Wishing a Happy New Year to all Soccer fans Worldwide

Happy New Year Soccer Fans!

Best Wishes for 2014!

And may you continue enjoying the beautiful game that brings you thrilling moments to share with your friends.

It may have been a penalty.

It may have been a great shot but it was also a great save.

It was a dangerous challenge and the referee ignored.

Only if it had gone in instead of hitting the post.

Because so and so is injured!

Forget about it :D

It's all good! Because in 2014 we restart again to foolishly enjoy those great moments of soccer that we talk about.

Champions League knockout round and World Cup in Brazil here we go...

The Trident in La Liga

Real Madrid, Barca and Atletico are La Liga's Trident

The last time La Liga crowned a team that was not Real Madrid or Barcelona was almost a decade ago. In the season of 2003-04 it was Valencia C.F. that enjoyed the sweet taste of victory.

Something similar could happen in the 2013-14 season, as there are three clear candidates that are not willing to give their opponents an inch of advantage. Barcelona is in the top of the table by goal difference but is tied in points with Atletico Madrid. Real Madrid has already lost to Atletico and Barcelona in the first meetings, for that reason has a slight disadvantage in points and is seating on third place.

The next games to come in La Liga are very important for the three contenders. Dropping points at this stage means that the chances of winning La Liga title would have to wait.

In January 11 the meeting between Barca and Atletico promises to be an explosive game. Though Barca has proven to be efficient with their style of play, Atletico is showing every weekend that they are a tough team to beat. Diego Costa has scored 19 goals in 17 games; the Atletico man is real threat to opponents.

Barca has a handful of stars that can change things around really quickly.  Also Lionel Messi should be fit and ready to play, Neymar and Pedro have been putting their names on the scoreboard.

Fascinating stuff to come for the rest of La Liga in 2014.

Real Madrid is not too far behind and they are a dangerous team that wants to taste both La Liga and the Champions League trophies. The team has Cristiano Ronaldo and company to do the job.

Definitely the fight for the titles is not between Real and Barca this season. Atletico has become a team of warriors that deserves to lift silverware this year as well.  

Marry Christmas From Soccerfool :D

It's a time to be with your love ones; friends and family and to enjoy some time off from the beautiful game.

Be safe and don't drink and drive! And when you cross the street may sure you look both sides of the road :D


Stay out of trouble and get ready to warm up for 2014 is bringing The World Cup!

Best Wishes!
Marry Christmas!

Interesting Mixture of Flavors in World Cup Brazil 2014

Interesting draw for the World Cup Brazil 2014 and the entire planet will paralyze for that month to watch the magnificent sporting event that begins on June 12 and ends on July 13, 2014.

Group A

Brazil       Croatia      Mexico    Cameroon

The host country will have total support of its people, the Brazilians will teach their opponents how to dance samba. It is undoubtedly an interesting group; Mexico and Croatia are warriors that do not give up easily and have demonstrated their capabilities in previous World Cups. And Cameroon is composed of a squad of strength and speed.

Group B

Spain    Netherlands       Chile     Australia

This group brings us the final of last World Cup; Spain VS Netherlands will be a fascinating game. Chile and Australia are the underdogs they have not done so well on previous tournaments but every four years brings teams that surprise us.

Group C

Colombia    Greece      Ivory Coast        Japan

This group has all the flavors: South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. These group is certainly unpredictable, every game seems to be really good given that these teams are not on the elite favorites but they are not to be disregarded either.

Group D

Uruguay    Costa Rica    England    Italy

This group has England and Italy as the favorites to go through in the group stages but they will have to battle it out against Uruguay who not only did really well in the last World Cup but also is composed of skilled game changers.

Group E

Switzerland   Ecuador     France    Honduras

In this group The Swiss and the French have the strength and speed to pass Honduras and Ecuador but sometimes the favorite teams are the ones that pack their bags earlier to watch the rest of the tournament from home.

Group F

Argentina    Bosnia-Herzegovina      Iran       Nigeria

Speed, strength and skills collide every time Argentina plays against Nigeria, definitely an interesting match to watch. Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran are not well known in the football world but sometimes those teams are the ones that become a pain in the ass.

