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FC Barcelona News: 26 May 2012; Pep Guardiola's Reign as Barça Manager Ends With Copa del Rey Trophy

Bostjan Cernensek, Barca Blaugranes — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:08:28 -0000

Guardiola departs with Spanish Cup glory - Yahoo! Eurosport
Pep Guardiola ended a sparkling four-year spell in charge of Barcelona by watching his side dismantle Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the Copa del Rey final at the Vicente Calderon in Madrid. The Barca coach celebrated his 14th trophy courtesy of an astonishing opening 25 minutes in which his side netted three times with Athletic all over the place.

Guardiola: "I'm convinced we're leaving good memories behind" | FC Barcelona
The manager, who was very clam, explained during his last press conference that he’s leaving "happy," especially because he "was able to to be part of this process that started so long ago, but it didn’t start nor does it end with me. I’m leaving something behind for those that take my place." He added: "we didn’t invent anything. Everyone simply implemented their ideas."

Piqué: "It could not have ended better for Pep" | FC Barcelona
"We’re very pleased" and "we deserved this Cup." These were the two sentences that most of the Barça players said after winning the Club’s 26th Copa del Rey title. Gerard Piqué said that the team had placed "a lot of emphasis on this match and that the players were eager" to win the title. He added that "we should always place value on the Cup."

Rosell: "It's the best way to recognise Pep's work" | FC Barcelona
"I want to congratulate Athletic for their values, for what they represent. We can learn a lot from them." He also praised Barça’s players, managers and fans: "I’d also like to thank our managers, players and our fans, who, even though they were fewer, they cheered the team on. We’re very pleased. It’s a great way to finish the year.

Details on the celebration at the Camp Nou | FC Barcelona
The celebration will be streamed live on www.fcbarcelona.com and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/fcbarcelona). Fans can also follow the celebrations on social networks.

The King of Cups also reigns in Europe | FC Barcelona
Barça’s 0-3 victory over Athletic Club means that the Azulgranas have now won a total of 26 Copa del Rey titles. With this new trophy, FC Barcelona reaffirms its position as the team with the most Cup titles in Europe ahead of the 24 titles won by Benfica.

Pedro eyeing Spain spot after Copa brace - Yahoo! Eurosport
Pedro is confident of making a return to the Spain squad for Euro 2012 after the Barcelona forward netted a double in a 3-0 Copa del Rey final win against Athletic Bilbao. The 24-year-old's season was disrupted by injury but in recent months he has come back into the kind of form that won him a place in the starting side in the 2010 World Cup final.

Graham Hunter -- Messi is still the best in La Liga - ESPN
All those goals, plus 27 assists, meaning that his fingerprints are on more than 100 goals for club and country this term. It is a feat of such magnificence that, for the moment, it's hard to comprehend. The record Messi broke, that of Gerd Muller at Bayern Munich (68 goals), had stood for four decades and those on the list that Muller himself superseded mostly played 30-40 years before that.

Bielsa accepts blame for Copa loss - Soccerway
"I accept that the approach we presented was not successful," said the Argentine, adding that his future with the club will be resolved 'one way or another' next week. "I realise that. I'm the decision-maker. I represent and am responsible for a team that today did not carry through the plan I had established.

FCB B-UD Las Palmas: Barça B aim to finish the season on a high note | FC Barcelona
Barça B will face UD Las Palmas at the Miniestadi in the second to last match of the season with the ambition of breaking their three-match losing streak. This Saturday, at 20:00, Eusebio’s team take on the Islanders in a match where neither side has much at stake.

Bilbao - No Martinez bids | Sky Sports
The defender-come-midfielder has had an outstanding campaign for the club and will be with Spain as they defend their European title in Poland and Ukraine this summer. Barcelona are widely reported to be leading the chase for Martinez, whilst this week Manchester City were strongly linked in the English media. However, Bilbao confirmed to Sky Sports that no offer has been lodged.

Diego: I have not received an offer to stay at Atletico Madrid - Goal.com
The Brazilian playmaker spent 2011-12 on loan at the Vicente Calderon from Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg, and has admitted recently that he would like to extend his stay in the Spanish capital. Despite this the former Juventus attacking midfielder has confessed that there is no concrete offer as yet from Diego Simeone’s men.

