Yet another hopeful CL title opportunity thrown in the garbage. Getting knocked out 3x by Atletico in the CL is inexcusable.
go look at the officiating again , today so many fouls committed by them that were ignored , and for the 15 that were called not a single yellow card was given to them .... the home leg was a thousand times worse
Nah, this was accidental and would never be called. https://streamin.me/v/70816709 What the delay caused by the injury to Fermin seemed to do was kill our rhythm. We never had the same energy after that play.
Expect a lot of scrutiny now put on Flick for his tactics. Now that the way we keep conceding goals and getting red cards is an established pattern, he's going to have to adjust. It's clearly not a personnel problem. Even if we had unlimited budget to get any player in the world, there is no defender who can prevent giving up those chances. I suspect, though, that Flick will stick to his guns and claim the breakdown isn't in the backline but in the team's high pressure that allows teams to spring these counters.
Time to take a hard look at these 11 years of futility since we won in 2015. A victory that secured the re-election of Bartomeu, it must be mentioned. Arguably, for a team with near-zero budget, we're overperforming in recent years.
Very hard to find this clip of the no-call PK on Olmo. Side by side with the Eric red card just underlines the inconsistency of what counts as a foul. https://xcancel.com/krmdiop/status/2044161860363026720#m
Eric's foul was a clip on the leg. The contact is however, very slight from the many angles I've seen and I am convinced Sorloth just went to the ground on his own. And I am not convinced the ref saw it even on the replay. He probably was only looking at where Kounde was based on how quick he came back with the decision. That shove on Olmo's back honestly never gets called unless there is more pressure on the push.
Meh, both red cards were caused by defenders watching the ball carrier, instead of following their runners. Flick got the lineup correct, which is to put your best worker available at the LW to deputize for Raphinha. That is, in opposition to him choosing lazy Dani Olmo at LW in the CDR match at the metropolitano. I thought Flick should have gone to De Jong much sooner than he did, because Gavi and Pedri were both fading. The reffing wasn't great, but then it did not decide this tie. In the first leg, don't ball-watch, and then the red card doesn't happen. In the second leg, don't ball-watch, and the red card doesn't happen; finish the chances, and Barca likely advance.
The ball-watching is indeed to blame. If you watch the red-card play, it's Gerard Martin who drops too deep while not tracking Sorloth. As a result there's no flat backline from which to draw Sorloth offside. Eric wasn't at fault; he was trying to cover for Gerard's error and paid the price. I guess Flick will watch this game tape and stick to the high line, but the split-second coordination between defenders is an incredibly hard task to give them. There are just too many gray-area situations when it's not clear whether the defenders should step up or drop back, but whichever it is, they have to do it in unison.
Micah Richards on tonight’s refereeing decisions: “Big man, listen to me! We have to be real about this. Let’s be honest — every single big call went against Barça in both legs. Every. Single. One. The referee has to do better, he really does! You can’t be making game-changing decisions like that at this level and getting them wrong. I’m looking at the handball in the first leg, I’m looking at the penalty tonight… it’s unbelievable! At what point is it not a coincidence anymore? I’m not one for conspiracies, but when it’s the same story every time, you start wondering what’s actually going on. It’s tough, man. It’s really tough for them!”
FRENKIE DE JONG ON HONEST TALK ON THE OFFICIATING: "I am tired of making excuses, but what we are seeing is impossible to ignore. Tonight, the foul on Olmo is a clear penalty everyone in the stadium and everyone watching at home saw it. Yet, the referee acts like nothing happened? It is the exact same story as the first leg. We saw the handball by Pubill right in front of the goal, a clear penalty, and again silence. But then, for a tiny touch on the back, they give Eric Garcia a red card? How does that work? Why is it that every 50/50 call, every major decision, always goes against Barcelona? It feels like we aren't just playing against the opponent anymore; we are playing against the whistle. It’s a disgrace to the game."
