El Barça es mes que un club!

[noshownogo]

That goal they scored out of hustle (the skate tackle that lead to Iniesta's goal) shocked me.

I also hope Dani Alves is ok, he looks so much sharper than last season and will undoubtedly be an asset in Champions League.

[kevcam]

That goal they scored out of hustle (the skate tackle that lead to Iniesta's goal) shocked me.

I also hope Dani Alves is ok, he looks so much sharper than last season and will undoubtedly be an asset in Champions League.

Think you talking about Busquets tackle that lead to Villa's goal.

Iniesta's goal was good with that one time shot from just outside the box. That is exactly what I like to see instead of always trying to pass and walk the ball into the goal and not taking the shot when you have the chance.

From the start of the game they were hustling. For the first 6 minutes I saw Pedro running after that ball like a real mad man, I remember saying take it a lil easy man you might get bun before the half end. Like Pep tell them fellas get the job done as early as possible.

Alves looks to be out for 10 - 15 days.

The free kick that Duda scored was a beauty though.

[idlemind]

The free kick that Duda scored was a beauty though.

Valdez depended too much on the wall to protect the leftside though.
It had no way he could have saved it while he was marking the rightflank.
He was really upset about it, coz the ball whizzed over Villa's head, had Villa jumped, it wouldve deflected and messed up his hairstyle

[noshownogo]

cyar have dat yo, Villa's swag just as important

[X_Factor]

i believe they thought it was the other guy who was gonna take the free kick turning the ball from right to left but instead Duda took it bending it the other way and leaving everyone stranded

[idlemind]

Facts and figures from a great first half to the season

http://www.fcbarcelona.cat


Barça wrapped up a record breaking first half to the season with their win over Malaga on Sunday, recording some astonishing stats, which we detail below:

- Barça’s goal difference is +50 with a massive 61 goals scored and just 11 conceded.

- The team have taken 52 out of a possible 57 points - a new La Liga record.

- Barça have now gone 28 games without defeat, beating the Club record set in 1974.

- The 13 La Liga games on the trot that the team have won is just 1 short of the record set in 2005/06 when the team were managed by Rijkaard.

- Víctor Valdés and Andrés Iniesta are the only two players who have started in every league game for the club this season.

- Iniesta has already equalled his personal goal scoring record in La Liga, set in 2006/07 with 6 goals.

- Pedro has now scored in each of the last four games and has chalked up 15 goals in 14 games- 9 in the last 8 La Liga games.

- Bojan Krkic made his 150th appearance for the club.

- Sergio Busquets was the player who recovered most possession against Malaga(12) , with one of his interventions leading to the second goal.

- Xavi was the player who participated most in the game, with 122 completed passes from the 135 he attempted.

[idlemind]

Happy Birthday Guardiola!

http://www.fcbarcelona.cat


The social networks are filling up with messages for Pep Guardiola for his fortieth birthday which he celebrates on Tuesday. The hashtag #pep40 has been one of the world’s most used over the last few days.

The #pep40 initiative to wish Pep Happy Birthday is becoming a world beater with millions of Twitter users, from Turkey, Palestine, UK, Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil amongst others, taking the chance to wish the Barça boss all the best on his fortieth.

The #pep40 hashtag has also become a trending topic in Spain – meaning it is the tag most used by Twitter users.

It’s easy to take part. You simply have to send a birthday wish via Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #pep40. The best messages will be shown on the Barça TV programme ADN Barça which will feature a special section this Tuesday to celebrate the boss’ birthday.

[idlemind]

steupssssssssssssss

[kevcam]

Betis played a good game today. They did well to end Barca 28 game unbeaten streak. Betis was running away with the game in the first half until Messi (hard luck for the missed penalty) scored.

Barca midfield played poorly today. Xavi had too much work to do for long periods of the game. Glad to see Milito return although he lapse a couple of times. Afellay had some good runs.

[Swisha]

still thru to the semis. aggregate score 6-3

[X_Factor]

im kinda glad we lost one that didnt matter

[Swisha]

man even Pep thought this game could have afforded Valdez a rest

[idlemind]

Guardiola: “You need to lose to appreciate things”
Vanessa Forns



Josep Guardiola is delighted to have made the cup semi finals at the expense of such a fine side as Betis. But he added that the defeat at the Benito Villamarín was a reminder of the great things this team has achieved.
Barça made good of their 5-0 lead from the first leg to go into the semis of the Copa del Rey, where they’ll face Almeria. He also sees the good side of losing 3-1 because it all goes to show how “hard everything is to do, there is a lot of effort behind all this and all our opponents are good … the only way we can get better is by analysing these mistakes … We have to lose to appreciate things”.

Nothing is easy

Guardiola went on to speak of the end of their famous unbeaten run. “It takes a lot to go 28 matches without losing” he said. “We have had to be persistent to do that. This result shows how hard everything is and was good for putting us in our place.”

Praise for Betis

The FCB manager had said in his pre-match press conference that he had nothing but admiration for Betis. “When we analysed our opponent, we knew it was going to be a tough tie. We knew full well that we’d have trouble, and that was the case. I want to congratulate Betis, a historic team that has always played good football, and who have top quality players. They are solid side, and are top of the Second Division by chance. Given all that, beating a team like that is something I value highly.”