Rayo end Sandoval's reign - Yahoo! Eurosport
"The club have decided not to renew Sandoval's deal," sporting director Felipe Minambres told a news conference. "We consider it a very difficult decision but it is the best one for the club." Sandoval became a cult figure with fans as he led the Madrid-based club, who are in administration, back into La Liga after an eight-year absence last year but he fell out with the club hierarchy towards the end of the season.

Recap: Portland Rain Open 2012 Season with 2-1 Win Over Oregon Rush

Andrew Wheeler, Stumptown Footy — Sat, 26 May 2012 06:44:23 -0000

Quick recap: the Portland Rain opened their 2012 WPSL season on a strangely stormy night at the Howard M. Terpenning Complex in Beaverton with a 2-1 win over the Bend-based Oregon Rush. The Rain scored two first half goals and held on to win despite the Rush pulling one back in the second half.

Left midfielder Ellora Boon opened the scoring in the second minute, when she received a long cross from right back Haley Rosenberg, headed the ball past the keeper, and tapped it easily into the empty net.
At about the 10th minute the growing storm started to produce lightning, which required the referees to suspend the match until after the lightning had stopped. The match was delayed for about an hour.
When play resumed, striker Olivia Lovell started to light up the pitch with runs past the Rush back line. She found some inspiration when, in the 31st minute, a towering rainbow appeared behind the opposition goal. Lovell got on the end of an aerial ball into space at the edge of the penalty area and made a beautiful touch on the ball to set up a shot to the far post: the result was the Rainbow Goal.
Geoff and I didn't stay for the second half, unprepared as we were for the cold and rainy weather. According to John Strong, who took on the public address duties for the evening, the Rush pulled one back in the second half but couldn't quite come up with the equalizer.

Toronto FC v Philadelphia Union: Cup Carry-over or Hang-over?

Dave Rowaan, Waking The Red — Sat, 26 May 2012 02:09:43 -0000

The Voyaguers Cup is now squarely in the rear-view mirror and Toronto FC has a fourth straight title to make them feel good about themselves. Problem is that they now return to the grim reality that is their 0-9 start to the MLS season. They return to league play against the Philadelphia Union in a match that sadly represents one of their best chances to pick up a point any time soon.

TFC will be hoping to build on their cup win and the good feeling that it gave the team to try and get a result but the problem is that thus far good form in cup play has made no difference in league form. They followed up good away draws against the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps with a pair of defeats to DC United just like their good results in the CONCACAF Champions League earlier in the spring did nothing to get them off to a good start in the league season. That is a trend they have to reverse if they are going to even try to salvage some respect out of this season.

Problem is that many of the games in the first nine were ones that would have been circled as being winnable matches. Now though, they are about to embark on a fairly tough run of games. After the Union they get to visit two of MLS's nicest, but most difficult new venues to play Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo. So if they do not want to be in danger of reaching the all time record of 12 straight defeats this is the best chance that will come to end the losing run.

The Union are possibly the only team in the league that is as messed up as TFC these days. They recently traded away Danny Califf to Chivas USA which when added to their offseason moves makes them one of the youngest and least experienced teams in the league. They count on the likes of Freddie Adu, Sheanon Williams, Danny Mwanga, and Zac MacMath as key members of their squad despite all being quite young still. That means they are in a similar position to TFC of having to rely on players developing rapidly in a less than ideal setting.

For this game the Union may be without their first choice in goal. MacMath is still listed as out as he continues to suffer from concussion symptoms that sidelined him last week as well. His head coach did say that he expected to have him available for the match with backup keeper Chase Harrison unlikely to be fit for the match due to heavy bruising on his ankle. With MacMath just returning from injury and having been limited in training Toronto FC will certainly be looking to test him early and often to take advantage of any lack of sharpness.

TFC will look to do just that with what could be close to the first choice attacking group. Eric Avila has been ruled out with an ankle injury but he should be the only one missing. Danny Koevermans and Nick Soolsma could both be in line for their first starts since coming back from injury which could see Ryan Johnson and Reggie Lambe dropped to the bench. That would be a bit of a surprise though as those two have probably been Toronto's best attacking options in recent matches. The case for dropping Johnson is a simple one though, he has yet to miss a minute of play this season and on several occasions he has looked completely gassed. Giving him a chance to have a bit of a break before he goes off to join the Jamaican National team might be the best for everyone.

