An infinite team (0-4)

Again. Again, officially the best team of the world.
Again, Barça's quality football has been recognized as the best of the world.
And the result of the final says it: Santos Futebol Clube 0-4 FC Barcelona.
Amazing, isn't it??
But it wasn't as easy as it seemed (realtively). Santos began with a 5-3-2 (most of the time a 4-1-3-2), but they weren't able to do anything, because Barça had the midfield almost completely choked. It's true they had chances, but when they had, Valdés appeared to say "today, no ball gets through me".
The first goal came in minute 16, by someone you already know very well (yes, Messi), after a through pass by Xavi which Messi spooned over Rafael Cabral, Santos FC's goalkeeper, and Léo (Leonardo Lourenço Bastos), the brazilian's left wing back, couldn't reach in time to avoid the can opener.
The 0-2 was made in Xavi, in minute 23, after a cross by Alves which Xavi chested (thereby avoiding Bruno Rodrigo's missiled tackle)and delivering an impressive low cannonball which Rafael Cabral couldn't stop.
The 0-3 was made in Cesc, one minute before half time, after a mess of rebounds, shots and more rebounds in the "peixe" (Santos FC's players and supporters nickname)area, Cesc finally caught the ball and, with Rafael Cabral gone forward, he scored at pleasure with the goal empty.
In the second half, Santos added more intensity to the rhytm, and both Borges and Neymar had clear chances, but Valdés thwarted them all.
And so in minute 82 came the fourth and ultimate, again by Messi, after a through pass by Alves, Messi faced Rafael Cabral 1 vs 1, and with a gentle yet amazing outside foot touch, he left the brazilian goalkeeper sold and scored at pleasure.
Unlucky that last season we lost the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid... If we had won it, we AGAIN would have made a sextuple, you know??
After the match, Neymar admitted that they stood almost no chance to win, and that what was forecasted happened.
With five of six this year (it's still impressive), Barça faces one last match, against CE L'Hospitalet, in the Copa del Rey trophy, to determinate who (logically, it should be Barça)advances in the knockout stage and who gets knocked out.
So, next Thursday, playing home, Barça-CE L'Hospitalet, 22:00.
You'd say a match of this class does not deserve a post, doesn't it?? Well then let me remember you that this match is gonna be the last of the year.
So, that's all for now, folks, see ya after the Barça-L'Hospitalet!!

Hands up, this is a robbery!!(1-3)

Again, football takes over dirty playing. Tonight, justice has been made in the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.

Real Madrid was the first to strike; they needed just 24 seconds (you heard well) to open the can: ball given to Valdés, Benzema and Ronaldo press him, he makes a mindless pass, and gives a present to Di María, Di María gives the ball to Özil, who shoots, but Busquets blocks, the ball is sent to the air, and Benzema catches it with a point blank bazooka-style volley to net in.

Oh, oh... we have some trouble up there...

But the culé would put the draw in minute 30: a classical "all people" slalom by Messi, he loses the ball to Pepe, but the ball is sent forward, Alexis catches it, runs as fast as he can to the merengue area, and, being annoyed by Ramos and Carvalho, he decides to try a low whip crack, enough powerful to end netted in from almost outside the area.

Now in the second half, Messi toyed around with destiny by unsuccesfully trying to stop Xabi Alonso, a try that only ended in a horrorful tackle from Messi, knowing that he already had a yellow card. Miraculously, he wasn't sent off. Phew....

Barça would strike again in order to make the 1-2, a goal that can be desribed as "such a fool and a luck of a goal": a ball is sent into the air after Alexis tried to strike again, Xavi tries a volley, and instead obtains a blunder, a blunder that crashes against Marcelo's legs and is refracted, catching Casillas off-guard and almost completely gone to the right side, to which the merengue goalkeeper couldn't reach the ball in time before it crashed in the post and went in.

Football isn't only ability, ladies and gentlemen...

Barça would put the definitive 1-3 with Real Madrid style: netting in a textbook counterattack: Piqué manages to tackle off Ronaldo, gives the ball to Xavi, then Xavi runs as much as he is able to, before giving the ball to Iniesta, who in turn givs it to Cesc. Cesc then gives the ball to Messi, who, in turn, gives it to Alves; Alves runs as much as he is able to and then centers, and, out of nowhere, Cesc appears, having won the position against Fábio Coentrão, and heads the ball in. OMG, this is a goal to remember...

Having won one of the most important matches of the season, Barça then travels to Japan in order to play the FIFA Club World Cup. The culés first rival will come from the match between the African Champions League (CAF) champion (Ésperance Sportive de Tunis) and the Asian Champions League (AFC) champion (Al-Sadd Sports Club).

Well, that's all for now folks, see ya after the FIFA Club World Cup final!!

Placid walk (4-0)

As expected. They had nothin' to do.

Even with the second team boys, it's been a placid walk.

First of all, Sergi Roberto (the future Cesc) opened the can after many fast-paced passes, with an almost invisible low shot, in minute 34.

Then, Martín Montoya (the future Dani Alves), scored the second in minute 58, after reciving a through pass by Pedro, and not hesitating on trying to reduce the ball to shreds.

Then, on minute 61, Pedro scored the goal of the match: after a multiple man dribbling by Isaac Cuenca (this kid is sure to get a first team contract next season), Cuenca, who was almost in goal kick out, managed to make a pass inside the area, then Pedro arrived, but it's not sure that if it's because he was going too fast, or because he just wanted to show off, but he netted in with a halfway turn crossed heel kick.