Afellay’s full debut

Ibrahim Afellay was named in the starting eleven for the first time since joining FC Barcelona and Guardiola was delighted with what he saw. “He gets free and calls for the ball a lot. He had a good game. I like players that get involved, that try and that ask for the ball.”

[idlemind]

Six Barça player in uefa.com team of the year
http://www.fcbarcelona.cat


Barça’s supremacy is made patently clear in the all star eleven named on the UEFA official website, where users have picked six Barça players in Piqué, Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, and Villa.
5 million votes were cast by 400,000 users (an increase of 25% with respect to the previous edition) and there were six FCB men in the 2010 team of the year. These are defenders Gerard Piqué and Carles Puyol, midfielders Xavi Hernàndez and Andrés Iniesta and strikers Leo Messi and David Villa.

This dream team for 2010 is completed by goalkeeper Iker Casillas (Madrid), defenders Maicon (Inter) and Ashley Cole (Chelsea) and midfielders Wesley Sneijder (Inter) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Madrid). The coach of the year was José Mourinho (Inter/Madrid), according to uefa.com.

Record for Puyol



So Barça have once again dominated the UEFA ideal XI. They also had six players in 2009: Alves, Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi and Ibrahimovic. In fact, captain Carles Puyol has broken a record by being named for a sixth time after being ever-present since 2001. Messi and Xavi are in the team for the third year running.

Valdés heading for Zamora
Sandra Sarmiento



Valdés has ended the first half of the season having let in 11 goals in 19 games, which is almost the same as last year. Such consistency makes him the overwhelming favourite to win the Zamora.
Víctor Valdés is as safe as houses. His reflexes, his agility, his positioning, all are impeccable and this season he has once again produced some extraordinary saves. His stats this year have been simply stunning, and he is indeed a noble successor to the great Antoni Ramallets following his 286 first team appearances and three Zamora trophies to date, making him one of the lynchpins of this remarkable side. Once again, Valdes is almost a safe bet to win the award for the goalkeeper with the least amount of conceded goals.

Regularity

Valdés’ hands are yet another reason for such a terrific first half to the FCB season. In the very first game he saved a penalty from Tchité at Racing and was providential as he saved a Callejón effort in the derby at Cornellà-El Prat. He has shown his quality time and again, and is to be thanked for the team having the best defensive record so far this season, with just 11 conceded in 19 outings. At this stage of last season, Valdés had let in 10 and had kept ten clean sheets.

Worst season 2006/07

Since becoming the first choice stopper at Barça, Valdés has just got better and better. The figures show how hard he has worked to improve. In his first season, 2006/07, the team finished second in the league and he conceded 17 goals over the first half of the campaign, which was nothing to be ashamed of, yet pales in comparison to his later achievements.

Half a goal a game

Valdés won his first Zamora in 2004/05 when he conceded 25 goals in 35 matches, an average of 0.71 a game. Last year, the Catalans beat his own record by leaking just 24 goals in 38 games, an average of 0.63 goals. This season, Valdés is touching perfection. So far he has let in an average of just 0.58 goals in league matches.

[Swisha]

Barça 3 - 0 Racing Santander

Goals scored by Pedro, Messi (penalty) and Iniesta.

[kevcam]

Yeah keep up the pressure on Madrid.

[kevcam]

Messi fined for dedicating birthday goal to mother

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was punished with a fine and a booking Tuesday for dedicating a goal to his mother on her birthday.

After scoring a penalty in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Racing Santander, the Argentina forward lifted his jersey in front a television camera to reveal an undershirt with the words “Happy birthday, mami!” written across it.

The recent “Ballon d’Or” winner was not booked by the referee during the game, but the action was included in his match report.

Messi was punished under the Spanish federation’s disciplinary committee article 91.1 for goal celebrations. Messi can expect a fine between ?2,000 ($2,736) and ?3,000 ($4,105) and will also receive a yellow card.

Maybe this might be the fire he needs to kick into overdrive just as he was doing last season.

[red5FWD]

Getting fined for that makes no sense. Is not like Messi was promoting something negative or offensive.........it's a good thing they appealing it though

[noshownogo]

what kinda rubbish is this, i mean really...

[idlemind]

Welcome to La Liga officiating...

[JBL]

daz RELLLL sh!t yo... relll bullsh!t.... how could he be charged for that?? stewpzzzz

oh well.. barca vs Almeria today @ 5pm.. forca!!!

[mero]

game on

[kurpal_v2]

go almeria

[mero]

you were saying kurps?

3 goals in 15 minutes...

[X_Factor]

well no coverage on flow
stupes

[idlemind]

4-0 after 30

[mero]

#4 for pedro with the header via xavi free kick

[idlemind]

look here: http://atdhe.net/33212/watch-fc-barcelona-vs-ud-almeria

[kevcam]

A good thing Barca have 4 goals already because the ref fcuking up the game man. Them men putting in some strong and silly challenges and the ref missing the challenges and not sharing yellow cards for the ones he sees. He only give 1 yellow for the guy that held back Iniesta.

Messi limping
Xavi limping
Adriano getting kick down even up in his chest.

[Swisha]

Barça win first leg 5-0 thanks to goals from Messi (2), Villa, Pedro and Keita; second leg to come next week in Almería


w00t! another 5-0 victory. hoping we get Real Madrid in the final so at least we have some kinda challenge