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!

***

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.
  
***
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!

***

La Pulga y Don Andrés...

...son grandes!
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by PAM


FC Barcelona vs. AC Milan
UEFA Champions League Quarter-final tie, 2nd leg
3rd April 2012, Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain


Of course, Lionel Messi weaved his amazing magic again at Camp Nou to keep
Italy's best meet World's best. Game on!FC Barcelona's hope to retain the Champions League title in the Catalan capital alive and well.  He did it via amazing runs and a brace of goals - this time, both from the spot.  The two goals pushed Barça to an early lead in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-final tie with AC Milan.  And it was a happy, happy, happy thing, especially that one of those goals was record-setting!   While that was pure Messi awesomeness, I think it was Don Andrés Iniesta who lighted the fireworks of brilliance on the pitch this time around!  The "pale assassin" slotted in the third goal that provided the necessary cushion to Barça's precarious 2-1 lead in the first-half of their match with the visitors from San Siro!  Iniesta's sublime goal, a remnant from a Messi attempt, brought the scoreline to 3-1, on aggregate, against the Italian Serie A's best to ensure a place for Barça in the UCL semi-final round.

***
Off to a flying start!


As expected, the match kicked off with both sides at full speed.  I thought Dani Alves fouled Clarence Seedorf twice with
Gerard Piqué and Ibra...tower-ful both.harder-than-necessary push, but only the second one was called. Gerard Piqué did great intercepting Zlatan Ibrahimović's early runs for the Barça goal.

At 4:38 minutes of play, Messi did a great run against three Milan defenders, getting through impressively - as usual - but Christian Abbiati did a fine save.  Awesome job - for both men!  And that was going to be the theme of the match, actually.

At 6:13 minutes, Dani Alves sent a nice cross to Cesc Fàbregas, who was behind Messi.  Fàb flicked the ball beautifully in one touch to Messi in front of the Milan goal.  Messi, with two Milan defenders on both his sides, stopped the ball with his chest and attempted to send a volley over Abbiati's head... but missed! "He's human after all," was all the stunned commentator could utter in disbelief.  Then again, one cannot discount the Rossoneri defenders around Messi.

At 8:54 minutes of play, there was a commotion between Barça's captain, Carles Puyol, and Alessandro Nesta - battle of muscles... aaaw!

At about 9:30 min, there was a big Barcelona run... Messi was running against two Milan defenders, he kicked the ball to the speeding Xavi, who miscalculated his control of the ball... but saved the ball and quickly returned it to
Leo Messi celebrating goal #1 with Cesc Fàbregas.Messi, who was still finding his position.  But Messi quickly got the ball to position for a sure goal as Abbiati was still paying Xavi, and Dani Alves behind him, his divided attention. Nesta and Luca Antonini did what they had to do: threw and entangled themselves with the speeding Messi, who was thrown down - mostly by Antonini's impact.  Penalty!  The little "magic man" himself took the shot... and it resulted to Messi's 50th goal in the UCL.  Therefore, La Pulga became the youngest player (at 24 years) to reach a half century of goals in the Champions League!  Aaawww, brilliant!  :)  More importantly for Camp Nou, Barça pushed through in front to take the early lead, 1-0.  Awesomeness! :)

The next how many minutes were relatively calmer run from Barça, just trying to make some chances to cushion their lead... and a more tactically disciplined run from Milan, especially defensively, trying to stop Barça from scoring more.  The result was a treat for football fans all around the globe!  Both teams did fantastic in a fast-moving game, tactic vs. tactic runs, trying to outwit each other in a great execution of the 'beautiful game'.  Oy!

Break, break, break...

...please!
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by PAM


When the going gets tough, the tough, uhm... takes a break? :)  However the 'saying' goes, I need a break right now.  Therefore, 'footie beauty' time:

Uh, let me clarify, it isn't so much about Pepsi (just a bit), it's more of the 'beauty of footie', and the awesome 'supermen' who play it... the best of 'em all is in the video - Lionel Messi, of course! :) 

No work is ever a "torture" if you're accompanied by something "beautiful".
It's the UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal days... good days! :)

Yep, footie could be that one fun company on these sleepless nights of grading test papers, problem sets, and lab reports - a teacher's "Waterloo" - well, at least, it's mine.  Whew! 

Two Super Mondays in a row!

But they both got super deleted in my blog! :(
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by Philipina A. Marcelo


Yeah, I went on a terrible shock as I watched my post from last Monday disappear "in an unfortunate click". Just my "clicky" luck! Oh well... whatever, let me just re-write (ow!). :)

So, just what did I mean by "Super Mondays"? I'm talking about the 9th and 16th of January, which were both great days...

***
...in terms of faith.

Last January 9, we celebrated here in Manila the Feast of the Black Nazarene. About 2 million devotees flocked to the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila to participate in celebrating the Holy Mass, and joining the Black Nazarene procession around the Quiapo area. The procession lasted for 22 gruelling hours within which, all 2 million devotees pushed their way through a thick sea of humanity just to feel the hem of the Black Nazarene's clothing, or to touch the carriage on which the darkened image of the Nazarene was hoisted! All this amidst alledged threats of violence from extremist groups associated with terrorism, as reported by the Philippine National Police. Imagine?

