Resurrecting the Blog - Adjusting the Focus

Summer 2017 Legends Match at Camp Nou

Four years have passed since my last entry into this blog. Some writing practice is in order.

Living in Barcelona, and futbol malaise is creeping in. Neymar's transfer is just one of a dozen things that has rubbed me wrong lately. Player salaries are starting to bother me more than they have before. Neymar is on more than 500,000 Euros per week at PSG; Ronaldo just asked for a raise at Madrid; Dembele has just been transferred from Borussia Dortmund for 105 million Euros. What is going on?

If a cost benefit/analysis shows that Neymar is indeed worth that much to the Qataris that pay his salary -- then fine. But I find it hard to justify adding to his wealth by writing about it. So no more...

For this purpose, I'm switching to writing about what is more important to me, football-wise. The football scenarios I am involved in:

• After-school football with my fellow teachers
• Football watching with said group of footballers
• Saturday morning football with the old farts at my gym

 Happy reading.

El Classico: Post Game Thoughts

Pepe in midfield again to disrupt the rhythm of Barcelona. He was there to bully. At half time, FCBarcelona had been dominating, but Madrid looked dangerous on the break. Nothing new there. Madrid breaking at speed, scored an overly easy looking goal in the 7th minute of the game. Thankfully, not long afterwards, Barca worked a couple of passes down the right; Alves sent Messi through, and the Flea burned Sergio Ramos for the equalizer. 

...

Late in the second half, Ramos got his revenge, nodding in from a corner to secure the win. It is clear Madrid no longer fear Barca. The tide has definitely turned. This win for them is like gin in the tonic. They will go into their Champions  League tie against Madrid feeling high. Never before have I hope more that a team was humbled by another than now. Common u Red Devils!

The Unneccessary Classico: Pregame Thoughts

This is the second Classico of the year in the regular lbva, and it has been under hyped. Most say Barca have already won the league and have nothing to play for. Madrid couldn't care less, according to most. They have already lost the league, and have a huge match on Tuesday in the Champions League against Manchester United. 

Barca's incredibly poor run of form of late need to be reversed, however, and this is the perfect match to do so. Madrid will try to obfuscate them by whatever means necessary, and my guess is that it will be ugly. Let's see.

Musings at the Midpoint

Here are my main thoughts on football so far, or at least what little I have seen of it.

The EPL: Though I live in Spain, I seem to watch more of the EPL than anything else. This is largely a result of scheduling -- it so happens that the EPL play games at reasonable hours here in Europe, whereas in Spain the games are so bloody late in the evening (though when you've got a toddler). I've caught some Man City, Man United, Arsenal and Spurs games - all have entertained. The Man City  Man United game was particularly entertaining. Neither team looked like world beaters, but both looked like they could score goals against anyone. Due to current standings, my money's on United for the title. They aren't spectacular now, but I can't see anyone else overtaking them.

La Liga: Barcelona are off to a tremendous start. I watched several games at the start of the season, and watched victories fall into their lap even when they scarcely deserved them. It seems they started believing in that luck, and eventually stopped having to rely on it for wins -- lately, their form has been tremendous.
It gives me no end of pleasure watching Madrid stumble as they have. Though I haven't watched them much this year, I have followed them closely in match reports. Unlike Barca, luck has not been with them much this year.  It appears Jose Mourinho has almost worn out his welcome in Spain - I won't be mourning his departure should it come in the summer.

The Champions League: Keeping with Madrid - theirs was the group to watch, eh? Dortmund was spectacular; Man City was apathetic, and Madrid were well tested.  Great games in that group. Kudos to Celtic for making it through in Barca's group, too. Neat to see them beat my club in that competition -- they deserved it. Chelsea - ha! Unlovable winners last year made for pleasant watching this year in their failure.
The next round has some great games - Madrid v. United being the real one to watch, of course. Though Barca v. Milan will be interesting. I went to their quarter-final game last year and it was great. Marcotti's take on some of the other matchups is worth viewing.
All for now -- hoping for more football and more posts in 2013.
Happy New Year!

Euro 2012 Poland - Ukraine: Early Observations

 

It seems in every tournament, something spectacular happens in the kickoff match (think Senegal over France in 2002; Greece over Portugal in 2004; Lahm's golaso in 2006; etc). This year was no different as we saw Poland draw against Greece, with no less than two players red carded and a phenomenal penalty save by a replacement keeper. 

