2023 is coming to an end and the one word that best
describes FC Barcelona during this calendar year would be inconsistent. The
highs and lows, on the field and off the field, by the Blaugrana was still
rewarding enough to witness the club become league champions again. Will 2024
be any different?
Barça kicked off 2023 with a bang following their
impressive success of capturing the Supercopa de España in Saudi Arabia. From
that moment, the tide had shifted for Xavi and his players as they enjoyed a
memorable second half of the season in La Liga en route to winning their 27th
league crown. Their elimination in the Copa del Rey by Real Madrid did sting
but there were high hopes for the upcoming 2023-2024 season.
The summer was full of uncertainty regarding who was
coming and leaving the club, players and sporting directors. Eventually, the
club did well in the transfer window, but the club’s league form was shaky.
After 18 matches, the Blaugrana find themselves in 4th place, 7
points behind league leaders Real Madrid. However, the club did finally manage
to overcome their past struggles of advancing from the Champions League group
stages.
2023 can be best described as a yo-yo season or a
roller coaster season for the Blaugrana; full of ups and downs. Injuries and
some bad coaching decisions by Xavi have played a role in the club’s
inconsistency, but interference from the board about who plays, and the
manager’s future is not helping either. Certain players not delivering are also
to blame for the inconsistency.
Here’s hoping Barça will usher in the new year with
vast improvement on and off the pitch for the club. Vitor Roque will be a new
face for the Blaugrana faithful, and hopefully they will be patient with the
Brazilian starlet as he adjusts to a new club, a new league and a new
continent. It all kicks off on January 4th, 2024, when Barca travel
to the Canary Islands to face Las Palmas. We shall see if this will be a start
to a beautiful year.
Take care and have a safe New Year celebration and may
2024 brings us lots of happiness, victories and wonderful memories.
The 2022-2023 season just concluded and our beloved Barça managed to recapture the league title for the 27’th time. Barça’s resurgence under Xavi continued when they succeeded in winning the league crown and the Spanish Supercopa; Xavi’s first success as Barça’s manager. The disappointment in Europe and Copa del Rey can’t erase the jubilation of witnessing the Blaugrana become winners again. So, as we enjoy the summer break and get distracted by transfer rumors, it’s time to hand out the awards.
MVP: Ronald Araújo
The 2022-2023 season saw many Blaugrana players shine as Barca captured the league crown again. Marc-André ter Stegen was phenomenal in goal and won the Zamora award and Robert Lewandowski won the Pichichi award for being the league’s top goal scorer. However, the player deserving of the player of the season is none other than Ronald Araújo. With the Blaugrana looking shaky at the back in recent history, it was a pleasant surprise to see their defense shine this season domestically. The additions of Andreas Christensen and Jules Koundé were a welcome addition to the club. Yet, Ronald Araújo excelled as the leader of the back line played a part in the club only conceding twenty goals all season long. His presence benefitted ter Stegen and bailed out the offense during those 1-0 victories when the offense failed to find the insurance goal. Here’s hoping the 24-year-old Uruguayan defender continues to shine and join the ranks of other Barca legends, Puyol and Pique.
Best Goal: Robert Lewandowski against Real Valladolid
It’s never easy to pick the goal of the season and there were some good choices this season. Raphinha’s header goal against Osasuna for the late winner is a solid contender for Best Goal. However, Robert Lewandowski’s backheel goal against Real Valladolid was my pick for the best goal. When Lewandowski scored that goal, many were left dumbfounded by what had just happened. At first, people were confused as to how he scored, and then were curious if it was by accident. But upon further review, Lewandowski knew what he was doing, and he pulled off a memorable goal that will be remembered for many years to come.
Best Assist: Busquets to Raphinha against Real Betis
Although Raphinha didn’t win Best Goal, he was on the receiving end of the Best Assist of the season. It was a close call between his header goal against Valencia or his header goal against Osasuna. Busquets and Frenkie de Jong both delivered exquisite long balls for the Brazilian to nod in with his head. But it was the Busquets assist to Raphinha against Real Betis that sealed it for me. The legendary Busquets provided us with many memorable assists over the years, and his final season with the club provided us the Best Assist of the season.
