"Franjirrojo" pancake (0-7)

If someone thought that this was going to be a difficult match, then, WAKE UP, please, and tell me how can a so sad 11-man squad beat us.
So, that's the main:
0-1, Messi, min. 15, after a "goal opener" pass by Pedro, scores at pleasure.
0-2, Rober (o. g.), min. 26, after a really bad shot by Alexis, Rober, trying to clear, shoves the ball in his own goal, and, leg-spreaded, crashes against the post. Owch!!! That's gotta hurt!!
Min. 31: free kick superbly taken by Trashorras, but Pinto momentarily tranforms himself into Superman and answers with an almost unreal dive.
0-3, Keita, min. 38, long pass by him to Messi, who gives ankle syrup to three defenders, makes a picture-perfect through pass to Keita himself, and the malian defines with a slight touch.
0-4, Pedro, min. 48, after a pass by Alexis that Messi crashes against the crossbar, Pedro, with Cobeño grounded, scores at pleasure.
0-5, Thiago, min. 79, after a good center by Alves, Thiago makes a dull header, making the ball bounce hard against the ground, which leaves Cobeño stuck, and so it goes in.
0-6, Pedro, min. 89, after a superstar-class center by Thiago, Pedro is left alone against Cobeño, and, with the style that distinguishes him, scores at pleasure.
0-7, Messi, min. 91, after a bad control by Afellay (Finally!! After 6 months down he's back!!), who manages to not crash against Tello, who, in turn, gives the ball to Messi, who, almost free of mark, scores at pleasure.
Mmmm, I think that, for a second-rank team that is doing so well, this is too much of a punishment...
Aaaaand so, next rival is Málaga CF, who comes to Barcelona as the third positioned team, after a vital win over direct rivals Valencia CF. So, Wednesday, 2nd of May, 20:00, at the Camp Nou, Barça-Málaga.
That's all for now, folks, see ya after the Barça-Málaga!!

Sad and cruel, very, very, very cruel farewell (2-2)

What was remaining. First, La Liga. Now, the Champions. Definitely, THIS IS A SEASON TO FORGET.
Again, Di Mateo used the same strategy than in Stamford Bridge, and this time it worked.
Barça was constantly endangering Petr Čech's goal, with the Czech goalkeeper answering flawlessly until Busquets's goal in minute 34, after a genius-level pass by Cuenca, who left him the only job to push the ball in.
Later, Chelsea lost a ball in midfield while trying to counterattack, to which Barça built up a "counter-counterattack" that led to the seond goal by Iniesta (min. 43). 2-0. Classified. Things are going well.
Buuuuut, you can never sing the song before the whistle, and Ramires proved that: in Chelsea's first chance, Meireles enabled him against Valdés, to which the brazilian defined with an almost unreal long-range vaseline.
DAMN. 2-1. Now CHELSEA is the classified.
Barça kept trying. Penalty by Drogba over Cesc. Sure chance. The referee whistles and... AGAINST THE CROSSBAR!!!!! No way!!! Messi can't miss that!!!
Tries, more tries, more possession, more be nervous, and when we were expecting somewhat similar to the "Iniestazo", what arrives was a... how can we call it? "Torresazo"?? Yes, you hear well. In Chelsea's SECOND CHANCE only, Torres, very clever, caught a dead ball with a plateau only for himself, Mascherano dind't even try to reach him, too fast, Valdés tried to make the save of the year, but Torres effortlessly got past him and scored at pleasure with empty goal. And that's all she wrote this year for Barça.
A very, very, very, cruel way to be eliminated. So, let's froget about it 'till next year, and let's get into La Liga again: next opponent is Rayo Vallecano, but this time playing at the Estadio Municipal de Vallecas. It's goin' to be difficult, beacuse Real Madrid suffered what isn't written in The Bible to take the three points from there, and with the referee's help (again)(Sergio Ramos's outraging elbow strike on Diego Costa INSIDE THE AREA?)
So, next Sunday, 21:30, Canal +/Canal + HD, at the Estadio Teresa Rivero (the other stadium's name), Rayo Vallecano vs Barça.
That's all for now folks, see ya after the Rayo-Barça!!

