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Soccer Break Thursday
Gareth Bale. The dashing Welsh winger primed to scare the living daylights out of England on Saturday. Injured. Did anyone else hear that collective sigh of relief from England fans today?
But what about Tottenham Hotspur fans. Are you worried your star man’s recent struggles with injury could hamper your club’s Champions League quarter-final chances against Real Madrid?
There are of course plenty of qualifiers this weekend so read our preview for all the latest.
Anna on the Italian Soccer Serie A has picked what she reckons might be Italy’s team to play Slovenia in Friday’s Euro 2012 qualifier having spied on Cesare Prandelli’s training sessions. Read more here.
Our man Simon Evans in Miami has written a blog on a player familiar with Spurs, Real, and Euro qualifiers. Read on for the latest on David Beckham’s US adventure.
We’ve a bit of a US theme going today in fact. NFL player Chad Ochocinco (see last Thursday’s Soccer Break) has started his soccer experiment. Can he be successful?
Over in San Francisco, spare a thought for a referee on the receiving end of a player’s anger.
Bojan, Canales suggest La Liga no longer a teenage wasteland
Lionel Messi hogged most of the headlines thanks to his wonderful hat-trick at Tenerife, but it was the performances of a pair of teenagers who had pundits, coaches and team mates purring following the weekend’s La Liga action.
Barcelona’s Spanish forward Bojan Krkic has been around for a while –- he made his first-team debut in a friendly in Egypt in 2007 -– but all three of Messi’s goals came from passes supplied by the 19-year-old and coach Pep Guardiola was effusive in his praise.
“He constantly demonstrates his quality, but the problem is his coach doesn’t let him play very much,” Guardiola joked at a news conference.
“He didn’t manage to score (against Tenerife) but he has to see that the team doesn’t just survive on goals but on assists too.”
Racing Santander midfielder Sergio Canales is a newer phenomenon.
The 18-year-old had already earned himself the nickname “Peter Pan” with some polished performances that belied his relative youth.
But two outstanding goals in a 2-1 win at Sevilla on Saturday, in which he made experienced goalkeeper Andres Palop look rather foolish, have put him firmly in the spotlight as one of La Liga’s hottest young talents.
I hope Canales stays a little longer at Racing to develop as a player, amongst the people who have raised him to this level so far.
A new contract giving Racing the chance to earn a decent pay day when he goes, which he inevitably will, is the least he can do for his hometown club.
The way he took those two goals against Sevilla suggest he has a great future in front of him.
Barca put the boot in over Bojan’s beautiful goal
Barcelona were so proud of the slick passing move that led to Bojan Krkic’s second goal during the 2-0 win at Almeria on Sunday that they have published all the statistics surrounding the strike.
In the 53rd minute, Xavi won the ball and gave it to Lionel Messi which was the first step in an uninterrupted 37 pass move that lasted one minute 49 seconds, the league leaders said on their website.
Every Barca player on the pitch, except goalkeeper Victor Valdes and defender Rafael Marquez, touched the ball at least once. The only shame was that Bojan’s finish took a deflection that helped it past a wrong-footed Diego Alves.
Almeria, coached by former Mexico striker Hugo Sanchez, may not be a major club but they are a tough nut to crack at home. It was their first defeat in seven matches at the Juegos Mediterraneos stadium.
Of course, there is more to Barca’s triumphant reaction than just hailing a great goal.
Barca’s arch-rivals Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 5-2 away in a controversial and bruising match on Saturday which has led to a storm of criticism over the referee.
I’d argue (as Brazil coach Dunga obviously does) that Inter’s Maicon just edges Alves because he is that much stronger as a defender. Maicon really is a collosus but bombs on down the wing just like Alves, who admittedly has a fierce shot and a decent cross
Bad times return to Camp Nou
On Sunday night, after five years of calm, Barcelona fans finally exploded. The white handkerchiefs — a common way of showing frustration in Spain’s stadiums — were out, against the club president, the coach, the players … anybody involved in what seems set to be a second straight trophy-less year.
More precisely, Sunday’s exhibition was against the perceived apathy of millionaire players who appear to move ever more slowly, as if they weren’t in the match at all.
People have had enough.
Ronaldinho, the Brazilian who brought magic, enthusiasm and decisive goals two and three years ago to the Nou Camp, is now injured and will miss the most important matches of this very mediocre season. As for Thierry Henry, the fans have pretty much given up hope.
Only the youngsters Bojan and Giovanni seem hungry for titles, but their youth make it difficult for them to resolve the crucial matches at this point in the season.
Barcelona now face an “easy” quarter-final against Schalke 04, having won in Germany 0-1, but the fans aren’t excited. Winning and passing on to a probable semi-final against Manchester United isn’t an encouraging prospect to most fans, many of whom just want the season to end so changes can be made, heads can roll.
People are not hurt about the team not winning so much as what looks like a lack of interest and involvement. ”Menys millons i mes collons!” they shout. “Fewer millions and more balls.”
I think Laporta’s behaviour that afternoon had as much to with the reaction at the game. I pretty much threw down the gauntlet to anyone who didn’t see eye to eye with him and – in one foul swoop – alienated himself from many of those who have supported him with his George Bush moment of ‘you are either with me or against me’. Watch the film -http://spanishfootball.typepad.com/la_l iga_review/2008/04/joan-laporta-lo.html- this was no way for a president to carry on and I think thats why the fans finally turned on him
Should Rijkaard have his parachute ready?
It was just like old times for me covering Frank Rijkaard’s press conferences either side of Barcelona’s Champions League win over Schalke, as another Dutch coach got the Louis van Gaal treatment from the media.
I was based in Barcelona when Van Gaal finally called it quits at the end of his first spell at the club and listening to the Catalan press and radio hounding out the former Ajax man was at times almost painful.
Barcelona’s 3-2 defeat by Real Betis at the weekend led to headlines calling the Schalke game an “ultimatum”, while Rijkaard was asked whether a jokey conversation, caught on camera, about him carrying a parachute as hand luggage for the flight had any deep significance.
The difference is that not only does Rijkaard have more credit built up than Van Gaal did — thanks to the Champions League win in 2006 — but that the younger man refuses to rise to the bait. Van Gaal could never resist getting into arguments with journalists, while Rijkaard simply smiles, leans back and mumbles a few well-worn phrases about the team having to work harder.
So what to make of the Schalke game, which was won 1-0 thanks to a goal from the ludicrously talented 17-year-old Bojan Krkic?
If Barcelona go on to win the tie and reach the semi-finals, as they surely now should, it will be remembered as a textbook display in a European away game. That’s not the real story.
This was a case of Barcelona showing the same failings as they had against Betis, when they let slip a two-goal lead, but getting away with it.
Frank Rijkaard should leave barca at the end of the season regardless of what happens over the next few weeks. He is a successful manager and a young one at that , the catalan club now need fresh faces to move on. Champions league succes will be tough as i think manchester united are the team of the moment by far, the la liga is gone, i dont think there is much arguement about that. Rijkaard i dont believe is happy there anyway with so called fall outs with the big stars (Ronaldinho). Priemership next stop that would be great watch out Avram.
I wouldn’t be so sure Redcoat. The bizarre turn of events regarding the England captaincy and the fact England haven’t played well recently mean that Wales could certainly spring a surprise on Saturday. It’ll be interesting viewing.