This is one of the things I usually miss most when living away from this country: the awesome devotion to God among Roman Catholic faithfuls. These people go to such length to express their faith peacefully in ways that defy their human vulnerabilities and frailties. While these practices are often criticized by many as blind adherence to church traditions that, as a matter of fact, bordered fanaticism, to most - myself included - these traditions are ways to check that their lives remained revolving around a Center... that One True Mighty Power whose love for all humanity is eternal. And this gives hope to us amidst all sorts of adversaries... and gives deeper meaning to our relentless pursuits of happiness and love - every single day.

Yep, it's a "Pinoy thing". :)

***
...in terms of joyful awesomeness in the 'beautiful game'.

Ah... so, did you actually believe that Lionel Messi would pick up his third Ballon d'Or - three years in a row - without me hyperventilating and sommersaulting like a fan-gone-mad over it? If you did, then you must have too much respect for me... or, none at all! Haha...

And so, on January 9, 2012, the little Argentine phenomenon of the beautiful game in this generation elevated himself to the 'pedestal of the greats' by taking home his third
The little Phenomenon, Lionel Messi, on top of
the heap of this generation's football greats.Ballon d'Or - the most coveted Prize in the world of football, which honors the Best Player in the World. Before Messi, only three players won the Ballon three times: Johann Cruyff of The Netherlands (1971, 1973 and 1974) - who later became the coach and manager of Barça's famed "Dream Team", which included the current Barça head coach and manager, Pep Guardiola, as team captain; Michel Platini of France (1983, 1984 and 1985) - UEFA's current president, and the only one who won the award in three consecutive years before Messi accomplished the same feat this year; and Marco van Basten, one of the most illustrious strikers the world has seen, also from the Netherlands (1988, 1989 and 1992).

Last year, the traditional Ballon d'Or - the award given to the best player in Europe - was merged with FIFA's best player in the world award to what is now the prestigious "FIFA Ballon d'Or". Currently, the winner of this award is chosen through votation among National Team coaches and captains, together with a number of sports journalists from all around the world. Lionel Messi won the inaugural FIFA Ballon d'Or last year, finishing just ahead of two other Barça greats: the midfield guru, Xavi Hernández, and the other midfield genius who slotted in the winning goal for Spain in the 2010 World Cup, Andrés Iniesta, for their incredible 2010 season. With the three Blaugranes occupying the top 3 spots in the inaugural FIFA Ballon D'Or honor roll, the Catalan Giant was hailed as the admirable home for football's cream of the crop.

For 2011, Messi finished ahead of the 2008 Ballon winner, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid CF, and Xavi once again, who finished second last year
Greatness in the beautiful game... an all-Barça affair.
(L to R: Pep Guardiola, Leo Messi, and Xavi.) when Messi picked up his second Ballon. Messi dedicated his third Ballon to his teammate, Xavi. This is a gesture that I appreciate very much because I, too, believe that Xavi deserves the award. Xavi on his part praised Messi for his historical win and predicted that the little genius's name will be written in the history of football as one of its all-time greats.

This year, the Award Gala in Zurich still looked a bit like an all-Barça affair with Pep Guardiola winning the other most coveted award in the world of football, the "FIFA World Coach of the Year" for his yet another prolific five-win haul with Barça, which included the Spanish La Liga Primera Division, the UEFA Champions League, the Spanish Supercopa, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup. Their victory over Brazil's Santos FC in Japan to win the FIFA Club World Cup was viewed by many as a confirmation of their status as the best Club in the World in this generation. While today's Barça is arguably the best squad of incredible talents ever assembled in the history of the 'beautiful game', Pep
South American greats... yesterday and today.
(L to R: Dani Alves, Leo Messi, Pelé and Neymar.Guardiola is widely credited for making each one perfect his game on the pitch via tactical prowess... that largely and courageously adhere to the unique Barça tiki-taka attacking football style.  Guardiola instill discipline, which provides the platform on which his incredibly talented men joyfully accentuate tiki-taka with grace and teamwork on the pitch.

Continuing their domination of the honor roll slots, this year, five of the FIFPro World XI are blaugranes: Gerard Piqué (defense), Dani Alves (defense), Iniesta (midfield), Xavi (midfield), and Messi (forward). The honor roll was completed by Real Madrid CF's Iker Casillas (goal keeper), Sergio Ramos (defense), Xabi Alonso (midfield), and Ronaldo (forward); and Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic (defense) and Wayne Rooney (forward). Interestingly, all eleven were from three Clubs only, England's Manchester United, and Spain's FC Barcelona and Real Madrid... and
Lionel Messi... Ballon d'Or, three in a row.that six of them play for the Spanish National Team.