Very, very, very painful defeat (1-2)

One of two: or a TRUE miracle happens, or we get leagueless this year. A very practical and effective Real Madrid managed to take the three points in the most important match of the season.
Things began like in every Clásico: Barça has the ball, Madrid has the chances, and, usually, the first goal.
As soon as the match began, but, it could be seen that something was missing, and that was the damned last pass, the one that leaves you alone against the goalkeeper.
Barça having the ball, but Madrid being the first to warn: only in minute 4: Özil takes a corner, Ronaldo "lob-heads" it over the defense, and, somehow, Valdés reaches it in order to send it to corner.
The first signal that noticed that this match was going to be a disaster was the first goal of the "merengues", by Sami Khedira: Özil takes a corner (again, as it's one of Real Madrid's best weapons, they're extremely powerful on aerial game), Pepe heads it, Valdés blocks it, Puyol takes it, and while thinking to who was going to pass, Khedira, showing a lot of cleverness for a defensive midfielder, just pushed the ball inside the net. OMG. That ain't no good, believe me. Then, Madrid shelled themselves in their area, always trying to find a chance to use their best weapon, the counterattack.
Minutes would pass, Barça would have few chances, and then, after entering for Xavi, Alexis, in minute 70, would end up scoring after a mess of rebounds in the "merengue" area. Phew... We still have got time, so, let's go for it!! But the drawing happiness would be ephemeral: only TWO minutes later, Ronaldo wins the position to Mascherano, catches a very long pass by Benzema, dribbles past Valdés and scores at pleasure. A lethal thrust. Just after drawing... That REALLY HURTS.
Barça kept trying and trying, but finally they couldn't recover from the deadly moral strike given to them by CR7. and CR7 himself had the 1-3 in the last sigh of the match: death pass by Benzema, and Ronaldo, having won the position to Puyol, tried to push the ball in, but, being almost in point blank range, he did the most difficult thing: sending the ball way over the crossbar. Phew...
I wonder thats what the portuguese superstar wanted for years. I hope you'll be happy now, Ronaldo, you've just RUINED us the league season.
So, I hope that we now will be able to look to the next match, the UEFA Champions league semifinal's seond leg vs Chelsea FC at home, more calmly, knowing that almost all possibilities of league comeback have just faded.
So, next Tuesday, 20:45, TVE/TVE HD (only broadcasted by them), at the Camp Nou, Barça-Chelsea.
So, that's all for now, folks, see ya after the Barça Chelsea!!

It's like two supergalaxies colliding... Like twin stars bursting... it's EL CLÁSICO!!!

Yes, you heard well. Next Saturday, it's an all or nothing for Barça to press on the leader, the eternal rival, Real Madrid CF, as they visit the Camp Nou.
Barça has the main disadvantage of the strong moral strike received at Stamford Bridge, where they lost in a really, really very cruel way the 1st leg of the UEFA Champions League Semifinals.
But Madrid isn't an exception. They also come from losing 2-1 against Bayern München in the Allianz Arena, the host stadium for the great final.
Over the time, Mourinho seems to have found the button which stops Barça's "goaling" machine: pure counterattack, using Ronaldo's, Benzema's and Higuaín's speed and ball control to catch the culé defense off-guard.
But the Santiago Bernabéu is the Santiago Bernabéu, and the Camp Nou is the Camp Nou.
Barça is Barça ans his philosophy, and Madrid is Madrid with his "Oh my God!! This isn't football!! This is karate!!"
So, next Saturday, 20:00, PPV (unlucky!), El Clásico, Barça-Madrid, at the Camp Nou.
That's all for now, folks, see ya after El Clásico!!

Cruel, very, very cruel defeat (1-0)

Blues, you can be happy today, you deserved nothing in order to win, but you have had the damn luck that small teams always have.
The match has began with Barça immediately cornering you, and you backing off like italian cowards. And that resulted in a barrage of chances, that, you may think it's a miracle performed by God, all of them ended up in nothing.
A ball from Alexis against the crossbar, a silly mistake by Cesc, 2 1 vs 1 saved by Čech, a sure goal that Ashley Cole saved under posts... And when things were going better, as I always say, MEK!!, the other team scores: a lucky ball stolen I don't know if by Meireles or Lampard, mindless clearing that, somehow, arrived to Ramires, who had a plateau only for himself, as Barça was still relocating, a simple pass once inside the area, and Drogba, natural born killer, does not forgive.
Then all happened as I imagined: even Drogba defending. You didn't almost get out of your field, but Barça had also chances, less, but chances: a very good header by Puyol that, somehow, Čech managed to clear, and, in the last sigh of the match, a low strike by Pedro that, lucky you, crashed against the post and Busquets had no other idea than trying a volley that almost sent the ball out of Stamford Bridge.
You fools. FEAR US. You don't know what is coming over your heads next Tuesday. I promise: REVENGE IS GOING TO BE TERRIBLE!!!!!
The next issue deserves ams apart post.

