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in Gästbuch 27.11.2019 04:07von sakura698 • 690 Beiträge
To not win a European Cup for two years is more than understandable for most teams in world football but not this current Barcelona. Fake Jerseys For Sale . They remain a long way away from winning it again, of course, but their performance in Manchester on Tuesday night was a sign of intent, a message they very much intended on delivering the moment their attention turned on the last 16 clash. When they landed on English shores this week, there was a sense of a new dawn, the opening of a new window for this current crop of winners to accomplish something relatively new. To many, it wasnt new at all. They did have eight of the 11 that started the triumphant 2011 final against Manchester United on the pitch from the start at Manchester City on Tuesday evening, but after they were massacred by Bayern Munich in last seasons semifinal, a line had been drawn on the past and it was time to concentrate on the future. All great teams need motivation to continually reach the top and this is it for Barcelona 2013-14. "Maybe (City) do not fear us anymore, because in the last two years, we didnt win the Champions League," said defender Gerard Pique on Monday. "We can still be the best, but we have to show the world we can do it. Tomorrow is a great chance." It was in England, at Wembley, in May of 2011 that they indeed cemented their place as one of the greatest club teams of all time. Pep Guardiola was hoisted in the sky by his players after securing their second European Cup in three years. It was a time for reflection but also of great excitement at what the team could go on to achieve. However, the great unscripted drama that is sport, went on to tell a story of a different Barcelona in the next two seasons of Champions League football. As so often happens in knock-out competition, things didnt always go to plan. Chelsea ended their quest in 2012 when they defended brilliantly at the Nou Camp while last season Barcelona were never quite at the level they had set in years previous. A loss in Milan at this stage last season gave us a glimpse of what was to come. A superb comeback at home showed us again just what they are capable of but two draws against an up-and-coming PSG side in the next round squeezed them through to the battle with Bayern that was so one-sided a new legacy had to be started. "It is not the end of an era," Andres Iniesta claimed at the time but that is not what the future will say. If this Barcelona team are to go on to accomplish more European success, it will be considered a new era; one without Pep, or Tito Villanova, a team under Gerardo Martinos wing influenced more now by Cesc Fabregas and, in time, Neymar. The finals against Manchester United in 2009 and 2011 were similar in how they dominated but also in how they took around 10 minutes to get going. Sir Alex Ferguson spoke about it often in the lead-up to their second final together. United needed to take advantage of that time if they were to win. Not surprisingly Barcelona had more of the ball but United had much more of it in that phase than at any other time, just like in Rome two years earlier. At Wembley, Barcelona completed just 10 per cent of their total successful passes in that opening 10 minutes but United completed 15.5 per cent of all of their successful passes. Once Barcelona got going, United, even when they got it back to 1-1, never got any rhythm into the match. All great teams need to keep reinventing themselves and, having waited 10 weeks since the group stages to show what they could do, this current Barcelona team exploded out of the blocks against Manchester City. There was a genuine purpose about their start and for 100 seconds, shortly after the first minute was over, City never touched the ball. Four minutes in and Barcelona had already completed 60 successful passes. The Spanish giants dominating possession is nothing new but them starting this way in the Champions League is. "Maybe we gave them too much respect in the beginning," reflected City skipper Vincent Kompany, whose mind was drawn back to a time in the game that City couldnt get out of their own half. Yet, despite this, it was hard to fault City for their style. At 0-0, they defended excellently and as the first half wore on, showed just why some had thought this was a very dangerous tie for Barcelona. Martinos men will always dominate possession to protect but it is against teams that counter efficiently and remain calm with the ball that they can look vulnerable. In Yaya Toure and Fernandinho, City have two outstanding midfielders who can ensure a team does exactly that. The pair were magnificent in the first half and it would have been interesting to see what more the Brazilian midfielder could have done, had he not tired playing with just 10 men after being injured for over two weeks. Both were pivotal in a key phase before half-time when City put 22 straight passes together. Not many teams can make Barcelona chase a ball for over a minute without getting it back but Manuel Pellegrinis men did that and were encouraged when they walked off at half-time at 0-0. Six minutes after the interval, however, the tie turned when Jesus Navas went down and Barcelona countered. It looked like a foul on Navas but he also seemed to try and sell it and at that point, left his team exposed. With them attacking, City had Toure and Fernandinho further away from their back four than normal and one magical pass from Iniesta sent Lionel Messi through on goal before he was chopped down by Martin Demichelis. Demichelis had to be sent off but had played well up until that moment. Well, however, may not have still been good enough and, certainly, was probably the peak of what he could have achieved. He was, for