Barça's Argentinian wizard, Lionel Messi
Last year I put up a post called Grown Men in Tears, about Manchester United's win over English Premier League rivals Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League Final.
As you may have noticed, through GolTV and the enthusiastic and contagious influence of my son, I've become somewhat of a fútbol fan... a fan of my son's favorite team in particular, FC Barcelona. Among others, of course...
Maestro of the Midfield, Xavi Hernández
This is a very hot team at the moment, but they have their work cut out for them. With their attacking front of Lionel Messi (probably the best player in the world right now), Thierry Henry (an aging but still potent legend, well-known from his days at Arsenal and the French national team), Samuel Eto'o (arguably the best player out of Africa), backed up by the brillant playmaking of midfielders Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta, as well as the rock solid defense of Carles Puyol, Daniel Alves, and keeper Victor Valdez, the Catalans have had a magical season.
Now, you can try to accuse me of being a front-runner, due to the fact that in some circles Barça are considered the New York Yankees of fútbol, full of deep pockets and high-priced superstar talent. Well, in all fairness, there are a few teams in every top European league that this accusation could be levelled against. In any case, I'm convinced that there really is something to Barcelona's philanthropic side and their motto "més que un club" ("more than a club"). For example, they feature Unicef on the front of their jerseys rather than the usual corporate sponsors such as AIG, Bwin, T-Home Mobile, Siemens, Fly Emirates, Samsung, etc, etc...
Besides, they haven't won anything yet. Speaking of the New York Yankees of fútbol, give the teams in England's Barclay's Premier League their due. They feature three out of the last four teams left in the UEFA Champions League Cup race - Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal. Barcelona is the only continental contender, representing Spain's La Liga. Man U knocked Barça out in the semifinals last year and went on to win the championship.
Barcelona is currently ahead in their own home league, La Liga, a race which they looked like they would easily run away with early in the season. Their archrivals and defending La Liga champions Real Madrid were lagging behind, but ever since Real switched coaches at mid-season, they have been winning steadily and inexorably, picking up ground and are hanging only a couple of games back now. The two team have a showdown coming up ("El Clasico") at Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu, sandwiched in between Barcelona's semifinal matches against a packed and dangerous Chelsea squad.
So here's the challenge Barça has ahead of them:
Tue. 4/28 Barcelona v Chelsea at Camp Nou - UEFA Champions League Semifinal
Sun. 5/3 Barcelona v Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu - La Liga (El Clasico)
Wed. 5/6 Barcelona V Chelsea at Stamford Bridge - UEFA Champions League Semifinal
They're going to need some luck and some fresh legs to make it through to the finals.
Here's the thing... I'm going to be in London during the first week of May. I'll have to keep my mouth shut. It would be bad enough if Chelsea supporters heard an uneducated Yank like me supporting another English squad like Everton, Tottenham Spur, or Aston Villa, let alone a team from Catalonia. Best keep my rooting interests to myself.
4 comments:
It's funny, I was thinking of the Yankees comparison before I got to the part where you mentioned it. In the end, I guess my team is Real Madrid, but only because I lived there and it's the only team I knew all the players on. In the end, both Madrid and Barca are disgustingly rich Lakers/Yankees type teams, and they both carry a lot of annoying baggage concerning nationalist baggage. I tend to cheer for the smaller teams. I loved it when the team from Soria (very cooly named after the Celt-Iberian town that gave the Roman army such trouble, Numancia) beat Barca awhile back.
It's a good thing I'm a Mets fan. If I were a New Yorker/Yankees and a Madridleno/Real Madrid fan, your whole Red Sox/Barca thing would really be pushing our friendship ;-). But I hate the Yankees, which gives me some sympathy for the Sox, and you know, in international matches, I'm with Barcelona all the way. I love Eto'o.
So... Visca el Barca!