Best Game: 3-1 vs Real Madrid in Supercopa Final
Although it was marred by conceding two goals and the crowd trouble afterwards, FC Barcelona defeating Espanyol 2-4 on their home turf was one of the best performances by the club during this season. However, the Best Game of this season was Barca’s 3-1 victory over Real Madrid in the Spanish Supercopa Final. The Blaugrana were just so dominant in that game that changed the team’s fortune. Following that result, the tide had turned, and Barcelona played with confidence in the second half of the season that saw them capture the league crown.
Best Transfer: Andreas Christensen
This season saw new arrivals such as Franck Kessié, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Jules Koundé, Héctor Bellerín, Marcos Alonso and Pablo Torre. Many were great, some were decent and others we hardly saw. An argument can be made that Lewandowski was the best signing after winning the Pichichi in his debut season, but the Best Transfer was the Danish defender, Andreas Christensen. Christensen, and his partner Araújo, played a key role in improving the Blaugrana backline which carried the team at times when the offense struggled to score. Hopefully the 27-year-old will continue to shine for many more years to come with Araújo by his side.
Most Improved Player: Marc-André ter Stegen
Frenkie de Jong had a great season for FC Barcelona, and reminded fans why he was so highly rated when he was signed back in 2019. However, Most Improved Player has to be Marc-André ter Stegen. There were concerns that ter Stegen had lost a step following his injuries and poor performance. Thankfully, Marc-André ter Stegen reminded us of the MAtS of old with his performances this season. He had the highest save percentage in La Liga with 84.7% and ended up winning the Zamora award and tied the record for most clean sheets in La Liga.
Best Youth Player: Alejandro Balde
With Pedri and Gavi shining the last two seasons, it was refreshing to see a new kid on the block. Alejandro Balde was entrusted by Xavi to replace the legendary Jordi Alba as the club’s starting left back. The 19-year-old did not disappoint, and we look forward to seeing him grow and be part of the backline for many years to come.
Most Disappointing Player: Eric García
When Eric García arrived from Manchester City in 2021, many thought he was a steal and fans were reminiscent of Pique’s arrival from the English Premier League. Unfortunately, Eric and Barcelona struggled whenever he started on the team’s backline and it’s no surprise that the team’s performance improved after he was benched. Xavi even tried him out as a defensive midfielder, but he failed to impress. It appears that his time at the club is coming to an end.
Worst Transfer: Héctor Bellerín
Héctor Bellerín came as a free transfer and there was hope he could be the solution to the right back. Instead, we hardly saw him, and he left the club during the winter transfer window.
Here's to a better campaign for 2023-2024. Visca el Barça!
Barça finally end four years of frustration by capturing their 27thleague title. Unlike some of the recent league titles, this triumph was a complete team effort. The next step is to improve in Europe but the signs indicate that the team is heading in the right direction.
Barça fully deserved their 27th league title. Their performance throughout the season was superb. Was the quality of the clubs in La Liga average this season? Sure, but that’s not Barça’s fault. They play who is front of them and they still got the job done. Their defensive record was remarkable in the Spanish league while also displaying gritty character to grind out numerous 1-0 wins, which at times had us hyperventilating.
What made this league title so remarkable was that this was the first one that Barça has won in this century without Lionel Messi. The last couple of league titles felt as though Messi singlehandedly won it for Barça. This one though was a total team effort reliant on many players who shone at different times during the year.
We saw a team where the old guard and new guard contributed in this team’s success. Sergio Busquets still showed some flashes of magic in his final season at the club while youngsters such as Alejandro Balde, Gavi and Pedri rose to the occasion. In goal, Marc-André ter Stegen reminded us of the MAtS that shone for the club in the past. He won the Zamora award and tied the record for most clean sheets in La Liga and also had the highest save percentage in La Liga with 84.7%. Ronald Araújo became the leader of the back line while new additions Jules Koundé and Andreas Christensen also impressed in their debut season and played a part in the club only conceding twenty goals all season long.
