Ter Stegen, Welcome to the Jungle.

 Ter Stegen is Barça’s new keeper after his signing was completed last week. He comes in as the new number one keeper after both Victor Valdés and Pinto exit the club. The young German is entrusted as the new man in the box which will be no easy task. Ter Stegen is walking into a jungle where he has to combat history along with comparisons to the legend Valdés and his contemporary Courtois.

After a decade of service, Barça will no longer rely on Valdés as their goalkeeper. Ter Stegen now inherits the mantle unless his backup, whoever Barça signs, somehow beats him to the starting lineup. The same scenario happened back in 2003-2004 when Turkish keeper, Rustu, was signed by the club and ended up being the backup to Valdés. Rijkaard had more faith in Valdés and the rest is history. Now, Ter Stegen has to combat history as he tries to become a true starting keeper after Barça discarded Andoni Zubizarreta following the 1994-1995 European Cup Final. 19 other keepers have guarded Barça’s goal since then and only three had more than 100 appearances; Valdés, Hesp and Busquets.

Ter Stegen doesn’t have history on his side but it doesn’t mean that he is doomed either. He wasn’t called up by Low for the World Cup for Germany, contrary to many world cup sports books.  But he is a young talented keeper who I have high hopes for. Hopefully the club will surround him with a strong back four in front of him too and whoever is his backup will also serve as his mentor and not his competitor. However, the young man will also have to fight off comparisons to not one, but two goalkeepers.

Ter Stegen replacing a legend that is Valdés will not be an easy task. At times, the Blaugrana faithful were harsh on Valdés but he still leaves the club as the most successful, and greatest, goalkeeper in the history of the club. When one replaces a legend, he also has to be compared to him and that will be the case for the young German. Furthermore, there will be comparisons to Atlético’s keeper, Courtois, who it seems was longing to join Barça over returning to Chelsea. Many, including myself, would have preferred his signing as Valdés’s replacement. Courtois is used to playing in Spain and the late kickoff times and has proven himself in La Liga and in UEFA competitions. Obviously, if Ter Stegen sputters, then there will be talks of what if, even if it’s unfair.

Indeed, Ter Stegen walks into a new environment that is currently unstable at the top with more changes along the horizon. Hopefully he can cope with all that he is about to face and endure. It will be a test to see how the German can handle being in the jungle that is Barça and pass with flying colors.

2013-2014 End of Season Awards.

The 2013-2014 season just concluded and our beloved Barça competed for four cups. In the end, they succeeded in winning the first one out of the four competitions they competed for; the Supercopa. After an impressive first half of the season, Barça ended the season on a sour note by getting eliminated in the Champions League Quarter-Finals stages to Atlético Madrid, losing to Real Madrid in Copa del Rey final and failing to retain the league crown at home on the final day of the season. So, as we enjoy the summer break and get distracted with the upcoming World Cup before another season is upon us, it’s time to hand out the awards.

 

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MVP: Messi.

It’s easy to say we have been spoilt by Messi’s performances over the year. Most players would dream to have a season like the one Messi did. True, Messi’s season was not as superb as his other seasons but this man still put in a great season. Sadly, he, and the rest of the team looked sluggish, as they did the last two seasons, down the stretch. However, Messi played a huge role in making sure this team was still fighting in the final months of the season. 

His final stats for the 2013-2014 season were 41 goals from 46 matches. Yet, there were some who wanted to sell the legendary player becuase of this season. Here’s hoping next season, and many more seasons, will give us more of Messi’s magic with great triumphs.

 

Best Goal: Alexis vs Real Madrid.

Perhaps his goal against Atlético last week was better but the bitter result made me choose this one. It was one of those flashes of brilliance from Alexis that we have been waiting more out of the Chilean international. Neymar provided Alexis with the through ball and Alexis got by Pepe before chipping it sublimely over Diego Lopez who was far off his line. It was the insurance goal that the team needed to ensure the victory.

Best Assist: Neymar to Alexis vs Espanyol.

These were some good choices for this category. Messi to Iniesta for the opening goal in El Clásico in Madrid and Iniesta’s through ball to Neymar against Atlético in the Champions League are some of the most memorable ones. Heck, the best pass we saw all season long was Messi’s through ball to Neymar in El Clásico that resulted in a penalty. However, the best one was Neymar’s effort against Espanyol where he managed to nutmeg two players for Alexis to time his run perfectly and direct it on goal. Hope we see more of that next year.

 

Best Game: Getafe 2-5 FC Barcelona

This was an easy choice for me. This was one of the most memorable games of the season along with the two Clásico wins. This one stood out for me for two reasons. It was a great comeback by the team that was without Valdés, Messi and Neymar, and found themselves down 2-0 after 15 minutes. It looked hopeless yet these guys battled back through a Pedro hat trick before the halftime whistle and then Cesc scored a brace in the second half for a 2-5 win. This was the game were the guys battled hard when they didn’t have their best weapons and showed guts and determination. Unfortunately, this match also stood out because it exposed Barça’s weaknesses that would plague them the rest of the season.