There really are not that many changes that should be expected in the rest of the lineup. Torsten Frings, still listed as questionable, should be available to start the match having gone 90 minutes against the Whitecaps and passed through training with no issues this week. He might be joined in the holding midfield roles by Terry Dunfield this time as Julian De Guzman is likely to be given some time off after his midweek sending off. There is also a chance that Aron Winter will finally give Matt Stinson some playing time but based on his lack of minutes this season that seems to be fairly unlikely.

In the defensive line the options are going to be a bit limited. Miguel Aceval is still not fully fit, Logan Emory is out with a shoulder injury, and Aaron Maund is out with an eye injury. That leave Doneil Henry, Adrian Cann, Ty Harden, Ashtone Morgan, Richard Eckersley, and Jeremy Hall to chose from. With the exception of Harden, who has been stapled to the bench since the return of Cann, the rest should have some role to play in the match. The biggest question is who will get the start at right back with Hall having gotten the majority of the minutes there in recent weeks despite Eckersley having the position locked down at the start of the season.

This game will still be too soon for a return by Dicoy Williams but their is a chance that the Jamaican defender will see some form of involvement in the upcoming reserve league matches. His return would further complicate the picture at CB which at this stage would probably not be a good thing. Cann and Henry have been given a chance to play the majority of the minutes together in recent weeks and for the first time all year they are starting to provide TFC with a solid and regular defensive pairing. They still have their issues but they seem to be the best option as it is the only pairing that gives Frings the freedom to get forward.

No matter what XI Winter goes with for this game the key will be to find some way to finally play like they did in cup action. If they could duplicate their performances against the Whitecaps in this match there is no reason they can not come away with a good result. If they go back to normal, well, we all know what happened in this fixture last year.

Seattle Sounders at Chivas USA - Three Questions

Dave Clark, Sounder At Heart — Sat, 26 May 2012 01:07:01 -0000

Chivas USA is no longer a bad team. Though, that may not matter, they were one of the ones that had Seattle's number for most of the MLS era. Saturday's 7:30 PM game should be entertaining. Both sides are defense first teams with offensive players who are inconsistent, yet able to take over any game against any team. KING 5 has the broadcast on the memorial day weekend, so while many of you may be out of town, you are more likely to be able to see the game.

With the recent trades acquiring Danny Califf and Juan Agudelo (now back in Carson after training with the United States National Team) Chivas looks a bit different. If there's one thing that becomes apparent quickly in our three questions with The Goat Parade is that Robin Frasier is making the team over in his fashion. If they aren't playoff contenders now, they should be soon.

SaH: Most teams that try to rebuild on the fly look hapless and ineffective while doing it. Chivas USA seems to have done it right. Why do outsiders see the trades in a positive light?

tGP: Obviously, we can't fully assess Chivas' moves until after the season, so it could end up going horribly wrong. But the trades last week for Danny Califf and Juan Agudelo look good and have led to immediate results, as Chivas have picked up four points since they joined the team. So far so good it would appear.
Clearly, Califf and Agudelo (who is away with the U.S. Men's National Team this week) are not the only reasons for Chivas improvement in recent games. I think the real reason that the midseason personnel moves look good is because Robin Fraser has been rebuilding the roster since he arrived. He traded for Nick LaBrocca just prior to the 2011 season. He wasn't afraid to ship out Justin Braun, a fan favorite with major problems with consistency, and in hindsight leaving Zarek Valentin unprotected for the Expansion Draft doesn't seem like such a hapless move. The club's scouting seems to have improved tremendously this year, as Chivas have signed two very good players from Ecuador, Oswaldo Minda and Miller Bolanos, and signed a pair of promising Colombians in John Valencia and Jose Correa. Fraser also signed Rauwshan McKenzie, a center back who was buried on the depth chart at Real Salt Lake who has been a revelation now that he's getting a chance to play. And of course they obtained James Riley, who's been a big upgrade at right back over Valentin.

In all, only six players on this team predate Fraser's arrival. Make no mistake: this is Fraser's team, and he is fully responsible for Chivas' fortunes. But there is optimism surrounding this team that hasn't really been present for some time, and that is exciting.