South America's local boy, the superstar from Brazil, Santos FC's Neymar, took home the other important award in men's football, the "FIFA Puskas Award" for the best goal of the year, with Leo Messi's following closely behind. The two young South American greats were joined by one of the game's legends, Pelé, in the gala... and it was quite a sight to behold! If one could forget how Pelé is Messi's biggest critic, that is! :)

So, yeah... awesome Monday! :)

***
... in terms of politics.

And so, January 16, 2012 marked the historical impeachment of the Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. The Impeachment trial gets underway at the Philippine Senate where the senators act as judges in the special impeachment tribunal. With the highest among all the robed custodians of the justice system of the land himself being put on trial, the exercise is indeed historical, as well as a source of joy for a Filipino... at least for me. If anything, the exercise seems to show that no one is above the law indeed!

So, with the 'most powerful of the robed men and women' in the country's pantheon of justice being impeached, is our democracy finally maturing?

Maybe. Hmmm, wait... not too fast!!

We need to look back because the road to the impeachment trial was one strewn with controversy, too. It all started from the former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's (GMA) "midnight appointment" of Corona to occupy the highest seat in the country's pantheon of justice just a few weeks
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the woman who
changed the fabric of modern Philippine
politics... for better or worse? History is
about to judge... unless she petitions history
for a TRO.before the end of her term. GMA's political rivals and independent political analysts viewed the appointment as her ploy to protect herself from getting the full brunt of the law when she faces charges of wrongdoings during her term under a new administration... and there were many as promised by her political rivals who were then set to take over the reigns of power in the country. With the presidential election just finished, and GMA's term winding down to its last month, Corona's acceptance of the appointment by his former boss in Malacañang was, in turn, viewed by many as politically motivated as well.  This, following more senior justices' decline of the appointment citing the "in-bad-taste" nature of the appointment - inconsistent with what the Supreme Court stands for.

As expected, charges were set to be filed against the former president, who now sits as congresswoman for a district in the province of Pampanga (Yeah, she's prepared to do that to stay in power after her 9-year presidency. And for what reason? Well, your guess is as good as mine!). Meanwhile, dissatisfied by the performance of GMA-appointed ombudsman, Merceditas Gutierrez, who also faced impeachment before she resigned from her post last year, Malacañang formed the "Truth Commission" to investigate alleged wrongdoings of the Arroyos and their allies while GMA was in power. However, the Commission's existence, in principle, was nullified by the Supreme Court citing the formation of the Commission being unconstitutional. While
Sec. Leila de Lima, DOJ's top dog:
a tough woman 'with balls'...
and brains - together!Malacañang accepted the Supreme Court ruling, the "rift" between the Executive and the Judiciary branches started to erupt. However, as President Noynoy Aquino promised in his presidential campaign, Malacañang did not stop its pursuit of the "truth" in the reported anomalies in the Arroyo administration. A fact-finding panel comprised of representatives from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Commission on Election (Comelec) was formed and tasked by Malacañang to investigate election-related anomalies during GMA's term. Following investigations of GMA's alleged wrongdoings by the DOJ, including electoral sabotage and corruption charges, both of which unbailable offenses, she 'became seriously ill' and 'all of a sudden' needed medical attention - abroad. This compelled the DOJ to put GMA on travel watchlist together with her husband, Mike Arroyo, who was also facing investigations on alleged wrongdoings during his wife's term.

To make the long and tumultuous story short, the Arroyos petitioned the Supreme Court for temporary restraining order (TRO) against the watchlist order by the DOJ... and then, late last year saw a tug-of-war between the Executive Office and the Supreme Court, with DOJ Secretary Atty. Leila De Lima and Chief Justice Corona pulling the strings for the two equal branches of our democratic government... with GMA in the receiving end. President Aquino was insistent in his offer to provide whatever medical attention needed by Mrs. Arroyo with all the medical resources available in the country, or to bring in specialists to care over her if needed, and therefore, she did not need to leave the country. No one from the medical team that was responsible in alleviating Mrs.
Shameful? Shameless?
Whatever it is, it's a shame!Arroyo's medical condition - parahypothyrodism and bone diseases - confirmed a legitimate and justifiable need for GMA to seek medical help abroad.

And then, on one fateful day that left the whole country openmouthed in incredulous disbelief, the Supreme Court issued a TRO on the Arroyos' watchlist order citing GMA's human right to seek the best medical help available for her, and that the absence of actual charges in the court of law on the Arroyos does not justify the watchlist order. While I believe that the reasons for the issuance of the TRO was acceptable, it did not include an order for the Arroyos to return to the country as soon as GMA's medical treatment was over to face charges against them, which was the very premise of the watchlist order. As soon as the TRO was out on November 15, 2011, in the same breath, the Arroyos trouped to the airport to fly out on the first available flight to Hong Kong en route to Singapore for a supposed appointment with a specialist in her medical condition (but HK and then S'pore - and from Manila, too? Who does that?)... and then ultimately to Spain, Italy, and then Germany. De Lima's office stopped the Arroyos from flying out at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport... and then a lengthy legal discussion among scholars of law on whether or not de Lima violated the law by defying the Supreme Court's TRO followed, which appeared to have reached a deadlock. In the meantime, GMA and her husband went back to the hospital. Three days later, GMA was served a warrant of arrest from her hospital bed following charges of election sabotage filed by the Comelec at the Pasay Regional Trial Court.

