It’s that time of the year where the Ballon d’Or is presented to the best player in the world. Once again, Messi was not the winner. It was no surprise that someone else won the award, and this year, the winner of the Ballon d’Or was Luka Modrić. The only thing that was surprising was seeing Messi finish fifth in the voting which was an insult to a player of such magnitude.
Messi will always be the best footballer on the planet. Everyone knows what he accomplished last season. However, it was obvious that the Ballon d’Or was going to be given to a player who shined in the Champions League and the World Cup and Modrić satisfied both requirements in the eyes of the voters.
Nonetheless, is Modrić really the best player in the world? Ever since 2010, I wondered if the Ballon d’Or was an award given to the current best player in the world or was it for the best performing player of the calendar year? The criteria have never been clear but no one can truthfully say that Modrić is a better player than Messi.
History has shown us that the best players don’t always win the individual awards. Michael Jordan was the best in his sport when he won those six NBA titles, yet he was the NBA MVP in four of those seasons. while Charles Barkley and Karl Malone were the other two. Nonetheless, we do not need an award to remind us that Messi is the best and he was never one for personal accolades. His goal is team success while his performance on the pitch is enough to do the talking for him.
Messi’s injury means that the Blaugrana will be without their leader for a few weeks. This is the time for both the manager and the players to step up. They must seize this opportunity and make the most of it.
Rarely is an injury a blessing in disguise, but perhaps Messi’s injury can be used by Valverde and the players to step up and be less dependent on Messi. Messi’s injury is a short-term injury but the Blaugrana have the talent to be good and be competitive.
For far too long, we have heard that Barça is reliant on Messi and cannot function without him. Well, he will be absent for today’s Champions League clash against Inter and for this weekend’s El Clasico. Although we would prefer he was playing in these games, his absence cannot be used as an excuse.
Although we may deem him as Immortal, Messi is still human and can suffer injuries. If he suffers another injury in the future, and hopefully not an injury that rules him out for a lengthy period, then this would be preparation for the day that we hope that never comes. It’s time for the players to stop hiding and time to shine. Dembélé can play on the right, which is his preferred side, so he has no excuse now not to play there, unless Valverde says otherwise. Folks have said Coutinho plays in the same position as Messi, then it’s time for him to show it. Midfielders cannot rely on passing the ball to Messi and watch. Defenders need to be more alert and stop leaking goals.
Valverde must adapt from being conservative whenever the team has the lead and just go for the kill. He has the weapons. It’s high time he used them and what better time than now. Messi is irreplaceable, but this team can manager without him in the short term. Hopefully they will not use Messi’s absence as a crutch, but instead, use it as a launch pad to shine in his absence.
What if I told you, that Barça players used to wear white kits in the past up till Cruyff’s playing days. It may be old news for Barça historians and fans from that era, but this discovery caught me, and other longtime and new fan, off guard. The Blaugrana's faithful are unaware of their club's history of wearing white.
Not too long ago, I came across a video of Johan Cruyff leading the Blaugrana onto the pitch in an away match against Aston Villa in the UEFA Cup Quarter-Final back in 1978. However, what caught my eye was seeing Cruyff and the rest of the team donning white shirts. At first, I thought that perhaps those were warm-up shirts but low and behold, Barça kicked off the game while still wearing those white shirts while I was still in a state of disbelief. That image intrigued me and caused me to look deeper into Barça’s use of white in their kits.
FC Barcelona began wearing white from the early 1900s when the club's founder, Joan Gamper was the club’s president. The team wore the Blaugrana shirt with white shorts and also had a white away kit. The team would go on to wear white in different variations up to the 70's. Furthermore, when Barça was founded, the club used the coat of arms of the city of Barcelona on their shirt as a badge before Joan Gamper decided to give the club its own special crest in 1910. The final time the club wore white was in 1979. Since then, that color has not been used in its entirety and even minor use of it on the shirt has been controversial among the Blaugrana faithful. In the early 90’s, there was controversy after Barça switched from Meyba to Kappa as the kit maker because Kappa's home shirts had white collars with white stripes on the sides while also displaying their Kappa logo in white.