The second match was no less captivating, with both Russia and the Czech Republic trying to demonstrate their worthiness for the title. Props to Russia for coming to play and succeeding when it counted though the final score flattered them a bit). Arshavin again looked the part (why doesn't he play this well with Arsenal?), and the whole Russian team must now be considered a threat. 

This afternoon, Denmark (!) upset Holland in a big way, nipping a goal when it mattered and defending like lions for the rest of the match. Good for them.

Finally, though not unexpectedly, Germany beat Portugal. You have got to give the Germans credit - they know how to tactically nullify opposition, even when the attacking waves keep coming. 

Tomorrow we get to see defending champs Spain play, and you can bet this country is exited for it. This fan, too.

Where We Stand: FC Barcelona vs. Malaga from the Camp Nou

My vantage point

The first game for Pep at home since announcing his retirement.  When I bought the ticket to this game in March, Barca were six points adrift of Madrid, and may of us thought for sure the league was gone. A roller coaster ride from then to now, and it is officially true, the league is gone. Now, so too is Pep Guardiola. 

So be it. No turning back now. Tito will be the new boss, but there is the small matter of the remaining games this season, including one Cup Final, to consider.

Pep's first Post Announcement game away to Rayo Vallencano (a 0-7 thumping) was a serious statement by coach and players that this is not a team to bury their head in the sand despite some tough results. This game, at home, was sure to be remarkable as well.

Malaga are a powerhouse team in the making largely due to the backing of newish club president Sheik Al Thani. His billions brought Santi Cazorla to the team, as well as Ruud Van Nistelroy, Martin Dimichelis, Julio Baptista and Joaquin.  All stars in their own right. This season, Malaga have been good enough to qualify for Europe.  

Pep fielded an interesting bunch, giving Pinto a chance to warm up for the Cup Final. He did alright, making a couple of clutch saves towards the end. Mascherano played another spectacular game, as did Cesc. Messi, not in the best form for most of April, looked quite a bit sharper in this game.

Highlights of the game for me:

1. Pregame keepy uppy between Messi and Dani Alves separated by about 40 yards --- quina control!!!
2. At 6 minutes in, an innocuous ball drifted out if touch near Pep and co. Pep noticed a lack of concentration from his squad and left the bench to issue some instructions -- chants of GUARDIOOOOLA rang throughout. An awkward but notable moment for the coach and crowd.
3. Malaga's goal on 26 minutes was well earned -- Barca had lost focus for a stretch, Malaga via Rondon netted their goal right in front of me. 
4. Messi's second penalty award was also right in front of me. It looked clear in the stadium, but I'm not so sure after seeing this one replay. Regardless, his chip over Kameni for his hat-trick was sublime.
5. Diego Buonanotte is a tiny but very clever footballer. At 5'2" and 125 pounds, I couldn't see him cutting it in any professional sport in the US.   
6. I got to see Ruud Van Nistelroy play. Legend. Roundly booed in the Camp Nou for his time at the Bernabeu.  He nearly scored with his first touch of the game.  
7. Leo broke Muller's record -- nice one. 
8. At 87 minutes in, the boixois nois unveiled a big GRACIES banner dedicated to Pep. Loads of Guardiola chants throughout from then to the end. He will be missed.

 


 

Clasico 2012 Post-mortem

Alright, so the blau-grana had a rough day at the office. From my seats just barely under la tribuna in the south-west corner of the Camp Nou, Barca just seemed to have an off night. The Madrid players were more up for this one, and their tactics proved effective enough for the win. The Barca players never got out of second gear.


This resurgent Madrid squad came to out fight Barca for every ball, to close the space down quickly, and to not let Barca get into any sort of attacking rhythm. They played out this strategy to near perfection. Like Chelsea at mid-week, when it mattered, they made their chances count.

So what now? So life goes on. We focus on the next game, at home to Chelsea, and we try forget about all of the misplaced and intercepted passes tonight.

Perhaps Pep played the cast he did with one eye on the CL tie in just a few days. No Pique, no Cesc, no Alexis, at least until later on. I hope that's the case; he's been saying for the past several weeks now that Barca will not win the league. Let's say Pep played a weakened side tonight so that he could deliver us he Big Eared trophy come May. Ya. That's my story and I'm stickin to it.

