Mesut Özil

As reported by all major football news outlets, Werder Bremen have confirmed that German International Mesut Özil (21) has joined Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around €15 million.

Despite being heavily linked with FC Barcelona during the summer, Özil has joined Barca’s arch rivals and will be a Madrid player this coming season. Bremen had initially turned down an offer from Madrid on Friday, but have now reached an agreement, satisfying their demands for a player who was on the last year of his contract, and therefore would have been available on a free transfer when his contract expired in 12 months.

The player, who was one of the key players in this summer’s World Cup, will undergo a medical in Madrid tomorrow.

Madrid have also confirmed the deal, and Bremen’s director of sport Klaus Allofs said: “We are respecting the player’s wishes to take the next step in his career immediately.”

FIFA’s official website mentions that “Allofs had opened up new contract talks with the Germany international a year ago, but the player officially rejected the club’s final offer prior to the FIFA World Cup.

“From that moment, it was clear Bremen would be forced to sell the 21-year-old, who only had a year left to run on the three-year deal he signed when he arrived from Schalke in 2008, otherwise they would have lost him on a free transfer next summer.”

Carlos Carmona joins Barcelona B

FC Barcelona B have completed the signing of Recreativo de Huelva playmaker and former Spanish U-19 international Carlos Carmona Bonet (23). The Andalusian club confirmed on their official website that an agreement with the Catalan club has been reached.

After a magnificent season in Huelva, Carmona caught the attention of the Blaugrana technical staff who advised coach Luis Enrique to recruit the player, and pending a successful medical, he will be a Barca player as of next season. The Andalucian club revealed that all the details of the transaction will be provided after the medical examination has been completed and once all the documents are signed.

Carmona began his career with RCD Mallorca, making his first team debut on November 28, 2004, at just 17, playing ten minutes in a 0–2 loss at Valencia CF. In 2005–06, he was loaned to Real Valladolid in the second division.

From 2007–09, Carmona was also loaned, to FC Cartagena, being instrumental in the club’s promotion to the second level in his second year. He was eventually released by Mallorca and signed a three-year contract with Recreativo de Huelva, on 2 July 2009. He was one of the pillars of Recreativo in the second division last season, playing 38 games and scoring 8 goals.

Pinto back, Ibra and Hleb miss Monday training

Looking ahead to their match-up in the Spanish Super Cup against Sevilla this Saturday at Camp Nou, FC Barcelona returned to training on Monday evening at the Ciudad Esportiva. As Barcelona’s official website describes, the session began on a positive note with the return of José Manuel Pinto to training for the first time since picking up an injury last week. However, both Ibrahimovic and Hleb missed the training session with minor health and injury concerns respectively.

After enjoying a day’s rest on Sunday, the squad was back in training on Monday, preparing for a busy week ahead. For the first time this pre-season, manager Pep Guardiola had a full squad of players to work with as the entire squad prepares to overturn the adverse result suffered against Sevilla last Saturday.

The 28 players who took part in the session were comprised of 20 players from the senior squad plus 8 from Barça B – Oier, Miño, Sergi Gómez, Jonathan, Thiago, Oriol Romeu, Victor Vázquez and Fontàs. The best news of the day was the reappearance of José Manuel Pinto, who worked alongside his team-mates for the first part of the session. Pinto had suffered a muscle injury in training last Wednesday which kept him out of the game this past Saturday.

However, Ibrahimovic was unavailable for training due to a throat infection while Hleb had a problem in his right foot and stayed behind to exercise in the gym.

The next training session will take place on Tuesday morning at 9 o’clock. The first fifteen minutes will be open to reporters and the session will be followed by a press conference with Bojan.

Rest for everyone, except Pep

After the game against Sevilla, FC Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola (39) gave everyone a day and a half off to rest and recharge. But according to an article in Sport, even as they prepared to fly back to Barcelona, it was evident that Pep’s mind was working constantly.

The article in Sport points out that the Saturday match was not easy for the Barça team, who flew to Sevilla for the away leg of the Spanish Super Cup. The players had been on an exhausting schedule that saw them arrive back from the Asian tour that previous Monday and begin double training sessions that week. In addition, Alves, Messi, Ibrahimovic, Bojan, and Jeffren took part in international friendlies midweek; thus on the return flight from Sevilla — where they faced a team that was preparing for its Champions League match in the middle of this week and where temperatures were between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius — all of the faces reflected an accumulated tiredness.