 

Best Youth Player: Bartra

For two years, I have been campaigning for this young player to get valuable playing time.  Well, he sure got his minutes this season under Tata Martino. I want to say it was by merit but it was because the club failed to buy defenders for depth and because of injuries to Puyol, Pique and Mascherano. In the end, Bartra made 30 appearances and even scored two goals, one of them coming in the Copa del Rey final while he played on one good leg. Sadly, the Bale goal afterwards took away much of that brave performance. Nevertheless, he played well when he was fit and hurt and here’s hoping Luis Enrique doesn’t ignore come next season.

 

 

Most Disappointing Player: Neymar.

This was supposed to be the Cesc award after I awarded him this award the last two seasons. We have now seen back to back to back seasons where Cesc puts in a great performance in the first half of the season and then disappears down the stretch. However, Neymar earned this one with his own dreadful second half performance after the winter break. The goals, the assists, the scoring chances all but disappeared after the new year.

Was it because of the injuries, the controversy surrounding his transfer that saw his price tag almost reach 100 million euros and saw Sandro Rosell resign as club president? Was it the expectations that came with the new price tag? It didn’t help that he returned from Brazil supposedly out of shape and began to play his way and not the team way. Neymar’s price tag brought a lot of expectations and pressure which will only increase come next season after what Gareth Bale did with Real Madrid this season. As Shakespeare once wrote, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." 

 

 

Here's to a better campaign for 2014-2015. Visca el Barça!

 

Barça’s Final Shot At Redemption.

 

In less than 24 hours, Barça will bring down the curtains on another league season. The league crown is at stake where anything but a victory will see Barça relinquish the league title to Atlético Madrid. For this group of players, this is the end. After many seasons of ups and downs, this could be the last time we will see some of them in the Blaugrana shirt inside the Camp Nou. This will be their final shot at redemption.

 

By midafternoon tomorrow, the Blaugrana faithful will be either happy with another league title or be happy that this season is finally over with. The disappointing performances under the management of Tata Martino coupled with the inept running of the club by Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu has not left Barça fans very happy. However, that can all change if they defeat Atlético Madrid.

It’s been a tough season for the players what with former manager Tito Vilanova passing away, Iniesta losing his baby to a miscarriage, Messi and the tax stories and insults from Madrid media, Neymar’s transfer controversy, Puyol and Valdés leaving the club after Saturday and other club distractions regarding the scandal surrounding the hierarchy. One final victory will not replace the hurt that these players have suffered but sure would help.

So the league comes down to whether or not Barça can defeat Atlético. This will be their sixth and final encounter. Sadly, Barça have yet to taste victory against the Rojiblancos. Nevertheless, that should mean it’s all doom and gloom for the Blaugrana. Barça defeated Real Madrid twice in the league yet failed to defeat them in the Copa del Rey Final. Remember when everyone kept bringing up the fact that the Brooklyn Nets completed a season sweep of the Miami Heat yet it was Miami who bounced the Nets out of the playoffs by winning four games and losing only once.

Thus, this is it for our boys. They get to ride into the sunset in less than 24 hours. They can either ride into the sunset with their heads down or with their heads held high. This is their last hurrah together before the incoming squad is disassembled, so here’s to them going out on top and redeeming themselves with their 23rd league title. Visca Barça. 

La Liga to be decided at Camp Nou.

After 37 matches, the league crown will be decided this Saturday in Barcelona between Barça and Atlético Madrid. The gunfight at the Camp Nou will take place at high noon for these two gunslingers. Both teams have had their ups and downs but managed to stay in the hunt till now. Just like every classic Western showdown however, there can only man left standings. Will it be Barça or will it be Atlético?

Christmas is the season of giving but La Liga has shown us these past few weeks that it still takes place in May too. First Barça dropped points against Getafe and then Atlético followed suit by dropping points the next day against Levante. Real Madrid were presented with the opportunity to grab the league all for itself thanks to its game in hand. Well, Madrid grabbed a late equalizer at home against Valencia right after Atlético’s loss and then conceded a late equalizer against Valladolid a few days which all but ended their chances at the league crown. Fast forward to this past Sunday and Barça once again dropped points after playing to a scoreless draw away to Elche and Atlético played to a 1-1 draw against Malaga. Real Madrid threw in the towel and lost to Celta Vigo 2-0 to end any remote hopes of winning the league and a shot at the treble. It seems that no one wanted to win the league title.

So this Saturday will bring down the curtain on a very memorable season. Barça will face Atlético for the sixth and final time. Barça have failed to defeat the Rojiblancos in their last five encounters. However, Barça need to put that behind them and wipe the slate clean. Barça defeated Real Madrid twice this season and yet lost to them in the Copa del Rey Final. Thus, Barça, and their fans, should learn from that defeat ahead of this Saturday’s clash and not rule themselves out just yet.

