Category:

Review

April 10, 2014 / / Analysis

Atletico 1, Barça 0 (2-1 agg.), aka “That fist to the face … who put that there?”

atmlead

Well doesn’t THIS feel weird, this feeling of coming home on a big match day from wherever you watched, with that empty feeling, that difficult-to-describe sensation of having watched your team lose.

Seems like just yesterday that we were capering about in glee through throats made hoarse from screaming as we swept the Classics, beating RM in their house.

But today, the best team from the capitol city, without two of its best players, beat us. And today, in another bit of empty-feeling weirdness, our team didn’t have any answers. Make no mistake, however … Barça didn’t lose today. It was beaten by an opponent with a better plan, its own naivete and institutional failure.
Read MoreAtletico 1, Barça 0 (2-1 agg.), aka “That fist to the face … who put that there?”

March 23, 2014 / / El Clasico

Real Madrid 3, Barça 4, aka “The space race”

March 12, 2014 / / Champions League

Barça 2, Manchester City 1 (4-1 agg.), aka “Taking care of business”

cityteam

So much doubt, so much worry, so much anguish all at the roots of a moment of collective human frailty. When Barça lost to Valladolid this weekend past, it was more than a loss. It was like the starting pistol in a race to establish culpability. Something is wrong, whose fault is it. And we know something is wrong, because a history-making football club lost to a relegation side.

Whose fault is it, and oh my, Manchester City is coming to down with “only” a two-goal lead to overcome. By cracky, they can do that in their sleep, especially with Aguero back to fitness and in the lineup. Oh, my!
Read MoreBarça 2, Manchester City 1 (4-1 agg.), aka “Taking care of business”

December 7, 2013 / / Book Reviews

Fear and Loathing in La Liga, a review, aka “It has been forever thus.”

book

Joan Gaspart: “Barcelona is the defense of a country, a language, a culture.”

Okay, I’ll buy that. But you know what? I’m not Catalan, and I HATE Real Madrid. At my first Camp Nou Classic, I almost fell over the rail in a froth-mouthed rage. A complete stranger supported me at the waistband as I leaned over to spit invective.

After finishing Guardian journalist and Spanish football authority Sid Lowe’s “Fear and Loathing in La Liga,” I don’t hate them any less, even as I understand them a lot more, because Lowe makes it all make sense.

Jorge Valdano describes the Classic as “a club versus more than a club.” But, it should be added, not in the “mes que un” slogan sense. Barça means more than a successful team to culers and Catalans.

And if familiarity can breed contempt, so too can similarity. Because in so many ways, Barça and RM have parallels galore, as well as differences that are in fact similarities. That this is to be an unusual book is apparent early on, when Lowe takes on the myth of “Franco’s team,” and continues with a messy historical merging.

— The Catalans supply more Spain NT players.
— Barça was founded by a Swiss businessman.
— RM was founded by two Catalan brothers.
Read MoreFear and Loathing in La Liga, a review, aka “It has been forever thus.”

November 10, 2013 / / La Liga

Betis 1, Barça 4, aka “Plan A, B and C … What sort of madness is this?”

betpdr

“This was an intelligent win,” said the team’s coach, Gerardo Martino.

While it’s always tempting to analyze statements, like when someone says “You look nice today,” and your thought is “What, do I look like crap all the other days,” that analysis is often dangerous. But let’s have a little look at it, just for fun.

This team has been pragmatic, pretty, direct and any other modifier that you want to throw at a football club. But for me, what made Martino’s statement so true is that the club let Betis kill themselves. It used the space they left, the weaknesses they displayed the flaws in their approach. It was a win based in malleability and understanding, one of those wins after which an opponent says “How the hell did THAT happen?”
Read MoreBetis 1, Barça 4, aka “Plan A, B and C … What sort of madness is this?”

October 20, 2013 / / Barcelona

Osasuna 0 – Barça 0: Spots of Sunshine vs Rumors of Rain

October 6, 2013 / / Barcelona

Barça 4 – Real Valladolid 1: Music Minus Messi

September 17, 2013 / / Barcelona

Barça 3 – Sevilla 2: Last Minute Mwa-ha-ha

September 2, 2013 / / Barcelona

Valencia 2 – Barça 3: Virtuoso Vertigo

July 2, 2013 / / Barcelona

RETRO DIARY: May 20, 1992, as Barça were crowned Kings of Europe

April 28, 2013 / / Barcelona

Athletic 2 – Barça 2, as San Mamés got the draw it deserved

April 24, 2013 / / Barcelona

Bayern München 4 – Barça 0, as far as embarassments go…