Farewell...

...to the 'Total Football' master.
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by PAM


It does look like I've been ignoring football for quite sometime now, and it's perfectly understandable that people assumed I have 'abandoned' my love for the 'beautiful game'. None of it is true, of course.  I have been paying attention.  I just couldn't find the time to show my appreciation here as I used to.  I do admit that, over the last year or so, I have been usually a step behind.  It's unacceptable, I know... but, under the circumstances, I'm afraid I was left with very little choice.

***
The legend of Johan Cruyff

But, I digress... this post is not about me.  It's about the great Oranje who wore the number 14 shirt, Johan Cruyff... the late Johan Cruyff, that is.  He passed on yesterday after losing his bout with lung cancer.  He was 68 years old.  

It does bite some to refer to the great footballer, who had a strong presence in and out of the pitch, in the past tense.  It does make one sadly realize of how huge a void he's left in the face of the 'beautiful game'.  What's even sadder is to realize that, despite the rich pool of talents the game has now, no one will ever be of as grand of character and daring as the master himself to fill that void.

The legend of the fearless knight of the 'beautiful game' who wore the #14 shirt
on the pitch for the Oranje.

Johan Cruyff was not only a brilliant footballer, he was a legendary strategist for the game as a coach/manager, and his leadership was, indeed, worth emulating.  Sure, he can be too daring at times, crossing the fine line between fierceness and arrogance, but it was all a part of the whole 'package'.  It takes even a bolder attempt for brilliance to avoid the rough patches in the Cruyff persona when one emulates him... and that's where the greatness of his 'students' in the game, such as Pep Guardiola, lies.  They recognize the flaws, and avoid them... and Cruyff did not mind as he took pride in the gained wisdom of his 'students'. 

***
Brilliance that pulls like gravity    

As I was a mere toddler in the early '70s when Cruyff was 'flying high' as an Oranje, I gotta admit I knew very little about him before.  Football news that reached the Philippines in the '80s and '90s were dominated by Diego Maradona (due to his World Cup fame) and David Beckham (as English Premier League's biggest star), respectively.  And, since Maradona was briefly under the Cruyff coaching days in Barcelona, there were a few mention of the legendary Barça coach.  However, Pep Guardiola adored him like Cruyff was his "football creator"... like a new vampire's "creator", that is.  And because I have humongous respect for Pep, anybody he adored, I believe was worth knowing.  And so, in the early 2000s, when Pep was on his way to his own legendary tenure as Barça's coach, I did my very best to know as much as possible about Cruyff... and I never looked back since then.   I found that his brilliance was like gravity... it just pulls you in - especially, his famous "Cruyff turn".

The Master:  Total Football personified.

  
At some point, while watching a footage of his best runs, so daring as he shunned opponents, darting to the goal in laser precision, with the ball seemingly glued to his foot, long hair flying, I thought it gave one a glimpse of a young Lionel Messi... doing exactly the same as a 17-year-old Barça forward.  And, as I watched his famous "Cruyff turn", which he executed as he eyed an "opening" to the goal while dribbling, getting rid of the defenders that swarmed him as he changed direction towards the opening, I thought it was a preview of a Xavi Hernandez patent move as he creates a play for his team... and even a move by Pep himself.  The surprise attack when it's least expected by the opponents that Andrés Iniesta is famous for, winning Spain their first World Cup in 2010, is a part of the Cruyff arsenal, too.  Wouldn't you believe it?

***
His true legacy in the 'beautiful game'   

Indeed, there are a number of Barça players who, while legends in their own right, are 'Cruyff iterations' in a way.  This is partly because of his coaching days in Barça where he nurtured young talents, such as Pep, to find their greatest strengths, polished them, and taught them to use these strengths to make the sum of an arsenal of strengths for their Team.  This is the fundamental of "Total Football" v. Cruyff.  It was all about fluidity of movements, the adaptability to any situation

Legends:  The Master and the Student.
(Photo credit: www.taringa.net.  Thanks.)

in the field by all players.  As such, it requires versatility among players, the ability to take on any role that an unfolding scenario calls for... keeping the integrity of their tactical approach at all times, and successfully executing it to secure a win.


Cruyff, being a versatile player, who had the speed, stamina and eye for goal opportunities was Total Football personified.  He was in possession of a complete arsenal of talents, the utter fearlessness to use all of them, and the sharp feel for the flow of game that gave him the sense to know when to use which talent.  These allowed him to move about a lot in the field, exploiting weaknesses of the opponents, or effectively creating damage in areas of strength of his side's opponent to make opportunities elsewhere.  Indeed, he was a real genius of the beautiful game, and the fluidity of his movement on the pitch made him so awesome to watch, too.  This brought so much success to his Dutch side, Oranje, in the world stage of football, and tremendous glory to his domestic side, Ajax, during his tenure with them in the #14 shirt.