Following the tumultuous turn of events in GMA's hospital room and a lengthy discussion on whether the Supreme Court's issuance of TRO was politically motivated
President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III,
and his "daang matuwid"... ay, short-cut pala! or not, in the House of Representatives, an impeachment charge against Chief Justice Corona was put on a vote. And, in an unprecendented speed, a decision that elicited mixed feelings in the 7,100 islands of the Philippine archipelago was made in the House of Representatives - 188 out of 285 members of the House signed the eight-article impeachment complaint against the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. It was alleged by many of the solons who voted not in favor of Corona's impeachment that the move was politically motivated and was unconstitutional - an orchestration of the Aquino political machinery. Many of the 188 solons allegedly voted in favor of the Impeachment without going over the written articles of impeachment, and signed it merely in support of the ruling party's - President Aquino's party - and its allies' cause to oust Corona, who has been perceived of bias for GMA and her allies on critical decisions by the Supreme Court, which have been preventing the Aquino administration from pinning down the Arroyos and their allies on their alleged wrongdoings during GMA's administration. And before the House went on Christmas break, the Impeachment Complaint was passed on to the Philippine Senate - an event that was decried by the many faithful servants of Philippine Justice System as a blatant disrespect for the independence of the Supreme Court as a branch of government that is co-equal to the Executive Office and the Legislative branch of our democratic government. Corona, while insisting his innocence, criticised the exercise as the Executive Office's ploy to clip the wings of the Judiciary - an indication of the Noynoy Aquino presidency moving towards dictatorship.

Whew! Incredible, I tell ya!

And so, on Monday, January 16, 2012, the Chief Justice, Renato Corona - he, with the scholarly mind, which perhaps, is one of the very best in the country... he who could have retired after a sterling career in the practice of law, contented with his achievements, was put on trial following his impeachment by the House of Representatives... all because of his association with the woman who has lost all grains of shame in her being just to be able to bask in the glory of boundless power and wealth. Totally incredible - seriously! *sigh*

Personally, I welcome the Impeachment trial as a show of the full force of law... that no one is and should be above it, and that partisan politics has no place in the Highest Court of the land. The mandate of the people must be respected and upheld with all honesty and integrity - nothing less. While
The embattled Chief Justice Renato Corona
in a historical impeachment trial.
A "sinner" by association... or by choice?it was truly painful and stomach-churning to watch how the Impeachment complaint was passed in the House of Representatives, no matter how justifiable the reason for it was, I welcome the seriousness of this country's Executive leadership to go after government officials who shamelessly rape this wonderful country of great people over and over again... and then insulting its citizens intellect through sarswela-like ploys that are incredibly despicable of their utter untruthfulness! We are tired of it all! We want change! And we want this country's rapists to be thrown in the dungeons among the slithering creeps that their souls resemble - where they most certainly belong - vanished forever! Yes, I am a Roman Catholic - sagrado catolico even - and I believe in compassion, love and forgiveness. But I do believe in justice, too! And that's Catholic, too!

In the intellectual level, I am excited to watch the most brilliant minds in this country to go on an intellectual dog fight - in the Philippine Senate, no less. I can appreciate what might be the nerve-wracking apprehension and anxiety of the prosecution panel as they take a shot at their former professors in the law school, whom they hold in high esteem, but they must go against in the fight for principle and righteousness. Naturally, I expect a great show of intellectual prowess among Corona's defense team - comprised of among the most respected and accomplished law scholars and professors, and the toughest
Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, wields the gavel in
the Philippine Senate - the 'Final Frontier of Truth'
in the historical Impeachment Trial. Godspeed!of law practitioners in this country... and yet, I pray that the flare for winning arguments and flourish of words would not shroud the truth - the only thing that will, and should for that matter, tip the scale of justice in favor of the most righteous decision by the special tribunal.

With the Philippine Senate taking charge in the impeachment proceedings, I also expect and welcome the awesome show of unparalled intellectual mileage and mastery of the law by some senators, who are distinguished law scholars themselves, especially old greats and seasoned lawmakers like Juan Ponce Enrile (who stands as the special tribunal's Presiding Officer being the Senate President), Franklin Drilon, Edgardo Angara, Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Joker Arroyo. It would also be nice to savour the sharpness of mind of young guns in the Senate like Chiz Escudero, Koko Pimentel and Kiko Pangilinan. Naturally, the hope of this country to know the truth on all the reported anomalies in the Arroyo administration rests on the Philippine Senate - the "Final Frontier of Truth" in this Impeachment Trial. Hopefully, the senators would honor their oath to serve the Filipino people and accord them with the integrity of pursuing and uncovering the Truth in the Impeachment allegations. So help them God. Hopefully, too, the exercise will make more Filipinos realize how important it is to choose wisely and responsibly come election time... and that the truth about our choice is, we get the leaders that we deserve!

