FC Barcelona vs New York Red Bulls

It was a beautiful turnout at Giants Stadium in Rutherford, New Jersey where FC Barcelona eased past the New York Red Bulls in a preseason match that ended 6-2. The game could have easily ended with a larger difference in goals on Barcelona's behalf but equally it would have been a festive event. Fans of the Red Bulls and Barcelona created a vibrant atmosphere with songs of passion for their respective teams in addition to the sounds of a drum beating among groups of Red Bulls supporters. There were LA Galaxy, Real Madrid, Man Utd, Milan, Inter, Celtic, Arsenal, Sasprissa and fans of other clubs and national teams to add to the stadium in which Barcelona jerseys outnumbered all others. Despite the minor hassle it was to get to the stadium for a New Yorker who had to get through wonderful Manhattan traffic and top class drivers(yes, I'm being sarcastic), I managed to get to the field at a good time to watch the players warm-up. For every fan, it was likely that expectations would be high for the Blaugrana and for the Red Bulls....it could have differed depending on the person. The goal scoring started with Xavi in the 17th minute on a header from a cross supplied by Dani Alves. Not only did Xavi put Barça ahead a goal but he also worked to assist Eto'o, who put the second goal past goalkeeper Jon Conway of the Red Bulls in the 18th minute. It was easy to see that despite this being only a preseason match, the Blaugrana wasn't going to go easy on a Red Bulls side who hasn't seen a win in the last 6 matches before yesterday. Soon enough, Rafa Marquez managed to score another by a header, giving Barcelona a 3-0 lead thanks to the cross of Iniesta. Henry was close to being the next up to score but was denied by the post though he wouldn't be the only player from the visiting side to be denied a chance to extend the lead. After Stammler scored to make the game 3-1, Barcelona's number 20, Dani Alves, was also denied by the woodwork. If three goals in 23 minutes was hard enough for Conway and the Red Bulls to digest, Eto'o made it even more difficult with a goal in the 43rd minute with the help of Alexander Hleb bringing the score to 4-1 Barcelona at half time. In the second half, the Red Bulls were the first to score with a goal from Rojas in the 60th minute to make the score 4-2, one which for the Red Bulls was a little to late. Twenty minutes later, youth product Jeffren added to a game that many saw as a practice session for the Blaugrana. At this point, a number of fans began to leave the stadium with confident and satisfied Barcelona fans making the percentage of noise. Still, there was enough time on the clock for the sixth and final goal of the game to be scored by Pedro in the 84th minute, another youth player who looks quite promising for the Catalan side throughout the season. From the perspective of an onlooker yesterday, I find that this Barcelona side is very strong and should definitely be one of the most pressing teams throughout competition. Some players to watch would be Jeffren and Pedro, two who can quickly become constant goal scorers. Xavi and Eto'o may as well be candidates for weekly goal scoring along with Lionel Messi who is currently playing with his National Team in the Olympics. Hleb would be one to make key passes along with Iniesta, who can also be the goal scorer himself. When it comes to crosses, Dani Alves can be the man that can provide lethal ones in which would benefit a player such as Henry. Looking at Guardiola's team, it seems nothing will be able to break them and they look to be a definite hazard to their opponents.