Now a major factor that must be taken into consideration is that it wasn’t until the 50s before the rivalry between Barça and Real Madrid became fiery following the Di Stéfano signing controversy. Therefore, displaying the white color did not carry the vitriol that it would today. It was considered an easy color choice to use against teams that wore dark colored shirts. Moreover, white shirts were also helpful for the television viewers watching a football match on their black and white television sets which helped the viewers differentiate between the two teams.
Until 1913, Barça used to wear the Blaugrana shirt with white shorts. Afterwards, the club began wearing black shorts before switching to the traditional navy blue shorts in 1920 while occasionally using red shorts. Although the white shirt was designed to be the away kit, there had been occasions where Barça wore it at home. During the 1946-47 season, they wore the white shirt against Levante at home at their old ground, Les Corts, because it was customary back then for the home team to wear their away shirt if there was a clash of kits with the visiting team.
There were other instances of the Blaugrana sporadically wearing the white shirt. During the summer of 1952, Barça played with a white shirt and blue shorts in the final of the second edition of the Copa Latina. That final was played against Nice, which took place in France in 1952 in which the Blaugrana won 1-0.
A few more occasions where the team wore white at home afterwards, but only in European competitions. During the first edition of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (before becoming the UEFA Cup and now known as the Europa League), Barça played with the white shirt against FC Copenhagen at their home, Les Corts on Christmas Day in 1955. The reason behind Barça playing with the white shirt on that day was because it was meant to represent the city of Barcelona. Moreover, the white shirt did not have the Barça crest, but instead, displayed the coat of arms of the city of Barcelona. Barça also played in white against Birmingham City, in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1957, while also displaying the coat of arms of the city of Barcelona on their shirt.
The Blaugrana also donned the white shirt in the Champions League, back when it was called the European Cup. During the 1959-1960 season, Barça wore the white shirt at the San Siro against Milan, on November 4, 1959 (enjoy this brief footage) . The white shirt also made an appearance against Hannover 96 during 1965-66 season in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, and again in the San Siro, but this time against Inter during the 1969-1970 season in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. The white shirt also made an appearance in the now defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in Romania against Steaua Bucharest during the 1971-1972 season.
The rest of the 70’s would see the club don the white shirts in UEFA Cup matches. The white shirt were restricted to a few away matches in Hungary and England. The Blaugrana donned the white shirt away to Vasas in Hungary during the 1975-1976 season. Similarly, Barca wore white in England against Aston Villa and Ipswich Town during the 1978-179 season. FC Barcelona’s away loss to Ipswich Town on on March 7, 1979 would mark the final time the white shirt would be worn by the Blaugrana.
Final appearance of the white shirt
Furthermore, the use of white on kits was not just limited to the fooball team. Wearing white was also common for Barça’s basketball team with white shorts being a part of the team kit. The 70’s, were also the last time the basketball team wore white shorts with their Blaugrana tops.
Nonetheless, that video of Cruyff leading the team onto the pitch with his captain’s armband on top of a white shirt is an image that will never be repeated in the history of this club. As rare as that sight is, the shirts themselves are also a rarity. Back in 2012, one of the white shirts worn against Aston Villa, belonging to former player Paco Fortes, was put up for auction and was expected to fetch over €18,000. However, I could not find any information on how much that shirt went for.
Times may have changed but the idea of FC Barcelona wearing white again is not likely to happen anytime soon. Backlash and ridicule will be expected if the club ever decides to use a white shirt, even if done as a tribute. That in itself, is ironic since nowadays, we see the color white on the front of the shirt for the sponsors and no one bats an eye. For now, the white shirt belongs in the past.
Special thanks to Ángel Iturriaga for his input and Míguel Ángel's blog post well detailed blog about this subject. Also visit www.webdelcule.com for their great content and photos from past and present teams.