***
...in terms of 'the other beautiful game'.

January 16 saw the opening of the first Grand Slam in the new season of Professional Tennis tournament, the Australian Open - the Grand Slam of the Asia-Pacific! Yaay!

Wow, my 'sports calendar' is starting to look interesting... tennis Grand Slam here, El Clásico there, and UEFA Champions League soon -
Game on in Melbourne!sweet! However, my sked is sooooo full this week, not sure if I could find the time to catch the opening matches at the Aussie Open. I'll make time to check out the rising Aussie superstar, the awesome Bernard Tomic though, since the "Big 4" in men's tennis would probably just pretty much sail on to the second week anyway, and the women's draw is not really all that extra-ordinary to obssess about, I'll pretty much skip the first week. Uhm, of course, I hope I'm not speaking too soon, especially about the men's Big 4! :)

***
...in terms of the addictive plight of that fictional Girl from Binondo!

January 16 saw the 'start of the end' of this addictive teleserye... and I have mixed feelings. Happy to gain back 30 minutes of my life, which I 'surrendered' to Jandy (Jade + Andy) sometime back (hehe...), but I'm sad to see my reliable source of 'kilig moments' vanish on Primetime TV. Boo!

So last week was horrible! There was a sweetness overload and tear jerker galore, plus a bit of suspense here and there. And then, ugh,
'Jandy'... and now the end is near.
'KimXi'... we've only just begun. :)they showed the preview for this week... Onyx (Jolo Revilla) and Andy (Xian Lim) being shot... and then Jade (Kim Chiu) weeping inconsolably - in mourning clothes! Naturally, I went, "huh?  what the heck???" Uhm, ahem, sorry... got a bit carried away there. Hehe...

Yeah, it's a good thing I was extremely busy with a number of things... otherwise, I would have barraged these "My Binondo Girl" people with 'senseless' complaints and demanded a 'plausible' explanation! :) Because what did that preview supposed to mean??? Will Onyx die? NOOO, kulang si Jade kung wala si Onyx, hello! - even Andy admitted that, and in fact, resigned to that fact! How could you guys run the distance (and precious air time, which should have been devoted to more Jandy kilig moments) to convince us, team "Jandy" people, to believe that, too, as a 'fact' with all our Andy-embellished hearts and embrace Onyx like Jade's "twin", and then... uhm, murder Onyx! Are you guys insane??? Please re-think murdering the poor Onyx, and insulting the maturity and depth of the Jandy partnership with the cheapest way to get rid of a "flea"! Uhm... wait, could it be? Was it Andy's death that Jade was actually mourning? Will Andy die??? Aaargh, ABS-CBN, DON'T YOU DARE! Don't you freakin' dare kill our 'Binondo hero'... siya ay kay Jade lamang - not even death could have him! No way! Don't you dare give him to death! I assure you, you would regret it... I'd make sure you would! ;)

Oh, that wasn't a threat... it was actually a plea - a very hopeless one!  And if you think my plea wasn't worth your so-called creative minds' time, imagine ending "My Binondo Girl" with Jade and Onyx being carried in a magical carriage and disappearing in the horizon, with Andy's beautiful face ghosting in the background?  An sagwa po!   Hehe...  pero, seriously lang po, wala naman kasing patayan, ano!

***

So, what do you think? Super Mondays, right? :)

***

Photo credits: Football photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks!
                         All other photos are not mine and grabbed in various sites - thanks!

***

Back to ballgame romance now...

...just because it's so worth it! :)
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


UEFA Champions League
Viktoria Plzeň vs. FC Barcelona as it happens


It's been a while since the last time I went to bed at 9:00 PM (Manila time) while my whole household was still having a great time at videoke, and got up at 2:00 AM (Manila time) to watch a football match - live! :) And, oh, boy, does it feel great! :)

Who's playing? Well, since I made a great effort to watch the match live, you could probably tell, it's the fantastic men from Barcelona. :) FC Barcelona traveled to Prague for the second leg of their tie with Viktoria Plzen at the UEFA Champions League.

***

Alright, here we go... fans are in an excited frenzy at the Eden Stadium.

And the men walk to the pitch now....

Hmmm... No Xavi Hernandez and no Andrés Iniesta in the first 11. A confident-looking Thiago Alacantara and an almost ugly-looking Cesc Fàbregras (seriously, Cesc, what's with the hair?) are starting instead. No David Villa either, but the fierce-looking "kiddo", Isaac Cuenca, is starting instead. Gerard Piqué is on the pitch (uhm-hmm, nice!)... and he isn't smiling his fab smile. I wonder why....

Formalities... and it's game on!

Ah, VP started an early attack and Barça are still trying to get their game together and gel to a cohesive force - doesn't look easy for now. Hmmm... Gerard P. is looking like he needs time to get
Yeah, some things are worth being sleepless for.accustomed to defending the Barça goal there after a long injury-induced absence.

OK, looking like he wants to set the pace of the game there, Lionel Messi unleashing a kicker... just to remind Barça what they came to Prague for. Alright, that seems to work. Barça, taking the cue from Messi, are starting to "volt-in" to pack fire power. Alright, here we go....

