When Barça Femeni got tonked in the 2020 Champions League final by Lyon, it didn’t leave a scar, it started a fire. Sport is fond of the idea of want, which is rather a nebulous thing. You can’t define it, have no idea how to quantify it even as it’s one of those words that… Continue reading Barça rehab, because mentality matters
Barça Femeni 4, Chelsea 0, aka ‘a beacon of light’
For so long, in so many forums, there has been talk of “Barça DNA,” of that kind of pure, irresistible thing that defines a club team and how it plays. It’s overused, misused and so often full of shit. But today, Barça Femeni, in wrecking Chelsea 4-0 to win the Women’s Champions League, put that… Continue reading Barça Femeni 4, Chelsea 0, aka ‘a beacon of light’
Barça wasn’t good enough this season, and it never was
Now, at the tail end of the season, with a team and parts of a fanbase hanging on to hope like FC Barcelona is hanging on to that Super League charter, reality beckons. Barça exceeded expectations. If someone had looked at the morass that Ronald Koeman inherited and told me they would have won a… Continue reading Barça wasn’t good enough this season, and it never was
Silence isn’t always golden
At the end of it all lay Barça and Real Madrid, united by much more than being eternal rivals and bitter enemies. The two clubs are also joined at the hip by greed, obstinacy and callousness. As the SuperLeague is all but dead even as Florentino Perez insists it will return, like a cinematic villain… Continue reading Silence isn’t always golden
The club you love is one of the SuperLeague 12, so now what?
Here’s the weird thing about the European SuperLeague stuff coming at a moment when culers are experiencing this weird thing that is vaguely … what is that feeling again … joy. What’s unsettling is that it’s difficult not to feel culpable, not to feel, as the supporter of a club with so many questionable financial… Continue reading The club you love is one of the SuperLeague 12, so now what?
Copa del Rey final, an unlikely event for an unlikely team
Take a moment to appreciate what your team has done. Take a moment to appreciate how far it has come. Today, Barça faces off against Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey final for what is in all probability the only shot at silver it will have this season, and it’s worth reflecting on how… Continue reading Copa del Rey final, an unlikely event for an unlikely team
Real Madrid 2, Barça 1, aka “Has anyone seen that gift horse?”
This match sucked. I know that neutrals enjoyed it, and it was certainly an enthralling contest at times. But for me, the rage at seeing my team get punked and as usual, show up late (but too late this time) killed any enjoyment for me. The first half was a masterclass by Real Madrid of… Continue reading Real Madrid 2, Barça 1, aka “Has anyone seen that gift horse?”
Barça 4, Huesca 1, aka “To hell with football”
Just hit it. When you think of things that people have thought to themselves, have said after great goals, it’s usually something along the lines of, “I just hit it.” We can talk all we want about statistics, and stuff like xG (expected goals, and Huesca had a higher number). But sometimes, football is about… Continue reading Barça 4, Huesca 1, aka “To hell with football”
PSG 1, Barça 1, aka “It’s true, it’s true!”
For years, culers have said that they wouldn’t mind if the team lost, as long as it played the right way. For years, many, including me, questioned the firmness of that resolve, that it would be tested when the team did that and lost. Many, including me, were wrong. Barça was eliminated by Paris St.… Continue reading PSG 1, Barça 1, aka “It’s true, it’s true!”
Cometh the moment, cometh the team? Dunno.
Dunno. That is the easiest way to answer anyone who might ask about tomorrow’s return leg against Paris St.-Germain. Dunno. Logically, given what happened in the first leg and the seeming disparity between the two sides, another remuntada would appear to be out of the question, but again … Dunno. As a sporting and political… Continue reading Cometh the moment, cometh the team? Dunno.
It’s Laporta!
The parallels between the two presidential elections to occupy my most recent world, in America and FC Barcelona, are fascinating. — A corrupt, despotic regime — Legal proceedings in the wake of the former president — A riven supporter base — Accusations hither and yon of media bias — Massive debt and lots to do… Continue reading It’s Laporta!
Osasuna 0, Barça 2, aka “Joy”
As a concept, how do you explain joy? It’s different from happiness, though both are something that everyone seeks. And even if you can’t explain it, you know it when you feel it. You just start smiling, and this weird glow suffuses your entire being. Like happiness, joy is shared, but feels more selfless than… Continue reading Osasuna 0, Barça 2, aka “Joy”