The 2018 baseball season is over for the Rays. 162 games
flew by fast this season and this season was a pleasant surprise. Prior to the
start of the season, the biggest question in Tampa Bay was whether or not the
Rays could win more games than the Tampa Bay Lightning did during the 2017-2018
season (54 wins). Well, the Rays surprised many by winning more than 54. They
surprised many by actually having a winning season thanks to their 90 wins
season.
With all the drama about the team’s future, it was nice to
see the Rays be competitive for the majority of the season. The Rays started
off slow, injuries being the main culprit, and 50 wins seemed like a realistic
milestone. The team had traded the face of the franchise, Evan Longoria, and the
team’s ace Chris Archer was on the shopping block and was eventually traded.
However, something magical happened along the way. The Rays
started finding ways to win. The idea to start games with relief pitchers
worked like a charm while Blake Snell was magical as a starting pitcher and
should be a serious candidate to win the Cy Young award. It was also great to
see young players get called up from the minor leagues and contribute to the
team. One can only hope the likes of Willy Adames, Brandon Lowe and Jake Bauers
will become the future All-Stars of this team.
Manager Kevin Cash deserves a lot of credit for this magical
season and, in my opinion, should be a front runner for AL Manager of the Year.
The crazy idea of starting games with relief pitchers and managing the playing
time of the rising stars has paid off. Obviously, it will always be tough to
compete in a division that has both the Yankees and the Red Sox but all that
Rays fans can ask for is to see a competitive winning team. Thanks for a great
season, Rays and here’s hoping next season will be better.
Two losses in less than seven days have brought the Bucs
crashing down to earth following their 2-0 start. A season that started with
such promise is now back to square one. The team’s record is now 2-2 after their disastrous showing in Chicago today and they now have a bye week to reflect or pray for a miracle, before going on the road again to face the Falcons.
Fitzmagic may have come to an end but will it be any
different under Winston? The offensive line is as weak as a wet paper bag and
the defense keeps giving up yards like its candy on Halloween. Injuries have
handcuffed the defense and the depth is not there to make up for the absences. I
am not sure Mike Smith is the answer as a Defensive Coordinator either and
perhaps Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter should find a replacement during the bye
week.
The dream of watching this team enter the bye week 4-0 is
over.12 games remain and the way this
season could end positively with a playoff berth. This season could also go
down in flames where we may see a change in General Manager, coach, and perhaps
the end of Jameis Winston as the franchise quarterback. Us Bucs fans though
will have to endure the highs and lows the rest of the way, one game at a time.
Although Holland’s loss to France on Monday was disappointing, the reaction following the final whistle was different from before. For once, there was a sense of optimism that the Oranje were finally back on the right path. For once, there is hope.
It’s never an easy task when facing the reigning World Cup champion, especially when it’s on their homecoming night as they celebrated their recent World Cup triumph in front of their fans. Nonetheless, that was the daunting task awaiting the Oranje when they faced France on Monday night. However, the young team hung with the World Cup Champions for most of the game before falling to them 2-1.
These last eight years, we witnessed the Oranje play without a purpose and, some would say, without passion. They resembled zombies on the pitch as they failed to qualify for both Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018. The quality on the pitch was not what it once was and the coaching seemed uninspired. The Oranje played without a solid defence while the attack seemed predictable and bland.
We are witnessing a new era unfold before our eyes. The old guard is truly gone now that Robben and Sneijder have bid farewell to representing the Oranje. Cillessen seems more confident than ever with a defence led by captain Virgil van Dijk who may found his perfect partner in crime, the young Matthijs de Ligt. Hopefully, it was rare off night for Tete at right back and we will see better performances from him in the future. The midfield with Georginio Wijnaldum and the young phenom Frenkie de Jong showed us flashes of what this team is capable of doing, and Memphis Depay leading the charge.