Robert Lewandowski had an impressive debut for the Blaugrana by winning the Pichichi trophy thanks to being on fire in the first half of the season with his goals. When he fizzled in the second half of the season, Raphinha stepped up and scored the key goals to keep the title hopes alive. Frenkie de Jong reminded everyone of his class after Xavi figured out a starting eleven that worked for Busquets, Frenkie, Pedri and Gavi. Even Ousmane Dembélé, Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres, Franck Kessié, and Jordi Alba had their moments this season that played a part in this league success.
A special mention goes out to the manager Xavier “Xavi” Hernández. Xavi had to manage this team and deal with so many issues and distractions. Xavi had to prepare for a season without knowing which player was going to be signed and registered before certain matches. He had to deal with the sudden retirement of Gerard Piqué halfway through the season, and made the brave decision to bench Jordi Alba for Balde. Meanwhile, Xavi had to do his job while also being bombarded with questions about levers and signings, the Negreira scandal, and about Messi. Yet, he shouldered the burden and showed he was the right man for the job.
This season was not as easy as the final standings would indicate. Barça had their ups and downs. They won the league and the Supercopa de España final. Sure, their early exits in the UEFA Champions League and Europa league coupled with their elimination in the Copa del Rey by Real Madrid were major disappointments, where you some blame can be attributed to bad luck and unfortunate injuries. However, it takes time to build a winner, and president Joan Laporta should know that; after all, Barça won their second Champions League title in the third year of Laporta’s regime. Next season will not be easy, so as we celebrate this successful season, we should also expect Barça to continue to improve and challenge for all trophies for many years to come.
Another World Cup has come to an end, and once again, it ends in disappointment for the Oranje. There is no moral victory when it comes to the World Cup. It’s either win or bust, and for the Oranje, it was another tournament that ended in disappointment and left many wondering with what ifs.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of our Football-Oranje followers. On behalf of everyone from Football-Oranje.com, we wish you a joyous holiday season!
The 2022 World Cup came and went, and once again, the Oranje came up empty-handed. There is no moral victory when it comes to the World Cup. It’s either win or bust, and for the Oranje, it was another tournament that ended in disappointment and what-ifs. That has been something that has plagued them after every World Cup exit.
What if the Oranje weren’t distracted by calling their significant others to debunk false German stories about them the night before the 1974 World Cup Final?
What if the Oranje had Johan Cruyff with them for the 1978 World Cup?
What if Johan Cruyff, and not Leo Beenhakker, coached the Oranje at the 1990 World Cup? What if Frank Rijkaard kept his cool against Germany, and Marco van Basten was fit during that summer?
What if Johan Cruyff, and not Dick Advocaat, coached the Oranje at the 1994 World Cup? What if Ruud Gullit decided not to retire from the Oranje right before the World Cup? What if the referee had blown the whistle on the foul that Brazil’s Branco committed on Marc Overmars seconds before he was felled by Wim Jonk, before scoring from the ensuing free kick?
What if the referee had awarded a penalty to the Oranje in the 1998 World Cup Semi-Final against Brazil after Pierre van Hooijdonk had his shirt pulled by Brazil’s Junior Baiano? What if Phillip Cocu was the last penalty taker instead one of the first five in a penalty shootout?
What if Holland versus Portugal during the 2006 World Cup Round of 16 clash didn’t turn into an audition for Cobra Kai?
What if Arjen Robben had chipped the ball over Iker Casillas and Bert van Marwijk opted not to go defensive against Spain in the 2010 World Cup Final?
What if Louis van Gaal didn’t get it wrong against Argentina by setting his team up to defend in the 2014 World Cup Semi-Final against a tired Argentina before falling to them in a penalty shoot-out?
