Barcelona - NY Red Bulls: Today, 7pm EST
By: Isaiah | August 6th, 2008First, you can check out Dave’s excellent coverage of yesterday’s Malaria No More event here (it includes a scintillating interview with Henry!). I personally thought the organization of the event was very bad and it ended up that the players never even signed autographs and Joan Laporta, present and giving lots of interviews, also never even came over to say hello. I felt that even though there weren’t that many fans, we mostly sporting Barcelona jerseys and we should have been treated to at least a few of the players coming over. Samu, Bojan, and Marquez were the only players to wave to the crowd. During the actual tournament, the players that I got to see (field divided in half and you could only see one field at a time) looked so bored and didn’t care at all that they were there (Hleb especially). Henry goofed a bit on the far field and I could just see that, and Alves looked zippy, but on my half of the field only Pique was having a good time — and he got tackled hard from behind by an overly-aggressive kid and went down in agony that got a lot of hearts in throats and then he jumped up laughing at his own diving antics, which was very funny. Still, I’m super happy I went.
So the game I’ve been looking forward to is finally here. Giants Stadium in the Meadlowlands here in beautiful New York…well, it’s technically in New Jersey, but…shut up. I will definitely be there, sitting in Row 1 of section 214 (somewhere along the sideline), sporting last year’s home jersey and my standard glasses, red Jayhawks hat, and 2 day beard. And probably jeans, but I haven’t decided on that yet. It’s my parents anniversary tomorrow, so I’m treating them to this game, which should be great. And somehow the girlfriend squeezes in amongst them and gets a free ticket, too? How does that work? Definitely stop by if you’re in the area and the silly security guards let you through.
The game will be broadcast in the US on ESPN2/ESPN2HD/ESPN Deportes at 7pm EST (4pm Pacific). I assume that means it’ll be an actual HD broadcast, but I can’t be positive. TVE1 (La Uno) will be broadcasting the game on tape delay at 8:30 here in NY (201 for Cablevision).
I don’t expect Yaya to play as he took no part in yesterday’s Malaria No More event (noooo!), but everyone else looked to be 100%. By the way, we all talk about how small Bojan is, how he needs to put on some weight, but seeing him from about 5 feet away yesterday (pictures to come!), he looked about as diesel as you can and still be 5′7″ and fast as hell. Man, those guys are just out of this world athletic, huh? Makes you wonder why they don’t play soccer for a living…they’d probably be pretty good.
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BA, I was the one who said that keeping Eto’o probably gets us the Liga. And maybe a platooning system such as you suggest will work, but I dunno. Perhaps Guardiola can sell that to both players.
Van Basten, turncoat though he is
is kind of right. I mean about our strikers, not word usage. My hope is that players such as Alves, Hleb and Keita will open things up in a positive way. I still wonder who’s going to be on the end of those Alves crosses in real competition. So does Guardiola, I bet.Smart stuff from Txiki. Thanks for the update, Genis.
Henry is the question. I think that he hates playing with Eto’o. I think the reverse is also true. They both looked so humorless yesterday, which wasn’t the case at the Chicago match with Henry.
This season is his last chance. He has the two things he’s been asking for, a coach who will commit to him, and the chance to play in position. Now put up or be gone. If he doesn’t work the mojo this season, I’ll be the first one helping Henry on the bus out of Barcelona, heartless bastard that I am.
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in the NY game, although barca completely kicked butt, i have to say i was impressed by one guy on their team jorge rojas. MLS gets a bad rap, and NY does deservedly, but that guy pretty much saved them from me joining the anti NY club. he wasnt half bad.
Iniesta and Xavi were great as usual last night, and I was also surprised by how good the young strikers were. I was pretty excited to see Henry on the left too but then again that’s kind of a DUHH on my part. Anyway I’m not afraid at all for this season, the whole Henry/Eto’o thing aside. If they want to be on this team, they will put their “hating to play with the other” aside and perform well anyway. If they don’t, they shouldn’t be here.