Sure, there are still some pieces missing to complete the puzzle, especially up front and with the left back position. Yet, the likes of those above-mentioned players along with Nathan Aké, Donny van de Beek, Justin Kluivert and Luuk de Jong means that for the first time, that the future is bright and that we are no longer staring into the abyss. Perhaps, Ronaldo Koeman is the Obi-Wan Kenobi to these players where he can provide hope for a better future.
It will take time, and Koeman still needs to work on the team’s first-half struggles. Nonetheless, this is a project that will require patience. It’s time to plan for the future and not focus on short-term success that set the Oranje back. Right now, the future is looking good… for the first time in a long time.
Barça ended the season with another domestic double under new manager Ernesto Valverde. However, instead of celebrating this achievement, many of the Blaugrana faithful felt disappointed. Many would consider a domestic double a resounding success. However, their lack of success in Europe, whereas their arch rivals celebrated a three-peat was a reminder of Barça’s underachieving while wasting the talent of its best players. Lessons have to be learned from past mistakes in order for Barça to improve.
A team that has Messi should be conquering the world, and not settling for domestic success while coming up short in Europe. However, the poor planning by the club’s board and their manager has hindered this team from returning to their place of being the best in the world. With Iniesta now gone, the board once again finds itself trying to replace a key player much like Neymar’s departure last summer.
Last season, the Blaugrana failed to recapture the league crown and then had to find a replacement for Neymar late in the summer transfer window. They hired Ernesto Valverde as Luis Enrique’s successor and spent over €180 million on the likes of Démbéle, Duelofeu, Semedo and Paulinho in the summer and then over €130 million on Coutinho and Yerry Mina during the winter transfer window.
After a brutal defeat over two legs against Real Madrid in the Spanish Supercopa, the outlook for the season looked uninspiring. Instead, the Blaugrana went on a historic unbeaten run that came to an end in the penultimate fixture of the season but saw them celebrating a domestic double. Nonetheless, the bitter elimination in the Quarter-Finals stage of the Champions League by AS Roma, after squandering a 4-1 aggregate lead stung. Many blamed player fatigue as a result of Valverde not rotating and resting his players during the season.
Although Valverde captured the double in his first year as Barça’s manager, many, including yours truly, did not enjoy how he managed the season. His lack of resting players, and conservative approach when leading, cost him and his lack of using the new signings down the clutch and ignoring youth players was also puzzling. The club spent a fortune on Paulinho and Démbéle and the Brazilian featured in 44 minutes in the first leg and none in the second leg against Roma and Démbéle only played in the final five minutes of the second leg loss. The big signing Démbéle was good enough to start a crucial second leg against Chelsea but only featured in 5 minutes against Roma over two legs? Valverde’s decisions of who to play and not to play left many fans confused and a repeat of that next season with the new additions will not be acceptable.
Madrid is succeeding because of the midfielders that the club was interested in but passed on them. Barça could have signed the likes of Modric, Isco, Kroos and Asensio, but instead signed the likes of Alex Song, Andre Gomes, Paulinho and Douglas. With Iniesta gone, Barça must make signing midfielders a priority. They seemed ready to spend €100 on Antoine Griezmann and fortunately, that deal never happened and the Blaugrana instead went out and signed young Brazilian star, Arthur, to ensure he comes in this summer along with midfielder Arturo Vidal, winger Malcom and defender Lenglet.
Fortunately, Barça have been successful in offloading players who were considered dead wood. Paulinho went back to China and Aleix Vidal went back to Sevilla, while Digne, Gomes and Mina all are at Everton. Iniesta will be hard to replace and we need a midfield that creates chances for the front three and not rely on Messi on doing their work. I would have preferred if the club signed someone like Thiago or Christian Eriksen but we will see come December if the club will pursue
Additionally, the club has to answer for the mismanagement of their youth. Barça B were relegated to the third division so now our future stars will have to focus on trying to win promotion back to the second division. It would have been ideal for the B team to be in the second division and get call ups to the first team here and there. However, it would have also been ideal for Valverde to give more minutes to B players too. In his first season, zero minutes were given to B players in the Champions League and only five minutes were given in the league. That goes against everything the club stands for, especially when this board reminded us “La Masia No Es Toca”. Hopefully young starlets such as Riqui Puig will get called up this season.
