Crisis for the Pep Team?

Still in contention one week ago for the two main jewels in Barcelona’s reach – La Liga and the Champions League – today the prevailing sentiment is that Barcelona’s hegemony over European football has come to an end. Therefore, I would like to hypothesize about why Barcelona has not hit the same highs this season as in the previous 3.

To start, defensive frailties. Most culés believe that Barcelona just need to take their chances in front of goal, but if they had not given up even one of the soft goals against Chelsea, they would have advanced. The reason for the defensive frailties is simply that Puyol, Pique, and Mascherano do not constitute a back line. There is not a left back among them and Mascherano is a midfielder. Pique’s running disagreement with Guardiola, and the probable concussion he suffered last night, complicated things further.

The second structural problem is on the left wing, which seemed to be a focal point for attack but which often lost the ball. In this position, Barcelona’s youth academy has been churning out a flavor of the mouth that sparkles and then fizzles. In 2008, it was Bojan Krkic. He kept the team afloat during the dark final days of the Rijkaard regime but in 2011 was sold like scrap to Milan, having become the fancy sports car that you never take out because you bought another, even fancier one. Next came Pedro. The multi-footed winger was a revelation in 2009 with his big-game goals, seemingly always from different places on the pitch. Fast forward to 2012 and locals groan when Pedro comes on. And this year we had Christian Tello who scored twice in his debut and has earned solid league minutes but has been completely ineffective in the recent big matches.

I have several suggestions for the critical left wing position: 

1)      Thiago Alcantara. He’s probably the best at running at defenders from this position and Barcelona doesn’t need him in the midfield with Cesc, Iniesta, and Xavi fit. For me, Thiago should have been deployed here lsat night and on Saturday.

2)      Loans. La Masia is a factory, and the great thing about a factory is that it churns out players of a similar standard. The bad thing, in a footballing sense, is too little variation – which has enabled defenses to neutralize the young newcomers relatively quickly. It is perhaps no coincidence that two successful cantera alumni, Cesc and Pique, cut their teeth in foreign leagues before coming back to Barcelona.

3)      Outside buys. Sometimes Barcelona has to look outside the cantera for a truly de-stabilizing player, given that its youth setup produces so little variation. Alexis, Villa, and Alves are examples. Unfortunately, there aren’t many good players available who fit this position. The best wingers in Europe who are likely to be available, Jesus Navas and Adam Johnson, play on the right (though Navas occasionally plays on the left). Iker Muniain is a player to watch and does play on the left, but at 19 he’s too unproven.

One final thought: should culés be so concerned about this year’s disappointment given that the critical pieces are still in place? After all, Messi is still Messi, Alexis and Cesc have shined, Xavi and Iniesta are still the best midfielders in the world, and Puyol shows no sign of slowing down. This year’s failure doesn’t mean Barcelona can’t maintain its pace since 2006 of winning the Champions League ever 2-3 years, which is still an achievement unprecedented in the modern game.

I think the real desperation comes from the knowledge that all dynasties inevitably fall. Barcelona experienced some lean years after the 1990’s Dream Team; Madrid went hungry after the initial success of Galácticos I; and Liverpool has not tasted Premier League title success for 20 years. It is premature to call the Pep Team over; but there are signs of cracks in the foundation.

Optimistic about American soccer

To Americans looking for proof that the national team is coming along, last month's friendly win over Italy was a cause for celebration. ESPN suggested the win wouldd be a confidence booster, even though Italy had the bulk of the chances and anywhere between 3 and 5 Yankee players looked totally lost on the pitch. Given the fragility of the win, the fact that it was only a friendly, and the memory of Italian domination in this same fixture in the last Confederations Cup, can we conclude that the US team has improved?

An important factor is the new coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, who certainly brings pedigree and tactical nous to the team. But I would like to focus on the American players' performance with their club teams as a proxy for national team improvement.