SaH: The backline is stable outside of Pearce/Califf, is that due to lack of options, or because they are just that good?

tGP: I have to admit I'm a little worried Chivas' defense will revert to their late-2011 form, when the sturdy performances melted away and they were prone to giving up early goals and never catching up. This season, the defensive issue has been that Chivas have given up late goals to drop points, which is also worrisome. But Chivas are tied for sixth in goals allowed, and except for the bad loss to Colorado, every game has been within a one goal margin, win or lose. I think left back Ante Jazic is having another strong season, and as I mentioned Riley has been an improvement at right back. The other big change has been the second center back this season. McKenzie has been terrific, but Valencia has played two games and has looked quite good as well. I think one hope Chivas fans have of Califf is that he can provide more consistency than Pearce. Although Pearce is younger, he's been more inconsistent this season, and I was wondering if he should be playing as a full back after all. Califf is definitely a center back, so hopefully he will not be prone to mental lapses that plagued Pearce at times.

SaH: Conversely the midfield/forward and tactics seem to shift quite a bit. Why is this? With JPA and Agudelo will Chivas stick with a two forward set?

tGP: The Goats have picked up their scoring the last four matches, thank goodness (although they've still only scored four goals in that span), but I think Fraser is still trying to figure out what the best attacking lineup is for this team. I doubt Angel will play every game from here on out. Instead, he'll probably play 20-25 matches this season, with some of those appearances coming off the bench. Correa has looked good so far with Chivas, as he's scored two goals in four appearances, and he seems to be a player who can lead the line. And Agudelo is sure to get starts, although I know Fraser will not hesitate to sit him if he's resting on his laurels.

It is practically impossible to predict Fraser's lineups and tactics from game to game, but I think he will either go with two forwards or a three-man front line with fluid winger/forwards on the flanks. He started the season with a 4-5-1/4-1-4-1 formation, which was a disaster as Chivas kept losing 1-0, but since he's started playing two or three players up top the team has started scoring and I imagine he'll stick with more attacking players. But I think the lineup will continue to be juggled until the best attacking players step up and fully claim their places.

* * *
Reverse

tGP: Seattle has started the season well, but it seems like the defense has improved considerably, as they have allowed the fewest goals in the league. What has changed to improve the defense? Or have the midfield and goalkeeper made the difference?

SaH: I had thought that the defense was better because of the ability to rotate tactical options into the starting lineup while forcing everyone to be in top form match to match. Now though the troubles with a high amount of defensive rotation are starting to cause communication issues. The defense wasn't as good as it seemed in the first ten games, but it's also not as bad as it's looked from the scoreline in the last two games.

Only four shots were put on frame in those matches, all became goals. The talent is strong. Zach Scott can mark a great player out of a game. Jeff Parke may not be fast, or as strong as other CBs, but he reads the game at a national team level. Patrick Ianni uses his strength to battle the bulls of MLS. If Leo Gonzalez is back to full health he'll provide a defensive option, or Sigi can go with Marc Burch to help more in the attack. The options are individually strong, they need to play like that again.

tGP: Speaking of goalkeeping, the Sounders' new starter Michael Gspurning has been out injured and Bryan Meredith has come into his place. How has the youngster played in Gspurning's absence?

SaH: Meredith isn't as good as Gspurning, but he's got enough talent to start in the league for several years. His reactions are great. He commands the backline well for one so young. His service is low and accurate. Where he gets into trouble sometimes is reading the game. That was made so clear in the Crew's second goal against Seattle on Wednesday night. Defending the cross is also a little bit of a weakness.

tGP: Like Chivas, Seattle are set to begin U.S. Open Cup play next week. Are the Sounders going for another USOC title, or has the emphasis shifted to the league or CONCACAF Champions League as the main objective for this team?

SaH: Seattle's FO proved that the US Open Cup and getting a 4th straight Cup is part of their plan for the year when they bought the right to host their first match of 212 from the Atlanta Silverbacks. This is only one of their goals though, and not the largest. It isn't an MLS Cup or bust year, but the MLS Cup is the major goal of 2012. To attempt these goals is going to place pressures throughout the 30 man roster. Sigi will continue to shift lineups. Already young rookie-ish players Caskey, Rose, Meredith, Sivebaek and Cato have played roles in important MLS games. David Estrada is now the vital roleplayer on the squad and started against Santos Laguna. Schmid wants to give players chances, generally they succeed. But this year it's going to be as hard as ever, most MLS teams can't think about these goals, even then, most fail. The test will be how close Seattle can get.

LA Galaxy Roundup, May 25th: Suit Up!