Finally, the club needs to start ignoring Copa del Rey. The main objective every year should be the Spanish league and the Champions League. Obviously winning another treble is every fan’s dream, but in terms of preference and importance, the Champions League should always trump the Copa del Rey. Barça have won the last four Copa del Rey trophies while Real Madrid have won the last three Champions League titles. There’s no debate in which trophy fans would prefer?
Barça winning the Champions League means getting to play in the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. Winning the Copa del Rey means getting to play in the Spanish Supercopa, which is already guaranteed if Barça win the league. As much I would love to see the Blaugrana win a third Treble, the Copa del Rey has become a burden with starters losing out on much needed rest because of their participation in this competition. Real Madrid has benefitted from exiting the Copa del Rey early and used that extra rest to their advantage while Barça players end up being exhausted in April because they are stretching themselves thin in all three competitions.
Another season is upon us and Barça can add another trophy today by capturing another Supercopa. Hopefully Barça will finally steady the ship and stop disappointing. Repeating the same mistakes will only guarantee more disappoint so one can only hope the board and Valverde get it right and stop wasting the talents of Messi and others.
Well, the World Cup is now over. We witnessed 32 nations
competing for the ultimate prize that is determined in a matter of weeks. We discuss
the players who have won it and those who came up short. We also remember those
who were never fortunate to participate in this competition. This is my list of
superb players who never got a chance to play in the World Cup in my viewing
lifetime.
Without a doubt, players such as Kubala, Best, Di Stefano,
Schuster, Ian Rush, and even Matthew Le Tissier come to mind when it comes to
the list of excellent players to never appear in a World Cup. However, I was
not alive or watching football during their time, so my list consists of
players I was fortunate to see play.
Neville Southall
For the position of goalkeeper, former Wales goalkeeper Neville
Southall is the only superb goalkeeper that I can think of who never got play
in the World Cup. The Evertonian
goalkeeper was legendary for his club, especially during my first ever FA Cup
Final against Manchester United in 1995. But alas, being a member of Welsh
national team meant he would never play at a World Cup after appearing 92 times
for the Welsh from 1982 to 1997.
Joaquín Beltrán
Outside of Mexico, Joaquín Beltrán was an unknown player but
this Mexican defender was one of the best defenders inside Mexico. The former legendary
UNAM Pumas defender made over 350 appearances for the club from 1996 till 2006
and was a member of the UNAM team that won both 2004 Apertura and Clausura
titles. However, he was always snubbed for World Cup under different managers,
especially by Ricardo Lavolpe for the 2006 World Cup when Beltrán was at his
peak. He was capped 17 times between 1999 and 2007, and he retired in 2010 which
his best days were already behind him and he could not be a member of the 2010 Mexican
World Cup squad.
Sami Hyypiä
Another superb defender who never got to play in the World
Cup was the legendary Finnish Liverpool captain, Sami Hyypiä. He was
Liverpool’s captain during their amazing five trophies in 2002 and was a
starter in that magical 2004-2005 Champions League Finals victory against AC
Milan. Hyypiä made his debut for Finland in 1992 and would feature for the
Finland national team 105 times. Unfortunately, Finland never could qualify for
the World Cup and Hyypiä missed out on playing on the biggest stage in football.
John Arne Riise
Another legendary Liverpool defender, Norwegian John Arne
Riise and teammate of Sami Hyypiä also never got to enjoy playing in a World
Cup. He was also a starter of that magical 2004-2005 Champions League Finals
victory against AC Milan. Nonetheless, Arne Riise time with the national time
came after their glory days of the 90s when they qualified for World Cup 1994
and 1998. Norway hasn’t qualified for the World Cup since then which coincided
during Arne Riise’s 110 caps for the Norwegians.
