The beautiful Barca brand
Posted on | May 28, 2009 | No Comments
The day after the night before, it’s been pretty easy to find pick through the English press debris and find some praise for Barcelona in among the inquisition as to why Manchester United failed to make an impact on the game.
Wednesday’s 2-0 Champions League final result for the blue-and-burgundies was about more than a team from England and a team from Spain – it was a meeting of two brands of football.
One the one hand we have the power play style of United – combining skill with strength, movement, and a rigid defensive back line. The best example of the Premier League’s watermark.
Then on the other there was the ‘pass them to death’ approach of Barcelona – including a back line which is often so far up the pitch, it may as well be in the burger van queue outside the ground.
Pressing failed to cut Barca off at source
From the off United tried to halt Barcelona’s tendency to build from the back – pressing the centre backs almost into the corner flags when Barca keeper Victor Valdes had the ball in his hands.
Barca’s response was simply to drop Messi, Xavi (pictured) and Iniesta deeper back to get pick up early balls closer to the centre circle. The gradual result was the emergence of a passing style which has blown away everything which has come in front of it this season – a devastating combination of touch, technique and awareness. When you apply the finishing of the likes of Eto’o and Messi, the result is frankly frightening.
Fantasy football is a reality
United, and the Premier League, came up against that brand of fantasy football which so often entertains but fails to deliver when it counts.
But Barcelona have got everything right this season. The result proved an obsession with style does not always have to mean an abandonment of substance.
Chris Breese
[Photo: Shay GNU]
Tags: barcelona > champions league > England > Iniesta > la liga > Manchester United > Messi > premier league > Xavi
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