Uh-oh, ugly defending from Piqué et al. there... but the ever-reliable Victor Valdes did great, sealing the gaps. Teamwork, that's what Barça are about, and Valdes is a great teamworker. So, things are fine for Barça.

Thiago unleashed something "almost beautiful" to the VP goal... but he couldn't control the pace of the ball, went over the net. But that's a threat alright, and he's doing a fine job keeping things under control in the midfield.

Piqué on the move... aggressive, too, but kinda clumsy dribbling the ball there - by his Barça's #3 superb defending standard, that is. Hmmm... looks like we need to wait a little bit before he gets back into the swing of things.

First yellow card - to VP. They are playing a bit too aggressive, methinks. But then, it's the only way to play Europe's Best!

Big, big threat to Barça there... brilliant save from Victor Valdes as usual. Dang, the Barca defense is getting slashed open... another threat - unlucky miscalculation from VP against a shaky Barça defense. It's Barça's lucky night, I think. But then, lucky are those who are brilliant and give their best, too, isn't it? So, yeah, it's going to be another "lucky night" for Barça! :)

Lionel Messi recognized the big threats... knew he had to reply to keep Barça on top of things. Nice hook-up with Adriano there, but the VP defense is superb, too, Barça's efforts didn't come to fruition. Patience.

Messi brought down by a reckless tackle in the area.... More scrambling for the ball. And.... Red card??? For VP's Marian Cisovsky... whoa, not sure about that, I need to see it
Hmmm... a boy no more? Oy!again. This will send Barça haters ballistic again. :)

It's the 24th minute... Messi, with his new boots - in flashy colors - takes to the spot, and takes the shot... GOAL! It's his 200th goal for Barça - AWESOME!! I am so glad that I stayed awake and saw that historic goal! Woohoo!! Uhm, but I'm still kinda shocked over that red card though, too early into the game. Uhm, but I gotta say, Messi is looking a lot sexier than usual - a hint of facial hair and all... what is it about him today? Yeah, I know, I know, out of topic! But, hey, what's a woman supposed to do when a beautiful man like Messi makes history like that, huh? Ugh, it's too hard to stay all-business when Messi does his stuff, ya know! :)

Lots of "falling bodies" - in black shirts, mostly. Fàbregas down, but him down is getting old at this point - to be honest! It's happened to him a number of times now since the starting whistle, I think. C'mon now, Cesc... so, you're not a racist, that's good. But will ya please please stop being a wimp!. *sigh*

Alright, another nice try from the fantastic "kiddo" on the pitch, Cuenca. Always keeping the ball in play, always hustling - nice attitude.

VP on the run now... Piqué foiling their run - he's getting into the defending task there now - nice!

Adriano, running with the ball... very graceful and decisive - beautiful to watch. Nice pass to Messi... four VP shirts on alert, a header from the VP defense, and the Barça effort got foiled. Dang! Alright, patience.

OK, here we go, nice touches from Cuenca and Messi... and a great save from the VP goalie. No dice there for Barça... You just gotta give it to these VP men - fighting to their last kick.

Fàbregas is looking lost, I think! What's the matter with him? He can't get the midfield organized there. And when the Barça midfield is messy like that, nothing going for them. Aaargh, Cesc, dude, for the love of everything round that's leather, I really think you should slow down on tweeting and mind your football more!

Oh, oh, oh, great moment unfolding right here!!! Messi running, lots of defenders in the
Messi and Adriano, celebrating a superb goal.
(Photo: Filip Singer/EPA)way, detoured the ball to Adriano as he zooms to penetrate the defense without the ball. Adriano keeping the ball in play, waited for Messi to position, and returns the ball to Messi with a beautifully decesive pass, perfect timing, too! And Messi scores (45" +2")!!! AWESOME GOAL! :) Ahh, and dang, does he look sexy with that serious face! Did he lose the boyish "uncertain-in-glory, just-having-fun-here look" about him and gained a "I'm-owning-up-to-this-greatness look" now? Alright, sorry... once again, what's a woman supposed to do??? It's too hard not to react silly! Whew! :)

Half-time now.

Alright, here we go... in the news: AC Milan drew their match against BATE Borisov. Nice. That gives Barça the chance to book a spot in the Round of 16 - tonight. It's 0-2, and VP are down to 10 men, so that should be doable.

Hmm... nice play being set-up by Messi for Fàbregas... but Fàbregas hesitated in front of the goalie and sent the ball wide. Aargh... that should've been a clinical finish, Cesc! I don't know why I'm yelling at you... it's probably your freakin' hair! Cut it, dammit!

Ah, Dani Alves with a late contact there - yellow card! Tsk! But he's amused... and now free kick for VP. But no consolation for the hosts.

OK, here we go... Thiago to Fàbregas, Fàbregas to Messi - all on a fast run... A VP defender running just a bit ahead of Messi, and ruined the Barça fun. Oh, well, but fantastic play just the same.

Another foul on Messi... free kick over a tall wall... and, whoa, fantastic save!

