A good start before Japan

The last league match before the FIFA World Club Cup gave Barça the boost they needed. A score of 1 – 0 against Real Sociedad consolidated their position on the La Liga table.

As mentioned, final score was 1 – 0 with Barcelona winning.

Barcelona chose to use the 433 formation with three forwards. It is quite clear that Barça chose to play their usual offensive style. Everyone thought that this match should be a walk in the park for the Catalans. Afterall, this is the top team against the second bottom team. How hard can it be? But it was an awful drawn out match with kooky linesmen, several denied goals and a dramatic finish. Let me take you through this match.

Note: The video coverage for this match isn’t good, but we have to make do. I’ve already placed time markers to help you all know exactly which moment in the video is being highlighted.

Xavi, my man
(Watch: 0m0s to 0m54s)

This match is undoubtedly Xavi’s. There were several occasions that Xavi displayed some amazing decision making skills and lightning reflexes. Almost as though tired of being in Iniesta’s shadow, Xavi was all ready to show his midfielding skills.

In the 18th minute, Xavi was on the left side of the pitch. A decisive cross by Xavi had the ball slicing between the four Real Sociedad defenders. The breadth of the gap was so narrow it really takes some guts to attempt it. Gudjohnsen was on the receiving on for the ball. He attempted a shot on goal but was ruled offside. The ball actually found the the net, but it denied.

Barely 3 minutes later, Ronaldinho attempts a shot on goal but the ball was deflected by keeper, Bravo. Xavi tried to send the rebound shot into the goal post. Once again, the ball found the net but he was ruled offside.

What goes round, comes round
Much of Camp Nou was howling in disagreement at the seemingly harsh offside rulings. Perhaps, it’s karma or perhaps the sight of Giuly up close frightened the linesman too much. In the 25th minute, the linesman was found hopping on one foot. Giuly was caught on camera doing the “It’s got NOTHING to do with me” motions. Replays proved that the linesmans simply twisted his own ankle by himself. How Mrs. Ronaldinho laughed.

Ronaldinho failed to recreate history
(Watch: 0m7s to 0m24s. Angle 2: 0m25s to 0m30s)

In the 31st minute, Ronaldinho attempted to do a trick again. While the shot was beautifully set up. From Xavi, who tossed a sideways kick to Deco. Deco picked up the ball effortlessly. Belletti then dashed through the edges of the Real Sociedad defence. Then a long, elegant overhead cross from the right side of the field reached Ronaldinho. Ronaldinho reacted perfectly with a scissors kick, reminiscent of Iniesta’s earlier efforts against Villareal. But it failed to find the net. It would be SO dramatic if it had found the net.

Real Sociedad in the first half
While I was not overly worried about the results of this match, I become more and more aware of how Real Sociedad could be a force to reckon with. They might have lost the match to Barcelona, only because they lack that essential teamwork that was beautifully displayed during the setting up of the Ronaldinho scissors kick attempt. On their own, Real Sociedad has more a few quality players moving in the true Totall Football spirit.

In the 24th minute, midfielder Mikel Aranburu assisted Jesuli of Real Sociedad. While the goal flew wide, it highlighted the less than stable Barça defence. Perhaps Barcelona was trying to find balance as Carles Puyol had just left the field for Oleguer Presas to come on due to injury. If so, Real Sociedad displays a sharp eye for making the best of the situation to their benefit.

Winning goal: Ronaldinho’s eleventh goal in the league

This a night of long, accurate passes. The ball hurtled in from midfield and found Giuly. Giuly, who had a poor showing the whole night finally made good. He fired a tight, deadly pass to Ronaldinho who immediately converted it to goal. The ball fired past 3 stunned defenders and a brave keeper. It’s not the most prolific or jaw dropping of goals, but a goal’s a goal nonetheless.

Giuly, poor showing?
Yes, I do mean that. Giuly had fluffed many chances to either assist or score simply because he was too slow or hesistated far too long. For Giuly, playing in the position that many have come to recognise Messi for, a comparison is inevitable. While Giuly and Messi are two rather different strikers, one still cannot help noting that the younger striker has a greater thirst for goal as compared to Giuly. Put Messi on the pitch and he’d move so quickly and surely that the defenders end up running into each other. For Giuly, he tends to be unable to decide if he wants to go head on or attempt a bypass. But Giuly does shine when he doesn’t have to decide between two routes, as illustrated in the previous video.

Xavi, the second showing
In the 57th minute, Deco tried to set Xavi up for goal, but unfortunately, Xavi fired his effort directly into Bravo. Later, closer to fulltime, Ronaldinho tried assist Xavi, but his right footed shot was just offmark. Though in the second half, Xavi did not find the net but it is the first time I’ve sat up to notice Xavi. He had always been a bit of shy midfielder i.e. not of the attacking stock. This night’s performance gives us more food for thought as Rijkaard has found himself another midfielder that’s more all rounded than we ever imagined. The choice to not start with Iniesta brought out some interesting elements in Xavi.

Valdes’s heroics

As thought to prove Shiren wrong that he is no world class keeper, Valdes performed a world class save in stoppage time for Barcelona. Without this save, Barcelona can probably only content with 31 points and tying with Sevilla for top point on the table. Imanol Agirretxe’s header from the centre of the box was staunchly punched away by Valdes with such calm and force, the commentators all went crazy. Mrs. Ronaldinho and I agreed vehemently that Valdes truly performed wonderfully under this pressure. Just watch the video and be convinced.

Hat’s off to you, Valdes for securing the three points for Barça.

Sylvinho’s sending off
Frankly, it makes scant sense to me. I usually don’t like to wax lyrical about sending offs, unless it’s of gross injustice like Motta’s sending off in the recent Zaragoza match. But do feel free to discuss and analyse. That’s what commenting is for.

What do you think?
I found this match one of the more drab matches my short experience of watching La Liga matches. There were indeed spectacular moments like Xavi’s showings and Valdes’s amazing save. But in comparison to the previous matches that had Ronaldinho’s awesome bicycle kick, Iniesta’s kungfu styled scissors kick, it pales. It is extremely apparent that Rijkaard had told his team to play offensively, but conservatively. Afterall energies (and possibly injury risks) are better deployed in the upcoming FIFA World Club Cup.

What’s next?
Expect reports for the Chelsea-Arsenal match. I sure did not enjoy that match, but by special request from Mr. X, I sat through that match and shall do ‘civic’ duty in a day or two’s time.

Oh, just read the news about Alan Pardew’s sacking. Looks like West Ham is in for rough time. I swear…. Tevez and Mascherano had just made the worst career move in their lives. I’m a little upset about this.

Source of report: FC Barcelona, EPSN Soccernet,