Finally, on minute 86, Isaac Cuenca received a penalty from an already surrendering Marko Simić, and Pedro transformed it.

That's a true top flight level show. BATE had nothing to do.

The next issue is commented in the previous post.

WARNING!! WARNING!! Planetary collision incoming!! El Clásico has arrived!!

I mentioned the aside post beacuse the next league opponent is Real Madrid CF.

Yes, it's El Clásico again.

No doubt this time there will be a planetary collision in the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. Knowing that this time Mr. Mourinho has found an effective way to combine Real Madrid's usual advanced suffocating pressure to choke out any ball exit with the player's natural skill to create picture-perfect counterattacks to really damage Barça, things are going to get seriously difficult this time.

Mourinho's strategy is designed to damage pass and possession play like Barça's, so I think that this time Guardiola will have to work an stiletto-vertical strategy to avoid the pressure lines. Anyway, we'll see what is and what isn't. So remember this, next Saturday, 22:00, PPV, Real Madrid-Barça, at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. Don't miss it, scorching hot action is granted!!

First 2 in 1 of the season: The chase begins: Alexis's match (4-0) & They eat'em five on five: Cesc's match(5-0)

The chase begins: Alexis's match (4-0)

They said Rayo Vallecano is a daring team. Well, let me modify that. Rayo Vallecano is a suicidal team. Have you ever seen anyone playing in the Camp Nou with a three man defense? (aside of UD Almería (that's an exceptional case))

I'd say no. But José Ramón Sandoval made a quite strange scheme: a 3-5-2 (wtf??), with long range left and right defensive midfileders, convertible (with this two long range defensive midfielders) in a 5-3-2 when it comes to defense, also aplying a suffocating pressure to choke and close any possible ball exit from the culé field. But they couldn't keep the rhytm.

After half an hour, Alexis (this dude promises) opened the can with a wonderful masterpiece: after reciving a pass from Xavi, with a gentle touch he dribbled Arribas, who seemed a tomahawk missile aimed at Alexis, and connected a heavily threaded shot that bounced off the post and went in (1-0). Wonderful. That's why he's called "Kid Wonder", isn't it?

Just ten minutes later, AGAIN Alexis struck (I wonder if Udinese misses him, 'cos he's doing really well here), after an horitzontal series of passes (Alves-Messi-Xavi-Alexis), Alexis, like a true killer, faced Cobeño and didn't forgive (2-0). Man, that's a wonderful (you get it?) way to earn fame.

Just a minute later, when Rayo was beginning to feel "gas-out", Villa scored a really silly goal: Piqué finds a corridor and connects a line-breaking pass to Alves who then faces Cobeño along with Villa, and gives the goal to Villa (3-0). Rayo is really "gas-out", believe me, because it's been such a fool of a goal...

In the beginning of the second half, Messi (nothing to say, y'already know him) scored another really silly goal: he catches a long pass from Alves, probes the ball with Casado, and gets past him with little effort, as Casado (like the rest of the team) is "gas-out", sprints the right side, enters the area, and, to everybody's surprise, no defender comes to face him, so, as if nothing, he gets in front of Cobeño, and beats him with little effort with a low and not very powerful crossed shot (4-0). This match is becoming a real fool... And so it finished with no more goals.

Next opponent is Levante UD, the surprising fourth placed team, who visits the Camp Nou with hopes of at least ripping out a point from there. So, next Saturday, 20:00, PPV, Barça-Levante, at the Camp Nou.

Well, that's all for now, folks, see ya after the Barça-Levante!!

They eat'em five on five: Cesc's match(5-0)

Five on five. Impossible to keep that rhytm.

We did not have to wait much to see the first: , an early can opener, just in the third minute, from Cesc, who, after reciving a pass from Xavi, surprised Munúa with an accurate low shot (1-0). Over everything, it's a psycological goal.

Many minutes later, in minute 33, a free kick after an outrageously blatant fault by Javi Venta over Alexis, is headed in by Cesc (2-0). Seems that today it's Cesc's day.

Three minutes later, with Levante UD still confused by the Cesc storm, the defense didn't pay attention to an easily interceptable pass from Messi to Cuenca (this kid is destined to be a future idol), who didn't hesitate in netting in (3-0). Whoa, two goals in three minutes... That's gotta hurt^^.

Now in the second half, still stunned by the three goals, Messi, after a line-breaker from Alves, beat Munúa with his fashion "silly cross". Nothing to say, we all know Messi.

And to close the handful, Alexis (this guy is rising faster than champagne foam), after a series of passes, tricks, and tackles by his partners, scored a quite lucky goal, as he tried to do the same than his first goal against Rayo Vallecano, but the ball bounced off Asier Del Horno's back, then off the lower crossbar and it ended quite narrowly going in (5-0). Luckily, the referee saw it...

After that, the UEFA Champions League comes again, as a fearful BATE Borisov comes for a visit. The match in Minsk was a placid walk, so things shouldn't be too difficult here. So, next Tuesday, 20:45, TV3? PPV?, Barça-BATE, in the Camp Nou stadium.

So that's all for now folks (pay attention to the finishing phrase under this), see ya after the Barça-BATE!!

(The next league issue deserves an aside post.)