Thoughts on fabulous FC Barcelona – the best team ever?

This game just put me in a fantastic mood. As you said, much praise to Man U for playing rather than crawling into a shell. It was one of those rare events that lives up to its potential. Uplifting.

But there oughta be a law against having Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta in the same side.

Steve, you mention the skill and fitness but I’m most impressed by the poise and the work ethic. Those guys hold the ball until they’re about to get cleaned out, or toe poke it in advance of a rash tackler, and they still get it on the right foot. Just amazing. And for so many uber-skilled players to work so hard for each other—for a team to be able to fold a forward like Alves into its back line and a star like Villa into the a secondary role—it’s just what you try to teach kids to do and love to see.

Steve, if you’d asked me a year ago, I’d have probably said the Ajax teams with the great Cruyff. Such skill and intelligence and tactical approaches combined with the ability to do everything.

But this Barca bunch takes it a couple of notches beyond Ajax. First, they aren’t just a “pretty” team with some nice skills. They outrun their opposition (amazing stat given that they own possession and you’d figure opposing teams would plan their game by saying “we need to outwork Barceona—we need to out hustle them”). Second, their runs off the ball and work off the ball is just sublime. And third, what an amazing team…how well they combine and work together. You take those elements and then mix in the world’s best player and two other guys (Xavi and Iniesta) who in any other era we’d be talking about them like they were Platini or Zidane or Figo and it’s a magical mix.

Finally, it’s a team that seeks to outplay you. We talk about “getting results” all the time at every level. It’s usually an excuse for “we got a lucky call on a penalty” or “we provoked them with fouls and got them off their game” or “we parked a bus in front of goal” or “we played ugly non-soccer but damn can we counter and we scored twice in 15 seconds of play during the 90+ minutes of the match”. Barcelona is a lovely example of playing the game. You don’t have to play exactly the way they do. But as a former youth coach, my lord they’re a lovely instructional video for playing the game for any youth player. Show film clips of them (not even the great goals or magnificient touches, just the unselfish quick one-touches and movement off the ball) and say “this is what you should aspire to—get these skills and this intelligence and you can do anything in soccer.”

Sorry for not including these in my original post:

1. What I wanted to add in my last point is this: most teams seek to win by denying you. Barcelona really wins by being better than you. They deny you by owning the ball and attacking. They minimize your chances by keeping the ball in your end (their attacking third). As opposed to negative soccer, it’s positive.

2. How very classy of SAF. First, ManU’s approach to the game speaks very much of the traditional English spirit (of refusing to quit, backing down from no-one) and I"m glad they didn’t bunker (play for 20% posession) but had Rooney and Co. run at Barcelona and play with pride and honor. Also, his reaction POST match was very classy and elevated SAF in my mind.

As magnificent as Barca was, the real joy on Saturday was the way the game was played. Cheer for either team, or just cheer for soccer in general, and that match was such a nice relief from what you see most weeks in most leagues. After it was over, the general online concensus was ‘the beautiful game, indeed.’