Ryan Giggs
The Manchester United legend needs no introduction. A well
decorated player with the Red Devils, Giggs was one of the cornerstones for
manager Alex Ferguson that saw United become the biggest club during the 90s.
Giggs made his debut for Wales as a 17 year old in 1991 and would go on to
appear a total 64 times before his retirement from the national team in 2007.
He got to play against the best in England and Europe for United but could
never represent Wales at the World Cup. He is now tasked with the
responsibility of ensuring Wales qualify for the Euro Cup and World Cup as
their national team manager.
Eric Cantona
Another legend who needs no introduction, Eric “The King”
was a superb player for Manchester United but did not fare much luck as a
member of the French national team. He made his debut for “Les Bleus” in 1987,
a year after the French made it to the Semi-Finals of the 1986 World Cup.
However, Cantona was handed a one year ban for insulting then French national
team manager Henri Michel who would not last long at the helm after France
failed to qualify for the 1990 World Cup. Eventually, Cantona did get to
represent France at a major international tournament after France qualified for
Euro 92. Nonetheless, there would be heart break two years later when France
failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup after suffering a 2-1 loss to Bulgaria
in the final qualifying match. With France hosting the 1998 World Cup,
Cantona’s long wait to play in a World Cup was about to end. However, his
suspension after kung-fu kicking a Crystal Palace fan resulted in him losing
the captaincy to Zinedine Zidane, under new French manager Aimé Jacquet and not
be called up for Euro 96. Cantona would retire from football altogether in 1997
and would never feature for France again as Jacquet preferred to rely on Zidane
and other young players who would go on to win the 1998 World Cup.
Giovane Élber
Brazil has produced numerous strikers over the years and Giovane
Élber was one of the best Brazilian strikers of the late 90s and early 2000s to
play in Europe. Élber arrived to Europe as a teenager and came on the scene
after his move to Bayern Munich in 1997 where he would score 139 goals in all
competitions during six seasons. He was one of the stars as Bayern won the
2001-2002 UEFA Champions League. Élber got his first cap for Brazil in 1998, but
he would miss out on being called up for World Cup 1998 and 2002. His omission
in 2002 partially stemmed from not representing Brazil during Copa America 2001which
was being held in Colombia. Argentina had withdrawn from Copa America 2001 due
to the violence in Colombia and Bayern had refused to release Élber out of
security concerns. Luiz Felipe Scolari, still upset over certain players not
appearing for Brazil in Copa America 2001, snubbed Élber for Luizão and Edilson
as Brazil won the 2002 World Cup with Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho shining
in attack. Élber would not feature for Brazil again after 2001.
Jari Litmanen
The legendary Ajax Amsterdam player from Finland, Litmanen
also joins his Finnish teammate Sami Hyypiä in the unfortunate players to never
appear in a World Cup. The Ajax number 10 was one of the lynchpins that saw the
Amsterdam club win the Champions League in the mid-90s. Unfortunately, he could
not guide Finland to a World Cup. His first cap in 1989 and his final
appearance was in 2010. He amassed 137 appearances for his country and scored
32 goals along the way.
Frédéric Kanouté
Frédéric Kanouté might be considered a flop to some
regarding his time with Spurs but he was part of a historic Sevilla side that
won back to back UEFA Cup Finals in 2006 and 2007 under manager Juande Ramos. Fredi would also celebrate two Copa del Rey titles along with the UEFA Super Cup
for the Andalusian club while scoring 136 goals from 290 appearances over seven
seasons. Although he featured for the French U-21 team, he was never called up
by “Les Bleus” and opted to play for Mali, the birth country of his father,
back in 2004. He was joint top goal scorer for Mali at the 2004 African Cup of
Nations where they suffered defeat in the Semi-Finals to Morocco. He would
represent Mali for six years before retiring after the 2010 African Cup of
Nations. Fredi was capped 39 times and scored 23 goals during his time with the
Malian national team but the competitive nature of the Confederation of African
Football did not allow him to qualify with Mali to a World Cup.