After the 2022 World Cup, what if Louis van Gaal didn’t get it wrong against Argentina yet again with his lineups and approach? Why did he opt to start with Memphis and Steven Bergwijn instead of Wout Weghorst or Luuk de Jong who are 6′ 6″ and 6’2” against the Argentina backline whose tallest player was Cristian Romero (6’1)? It was no surprise that Weghorst scored a header against the 5′ 9″ Lisandro Martinez. Why did he opt to have the team sit back and defend in extra time, when the momentum had completely shifted after Weghorst scored that last gasp equalize? The pressure was always on Argentina, so the Oranje had the upper hand. Yet, the Oranje sat back and defended and were lucky not to concede during those extra thirty minutes.
When the referee blew the final whistle, I dreaded the upcoming penalty shootout. A brief word about the referee Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz. I have never been a fan of his and look forward to the day he hangs up his whistle for good. He is more interested in being the center of attention and will ignore the most obvious bookable offenses. However, he shows no hesitation to book you if you dare to open your mouth and say something he will not like. The fact he didn’t send off Leandro Paredes after his reckless challenge and for subsequently blasting the ball at the Dutch bench is not surprising. Yet, all that time he spent trying to defuse tension, resulted in ten minutes of stoppage time that helped the Oranje grab the equalizer.
If van Gaal was planning for penalties, then why didn’t he call up Jasper Cillessen? Surely, if you’re going to face Argentina in the World Cup, then why not call up someone who trained with Messi for years? It’s well known that Cillessen isn’t great at stopping penalties, but wouldn’t you prefer he be the one giving Andries Noppert advice on facing Messi instead of Frenkie de Jong? Speaking of penalties, seeing Virgil van Dijk step up and take the first penalty was admirable. Leaders lead by example but seeing him step up to take a penalty brought back bad memories of Frank de Boer, Jaap Stam, and Paul Bosvelt taking penalties for the Oranje. I prefer not to see defenders take penalties for the Oranje unless their name is Ronald Koeman.
Speaking of Ronald Koeman, he returns to the bench that he vacated a few years ago. Hopefully, the transition from van Gaal to Koeman is a smooth one. We are already had to go through with what if Dennis Bergkamp hadn’t retired and Louis van Gaal didn’t get it wrong during the 2002 World Cup Qualifiers? Also, what if the KNVB didn’t try to go back in time with the hiring of Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat during the disastrous 2018 World Cup Qualifiers? Here’s hoping the Oranje will qualify for the 2026 World Cup and maybe, just maybe, we won’t be left asking what if anymore.
The Oranje succeeded in topping their group and will face the United States in the Round of 16. Although they succeeded to win their group, their performance in the group stage left much to be desired. The Oranje will need to step it up if they want to advance in the knockout stages.
It’s great to see the Oranje be part of the World Cup again after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. The Oranje completed their first mission; winning their group. Although it seems like no big feat, based on their opponents, one only has to look at Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Mexico, and Uruguay packing their bags early and heading home. The Dutch could have stumbled and allowed either Senegal or Ecuador to overtake them, but fortunately, they didn’t.
Nonetheless, it’s obvious that the Oranje were not that impressive in those three group matches. Many were hoping to see brilliant performances by the Oranje but instead were treated to moments of individual brilliance. Cody Gakpo is the shining star but the team has to perform better and Louis van Gaal has to find a way for his side to play with better chemistry and more fluidity on the pitch.
Up next for the Oranje will be the U.S. Hopefully the team will not be looking ahead to possibly facing Argentina, and instead focus on their current opponent. The U.S. is also back in the World Cup after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. They are a dangerous opponent to the Oranje since all the pressure is on the Dutch, and not the U.S. The young U.S. team advanced from their group and is in the knockout stages, so there won’t be any backlash if they fail to advance. Conversely, can you imagine the backlash if the Oranje fall to the U.S.?
The Oranje are four victories away from lifting the greatest trophy in the world. It’s time they kicked into high gear because they can’t afford to continue to be underwhelming. Failure to improve will result in another bitter exit where we are left wondering “what if” yet again.