Group G

Germany    Portugal    Ghana     United States

What a group this is!! There is no underdog here. Even the US Soccer team has shown strength and competence in previous world cups. These group is just fascinating; Klismann versus his native Germany, the US gets a chance of revenge against Ghana. And Portugal has Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Group H

Belgium   Algeria    Russia    South Korea

This is an interesting group; Belgium and Russia seem to be the strongest of the four teams but again the World Cup is usually full of surprises and next summer will not be an exception. Algeria and South Korea could turn out to be difficult to beat.  

Barca is Missing their Messiah!

The Blaugrana are still leaders in La Liga with three points ahead of archrival Real Madrid but the last two games show they are Messi-dependant.

Since Messi’s departure to Argentina due to injury Barca has been struggling in their attacking form. In the last two games in which they lost against Ajax in the Champions League and Athletic Bilbao in La Liga respectively show how Barca has lost their compass and now they find themselves looking for answers.

Well! The answer is clear, they are missing key players that provide the rhythm that break the opponent’s defense. It is not only Messi that is missing in action. It is clear that Jordi Alba and Dani Alves as well as starting goalkeeper Victor Valdes are game changers who are not playing due to injury.

Valdez injury is a big blow for the Blaugrana. He has made great saves this season that have helped the team walk away with three points. There is no doubt that Barca will be a different team in January when those fantastic players step back in the pitch to make the difference.

Let’s not forget that Messi in a good day can score goals even with his ears!

Neymar has been criticized for not finding the net as much as expected since Barca paid a huge sum for the Brazilian star. But he is still in the learning process, the ball rolls a little bit faster than what he was used to, and for a 21 year old playing for an elite team in Europe he is not doing too bad. His time will come.

Barca needs to run faster!

But so much is expected from Barca; a team that has only been beaten once this season in La Liga. Perhaps because the way they have been beaten! Though they only lost by the minimum; fans know that the team is not synchronizing well. Their passes were intersected, their speed lasted twenty minutes in their last match and they were not able to create many chances of goal.

It is good for La Liga to shake things up for the title race. La Liga has been predictable because it has been either Barca or Madrid that takes title home. But this season Atletico de Madrid has been showing up as a strong contender and a clear candidate to take the crown. This clearly puts a different spin compared to previous seasons and now the title race is formed by a trident of strong teams that will not give up easily in the next games to come.

Ronaldo Undoubtedly has the Edge

The Portuguese and Real Madrid superstar continues to amaze fans of the beautiful game. His recent performance, a hat trick against Real Sociedad shows that he continues to climb up in his career and that he will not be hanging his boots anytime soon.

The BBC or Benzema, Bale and Cristiano have become a clear striking force that will try to take Real Madrid back to the winning stages of the past.  The three of them are arguably the best striking force in Europe at the moment; together they have scored 17 goals in the last fourteen days, which is clearly a strong statement by Los Blancos.

Though Real Madrid is behind archrival Barcelona by 6 points the season still has a long way to go. There is still a lot of time for Real Madrid to turn the table around and to take advantage of Ronaldo’s momentum to snatch as many points as they can because Barca still is the undefeated team that does not seem to give in.

Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly a super athlete and this year he seems to be going higher than fifth gear. With the return of Xavi Alonzo and Bale recovering from his injury as well as Benzema finding his game, Real Madrid seems to be the giant club that can no longer afford to go another season without meaningful silverware.

La Decima! Real Madrid fans are screaming for the 10^th Champions League trophy to be lifted by Ronaldo and company. But the Champions League is a whole different ball game. A true test will be placed in the knock out rounds of the Champions for the revived Real Madrid. The likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Barca, Paris St. Germain among others are serious contenders to be considered.

Benzema, Bale and Cristiano (BBC) however are showing class, speed and great skills that threaten to dismantle the competition. Cristiano Ronaldo is clearly having a brilliant season and with Messi being injured, clearly the Portuguese star has the edge over the never-ending debate about the two great footballers.  

Shut up and enjoy the beautiful game!

Messi is Missing in Action

Messi admitted he is not 100% yet

That’s good news for cough cough Real Madrid and other opponents in Europe who have been victims of Messi’s left foot.

Most fans of the beautiful game know that el Astro argentino is in the spotlight for not being able to score any goals in the last four games.

It is true that Messi is not 100% yet after being injured. However, he has scored 8 goals so far, 5 goals behind Diego Costa and Ronaldo. It’s not arguable that Messi is missing given that this is the same player that has scored four or even five goals in a single Champions League game.