OK, while Barça is winning, apart from the Messi goal #2, some beautiful moves from Adriano, and Cuenca's do-or-die attitude on the pitch, so far nothing spectacular going. I think it's because of the lack of creativity and adventure in the midfield there. Ah, Cesc, are you really on the pitch today, dude?

Aw, Messi is even taking some defending duties there. The defense and the midfield are all over the place right now. Surprisingly though, there doesn't seem to be anything that VP can do to pose the tiniest of threat. Oh, well... I guess we Barça fans have become so spoiled... anything less than "smashingly brilliant" is a "messy game" for us. :)

A-ha, a superb pass from Cuenca, finding Fàbregas! Barça's #4 headed the nice pass to completion (72nd minute) - GOAL!! And he saved himself from a messy run with a goal - the 3rd for Barça tonight, and nothing from VP - thanks to that awesome Cuenca assist. It's Cesc's first goal for Barça in the Champions League, too. Well done, I must say... and that goes to Cuenca, too.

Ah, there's a vintage Piqué defensive play right there against two VP players at the corner... and he kept the ball. Nice one, Geri! :) Please get back to your fabulous shape soon. We're missing the impeccable defensive moves that you do for Barça on your in-shape days.

Speaking of impeccable defense... there's another Piqué hard-won ball there, which he keeps and puts in play - nice! :) So, when Cesc makes a goal, Gerri is compelled to defend well? You guys, are insane - in the cutest way! Uhm, except Cesc's hair tonight.

Aah, beautiful run from Alexis there who came on just a moment ago... finding Messi, and Messi trying to finish with a header... but the pace of the ball was too much, he couldn't control it. Nice try
Celebrating Messi's 14th hat-trick, and Barça's
entry to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.nevertheless... but I'm sure, that won't silence the "Old Great from Brazil" who turned himself to an insecure "has-been". :) But does Messi care? Uhm, no... and neither do we! :)

Hey, hey, hey, what have we got here? A tough scramble for the ball won by Piqué - nice, nice! He fakes and then backheels the ball to Messi - beautiful! Oh, and Messi took it without missing a beat... He's on a superb run now - we can all imagine what he (and the VP defense) is thinking, I'm sure... and he slots a beautiful one for his 14th hat-trick as Barça pick up their ticket to the Round of 16 - GOAL!!! Woohoo!!!

And so, just like that, they finished their run in Prague with a 0-4 win! Not as brilliant as we're used to - by Barça's sky-high standard - but a superb win nevertheless! And Pep Guardiola wrapped up his 200th match as Barça manager, with his squad picking up their 500th goal under his leadership. Awesome feat, Pep!

Visca El Barça!! Visca La Pulga!! :)

***

Hot moves from Barça...

...and they kept the Joan Gamper Trophy, too.
======================================================
by Philipina A. Marcelo


With no sleep - at all - from the previous night, blame it on 'dedication to work' (yeah, right! ugh!) and killer stomach ache I staggered home on Monday afternoon, checked via BBC World News if the looking-like-he's-stoned strongman Gaddafi had already woken up to reality over there in Libya (hmm, still stubbornly holding on to power), and then I prepared to hit the bed - at 5 pm. I passed out before my back hit the linens! *sigh* I was barely aware of the pounding rain late in the night... and at about 2:00 AM, an image of Lionel Messi shooting a beautiful goal past Iker Casillas, with the on-his-knees Cristiano Ronaldo at his heel - from the Supercopa final - pulled me back to consciousness. Dang, live telecast of the Joan Gamper Trophy final at Camp Nou! Naturally, that hit me like a caffeine punch! And so, morning prayers, and then... game on!

After Cesc Fabregas hit his first "grown-up goal" for FC Barcelona - the first of five by Pep Guardiola's side's rout of Italy's SSC Napoli - to help Barça claim their 35th Joan Gamper Trophy, I got the feeling that it was going to be a fun night - well, early morning here in Manila. And it was! :)

***
Five "smash hits"... and they're up, up, and away!

Barça marched on the pitch with "the other little genius", Andrés Iniesta,
Captain Iniesta, flying high!wearing the captain's arm band. Of course, the "pale assassin" looked every inch "it", too - nice touch there, Pep! :) Cesc was in the first XI, with Manuel Pinto manning the Barça goal, and the brilliant young fellow, Thiago Alcantara, roaming the midfield. While the Barça first XI mainstays from last season - David Villa spearheading the attack crew, Gerard Piqué, leading the defense crew with Adriano sharing the responsibility - were in the first XI, there was no Messi or a Xavi to send the "usual" anxiety to the men from Italy. If the fans had any doubt on Pep Guardiola's Joan Gamper campaign first XI, it wasn't at all obvious. I was excited to see them "dance" on the Camp Nou pitch, "just a friendly" match notwithstanding. And they did, too - dance on the pitch!