Josie Becker, LAG Confidential — Fri, 25 May 2012 23:54:00 -0000

Howdy partners! It's time for an afternoon roundup of all things LA Galaxy. Hopefully this'll be more enjoyable that a hare stuck in a brier patch. Cause well, there ain't nothing fun about that, I tell you what. So put up your boots and let's do some quick hits to get you to your weekend:

If you haven't heard yet, after their match in Houston the Galaxy are scheduled to play the Carolina Railhawks in Cary, North Carolina on Tuesday. This match won't be televised, but it may be streamavized so stay tuned. So close to the match in Houston, I doubt the Galaxy have any starters play the Railhawks.
The Galaxy youth teams are going to be competing in the Copa LA youth soccer tournament in Riverside this memorial day weekend. Those of y'all in the Inland Empire aught to check that out.
Hector Jimenez has been suspended for an extra match and fined an undisclosed amount for his studs up tackle. Not only will he miss the Houston match, but he'll miss the Galaxy's next MLS match June 17th.
Adam Cristman has been placed on the Disabled List with a concussion. He won't be available until July 8th.
Macy's and Calvin Klein are the official clothiers of the LA Galaxy, and the 2012 suits have arrived! That's them in the lead photo. If y'all would like to meet Juninho, he'll be making an appearance at Macy's South Coast Plaza on May 31st at 6pm. If you buy $25 of clothing, they'll give you a free football for Juninho to sign. Boy howdy.

Now, tomorrow's match broadcast begins at 11:30 am on NBC Sports Network, and the US-Scotland match is on right after. So be sure to check in here, and have a great memorial day weekend.

Hazard-ous Material Ahead

BosnianBronco, Bitter and Blue — Sat, 26 May 2012 04:14:52 -0000

Well another article by your beloved infamous lurker. This time we will be talking about Edin Hazard, the 21 year old Lille winger had amassed an amazing "34 goals and 26 assists over the last two seasons and has racked up a total of almost 200 appearance" recent speculation has come out that Hazard will not be wearing blue but red. I know to some of you this will be a great disappointment, however let us take a look at other players throughout Europe. Some are young, others old, most will be offensively minded midfielders considering that if we want a defensively minded midfielder then I would look no farther then de Jong and Yaya Toure who can do both. I have posted a link on each of their names to a video compilation. Only a couple are real targets for City outside of Hazard. That is if City are still in the race.

I will start off with my favorite player so far in this transfer window.

Shinji Kagawa

via static.guim.co.uk

Current league champions Borussia Dortmund bought Kawaga for €350,000. Great value in my opinion considering he has scored 20 and assisted 14 in all 46 matches since moving to BD. From watching his play what stands out to me is his vision and dribbling skills. My biggest concerns would be his diving and durability, he was injured for shorts periods of time twice this past season once for a raptured ankle ligament and the second time for gastric problems (too many beans). He also sustained an injury in the 2010-11 season due to a metatarsal fracture where he was injured for about 3 months. Kawaga is young at 23 years of age, he's cheaply priced and could be bought for about £20 million.

Markus Henriksen

via i.neoseeker.com

Markus is one hidden gem. He is a good box-to-box midfielder who could be groomed for the future at a very cheap price. He plays for Norwegian side Rosnberg, for those of you who have never heard or seen this kid play, here is a small clip of his better moments. Of course that is a compilation and compilations make anyone look good, however when you look over it you will notice he has no problem using his left or right foot. Makes him extremely versatile. Celtic boss Neil Lennon has expressed great interest in Markus and don't be surprised if he joins the SPL. This season he has played 22 matches netted 9 and assisted 4. He is 19 years old. I put Markus in here not really as a realistic target considering he's moving to Celtics most likely and he is not on the radar for a lot of teams. I put it saying that people should keep an eye on him. He could be an excellent midfielder down the road.

Luka Modric

via static.guim.co.uk

I assume everyone on this board knows who Luka Modric is. He doesn't get eye popping numbers, this year he netted the ball 6 times and assisted 5. However Modric is a player who is extremely creative and crafty with the ball. He is smart, has good dribbling skills and hustles off and on the ball. He is not one for the future considering he is 26 however he is one who is consistent and will always bring his best. He is pricy considering the £22 million Chelsea put up last year was rejected by the Spurs. Spurs will not qualify for Champions football and are back in the Europa League. Modric could move away considering he wanted to move away last transfer window.