Fabrizio Ravanelli
During the 90s, Italy had an abundance of weapons up front
such as Baggio, Zola, Vialli, Casiraghi, Del Piero, Inzaghi, and Vieri, so it’s
easy for fan favorite Fabrizio Ravanelli to be lost in the shuffle. Unlike all
those players, il Penna Bianca (The White Feather) was the only Italian player
not to feature in a World Cup. Ravanelli was part of the Juventus side that won
their second and last Champions League title in 1996 while scoring in the final
against Ajax Amsterdam. Before Barça’s MSN or Madrid’s BBC, we had Baggio, Ravanelli
and Vialli and then Del Piero, Ravanelli and Vialli as one of the exciting
attacking trios in Europe. He received his first cap in 1995 and he was called
up for Euro 96 after that Champions League final. Although he featured for
Italy in Euro 96, he left Italy and played for Middlesbrough and Marseille and was
ultimately omitted from the World Cup 1998. He never would play for Italy again
after 1998 with only 8 goals and 22 caps to his credit. His opportunity at
appearing in a World Cup was short lived and perhaps his chances would have
been better if he had remained with Juventus who would go on to appear in two
more Champions League Final, and lose both.
George Weah
George Weah is the only player on this list who is a Golden Ball Winner and a president of a nation. Before he was president of Liberia, Weah was one of the most dangerous strikers during the 90s and was named African Footballer of the Century in 1999. He moved from Liberia to France and played for Monaco and then Paris Saint-Germain before making the move to Milan. His performances during the 1994-1995 season saw him win the Ballon d'Or. Weah made his debut for Liberia in 1987 and would go on to represent his nation for over the next couple of decades. Unfortunately, Weah could not steer Liberia to a World Cup but managed to guide them to the African Cup of Nations in 1996 and 2002. Truly one of the greatest to never play in a World Cup.
Much has been made about Mexico’s Round of 16 Curse
following their loss to Brazil in their Round of 16 clash during this World Cup.
However, many are not aware of another Mexico
World Cup curse which has already claimed its victim.
Mexico has failed to advance to the “Octavos”, the Quarter-Finals
of the World Cup in consecutive World Cups dating to 1994. Mexico has only
reached the Quarter-Finals of the World Cup twice, in 1970 and in 1986 which
was when Mexico were the hosts. This curse has spanned over three decades now. However, it appears many are not aware of
another curse attached to Mexico and the World Cup. Every single team that has
knocked out Mexico in the Round of 16 since World Cup 1994 has never gone on to
lift the World Cup trophy.
In 1994, Bulgaria eliminated Mexico in the Round of 16 stage
and fell to Italy in the Semi-Finals. In 1998, Germany scored two unanswered
goals to defeat Mexico 2-1 in their Round of 16 clash, only to fall to Croatia
in the next round. In 2002, USA defeated Mexico 2-0 in the Round of 16 and then
fell to Germany in the next round. In
2006, Argentina defeated Mexico 2-1 in a thrilling Round of 16 encounter and
then Argentina fell to Germany in the next round. In 2010, Argentina once again
defeated Mexico 3-1 in their Round of 16 clash and then also fell to Germany in
the next round. In 2014, Holland defeated Mexico 2-1 in the Round of 16 stage
in dubious fashion before the Dutch fell to Argentina in the Semi-Finals.
Well, Brazil defeated Mexico 2-0 in this year’s Round of 16
clash and then bid farewell after their 2-1 defeat to Belgium yesterday in the
Quarter-Finals. The curse of eliminating Mexico at this stage continues and
this curse also applies to those who have eliminated Mexico in the Quarter-Finals
too. In 1970, Mexico were defeated by Italy 4-1 and then lost to the great
Brazil by the same score in the Final. In 1986, Mexico played West Germany to a
scoreless draw before succumbing to their opponents in the a penalty shootout,
and the West Germans fell to Argentina in the Final.