The Oranje kicked off their 2022 World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Senegal courtesy of second half goals from Cody Gakpo and Davy Klaassen. It was a performance that could be construed as underwhelming, but that’s usually what we have come to expect from the Flying Dutchmen.
The Oranje are part of the World Cup again after failing to qualify back in 2018. They kicked off their 2022 World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Senegal in what could be considered an underwhelming performance. However, that’s how the Oranje, usually kick off their World Cup campaigns.
The first group match for some World Cup teams are usually a cagey affair for multiple reasons such as nerves or caution. Not all teams come flying out of the gate at the World Cup, and the Dutch are no exception. Sure, many remember the Oranje kicking off World Cup 2014 with a great 5-1 victory over Spain. Yet, those types of results are not typical for the Oranje dating back to World Cup 1990.
For longtime fans such as myself, watching the Oranje in their first World Cup group matches has not been exactly enjoyable, with some being underwhelming, disappointing, and excruciating. Who could have thought the 1990 squad consisting of the legends Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard ad Ronaldo Koeman, who had just won Euro 88 two years prior, would play to a 1-1 draw with Egypt? Wim Kieft scored around the hour mark, but Egypt equalized from the spot in the final minutes of the match. Four years later, the Oranje managed a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Saudi Arabia thanks to goals from Wim Jonk and Gaston Taument. The 1998 clash against Belgium ended in a dire scoreless draw that I prefer to never relive again.
In 2006, Holland defeated Serbia and Montenegro 1-0 with an early first-half goal from Arjen Robben. In 2010, they defeated Denmark 2-0 with two second-half goals courtesy of a Daniel Agger own goal, and Dirk Kuyt scoring the insurance goal in the final five minutes. The most memorable opening match victory was the 5-1 demolition of World Cup champions, Spain in World Cup 2018. After Xabi Alonso converted from the spot, the Oranje scored five unanswered goals from Stefan de Vrij and Robben and Robin van Persie both scoring a brace.
As you can see, the opening match for the Oranje is not an indicator of things to come. They have qualified for the knockout stages every time they have been in the World Cup since 1990 and have failed to advance from the Round of 16 only twice. It was important for the Oranje to win their opening match; just ask Argentina and Germany if they wouldn’t like to swap places with Holland right now. One can only hope that this team will follow in the footsteps of prior teams who improved with each game and ended up going far in the World Cup.
Barça is off to a great start to their season. Following their surprising goalless draw at home to Rayo Vallecano, the Blaugrana have been on a five-game winning streak with impressive wins on the road against Real Sociedad and Sevilla. Today, they kick off their second group stage match of their Champions League group stage, where they face their rivals for the trophy, Bayern Munich. Today will show us if Barça are back where they belong or still have work to do.
Barça are flying under Xavi. 4 wins and a draw to kick off their new league campaign and top of their Champions League group stage, on goal differential, after one match day while playing entertaining football (15 goals in La Liga and 5 goals in Europe) while conceding only one goal in each competition. It’s true that Real Sociedad and Sevilla are off to a poor start, but those grounds are usually a tough trip for the Blaugrana. Nonetheless, Xavi’s boys went there and got impressive victories there.
The Blaugrana are flying high with the new additions of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Koundé, Andreas Christensen, Héctor Bellerín, and Marcos Alonso. However, today Barça get their first true test of the season when they face Bayern Munich. The German side has been a thorn in Barcelona’s side for the past few seasons. Yesterday, Xavi said Allianz Arena wasn’t a house of horror for the Blaugrana. However, their record on Bayern Munich’s turf is horrendous with four losses and two draws on their last six trips with the aggregate score of 14-4 for the home side.
Today is the first true test for Xavi and the players. A loss would not be devastating since this is still a work in progress and it’s still early into the season. However, a win would give the team a bounce in their step and validation for FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta for all the risky financial measures to allow the club to become a powerhouse again. Roma wasn’t built in a day but today could pave the road for the club to become a powerful empire again.
