Copa del Rey Final 2018: SEVILLA FC 0-5 FC BARCELONA

[SirBalon]

24 minutes ago, Teso dos Bichos said:

Karma is a bitch! Watch them only win la liga even though they have just spent the most amount ever (whole season) and call it a successful season. messi missing a PK was the icing on the cake

See What happens when you pay attention to your youth! Melendo (espanyol's cantera)

 

Flippin ‘eck mate!  Is this what you’ve been waiting for? The first defeat of the season in all competitions? 

 

[Carnivore Chris]

18 hours ago, SirBalon said:

Flippin ‘eck mate!  Is this what you’ve been waiting for? The first defeat of the season in all competitions? 

 

The season started 5 months ago and that's all he's got

 

 

Anyway, it was a very scrappy game, as expected for a cup tie away to Espanyol and I do think Valverde, with his rotations took them too lightly and showed them a little too much respect. With this said, it was one of those games where I'd say a draw was the fairer result and it could have gone either way with a moment, which is how it panned out in the end.

It could well have been Barcelona's game had it not been for a missed penalty. Nice save by Diego Lopez, but Messi should be burying that. He always seems to try and take different penalties all the time, when the best thing would be just to smash it into the top corner. Look at all the ones against Real Madrid, for example, that's how he should take them all, rather than always trying something new.

 

Either way, it's not a result that can't be overturned at Camp nou. It's also got to be noted that there was always going to be a loss coming at some point, as you can't remain undefeated in all competitions for the whole season, it also gives the players a reminder that they have to continue working hard to keep achieving results and not get too over confident.

The game at the weekend will be very difficult indeed, against a Real Betis who on their day can smash anyone. They have some cracking players.

[Cicero]

That literally is the most retarded thing I've ever read. Bar none. 

[Carnivore Chris]

10 minutes ago, Teso dos Bichos said:

Even though Messi has proven to be an average PK taker, the system is all set up to rack up messi's numbers as thats the only way(and still not enough) he can be mention in the same category as Pele and maradona. I don't doubt cules have the same silly believe as Barto, that messi is already the greatest of all time.

He arguably is. Name another player you have seen who can score not only the numbers, but quality of goals he can, dribble like he can, create like he can and do it all to an above world class standard on a weekly basis?

 

[Spike]

On 1/11/2018 at 03:10, SirBalon said:

That was the general feeling most people had mate... Gerard Piqué himself after being ripped apart by Real Madrid in the Supercopa de España famously told a journalist after the game that in his 10 years playing for Barcelona at the top level, this was the first time he had ever perceived the sensation that Real Madrid were superior to them.

Everything after that Supercopa victory pointed to that...  Barça were in disarray for various reasons and Real Madrid has planned heavily for it during the pre-season, a pre-season that was curiously poor for Real Madrid and many failed to read into this.

They would be the superior team if they played their fucking generational Spanish talents and sacked Benzema. Isco and Asensio > Bale and Benzema.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Teso dos Bichos said:

He lacks the leadership Maradona and Pele had. FFS fuck teso's opinion just Read some of Maradona's quotes about messi and his lack of leadership .

Why the hell should we care about what Maradona says about "leadership" the world isn't based around one opinion ffs

[SirBalon]

CD LEGANÉS 0-1 REAL MADRID CF (FT)

Terrible game by Real Madrid against the side all the big boys remaining wanted to be drawn against.  A wonder goal by Marco Asensio in the second half gave Real a one goal advantage to take back to the Santiago Bernabéu next week.  The important thing though was to win this game in whatever way possible because to get back on form sometimes the first wins are ugly and this one certainly was.

[Panna King]

What an awful round of cup games.

[Carnivore Chris]

On 18/01/2018 at 21:08, Blue said:

Why the hell should we care about what Maradona says about "leadership" the world isn't based around one opinion ffs

https://www.marca.com/futbol/futbol-internacional/2018/01/21/5a64a799268e3ed6708b462a.html

 

I don't see @Teso dos Bichos quoting Maradona today either

 

 

 

[Guest]

Just now, The Rebel CRS said:

https://www.marca.com/futbol/futbol-internacional/2018/01/21/5a64a799268e3ed6708b462a.html

 

I don't see @Teso dos Bichos quoting Maradona today either

 

 

 

Its hard to compare, many people over 30 like to say its because Maradona won the world cup, but football has changed. Before the World Cup was the pinnacle. Today it still is, but in a different way.

Think of it this way: Brazilian football wasn't shown in England in the 70's (thats a guess) so the only way people knew Pele was the best in the world was by their eyes during the World Cup. Maradona is kind of the same, although television technology was beginning to evolve. The foreign rules were stricter and the only way you could tell Maradona was the best in the world was via the World Cup, which Diego arguably won it by himself.

