Rummaging the media files: Messi, Barca, Beckham and more

I found myself wondering this morning about what might next remove David Beckham from an MLS match?  A trip back to the old stomping grounds just to stare at that statue of Sir Matt Busby outside fabled Old Trafford, perhaps? A chance to put his arm around old mate Ryan Giggs, who’s having some personal issues keeping his name out of the news? Some seriously badass fish and chips at a little London joint he knows about?

Did Beckham really go play 90 minutes Tuesday, amid suggestions from Camp Galaxy that he might have been “rested” in L.A.’s mid-week match anyway? Tsk tsk, David. What a naughty boy.

Any-who, while I wondered, I found a few things worth sharing:

While planning your Champions League viewing on Saturday, here’s a great way to get caught up on Barcelona. It’s SBNation’s blog devoted to the Catalans from Camp Nou. It’s quality stuff, so check it out.

You know about Leo Messi, of course. If you’re craving even more, check out Jere Longman’s piece on the Boy Genius from last Sunday’s New York Times. It’s a nice read.

Writing about tactics is always tricky business. It takes more than a keen eye; it takes some courage to make sweeping pronouncements about arrangements and individual responsibilities when you’re not privy to locker room discussions. That said, Jonathan Wilson does it better than most. Here’s what he sees as Manchester United’s options for dealing with Barca’s loosely arranged 4-3-3.

Here’s a little Wilson-lite: This is my own weekly tactics column, where I get to explain things in 600-800 words – which ain’t all that easy.  This one is about playmakers who don’t line up in the traditional playmaker zone. To be more precise, Justin Mapp is now Philadelphia’s playmaker, but his starting positions are on the left rather than central.

Finally, along the MLS lines, here’s a little catch-up session on the Galaxy, and how they’ll go about biz tonight against the Houston Dynamo, in what should be a dandy little match. Here’s a hint on  something to watch for in tonight’s game: both teams are pretty good at the sneaky little business of eliminating runs before they get going, before attackers reach their destinations in and around the penalty area.  Oh, and watch for the little picks that L.A. sets on corner kicks. You know what they say: it’s only illegal if you get caught.