It might be a good thing for Messi to let others shine a bit. Barca has enough ammunition to keep at the top of the table with Neymar, Iniesta and Sanchez among others. Messi’s non-action will be temporary and that’s ok because he has given Barca fans everything a player can give but the goals will return and that will be even greater.

Barca’s number 10 is also human and his last four games is a reminder of that. However, for the best player that has been in the spotlight for winning everything is also a good thing to be in the spotlight for not scoring. The reason for that is that Messi needs to reboot or needs a boost. When el astro argentino comes back to the score sheet it will be like starting all over again and that’s a good thing for the beautiful game.

Do not worry Barca fans! You still on top of La Liga and doing well in the Champions League.

Real Madrid Defeated from Within

The last Clasico saw Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2-1 in a match that could have gone either way. Despite some controversial calls and poor judgment by the referee, Barcelona was the better team. Both teams seem to be going through a phase of changes and unpredictability but Real Madrid has made a mistake that will cost them dearly.

Lately, Real Madrid has had trouble beating teams that are not good at controlling possession of the ball and are not good at attacking. Well, Barca is really good at both of those. Though, they have not been brilliant as previous seasons, Barca is still an undefeated team with a lot of creativity.

There is no doubt that there were certain penalty calls that the referee dismissed for both sides. One may argue one side over the other; however, if Real Madrid will rely on penalties to decide a positive outcome in every game then they’ll have a long season. A club with the history and the quality of players cannot simply rely on penalty kicks period.

Why has Real Madrid been defeated from within? The answer is simple they sold Mesut Ozil. Many Barca fans were relieved about the news when Los Blancos announced the departure of the German playmaker to Arsenal. Ozil is only 25 years old and he has so much to give yet.  That would be like Barca letting go of Xavi who is the architect in the midfield.

You cannot let go of your architect who can create spectacular buildings. Mesul Ozil was and still is a great attacking midfielder with the capacity to create accurate and deadly passes against opponent teams. He has brought struggling Arsenal to the top of the table in Premier League and he is enjoying it.
  

Meanwhile, Real Madrid is having a tough time identifying their type of game. With Mourinho they were fast and effective with their counterattacks but now with Ancelloti they are being put to the test even by teams that have previously been easily defeated by Los Blancos.

That they were not given a penalty or two in the last Clasico should not be an excuse for a team with the history and accomplishment as Real Madrid. They just need to come down from that historic cloud and realize that money doesn’t always translate to talent. 

El Clasico

What is El Clasico? The Classic! Not quite. Actually the term refers to the rivalry in world football between Real Madrid vs. Barcelona. These two legendary and gigantic soccer clubs are among the most successful in Europe and the world and when they go against each other soccer aficionados gather together to watch the intensity of this match.

Everything is at stake. Real Madrid and Barcelona go against each other not only for the historic rivalry between their respective cities but also everything else. Is not only the historical and political conflict the gets tangle up in El Clasico but also respect.

Weeks before the date of El Clasico the media that surrounds the beautiful game is in charge of building provocative stories to heat things up between these two. Fans of each of the clubs talk smack about the other and some take it to an extreme and dangerous level.

El Clasico is up on us and the world will be watching. One more reason that makes this match so good is the presence of great footballers on both teams. But recently it has gotten even better. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are undoubtedly the best players in the world and they have brought El Clasico to a whole new level. These two are both nicknamed score machines because their goal tally just keeps climbing up every season. So it is not only Real Madrid vs. Barcelona but also Cristiano vs. Messi.

Don’t go too crazy about it and make sure you get on with your life after the match :D

It will be an interesting match since both teams seem to be missing something. Real Madrid have been criticized for lack of willingness from some of the starting eleven and Barcelona has not been so brilliant in the last two matches and for that reason El Clasico could go either way. But the first meeting is at Barcelona’s Camp Nou Stadium and for that reason Barca are the favorites to win this one. It will definitely be an intense and interesting match for all soccer aficionados out there.

Barcelona's Tarzan is Back

Not even Tarzan helped Barcelona to keep the winning streak

It has been a great run by Barcelona so far as they still remain the undefeated team in La Liga. Barca conceded a couple of points as they tied with Osasuna over the weekend. One of the most notable parts of the match was the return of Carles Puyol on the pitch. Barca’s iconic defender has been missing in action for seven months due to a knee injury. Puyol is nicknamed Tarzan for his long curly hair as well as his aggressive and competitive game. He is a player that any team would love to have on their side.

