Some might argue that money has played a role in seeing the Blaugrana become the team to beat in European football, and there is some truth to that, but let's not go overboard with the idea, okay? For starters, count how many players are on the squad who come from their youth academy, La Masía. Let's see, there's Xavi, Messi, Iniesta, Piqúe, Valdés, Puyol, Busquets, Pedro and Jeffrens. Oh, and they'd still have Giovani and Fabregas if those two hadn't been lured away due to youthful impatience. That's nine players who make up the juggernaut that is Barcelona. Ten if they get Fabregas back. This sort of thing just doesn't happen anymore--except in Barça. So, yes, it involves money, but a lot of time and effort in developing for the future too. Besides, I think Los Merengues are on the way to proving once more that money does not a football squad make. Frankly, I think Pellegrini is too good for that gaggle of neo-galacticos.
Pep Guardiola was also a product of La Masia, a player of rare vision and skill during another time of football excellence for the Blaugrana. What he's done with the squad is phenomenal. A tradition has been transferred from one rare squad to another, and who better to insuring the passing of the baton than Guardiola? This was Xavi's idol as a young boy, and it seems the transmission is complete.
Barcelona are on another level and still rising. As I said last season, the only ones who can beat them are themselves. And, under the tutelage of Guardiola, I seriously doubt this will happen.
Here is a club with large financial resources, which have been put to use, but in a sensible manner. Even so, Barcelona has invested heavily into developing their own players, and making use of them rather than selling them off. They prescribe to attacking football regardless of the opposition. and advocate a form of play that demands of its players skill, stamina, teamwork and vision. This is a club going against the grain of the football world. And they are champions. When will football learn?
]]>First off, the fans in Seattle are hard core, both in terms of loyalty to the Sounders and their level of support. I was surprised to see all the green & blue jerseys out in the stadium, easily outnumbering the blaugrana cules. Seattle supporters had their songs ready and belted them out with an organization and intensity that at times matched English football supporters. The immersion factor was most definitely there. I'm pondering getting season tickets for the Sounders next season.
The second thing that struck me had to do with Barça's ball play. Namely, how tight it is. From the perspective of television, it's sometimes hard to gauge the distances involved on the pitch. Sure, one can tell if it's a long ball or a short pass, but just how long or short is not that easy to calculate. Watching the blaugrana play in person at Qwest Field, it became obvious to me that they do indeed play well in tight spaces. Distances were often no more than 5m from passer to target, and when you see them routinely string together three or four 1-touch passes in a crowded area with speed and accuracy, it is quite impressive.
But, that was last month. Now we're into the second round of La Liga, and though Barça really hasn't been tested (that's coming Wednesday with Inter), what they have shown has been informative. The squad isn't quite clicking yet, and that is to be expected--to a degree--given we're just two weeks into the season. There are still Maxwell, Chygrynskiy and Ibrahimovic to meld into the Barça way of playing, but they all seem to be coming along. Also, Marquez and Iniesta are just coming back from being injured since before the season's start, while Krkic is presently injured. When Milito will return is still uncertain.
I'm pleased to see both Jeffrens and Pedro are on the senior squad. I like how those two play, and their inclusion, along with Krkic, will add depth to the front line. Keita is showing signs of further improvement from last year. It took him awhile to adjust to Barcelona, but I think he's finally found his groove within the team's play.
Lastly, I'm really liking the Ibrahimovic factor to Barça's play. Ibra is great for height, has speed, and yet possesses finesse and a fine touch to the ball as well. The Swede's vision and passing ability are none too shabby either, and he certainly knows a thing or two about putting the ball in the back of the net. Zlatan is two goals after two matches, which is encouraging. He admits to not being 100% fit yet. If that's the case, we may only be seeing the tip of the iceberg. Time will tell.
So, Pep's got another fine squad together, morale looks good, and given how the blaugrana have played thus far, there is promise of better things to come. After last season, I don't know what that could be, but frankly if they can pull off last year once more, that'll be good enough for me.
For now, there's Inter to play on Wednesday. One thing at a time.