Later, as forward in Barça in the #9 shirt, he helped his side win La Liga in the 1973-1974 season after an epic transfer from Ajax.  The Catalan side won the trophy after more than a decade of drought.  He also helped  Barça win Copa del Rey in the 1977-1978 season, showcasing his unforgettable "phantom goal" - while on a sprint for the ball that was going wide, he broke his speed, shooting up to a jump that doubled his height, going almost horizontal while on air, kicking with fully stretched legs and catching the ball with his right heel to put it in the goal.  All of these happening in a second, too awesome!  As the Catalonia was undergoing a tumultuous political upheaval that time, Barça's good form on the pitch was a source of strength and joy for the region... and Cruyff was in the center of it all, making him Catalonia's favorite 'adopted son'.

During his tenure as Barça Coach/Manager for eight seasons, he formed his "Dream Team", with Pep Guardiola at the center of it all as midfielder.  They won the La Liga four times,

La Masia: A succession plan that works.
(Photo credit: www.fcbarcelona.com.  Thanks.)

the European Cup once, the UEFA Super Cup once, and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup once while reaching the final twice.  He also guided Barça to the UEFA Champions League final once.  Overall, he won 11 trophies for Barça, making him the most successful Head Coach/Manager of Barça that time.  More than the wins that he and his "Dream Team" brought to the Catalan side, he was most proud of how much the fans of the beautiful game appreciated the beautiful "Total Football" played by Barça under his leadership.  As Catalonia continued to experience political tremors that time, the Catalan side, was the regions biggest source of pride and joy, making FC Barcelona 'more than a club' to them. 

While his years as player and manager were marked with many milestones, his tenure as manager in Barcelona was, by far, of most lasting impact.  The FC Barcelona Youth Academy, La Masia, was his brain child.  It was this Academy that nurtured to greatness raw talents like Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets... and even Pep Guardiola himself.  The Academy churned fresh addition to the Barça side, with the Total Football philosophy and its many variants and iterations ingrained in their playing styles, while allowing them to develop their own unique strengths to become 'special' players of the beautiful game.

With the Youth Academy in place, there is very little doubt that FC Barcelona may maintain their good form with a "succession plan" that works.

***
Moving forward without the Master

With his invaluable contributions to the continuous development of the 'beautiful game', the Total Football Master will be terribly missed.  And yet, his legacy will continue to inspire new generations of players to keep the beauty in the game that is so loved by a multitude of 'devotees' in the world.  

Therefore, the game will move forward without him.  Inspired by his legacy, it will, however, keep turning a new leaf and will continuously flourish to a greater beauty each time.

Rest in peace, Johan Cruyff.

***
Video Credit:  Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.

***

Second treble on the table... and, they took it!

And, I saw them do it - live!  Visca, el Barça! 
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by PAM


I have been feeling really frustrated to have kept missing the UEFA Champions League matches this season.  In fact, my last post here on the Champions League was published on August 2013!  It's that bad.  

I know that there are trade-offs in the choices we make in our lives, but two years of not being able to watch a full match in the Champions League has been gnawing on my sanity!  Too much work... just too-too much!  It used to be worth it... but, without time to refresh my mind by indulging my (justified) hunger for great fun, adrenaline rush and tactical thinking through a healthy dose of the 'beautiful game' is 'killing me'... seriously!  OK, perhaps following the Spanish La Liga and the English Premier League, too, is a luxury, considering the choice I made two-and-a-half years ago... but missing the Champions League for two years??  OK, that's like sacrilege for a football fan!  

Football fan or not, I think we all deserve some time to have a little fun - even if only for health and sanity's sake.   


***
Putting my foot down... gotta watch the final!

Sooo, before losing it, I put my foot down and decided to mark my calendar and cancel anything else that coincided with the Champions League final in Berlin... especially that the final is between my favorite Club, FC Barcelona (o, yeah!), and Juventus FC!  As it turned out, I didn't have to cancel anything because the match airs live via cable on a Sunday at 2:30 a.m., Manila time.  So, I had to sleep early Saturday night to wake up in time for the game.  And, oh, boy!  What a treat it was!

What a reunion between Barça... and I! :)

The match was a fast-paced one, with the men from both sides starting with spirited sprint on that beautiful green turf of Berlin.  Everyone watching knew right off the bat that both sides were gunning for the cup with powerful artillery - no compromise!  Both sides have a worthy mission.  Both sides won their local Leagues and local Cups going into the Champions League final.  Juve was gunning for their first treble - the 8th Club to do so if they managed to get Lady Luck smile their way; and Barça was aiming to make history to become the first Club to achieve the treble twice.  Juve's manager/head coach, Max Allegri, was a worthy victor... but so was Barça's freshman head coach/manager, Luis Enrique, relatively young as he may be!  