Hi Liam,
In the end, both Madrid and Barca are disgustingly rich Lakers/Yankees type teamsTrue, but if you look at each of those European leagues, there a are a handful (or just a couple) of wealthy teams at the top winning titles every year and everyone else just sort of struggles along.
and they both carry a lot of annoying baggage concerning nationalist baggage. Yeah, I have some friends from Madrid who lived in Barcelona for a couple of years. They had a tough time being accepted and fitting in. There's a lot of historical undercurrent flowing there.
I actually like Real too, even though they look a lot like the Dutch national team these days. I enjoy "El Clasico" for what it is, a rivalry between two monster kick-ass teams, without getting too caught up in the passions involved. I do like Barca's players, though. They're not whiners and divas and complainers, generally speaking.
You know, despite all the history with the Red Sox and all the money around the Yankees, I don't dislike them that much. Not compared to other Sox fans. I've tended to like and respect their players and managers (I loved Joe Torre).
I hate to tell you this, but it's the Mets I've really despised. That has nothing to do with the present team, but goes back to 1986... and a night I'll never forget. Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Mookie Wilson... All the ridicule directed at Bill Buckner... It was a nightmare. Just Gary Carter all by himself more than makes up for all the obnoxious players the Yankees have ever had. This, of course, was all before you lived in New York.
I loved it when the team from Soria (very cooly named after the Celt-Iberian town that gave the Roman army such trouble, Numancia) beat Barca awhile back. You've gotta love when something like that happens. Numancia, struggling to stay out of relegation. :)
I'm afraid I have to disagree with you both on the Barca-Yankees analogy. I would argue that Real Madrid would be the Yankees - biggest payroll, long history of championships, most internationally known, etc. And, poking around the internet, here's part of a Sports Illustrated article last year about Real sweeping Barca in La Liga last season: "Real Madrid is easily the New York Yankees of Spanish soccer: 31 titles, a rich history of success and tradition, a roster filled with high-priced superstars and a reputation as the most imperial team in the game. . . . Spain's super-rivalry is pretty close in scope and stature to Yankees-Red Sox."
all the money around the YankeesRight, like the Red Sox are poor country cousins?! Who has the 2nd largest payroll in baseball? :-)
I lived in Madrid, so I was biased in terms of the Real-Barca derby. Like, Liam, I enjoy watching the smaller teams do well and like it when one of them even manages to win La Liga.
But definitely Barca over any English team. Unfortunately, Barca only managed a tie against Chelsea at Camp Nou. Will be tough to win up north.
Do you ever watch any of the Mexican League? It's on TV a lot. I know it can't match in quality with the top European leagues, but are they decent? I've been wanting to follow it a bit more.
Despite some of our sports team differences - I still can't believe Liam favors the Sox over the Yankees (traitor!) - at least we can all hate communally the Lakers with great passion, no?
BARCA, YES!!!
They had me worried. I thought Chelsea had really put them away for sure, but depsite being down one man, Iniesta came though in injury time (93rd minute) and put them through to the final. Amazing. Chelsea's Drogba and Ballack were raving, ranting and screaming at the end. Tough. They choked. They had Barcelona thoroughly outcoached for both games and they let them off the hook. I almost feel sorry for them, they put on a great pair of perfomances, especially considering how Barcelona had totally dismantled Real Madrid over the weekend, but there's something obnoxious about Chelsea that makes it hard to feel bad for them.
Do you ever watch any of the Mexican League? It's on TV a lot. I know it can't match in quality with the top European leagues, but are they decent? I've been wanting to follow it a bit more.
Yeah, Brendan and I watch it on Univision quite often. It's a decent league. Pachuca and Chico are pretty good teams to watch.
Despite some of our sports team differences - I still can't believe Liam favors the Sox over the Yankees (traitor!) - at least we can all hate communally the Lakers with great passion, no?
Ahem... I can't help but to mention that the Sox have beaten the Yankees 5 times in a row so far this season, but it doesn't mean much, because Tampa Bay looks so good.
The Lakers? Yes, there's an ecumenical point of convergence. :)
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