]]>Eto'o is gone. A strange feeling to realize that, but I do agree with Pep that it was for the best of the team. The Cameroon was key for Barça's success last season, but it always felt as if he had something to prove. Every goal Eto'o scored had that feeling about it. Like he was saying, 'See! I told you. Dammit.' That sort of mentality gets old after awhile, and I'm sure it was the case in the Blaugrana's dressing room as well. Having said that, it must be acknowledged that Samuel could be counted on regardless. If he was on the pitch, he gave it 110%, no questions asked. A true professional where it counted most. Take care, Samu.
There are a lot of detractors where Ibrahimovic is concerned, but I'm not one of them. The Swede is a personality, no doubt, but I really feel he's reached a club that fits his personality to a tee. Specifically, his style of play. Zlatan has flair, he has power, and he has intelligence and vision. His technical excellence will thrive here, as will the Swede's sense of creativity. He'll be expected to do his share of pressing and tracking back, no doubt, but the facts don't lie. Attacking possession football suits Zlatan very well, and it should prove to be the environment that sees Ibracadabra take things to another level. I eagerly look forward to seeing what the Swede can do with the likes of Messi, Henry, Xavi and Iniesta.
]]>I just don't get that. Pep used Bojan very sparingly last season, a likely indication the coach wasn't quite convinced of the young man's 'qualities'. And, now they don't want to loan him out for next season? Very strange. Assuming Eto'o and Henry both leave and Villa comes in, where will Bojan go? The wings? He's not a winger, he's a second or support striker, comfortable playing deep off the front line. That puts the boy in a position that really doesn't exist in Barça's 4-1-2-3. So, why the reluctance to loan him out? Got me.
]]>As a culé it's somewhat unsettling to see that the Nemesis has already secured the services of Pellegrini as coach, as well as Kaka and Ronaldo. The Chilean is a master of the elegant game, and the recent acquisitions from AC Milan and Man Utd should stand to prosper under his guidance. Or at least under normal conditions, but Real Madrid are anything but normal these day, or for most of this decade for that matter. It seems a club that strives for excellence in spite of itself and its leadership. When this unfortunate predicament will end is unknown, but certainly not any time soon under Señor Perez Rodriguez.
And just as in last summer, Barcelona have come out of the gate at less than breakneck pace, with no new signings to date. There has been talk of Ribery, Ibrahimovic, Forlan and even Villa, but nothing definitive so far. Ah well, we do still have the best team in Europe. Yes, Gudjohnsen and Hleb look to be leaving, and maybe Eto'o as well, but the fact remains: Pep has his treble winning squad largely intact come 2009/2010. We will need to find replacements for those leaving, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to add a little depth to the back line, specifically the central defenders.
The good thing about Barça is that it's a club grounded, not on marquee players, but on a philosophy of play. This philosophy demands skill and creativity of its practitioners, and not as individuals alone. Their abilities must work within the collective, dictated by Guardiola. In so doing, the individual's contribution is magnified and ones efforts are enhanced. The whole become greater than the sum of its parts. And it goes beyond tactics and formations too. Rather, it's about how the ball is played. Something as simple as that. As elemental as that. It's not easy to do even for skillful players, but what FC Barcelona does is as effective as it is a joy to watch.
So, amid the chaos that is the transfer season, am I worried? No. Let Florentino dig himself into a great money pit once more. A gaggle of galacticos is nothing compared to what we call Barça.
]]>Two days have passed since the Champions League Final, and this sort of tripe is making the news. Yes, part of it is just the media's way of inciting controversy, but still there's an underlying theme here that's hounded the Spanish league for a long time. That somehow they're inferior to the more northern climes of Euro-Brit football. Spain was long the joke of Europe as the Sick Man of Football, possessed of a style that was as naively ineffective as it was aesthetically pleasing. Then came Euro 2008 and Spain showed the world just what attractive, attacking football was capable of. And now three days ago FC Barcelona did the same in club football. If that's not a ringing endorsement of attacking football as world beater, I don't know what is. Yet still people prefer to see it all as some sort of a fluke. As if park-the-bus-pack-the-box defensive football is actually the 'practical' way to play. As if.