Younes Belhanda

via football-talk.co.uk

I like Younes not just because he's young but because he reminds me of Yaya Toure. He started his carrier at Montpellier as a defensive midfielder and was later switched around in an attacking position in which he excelled at and played a big role to their league title win. He wouldn't come expensive, City would be looking at £15 million. At 22 Belhanda this year played appeared in 27 games netted 12 times and assisted 6. My only knock on him would be that he is physical and gets caught for it getting 5 yellows and 2 reds. With the right setup he could become a great player who resembles Yaya in his defensive prowess, strength and attacking.

Notable mentions: Michu, Wesley Sneijder, Yann M'vila, Antoine Greizmann, Hernanes.

This by no means is a complete list. There is a lot of talent out there for the midfield position this summer and whoever we get should be a fine addition to the squad.

Osvaldo Alonso Suspended Two Matches for Two-Footed Tackle

sidereal, Sounder At Heart — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:04:48 -0000

Referring to Abbott's earlier post, Osvaldo Alonso is one player who's never been afraid to talk about opponents' mothers, at least metaphorically. Even when the rest of the team seems listless and passive, he brings his hard bite to defensive midfield, game in and game out. But likely in large part due to the frustrations building in a bad home loss to the Columbus Crew, Alonso bit too hard and went in for a dangerous, ill-advised tackle on Cole Grossman on a 50/50 ball and though he was left on the field at the time, today the league has suspended him for two games, strongly implying that it should have been a red card.

As a bit of extra flavor (and not that it makes the tackle any less bad) but I was 8 rows up from where Grossman came off the field after rolling around on the ground and he smiled and laughed at the fans who were booing him for timewasting.

The big question will be whether it's Andy Rose or Servando Carrasco who fills in at defensive midfield. Full release is below the jump.

MLS Disciplinary Committee Suspends and Fines Seattle Sounders FC Midfielder Osvaldo Alonso and LA Galaxy Midfielder Hector Jimenez

NEW YORK (May 25, 2012) - The MLS Disciplinary Committee has suspended Seattle Sounders FC midfielder Osvaldo Alonso for two games and fined him an undisclosed amount for a reckless challenge in the 82nd minute of Wednesday's game that endangered the safety of his opponent, Columbus Crew midfielder Cole Grossman. Alonso left his feet, showed his studs and used excessive force (VIDEO).

The Disciplinary Committee also suspended LA Galaxy midfielder Hector Jimenez one additional game and fined him an undisclosed amount for a challenge in the 59^thminute of Wednesday's game that demonstrated disregard for the safety of his opponent, San Jose Earthquakes defender Steven Beitashour. Jimenez left his feet, showed his studs and used excessive force (VIDEO). The referee issued Jimenez a red card, which carries an automatic one game suspension, so his total suspension is two games.

Fines collected will be donated to the charitable partners of MLS W.O.R.K.S. and the MLS Players Union.

Copa Del Rey Final: FC Barcelona 3-0 Athletic Bilbao: Match Review

Arron Duckling, Barca Blaugranes — Fri, 25 May 2012 21:56:38 -0000

FC Barcelona turned in a majestic performance in Pep Guardiola’s final match in charge to deliver a 14^th trophy in the Guardiola era with a 3-0 win over a tough Athletic Bilbao side. The talk before the game was about how difficult the final would be, and how Bilbao were worthy opponents for this legendary Blaugrana side. However, an intense first half-hour from the Catalans left the Basques in their wake, with Pedro netting within the first five minutes. From there on in, the game was all but over and Lionel Messi doubled the advantage within a quarter of an hour, before Pedro got his second and the final goal of the game just after the half-hour. You can’t help but feel sorry for Athletic, but Guardiola deserved this send off. From the bottom of all of our hearts: Gracies Pep!

So then, after four glorious years it had come to this: Pep Guardiola’s final match in charge of FC Barcelona, and what better way to put a finishing touch on such a successful era than with a cup final? All in all it was a strong Barcelona line-up, arguably the strongest available for the Catalans, while Bielsa had made a couple of tactical changes from his normal approach in an attempt to stifle the Blaugrana. It only took half a minute for the action to start as Bilbao surged forward but Barcelona countered and Lionel Messi fired just wide from outside the area.