Perhaps countries may want to practice some black magic to
avoid meeting Mexico in future World Cup knockout stages. The same holds true
for teams grouped with Mexico at the group stage. Mexico have qualified for the
World Cup sixteen times. Only two nations have won the World Cup after facing
Mexico at the Group Stage; Brazil in 1962 and England in 1966. Sweden's elimination today just confirms the consequences of facing Mexico during the World Cup. Ultimately, you’re
damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t when it comes to facing Mexico
in the World Cup.
The World Cup Curse of Mexico:
1970: Mexico eliminated by Italy in Quarterfinals – Italy lost to Brazil in the
Final.
1986: Mexico eliminated by West Germany in Quarterfinals – West
Germany lost to Argentina in the Final.
1994: Mexico eliminated by Bulgaria in Round of 16 – Bulgaria lost to
Italy in the Semi-Finals.
1998: Mexico eliminated by Germany in Round of 16 – Germany lost to
Croatia in the Quarter-Finals.
2002: Mexico eliminated by USA in Round of 16 – USA lost to Germany
in the Quarter-Finals.
2006: Mexico eliminated by Argentina in Round of 16 – Argentina lost
to Germany in the Quarter-Finals.
2010: Mexico eliminated by Argentina in Round of 16 – Argentina lost
to Germany in the Quarter-Finals.
2014: Mexico eliminated by Holland in Round of 16 – Holland lost to
Argentina in Semi-Finals
2018: Mexico eliminated by Brazil in Round of 16 – Brazil lost to Belgium
in Quarter-Finals.
After 21 years, Andrés Iniesta is no longer a Barça player. The man who made his first team debut with Barça as an 18 year old teenager departs the club as a 34 year old legend who won every trophy possible while being a key part of great teams for both club and country. We witnessed 16 marvelous seasons of Iniesta becoming a legend on and off the pitch. Iniesta is an icon who will be missed.
During his time with the club, Iniesta won 35 major trophies. He played a key part in what is considerably the greatest Blaugrana and football side in history. During his time with the club, Barça won four UEFA Champions Leagues, nine La Liga titles, seven Copa del Reys, three FIFA Club World Cups while helping Spain win their first ever World Cup and two European Championships . He and Messi share the record of winning 32 major trophies as Blaugrana players and I and many fans wish he could stick around longer and add more to his tally.
Iniesta is one of those heartwarming stories of a kid who rose through the ranks at La Masia and became a legend. I wish Iniesta was staying so he could take future Barça B players, such as Carles Aleñá, under his wings. Iniesta knows a thing or two about making the jump to the B team and how to be patient when minutes are scarce. After all, even though Iniesta made his first debut when he was 18, he had to wait until he was in his mid-20s before he became a trusty member of the first team. Those future Barça B players making the jump would have benefitted from having someone like Iniesta to act as their guru.
Furthermore, Iniesta’s departure deprives the club of a mentor for newly signed midfielders. Coutinho recently said that when he signed for Barça, Iniesta was one of the first players to contact him and welcome him to the club. Coutinho also said “It was special to receive it and it gave me a lot of confidence.” Moreover, he could have helped new signings, midfielders, adapt to the style of the club.
Finally, we will miss Iniesta because he was the link to the past of great performances and results as the club rose from underachievers to becoming the best in the world. His performance as a substitute in Paris in UEFA Champions League Final against Arsenal was his introduction to the world while we Cules already knew what this young phenom was capable of. We will always have that “Iniestazo” goal against Chelsea in the 2008-2009 Champions League Semi-Finals, those Clasico performances and goals, and thankfully, that superb goal against Sevilla in his last Copa del Rey Final, to ride off into the sunset. Players like Iniesta are a rare gem and we have been fortunate and blessed to watch him represent our club so admirably on and off the pitch. Without a doubt, he is a unique player like Iniesta is truly irreplaceable. He will now take his services to Japan and those are fans in store for a treat.
