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World Club Cup 2009
Topic Started: Nov 12 2009, 01:44 PM (796 Views)
enganche
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I am another who is really impressed with Sabella's coaching and I think he will come up with a good game plan tomorrow against Barcelona. It should be much as what others here have said, closing them down in midfield, cutting off their passing angles and looking to hit them on the counter with efficient finishing. I think it has the chance to be a fascinating game and with Iniesta missing I do think Estudiantes' chances improve. Without his cohort in midfield I feel Xavi is easier to defend, when the US beat Spain, another game where Iniesta was missing, their coach and players commented on how they always had a defender in front of Xavi and forced him to pass sideways or backwards. This I think is key if Estudiantes are to win. Watch how they handle Xavi tomorrow, if he is able to feed Barca's attackers then El Pincha could be in trouble, but if he is passing sideways and backwards, then Estudiantes defense is doing it's job well.

Should be a fun game, Barcelona are definitely favorites but I am very curious to see how this tenacious and intelligent Estudiantes team can do against them.
Prefiero morir de pie que vivir arrodillado
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autogol
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An early Barcelona goal and Estudiantes will have to open up more which will expose them to Barca's attacks. But I do think it is a good point that Iniesta's absence will hurt them. But what of Lionel Mmessi? The soon to be world player of the year and hardly a mention of him here! He instantly turned the Atlante game in Barcelona's favor and with Iniesta out I am curious to see if Guardiola will try and position him closer to the middle of the field rather than having him start out on the right? While Messi always has freedom to roam, placing him more in the center, behind Ibrahimovic for example might get him even more involved in the play.

Estudiantes have a smart, hard working team but Barcelona just has too much quality all around. I see Barcelona winning this.
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Don Balon
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If Iniesta is out then Guardiola has several options: 1]Start Henry along with Ibrahimovic and Messi; 2]Start Pedro along with Ibrahimovic and Messi then under either option in midfield he can play Keita along with Xavi and one of Busquets or Yaya Toure. Or he goes more defensive, which I doubt and plays Busquets, Toure and Xavi in midfield. So Barcelona will not be lacking options even missing Andres Iniesta. I saw Estudiantes play the semifinal and while I know they were holding something back they also did not look like a team ready to defeat Barcelona. They lacked contundencia. But we will soon find out what they are capable of in about 8 hours.
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rosarino
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Just a few minutes from kickoff and I am getting excited and I am not even an Estudiantes fan! At leats 5,000 Pincha fans in the stadium, waving flags, singing, creating a great atmosphere. This beats even what Boca were able to bring in their trips to Japan for first the Intercontinental then the World Club Cup. Very impressive. I recall against Defensor Sporting of Uruguay earlier this year in the Libertadores, when they playe din Montevideo Estudiantes had as many fans (at least 12,000) and they were much louder than those supporting the home team! So in the next round, Nacional of Uruguay restricted ticket sales to Estudiantes fans.

Starting lineups look like they will include Cellay at right back for Estudiantes, with Clemente Rodriguez moving to right midfield. Enzo Perez then will play as a media punta behind Boselli with Maxi Nunez going to the bench. For Barcelona, Messi is in the lineup, as are Henry and Keita. Yaya Toure is on the ebnch. This should be fun!
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rosarino
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Halftime score:


Estudiantes 1-0 Barcelona

Estudiantes playing just as we discussed beforehand, closing Barcelona down in midfield, forcing Barca to go for the long ball, and when going forward Estudiantes are moving the ball around and got their goal on an excellent header by Boselli who had Abidal all over him but still headed it in for the game's only goal. I think the cross came from Benitez but I am not 100% sur eof that. Veron is playing higher up the field and using his distribution ability while for me Rodrigo Brana has been the ebst playe ron the field brekaing up so much play. So far a quiet game for Ibrahimovic, Messi, Xavi and especially Henry as El Pincha's defenders are swarming on them. Let us see what tactical changes both of these sharp coaches make in the 2nd half but so far it has been a very intelligent game by Estudiantes.
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rosarino
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Full time result:


Estudiantes 1-1 Barcelona

A different 2nd half with Barcelona pressing for the goal the entire 2nd half and Estudiantes pinned back in their half. El Pincha held on until the 89th minute when Pique, playing center forward headed it on to Pedro who headed the ball into the net. Onto extra time in a war of attrition, Barca ended the game fresher but we will find out whch of the two find their 2nd wind now. Both teams by the way have used all 3 of their substitutions.
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Yogi
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I think logic won out in the end as barcelona won 2-1 in extra time, the winning goal scored by Messi, chesting a cross into the net. As rosarino wrote, Barcelona, after being well controlled in the 1st half by Estudiantes took over the 2nd half and the extra time. But they left it late with that 89th minute goal by pedro which forced the extra time and then the game winner by Messi after 110 minutes. Estudiantes just did not have any legs elft but on the last play of the game nearly tie dit on a header by their defender Desabato which was wid eof the post by aout a foot.

A brave display by Estudinates but Barcelona are deserving champions. Amazing that they won every competition they entered since Guardiola took over as their coach!
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rosarino
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Score after extra time:

Estudiantes 1-2 Barcelona

Leo Messi wins the game for Barcelona chesting in a cross. Desabato nearly tied it for Estudiantes on the final play of the game but his header just missed wide of the post. Brave display by Estudantes but they ran out of gas and were forced to defend almost the entire 2nd half and extra time by Barcelona. I think this game showed without Iniesta Barca are not quite the same team but they have so much quality and eventually wore Estudiantes down.
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El Profe
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It was a good game plan from Sabella and Estudiantes but they simply ran out of gas. But that is what a team like Barcelona can do to you, they make you chase the ball and them so much that you wear down. The game did remind me of the Barcelona-Chelsea Champions League semiifnal with Estudiantes, like Chelsea then, getting a first half goal, defending well and closing Barca down but eventually being worn down where they conceded a late goal. Once it went to extra time you just knew Barcelona would eventually score a winner as Estudiantes were just hanging on.

Messi gets the game winner but did practically nothing else in the game, as in World Cup qualifying when he goes up against South American defenders he is not effective. Yet he is the hero and FIFA's choice for Golden ball winner of the tournament because of that game winning goal. Frankly he was fortunate to still be on the field as with a yellow for diving he committed a 2nd half foul that could have been a yellow. But Archundia the Mexican ref spared him. Generally I thought the ref did all right though, he let the play go and Barca may have had a claim for a first halfpenalty when Albil caught Xavi but since the ref was allowing some contact to go without calling a foul, he had reason to let that pass too. The game was decided on the field of play and Barcelona's search for the winning goal eventually paid off.

What does Pep Guardiola do for an encore? He has won everything, he is yet to lose a competition since becoming Barcelona coach. As for Estudiantes, they get Jose Sosa eligible for the start of the new year and if they maintain this team and perhaps find one additional forward to help Boselli, then they have a good chance of returning to this competition in 2010 as Copa Libertadores champions.
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calimocho
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This was not easy but was a deserved win for Barcelona. Guardiola made a smart move at halftime taking a midfielder, Keita, out and adding another forward, Pedro. This allowed Messi to drop back and play behind the forward where he became more involved in the play and frankly gave the attack more dyanmism than they were getting from Xavi who was well controlled by Brana. But Messi's speed caused problems for Brana to contain him and with all of these attackers on the field for Barcelona, Estudiantes dropped back deeper to defend which meant their attacks became more sporadic and whenever an attacker did have the ball he was very isolated.

As others already noted all this pressure wore Estudiantes down and while they defended well they eventually gave up that late goal by Pedro. Once in extra time it was even more dominance by Barca and it was just in my eyes that the game was determined on the field of play and not by the lottery of penalty kicks.

A great way to crown the season for this all conquering Barcelona as they won the one trophy which had previously alluded them as barcelona never before won either this World Club Cup or its predecessor the Intercontinental Cup. Six competitions, six trophies for Barcelona in 2009!
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raconteur
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El Profe,Dec 19 2009
12:20 PM
What does Pep Guardiola do for an encore? He has won everything, he is yet to lose a competition since becoming Barcelona coach. As for Estudiantes, they get Jose Sosa eligible for the start of the new year and if they maintain this team and perhaps find one additional forward to help Boselli, then they have a good chance of returning to this competition in 2010 as Copa Libertadores champions.