Upon their arrival at the airport in San Pablo, the players looked exhausted, and the only thing on their minds seemed to be getting some rest as they waited to board the plane back to Barcelona. All, that is, except Pep Guardiola, who immediately took a seat near the gate and fell into a discussion with Tito Vilanova. With an intensity and with gestures, Guardiola made his point to his assistant: that he didn’t like that the team lost their identity when they got tired in the second half. He emphasized the necessity of playing out from the back and not resorting the easier way out (kicking long passes).

As the team finally made it back to Barcelona at 02:30 Sunday morning, it is a fair guess that while the players might have rested during their day and a half free, Pep Guardiola did not.

Four Barca players nominated for UEFA Club Football Awards

Víctor Valdés, Gerard Piqué, Xavi Hernández and Lionel Messi are FC Barcelona’s nominees among the 12 players shortlisted for UEFA Club Football Awards for the 2009-10 season, according to UEFA’s website. The four players have been nominated in their respective positional categories (Best goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, and forward), and one of the 12 will be awarded the overall prize of UEFA Club Footballer of the Year.

The UEFA Club Football Awards will be presented during the UEFA Champions League group stage draw in Monaco on Thursday 26 August, with three players apiece in contention for the best goalkeeper, best defender, best midfielder and best forward awards.

The nominations are decided by the coaches of the 16 teams that reached the knockout stage of the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League. Each coach has the opportunity of voting for the individual positional prizes as well as to name their choice for UEFA Club Footballer of the Year 2010.

One of the following 12 players in line for a positional award will be presented with the main item of silverware during the awards ceremony at the Grimaldi Forum, which begins at 17:45CET next Thursday.

At last year’s ceremony, Xavi was awarded best midfielder and Lionel Messi was named best forward and UEFA Club Footballer of the Year following their contributions to FC Barcelona’s treble winning season.

Bolton trying to sign Thiago Alcantara

British sports tabloid The Daily Mail report that Premier League club Bolton Wanderers are interested in signing FC Barcelona midfielder and Spanish youth international Thiago Alcantara (19) on a season-long loan.

Bolton manager Owen Coyle hopes to hold talks with the 19-year-old midfielder this week in order to convince the youngster over a move to the Premier League club.

Since Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger refused to send youngster Jack Wilshere (19) for another season on loan after the youngster spent a successful six month loan spell at Bolton last season, Coyle is keen on acquiring the services of Thiago in order to boast the quality of his midfield. Although it will have to be seen whether Barca manager Pep Guardiola is willing to let his prodigial talent leave.

Bolton have already successfully completed the signing of Real Madrid Castilla left back and Spain U-20 international Marcos Alonso for a reported fee of 3 million.

Guardiola does not want signings

Catalan sports paper Sport reports that after the defeat against Sevilla at the Sanchez Pizjuan, many concerns over the composition of the squad for the next season have been raised by the board upon the technical staff. Is it enough to face the season with just nineteen first team players, two less than last year? Do we have to sign more players? Is it too bold to gamble on the young players? Are they ready to make this leap or do they have to gain more experience in the Second Division? The board have raised questions to the technical staff, but with Pep Guardiola and Andoni Zubizarreta in the lead, they have a definitive solution, a plan for the future and for the present.

Pep Guardiola considered the possibility of signing a player and it is as one would expect, Cesc Fàbregas. The midfielder met all the requirements that would enable him to join the club. For starters he was formed in the club and is even a member, he is young, ambitious, has goals in him, will easily adjust to the system… The failure to sign the Arenys born midfielder has meant that the technical staff had to change their plan for the season, but the reaction has been immediate.

Guardiola knows that the squad has less players than last season, but it is not an issue that worries him too much. He is convinced that the young players from the academy along with the new signings David Villa and Adriano will end up playing the minutes that Chygrynskiy, Marquez, Toure and Henry used to enjoy .

Up front there is no shortage of depth, the forward line has been reinforced since the arrival of the second top scorer in the League last season, the top scorer of the last World Cup and the last European Championship, David Villa.

