Barca’s beauty: A view from the Gods


 

I have to admit that sometimes I thank God I can  watch certain matches  in the comfort of my sitting room. This is not because I am a couch potato by nature, or that Madrid is cold and wet at this time of year (as is Bar & Co, the boat on the Thames where I sometimes gather with fellow cules) ,  but because sometimes TV gives you a perspective on a match which you simply cannot capture sitting or standing in the cheapest seat you can get in the stadium, or with your thoughts distracted by too many journalistic colleagues, typing to deadline.

Last night was one such occasion. Full marks and possibly a medal should go to the TV director who made sure that at several moments  in the Real-Madrid-FC Barcelona match I had the benefit of an aerial view of the Bernabeu stadium and the play within. From that angle, several metaphors came to mind, as Barca systematically came back from 0-1 down and confirmed themselves as the superior team.

I know this is not the first  time you will read choreography or ballet or poetry in motion as a description  of the intricate movement of  Pep  Guardiola’s boys- but this was the equivalent  of a good night at Sadler’s Wells, watched from the Gods. Lest I be accused of being one-sided, there were elements too  of a chess game, with move and counter move reflecting the idiosyncracy and  ambition of two of world football’s great tacticians. But the overriding image  was one of a fresh mountain stream  manoeuvring  its way through rugged terrain.

This was  a Real Madrid that after Ronaldo’s brilliant run and executed first goal, retreated behind its lines, thereafter resorting to hostile defensive tactics and occasional forays by its special operations corps. Mourinho’s  campaign  of brutal attrition was personified –yet again- by his leading thug Pepe who, no doubt elevated to hero status by some elements of the Ultra Surs, pushed, and hacked, and trampled his way through the game.

By contrast Barca showed that its  genius lies in its disciplined and imaginative  collective-the way that all the players patiently involve themselves in the build up play, and how , when it comes to creating goals,  each  player’s level  is raised thanks to the inspiration and support of one player in particular. To watch Abidal pick up on Messi’s beautifully timed lob, and hit it home past Casillas, was to a get a sense of  the beauty –and effectiveness- in solidarity. It also showed Barca’s wonderful ability to surprise us just when you thought their game was becoming predictable.

Typical of the spirit, endeavour, and talent of  this very special Barca team is Alexis Sanchez –for me, the man of the match last night- who with his extraordinary energy, speed, and resourcefulness across the breadth and depth of the pitch, is proving one of the most astute signings of the Guardiola era. Happy Birthday Pep!

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