Champions League followers were expecting the final match to be a battle of midfields, Juve's was led by the veteran, Andrea Pirlo, and Barça's was led by the brilliant Andres Iniesta.  Everyone was also picturing a duel between Barça's "magician", Lionel Messi, and the Italian side's seasoned goal keeper, Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, in front of the Italian Serie A champs' goal.  Naturally, a swarm of defenders were about Messi early on; and naturally, Lucho Enrique and Don Andres expected this, and so did Neymar Jr., who pressed the Juve defense early on.  It was a battle of midfield tactics alright.  In fact, duirng the first four minutes or so of the match, the quick-witted Don Andres Iniesta orchestrated the attack for Barça, getting his men touch the ball, once, twice on the turf as they gather towards the Juve goal.  Don Andres found a little opening, slipped the ball through to Ivan Rakitić, who acted quickly and decisively, and sent the ball past the surprised Buffon (and he's rarely surprised!) to hit the back of the net!  The Catalan side took the driver seat, 1-0, merely four minutes into the match!  And the sprinting and tactical battle intensified.  Whew, beautiful!

The rest of the first half was a great duel of wills between the two sides...  Barça pressing to provide a cushion to their lead, Juve was looking to equalize while resisting the advances of the opposite side.  Their horns were locked tightly, but I gotta say that the great tactician, Don Andres, and the South American demolition trio, Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, with the do-or-die hustle from Dani Alves, kept Juve mum, as they pressed relentlessly.  Barça's attack crew kept the ball with the Catalans, not giving the Juve attackers, led by Carlos Tevez, much chance to create damage.  

***
Finishing the task

One would think that in the second half, Barça would be running to finish the match with another goal, but it was Juve's Alvaro Morata who picked up the remains of a saved attempt for a goal by Tevez, about ten minutes into the second half, to equalize. That scattered the Catalan men for a while, and the Barça defense was the first to appear like they were feeling the heat.  It did look like Juve was going for an all-out attack of the FCB goal manned by the 23-year old German keeper, Marc-André Ter Stergen.  However,

Neymar, securing the win with a third goal for FCB.

the young goal keeper, calm and serene in front of the goal, proved to be up to the task - very impressive!  I have to say that Barça's defense, which was usually suspect when things go wrong, proved to be equal to the task as well... well, after recovering from their "initial shock" caused by the Morata goal anyway.  Call it the Don Iniesta calming leadership effect... that man has that effect on his team.  He gets them back on attacking track - fast!  

The formidable South American attacking trio in front of the Barcelona crew kept pressing... they launched many attacks that would've shattered to pieces a goal keeper made of less finer stuff than Gigi Buffon was.  At some point though, something had to give.  In one of the blistering attempts by Messi to get FCB in front again, Buffon saved, but spilled the ball, which was apparently went too weighty after being walloped by Messi's left foot.  The hungry Suarez, without hesitation, sprinted to send the loose ball to the back of the net as Buffon was still sprawled on the turf recovering from Messi's assault, 2-1.  Such is the lethality of Barça's attack line.  Just as quickly as he scored though, Suarez picked up a yellow card as soon as the game re-started after Barça's celebration of his goal! :)  Oh, boy!  At least, the yellow card did not involve biting of someone's ear. ;)

The lead could have been stretched by Neymar to 3-1 about the 70th minute or so, but his header was ruled out as the ball accidentally touched the back of his right hand before flying to the goal. That little touch couldn't have changed the trajectory of the ball... but it was disallowed anyway, and it was fair enough.  Juve then continued to press for opportunity to equalize, as Barça's South American attack trio did the same relentlessly, propelled by the midfield, which was led by the great Xavi Hernandez in the last 15 minutes or so of the match. After a few rolling around by Suarez, whose wailing can be a bit embarrasing and/or irritating at times, Lucho decided to pull him out, and Pedro Rodriguez came on.  During the last minute of the five-minute stoppage time, Messi, Pedro and Neymar ran for a final attempt for a goal, which sent my heart all a-thump-thumping with crazy excitement!  And Neymar kicked the last goal in with such force uncaring about any sort of destruction that such force may cause - no chance for even the likes of Buffon to stop - claiming the 2015 Champions League trophy for good... and FCB's second treble!  And, into the history books they went!  Yowza!  