Very, very golden three points to keep believing (1-2)

Phew. We almost don't make it alive from the Ciutat de València stadium. THAT was a close shave!!
Barça began with a string of chances spoiled by an immense Munúa, and when things were lookin' better, the "granota" team goal fell: corner taken by José Javi Barkero. Valdés palms, not punches, it away, then Gustavo Cabral tries a header straight into Busquets, who, still I don't know why, reflexively tried to protect his chest (why?) with his ARMS. And so that ended in a really stupid penalty trasformed by Barkero (1-0)(min. 22)
The match then trasformed in an I-have-the-ball-but-you-counterattack, very dangerous, as Puyol saved almot under the posts the 2-0 in minute 37, after a misunderstanding between Thiago and Mascherano, Koné caught the ball, launched himself to the culé area, and, in the way, he gave the ball to Barkero, thinking he could do something better that he had planned, and, as Barkero came to face Valdés, he tried a death pass to Koné, who already had the rifle loaded, but Puyol got in the way in the last moment.
Then in the second half, Messi finally woke up (as he almost did not play a ball in the entire first half), first by completing a wall pass with Alexis and then launching an UNSTOPPABLE howitzer (1-1)(min. 64), and then by almost blowing up Munúa's goal net from the 11 meters spot (yes, the penalty spot), after a penalty by Botelho to Cuenca. (1-2)(min. 72)
La Liga takes a rest again to allow the first round of the UEFA Champions league semifinal in, against an ol'known rival, Chelsea FC. And dis time we play in Stamford Bridge. Maybe another "Iniestazo"?? Who knows^^.
So, this wednesday, 20:45, open view, at the Stamford Bridge stadium (people says that there is where Pep Guardiola's Barça truly bloomed), Chelsea-Barça, an ol', very ol' hatred match.
So, that's all for now folks, just two things: pray to be alive after Stamford Bridge, and see ya after the Chelsea-Barça!!

Revenge is better if served cold (4-0)

Revenge is better if served cold. Getafe has just known it.
As we thoguht, Mr. L.G.P. (Luis García Plaza, Getafe's coach) was repeating the atrategy that allowed them to shockingly get the three points in the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, but this time it's been a nonsense.
Alexis began opening the scorer with an unstoppable cannonball after a chest assist (?¿) by Messi (1-0)(min. 12)
The second fell almost ended the second half, after tries and tries of breaking the "azulón" wall, Messi finally found Iniesta, who split the defensive line in two with a really delicious heel wall pass, to allow Messi to (also) almost leave Miquel Àngel Moyà bald with a "peladilla" (2-0)(min. 43)
Now in the late second half, Isaac Cuenca finally finds a way to leave seated Getafe's most overwhelming defensive midfielder, Tsepo Masilela, to which he delivers a long pass which finds Alexis having gained the postion to his Getafe's namesake (Barça's is Alexis Sánchez, and Getafe's is Alexis Ruano) and heading it in (3-0)(min. 72)
Only two minutes later, we would be able to see the best goal of the match: free kick taken by Messi, who centers, Pedro wins the position to Getafe's defender Daniel Alberto "El Cata" Díaz, and without even looking goalwards, he hits the ball with the bald patch (I don't know if you get that) and ends up clearing the spider webs in the right square. Woooooo, that's a HEADER, hell yeah!! (4-0)(min. 74)
I say, again that revenge is better if served cold.
Our next rival is a launched, very launched, really launched Levante UD, who's only lost home (yes, we play in the Ciutat de València stadium) two matches in THE WHOLE SEASON: 3-5 against Rayo Vallecano an 0-2 against CA Osasuna.
So, next Saturday, 22:00, open view (TV3), at the Ciutat de València stadium, Levante-Barça.
That's all for now, folks, see ya after the Levante-Barça!!

Character lesson (1-4)

Barça had to, and amply did, again, turn the omelette against the rivals.
Zaragoza had a lucky beginning, after Valdés committed a very silly penalty over Ángel Lafita, which was taken by Carlos Aranda, but correctly guessed by the culé goalkeeper.
Valdés, but, would have to suffer from disgrace again, as he again spoiled another effort from Aranda, who slipped after the shot, but, tell me if this is disastrous luck or not, the rebound from Valdés's save went straight to Aranda's head, and from there to the back of the net. Football is not only ability, gentlemen... (1-0)(min. 29)
But from there, Barça would elevate the pulse to the 110%, and would equal eight minutes later, through Puyol (I think this guy could also make his times as a forward^^), after a soft corner kick by Messi, wrongly guessed in the height matter by Roberto, the "maño" goalkeeper, who tried to catch the ball, but it was higher than he thought, and he barely managed to ground the ball after scrapping it with the fingers, to which Puyol, the man who received that ball, only had to push it in. (1-1)(min. 35)
Only 180 seconds later, Barça would score again, this time from a lighting-like, stiletto-styled counterattack, which began in a curious but painful way, after Alves blocked with his nose what could have been an unstoppable missile by Ruben Micael, to which Puyol brutally kicked the ball forwards, almost like clearing it, but Alexis easily caught the missile, and, with his classical Sonic-like speed, he caught, along with Messi, the "maño" defense still broken, to which he just made an awesome side-changing long pass caught effortlessly by Messi, who, after some delicious foot menu, left Paulo da Silva lost and dizzy and almost left Roberto bald with a "peladilla". (1-2) (min. 38)
Now in the very late second half, Alexis (who had recently disturbing a lot in the "maño" area) was determined to be stopped at all costs by Paredes, who played with fire, and ended up burnt, as his tackle was out-timed and too strong, thereby ending in a penalty over "The Wonder Kid". You know the rest. (1-3)(min. 86)
Having entered the exra time, a great counterattack led by Keita, Messi and Pedro ended with the canary forward alone against Roberto and you know the rest. (1-4)(min. 91)
Character lesson. Ohhhhh yes.
Next match prvides a chance for revenge to us, as the rival is getafe CF (remember the post "The worst match we could lose"?), playing here, in Barcelona.
So, next Tuesday, 21:00, PPV, at the Camp Nou stadium, Barça-Getafe.
That's all for know, folks, see ya after the Barça-Getafe!!