Nowadays, we all know Messi is the best in the world as we've all seen him across the world, football has evolved in countries like the USA, Venezuela, India and China. That said, I do believe Maradona is the best of all time, but not because he won the World Cup. I've seen him in older matches and he genuinely was better than Messi, but on the other hand which UCL or Copa Libertadores titles did Diego win at Barcelona, Boca, Argentinos Juniors or Napoli? Messi has won it several times and a lot of it was because he was on the team.

I've seen very little of Pele so I have to say Diego Maradona is the best player ever, with Messi a very close second. I don't care what Diego says about leadership, which he could or could not have but its still an absurd statement given he's lead those bottlers at Argentina to 3 consecutive finals.

[Carnivore Chris]

27 minutes ago, Blue said:

Its hard to compare, many people over 30 like to say its because Maradona won the world cup, but football has changed. Before the World Cup was the pinnacle. Today it still is, but in a different way.

Think of it this way: Brazilian football wasn't shown in England in the 70's (thats a guess) so the only way people knew Pele was the best in the world was by their eyes during the World Cup. Maradona is kind of the same, although television technology was beginning to evolve. The foreign rules were stricter and the only way you could tell Maradona was the best in the world was via the World Cup, which Diego arguably won it by himself.

Nowadays, we all know Messi is the best in the world as we've all seen him across the world, football has evolved in countries like the USA, Venezuela, India and China. That said, I do believe Maradona is the best of all time, but not because he won the World Cup. I've seen him in older matches and he genuinely was better than Messi, but on the other hand which UCL or Copa Libertadores titles did Diego win at Barcelona, Boca, Argentinos Juniors or Napoli? Messi has won it several times and a lot of it was because he was on the team.

I've seen very little of Pele so I have to say Diego Maradona is the best player ever, with Messi a very close second. I don't care what Diego says about leadership, which he could or could not have but its still an absurd statement given he's lead those bottlers at Argentina to 3 consecutive finals.

I'd say it was all about opinions and the time you lived in when it comes to the likes of Messi, Maradona, Pele, Di Stefano and Cruijff, they are a unique rare talent who come about every blue moon and define an era. What would stand out the most with Messi for me though would be the fact that he scores the numbers that players such as Pele, Romario, C.Ronaldo and Muller did/do, while having that ridiculous close control, balance and dribbling ability of Maradona or Best and the vision and passing abilities of Xavi, or even Maradona himself, who was a phenomenal passer himself. It makes him the ultimate complete attacking footballer. He has also had a greater longevity than Maradona, who was already finished by that age.

As for Pele, a lot try to play down his greatness for spending his career in Brazil, but the Brazilian league was as good as any league in Europe back then. After all, all the world cup winners of the time played there. It was different back then before money dominated the sport and South American football wasn't necessarily any worse than the top European divisions. He also had a long career at the top, just like Messi.

 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, The Rebel CRS said:

As for Pele, a lot try to play down his greatness for spending his career in Brazil, but the Brazilian league was as good as any league in Europe back then. After all, all the world cup winners of the time played there. It was different back then before money dominated the sport and South American football wasn't necessarily any worse than the top European divisions. He also had a long career at the top, just like Messi.

 

The bolded bit is what I've always said. South American leagues were world class up until 1994. It was even better in the 60's actually, because when Brazil won those 3 world cups, everyone played in Brazil. Osvaldo Ardiles was one of the first to change the foreign rules although definitely not the first to play in Europe. Many Peruvians actually had played in those strict foreign rules before. Even the Peruvian league was one of the best in the world in the 1970's and that has changed with technology, and of course we weren't the only ones to suffer from this change. Even Argentina couldn't hold on.

[Carnivore Chris]

The intercontinental cup was taken seriously back then as well(much more than the Club world cup of today) and was often won by South American sides, not just from Brazil and Argentina, but also Uruguay. Peñarol and Nacional were two of the most successful sides in it.

Overall conmebol actually won a few more overall. It was close back then and it wasn't because European sides didn't take it as seriously.

 

 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, The Rebel CRS said:

The intercontinental cup was taken seriously back then as well(much more than the Club world cup of today) and was often won by South American sides, not just from Brazil and Argentina, but also Uruguay. Peñarol and Nacional were two of the most successful sides in it.

Overall conmebol actually won a few more overall. It was close back then and it wasn't because European sides didn't take it as seriously.

 

 

In my opinion, the last world class SA side was Boca in 2000.

If I had to rank the best Copa Libertadores winners this century

 

1. Boca (2000)

2. Atletico Nacional (2016)

3. Boca (2007)

4. Estudiantes (2009)

5. River Plate (2015)

[Carnivore Chris]

55 minutes ago, Blue said:

In my opinion, the last world class SA side was Boca in 2000.