Thierry Henry on Barcelona Vs Atletico Madrid both-leg officiating controversy: “I’m sorry, but what did I just watch over two legs? Because that’s not football, that’s decisions deciding games. First leg, you send off Cubarsí for that? Minimal contact, the boy barely touches him and suddenly it’s a red card that flips the entire tie. Then you have a clear handball inside the six-yard box from Pubill, he literally stops the ball with his hand like he’s playing basketball and VAR just… goes quiet? How is that even possible at this level? Koke is out there doing late challenges, off-ball stuff all game, no cards. Not even a warning. But on the other side, Eric García gets a straight red when Koundé is literally right there to cover? So now we’re rewriting the ‘last man’ rule as we go? And don’t get me started on Olmo, pushed from behind, clear as day, no penalty. Then you count the fouls Atlético made… how many yellows? Zero? Come on. You can’t tell me that’s normal. Then Ferran scores, and we’re talking about offside on a rebound situation? That goal should stand. Simple. At some point, you stop calling it ‘bad luck’ and you start asking real questions. Because when every big decision goes one way, it’s not coincidence anymore. Barcelona didn’t just lose this tie… they were taken out of it.”
CARLES PUYOL: "THIS IS NOT FOOTBALL" "I am sick of the excuses! I’ve played this game my whole life and I have never seen such a pathetic double standard. You send Eric Garcia off for a 'slight touch' on the back—a play that happens fifty times a game—yet when Olmo is clearly taken out in the box, you see nothing? Tell me, what is the difference between those two fouls? One is a red card and the other isn't even worth a whistle? It’s a robbery in broad daylight. If the referees want to be the stars of the show, they should retire and join the circus. It’s a disgrace to the Champions League and an insult to Barcelona. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH."
If you got Henry's quote from social media, there is a good chance that's fake. There were quotes like this last week credited to him that were made up. Not sure about this week.
I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought that. Regardless of light or heavy contact, Koundé had the angle and momentum.
Agreed that Martin was out of line with his team mates. However, Eric was watching just as much as Gerard was. Whats equally egregious is that neither CB are giving a shout to the others, insofar as what to do. Both Eric and Martin are ballwatching and mute, just as much as Pau and Martin did in the first leg. In my craptacular playing career, if the backline was aligned and more or less stationary = step up. If the backline was unaligned, and/or it was more in transition = drop. I agree that it has to be in unison, but then this highlights the need for a leader/organizer along the backline. Since Iñigo left, there simply isn't that type of player to help the others be in their proper positions, and to take the proper action, insofar as drop/step up. This backline needs an Iñigo-type, or a Puyol-type.
I agree that Eric's red card was soft. The ref threw up the yellow, SPECIFICALLY to get VAR involved. I agree that Kounde may have been able to get involved, but then, if Sorloth drifts right, and takes the ball in his weaker right foot, he has a shot available to him. Its then up to the ref/VAR to postulate what "COULD happen," which makes the call subjective. But, above all else, the moral of the story is to not put yourself and your team in position to depend on the ref making the right call. Simply put, don't ball-watch, and this doesn't happen.
On the still shot in your post, a player has the right to protect their face/head. I dont have much disagreement with the no PK call on that one. On Olmo's non PK call, again, if you're relying on the ref to make the right call, you're making the wrong decision. I do think that he should have make more of an attempt to get a shot off. I do agree that Pubill's hand ball HAS TO be a PK, but not necessarily a 2nd yellow. This is the only call mentioned that I'm adamant about the ref and VAR getting absolutely wrong.
You could say the same to Fermin and to Olmo. Fermin's header should have been a goal, as should have Olmo's "point after touchdown" skyward shot. Lewandowski missed a half-chance. Just finish one or two of these, and Barca advances.
Eric's recovery run was also the wrong angle. He needed to retreat straight to goal, but for some reason he ran in behind Sorloth.
Fermin at least hit the target. GK came out and made himself big well. Olmo yeah, should have hit the target, but still he is turning and shooting and it's easy to lean back and have the ball go high. Araujo's miss is the worst. Ball looks to be at perfect height, he is point blank with the goal ... and puts it with a decent margin over it. Also Fermin and Olmo have credit to spend. Even in this game.