Awesomeness?  Ah, well... no other way to describe it!  I was glad that, at least, I watched the final - live!  If only for that, I resolve to avoid ranting (here) for the next... uhm, five (working) days, maybe? :)


***
P.S. Footie Beautie

I have to say, I love this Barça - Lucho Enrique's Barça, that is.  Their movement as a Team is very fluid.  They still play the "possession football" that was central in Pep Guardiola's Barça, and they still work wonderfully as a Team as in the "Pep era", but there's a bigger component of "no-excuse attack" that makes this current ensemble very exciting to watch.  There is a hint of "savagery" in their hunger to get those goals coming... there is a flavor of unabashed display of enjoyment as they make those goals after a relentless pursuit.  There is raw desire for the best result possible... it's honest, it's compelling, it makes one wants to celebrate with them, it's great! 

Pep's Barça was all about tantalizing movement.  They moved beautifully and gracefully in a well-timed approach to the goal that they were just breathtaking to watch.  They seemed to be playing football on their own, without opponents!  The fantastic goals seemed like mere "icing on the cake", and the trophies are more of a payment to the display of beauty rather than a prize for winning the competition.  Lucho's Barça has more 'muscle', and they have no qualms about displaying it, and they do so as beautifully as possible, too.  They are not only beautiful to watch, they produce nail-biting excitement in their devil-may-care attacks, but in a well orchestrated moves that involve the whole Team nevertheless!  They keep you on the edge of your seat, they make their spectators gush adrenaline, and they challenge their opponents to match their pace.  Pep's 'delicately beautiful men' have been transformed to Lucho's 'exciting men's men'!  It felt different to watch this new Barça, and I love it! 

And, I love all the show of love among the 'beautiful men' of this 'beautiful game'... all the kissing and hugging without any hint of self-consciousness, all the good cheers after the match that show true sportsmanship, are just fantastic to watch.  I missed seeing all this for the longest time... it has been killing me!  But, I got good dose of my 'wonder drug' from the Berlin final of the Champions League.  Life is good!  It is, ya know! :)    

***

Photo credit:  I took all the photos in the collage from the Balls Channel live feed via Skycable (Channel 34), except the center photo, which was obtained from the UEFA Champions League's twitter account - thanks.

*** 

World Cup 2014, Day 7: Heartbreak...

...I prefer surprises, actually.  :(
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by PAM


And so, the current World Cup holders, the Spanish La Roja, were shown the exit by the Chileans in another humbling defeat, 2-0.  Just when you thought that, after that 5-1 defeat from Oranje, there was no other way but up for the defending champs! 

It was heartbreaking... awfully so. :( I wish I could say that I was horribly surprised to see Spain getting eliminated by Chile... but that would be being unrealistic.  They performed so badly in their first Group Stage Game against the Dutch, losing in a humiliating manner

Self-doubt:  what's goin' on? (Getty Images)

.  Naturally, they were a bit broken, and filled with self-doubt.  On the other hand, Chile was victorious over Australia, in spite of a spirited challenge from the Socceroos. So, naturally, they are all fired up by a strong belief that they can beat the mighty Spanish side. 

The current champions' game plan and players combination were suspect... and so was their defense, and especially their goalkeeping (dang, Iker, sorry I have to say that). Okay, let's just say that their quality now was definitely way below theirs in the last six years when they were winning left and right.  Well, yeah, the grande Spanish coach, Vicente del Bosque, tweaked a few things here and there from their match with Oranje, to face Chile... and yet, he didn't address the biggest weakness: there was no chemistry among his players on the pitch.  The big guy, Diego Costa, was sticking out like a sore finger in the Spanish system. He was unable to finish... period.  And, Iker obviously have not regained his self-confidence after failing to stop five Dutch balls from hurting his side.  And without the natural defensive leadership of Carles Puyol in front of him, he had no one reliable enough to hold on to.   

I am not sure whether the decision to drop Xavi was a good idea... the man's movements have become slower, I give del Bosque that, but without Xavi, the Spanish side were running around without clear purpose, without clear form and shape, without clear game plan... 

The chilling grip of defeat. (Getty Images)

and, naturally, without the possibility of winning against a ferocious side like Chile.  Of course, Andrés Iniesta  and Xabi Alonso were there... but those two, for all their strengths and talents, do not have Xavi's sense of the game, its spontaneity, its dynamic transitions.  Xavi has the whole system running in his head, and he can see each one as a gear, and he can click something to snap them to connect and run like one piece.

To be fair, it wasn't just the coaching that was flawed... the guys didn't seem to be having fun, the way Chile were.  This was their biggest strength in their previous three outings, when they took home the prize: they were having so much fun on the pitch!  Their joy was so incredible, lady luck was absolutely mesmerized by them, like all of us!  I think it was this joy that made Xavi more receptive of each one on the pitch... he can feel them.  And with him conducting the play, everyone is connected to him and they played with a single mind. Tremendous teamwork that was absolutely beautiful to watch... and that's how they showed the world how beautiful a game football truly is. I hope that, in spite of this tragic result of them getting debarred from the Round of 16, the world does not forget this.

