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gengm125
22.11.2014 - 06:34
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To not win a European Cup for two years is more than understandable for most teams in world football but not this current Barcelona. They remain a long way away from winning it again, of course, but their performance in Manchester on Tuesday night was a sign of intent, a message they very much intended on delivering the moment their attention turned on the last 16 clash. When they landed on English shores this week, there was a sense of a new dawn, the opening of a new window for this current crop of winners to accomplish something relatively new. To many, it wasnt new at all. They did have eight of the 11 that started the triumphant 2011 final against Manchester United on the pitch from the start at Manchester City on Tuesday evening, but after they were massacred by Bayern Munich in last seasons semifinal, a line had been drawn on the past and it was time to concentrate on the future. All great teams need motivation to continually reach the top and this is it for Barcelona 2013-14. "Maybe (City) do not fear us anymore, because in the last two years, we didnt win the Champions League," said defender Gerard Pique on Monday. "We can still be the best, but we have to show the world we can do it. Tomorrow is a great chance." It was in England, at Wembley, in May of 2011 that they indeed cemented their place as one of the greatest club teams of all time. Pep Guardiola was hoisted in the sky by his players after securing their second European Cup in three years. It was a time for reflection but also of great excitement at what the team could go on to achieve. However, the great unscripted drama that is sport, went on to tell a story of a different Barcelona in the next two seasons of Champions League football. As so often happens in knock-out competition, things didnt always go to plan. Chelsea ended their quest in 2012 when they defended brilliantly at the Nou Camp while last season Barcelona were never quite at the level they had set in years previous. A loss in Milan at this stage last season gave us a glimpse of what was to come. A superb comeback at home showed us again just what they are capable of but two draws against an up-and-coming PSG side in the next round squeezed them through to the battle with Bayern that was so one-sided a new legacy had to be started. "It is not the end of an era," Andres Iniesta claimed at the time but that is not what the future will say. If this Barcelona team are to go on to accomplish more European success, it will be considered a new era; one without Pep, or Tito Villanova, a team under Gerardo Martinos wing influenced more now by Cesc Fabregas and, in time, Neymar. The finals against Manchester United in 2009 and 2011 were similar in how they dominated but also in how they took around 10 minutes to get going. Sir Alex Ferguson spoke about it often in the lead-up to their second final together. United needed to take advantage of that time if they were to win. Not surprisingly Barcelona had more of the ball but United had much more of it in that phase than at any other time, just like in Rome two years earlier. At Wembley, Barcelona completed just 10 per cent of their total successful passes in that opening 10 minutes but United completed 15.5 per cent of all of their successful passes. Once Barcelona got going, United, even when they got it back to 1-1, never got any rhythm into the match. All great teams need to keep reinventing themselves and, having waited 10 weeks since the group stages to show what they could do, this current Barcelona team exploded out of the blocks against Manchester City. There was a genuine purpose about their start and for 100 seconds, shortly after the first minute was over, City never touched the ball. Four minutes in and Barcelona had already completed 60 successful passes. The Spanish giants dominating possession is nothing new but them starting this way in the Champions League is. "Maybe we gave them too much respect in the beginning," reflected City skipper Vincent Kompany, whose mind was drawn back to a time in the game that City couldnt get out of their own half. Yet, despite this, it was hard to fault City for their style. At 0-0, they defended excellently and as the first half wore on, showed just why some had thought this was a very dangerous tie for Barcelona. Martinos men will always dominate possession to protect but it is against teams that counter efficiently and remain calm with the ball that they can look vulnerable. In Yaya Toure and Fernandinho, City have two outstanding midfielders who can ensure a team does exactly that. The pair were magnificent in the first half and it would have been interesting to see what more the Brazilian midfielder could have done, had he not tired playing with just 10 men after being injured for over two weeks. Both were pivotal in a key phase before half-time when City put 22 straight passes together. Not many teams can make Barcelona chase a ball for over a minute without getting it back but Manuel Pellegrinis men did that and were encouraged when they walked off at half-time at 0-0. Six minutes after the interval, however, the tie turned when Jesus Navas went down and Barcelona countered. It looked like a foul on Navas but he also seemed to try and sell it and at that point, left his team exposed. With them attacking, City had Toure and Fernandinho further away from their back four than normal and one magical pass from Iniesta sent Lionel Messi through on goal before he was chopped down by Martin Demichelis. Demichelis had to be sent off but had played well up until that moment. Well, however, may not have still been good enough and, certainly, was probably the peak of what he could have achieved. He was, for example, never going to be the rock that Kompany was throughout the match. All great teams have a way of exploiting their opponents main weakness and Barcelona did that in the 53rd minute and, later, in the dying minutes when Neymar and Dani Alves combined to rip apart Joleon Lescott and Gael Clichy on Citys left side. The Brazilian right back had a fine match and almost scored earlier when he did the same to