In defense, two players are gone Marquez and Chygrynskiy, but Adriano and Fontas can confidently fulfill this role, while other talented youngsters like Bartra, Muniesa, Sergi Gomez, Montoya, Planas, Dalmau can all be called up as and when needed.

It is in midfield where there is greater lack of depth. There are four players already part of the first team for three positions Busquets, Xavi, Keita and Iniesta. Cesc would have been the fifth but now the gap will be covered by Jonathan Dos Santos, Thiago Alcantara and Oriol Romeu. Guardiola will gradually give minutes to these players, and surrounding them by first team players until they are ready to be freed, never like in the Sevilla game, where the coach had no other option.

Guardiola considers the rise of players like Messi, Puyol, Iniesta and Xavi, as an example of players who started on the bench, and were gradually coming to maturity, that has allowed them to settle in the team and will look to bring up the current crop in the same way.

The club acknowledges that the coach had no other option than to throw in four or five young players and that even the first team players that were playing, still lacked a proper preseason. Guardiola has no doubt in his mind and, in light of the results he has achieved since becoming a coach, he will be given a wide margin of confidence because he has earned it. As always Guardiola is calm because he believes that Barça 2010-11 will walk on the right track. Whether the club win the Super Cup or not, it is he who will be leading the way, who has led the club to the top and will continue to do so.

An indicator to make bids? Perhaps not

Reflecting upon yesterday’s game, Catalan based newspaper El Mundo Deportivo reported some of the questions and worries that have emerged regarding the current Barcelona team and the form they showed on Saturday night: the circumstances were very hard indeed, but one should neither collapse nor be in a hurry to claim the team’s downfall. Sevilla’s experience, obviously, won over Barcelona along with a superior tone and a better pre-season preparation; the physical fitness of Sevilla’s players also played a positive role as well as the adaptability of the players to the Andalucian hot weather.

During the game, while Barcelona players kept their rhythm constant, Sevilla players did not accelerate it and thereby were not able to cause any troubles for the Blaugrana. However, with the lost chances, youth players, and the substitutions made, Barcelona’s problems were unveiled as the players could not manage to play with a clear system, thus their weak points were exposed.

It is clear that the midfield needs to be looked at. The suspensions and injuries could affect the team throughout the whole season. Nevertheless, by the end of the week the team shall welcome back the international players who have just landed at the Ciutat Esportiva a couple of days ago; a come back is possible. It will be as well an opportunity for the fans to come back once again to the Camp Nou and cheer for their team.

The coming week, however, is long enough for one to reflect on two evident cases: 1) That Sergio Busquets needs a substitute, and 2) That the combination of central defenders that Guardiola has tried so far have not been very effective.

On the other hand, to say that, upon yesterday’s result, the team should urgently go and buy new players is not an appropriate solution! The whole body of the team should discuss and assess along with the technical secretary the whole situation. It will not be possible to keep on forming different starting line-ups comprised of eleven different players each time, nor will it be effective to expect that the youth players will shine by themselves. The ideal solution would be to include each of them on different occasions as they play with the first team players; they will then gain more experience and will not be subject to bear the responsibility of the team’s loss (as in the Super Cup loss case!). It is obvious by now that there is plenty, even a surplus, of potential, quality players, but it is time to start taking some decisions.

Spanish Super Cup 1st leg, Sevilla CF vs FC Barcelona

In what seemed a déjà vu, FC Barcelona on Saturday night could not keep their lead against a relaxed, thirsty-to-win Sevilla team. The game against Sevilla reminds Barcelona fans of a bitter Champions League semi-final against Mourinho’s Inter Milan which was played last April: after taking the lead early in the game, Barcelona lost track and eventually lost 3-1. The reasons back then where attributed to the tiredness of the team players after a 14 hours bus-drive, a reason that surely was not the factor behind why the Blaugrana lost against Sevilla in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium.

To say that experience won against an amateur Barcelona side, where five Barca B players were in the starting line-up, would be fair enough to excuse the team, but whoever saw the game knows that the lack of experience could not have been the only reason for Barca’s loss!

The starting whistle announced the first official game for both teams in the new season. The first couple minutes witnessed a chaotic, rapid start where the ball was not possessed by any specific team. The possession, however, remained in the midfield as the players struggled to find themselves and to get their games face on.

