Barça players and the International Break: Spain, Argentina and the meaning of ‘friendly’

By: Ade C. | November 15th, 2009

So, yesterday was the first day of friendlies, World Cup qualifiers and playoffs of this maligned international break, and those of our boys who had been called up by their respective NTs were in the thick of things, as usual (except for Chygrynskiy, who didn’t play in the match that Ukraine played to a goalless draw against Greece).

Yaya Touré, the man who Inter, ManCity and Arsenal all seem to want (or so the rumours say), played the whole match in Cote D’Ivoire’s somewhat meaningless 3-0 victory against Guinea, seeing that they are already qualified for the World Cup.

Henry and Abidal were also on their starting XI as France scraped a 0-1 victory over Ireland, to start with the right foot their playoffs to make it into the World Cup. (ETA: I’ve just read Eric Abidal has left the French team claiming injury and won’t play on Wednesday… fingers crossed that it’s not serious!)

Alves came in the 63rd minute in Brazil’s friendly 1-0 victory against England; kudos to Dunga, who tried to play Dani and Maicon at the same time, and to our Man of Steel, who even had time to try one of his infamous shots from afar which, unsurprisingly, didn’t render him a goal.

And now for the real deal: the Spain-Argentina friendly, which gathered six, yes, *six* barcelonistas on the pitch.

I wouldn’t exactly call this “friendly”...

Puyol, Piqué, Xavi, Busquets and Iniesta were all on Vicente Del Bosque’s starting XI, while Leo Messi looked a bit lost and in need of companionship in the albiceleste.

Before five minutes had passed, Sergio Ramos had greeted former madridista teammate Gaby Heinze with a kick to the head, and it all went downhill from there. It was a really rough, intense match. We were on the edge of our seats as Villa and Heinze discussed handbags during the first half, as Coloccini belied his cherubic blond ringlets with frightening tackles, and DeMichelis bared his teeth and the studs of his boots. There were yellow cards, two PKs and, if the whole thing hadn’t been so ‘friendly’, I’m sure the referee would have sent Heinze or DeMichelis to have an early shower.

Puyol was his usual fantastic self during the first half, dealing with Messi and Higuaín as if they were wayward children that ought to be stopped from interrupting Uncle Iker from finishing his sudoku, but during half-time he walked to the bench and wrapped a huge icepack around his left knee, leaving all culés to whimper in desperation and Albiol to concede a PK to Argentina during the second half.

And so Leo Messi scored one past Íker Casillas, in what I hope is a rehearsal for the match of the 29th. OK, so it was only a PK, but it was a very nice PK, I’ll have you know.

Now, this is much friendlier... I think Leo is asking Xavi and Puyi to adopt him!

Iniesta was fantastic throughout the night, even as Heinze, Coloccini and the rest of the Argentineans did their best (and, by their best, I mean of course moves that ought to be kept for the wrestling ring) to stop him, until he was subbed off near the end of the match. Xavi was calm, collected and the owner of the midfield, and he even played captain after Casillas was taken off in the midst of an ovation to celebrate his 100th international cap. Piqué, although less adventurous than he usually is during matches with Spain, did everything and more to stop the Argentinean strikers. Busquets was… well, “friendly” towards Leo Messi during the first half (he got a well-deserved yellow) and then towards Tévez near the end of the match, but he played well and allowed former-Red Xabi Alonso to move forwards to score the first.

Messi tried his best (he gave a pass to Higuaín that was a thing of beauty, shame the madridista was offside), but the ball barely got to him. When I saw him in his own half, doing a throw-in, I realised how hopeless his situation was. Still, he scored a goal and looked rather relieved when he was subbed off late in the second half (the Spanish public even gave him a round of applause, generous souls that they are).

There’s still matches to be played next week (Spain will play a friendly against Austria, Brazil faces Oman, and France and Ukraine still have the return legs of their playoffs), so let us hope that all our boys return to Barcelona on Thursday in good health and good spirits, to prepare a match that promises to be anything but easy: we face Athletic de Bilbao next Saturday!