Everyone is entitled to have the occasional off night.  Barca's off nights in the league this year have sadly come a bit too often. Congrats to Madrid to have surely taken the title now. Hope the boys can pull it together in the Champions League.

Khedira scored the first goal on this play

El Clasico 2012 Preview

So here we are again, the Clasico. These games, and those of the Champions League, sort out who the best team, using the purest definition of the word, is. 

It is true that both Barca and Madrid lost their games in mid week ties, and it is entirely possible that one or both of these teams will not make it through to the Champions League final. Credit must go to both Chelsea and Bayern Munich for humbling the two Spanish juggernauts. Well done. Let's see if you can do that consistently now for a few years, as have done both FC Barcelona and, to a lesser extent, Real Madrid.

Those CL games are essential pretext for the Clasico tonight. Madrid arrive at the Camp Nou thinking primarily about winning the league, which they are in a position of strength to do, and rubbing it in the Catalans' faces regardless of the result. Of course they desperately want to win the Clasico and put an end to Barca's supremacy over the past three years, but a draw would suffice. A draw would keep them 4 points in the clear. This Madrid side however, might be a bit tired. Virtually an A-team played in Munich, and they were made to work hard by a Bayern team who was really more motivated than Madrid to win this one.

Barca, too, come into this one tired (loosing in the pouring London rain after complexly dominating Chelsea must have been exhausting). Problem is, they absolutely have to win this one to maintain any hope of winning the title. They would like to win this one also to keep their legend alive - a legend that puts this particular Barca incarnation among the best soccer teams in all time history.

Both sets of players will no doubt shake off their fatigue or play through it tonight. Both squads look to be at or virtually at (David Villa is still out) full strength. Pep is bound to surprise us with his starting selection (Cuenca or Alexis?); Mourinho is bound to park the bus, and instruct his players to rough it up.

This is my second Clasico and I feel supremely lucky to witness it, regardless of the outcome. I'll be watching this one from just outside the Tribuna on the south western corner of the stadium. Photos to follow tomorrow. C'mon you Barca!

Champions League Semifinal Preview

Expect some minor surprises, but the Big Two in Spain should make it through.

Bayern Munich and Real Madrid square off first at the Allianz Arena, a stadium all four semi-finalists will want to be at in just over month. Madrid looks stronger to me based from their form in both La Liga and in the Champions League. Bayern seem to have conceded the Bundesliga title to Borussia Dortmund, and for me run hot and cold in the Champions League. They lost 0-1 against Basel in the Round of Sixteen, before destroying them 7-0 at home. That the final is in Munich in late May is a red herring. Pros are pros, and Madrid's are just better than Bayern's.

In the other semifinal, Barcelona look stronger than Chelsea, but there is good reason for Barcelona to be very weary of the Blues. To me Chelsea appear as a wounded dog, possibly with rabies, that may or may not lash out at you and dish you a fatal blow. The Blues' upcoming fixtures look really exhausting to me (at Wembley against Spurs in an FA Cup Semifinal, home v. Barcelona; away to Arsenal; away to Barcelona). Expect at least one loss from those four fixtures, hopefully one big one against Barcelona.

See you at the Camp Nou!

Why Barca Should Cash in on Pedro (and keep Alexis)

Why Barca Should Cash in on Pedro (and keep Alexis) At 1-3 up against Zaragoza, Pedro dribbled two Zaragoza players, dished a sweet pass to Messi (who returned the favor with a sweet pass of his own), the finished the move in tremendous style. That goal was an incredible confidence booster for the cantera lad, and one the many Barca fans relish with pride. He is, after all, on of our own.

That said, I think Barca should sell him.

If you haven't noticed,  Barca, like other top clubs, bring in new striking talent every year or so, to keep partnership with the regulars fresh, interesting and challenging. Before Alexis, they bought Villa; before Villa, Ibrahimovic; before Ibra, Henry, and on and on.  Pedro is not a unique player (though his odd running style sets him a bit apart). He is akin to David Villa in my opinion, on that he is a very good player, but not a technically enhanced player.  He lacks the skills and some of the natural abilities of, for example, a player like Alexis Sanchez, his teammate and competitor for games at FC Barcelona. 

The reason I am lobbying Barca to sell Pedro is that the time is right - he is twenty-four, recognized world wide as a top player, and has loads of potential that would be realized by a club who could give him regular starting roles.  Barca still have Villa (who should be ready before season's end), plus they have a soon to be fit Ibrahim Afellay, they have fellow cantera lad Tello, Isaac Cuenca - in other words, they have plenty of backup for that role.  Let Pedro go while he is in his prime - keep Alexis as the starter for now; motivate the forwards be revolving Alexis with Tello and/or Cuenca to keep things fresh.