One obvious weakness that appeared early on, however, was the lack of harmony on Barcelona’s right side between Bojan, who had still not recovered from the Under 21 qualification matches, and Jonathan Dos Santos. While on the other side, the left side was doing all the serious work from which came the first goal after a low cross was played by Maxwell that Ibrahimovic tipped with his right foot putting the ball into the back of the net on the 20^th minute of the first half.

Sevilla on the other hand, did not have any serious chances except for one shot taken by Renato which was saved by Barcelona’s promising youth goalkeeper, Miño. The rest of the first half saw an easy game played where the Blaugrana players tried their best to press and create chances, but only a few created a serious danger on Sevilla’s goal, and came out ineffective.

Ideally, a person who saw the first half could have possibly thought that perhaps Messi could take Bojan’s place in order to make the forward line more dangerous than it was in the first half. Another substitution could have possibly included the entrance of Thiago in place of Jonathan Dos Santos. However, Guardiola thought it might be better to take off Ibrahimovic substituting him for Leo Messi on the 52^nd minute.

Nine minutes later, Sevilla tied the score to 1-1 after a superb through pass which was missed by Barcelona’s central defenders leaving the chance for Luis Fabiano to score.

The game, thus, underwent a different scenario.

On the 64^th minute Kanoute took Renato’s place in order to nourish Sevilla’s midfield and exploit a boost in the players’ morale. Dos Santos, on the other side, was substituted for Thiago.

Unfortunately, things went Sevilla’s way. Kanoute came in with a magical spell that made the whole Sevilla team revive again and play superb football which left Barcelona’s players helpless. It was Kanoute who scored both goals that gave his team the lead and made the score 3-1 for Sevilla. Both goals came from one-two plays between Perotti and Negredo, and Perotti and Navas respectively assisting Kanoute with easy-to-score crosses while Barcelona players were still not fully recovered from the first goal shock! Messi on the other hand was denied a goal which was ruled out as offside. Thus the game ended with a bitter loss that the team has to overcome and prepare itself for in the second leg which will be played at the Camp Nou this coming Saturday.

It is the second time that Barcelona players find themselves behind against Sevilla; the first was in the Spanish Copa del Rey which Sevilla won in an aggregate of 2-2 with away goals advantage. It is also the second time that Barcelona players find themselves in a predicament where they are lagging two goals behind while the second leg is to be played at the Camp Nou; the first was against Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-final. In both cases, the Blaugrana could not turn the table and make things go their way. However, will the third time be lucky and will they then be able to make it and come back from behind?

To speculate on the factors to why the team lost on Saturday is perhaps not going to lead one anywhere. However, it is becoming clearer that there is a certain attitude that the players show after they take the lead; most of the time they don’t try to press and get another goal. Perhaps, also, Guardiola was not successful with the Ibra-Messi substitution, and, moreover, it could be that, really, the experience factor had its key role in the game.

What is known for sure is that the coming Saturday will tell. If Barcelona players took things easily this Saturday, then most probably things will be quite the opposite next week, when, most probably, the first team players will take the responsibility to save their team from a painful loss. Next week’s game will be the final preparation for the start of the new La Liga season.

Sevilla FC – FC Barcelona 3-1

Spanish Supercup, 1st leg
14th August, CET 21:30
Venue: Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan
Attendance: 38,921
Referee: Cesar Muniz Fernandez

Who topped and who flopped? Here’s what we think.

DEFENCE

Ruben Mino: The young custodian made his debut with the first team tonight and put in a good performance between the posts. Although he had a couple of nervy moments in the game, he made some good saves from the likes of Navas in the first half. Made a great reflex save to deny the charging Renato from close range. Was a tad unlucky for the Fabiano goal as the shot went between his legs. Let down by his defense tonight, but a promising display nonetheless. 6.5

Alves: He had a good first half defensively where he made a couple of good clearances and marked his man well. Made his trademark dashes down the flank but his crosses were wayward. Perotti got the better of him in the second half as the cross for the third goal came from his side. Involved in some superb buildup play for the Messi goal that was correctly ruled offside. Overall a disappointing performance at right back. 5.0

Sergi Gomez: Another reserve team player given the nod by the Guardiola and he slotted in the centre of defense alongside Gaby Milito. Brought the ball out of the back on a couple of occasions and was impressive defensively for most of the game. However he was responsible, along with the entire defense, for the goals conceded especially the third where Kanoute had a free header in the box. 5.5