Great game by Osasuna as they were able to contain Barca’s constant attacking style. The opportunities were there for Barca to put it on the net but they were missing that special and most important last touch. But Osasuna’s fans with their chants and encouragement got behind their team who in return did not give in.

Barcelona does not have to win every match but it has become sort of expected by the fans. Now with the return of Puyol on defense there is also some increased assurance on the back line because in recent months that defensive line has been criticized for not being at their best. 

Puyol has returned just on time to play a full 90-minute game as a warm up for next week. Two important matches for Barcelona are their Champions League game against AC Milan on Oct 22 and on Oct 26 against bitter rival Real Madrid, both games are a must win for the Catalans.

El Clasico is a gift from the past to the present and future of the beautiful game. It’s an intensive match where the history and rivalry between two cities bundles up with their respective teams. Barcelona vs. Real Madrid it’s a must watch for soccer lovers all over the world. Puyol and Messi will go head to head against Ronaldo and company.

Barcelona does need a strong defense and for that reason Puyol’s recovery is very appreciated by Barca’s fan. The Champions League as well as La Liga has a long way to go and the games are much more interesting when quality players are not missing due to injuries.

Puyol, take care of yourself and don’t go too crazy on those ball challenges just because people refer to you as Tarzan. 

The Beautiful Game is More than Running

All sports are entertainment in the eye of the beholder; some will say that certain activity is boring while another one is action-packed. I believe soccer is full of unpredictable movements and plays that make the game spectacular.

That long ball the defender sends the ball to the striker, then the striker receives it with his chest, turns around and runs forward preparing to take a long-range shot and scores a beautiful goal or the goalkeeper flies and puts a hand making an amazing save sending the ball out of bounds. And sometimes the ball hits the bar post too.

That scissors kick, when a player jumps and makes his body parallel to the ground to strike in front of the goal. This happens fast, usually from a corner kick or a cross from the sidelines, and for that reason good timing is everything. Depending from the side of the pass, the striker brings up his right or left leg forward to jump up and shoot that ball.

A direct free kick is given when a player is fouled outside the opponents box. The striker attempts to score a goal while the opponents form a wall 10 yards in front of him. The beauty here is to put that ball over the wall and make sure it comes down inside the goalie. An indirect free kick happens the same way except another player has to pass or touch the ball before the striker.

The diving headers, those are cool too. These are well executed when there is a nice cross pass and the forward runs and dives to put that ball in the net with his head.

The corner kick; this one is the one awarded to the attacking team when the ball goes out of bound deflected from the opponent player. The kick is taken from the closest corner the ball was deflected from. It’s an opportunity for tall players to head in the ball and score.

And how about that Bicycle Kick.

You never get to see one so often but when a bicycle kick is well performed and nicely executed it is a spectacular moment. The bicycle is one of those acrobatic movements that steals the show. This is the one that non-professional teams as well as kids in the park fool around trying to attempt. 

The beautiful game is action packed! It is definitely not just running as some may think. There is a lot going on in the pitch, especially in competitive games such as World Cup qualifiers and other tournaments where great teams go head to head.

October 11 is a FIFA Date

October 11 is a date for qualifiers 

Soccer fans around the world will be glued to their TV sets watching their respective national teams in another FIFA World Cup 2014 qualifying game. A match between one country against another is very meaningful. Both countries playing against each other represent their people, the color of their flags and their pride. It is indeed a battle on that pitch.

This is where fierce rivals unite for the same cause to qualify for a significant spot in the world’s game. For instance, Barcelona and Real Madrid players who battle against each other competing for trophies in Spain’s La Liga will be a unified team representing their country.

A Qualifying game is far from being just a game. At this stage, footballers representing their country have to sweat blood if necessary in order to successfully go through and earn a ticket to Brazil 2014.

A soccer match between two national teams makes a regular league game look cute. 

That is because representing a country brings more pressure in the players. Representing the colors of a country means representing the heritage, history and culture and everything else that gets tangled in one nation.

Every one is watching and for that reason a mistake could last for a long time. At this level the ball is rolling faster, the players are running back and forth, counterattacks happen as well as long range shots. The defenders can’t make mistakes because it could cause them a goal, the midfield has to be accurate with their passes, and the strikers can’t waste opportunities to score.