FC Barcelona vs. AC Milan, Part 2

 As it happened: Twenty minutes before kickoff.  No trouble getting to the stadium from near the arc de trionf on bicicleta. Up the passeig de San Joan fins del diagonal i, zip - to the stadium. Wow. After so many years watching these games on tv, I am finally in the stadium for one. I am pretty fn happy.  This is my first time watching the game from the north end. I have been near the southwest corner for the other two games here. The Milan fans are making a ruckus way up in the third tier.  Nice! Did not hear that at either the Madrid game or the Valencia game.

Rumor has it that Cuenca is playing and not Alexis. A curious decision from Pep I think. Loads of potential but not yet proven. Hope he does not freeze up like Tello at the weekend.  Visca el barca!

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 Halftime and it's 2-1 to Barca, two penalty kicks the difference. Bout time they started calling penalties for us. Seriously, believe they were just calls. The second looked a deliberate pull down, the first was a hard challenge by the goalkeeper on Messi who was clear through on goal.  Now to the since half. Cmon u barca!
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It's over. The Milan fans have to wait for the rest of us to leave. 3-1 to Barca. It was tense right up to about minute 77, then it seemed Milan lost heart. The end included the ritual frustration fouls and bad energy, but this fan is leaving very happy. Bona nit.
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Poco despres, my thoughts are that I am highly impressed with they way Cuenca played.  Also, Dani Alves ran his socks off and was involved in practically every attack of significance. It is a true pleasure to watch this team play. Oh, and messi scored two more goals. That means I've seen him net 6.

FC Barcelona vs. AC Milan, Part 1

Just a quick update.  It took much hemming and hawing, but I´ve decided to make this game my CL initiation. It´s a big one, and the result could easily go either way.  Barça is playing at home, which helps, but there are no guarantees. Last time Milan came to the Camp Nou, they pinched a goal in about a minute.

I hope to get the iPad into the game, and will live blog it as done with Valencia.

C´mon you Barça!

Life in BCN: Early Days

So we are coming up on our two month anniversary of the big move to Barcelona. It's early days still, but indicators are positive for our new life here. My wife has managed to not only get pretty much all of her documents together (she became a Spanish citizen in the United States, but needed to get her national identity card, her health card, her social security card etc.), but she's also managed to get part time work, with a high likelihood of a full time position starting in the fall. That is no small feat here, as Spain is in the midst of a national economic crisis; unemployment is at record levels.

For my part, I've been a one man-one client daddy-day-care, my one client being our two year old son. Fortunately or unfortunately, that job has now ended- we've put the little tyke in a citizenship training course (aka proper daycare) where he is doing all sorts of fun stuff including painting, sculpting, constructing and loads of playing.

That has freed my time up to focus on my passion - football - and the maintenance of this blog.

I've posted on my first foray to the Camp Nou already, and I've got tickets to a game in May. Hopefully I will get to see more than just those two this season, but we will see.

FC Barcelona 5 - 1 Valencia

I moved to Barcelona with my missus and the toddler on February 7 of 2012. We hope to stay for a while.

This was my first game at the Camp Nou since moving (I went to the Classic in 2010 previously), and I was excited beyond measure. Here is what i wrote along the way - sorry if it's a bit rough around the edges.

It is 55 minutes before the start of the game but I have already entered the stadium. I took the 54 bus from near the Arc de Trionf to get here  - it was so slow, I'll be glad when my bike gets here.

I had two beers, one in Bar Jaguar where I struck up a conversation with a Morrocan. I left there pretty quickly. Too many gringos. Walked down the street to the Staff Bar - much better - Catalan bartender and folks speaking Catalan outside that I could chat with. Ok, I chatted with only one older guy, a soci. Asked him if we had any chance to win the league. He shook his head and said no. But maybe the Champions League and the Copa del Rey. I like his optimism.

40 mins before kickoff. The Camp Nou is starting to fill out, but it is still pretty empty. I'm off for a walk around the stadium.

5 mins before the start - Manel on the PA system.

Kickoff - turning off the iPad.