Why, one has to wonder? What is so special about packing the box? What's so special about keeping a couple sprinters up field for the counterattack? Other than it's just so incredibly easy to dictate and employ, where's the genius? Or is that it? Is the genius in the fact that it's just a lot easier to train a squad of otherwise mediocre players into an organized defensive formation, much like, say, the military? If the military can take a gaggle of late teens and turn them into an organized formation, how hard is it to take a bunch of footballers and turn them into a living wall?
It can't be that hard, because defensive-minded clubs are a dime a dozen, take your pick of any league in Europe, it doesn't matter. They dot Europe like sardines in a can, like Chelsea in their own box. They are, quite frankly, the norm in football today. If you want to play it safe, play defensively. Hey, everybody's doing it.
Well, not everybody. Not Arsenal, or Manchester United when they're feeling good about themselves. Not Villarreal. And certainly not Barcelona. Hell no. That's just too easy to do, and more importantly, such a bore to watch. The challenge is in making an attacking side that can win in football at any level. That's the thing. You want to make a mark in the game, go out there and attack. Flaunt it. Leave that back line vulnerable, like a carrot on a stick for the average defensive side. It only gives them hope that they can still score on the counter, and that in turn only adds impetus to a more defensive outlook. Pretty soon it's all about the 'shell' and insuring its integrity. Polishing it, checking for defects. And goals become things that come along in happenstance, the result of a requisite number of chances and the product of a skillful striker or two, left to their own devices.
No, you want to know what takes work? Training a skilled attacking squad that is greedy, that hates to give the ball away. When they have the ball, keeping it is almost as important as scoring. When they lose the ball, you'll be lucky to do much with it before they swarm all over you and get it back. People say possession football is so ineffectual, since it's often a lot of sideways passing. My response is: what is the opposition doing during all that time? Trying to get it back? Maybe. Trying to close the space? Probably. Scoring? Most definitely not. They often say, attacking clubs like Barcelona are weak defensively, but the reality is that they are tremendously strong defensively, they're just killing two birds with one stone--called Possession.
How does a side keep possession? By holding onto the ball. That's easier said than done in this era of supremely fit players and a game grounded on pressing. You need players who have a great touch, accurate one-time passing, no small amount of vision, and a lot of confidence--not only in themselves, but in one another. Communication is a must, of course. And last, but not least, playing as an attacking side demands intelligence and imagination. Defense may require the closing off of opportunity, but offense is grounded on creating opportunity. It's dynamic and fleeting, but when it's taken in timely fashion opportunity is absolutely stunning to witness. You can't really train creativity, but you can nurture it. You just got to give your players their own heads and trust in them, let them flex a bit intellectually.
These aren't easy things to impress on your players if you intend to attack in the most convincing style. Concepts like creativity and intelligence are especially difficult, so it's probably not that surprising that some of the most creative players for Barça are from FCB's own youth system, La Masía. It's at the core of what FC Barcelona is all about. That fact is most certainly one of a kind in todays football.
]]>Hell, it went even better than I expected. At the whistle, as I sat nervously, stuffing my mouth with popcorn at breakneck pace, it looked like the guys in white were playing like ... well, the Blaugrana. The Catalan side seemed on edge and a little brittle with tension, and the hope was they would settle down before disaster hit. Then at the tenth minute Barcelona got a little bit of possession, Iniesta bringing the ball up gracefully before laying it off to Eto'o. And the Cameroon striker, who's been in very poor form of late, went right past Vidic like he wasn't there, and scored. Just like that.
United were shattered right there, and immediately recoiled into something a little more defensive. The middle third was relinquished in favor of longer, less vulnerable passes. In a word, the long ball started to creep into Man U's game. To their credit, it never quite took hold, but at the same time The Manchester side couldn't shake free of it either. Amazingly, the game was never really in doubt for FC Barcelona following their first goal. It was almost anticlimactic how thoroughly Barça took control of the game. I really didn't expect to see that, and still am unsure what happened to Manchester United.
For one, I expected Fergie to play some form of defensive-counter type of strategy, because anyone who's seen Barcelona play just knows you can't play them on level terms. You just can't. They're too good in the attack, and know how to defend well with their style of play. Much better than Rijkaard's Barça ever did. But, maybe for reasons of honor or stubbornness, Sir Alex decided to come at the Catalan side on their own terms. For ten minutes it was very impressive, but the trick is in having a plan B if things go awry. There was no alternate plan up Fergie's sleeve when Eto'o scored, and so Man Utd recoiled defensively.