Whatever, they're out!  Nevertheless, I will always be a big La Roja fan.  Now though, I only have four in my list of faves in this World Cup... and I won't say which sides are these lest I jinx them, too! ;)  

***

World Cup 2014, Day 2: Speaking of 'surprises'...

...Spain left the world gasping as Holland gave them a surprisingly thorough whipping.
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by PAM


There was no furia in La Roja during their opening bout with their former challenger in South Africa in 2010 - the mighty Oranje.  The flying men in orange, while still pushed and shoved unnecessarily, did not have to resort to judo and karate this time.  They beat the Red side, mostly in the second half, in a fashion so reminiscent of the Spaniards' own brand of game for the last six years or so:  just beautiful!

Intense... that's what the first 25 minutes or so was like on the pitch:  the current World Cup holders asserting their supposed dominance, dancing, creating many chances for themselves... the 2010 challengers weighing their opponents' resolve, poking their

I don't mind losing... too much, but how I wish
that the score stayed at 1-2 instead of going at 1-5.

muscled attack here and there, showing menace on counter attacks, jolting the holders. You can almost see localized electric sparks flying everywhere on the pitch.  Intense.

The Brazilian fans are also adding to the intensity... booing Diego Costa loudly, showing their disgust toward the 'traitor' who wears red instead of bright yellow.  The 'traitor' is back on Brazilian soil... with his Spanish adoptive comrades.  Everytime he made a run for the ball, the stadium erupted in loud boos.  While that didn't seem to bother Costa, it seemed to have been shifting the localized sparks of pure energy to the Oranje side.   

And, then, Costa was knocked down - hard - to the delight of the (Brazilian?) fans.  It happened in the area, and so Xabi Alonso took to the spot.  He scored, 1-0 for the Spanish side.  The intensity went one notch higher... La Roja ran faster, more menacing, created more chances.  The uber industrious, David Silva, almost took the goal

Awesomeness.  Robin van Persie's goal on-a-flight. I
nominate this to be the Best Goal in World Cup 2014.  
(Photo credit: Reuters)

tally to 2-0 from a brilliant pass courtesy of Andres Iniesta... almost.  And then, out of nowhere, several yards from Iker Casillas' goal, a speeding Robin van Persie flew in a perfectly timed flight to head a beautiful cross-field pass from Daley Blind, willing his head to power the ball in a collision while his body was on full flight in a precisely calculated move.  His body reached and slid on the turf gracefully in a beautiful dive as the ball flew over Casillas' head - goal, 1-1.  Yep, that was indeed an absolute beauty!  Whew, just sublime.  Just in case, I respectfully nominate that as Best Goal in World Cup 2014!  

Fireworks!  The men in orange and their coaching staff celebrated with gusto, with a cute high-five between RVP and Louis van Gaal, while the Spanish side tensed visibly.  Game changer?  At that point, I thought it was just to make the match a little bit exciting.  However, now that we know what we know, I was very wrong, of course!  About a minute later, the referee blew his whistle... half-time.  Silence... the tension was close to snapping.

A few minutes after the resumption of the match, Arjen Robben muscled his way through Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos, right in front of Casillas.  The slippery Dutch beat the trio and brought the tally to 1-2.  There was a simultaneous leaping of orange shirts in the crowd... as the red ones fell on their seats with a thud.  They had no idea what was about to happen.  A throw-in from Wesley Sneijder, which was tapped in to the net by Stefan de Vrij brought the tally to 1-3.  At that point, the usually supercool La Roja boss, Vicente del Bosque, was on his feet... for one thing, Casillas may have been fouled by RVP before the de Vrij goal. Casillas appealed to the referee passionately, and he was shown a yellow. Tough luck!  The Spaniards started to look dejected... and scattered, with only Andres Iniesta showing unperturbed gut, trying his luck to cut their goal deficit - to no avail.  And then  RVP went at it again, beating Casillas, this time in a clinical finish, 1-4!  Robben followed suit, tried his karate-style flying kick to score a brace - he connected, bringing the goal tally to an official rout of the current World Cup holders, 1-5! 

Fernando Torres, who was shoved in to the pitch, last minute, had a quick opportunity to cut the Dutch lead, but as cold from the bench as he probably still was, he hesitated, and let the opportunity slip.  Robben tried to bring his goal hoard to a hat-trick, but by that time, Casillas' pride and the Spanish long-distance prayer over their "San Iker", saved them from an official crash out of World Cup.  Casillas kicked, punched, shoved... and it worked, a bit too late, but, hey... it's only the Group Stage.  There is a reason to believe that staying alive is possible... except that Chile beat Australia, 3-1, putting Spain at the bottom of Group B.   