Citys defensive pair but shot just wide of Joe Harts goal. In between those chances, City had their best period of the match when Barcelona showed a conservative approach showing just how vital an away victory in a knock-out stage was crucial. The red card didnt help City but neither did the presence of Lescott and Clichy, who can look nervous against Swansea let alone Barcelona, and the decision to take off Aleksandar Kolarov and leave on David Silva to protect them on the left proved costly. Barcelonas fantastic four Spaniards gave another football clinic on how to treasure the ball - 409 successful passes from 434 attempts (94.2%). Some call it boring, but once again, they were at their best when their team needed them to protect. Xavi and Fabregas….. Sergio Busquets and Iniesta….. Barcelona arrived in England this week with some fear because Man City were arguably the toughest team they could have been drawn against. They left knowing the stern test was passed, likely marching them into the last eight and a step closer to reaching the same level of success in Europe as they are accomplishing domestically. Andre Reed Womens Jersey . All that matters to the son of a high school coaching legend is that hes the one they selected. "Its been my life-long dream to be an NFL head coach," Pettine said Thursday, "and however that opportunity presents itself, its fine with me. Marquise Goodwin Bills Jersey . The result was a game-winning, power-play goal. Chiasson snapped a third-period tie and lifted the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 victory on Monday night. http://www.billsstoreonline.com/Black-23-Aaron-Wil...ns-Jers ey/ .S. Cellular Field on Saturday night, hell not only be returning to where his career began. Da Norris Searcy Bills Jersey . That will be 35 more holes than the first time they played together. Walker was a senior at Baylor when he used his parents credit card -- against their wishes because it was during finals -- to go through Monday qualifying for the Byron Nelson Championship. Bruce Smith Jersey . Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, grew up in Ogden, Utah, far from any NFL city, and became a fan of the Los Angeles Rams because shes an Aries and liked their uniforms.NEW YORK -- After a demoralizing start to the season where nothing seemed to go their way, the New York Mets are making all the right calls. Pinch-hitter Ike Davis hit a walkoff grand slam one batter after manager Terry Collins won his first replay challenge, and the Mets rallied to beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-3 Saturday. "That was tremendous ending especially for Ike going thru what hes going through," Collins said. "To come in in a big situation and come through, thats great stuff." Brandon Phillips gave the Reds a 3-2 lead with a two-run homer off Dillon Gee in the eighth, two innings after Curtis Granderson connected for a two-run drive off Johnny Cueto, his first homer with the Mets. Trailing by a run in the ninth, Juan Lagares walked leading off against fill-in closer J.J. Hoover. Anthony Recker got a bunt down on a ball that was above his eyes, and first baseman Joey Votto threw to shortstop Zack Cozart covering second. Second base umpire James Hoye called Lagares out. Running down the first base line, Recker knew the Mets had an opportunity. "As soon as he called him out I was thinking to myself how we should challenge it," Recker said. So was Collins. After a review of 2 minutes, 14 seconds, the call was overturned by crew chief John Hirschbeck. "Youve got to go out," Collins said. "Took a chance. But youve got to. Its just a close play anyway. Weve got that opportunity to challenge that, so I had to take a shot at it." Reds first-year manager Bryan Price agreed with the call. "They got it right and as frustrating as it was, we anticipated we were going to get the switch," Price said. Hoover (1-1), pitching the ninth for Aroldis Chapman who is out after being hit in the face by a line drive during spring training, then walked Ruben Tejada to load the bases. "That leadoff walk, didnt give myself any chance really," Hoover said. Davis lost his starting first base job to Lucas&nbssp;Duda a day earlier, but was called on to hit in the pitchers spot and lined a 0-1 curveball off the facing of the right field porch, setting off a gleeful celebration at Citi Field that included a whipped cream pie in Davis face.dddddddddddd Collins said Davis will start Sunday against Alfredo Simon, a decision made before the game. "As long as Duda keeps hitting thats going to be my role," Davis said. Duda hit two homers Friday night in the Mets 4-3 win over the Reds. The Mets won their second straight after being swept by Washington in three games to open the season. Cincinnati dropped to 1-4 for the first time since 2003, when it finished 69-93. The Mets beleaguered bullpen came through, too. Scott Rice got two outs and Carlos Torres (1-0) worked a scoreless ninth to give the Mets a chance. In a blustery wind with gusts up to 35 mph that sent papers swirling around Citi Field, Cueto and Gee were dominant early against two of the leagues worst hitting teams thus far. Cueto didnt allow a hit until Tejada doubled with one out in the fifth inning and Gee was perfect until Tucker Barnhart, subbing for injured catcher Devin Mesoraco (oblique strain), lined his first big league hit to right field with one out in the third. Cueto gave up five hits and two runs, lifting any lingering worry about his health after he made only 11 starts last season. He struck out nine and walked three -- one intentionally. Gee allowed six hits and a walk. He struck out four. NOTES: Reds CF Billy Hamilton was scratched from the lineup because of a jammed left middle finger. He was injured sliding head-first into second base Friday night when he was caught stealing. He played centre field in the ninth. ... The only other walkoff, pinch-hit grand slam for the Mets came in 1986, when Tim Teufel beat the Phillies. ... Phillips has a hit in all 28 games hes played against the Mets in New York. ... Mets LHP Jonathon Niese is scheduled to make his first start of the season Sunday in the series finale. ' ' ' |
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