Pedro then had a shot blocked for a corner, one which Bilbao failed to clear properly and it would cost them dear. Barcelona had started at a ferocious tempo, and Pedro was at the forefront, fighting for the ball, winning the ball and firing past Gorka Iraizoz to put the Catalans ahead. Pedro’s rise under Guardiola has been well-documented, and this goal meant that the young winger had now scored in the final of the UEFA Champions League, Supercopa, Copa del Rey, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. Yet we doubted him?

Marcelo Bielsa clearly had a tactical plan to counteract Barcelona, but it wasn’t really working. Fernando Amorebieta was doing an adequate job in man-marking Lionel Messi, but the Argentine’s superior agility was startlingly obvious. Furthermore, Javi Martinez was not dropping deep when Messi pulled Amorebieta out of position, leaving Bilbao short at the back with Pedro and Alexis causing havoc in the space the Venezuelan left behind.

On the other hand, when Messi got on the ball without Amorebieta there to pressure him he would nearly score like in the 14^th minute as he curled a left-footed shot towards the top corner only for Iraizoz to claw the ball out for a corner kick. It was déjà vu for Marcelo Bielsa’s side – just like the Europa League final they couldn’t get going. But it would get worse.

Barcelona’s asphyxiating high-line of pressure was forcing the Bilbao defense into error after error and in an attempt to find their attack, Athletic gave it away to the Catalans. The ball was given to Messi, who fed Andrés Iniesta with a delightful raking pass, and Iniesta returned the favour with a sublime slide-rule pass and even though the angle was tight, even though he was on his weaker foot, Messi found the roof of the net. 2-0 Barcelona, thanks to Messi’s 73^rd goal of the season. Staggering statistics to match a staggering performance.

Then it got even worse. One of the best characteristics of Guardiola’s Barcelona has been their ruthlessness; their lack of mercy and in his final game in charge it was all flooding back. A free-kick was quickly taken from the half-way line to Xavi who turned and fed Pedro. From his position just outside the box, Pedro just picked his spot in the far corner and dispatched it for his second of the game. 25 minutes in, surely game over?

Well, Bilbao weren’t going to go down without a fight, forcing a fine save from Jose Manuel Pinto immediately after the restart, but then Barcelona countered and Messi nearly added a fourth, but his lobbed attempt was gathered comfortably by Iraizoz. Fernando Llorente had a legitimate claim for a penalty turned down minutes later after being felled by Gerard Piqué in the area; everything that could go did go wrong for Athletic. They were sinking without trace. Even Javier Mascherano tried to get in on the act, attempting an audacious lob from the half-way line with a free-kick. The best part was that Iraizoz had to make a great save. Not since Sergio Busquets’ similar attempt in the Manita had I seen Barcelona playing with such confidence.

At half-time, Barcelona had all but won their 14^th trophy under Pep Guardiola.

Marcelo Bielsa used the half-time break to make two changes with Ander Herrera and Inigo Perez replacing Markel Susaeta and Oscar De Marcos. It was surprising that Ander hadn’t started the game despite having the flu for the past week, and at 3-0 down it was probably a case of too little too late for Athletic Bilbao. That’s not to say that they wouldn’t give it a go as Ibai Gomez attempted to reduce the deficit with a cheeky lob over Pinto, but he couldn’t direct it goal-wards. Athletic though were a much improved side compared to the first half.

Barcelona’s tempo had fell dramatically which played as much of a part in Athletic’s change of fortunes as Bilbao themselves, but still they couldn’t create anything of note. In fact, the first real chance of the second half came in the 70^th minute after Messi dribbled half the pitch to test Iraizoz with a low shot from a tight angle. Seydou Keita was brought on for Alexis Sanchez, while Bielsa made their last change, replacing Llorente with Gaizka Toquero for some bizarre reason.

Jon Aurtenetxe went close with a header at the back-post as Athletic went in search of their consolation before Xavi was taken off for Cesc Fabregas after being on the receiving end of a heavy tackle from Inigo Perez. As it stood, Xavi’s contribution had helped to all but seal his 20^th career title. There was also a late cameo for Thiago Alcântara who replaced Pedro with a few minutes left to play.

And just like that, it was the end of an era. An emotional goodbye to Pep Guardiola and now the attention turns to Tito Vilanova. I have a feeling, this might just be the beginning.