Si, Del Bosque, siempre, will be spending sleepless noches.  He needs to come up with a quick answer.  The Spanish defense is a mess... no muscle, they lacked coordination, and without Carles Puyol, no leader to look up to. Iker committed many mistakes at crucial moments.  Oh, boy, I didn't think the day would come when I'd actually say that about Iker Casillas.  The midfield is not as precise, sharp and fast as back in 2010 in South Africa, and back in 2012 when they captured their second-in-a-row European Cup.  Nope, I didn't think I'd ever have to say that, too, with Xavi Hernandez and Iniesta still active. Their front line, while filled with talented men, are not as fast and not as connected to the midfield as, say David Villa, back in 2010.  Time for major revamp?  Perhaps.  More, importantly, I guess the Spanish men should put aside their colors at home, and concentrate on just being red... and things will fall in their right places.  

Never say die, boys!  Vamos, La Roja!

***

Ball point...

...is a good point!
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by PAM


Yeah, last week was a difficult week.  The bulk of work was tremendous... and my family lost one important member. :(  But, amid all that, I had to stay smiling, attentive to those who need our help in the Office, and focused on the many important activities, such as the Baccalaureate Mass.  Such is life in this profession... "smile though your heart is breaking...", or so they say.

The incredible amount of work continues to flow in this week... but, today, I finished one big chunk of it darn heavy workload!  I believe I deserve to celebrate a little... so, I rummaged through my "virtual drawer" of missed football matches.  Of course, the biggest of them all is this:

"Messi is in the box... and he slides it in!  This is intense football!

...and Pepe's extra-curricular is gonna put him in the book."  :)

"(Ronaldo is) Emphatic, accurate, beautifully deadly with his dispatch...

Iniesta spanks it over.... 

...you don't need to love these players, people, but you should marvel at them!  :)

...another emphatic detonation (from Lionel Messi) from the spot... 

...Barcelona invades the Bernabeu!"

I know, how could I, right?  How could I have missed such an important event in the awesome world of football when I'm supposed to be a big football fan, huh?  It's El Clasico, dude, I know!  If you must know, I feel helpless... and hopeless... hopelessly sinking into that quicksand of an extremely boring 'existence'... having missed an FC Barcelona match against Real Madrid CF - that's extreme indeed!  I feel like I'm losing it... sinking deeper, and deeper still, in the 'dark tunnel of unrelenting serious work'!  Surely, there is light at the end of the tunnel, eh?  Oh, boy, there's gotta be, or else, life'll lose its meaning!  'Cause life, or, at least the one I live, is quite 'pointless' if it isn't written with a 'ball-point'. It's difficult to find sense in serving well when you can't even deserve to find a minute from your life of service to mourn your loss. As the old adage goes, "all work and no (ball) play... requires the doctor to be on call?" =) I guess, it's still one's decision... and choice, in fact, to live a healthy balance of serving well and enjoying all the beautiful things that life has to offer.

Therefore, back to this latest edition of El Clasico.  It's one big-scoring match right there... with both the biggest stars of football scoring beautifully.  As usual, Sergio Ramos was thrown out after 'seeing red'.  No big brawl this time, in spite of Pepe's tremendous effort to spark a bloody one, and Dani Alves's willingness to pitch in. :)  But, yeah, I agree with the commentator, this Clasico may have just decided the La Liga title.  With Leo Messi looking like he's getting into the habit of scoring hat-tricks again after his resurrection from his hamstring injury, the nine matches remaining will be big... huge!  And, vacation time is getting closer and closer, too.  Yep, life makes sense again!  :)

***
Video credit:  Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.

***

Thanks, October...

...it's been great, and i don't mean it in an "Oktoberfest" sort of way - too bad!
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by PAM


I haven't lived through a single month with so much trials, turmoil, devastation, test of character and strong resolve to do what was right, amazement over so many fantastic and/or shocking things, and tremendously joyful moments of sweet little victories, too... until October 2013 came along, that is.  These events plastered on my calendar (and now my memory) like contrasting stripes... and you can just imagine the emotion that went with every stripe.  Up to the very last hour of October 2013, I was debating with myself on whether I made the right decision on this and that... especially THAT! :)  If you were my friend, and I have been talking to you over the last week or so (and that's like two or three of you only), you know what that is.  Yep, extremely challenging... that's what October 2013 has been for me.  But, yep, I've never felt more alive, more 'accomplished', and somewhat wiser and braver... just because every single piece of effort was spent for someone except myself, spent for a cause bigger than myself.      