Good point about Barcelona's and Guardiola's encore. I guess they just try and win everything again! One of these days somebody is going to beat Guardiola and Barcelona out of a title. Actually this spring looks as good a time as any for that to happen as you would think some of their international stars, Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, Toure, etc. might start thinking about preserving themselves for the World Cup.

Anyway what Barcelona have done is extraordinary, and even neutrals have to admire their attacking soccer and their intent to win games without getting negative. Estudiantes were intelligent, well coached and had some good players but the entire 2nd half and extra time was them simply trying to hang on. I do not think Valdes was even tested after the first 45 minutes.
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valenciano
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With as anonymous as Thierry Henry has been recently and as productive as Pedro has been, Henry better watch it or else he could lose his starting spot in the new year. Pedro lifted Barcelona once he came on, as did another winger, the even younger Jeffren who was not afraid to run at Estudiantes' defenders. It takes less energy to pass and move than it does trying to close the opposition down and that is the secret to how Barcelona wears their opponents down and gets so many late goals.

Barcelona are the first Spanish club to win the World Club Cup, after both Madrid and Barcelona previously failed, and the when the tournament was known as the Intercontinental Cup, the last Spanish club to win it was Real Madrid in 2002.
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Merengue
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I was really enjoying that game, until the 89th minute! :o Barcelona does have this ability to pull games out at the end. Part of it is their patience, but another part is what valenciano mentions, their possession game wears their opponents out in chasing the ball. Estudiantes had a great first half but at the break I was thinking to myself, "They have expended a lot of energy, I do not think they can keep that defensive pressure up all game long." Sadly they could not. Yes Guardiola's tactical switch, adding more attackers helped pin Estudiantes back. And Messi operating in the middle of the field was getting in between the defenders and Brana in defensive midfield but even then he was well contained until that extra time chested goal.

I respect the opinions of guys like rosarino, enganche, autogol, martin and xeneize who watch a lot of South American futbol. They had Estudiantes strategy pegged down but they all did warn that Estudiantes lacked a little offensive punch since losing Fernandez who helped them win the Libertadores. I think we noticed that today in the 2nd half and extra time, Estudiantes had Boselli too isolated up top as he did not receive enough help.

I give Estudiantes credit for playing Barcelona so close, they nearly pulled off the win but were beaten by Barcelona's relentless attacks based on their superb ability at maintaining possession.

Why were both teams wearing their alternative uniforms? Did you notice for the awards ceremony Barcelona switched back to their traditional azulgrana. In Spain, Athletic Bilbao have red and white striped jerseys very similar to Estudiantes and when they play Barcelona they each wear their first choice uniforms. And I believe in Argentina, San Lorenzo, robdog correct me if I am wrong, have the same colors as Barcelona but they do not change when playing Estudiantes.
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dafyd
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The first half was very enjoyable, as the play was fairly even. Going into the match I didn't really think I was for one side or the other... but when Boselli scored the first goal, my desire to see the underdog pull the upset took over.


Still, having the game winner scored by Messi gave me a bit of satisfaction. That had to be one of the oddest goals I've ever seen... I doubt that anyone scoring with their chest happens very often, or with intent of doing so.
Leper In A Stange Land
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Hector
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Goals scored with the chest do happen but they are rare. I thought as did many others here that Estudiantes had a good plan and carried it out well, they simply ran out of energy and Barcelona eventually found the goals. They do fatigue their opponents with their passing and possession but they also have strong character, you do not see Barcelona giving up or get frustrated. Credit for that to their players and to Guardiola who creates the right atmopshere within the team. Barcelona really wanted this win too as evidenced by Guardiola's tears at the end, he realises what his club have done this year, and maybe is asking himself what some asked here, now what? :D
iPuerta amigo, Sevilla esta contigo!
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