If I had to rank the best Copa Libertadores winners this century

 

1. Boca (2000)

2. Atletico Nacional (2016)

3. Boca (2007)

4. Estudiantes (2009)

5. River Plate (2015)

That Estudiantes team was quality and very tough to break down. It was the toughest Club world cup final that Barcelona have had to endure, along with the 2006 game against Internacional, which was a loss. It took a late goal by Pedro to take it to extra time before a Messi winner. Very tough side and they very nearly won. This was when Pep was in charge and going for his 6th trophy in a year, so the players weren't exactly holding back, they wanted to win like any other team.

You still can't underestimate some South American teams even now and in terms of producing talent, they are as good as ever. The problem is keeping hold of the, as Europe is where the money is and where you can make yourself a name.

 

 

 

[Stan]

Leganes have gone ahead at the Bernabeu!

[Stan]

Leganes have knocked out Real Madrid!

Beating Zidane's team 2-1 away and winning on away goals. Superb effort from them, no matter how bad Real Madrid are right now. 

[Honey Honey]

Full time Leganes won 2-1.

[SirBalon]

Oh my days! 

[Machado]

Real Madrid attempted 44 crosses against Leganes and only completed 5.

Says everything about their "football".

Zidane isn't a real manager. He was put in the right place at the right time but now the momentum is gone and tactically he's probably a fraud.

[SirBalon]

4 hours ago, Machado said:

Real Madrid attempted 44 crosses against Leganes and only completed 5.

The problem is that crossing the ball is all they do, it’s all they’ve been doing for a number of years now.  They get it down the flank either with Marcelo or Carvajal and then rely on one or more than one of the crosses hitting the target that scores the goal.  Last year Carvajal caused havoc this way and was Real Madrid’s player of the season and because Real were scoring goals, Marcelo could hang out with his attacking friends on the team most days because like I’ve always said, he really is a fraud...  Never known a player to be so lauded and yet at most be good because in reality he’s just about average defensively.

Real Madrid’s football is predictable and unless the front men are putting away every cross that comes in, then they have have nothing else to offer or very little.

Over the past 4 or 5 years, count how many goals Real Madrid have generated through the middle which is where football is at its most difficult but where a team can be really judged upon where it’s football is in concerned.  This is where midfields are judged and for me there has been a combination of various factors as to why they landed two Champions Leagues in a row... But I’m not going to go into that today as I listened to a magnificent piece from an ex-Real Madrid player of the 80s on radio who shook the whole thing down to perfection and which had the more stupid element of the Real Madrid faithful calling in furious while the more senior and tempered fan (Yes, the real football fan), calling in to congratulate someone that is a fervent Madridista for having the balls to question a team even when it has won, in its most glorious moment.

[SirBalon]

On the @Machado post about crosses I’ve just got another thing to add that has just come to light in today’s sports portals in Spain.  It’s a video Real Madrid releases in celebration of last season’s victory in the Champions League Final against Juventus... If we all track back to that final we will remember that in the first half Juve were more than in the game and that it all changed in the second period. Well they’ve released Zinedine Zidane’s half-time chat to the team and these were his tactics (which incidentally aims simply the way they play the game even before Zidane took-over).

He says this and it’s no lie;

”Stop trying to play football, get the ball wide and just cross the ball in.  The midfield will concentrate on stopping them and just do what we know we’re good at.  Get it wide and put it in the box, be prepared for the rebound to strike at goal if the cross doesn’t function”

How long can this work for?  As long as those front men are good enough and physically adept to outfighting their rival.  Also as long as their wide men are accurate enough!  That’s not football at the level required by a club like Real Madrid or what’s expected of a head coach at Real Madrid. That’s 80s football and yes, it worked and yes it’s brought two victories in a row in Europe’s maximum competition, club football’s be all and end all today for various reasons.  But if we really do analyse, and look back, there were many many lucky moments that were basically tossed into the air like a coin calling heads or tails and due to various factors (one being the individual quality of players the team has) the lotteryaffect brought glory.  But none of it has been based on a philosophy, a reason behind football and a fluidity that can be looked back upon as something special.  But the trophy cabinet in all fairness doesn’t tell that story, it just displays the winners which is also true.

[Cicero]

I've been saying that for months. Marcelo and Carvajal were just as important, if not more so, than Ronaldo in their CL success and league success. They were bang on form. Beating defenders and deliveyr pitch perfect crosses.

 

Ramos looks like a pedo with that goatee 

[Asura]

38 minutes ago, Cicero said:

I've been saying that for months. Marcelo and Carvajal were just as important, if not more so, than Ronaldo in their CL success and league success. They were bang on form. Beating defenders and deliveyr pitch perfect crosses.

 

Ramos looks like a pedo with that goatee 

Carvajal easily the best player for Madrid along with Modric. To me, Carvajal is much better than Marcelo because that dude can track back and defend as needed unlike the latter who is shite at his defensive duties. 

[Cicero]

Barcelona take the lead early on.