Milito: He got an important block on a shot from Romaric in the first half after a scramble in the box. Made a few dashes into midfield to start the attacks. Passed the ball around well. Caught out of position for the second goal when he strayed far too wide on the left, leaving the defense completely exposed. Must shoulder the blame equally with the rest of the defense. 5.5

Abidal: Made a couple of forward runs down the flank to give his team some width. Had an intriguing battle with Navas throughout the game, as he dealt with his pace well in the first half, with the Andalusian winger finishing stronger. Failed to provide any sort of cover after Milito was caught out of position for the second goal. Looked a yard off the pace as the game entered the latter stages. 5.0

MIDFIELD

O. Romeu: The third debutant for Barca played in the defensive midfield role just ahead of the defense. Passed the ball around well although he did make a couple of mistakes losing out on possession. However, he did not get outmuscled by a physical Sevilla side. Was involved in the buildup for Barcelona’s only goal as he dished out a pass wide to Maxwell who crossed the ball to goalscorer Ibrahimovic. 5.5

J. dos Santos: The Mexican international started the game off well moving the ball around. Playing in the ‘Xavi role’ in midfield, his distribution was good. He made a good interception and quick pass to Maxwell who shot wide of the post. However, the youngster did show some inexperience as he picked the wrong pass on more than a couple of occasions. Withdrawn for Thiago in the second half. 6.0

Keita: Showed good workrate and covered a lot of ground on the night. However, his passing was not at its best and he lost possession quite a bit in the second half. Produced a save from Palop late in the second half with his effort from outside the box. An industrious performance but he could have done much better in midfield. 6.0

ATTACK

Bojan: Anonymous for large periods of the game. It just wasn’t the young striker’s night as he started the game at right wing. Had a great chance to give his side an early lead when he was picked out perfectly by Ibrahimovic, but his first touch was poor and he couldn’t get the shot off in time. Lost possession several times and was often outmuscled by Dabo. He had another good chance of scoring from an Abidal cross but he failed to hit the target. Probably would have done much better if he was played centrally or if he cut in from the left. 4.5

Ibrahimovic: Started as the central striker and put in an impressive performance. Created the game’s first real chance when he put a delightful through ball for Bojan, who scuffed the opportunity with just the keeper to beat. Gave his side the lead with a clever finish from close range after Maxwell’s cross found him in the box. Dropped back into midfield to receive passes and held the ball up very well. Had another chance to score when he showed some good footwork and smart play to get in behind the defense, but Palop reacted quickly to deny him a shot on goal. Withdrawn for Messi in the second half. 7.5

Maxwell: Started as a wide left forward. Provided the inch perfect cross for Ibrahimovic’s opener. Cut inside often and played some neat passes. Had a great chance to double Barcelona’s lead, but his shot went well wide of the post after being played through by Jonathan. Worked hard and got into dangerous positions but ultimately faded as his team lost control of the game in latter stages. 7.0

Substitutes:

Messi: Within a couple of minutes since his introduction, he produced one of his trademark runs beating three defenders and was ultimately brought down outside the box but no free kick was awarded. Played centrally and dropped deep to receive the ball. Looked dangerous when he came on and played some good passes down to the left flank, but didn’t make a significant contribution as the game went on. Missed an absolute sitter, by his standards at least, when he sent his shot over the crossbar from ten yards out. Put the ball in the net, but was in an offside position. 6.0

Thiago: The Spanish Under 19 international came on for Jonathan in the 65th minute and slotted in central midfield alongside Keita. Played some good passes, but didn’t really go for that killer through ball, preferring to play it down to Alves on the flank or Keita to his left. Didn’t make any mistakes, but did not do anything spectacular either. 6.0

Adriano: Brought in to face his old teammates with just a few minutes remaining. N/A

TEAM RATING:

Guardiola had limited options for his starting eleven with all the Spanish internationals not making the trip to Seville. He opted for an attack of Maxwell-Ibrahimovic- Bojan. Barcelona B players Romeu, Jonathan, Thiago, Sergi Gomez and Ruben Mino all played a part in the game to make up for the missing World cup winners. This was by no means a full strength Barcelona lineup with Messi coming off the bench in the second half.