However, one team usually makes a costly mistake and the rush of that gooooaaaaL is unforgettable for the fans. 

The popularity of soccer is growing in the United States either with EA FIFA 13 or with the use of social media and the business deals made by television networks to broadcasts the elite leagues of Europe. Whatever the case may be, the USA has been consistently showing up to the World Cup tournament and playing really well. It will be nice to see the red white and blue go far next year. 

Real Madrid Has That Luck of Champions

Real Madrid has the luck of champions given that they scored two goals in the last minutes of the match against Levante. It seems that the Real Madrid squad is having trouble adapting a new strategy. They don’t know whether to play a possession system or an attacking system.

Even if they would not admit it, they are clearly missing the creativity and playmaking skills of Mesut Ozi.

In the last minute of added time Ronaldo stroke the ball, which was deflected by a defender and to the net. This was a significant goal from outside the box because had Madrid dropped more points they would be 8 points behind Barca and Atletico Madrid instead of 5. But Real Madrid could run out of luck with teams that know how to possess the ball in the last minutes of a match.

Atltetico Madrid and Barcelona have had a great start in La Liga so far. Both teams look great and they have won all the 8 games played with 24 points each. And this means that Real Madrid have to watch out not only for their arch rival Barca, but also their neighbors who just keep on winning as well.

It’s exciting to see Villareal being two points (17) behind Real Madrid. The More competition the better!

Real Madrid cannot rely on Ronaldo all the time. In the last match against Levante, the Portuguese striker was clearly taking charge of the team after seeing that nothing else was working. His persistence was rewarded against Levante, a team that was not able to hide the ball from Los Blancos in the last minutes.

No diving!

 European newspapers have criticized Neymar for diving during Barca's game against Celtic. It is easy to criticize the Brazilian star because his style lets him expose to defenders. But a lot of players dive and try to get their opponents booked by the ref.

Real Madrid had a great game but they will need to play against a tougher opponent as a proof that they are coming together as a team. Copenhagen was definitely not a threat for Iker Casillas, for that reason Los Blancos were able to shine with fantastic goals. But there is no doubt that Real Madrid is a tough team with great players able to go far in the competition.

So it was easy for Los Blancos to earn their three points. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens in the next round of the Champions!

Another week of Champions League!

I have a soccer thought!

I'll be right back and finish my thought!


Ohhh! I got it, Champions League this week!



Barca's victory over Celtic was by the minimum
(1 - 0) but  they were important three points for the Blaugrana who has have had complicated matches at Celtic Park in recent years.

Neymar had a great match and took the leadership in the attack. The young Brazilian is still being watch closely by Barca fans, but he seems to be doing really well considering he is not used to playing at the Champions League level.

Fabrega's only goal of the match was enough to put FC Barcelona with 6 points in Group H. It was noticeable that Messi was missing in action but the team came through and showed a display of quality and possession to walk away with the three points.

Ozil's Arsenal was brilliant as well. Mesut Ozil continues to enjoy success with the Gunners scoring his first goal in a Champions League game against Napoli. An important victory for Arsenal as well in order to stay on top with 6 points in Group F.

Real Madrid resurrected from criticism because they have 'the christian and the angel'. Los Blancos easily dominated the match at Estadio Bernabeu against Copenhagen. Sensational goals by Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria (4-0) who each walked away with a brace. Real Madrid was fantastic! But they have yet to see a strong challenger in the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich continues to be an unstoppable machine. It was a spectacular match where Bayern routed Manchester City (3-1)with fantastic and accurate passing skills. The German side is in fantastic form and they will continue to be a tough team to beat in this competition.

Champions League games are truly exciting to watch. The games are played at the highest level, where skill, speed and quality embrace the atmosphere of the beautiful game.

Time for Neymar to Show Up and Shine for Barca

There is a saying that  “what is bad luck for one man is good luck for another”. Not sure where it came from but it is certainly true.

Leonel Messi has gotten a thigh injury that will put him off the pitch for about three weeks. Well this is a big blow for the Catalans because it is Messi that appears to make the difference in difficult games.

But now is the chance for Neymar to shine! Many may say that he is not like Messi. That is true, but also it is true that Messi was not Ronaldinho when he was starting his career with Barca’s first team. Having said that, Neymar has the opportunity to play more minutes and to show more of his unique talent.

Neymar is not a little kid without experience. Quite the contrary. He has shown up in numerous matches for his previous club, Santos, and his national team, Brazil.