For every October 2013 challenge won, I felt tremendous joy... and when I finally made the decision on that, it was totally liberating - whatever the implication of my decision was.  The important thing is I gathered enough courage and bravery to confront the challenge, stare it down like I was unafraid, acknowledge borrowed wisdom from the people I look up to in order to trim the choices to just two, made the choice, and put my decision in black and white... 'cause either way, there will be uncertainties and heavy sacrifices... and maybe, even hurt feelings - and, mostly mine, too, that's for sure.  I'm glad I took the more difficult choice - the harder decision.  'Cause I realized after a few days of reflection that there is greater opportunity to be happy about it when all is said and done.  All I need to do is live one day at a time... hold on to my faith, the very good intentions and hopeful aspirations in my heart, and work very, very (very, very) hard to make the decision work... and try to enjoy every minute of it, too.
  
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Thanks for the 'beauty' and the time to appreciate it

In the meantime, THANKS, October.  Despite the tremendous 'hardship' you brought, you've proven yourself to be generous enough to give me the precious time for this...

Finally, some 'beauty'.  Oy!

It's been months since I last saw similar beautiful images on my television screen.  It felt like it's been forever since I last felt the delicious, delicious exhilaration that those images bring.  The excitement that makes your heart race and pushes you to the edge of your seat is unbelievable.  The burst of emotion that makes you jump and scream, "whoa, aweeeesoooome!" is absolutely priceless!  :)  It's strange that these beautiful images and delicious exhilaration should come again to rekindle my love for the 'beautiful game' on a hard, hard month that October 2013 is!  Mysterious, life is.

Oh, but I have to say, FC Barcelona's away kit is, ahem, ugly. :)  And their defense still sucks!  Their passing is less than impeccable, too.  What's going on?  

I know that they are still convinced, like Pep Guardiola was during his tenure as Barça big boss, that 'the best defense is offense', but other sides have already caught on, and are exploiting the weak Barça defense.  On the other hand, the heavy defense of sides like AC Milan for instance has been making the Blaugranes forwards work tremendously hard to find cracks and create space... and the Catalan men pay such heavy price on counter-attacks because their backline is weak.  Tata Martino needs to figure this out - how to strengthen the Barça backline.  They still bring home the bacon, that's true, but they need to get back

Pep's not-so-secret weapon back in his Barça days. 

to their perfect quality of play in order to snatch back the 'best in the world' recognition.  Right now, Bayern Munich seems to have that title - officially per FIFA silverware, and in form and quality, too.  Now that Pep is pushing everyone, demanding high-quality output from the Bavarians in the perfectionist fashion that he was famous for in Barcelona, it seems that there is no limit to what the Bavarians can achieve in the next how many years.  On the other hand, Barça's greatness - as a Team - seems to be eroding, even if the individual players remain world-class quality-wise.  

Winning for Barça these days must be all about dynamic adjustment of tactics on the pitch, because other sides have already figured out the Barça greatness under Pep's leadership.  Martino  needs to infuse his brand of greatness to Barça - quickly and effectively - a uniqueness that will surprise the other sides, and delay their reaction on the pitch - to give Barça enough time to keep scoring a win.  That was the beauty of Pep's leadership in Barça... he led his men to stay with the delightfully beautiful tiki-taka patiently, patiently, and ever patiently!  Waited for the opponent to feel frustrated and confused, and waited still until they let a space open up in their frustration and confusion.  Messi and his cohorts would then go in like the flash of lightning through the little cracks in the defense to score a win!  They did that all the time... their opponents became weary of this, nervous of this... and it gave Barça the aura of mystery and unmatchable intelligence on the pitch, quickness that 'killed', and invincibility that was hard to figure out.  This is why Pep designed his tactics around Messi because Messi had the quickness and precision that Pep needed for his tactics to work. Add to that Messi's youthful enthusiasm to play quick and beautiful, and Pep had the perfectly adorable side that played beautiful and exciting football.  But José Mourinho figured out Pep's Barça

Tata Martino... concocting the new recipe for winning.

game plan (there... I finally acknowledged it), and he let the whole football world know of his discovery.  Barça slowly lost 'the aura'... and it was then when Pep knew it was time for him to move on - to give his beloved  Barça a fresh opportunity to re-invent itself as a Team with a new and unique tactic. 

Martino, while he needs to be faithful to the Barça's brand of 'beautiful football', must come up with this uniqueness... something that will surprise their opponents, the way Pep surprised his opponents during his tenure, the way Pep found the winning formula.  Martino still has Messi - the best player in the world... and now, he has Neymar Jr., too.  He still has Xavi Hernandez and Andrés Iniesta, and Cesc Fàbregas still shows brilliance given the right opportunity.  Like the ever-reliable attacking midfielder, Sergio Busquets, the work efficiency and dedication of Javier Mascherano in the defense line deserves kudos, too.  While Gerard Piqué seems to need some 'straightening up', Dani Alves remains lethal, and Adriano Correia seems 'moldable' to a bigger role. In short, everyone has got it in him to deliver the goods when asked...  and that's a lot to work with to concoct the new winning recipe for Barça.  The question is, when will Martino start hammering his influence through?   

