Pick it! Your match of the year, a.k.a. “The one.”

By: Kevin | June 2nd, 2009

For me, this was the one. Barca vs Betis, in February. My review at the time was rather cranky, nattering about how we deserved better, blah, blah, blah.

But it was the one. Betis was kicking our butts all over the pitch, and were up 2-0 late in the proceedings. One year earlier, we go down….like dogs. We had a big lead in the Liga, and Messi was just coming back from playing forfreakinEVER in an Argentina match and was completely mojo-less.

And somehow, we fought back to grab a 2-2 draw, off the Eto’o brace. A penalty, and a killer goal that was classic, extraordinary, vintage Samu.

So here it is, my match of the year, in part because it’s the one cited by Guardiola as proof that this side had what it took to become Liga champions. But also because Guardiola was right. In the hindsight of 20/20, even though it was part of a clunky, funky run that saw us drop points like crazy to EE, you could always look back to this one.

Yes, it was one point. One lousy, stinkin’ point. But the way the lads, clearly tired and hagged out, fought for that point spoke volumes.

Let’s hear it, everyone. What’s your Match of the Year?

Category: Barcelona, Highlights, La Liga

Tags: Barcelona, Highlights, La Liga

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• mku |  June 3rd, 2009 at 12:43 pm

  
  
  

  yaya is the best DM I know, no one said a different thing here.

  The goal I was talking about was the 5th, I was trying to rectificate and make that clear in later posts. (the one at 12:18) … my bad, but please read carefully

  ———————————————————————-
  we should do with etoo like milanistas are doing with kaka, complain to the club if they want to sell him

  but in FCB it’s always the same, we throw away our idols easily.

  that way they sell more posters and t-shirts I guess.

  Posted from United States

  

• Alexinho |  June 3rd, 2009 at 12:44 pm

  
  
  

  Another goal of the year nominee: the SCARY goal Iniesta performed for Messi for 1-0 against Valencia in the second half of the season. Considerate.

  Posted from United States

  

• mku |  June 3rd, 2009 at 12:47 pm

  
  
  

  the only way to handle the dribbling devil is taking him to the ground.

  I repeat:

  who said lass is better than yaya?
  all i said is that the closest thing that madrid has done to discover a player was Lass, he was not a star or anything before going to madrid.
  I guess I should have said Higuain, but he played in River, a BIG team.

  I WAS MOCKING MADRID… HELLO?

  Posted from United States

  

• OhYes |  June 3rd, 2009 at 12:49 pm

  
  
  

  I think the point of discussion is the SKY article that placed Lass above Yaya, not necessarily your comments, mku.

  Posted from United States

  

• OhYes |  June 3rd, 2009 at 12:52 pm

  
  
  

  I should have said the *main* point of discussion.

  Also, it’s important that Barca is more than capable of disposing of idols. I don’t think we want to turn into Madrid who have Raul as starter even though he should be fighting to be a sub. He’s an idol, and Madrid is making the mistake of being blinded by that fact.

  It’s like the zombie movies. People see their family and friends turn into zombies but they can never kill them.

  Gotta have balls in this world.

  Posted from United States

  

• Kxevin |  June 3rd, 2009 at 12:55 pm

  
  
  

  Jason, remember that The Yaya got caught dribbling in the back for that first Villarreal goal that began their comeback. Players are human.

  L. Diarra and The Yaya are very different DMs. The former is going to be an excellent player. He has all the skills, and is very physical. The Yaya can be physical, but doesn’t always need to be. As I was watching the relegation stuff on the last day of the season, Diarra impressed me. It was against Osasuna, granted, but still….strong play.

  As far as player debates, it isn’t good vs bad. You don’t have to be against someone to be for someone else, and I don’t think anyone is saying that it’s a question of good vs bad. Debate players on their own merits. If someone wants to say Henry is bad, for example, it might help the case to offer up a left winger who scored as many goals this past season, or one that would work as well in the Barca system. Otherwise it’s just “nyah, nyah” nonsense, which doesn’t advance the kind of debate we’ve been having in this space.

  P.S. I bought a treble t-shirt, and would again. I don’t wear t-shirts usually, but I will wear the hell out of that one.

  Posted from United States

  

• Kxevin |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:00 pm

  
  
  

  Khairallah, I don’t feel insulted at all. Balague is just another person with an opinion. It doesn’t make him any more credible than anyone else. I wouldn’t have put Pepe in my back line, nor Diarra in my midfield. But that’s my opinion. He’s welcome to his.

  Posted from United States

  

• Ciaran |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:02 pm

  
  
  

  mku, bar to have an argument… why would you suggest that people here think that Eto’o is bad?
  Eto’o has been amazing for Barca ever since he joined. His goals-to-games ratio is awesome and his work rate is second to none.
  His attitude off the pitch has sometimes left a lot to be desired and his contract antics are pathetic and mercenery.

  Some of us here, and I say some, believe that Eto’o is not necessarily the best striker in the world and Eto’o doesn’t score as many goals as maybe another one would.

  That is a valid belief and can only be proved or disproved in opinions expressed. We will never know if Forlan, Villa, Ibra or even Henry would have scored more goals than Eto’o in this team this season.

  In my opinion, there are many strikers that would have converted more chances than Eto’o this season… but the team would have probably created less chances.

  Zlatan does, however, score goals that no one else on the planet would, and that includes the Van Basten’s and Ronaldo’s of times past.
  Youtube goals like the last one of the season and the incredible heel strike against Bologna (probably the best goal anywhere in Europe this season).

