there are other leagues we can get players from rather than the EPL were everyone is over hyped and overpriced
Sorry USofA lost at home to their rival but if there was a good time for it that was after the recent election, and who got them the win? 37 year old captain Rafa Marquez! Given all the trouble we had with health of Puyol and Abidal and Milito, and all the younger CBs we signed who did not work out (Cacares, Henrique, Chiggy), more experienced guys we tried (Masch excepted - he's a beast, Mathieu's OK, Verm never healthy long enough, Song was terrible at CB, Yaya could've stayed if he converted to CB but he was a great DM who got beat out by Busquets and wanted to be an attacking mid not a CB), and even La Masia guys who never quite made the full leap (Botia, Muniesa, Fontas, I will NOT add Bartra as I remain a fan of his), I have to ask whether we let Rafa go a year or even three too early (not saying he could still play for Barca now at 37 but the guy was good and still captains Mexico). Here's his winning goal (video embedded): http://www.sportingnews.com/soccer/...world-cup-qualifier/xurgwxam2spg1rx2djc519bpm
20 years since Bakero's last match. The player farewell I remember as the best I've seen, with him scoring a goal and all. Funny how our memory works. I remember there was a giant, humongous shirt with his number in the stands. Looking s t the picture, it'd not that big
Ronaldhino has offered to come out of retirement and play a season for that grief stricken Brazilian club !!! Great gesture by the guy !!
Kind words from one Barca legend about another, Pep on Pedro's reemergence for Chelsea: http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...helseas-pedro-made-him-better-manager-5668150
Woulda worked great long ago, I'm guess Ronaldinho runs no more and not much faster that Riquelme ever did now, so you'd have a bit of a wizardry to work rate disconnect, but still would love to see it too.
Just got back from the "Qatar Classico" between Al Sadd and Al Rayyan... yeah probably not too many fans either clubs here, but you guys may recognize this lil' guy who scored the 3rd goal off of a great free kick in what was quite literally Qatar's version of "Al-Smashico" ... 5-0 scoreline seems familiar, too....
Prem is the only thing going so here is what I noticed so far: Yaya starting v. Liverpool nice little redemption tale from Pep's doghouse to starter, game ongoing, Bravo also starting - should be a great game. In Stoke City v. Chelsea Stoke started Ibri Affelay, subbed him off, subbed on (separately) Bojan, no sign of Muniesa on the bench, perhaps injured? or just rotated. For Chelsea Cesc got the start but was subbed off, Pedro did not even make the bench (rotation?) despite scoring the double the other (boxing) day. For Southampton Romeu played all game in the loss. For Middlesbrough Valdes and the posts and ref kept a clean sheet till late but Man U overcame late, Adama started but was subbed off. Any others? Oh yeah, how could I forget big Zlatan, he scored one early which the refs disallowed as a dangerous play - beautiful karate kick to goal but pretty close to keeper, then his header assisted Martial tying goal before Pogba headed home a winner a minute later.
Cool letter by Ronaldinho to his 8 year old self: http://www.theplayerstribune.com/letter-to-my-younger-self-ronaldinho/
Former La Masia keeper, Fabrice Ondoa, gets a huge trophy. Cameroon beats favored Egypt 2-1, coming from behind (after Ondoa beaten at his near post) and beating Egypt for first time in 3 meetings in the Final of the African Cup of Nations. Winner by sub at game's end was a great goal: write up: http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/38786537
Beef poop to Southampton on a free transfer aka Martin Cacares who was cut by Juventus this summer after dealing w injuries so he only played some 58 games in 3 years. Still just 29. And still cost us a bundle.
It was not a good transfer,he is typical uruguayano tall strong chap who marks like crazy like Josema Gimenez,am sure Cholo would have signed him if he was around.
Gio's Feyenoord came out of the winterstop without a hitch. 4 matches, 4 wins, 4 clean sheets. The opposition were hoping for a collapse like last year, in which we came out of the winterstop and lost 7 times in a row. But that didnot happen, we still are the happy leaders of the pack.
Gerard Deulofeu was loaned by Everton to AC Milan and Milan coach already said Deulofeu has work to do. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ofeu-told-improve-AC-Milan-boss-Montella.html But he provided the assist as 9 man Milan beat 11 man Bologna on the road: https://www.instagram.com/p/BQRDBzbATQE/ http://www.goal.com/en/news/8/main/...-seen-a-game-like-this-deulofeu-stunned-by-ac http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/the-fairytale-geri-everton-outcast-9785034
Nice write-up on Deulofeu and how he's doing at Milan. Montella fancies Gerard as a false 9! http://deadspin.com/finally-someone-appears-ready-to-unleash-the-full-powe-1792228878
Man I'm glad deadspin is still alive, so many Deulofeu articles by an American on line site, and it is almost like he is Maxi Lopez or JaVale McGee (from Shaqtin the Fool to indispensable Warrior). Let's hope for more of the latter trajectory-wise for GD.
Barring any deals with Everton or Milan which we have not heard about, we have the right to buy Deulofeu back in 2017 for 12M Euros, but hard to see an scenario where we bring him back, esp. not for that price. Also we are barred from buying him back just to sell him the same window; if we bring him back we are supposed to keep him a full season with our first team. So the basics were sold to Everton for 6M, could've bought him back for 9M last summer (did not), last chance to bring him back is this summer (we will not I predict). http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/martinez-outlines-barcelona-buy-back-options-deulofeu I don't know if we get any upside if Everton sells him, particularly if sold for more than 6M, but I suspect we get something (same with Grimaldo, and I believe Icardi - both of whom could attact some EPL interest in large $ transfers.
Tomorrow the important clash between two former top Barcelona players as coaches. Van Bronckhorst vs Cocu in the Feyenoord vs PSV match. This clash has been written and talked about since the winter break, as it will decide if PSV is still a candidate and Ajax raise their hope to catch up with Feyenoord.