Looking around at the different players and leagues, there are encouraging signs. First, the settling of two players who are absolutely critical to the US. Jozy Altidore has finally found his stride at AZ Alkmar - a club that, while perhaps not on the same level as the top-shelf Villarreal side of 2004-2011, is nothing to sniff at either. Ditto Oguchi Onyewu at Sporting CP, after a disastrous stint with AC Milan. Altidore's and Onyewu's talent is undeniable, it's just a question of finding the right situation to extract it. Which is to say that comparisons to Freddy Adu, whose talent was grossly overestimated from the start, are premature for both.

Second, a core of players have really begun to shine in top European leagues. Clint Dempsey has been nothing short of sensational for Fulham, and is quietly reported to be heading to Arsenal in the summer. Landon Donovan again excelled during his annual loan to Everton. Stuart Holden proved his importance at Bolton, albeit through a prolonged absence. And Michael Bradley has had an outstanding season for Chievo that could see top teams come calling. (With Jermaine Jones now in the fold, the central/defensive midfielder position could be said to be the only outfield position with a quality backup.)

It is concerning that only the players named above are truly international-caliber - in addition to, of course, the always-dependable Steve Cherundalo, Carlos Bocanegra, and Tim Howard. The US continues to lack consistent quality throughout the ranks, and will still suffer at the end of games when substitutes can only provide fresh legs, and not fresh impetus. In addition, DaMarcus Beasley's stock has fallen quite drastically and Charlie Davies has yet to recover from his 2010 car accident. Though the maturity of youngsters like Jose Torres and Fabian Johnson might mitigate their loss in form.

All in all, I see the US well-positioned to get something out of its ageing but still-capable core in the next World Cup, depending of course on the draw, but it goes without saying that the core could use some help.

Champions League Semifinal 1st Leg Recap

Congratulations to the home sides who claimed well-deserved victories in the Champions League semifinals, though the door remains plainly open for all 4 teams to stake their claim for the finals in the return leg.

It was interesting to see how Barcelona and Real Madrid reacted to facing this caliber of opposition, since the top-heaviness of La Liga basically means that they are tested only a handful of times per year.

Bayern vs. Real Madrid was a delightful contest, on balance the most even match between two top teams in the competition. With players of the quality of Robben, Ribery, Lahm, and Gomez – and the pedigree of having eliminated a top Manchester United team in 2010 – it was inevitable that Bayern would fluster Madrid. I found it interesting that their attacks often began with Lahm at right back, then crossed the pitch to Ribery on the left flank. Madrid had no answer and was consistently beaten on the left. Gomez also warrants special mention. Perhaps because the Spanish game has shifted away from big target men who don’t like to carry the ball for 40 meters, Madrid was uncertain how to defend Gomez.

In London, I think we saw a similar storyline as in 2009. Barcelona dominated possession (74%) and created more chances (24 to 6) but credit to Chelsea for scoring first. Like in 2009, when Chelsea brought an away goal back to Stamford Bridge and just sat on it until the “Iniestazo,” 2012 Chelsea largely parked the bus after scoring, keen to preserve their 1-0 lead.

Will Barcelona be able to break down the door in the return leg? I think that, on the evidence of the two very clear chances created late in the second half (Puyol’s header and Pedro’s shot off the post), they will find a way through even if Chelsea parks the bus. And Chelsea may not necessarily do so from the outset, as they’ll know that a quick away goal will almost guarantee their passage. So I would expect an open game in the first hour, where if Barcelona scores first they will go on to score a few more, but if Chelsea scores first Barcelona won’t have a prayer. And if no one scores by the hour mark, we’ll see a repeat of last week’s final half hour.

While Chelsea deserves credit for an organized performance and a well-taken goal, in view of Barcelona’s glaring misses (this easily could have been 3-1 to the good into 1-0 against), the British press’s exalting descriptions of a “fearless Chelsea side” seem exaggerated. In the article, Kevin Palmer says that “Di Matteo's team of battle-hardened warriors stood up to the Barcelona machine and refused to buckle under their generally deadly spell.” Palmer’s hyperbole ignores the bevy of near-misses that on other days are goals. The performance was good, but I would not call a 1-0 home win immaculate. Perhaps that is the standard Barcelona have set under Guardiola.

I still think the odds are in favor of a Clásico final, but wouldn’t be totally surprised to see any combination of the 4 teams.