The 2:00 AM priceless fun began with a Fabregas goal on the 25th minute. Set up by Iniesta and fed by Adriano (who was playing like a Dani Alves + Javier Mascherano out there) with a solid assist via a graceful cross, Cesc got away from his marker and fired the first goal! Aw, gosh... what can I say, all of us
Cesc Fabregas, making his first goal in Blaugrana
shirt... as a grown-up.know he will be brilliant in whatever shirt he'd choose to wear, right? It's just that he's best suited with a Blaugrana shirt. :) Barça did great doing all they could to get this brilliant culé back in Camp Nou, that's for sure. While I think it was worth the long wait, I will always feel a little bit sad for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal, of course, as I'm sure Cesc is, especially after that Gunners loss in the hands of the visiting Liverpool squad at The Emirates Stadium last weekend. Oh, dear... but, I guess... a culé will always be a culé and it's heart will always be restless until it's settled at home: Camp Nou.

Picking up where Cesc left off, Seydou Keita went for help from Captain Iniesta, sending a long pass to the "pale assassin" behind him before speeding towards the goal, through a crack in the Napoli defense. With the most perfect timing possible, he then jumped for a beautiful header to send a well-calculated Iniesta overhead return that completely eluded Napoli's goalkeeper, Morgan De Sanctis.
Seydou Keita, heading a big one home - lovely. Just fantastic! The men went to half-time break with the score at 2-0, for Barça.

In the second-half, several Blaugrana attempts merely collided with the Napoli goal's frame, including two big ones from Pedro Rodríguez... and it sent Guardiola's mouth open in disbelief! While errors mounted, it didn't look like Napoli were about to give Barça a chase... although I'm sure they were trying. Nevertheless, Guardiola loaded the deadly Barça gun with his "big bullets". Lionel Messi came on for Cesc Fabregas - to the loud cheers from fans, appreciation for Cesc, excitement for La Pulga's entry. Later, the "High Priest of Midfield", Xavi, came on for Thiago, and the fans went ecstatic! :)

Messi made his presence felt right away with a curved free-kick shot over a five-man wall that was intercepted by De Sanctis... but not to
Messi & Pedro: deadly bullets, thriller when together.safety. The quick-as-a-bullet Pedro caught the rebound and gave it a powerful header to find the back of the goal, redeeming himself beautifully from his previous uncharacteristic misses, 3-0. That was followed quickly by a beautiful Messi-to-Xavi on-the-run pass through heavy traffic going into the Napoli thoroughfare. Xavi, with his usual "20/20 vision" and precision passing, zeroed in and fired to the speeding Pedro on the left wing. Pedro caught the ball beautifully, ran with it fast and pretty before issuing a delectable cross that Messi brought home to an incredible finish, 4-0! Too awesome! Camp Nou went crazy... and so did I!

Not contented with a 4-0 lead, Barça kept going. The last goal was scored by the Camp Nou's "resident genius", Lionel Messi, in keeping with Barça's relentless overachieving attitude - almost to the "embarrasment" of Club President, Sandro Rosell, in deference to the visitors. :) Messi drove home a nice through-ball from Eric Abidal with his fave left kick on a nimble "mini jump" from the left side of the goal through two defenders - too cute, it was a delight to watch! :)

***
What the (exciting) future holds... at least, from one fan's point of view

Hmmm... looks like Barça is "coming together" now for the season. They were totally "in the zone" out there... unlike in both legs of their Supercopa tie with Real Madrid CF in the previous week where they were merely being their natural brilliant selves, but lacking in their usual fantastic rhythm as an extraordinary team on the pitch. But, apparently, that was enough to beat Los Blancos though, even when the Mourinho men brought
Guardiola's vision: "Something new, something old."
This season's Barça is all about "variety" - in attack.their for-desperate-measure "destroyers" game with them! :) I guess I'm just one "very spoiled" Barça fan who has gotten so used to entertaining football to come with brilliant winning everytime the Blaugranas step on the pitch.

What is exciting about Barça's showing today is that the latest line-up (which includes the all-of-a-sudden looking like "all grown-up" Sergi Roberto and Andreu Fontàs from Barça B!), with their solid talents and the flexibility of most to perform well in various roles, will give Pep Guardiola lots of attacking options - hopefully, better than last season, when Pep struggled to fill in injury-induced gaps in his First XI in crucial matches. But Pep's strength as a coach is his being such a visionary playmaker - a natural gift Barça sharpened during Pep's own time as the squad's playmaker and captain. Pep could "tweak" and take advantage of his men's talents by making traditional positions in conventional formation on the pitch as flexible avenues for his men to be creative - and effective, too. Rather than weakening in the face of injury-induced deprivation of his line-up's stalwarts, that approach gave his team the element of surprise that proved hard enough to figure out for most clubs they faced - yes, including Real Madrid! Now, with that strategy and with more capable men in his stable, he could, yet again, revolutionize football - Barça style. So, yeah, lots of reasons to fix my work sked to tolerate "reasonable busyness" only so there'd be "enough time" to enjoy fave hobby - appreciating Barça football! :)

All the best, Pep! All the best, Barça!

Alright, that's all the fun I could have today. Back to work....

***
Photo credits: Photos were grabbed from the Zimbio website - thanks!