game was dominated by one man, the team play of the side was second to none. They found their sneaky passes and breaks upfield with a unity that defines their style.

Barça have come back from a loss last week in Seviila 3-1 in the first game of the two-game series. Ibra scored a goal, but then the team unraveled from the absence of their linchpins. Xavi, Pedro, Valdes, Pique and Puyol were all playing for Spain's national team in Mexico (which ended in a 1-1 tie at the Estadio Azteca), and the World Cup goal winner himself, Andrés Iniesta was still resting. The team looked shaky and the B-team substitutes didn't rise. It was played like a lost cause to be decided in the second game, played today in Barcelona with their full squad.

Lot's of football being played. Too many cups and trophies. The Super Cup is less than 20 years old and played between the two winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey. It was presumed that Barça would win the cup. When they play like they did today--so pretty and unstoppable--they lift it with class.