The Catalan Derby

     This weekend, the two teams from the radically segregated sector, Cataluña will face each other: Espanyol vs. Barcelona. Emotions run high between both teams, while Barcelona is obviously superior skill wise. Espanyol is currently in fourth place in the league, while Barcleona is in first place. The fans are simply divided as these two teams face off. Regularly, these two team's fans are always in conjunction against other sectors in the area.
     Victor Valdes, the goalie for Barcelona, explains that Barcelona his team will come out playing full throttle, holding nothing back! He praised the Espanyol team's new method of playing and their improvement from last year's horrific season.

Carlitos Tevez

     The Manchester City striker is fed up with his club team. He simply can't stand the thought of being incorporated in Manchester City any longer. There have been racist comments about him, but the fans are simply begging him to remain in the club. The club offered him a five million euro bonus to remain in the club, they offered him a higher payed salary (highest in the club), and he would maintain his position as captain of the squad. This is not a monetary motivation as he has declined these incentives to remain in the club. 
     Currently, both teams Real Madrid and Barcelona are looking at this possible addition to their club. Personally, Madrid's style is will accommodate Tevez better as he will be playing with fellow Argentinian striker Higuain. His raw power and speed wouldn't fit in with Barcelona's fast-paced game.
   
 
    

Madrid and Barça's Delight

      As the final match of the group stage of the Champions League came to a close, both Madrid and Barcelona comfortably enjoyed taking the first place in their respective groups even if they lost. Both teams came out playing with their second string team full of youngsters and some experienced players. Barcelona refrained from playing with Valdes, Messi, Xavi, Puyol, Alves, Iniesta, Villa, and Pedro. Madrid only absented Casillas, Di Maria, Ozil, and Khedira (Pepe, Ramos, Alonso all had red cards or accumulation of yellows). Nevertheless, both teams took satisfying wins over international club teams. Barcelona beat Rubin Kazan 2-0 and Madrid scorched Auxerre 4-0.

World's Best Player 2010

     The shortlisted was posted of the three candidates for the FIFA player of the year for 2010. The winner will be announced next week voted by players and coaches world wide.
     Lionel Messi is the strong horse in this competition scoring a total of 34 goals in this year's season; however Messi's dry spell in the World Cup with his Argentine national team puts him at par with the other two players.
     Andres Iniesta was also nominated for scoring the decisive goal in the World Cup Final against Holland. His artistic style and constant efficient passes are what makes him a top favorite among viewers. Nevertheless, Iniesta has a tendency to score very few goals; he sort of "chokes" in front of the goal posts.
     Xavi Hernandez is the final nominee for the year's prize. Xavi is the perfect mixture between Iniesta and Messi. He is visually beautiful with his skill work and has a tendency to pass and shoot at perfect moments.
     These three nominees however all come from a trifecta konwn to every soccer lover in Barcelona's top team. These three players make art and sheer beauty out of a simple found ball. Without one of them, the others would fall. Messi needs passes from Xavi and Iniesta, and Xavi and Iniesta always need someone to pass it to! Also, all three players come from Barcelona's academy youth teams signifying its importance and efficiency in it's program. Whoever wins will take the prize, but all three will take the honor.

Madrid Digs a Deeper Ditch

     The UEFA has fined Real Madrid for its unsportman-like behavior in its victory over Ajax 4-0. Apparently, José Mourihno secretly told Dudek to inform Casillas to inform Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso to receive red cards on purpose. This was done to relieve the accumulated of yellow cards for the second round of the UEFA Champions League. Both Ramos and Alonso received red cards by stalling a free kick three minutes from each other.
     UEFA has fined both Xabi Alonso y Ramos with 20,000 euros each. Casillas has been fined with 10,000 euros and Dudek with 5,000. Also, the team has been fined with 120,000 euros. In total, the squad will have to pay 215,000 euros for its forced red cards.

5-0 Ouch!

     Monday, November 29, 2010, will live dearly in the hearts and souls of the Catalán people. Processions of parties rallied through Barcelona with flags bearing not only a team but a country inside it. In Madrid, dead silence seeped through the eyes of Real Madrid fans and followers. All around the world the weight of the loss, or should I call it the defeat, was unbearable and embarrassing. The scoreboard read 5 Barcelona - 0 Real Madrid.
      El Clásico proved to be a monotonous, one sided game. It appeared as if the souls and mentality of Mourihno's squad had been sucked out entirely! I even believed they Barcelona was dancing around them at one point. The Camp Nou was as festive as the Fourth of July, or even more.
     Xavi, Pedro, Villa (2), and Jeffren scored seemingly simply on Casilla's goal posts. Madrid being confused and dazed (almost seemed drugged) began feeling some sort of desperation and fouls were committed left right up down. Sergio Ramos received his second red card in a week after forcefully kicking Messi (man of the match) and shoving Puyol and Xavi, members of his own national team.
     Barcelona takes the lead in front of Madrid for La Liga, yet two points is no less than the suffering honor of the Madrid players. Monday was history.