Having said that, it must also be said that our boys were stellar, and fighters. Puyol was just fabulous on the right and Sylvinho held his end of the pitch with confidence. Xavi and Iniesta were rock solid as the maestros, and even Eto'o was able to rise to the occasion with that strike. Everyone gave as best they could, and in the end it paid off. FC Barcelona have the Treble: domestic league, Spanish league cup, and Champions League cup.
Well, Pep, I'm so glad you don't have to say 'we haven't won anything yet'. Or 'we still have a lot of work to do'. Enough of that! You've done it! You deserve it! We thank you!
]]>“For now, Ronaldo is No 1.
“He has so much power - just look at the goal he scored against Arsenal from 50m.
“And he is quick with the ball at his feet and strong in the air.”
I don't know about you, but I take umbrage to that assessment. Ronaldo better than Messi? I don't think so. Messi might not be better than Ronaldo, but the Portuguese is no improvement on the Argentine. Rather, each is well suited for their club's style of play and the leagues they play in. La Liga is a more thoughtful game with an appreciation for flair and guile and magic. The Premiership is a game turned up to '11' where fans cheer on effort and pace and tactics. Thus, Messi slides and swerves, whereas Ronaldo jigs and jinks.
It's true Ronaldo has a very nasty set piece kick that drops as well as any major league curveball--and I love watching that kick over and over it's so sweet. On the other hand, when it comes to dribbling Messi shreds. Cristiano is nothing to laugh at though in that regard, but I'm thinking Leo's got the edge there in terms of effectiveness. Ronaldo is a pretty good passer of the ball, but again, I think Messi has the edge, since he plays for a side that lives and dies by the pass. Finally, Leo tracks back, Ronaldo does not. In fact, Messi is surprisingly good at defending and tackling.
I don't know why Toure thinks the way he does. Maybe he's just trying to light a fire under Messi before the CL Final, get him boosted. It'll be interesting to see how both Ronaldo and Messi do come Wednesday.
]]>To be honest, I was even in doubt of Guardiola's credentials when it was decided that he would take Rijkaard's place as coach for FCB. Certainly, he was a great player, but that's never been a convincing quality for a good coach. In fact it may very well be the other way around (though I'm not certain of that). My pick, I admit shamefully, was Mourinho. Yes, yes, I was prepared to forsake the attacking game in favor of a more defensive tactic coupled with a devastating counter. It was a relief to have been proven wrong--very much so!
In terms of tactics, Pep only added to a proven system, the one Frank Rijkaard had put in place. The devil's in the details though, because what Guardiola incorporated into the short-passing possession game was vital. For one, he instituted pressing, something that was distinctly missing in Rijkaard's Blaugrana. The other ingredient was a mixture of passion and discipline.
Pep is nothing if not passionate. It showed when he played, it shows when he coaches. And it most definitely shows when he stands in his box during a match. Guardiola is a man who knows what he wants from his players, and he has no qualms insuring the boys understand that. Hence, the role of discipline. Gone are the days of laissez-faire futbol, now the players are expected to follow rules or face fines. They are expected to be fit and to work hard, after all it's football. It's also a necessity if you plan to have your team employing pressing.
In 2007/2008 Cruijff was already pointing out the 'missing' ingredient to Barça's play. Pressing was the one component that was largely absent in Barcelona's tactics. I do remember it was employed a few times in La Liga matches, but it was an occasional thing, not the norm. Only now do I realize (as do we all) that fitness was not emphasized as greatly prior to Guardiola's arrival. Fitness is crucial to pressing, because of all the running around required of the players as soon as possession is lost. Pressing has to be instant and incessant to be effective. As the season has shown Pep was successful incorporating the tactic of pressing, and it paid off handsomely as complement to their possession game.
It has been a real joy to watch FC Barcelona play this campaign, just a treat. I doubt I'll ever see such stellar football played quite like it was this time around. If Guardiola can repeat his success next season, I'm all for it, of course. But, to have seen a squad play like that--anything else can only be a sequel in quality.
Gracias, Pep, y suerte.
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