Alright, November, I wanna know the answer to that question.  Therefore, be kind!

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QOTD

QOTD #11: On personal glory and teamwork. ====================================================================
by PAM

"Goals are only important if they win you games."

-Lionel Messi
 Argentine/FC Barcelona football star
 On valuing team success over personal glory
 via Time Magazine, "The 100 Most Influential People in the World"

In a few hours, the FC Barcelona's 'little magician', Lionel Messi, will be picking up the FIFA Ballon D'Or for his performance in 2012. Yes, I said "will"... I am that confident that he'll win it!  It will be his fourth in a row (the first time as Ballon d'Or and three times as the merged Ballon d'Or and FIFA Best Player, the very
Leo Messi: Eyes on the ball...first merged prizes he won for his 2010 performance) - an unprecedented achievement.

Last year, he became the fourth man to win the golden ball three times, stepping on the same glorious platform as the great players, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten. Leo leaves the three men on that platform as he steps one notch higher with his fourth Ballon this year, setting two records in the process: (1) the first player to win the prestigious prize four times, and (2) the first player to win in four consecutive years. Awesone feat?  It is!  But Leo doesn't think as much of the prestigious individual prize as he does of titles won in a team victory.

Of course, there's that little issue on another two incredibly talented players in Messi's generation: Real Madrid CF's flambouyant striker, Cristiano Ronaldo, and FC Barcelona's midfield genius, Andrés Iniesta. The two superstars are also in contention of the golden prize for their remarkable performance in the field. Earlier, Iniesta ran away with the
...the golden one.UEFA "Best Player" award primarily for his dazzling performance that helped Spain's La Roja win Euro 2012 - for the second time in a row. Ronaldo, the 2008 recipient of the Ballon while with Manchester United, for his part, helped Real Madrid win the Spanish La Liga Primera Division title - their first since 2008, and powered Portugal to their quarterfinal finish in Euro 2012 as team captain and the side's top scorer.  Both players are worthy recipients of the Ballon, too, in any generation... except that, there's Messi in this generation.

Leo, even when he continues to downplay his incredible contribution to Barça's success as a team, especially over the past four years, have had a jaw-dropping string of achievements in 2012, even when Barça only managed to win the Copa del Rey last season, failing to defend their La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles on Pep Guardiola's last term as Barça's most accomplished manager. While highly improved, his national side, Argentina, can only progress to the quarter-finals in the Copa America in 2011, but with him as team captain in 2012, the Selección has been doing well in the 2014 World Cup qualifying matches as they lead South American teams in the qualifying rounds. At 25 years, Leo continues to develop into a highly prolific striker for Barça and for Argentina. He broke Gerd Muller's 40-year record of most number of goals (85) in a calendar year with a staggering 91 goals in 69 matches - for Club and country. Yes, that's 91 - and, in this day and age of 'supermen' on the pitch, too!  And we thought he was already at his top form in 2011 when he hit the 50-goal mark!  His 2012 tally allowed him to pick up his second Pichichi (highest goal scorer in La Liga), and his second golden boot for Europe's highest goal scorer in the 2011-2012 season. Aside from being the UEFA Champions League's highest goal scorer in the 2011-2012 season, he also set the record for the most number of goals in one game, finding the net five times in Barça's winning match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Of course, he dazzled the football world as he did it!

Yep, it's always a joy to watch Leo weave breathtaking magic on the pitch... dribbling skillfully, breaking from zero velocity to a Usain Bolt-ish sprint towards the goal, with the ball rolling smoothly by
The greatest? A great PART of a great TEAM
is more like it.his feet, hooking up with his teammates fast and in precise manner to score the winning goal - all with boyish gusto and the passion of an honorable man who values teamwork and hardwork in making things work... for his team. Too beautiful! But what is more dazzling about him is his humility - in success and in defeat.  And what is most admirable about him as a player of the 'beautiful game' is his great desire for teamwork to work... his visible commitment to working hard for team success rather than individual glory, his heartwarming little figure as he visibly glow in celebrating team success than when accepting recognition for personal achievement. This is the reason why I SO ADMIRE Lionel Messi. He obviously is a genius... but that isn't what makes him worth all the praises.  It's his character and what he does on and off the pitch that do.  He is great, too, and he probably knows it, but trophies for personal recognition do not serve as gauge of greatness for him. It is TEAM SUCCESS that does... and that is worth emulating. And it is primarily because of him why my long standing 'soft spot' for the 'beautiful game' has grown to 'true love' over the past four years or so.

Congratulations, Leo! You are simply THE BEST! :)

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