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also I don’t really know what to think of Keita, I kept thinking he was someone else so I didn’t pay much attention to him (I am such an idiot), what did you guys think of his play?
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Kxevin, it seems a hollow criticism to knock Eto’o for scoring against minnows in the preseason. He actually had an excellent first touch and quick finish on the goal he received from Xavi. You have argued extensively for Henry, Henry had a TON of chances last night and scored nary a goal despite playing more of the match against the minnows. This isn’t to knock Titi, he played a good match and set up a lot of chances that his mates didn’t finish either. But rather to point out an unreasonable criticism of Eto’o. The thing I liked the most yesterday was that after he scored he went right to Xavi to celebrate with him. I think winning will salve many wounds, if the team has a good year it is unlikely we will lose Eto’o on a free transfer.
And man, did Barca look horrible in the second half. What happened to Pep’s quick ball movement philosophy? In the second half the ball movement and player positioning was awful. The midfielders weren’t moving to open spaces and weren’t making quick passes. Ugly. Here’s hoping Xavi et al stay healthy!
Finally, Iniesta has come in for a lot of criticism for this game. He does seem a player that at times is sublime and at others can fade out of a game. But I think you also need to look at the players he is working with on his wing. On the right in the first half you had Hleb with Alves and Xavi making all sorts of intricate triangle plays and befuddling the defense until space opened up. On the left Abidal does not have anything close to the creativity of Alves, being much more dependent on straight line pace) and Xavi wasn’t coming out to that side very much, nor does Henry drop back as much for link up play.
That was one of the worst games I’ve seen Valdes play. Very few touches on the ball which is good, but the ones he had were awful. Thank goodness it’s only preseason, I hope those plays aren’t indicative of what we’ll see from him this season or we’re in trouble.Posted from
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In watching the first half yesterday, I was encouraged by better play from Henry. However, I was concerned with noticing that Henry swings wide left and then just sort of stands there. He didn’t seem to check back that often either the way Eto’o did. Maybe its an age thing. I hope it was just a energy conserving thing and that Henry turns it on during the regular season. I hope.
I don’t know that he and Eto’o hate playing together, but man, there was no love from either guy when Eto’o scored. It’s too bad if they do b/c they had some nice linkups and a whole season of them would make for a lot of goals and a lot of fun.
My strongest reaction from yesterday’s game was that I still think like I did before and agree wholeheartedly with Timoteo that play does not build up well on the left, and that I wonder if its because Abidal is nowhere near as creative or assertive as Alves. Perhaps its asking too much to be creative and assertive on both sides of the field…
Despite all these nitpickings, I have a very good feeling about this year. Our new signings really have me encouraged.
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Right upper V, I agree, last season we also had the same issue, all threatning attacks came from the right side via Xavi and Messi . Another reason why a left winger is vital. Defences will focus on Xavi, Alves, Messi, and the 9, exposing thelmselves on the left, but Iniestais the sole source of pressure,than such exposure will be of no use.
Kevin, I know that Hleb is versatile and effective in many positions, but can he play a L. Winger role. I would rather play him over Silva if he can.
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Dunno about left wing. Left side is a definite need. When Abidal comes up, he sometimes gets caught out on counters. I like him better staying at home. I think that’s what’s behind our Silva interest, a solution to that problem. Iniesta ain’t it, frankly.
That’s also the problem with Henry over there. It’s like he’s of two minds, float into the box and stay put to wait for service (only he isn’t in the box, he’s on the wing), or dither about with the ball and look to make good passes, which he does, often. 20 assists last season is hard to argue with.
He has looked, these last two matches, like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world except for where he was. That can’t continue.
And good lord, how many times do I have to say it? I’m NOT KNOCKING ETO’O!! Yes, the goals he scored were easy to convert against lesser opposition. Sorry, but that’s just true. It doesn’t delete them from the scoreboard, detract from his talent, or make him less than first in the hearts of many people on this blog. It is, however, calling a fact a fact.