Half time 2 - 1 to Barca., it just started to sprinkle. Busquets' mistake led to the first goal - he's not been playing well. He did do better after that error at least.  Alexis has been stupendous. Messi's first goal had a touch of luck to it. So did the second.

Final result - FCB 5 - 1 Valencia.  Messi's chip on the keeper though was pure class. Iniesta has also been great. His little chip to set up a near spectacular effort from Fabregas was really amazing.

It was a great game for this Barca fan, a great welcome to Spain.

The Liga is dead. Long live the Champions League! Barca and Arsenal

Barca

Molt be, al final, but we passed through some really rough moments in that game. This was a really important game for the confidence of the Barca players. Having just lost the league, and I am certain that they have just lost the league, the only competition of any great importance is the Champions League. Bueno, this is not to slight the great tradition of the Copa del Rey, but frankly, it's just not as important. Teams are judged by direct competition with their contemporaries in other leagues.

To reinstate player confidence, the ideal opponent would have to be credible, but not too strong. Bayern Leverkusen fit the bill perfectly. They have a solid reputation as a European club.  Though not in the top tier, they regularly make it into European competition. It is a good thing that we face them now.

Barca showed some frailty in this first leg. Sergio Busquets gave the ball away with far too great frequency; Abidal again was strangely out of character. Against Osasuna, Abidal had a crapper. Granted, so did the entire barca defense. Messi payed a poor first half, but made up for it in spades in the second. Credit should go to Adriano, playing left in the attacking three for the first time I have seen him the, ever. He played reasonably well. Alexis was stupendous.
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Arsenal
And l thought the Barca performance was sub-par. Wow. Arsenal played a real stinker tonight against Milan. I am and have been a skeptic for some time of Arsene Wenger, but this performance was truly awful. Risicky should be sold, Arteta just isn't good enough. Henry? Past his prime and out of shape.

I understand that it is difficult to play so far away from home, and that everything is complicated by the opposition. Milan were much better prepared for this game. It looked like the payers had done their homework, and they stymied almost every single Arsenal attack. Good for them. It will be nearly impossible for Arsenal to turn this tie around. See you in the next round, Milan.


**In the near future, I will be heading to games at the Nou Camp. Pictures to be included.
 

Osasuna 3 - 2 Barcelona? Hem Perdut la Lliga

We were late. I knew we were going to be late, but didn’t know exactly how late we were going to be. It was too late, apparently. By the time I made it back from the Maquinista Mall, somewhere north of downtown, about 9 Metro stops north of the Arc de Triomf, after a marginally productive trip to the Genius Bar, Osasuna was up two to nil. What the fuck? I couldn’t believe what I was reading on the tiny screen in the bar we passed. I asked the guy outside the pub “Es veritat? Dos a cero?!” “Si, si, es veritat.” Madre mia.

We ran the last block and half to the entrada, zipped up the elevator shaft and stormed into the living room.  “Es veritat?! Dos a cero a Osasuna?!”

Thirty minutes had gone by, and so had the Liga.  There was no way Barca was coming back from two down, at Osasuna playing on their potato field of a pitch, in sub-zero temperatures. On top of this, they were playing with a makeshift midfield, saving the premier engine for the Champions League game this coming Tuesday.

Argh. I’m not sure I like this strategy.

El Classic

Stakes were very high going into this game. For FC Barcelona, this was a must win game.The first twenty-three seconds were horrible, and my initial thought was that Madrid were about to run rampant over us, netting a score of goals. Thankfully, after that incredibly opportunistic start, Madrid's fragile psyche was exposed.
The miss by Ronaldo, through on goal with about twenty minutes of the game gone, followed closely by Xabi Alonso's yellow card for a hack on Messi, constituted a turning point in the game. About ten minutes later, Messi dribbled by four players, and threaded his pass to Sanchez for the equalizer. Barca's confidence grew, and well, you know what happened next. 

It wasn't as definitive or impressive as la manita last year, but this was a fantastic and necessary win for FCB.
Visca el Barca!

***
On an unrelated note, this blogger is moving to Barcelona in February of 2012. I hope to get to as many games in person as possible. I'll keep you posted!

Peak Foliage -- Mid-Autumn Observations on FCB Reaching Peak Performance and Team Unity

Pep Guardiola once explained that he trained his players so that they would achieve peak performance twice per year: once in late November, then again in April. He has a month to get to his first benchmark and it is clear that his players have some work to do.