The team started off well. Despite reserve players featuring, Barcelona had the better possession throughout the first half and played some good passes. Ibrahimovic and Maxwell had good games upfront. However as the game wore on, the makeshift defense was exposed by the hosts as Sevilla notched up three goals in the space of twenty minutes to turn the tie on its head. Poor defending in the buildup for all three goals is the reason Barcelona head back to the Camp Nou needing at least a 2-0 victory. The football was not at its fluid, entertaining, attacking best, but then again, this was a game where five reserve team players featured while Sevilla played their strongest starting eleven. A very average performance overall. 5.0

Barca confirm Henry and Toure exits

FC Barcelona have confirmed French international Thierry Henry (32) and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure (26) are to leave the club. Both players were widely expected to leave the Camp Nou this summer, with Henry tipped to move to Major League Soccer in America and Toure thought to be on the verge of a switch to Manchester City.

A statement on Barcelona’s official website read: “Barcelona director general Joan Oliver has said that the club has agreed the exits of Yaya Toure and Thierry Henry, but that at the moment the final moves are in their hands.”

“In the case of Toure, Oliver has recognised an understanding between the club interested in the midfielder, Manchester City, and Barca, but the transfer cannot be made official yet.”

Toure will seal a move to Eastlands in the next few days after the new president officially takes charge, according to his agent.

“I think we will have a solution this week. In fact, I would say (it will be done) on the first or second of July,” Dimitri Seluk told Catalan sports paper Sport.

Ibra is not moving from Barcelona

FC Barcelona forward and Sweden international Zlatan Ibrahimovic (29) will not be leaving Barcelona for AC Milan this summer, according to his agent Mino Raiola.

Ibra has been linked with a switch to the San Siro after a problematic end to last season at the Camp Nou. However, Mino Raiola has today insisted that there is no transfer on the horizon.

“Ibra is not moving from Barcelona and I don’t understand why he should,” the representative told Radio TV. “He doesn’t want to leave Barcelona and the club doesn’t want to sell him.

“He didn’t have the kind of ending to the previous campaign that he expected, but everything was going well until February.

“It’s just an exaggeration of the facts to suggest that he should move to another club.”

Ibra only joined Barcelona last summer in a multi-million deal which saw Inter receive a substantial amount of cash and the services of Samuel Eto’o in exchange.

Brazil vs. Chile

WC Blaugrana Match Preview: Brazil vs. Chile
Round of 16 – Monday, June 28, 2010
Time: 20:30 Convert to local time
Location: Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
Stadium Capacity: 55,686
Barça player to watch: Dani Alves

Can Chile’s attacking style overcome their strong South American rivals? How do you feel Dani Alves is faring on the right side of the midfield (though only when Elano is rested)? Use the comment section to add your thoughts and reactions during and after the match!

Our football is based on talent

How is the team feeling right now?

Losing against Switzerland definitely hurt us. We had been on a long winning streak and all of a sudden came an unexpected loss. That loss made us much stronger. We were anxious because we knew that if we failed again we’d be out of the competition. We were worried that we’d be the biggest failure of the World Cup. But the team knew how to overcome that problem and from here on out you’ll see the best Spain.

Cruyff and Luis Aragones criticize the team for playing with a double defensive pivot…

In football, when you don’t win everybody debates and when you win nobody complains… The coach is looking for more security. The offensive talent is the same but we are following in the steps of other great national teams that look to be a little more defensively sound while not forgetting about our other qualities. Our football is based on talent and the system we play gives us security.

Do you understand why some people blamed Busquets after the game against Switzerland?

‘Busi’ gives us equilibrium and he’s one of the best players in the world in his position. I won’t say that this World Cup made him mature more because he was already mature. He’s always well positioned, it’s amazing. But as you already know, when you win everything is great.

Do you think Xavi is playing out of position?

No, he’s played further up on the pitch many times before. It’s true that now he doesn’t touch the ball as much but he’s especially dangerous being so close to goal. He can give that final, lethal pass or score himself. Xavi is doing just fine.

Did Iniesta liberate himself with that goal?

He’s had a tough season. He’s suffered, like anyone who gets injured, but Andres is one of the best players in the world and he’s now feeling better.