  Posted from Ireland

  

• mku |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:08 pm

  
  
  

  I think that keeping Raul in the team is a good thing. Having him in the starting line-up is a whole different thing, it’s pure insanity.

  I’d like to see FCB do things like that, honoring its idols. Names like Rivaldo come to my mind.

  —————————————————————–
  I’ve seen the arg-fra video and it only confirms my idea of lass. defending leo 1 on 1 in the center of the field is totally impossible, maybe you can have luck in the side… but in the centre you’re lost. Fouls are also part of the game, messi know since he has probably received millions, and he complains about one dude, it’s because the dude is tough or dirty or whatever.

  Posted from United States

  

• mku |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:11 pm

  
  
  

  best goal of this season happened in rome after 9 minutes of pure manchester domination. the way samu shoots ugly and hard before the defender can get the ball is sublime.

  Posted from United States

  

• Ciaran |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:21 pm

  
  
  

  Two most important goals of the season… Eto’o goal against EE in our first meeting of the season which IMO won us the league and Iniesta’s against Chelsea.
  Both of those two changed our season. I think the goals in the final were inevitable in hindsight but at the time I fell to my knees, punched the air and screamed in my sitting room. I immediately rang some United fans that I work with to gloat…

  Posted from Ireland

  

• mku |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:24 pm

  
  
  

  http://www.elmundodeportivo.es/web/gen/20090603/portadas_53716316561.html

  always,

  this guy can’t leave FCB in his life. for example

  Posted from United States

  

• Aeneas |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:26 pm

  
  
  

  @RUV, another thing that was incredible about the chivas game was that hleb scored!! I remember thinking “this is going to be a great signing”…

  http://www.fcbarcelona.com/web/english/futbol/temporada_08-09/arxiu_partits/pretemporada/chivas_barcelona/partit.html

  Posted from United States

  

• mku |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:27 pm

  
  
  

  you’re right ciaran. the 1st goals vs madrid with the knee is also nice.

  the black panther doesn’t care much about youtube

  Posted from United States

  

• Jason |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:28 pm

  
  
  

  @ Kxevin. I was thinking about just that as i was typing it, but i figured that Yaya did that only once, so i could get away with it. (i guess not…)

  i have over 15 goal of the season nominees

  oh, and undoubtedly, the Liga team of the year is Valdes; Alves-Puyol-Pique-Abidal; Yaya-Xavi-Iniesta; Messi-Eto’o-Henry. Thats right… i put Valdes instead of Casillas. I still think Casillas is the best keeper in the world, but Valdes really proved me wrong the last half of the season. I was probably his biggest detractor saying “he needs to go next season”. Crow doesn’t taste good

  Posted from United States

  

• Ciaran |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:30 pm

  
  
  

  By the way…
  Ezequiel Lavezzi is unhappy with the Napoli management and it appears he wants to leave. We dismissed him here as unattainable from Napoli but he would slot in very nicely at the left or right side of our attack. It would be amazing to have him AND Messi in our system.

  Another player that I would be looking at is Manuel Fernandes of Valencia.
  Not that I like taking advantage of Valencia’s financial crisis but if we could get him for around €15million then it would be a solid replacement for any of our 3 starting midfielders. I don’t like playing big money for non starters…

  Posted from Ireland

  

• mku |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:40 pm

  
  
  

  and ciaran I’ve read here some bad things about etoo and his touch of stone

  he is one of a kind, if he had good touch he wouldn’t be who he is… best and meanest striker we ever had.

  Posted from United States

  

• OhYes |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:42 pm

  
  
  

  Fernandes is a great player. I was going after him in my Football Manager game but I was scared away by a 40-something million dollar price tag.

  But yeah he’s AWESOME and wouldn’t be too bad of a sub. His passing is excellent and works very hard. Not too cocky but still very confident.

  Posted from United States

  

• OhYes |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:43 pm

  
  
  

  Yeah if Eto’o had a good 1st teach he would not be the same. Because he’d be a much better player.

  Oh well.

  Posted from United States

  

• mku |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:43 pm

  
  
  

  silly comment of the day:

  I think henry shouldn’t be called a striker, etoo “strikes” the ball but titi kinda “flicks” it … he should be called a FLICKER if we talked properly.

  Posted from United States

  

• mku |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:47 pm

  
  
  

  ohyes… a player without a golden touch needs to meaner in order to score, he needs to run more and he needs to shoot harder. It’s a tale of reection, self-improvement and balls of steel.

  but your dadaism almost made me laugh

  Posted from United States

  

• mku |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:47 pm

  
  
  

  reection – rejection

  bye

  Posted from United States

  

• OhYes |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:50 pm

  
  
  

  Ibra has a great first touch and all of the things you mentioned.

  Posted from United States

  

• mku |  June 3rd, 2009 at 1:53 pm

  
  
  

  the day ibra puts the pressure on defenders eto’o does, I’ll become a nun

  but he sure is good, specially on youtube

  bye (2)

  Posted from United States

  

• Kxevin |  June 3rd, 2009 at 2:04 pm

  
  
  

  Different kind of pressure from Ibrahimovic. His is more of a Messi-like pressure, as in “What the hell is this guy going to do to beat me?”

  Eto’o’s pressure is in constant movement. Once he gets the ball, however, what you have to do is pretty much get in front of it, since he isn’t going to curl it or anything.

  Both apply pressure, but in very different ways. Defenders are always wondering where Eto’o is going to pop up next. Defenders are always wondering, when Ibrahimovic gets the ball, what to cover (chip, curl, bend, backheel).

  Different horses that can both run very fast.

  Posted from United States

  

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