No, Henry didn’t score. Henry wasn’t taking feeds from the fluent, active right hand side of pitch where Eto’o was, either. So again, we don’t know. I just want to know. If Henry can’t cut it, get him out and get someone in who can.
I am for Barca. If Henry’s playing in position will help the club win, I’m all for it. If Eto’o’s leaving will help Guardiola achieve his goals, which are the club winning, I’m all for it. If it ever comes down to selling Messi to help the club win, I’m all for it. I like players, and love what they do for the club, but those last three words are important: for the club.
In the arguments over players, I think that many forget that. If I had the confidence that Eto’o was going to rip it up in Champions League and against the more powerful Liga sides, I’d be all over the “keep him” movement. My guess is, so would Guardiola. But he has shown no indications in that regard, which is one of the reasons that he is for sale. I didn’t put him up for sale, people who know a lot more about the game and what the club needs did.
Even if the team has a good year, the track record of selling players in the last year of their contract is not good. The price is never what it should be, because the club has to sell him. That’s an unfortunate, market-based reality. And the chances of Eto’o renewing, or the club wanting him to renew, are about as much as my 5′9″ self becoming Barca’s keeper next season. The relationship isn’t damaged, it’s destroyed. has anyone ever seen Eto’o playing as joylessly as he has been this preseason, except that last match at the Nou Camp?
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Well, let’s make it happen then… we should send Samu a year’s supply of Zoloft and Lithium to stabilize his mood + Genis’ phone number, and Txiki a vid of Kxevin’s goalkeeping highlights. Who’s with me?
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in my opinion, we should be arguing over who is the best option for our left wing, not the center of our attack. that seems to be the area where we’re weakest, by far. the recent talk about Abidal has brought the need for a energetic, magnetic left winger to the fore.
i wonder why we’re not hearing more about this from the club proper? apart from Silva, the news about possible transfers for our wide open left winger position has been practically nil.
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actually, I just remembered– earlier this summer, in band camp… just kidding, in BCN, I walked by a store called “Happy Pills.” It was a candy shop but maybe we can send Samu and Titi there and get 20+ goals from them this year!
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@Valdes - Told you guys so. Barca deserves a better keeper (I have the same opinion for last four years).
The second point, which no one here would agree with judging from the admiration for Xavi from the comments,is that i would prefer Iniesta in front of Xavi. With the help of Keita and Toure, we finally have a midfield where Iniesta can excell if given the chance. Iniesta has amazing ball control, dribble, accurate passing, acceleration (though not consistent pace) and lovely exact weight through balls. When Xavi got injured during the champions league winning season, it was iniesta who stepped up and did a fantastic job in his absence.
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Samu was having a great time at the Malaria No More event (where, for some reason, he wasn’t on the team they dubbed “Cameroon”…and Keita was on “Mali”…)
I loved the game yesterday. I’ll have plenty of thoughts in my post that I’ll be writing up tonight after work (complete with pics and maybe videos if I can get that bit of technology to work), especially about the tactical formations in the first half.
And yeah, I’m going to write about Eto’o and Henry. But also Hleb, Keita, and Alves. And the horrendous beer service at Giants Stadium. How about getting more people to work the lines, you jackasses?
I crossed paths with Laporta in the hall after the game as he breezed by with a bodyguard. I should have asked for a picture, but he would have blown me off because that’s the type of guy he strikes me as. And damn is that dude short.
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Sid, don’t count me out of the Iniesta fan club just yet…
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Sid, count me IN the Iniesta fan club…and the Xavi one.
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I’m suprised there’s not more excitement about Jeffren Suarez here. During that second half that everyone’s been dogging, Jeffren moved the ball fluidly up the left side, worked very well with Toure, and tabulated a goal and an assist - this after Barcelona had taken most of it’s prefered starters off the pitch. I understand not wanting to rely on a young kid who’s not played La Liga before (like, say, Bojan or… Messi), but as far as the left is concerned, You’ve got Iniesta, Hleb and Jeffren for options. The first two aren’t ideal for the position, but can you really complain about their performances there? I’d say Barcelona looks frighteningly well rounded.