Villa has already scored three goals…

Villa helps the national team in the same way that he’ll help Barca: goals and compromise. He plays with confidence and desire, he’s competitive and he has that special instinct for scoring goals. He’s also smart and makes things look easy on the pitch.

Portugal or Cristiano Ronaldo?

The rival is Portugal, a very compact team that has one of the best players in the world. But we’ll definitely stick to our style of play.

What do you think of Messi’s performances?

Incredible! They’ve hurt Messi a lot. He’s a player that’s always committed to his team and they constantly doubted him. I don’t understand how someone could doubt Leo, it’s amazing. He’s leading a great Argentina and I’m happy for him.

Barcelona to bid on Mesut Özil to block a move to English clubs

According to the English newspaper The Daily Mail, Barcelona will make a bid for Mesut Özil (21), to avoid his signing for Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City. Guardiola would face difficulties to give Özil a place in the starting line-up, but senior figures in Barcelona have been quite impressed by his performance for Germany in the World Cup this summer.

Özil currently plays for Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, but his contract will expire next summer, as he refuses to extend his contract. He already has plenty of admirers in England, and he has been targeted as a potential replacement for Cesc Fabregas. Özil, known as the “German Messi,” is more attack minded than Fabregas, who is considered more as a box-to-box player. Barcelona would be ready to buy Özil this season, and send him back on loan to Werder Bremen for the next year, if the price is right. Alexander Hleb, who was on loan to Stuttgart last season is suggested to be a part of the deal. Hleb would then go to Bremen as a part of an exchange deal.

Arjen Robben

“That comparison makes no sense. For me he is still by far the best. I’m very realistic, I know exactly what I can and can not [do on the field].”

Dutch international and Bayern Munich star Arjen Robben, when asked about the comparisons between him and Lionel Messi.

WC Blaugrana report: Argentina vs. Mexico

With a place in the quarter-finals at stake, Argentina faced Mexico in a clash that would pit FC Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Rafa Marquez against each other. In this match, Argentine coach Diego Maradona reshuffled his lineup leaving both Juan Veron and Jonás Gutiérrez on the bench and replacing them with Maxi Rodriguez and Nicolás Otamendi. Read on for a brief match summary. And be sure to give us your impressions of the game in the comments.

Argentina defeated Mexico 3-1 in a passionate encounter that was full of emotion, amazing football and refereeing controversy. The Mexicans were desperately unlucky not to score in the first 10 minutes, but it was Carlos Tevez who opened his account in the 26th minute off a pass by Messi. The fact that Tevez was literally a meter offside eluded the linesman and enraged the Mexicans. Gonzalo Higuain capitalized on the Mexican lack of composure, jumping on a wayward pass from Ricardo Osorio to double the lead in the 33rd minute. Early in the second half, Tevez added to the Mexican woe with an amazing shot from 25 meters to make it 3-0. Javier Hernandez, el Chicharito, restored some pride in the 71st minute, but the game ended on this 3-1 scoreline as the Argentines closed out the match with the introduction of Veron and Pastore, both impressive late in the game.

FC Barcelona attacker Lionel Messi had a subdued game, often being double and triple teamed by Mexican defenders. And despite his 27 shots at the tournament so far, he has yet to score a goal. For his part, Barcelona central defender Rafa Marquez had a good game in his role as a defensive midfielder for the Mexicans, generally keeping Messi quiet and getting involved in the final third.

To look briefly at the big picture: Another success from Messi’s Argentina, although it must be said that Maradona’s squad dispatched the Mexicans more through individual brilliance rather than collective ability. Do they have what it will take to dispatch the Germans in the next round?

Iniesta dedicates goal against Chile to Valdés

As noted by a brief report in Catalan sports paper Sport, midfielder Andrés Iniesta appeared to be very motivated in Spain’s final group stage game against Chile, and part of the reason for his performance was his great friend Víctor Valdés.

The blaugrana‘s goalkeeper explained that Iniesta announced before the encounter, during their bus journey to the stadium, that he was going to score a goal and that he would dedicate it to Valdés. The midfielder from La Mancha kept both promises. The goal was scored and the celebration was directed towards his friend. The Barcelona midfielder went into the match with restored confidence in his chances to both play and score, after verifying that his physical problems [bout of injuries] have disappeared.