In the article Pep referred to players peaking in terms of physical fitness. He did not attempt to argue that team unity or cohesiveness and understanding would peak around the same time.

As Barca (and presumably other teams aiming for the same objective) reach this first physical fitness peak they must also reach a state of mental/psychological peace. To do so, players must either A) figure out how to best work with what they have (their own skills and those of their teammates) or B) push to improve the way they work and the way those around them work so that the team can work well together. The Rub: In the delicate world of superstar athlete egos, achieving that sort of harmony requires so much self sacrifice it is nearly impossible to obtain.

If anyone can do it, however, it is this Barcelona team.

A great indicator of this is Barca's team leadership. Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and, increasingly, Abidal, have been poster children for self sacrifice. Never egoistic in interviews, they, along with Pep, set the tone for stability, humility and squad cohesiveness in games. Now if only they can bring both physicality and such unity to peak.

Spain vs. Scotland; Klinsman Stumbles

Spain pulled out all the stops against Scotland, at least for the first 60 minutes of the game.  With Puyol back and Valdes finally getting a start for la Furia Roja, Spain again had a sharpness not really seen since Euro 2008 and, to a somewhat lesser extent, at the 2010 WC .

Granted, Scotland are not a big fish team. It is still worth recognizing that several of the Scottish players play for top sides throughout Europe, and, in theory, they should be pretty decent. Against Spain, however, they looked more like a disorganized junior varsity high school team from the midwest. They could hardly string five passes together.


I don't think the penalty that Scotland scored should have been allowed.  Yes, it was a penalty kick offense. Valdes was slow to claim a ball into the box and clumsily crashed into the Scottish forward. Goodwillie's run up to the penalty looked to me to be a violation of the no-feinting at the point of the shot rule. It's a shame because Valdes is not a bad penalty stopper, and it would have been nice to see the result of a fair fight. Because of that concession, his track record will be forever blemished. Bad luck, Victor.

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On this side of the pond, Jurgen Klinsman's side lost 1-0 to Ecuador. I agree with this blogger. He's said it best.
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Predictions (hopes) for the weekend:
Betis will draw Madrid in the Bernabeu. Ramos will get a yellow card.
Racing de Santander will go down by one or two goals to Barcelona.

David v. Goliath: Racing and Valencia Hold Real Madrid and Barcelona

Si, hay liga indeed. Maybe.
I watched the Madrid game yesterday, and caught most of the Barca game through a combination of Radio Barca and Gol TV courtesy of the Druid in Inman Square. Both teams drew in fixtures to Racing de Santander and Valencia respectively, in what was probably the best set of results for La Liga's PR officers. However, it is very apparent that the top two teams are breaking away in terms of attracting and contracting talent, and there appears to be no end in sight.

For fans of different teams in La Liga the situation looks frustrating and difficult to reconcile.  I am a fan of one of the big teams, Barcelona, but I cannot stand the fact that our spending power and that of our rivals Madrid has reduced the others in the league to mere also-rans. Points differences between the second place finisher (either Barca or Madrid each of the past three years, with the big points jump at the 2009-2010 season) and the third place finisher tell a depressing story.

2010-2011  21 pts between Madrid (2) and Valencia (3)

2009-2010* 25 pts between Madrid (2) and Valencia (3)

2008-2009   8 pts between Madrid (2) and Sevilla (3)  

2007-2008  (Villareal finished above Barca; Madrid won the title)

2006-2007   5 pts between Barca (2) and Sevilla (3)

2005-2006   1 pt between Madrid (2) and Valencia

*In 2009, both Barca and Real Madrid brought in some remarkable players, and a few, in Barca's system at least, seemed to come in to their own at just the right time. Madrid's 2009 shopping spree included Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema, Albiol, Lassana Diarra, Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso, Esteban Granero, and a goalkeeper called Adan. Ay Caramba!

I like to think that there is hope, but that means some hard decisions need to be made, specifically something on the order of salary caps and/or some sort of redistribution of wealth. Fine to say, nearly impossible to implement. It would require the leaders from Barca and Madrid to pony up to the table and offer to sacrifice a significant percentage of their earnings to create a more balanced league. As things now stand, the big two will continue to bring in the most talented and most expensive ball players, leaving the others to the remaining scraps. While football is a funny game, and one can regularly see examples of Davids beating (or drawing) Goliaths -- reference the most recent match from either Barca or Madrid -- the current course if unaltered is untenable.