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I CAN’T BELIEVE I FORGOT JEFFREN! oh yeah he IS good! I agree with everything John just said lol
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It’s universal, Isaiah. The concession workers at Soldier Field deprived me of horrid food at excessive prices, as well. Bastids.
Hey, are we still “preparing” that Silva bid?
Perhaps we have to print all the Euros ourselves.Abidal is so defensive-minded. He could go both ways at Lyon, but that’s Ligue Un. In La Liga, he gets caught too far forward, then everyone has to scramble to make up for his being out of position, and goals happen. So yeah, we have to solve that left wing issue.
I think that the delay in solving it, probably, is that a real left winger would mean doing what with Keita or Hleb? Good problems to have, I know, but man! Fixing that one makes us verge on unbeatable. We can’t have a lopsided attack.
Hleb likes the position he was playing v Chivas the most, that of attacking mid, from center or right sides. He hasn’t played left all that often, but I imagine he’s adaptable. He might need to be.
I can’t see Jeffren being promoted, John. Pedro, maybe. He’s looked a lot better than Jeffren, who looked great at the Chivas match. But last season is making everyone super paranoid, which means not taking a risk on a young’un that isn’t named Krkic.
Sid is right. But is it “better,” or “more consistent.” Now here’s my big dumb question. Is it worth giving Pinto a shot at starting, or is Valdes just casual because of his occasional mental walkabouts?
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In thinking about it and names from our rumored past that were cheap and can play left wing, Hernanes can, but doesn’t like it. Thiago Neves can as well. I’m guessing that depending upon what happens at the Olympics, there might or might not be some life in our interest in him. Arshavin looks to have gone all pear-shaped. He’s on strike now at Zenit, demanding a transfer somewhere, somehow. Zenit is sticking to 25 million.
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I would’t stick my neeck out for Jeffren… I fear he’s too limited technically and this facet is very difficult to improve dramatically at his age. I’m *a little* more hopeful as regards Pedro, though…
From El Montseny, in front of a good dish of pa amb tomaquet i pernil to be washed down with a Cusqueña…
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I would’t stick my neeck out for Jeffren… I fear he’s too limited technically and this facet is very difficult to improve dramatically at his age. I’m *a little* more hopeful as regards Pedro, though…
From El Montseny, in front of a good dish of pa amb tomaquet i pernil to be washed down with one Cusqueña…
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it just occered to me, yes maybe Sumu’s unhappy and is “sticking it” to Barca for his treatment. But maybe he knows he stuck his foot in mouth with his “no silverware or I’m going” rhetoric, and really does want to play here…I mean when Barca is clicking where else would he want to play. Same with Guddy, why would you leave unless you’re booted out.
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from what I saw of second half, despite goal, Jeffren seemed pretty “me against the world” on the right …yeh the ball moved but still seemed stuck, no triangles. We already have one of these “me against the world” guys on the right in Messi(fortunatley he can slay half a world.)
Takes a while for a lad to grow up, seems like Jeffren needs a bit more time.(but yeh let’s not give him away or something)Posted from
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If we could only convince Henry that he is a left winger. Hleb can do the job, as can Iniesta, and Jeffren can too but would Arshavin do a better job? Yes. Would Thiago Neves do a better job? Probably not better than Henry but it would be a good alternative. David Silva? I’d rather have Henry on the wing and Berbatov as an alternative to Eto’o up front.
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Okay. TribalFootball.com is about as reliable as Sport, but they have a report that Guardiola was getting all up in Henry and Hleb’s asses after practice yesterday.
http://tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=106147
Shades of Ten Cate? Or is he, like Ciaran, trying to convince Henry that he is a left winger? Or was he saying “Dude, you’re one of the best strikers in the world. Now stop playing like a candy ass.”
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I hope Guardiola was telling Henry to check back and help create rather than waiting for the action to come to him.
My 2 cents– I think Iniesta is fine on the left. But, it can’t be just him who’s moving and being creative. Does Caceres play on the left ever? Even he would spice up the offense more than Abidal.
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