Finally, whoever wins the title this Saturday certainly earned it. I have never been a fan of people saying this club deserves or doesn’t deserve a title even if they win it. If Barça wins the title on Saturday, even after some awful performances down the stretch, then they earned it. The same would apply if Atlético end up being the league champions this weekend. Nothing is deserved or given; just earned. 90 more minutes left and this hellish season will come to an end and that’s the best way for it to end.

Barça get a stay of execution.

My, how things can change in one day after thinking all hope was lost. Barça’s disappointing draw to Getafe basically killed whatever chance they had at the title. A day later, Atlético lost to Levante and Real Madrid had to fight back for a draw with Valencia. Suddenly, Barça went from being in the electric chair to getting a last ditch stay of execution from the governor. With two matches left, the Blaugrana can either finish as league champions or find themselves back in the electric chair again.

To say I was livid when Barça allowed Getafe to grab a last gasp equalizer would be putting it mildly. After that horrible result, I was asking for Tata Martino’s head for his inexplicable substitutions and was all in favor of assistants Jordi Roura and Rubi coaching the final two matches. Obviously it’s not going to happen. We’re stuck with the clueless coaching of Tata Martino for two more matches before we are thankfully spared of his inept coaching.

Following this crazy weekend, Atlético control their destiny. If they manage to get four points from their last four matches, then the league crown is theirs for the first time since 1995-1996 season. Of course, their final match is away to Barça at the Camp Nou. Now if Atletico stumble, Real Madrid are in the driver’s seat. However, Real Madrid have two difficult away match, Wednesday to Valladolid and this weekend to Celta Vigo coached by Barça legend Luis Enrique, before hosting Espanyol in their last game of the season. The irony is that if it’s still neck and neck, then Madridistas would have to cheer on Barça in the final league match of the season.

Barça’s outrageous season might see them still win this title. If Real Madrid slip up once more, then Barça need to defeat Elche this weekend and then defeat Atlético at the Camp Nou. So let the madness ensue and grab your antacids of choice because this will be tough to stomach. The problem is that Barça seem to be their own worst enemy so let’s hope this season ends on a good note for us frustrated Blaugrana faithful. 

 

La Liga Cannot Whitewash Racism Problem Anymore.

The Dani Alves banana incident is still fresh in everyone’s minds following the great reaction through the social media. Sadly, posting a photo on Instagram is not enough. La Liga got another awful reminder today when some Atlético fans made monkey chants towards Levante’s African player, Diop, today. Diop danced like a monkey to mock them back. La Liga cannot afford to tap dance its way around this issue anymore and must deal with clubs severely.

Back in November 2004, the sporting  world experience an awful event when black players from the English national team were subjected to racist monkey chants from vast numbers of the crowd at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium during a friendly. It probably wasn’t the first time something of this sort had happened in a Spanish stadium but it sure was the first time many had witnessed it outside the viewing area of that country.

Sadly, the reaction then was poor and even farcical when one of the Spanish officials denied it even took place and hadn’t happened in Spain in quite a while. Well, it did and still does to this day. Just two years later, I recall FC Barcelona’s Eto’o almost leaving the pitch because of the racist taunting from the Zaragoza fans. Unfortunately, Spanish Football Federation opted to just sweep it under the rug and forget about it. The same would transpire in the 2011 Supercopa Clásico between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Dani Alves was subjected to monkey chants from some of the Madrid fans and then three days later, Marcelo was subjected to the same treatment from some of the Barça fans as well.

The reaction back then was the same. Just brush it under the rug and forget about it and move on. It’s going to be tough now. They can keep turning a blind eye, like they did when a Nazi flag was seen hanging on one of the entrances of the Real Madrid fan entrances to the Mestalla stadium in Valencia on the day of the most recent Copa del Rey Final, along with some xenophobic act of burning the Catalan flag. However, the time has come for change.

 What Dani Alves went through last week and how Villarreal handed the matter was reassuring for once. There was talk that Spanish football was changing for the better in how to confront the racism problem. However, we were reminded again that there is too much left to be done following today’s incident between Diop and Atlético Madrid fans. However, Spanish football needs to put its foot down on this issue.

We cannot rely on fans, athletes and celebrities posting photos with bananas as a way to cure this problem. Small fines hasn’t done the trick so it’s high time Spanish football Federation start to send a stern messages to these idiots who think that they can continue to get away with these awful acts. Stadium bans and points docked.

You think people won’t turn on you if they hear a monkey chant coming out of your mouth where it could cost you precious points to win the league, avoid the drop or qualify for Europe? Sure, traveling fans could be doing it too so the punishment would be directed at the visiting club where they would face the same punishment. It’s 2014 and we can no longer accept monkey chants or Nazi flags or salutes as part of the atmosphere of the game. Spanish authorities need to look into implementing this sort of punishment starting next season or risk further embarrassment to its reputation.