FC Barcelona is full of talent with world-class players that have different roles on the pitch. Heck! Even the defenders become attackers on this team. For that reason, it is a very competitive team for a newcomer like Neymar and to earn a permanent starting spot becomes a bit of a challenge.

There is no doubt that Messi is Barcelona’s super star who has followers all over the world due to his impressive career with his club. And for that reason he is greatly missed whenever he is off the pitch due to some injury.

But Barca has been through this in the past, and now with Messi missing a few weeks there is a clear chance for Neymar. The young Brazilian has amazing dribbling skills, is fast, and is capable of taking long-range shots with both feet.        

Barca’s boss, Tata Martino, should be able to give Neymar more time on the pitch. That way the young Brazilian would be able to earn the trust and respect of those who doubt him.

La Liga Better Check on Those Referees

Create a deck of cards featuring exercise routines, and sell it online for $18.95. Sounds like a disaster idea to me. But former Navy SEAL and fitness instructor Phil Black reported last year sales of $4.7 million. Surely beats what military paysForget the referee and the controversial calls made at the clash of Real Madrid and Elche.

Forget the tweets between Pigue and Arbeloa. How about La Liga itself? The credibility of La Liga is something that could be questioned when referees seem to favor well-established clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona.

What are the chances of the rise of another strong contender in La Liga? Atletico Madrid has taken off in the right direction with 6 consecutive victories and 18 points; positioning itself as a tough contender this season. But unfortunately at a certain point in the season Atletico chokes and starts dropping points.

And referees frequently make controversial calls that ruin the chances of smaller teams to compete and as a result La Liga becomes predictable. Real Madrid and Barcelona should not get a break from referees as they have enough talent on the pitch.

It is definitely much fun to watch matches where the underdog who is expected to lose actually puts a lot of effort to turn things around in a match.  As it was the case of Elche who handle the pressure from Real Madrid but what could have been a 1-1 draw turned into a controversy as referee Muñiz Fernandez gave a penalty kick to Madrid on stoppage time.

It was definitely a sad ending for Elche and fans that went home with a bitter taste. For a team such Elche that has been recently promoted to first division would have been such a great victory to draw against Real Madrid.

La Liga definitely needs to take a closer look at the officials on the pitch to make sure they do an ethical job. This would guarantee fair competition and encouragement to those teams that lack funds to buy expensive players. In turn, La Liga would be much more exciting and fun to watch when competition is tough among various teams.

Tata is More than Tiki Taka

To Tiki TaKa or Not to Tiki Taka?

FC Barcelona has played its sixth campaign and its dominance with or without its Tiki Taka has been questioned. Even if Barca wins and adds points to stay on top of La Liga finds its fans difficult to please. Barca followers have started to questions the tactics of the new Coach Tata Martino. In reality who cares! The team is winning and that’s what matters! It is clearly difficult to delight everyone especially demanding Barca fans.

It is true that Tata Martino’s tactics have been a bit unpredictable lately. In their Match against Rayo Vallecano Barca’s finesse with their Tiki Taka was missing, yet they walked away with an victory of 0-4. On their next campaign; playing at home in Camp Nou, their Tiki Taka and possession game was flawless and the score ended favorably 4-1. Actually, it is better for this Barca team to be unpredictable as some teams have previously figure something out when playing against the Catalan Giants.

Not all coaches apply the same tactics equally. Tata Martino will definitely add something or change a few things that traditionally have been kept in previous seasons of Barca’s playing style. Whatever the case may be, Barca is leading La Liga and fans should know that at the end of the day that is what really matters!

It should be known that with the arrival of a new boss the style of play could vary in comparison to previous coaches. Tata is doing a fantastic job in my book. He is currently applying an attacking style that Barca needs. Possession is great too, but when the opponents just park the bus in front of their goalie it is necessary to have a plan B.  Tata seems to be the man with that plan.

It’s still too early in La Liga to predict a successful run for the Catalans. But so far; based on current results, Barca could possibly escape and leave behind everybody else as they did last season.

Also the rotation of players seems to work really well. Everyone who plays for a top-flight team in La Liga must be a competitive player. Tata Martino has great players to choose from for his starting line up. But also having  great talent could bring a bit of a challenge for the coach to manage.

So far, the new Barca boss is coming through with great victories and fans should support him and get used to his tactics.