Safely dispatched (3-1)

This time, it can be said that AC Milan stood not much chances against Barça.
Maybe because Guardiola's team was touched by the Luck's wand, as, after a quite confused mess of culé and rossoneri legs fighting for the ball, Messi takes it and is immediately hunted down by Philippe Mexès, maybe the most brutal rossoneri defender.
A large-as-a-building penalty. So? You know the rest (1-0)(min. 10)
But when things were lookin' good, the frozen jar arrived: after an almost impossible individual play by Robinho, by leaving Busquets and Xavi stuck with an amazing feint, narrowly avoiding a tackle by Puyol, and if you thought he was over to Mascherano, not at all, because he had time to see Antonio Nocerino alone and connect an almost impossible through pass before being struck down by "El Jefecito", thing that Nocerino used to get in front of Valdés and not forgive (although he actually is a defensive midfielder)(1-1)(min. 32)
After the rossoneri believed it, the match became a broken ball madness until minute 42, when Xavi was taking a corner, and Busquets and Nesta's particular fight ended in the very veteran defender (36 years old) flooring Busquets after an outraging shirt pull inside the area. After a mess of players talking with the referee Björn Kuipers, it could finally be determined that it was what it had to be: a penalty. You know the rest (2-1)(min. 42)
things went on 'till minute 53, when Iniesta used a disastously cleared ball by Mexès (the french defender almost gave it to him) to gently define past Abbiati (3-1)(min. 53)
Phew. Safely but anxiously dispatched.
Next rival is Real Zaragoza (Champions league rests again to let La Liga in), team that seemed almost dead, but Manolo Jiménez touched them with a magic wand and they are now brawling to get out of the downtown zone.
So, next Saturday, 20:00, PPV, in La Romareda stadium, Zaragoza-Barça.
That's all for now, folks, see ya after the Zaragoza-Barça!!

Golden three points (2-0)

Golden three points. Bielsa's team was exhausted, but, showing passion and pride, they fought as much as they could, showing that they also are a team that loves to pamper the ball.
The first goal was made by "Lo puto crack" Andrés Iniesta, in minute 40, after a through pass by Messi, Iniesta defined with a "peladilla" (over-the-head (over the goalkeeper's head) ball-breaking punt)(1-0).
Athletic would also have chances, yes, but nor for nothing was Piqué the MVP, as he saved'em all under the posts, plus two scoring chances he almost transformed.
Then, on minute 56, Javi Martínez (tireless, went aorund all field to help in defensive matters and also saved one chance under the posts) committed a penalty (finally!!) over Cristian Tello (Guardiola's new "invention"), and Messi did not forgive (2-0).
Next rival is, again, AC Milan. This time at home. Hope we can seal the quarterfinals and sneak into the semifinals using the home ground factor.
Well that's all for now, folks, see ya after the Barça-Milan!!

The Camp Nou will decide after a crazy draw (0-0)

CRAZY draw. Lots of chances for both teams. A ups amd downs games.
There were no goals, yes, but because the match's MVP was Christian Abbiati, the "rossoneri" goalkeeper. There were also non-whistled penalties, as ever.
Both teams began with a 4-3-3 (Milan using more of a 4-3-1-2), and playing in a typical italian fashion: everybody defending, and, as soon as they could, they launched very dangerous counterattacks. There was a possible penalty over Alexis on minute 29, after a laboratory play, Abbiati makes Alexis trip up with his arm and fall.
Then, on minute 60, Puyol proved to be pure muscle, as Ambrosini was grabbing him by the shirt in the area, but was being carried off also, and then Puyol, showing off a great brute force display, performed a header that went out scrapping the post.
And things kept going this way till the end.
Next rival is Marcelo Bielsa's super Athletic, that comes from Gelsenkirchen very, very moralized after beating Schalke 04 2-4 at the Veltins Arena.