Extra!: Barca in Euro 2012 Final! Jordi Alba back home!

By: kage | June 28th, 2012

Barca beats Portugal (but who are those other two guys?)

Time for a quick update on Barca’s participation in the European Nations Championships of 2012: we’re doing great! Better than expected, actually.

Spain reached the final by beating the CR7s Portugal on penalty kicks. More importantly, Spain started four Barca players (Pique, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta) and brought on two more (Pedro, Cesc). Three Barca players took penalty kicks: Pique, Iniesta, and Cesc. All of them hammered home.

After the game, Jordi Alba signed a five-year, 14 million Euro contract to return to Barca, where his career began (he’s a local boy, from ‘Hospitalet de Llobregat). So that means that half the 14 who beat Portugal are now Barca players.

Welcome back....

... you CAN come home again, Laddie.

Alba played well – Nani was ineffective, and so was Ronaldo when he switched to the right side. He combined well with Iniesta and later with Pedro. His cross to Iniesta provided the chance of the game.

Pique seems to have forgotten that his relationship with Shakira is more important than football: Casillas didn’t have make a single save in the course of the game thanks to CR7 for his late-game miss due to the tight marking by Pique, Busquets, and Ramos. Pique took his penalty with aplomb, unlike his opposite number, Bruno Alves.

Busquets played well, or, as Ramzi would say, he was the Man of the Match. Others would probably say that Iniesta was Spain’s best player, as he has been throughout the tournament. Iniesta too drilled his penalty home comfortably.

Xavi is still not entirely comfortable paired up with Xabi Alonso (Xavi getting the ball with his back to the goal is a bit like Angelina Jolie making a movie wearing a mask. Sure, she could do it, but why would you want her to?). But even an uncomfortable Xavi is better than anyone this side of Leo Messi.

Pedro. Hey, the Pedro who played for Barca this year seems to have disappeared; instead we have the dangerous, technically-sharp player who astonished everyone when he first came to the team. He’s been just terrifically, not only winning a penalty against France by beating two guys in the box, but also providing width yet verticality on the wing. Who is this guy? Or more accurately, where has he been?

Found: the exclamation point after Pedro!

Cesc has not only scored two goals, but he asked to take the decisive penalty, and bounced it in off the post, a dead perfect unstoppable fifth penalty despite the huge pressure. For the second time, Fabregas has sent the national team further.

So it’s a good week. Barca has single-handedly sent Spain to the final (okay, they let a couple of other guys help), we signed an excellent if vertically-challenged left back, Pedro and Pique are back, and the sun shines forever. Good luck in the final, Barcelona FC Spain!

Some Related Barcelona Posts:

Category: Barcelona, Team News

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sal

Good signing, we now need a strong CB to match the Pepe Ramos partnership. For teh rest, we have enough attackers. or maybe we need an exprienced Klose type of signing to come of the bench
Kageglantz

Sal, I agree about the CB. I don't know about Tito, but clearly Pep felt he couldn't count on Fontas. One of our three CBs is 34 and coming off knee surgery; another is our backup holding midfielder; and the third has to devote most of his energy to his girlfriend. So we need someone soon. I would like to see Marc Bartra from the B team a bit more, but even if Fontas and Bartra are on the first team, we'll need reinforcement.

Klose is not technical enough, nor fast enough, and he's a number 9 all the way, used to playing in the center. So unless Messi gets hurt (please please please God don't let it happen I beg of you I'll sell my first born daughter), he's not the right guy. I think we have to hope that David Villa returns and plays well, that Pedro returns to form, and that Afellay can provide an option at wing to go along with Alexis, Cuenca, and Tello. Aren't those guys enough?
guest

vertically challenged left back haha!