example, never going to be the rock that Kompany was throughout the match. All great teams have a way of exploiting their opponents main weakness and Barcelona did that in the 53rd minute and, later, in the dying minutes when Neymar and Dani Alves combined to rip apart Joleon Lescott and Gael Clichy on Citys left side. The Brazilian right back had a fine match and almost scored earlier when he did the same to Citys defensive pair but shot just wide of Joe Harts goal. In between those chances, City had their best period of the match when Barcelona showed a conservative approach showing just how vital an away victory in a knock-out stage was crucial. The red card didnt help City but neither did the presence of Lescott and Clichy, who can look nervous against Swansea let alone Barcelona, and the decision to take off Aleksandar Kolarov and leave on David Silva to protect them on the left proved costly. Barcelonas fantastic four Spaniards gave another football clinic on how to treasure the ball - 409 successful passes from 434 attempts (94.2%). Some call it boring, but once again, they were at their best when their team needed them to protect. Xavi and Fabregas….. Sergio Busquets and Iniesta….. Barcelona arrived in England this week with some fear because Man City were arguably the toughest team they could have been drawn against. They left knowing the stern test was passed, likely marching them into the last eight and a step closer to reaching the same level of success in Europe as they are accomplishing domestically. Discount Jerseys For Sale . Mako Vunipola was promoted from the reserves, with Matt Mullan called up to the bench on Thursday. "It is important that Joe is with his partner at this exciting time," England coach Stuart Lancaster said. China Jerseys For Sale . Cleveland released the troubled wide receiver on Wednesday, an expected ending after Bess was arrested in January for assaulting a law enforcement officer at an airport and other bizarre behaviour. https://www.jerseysforsalechina.com/ .com) - Graeme McDowell opened up with a first- round, 5-under 67 on Thursday and he holds a 2-shot lead at the WGC - HSBC Champions.NEW ORLEANS - Four seasons after the Saints traded to get back into the first round of the draft to select Mark Ingram, the running back could be playing in his final game with New Orleans on Sunday.Hes not the only one.With the Saints missing the playoffs for only the fourth time in nine seasons, New Orleans offence could see a roster shakeup in the off-season.The Saints league-leading offence is built in part on several veterans who carry big contracts or are about to become free agents.Ingram, receiver Robert Meachem and centre Jonathan Goodwin all are free to sign elsewhere after this season.Receiver Marques Colston and guards Ben Grubbs and Jahri Evans have big salary cap numbers.The realignment of the offence could start in the backfield, however.The Saints declined to pick up a fifth-year contract option on Ingram this summer.Yet, hes having his best year as a pro. He has put up career highs with 212 rushes, 907 yards and eight touchdowns. He ran for at least 100 yards in three straight games in Weeks 8-10. And he carried the ball at least 23 times in four straight games in Weeks 8-11.I said this earlier in the year when all of a sudden you started seeing the week-in, week-out production. Saints coach Sean Payton said.Im so happy to see that from here because a year ago he laboured with an injury and still played. The first thing I think of is toughness. Hes a good football player. Im glad hes with us.Whether or not hes with the Saints next season, Ingram said showing that he can be relied upon consistently was important.I think thats a good thing, just seeing that I can carry the ball and that I can be out there doing whatever you ask me to do for a stretch of time and be healthy, Ingram said.Meachem and Goodwin both signed one-year contracts before the season.Meachem hasnt been used much thhis season and was inactive for six of the past eight games. Stitched Jerseys For Sale. His six receptions this year are half of his previous career-low season total.Goodwin has played through various injuries for much of the season and is part of a line that hasnt held up for quarterback Drew Brees, who has been sacked four times in two games and five times once.Colston, Evans and Grubbs all have contracts through 2016 that carry base salaries of at least $6.5 million and bigger salary cap hits.For that trio, it could come down to taking a pay cut to remain in New Orleans.Colston is New Orleans career leading receiver in receptions (664), yards (9,188) and touchdowns (67). Evans has been one of the NFLs best guards and has been to six straight Pro Bowls. Both players were taken by New Orleans in the 2006 draft, the first of the Payton era.While Payton said the Saints wont specifically go to a youth movement against Tampa Bay in the season finale, younger players have seen more playing time.Receiver Nick Toon, a fourth-round selection by New Orleans in 2012, is among those young players finally getting on the field. He has been active in the past five games, catching 16 passes for 191 yards and his first career touchdown.Everybody wants to play, Toon said. Everybody wants to contribute. And getting an opportunity to do those things has been awesome.Brandin Cooks, the Saints first-round pick in 2014, was a featured player until he went on season-ending injured reserve with a right thumb injury.And Kenny Stills, a fifth-round pick in 2013, has seen a more prominent role in the offence.Weve been able to utilize him more at some different positions and hes shown he can handle that mentally, Brees said. Hes really versatile in a lot of ways.___AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '
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