Posted on 05/28/2011 6:47:01 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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The matchup can be summarized under various headings - Clash of philosophies, Attack against Defense and so on. Ultimately, all those headlines will point to an epic clash of champions, both of whom won their first of three European trophies at Wembley.
Invariably, thoughts will meander back to the 2009 final at Rome between the same two sides. On that occasion, Barcelona were comfortable 2-0 victors bar the first ten minutes during which Man United burst forward. Eto'o scored after ten minutes and Messi guided in a rare header to make it an easy win which was laced with some exquisite display of passing football from the Catalans.
In the pre-match press conference, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed that he had figured exactly what went wrong in Rome.
He said: "We are very focused this time and our preparation has been better. We maybe made one or two mistakes last time, but not this time. The players have to trust themselves and trust each other because I trust them. I know they'll do the job right. This team has unity and our record in Europe this year is good. We're used to playing in Europe, we have that experience and we're pleased with what we've achieved this year in Europe."
Considering Sir Alex has fixed the chinks in his side's armor, this should be a battle to relish. The two sides are more evenly matched than they were two years back, despite United losing Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. In fact, it seems to have made them much more of a team. Rooney has been touted to come good against Messi and co. and it could be a career-defining performance from the ex-Evertonian.
Stopping Messi is a tough ask though. The internet has been bombarded with many pundits opining on how best to stop him. Some have suggested Rio Ferdinand to take the risk, step forward and halt the wily Argentine, while United's central midfielders cut out his supply line - Xavi and Andres Iniesta. It's easier said than done though, which is one of the many factors making this a classic before it has even been played.
Both sides are aiming to do the double. Only one of them will do so. Slight fractions have touted Barcelona as favorites, but only just. The Catalans are expected to dominate possession and pass around United, tiring out the midfield whilst picking out the forward three of Messi, David Villa and Pedro with some sharp passing. Their opposition is expected to sit back and soak in the pressure and hit them with the famous Man United counters.
However, as humans, we tend to expect too much only to be disappointed later. The match could just as easily descend into a farce, much like the El Classico did in the semifinals and the World Cup final did in June last year. Let's just hope the two teams do justice to the expected capacity 90000-strong crowd at the Wembley.
The battle between Ferguson and Barca manager Pep Guardiola will be especially entertaining. In 2009, it was unusual to see Ferguson outsmarted by a rookie in his first year in top class management. That's sure to have riled the old Scot and it'll be interesting to see how the battle by the technical line will pan out.
It all sets up nicely. At the beginning of the season, it is just what UEFA would have hoped for. A final between two of the best teams in the continent. The stage is set.
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United’s formation has been the talking point for tactics lovers all week. Will Fergie stick with 4-4-2, go for the jugular and attack Barca or will he revert back to the hybrid 4-3-3 / 4-5-1 in an effort to contain Messi and co?And for those of your who follow sports economics, here's an interesting piece from Forbes.
Some media reports this week suggested United were practising using a 3-4-3 if they are chasing the game in the final stages.
I posted the same article to my Facebook. You beat me to it here. For the most part, we aren’t a soccer nation. The rest of the world is though and I expect this to be a big money event elsewhere.
I am grateful this one won’t be on cable. I do plan to head to a one of the local pubs that will put this on (I suspect we have 3 that will be absolutely crazy).
In any case, I'll be taping this one and watching the White Sox at the tavern (and I have to work a few hours tonight so I can't be drinking).
That’s an interesting article about the finances of sports teams. I seem to remember reading years ago that Manchester United was the most valuable sports franchise in the world, and it looks like that hasn’t changed at all.
Same here. Going to local sports bar to watch the game. Barca is being called the greatest team ever assembled. ManU is also a great team, which should make this match a classic. I like Messi and company and will be rooting for them.
Barca have already seen the most extreme form of negative tactics v Real Madrid but Messi has shown that he can score anyway. I don’t imagine Fergie will put 10 men behind the ball and attempt to hoard possession but he’s probably got a dilemma: attempt to take the lead and leave the defense somewhat exposed or play wait-and-see until well into the 2nd half?
Nope.
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