Copa del Rey - 1/2 finals

Effenberg wrote:So, Hildebrand is pretty decent then, is he?

Very mixed performances this season from what I've seen of Valencia. I've seen him play poorly, play well but make one or two dreadful (and costly) mistakes, and more recently he seems to be cutting out the errors. He was excellent last night. Perhaps he is more settled now that he has been in Spain for a bit longer, and now that he is playing regularly.

Interesting take on Etoo's handball yesterday. Saw the replay and I can't even see it that clearly. Anyhow, this is from Marca

Todos vimos la mano de Samuel Eto´o en la jugada que originó el empate en el Camp Nou. Jugada muy dolorosa para los valencianistas porque apenas quedaban cinco segundos para que terminase el partido. Mano clara, mano como una catedral, como un piano de cola o como un castillo. Pero con matizaciones… a) la mano viene precedida por una falta de Albiol al camerunés. Le pone el antebrazo en el cuello y le desequilibra… b) hay un montón de jugadores entre la mano e Iturralde y otro tanto entre la mano y el asistente que les tienen que impedir ver la acción… c) siempre se culpa a los árbitros de sus fallos y los futbolistas siempre se van de rositas. Ni el Valencia empató por culpa de Iturralde –planteamiento cobarde y si no es por Hildebrand el Barça le hubiera metido cuatro-, ni el Barça pudo igualar gracias al árbitro –todos los delanteros fallaron delante del portero y si Messi no hubiera estado buscando más el penalti que el gol, otro gallo hubiera cantado-

Bojan I thought had another good game when he came on, his ball control is excellent for a player of his age and his crossing caused Valencia some problems. Messi yesterday was fantastic .. so Maradonaesque.

What did Barça fans think about Eto'o playing at times in a wide left role, his link up with Abidal was good but Eto'o for me is lethal in the centre.

Koeman still hasn't beaten Frank Rijkaard

Vertonghen wrote:Bojan I thought had another good game when he came on, his ball control is excellent for a player of his age and his crossing caused Valencia some problems. Messi yesterday was fantastic .. so Maradonaesque.

What did Barça fans think about Eto'o playing at times in a wide left role, his link up with Abidal was good but Eto'o for me is lethal in the centre.

Did you watch the game? Messi had a good game but Valencia controlled him very very very well, doubling and times even tripling up on him. Messi had a couple of shot at goal, tried to be a bit too clever at times (ie trying to nutmeg the keeper which he read superbly)

Other than that he didnt get much joy last night, just like the others.

TM wrote:

Vertonghen wrote:Bojan I thought had another good game when he came on, his ball control is excellent for a player of his age and his crossing caused Valencia some problems. Messi yesterday was fantastic .. so Maradonaesque.

What did Barça fans think about Eto'o playing at times in a wide left role, his link up with Abidal was good but Eto'o for me is lethal in the centre.

Did you watch the game? Messi had a good game but Valencia controlled him very very very well, doubling and times even tripling up on him. Messi had a couple of shot at goal, tried to be a bit too clever at times (ie trying to nutmeg the keeper which he read superbly)

Other than that he didnt get much joy last night, just like the others.

what are u taking about messi own the valencia LB and if it wasn't for that fucker Timo he would have scored at least two goals and have one assist.

but he was over doing it at times and shoot when a pass would have been the better option.

TM wrote:

Vertonghen wrote:Bojan I thought had another good game when he came on, his ball control is excellent for a player of his age and his crossing caused Valencia some problems. Messi yesterday was fantastic .. so Maradonaesque.

What did Barça fans think about Eto'o playing at times in a wide left role, his link up with Abidal was good but Eto'o for me is lethal in the centre.

Did you watch the game? Messi had a good game but Valencia controlled him very very very well, doubling and times even tripling up on him. Messi had a couple of shot at goal, tried to be a bit too clever at times (ie trying to nutmeg the keeper which he read superbly)

Other than that he didnt get much joy last night, just like the others.

Trying to bring him down is not called ‘controlling’. Messi in the 2nd half in particular at ease went past the Valencia back line it was only when Valencia decided to put men around him did he find some difficulties but no damage. When Messi made the run into the Valencia box in the second half, I thought it was best to lob the GK; he has the skill to do it. During the game I noticed Maduro was playing, only saw him twice

It was heroics from Hildebrand and some last gasp defensive blocks that prevented Barça winning by a landslide. Hildebrand for sure was the MOTM

If kicking Messi is what it takes for too contain him so be it

TM wrote:If kicking Messi is what it takes for too contain him so be it

Your novice of a coach thought this was the best idea last season. Messi still is too hot to handle, what Maradona did to the Belgian defence in 86’ Messi can replicate against any defence in La Liga probably Europe.

Vertonghen wrote:What did Barça fans think about Eto'o playing at times in a wide left role, his link up with Abidal was good but Eto'o for me is lethal in the centre.

Rijkaard does this fairly often and I think it is a complete waste of Eto'o. So long may it continue!

Vertonghen wrote:

TM wrote:If kicking Messi is what it takes for too contain him so be it

Your novice of a coach thought this was the best idea last season. Messi still is too hot to handle

Well it worked last night, duh

i like it when the front 3 rotate their positions he keeps everything a pit unpredictable, but we do miss is presence in the box when he goes out their.

Welcome to the bojan fan club Vertonghen

TM wrote:

Vertonghen wrote:

TM wrote:If kicking Messi is what it takes for too contain him so be it

Your novice of a coach thought this was the best idea last season. Messi still is too hot to handle

Well it worked last night, duh

From what I saw yesterday Messi wasn’t kicked and if one coward did so it made no difference. What Valencia tried to do in the second half was put 3 or so men on Messi, this was futile sure it brought a little success but not for long. Rijkaard was clever to bring on Bojan, Valencia were perplexed another great managerial masterstroke from Rijkaard.


Schuster please take note

Messiah wrote:i like it when the front 3 rotate their positions he keeps everything a pit unpredictable, but we do miss is presence in the box when he goes out their.

Welcome to the bojan fan club Vertonghen

I really am confident Barça have a future superstar in Bojan, such an exciting player full of exuberance. We know he has the ability and talent and he is at the perfect club to fulfil it. With the likes of Messi, Puyol, Iniesta and Xavi they will make sure he will be a winner.

Should be wearing the no14 shirt IMO, but Henry is decent enough

Vertonghen wrote:

TM wrote:

Vertonghen wrote:

TM wrote:If kicking Messi is what it takes for too contain him so be it

Your novice of a coach thought this was the best idea last season. Messi still is too hot to handle

Well it worked last night, duh

From what I saw yesterday Messi wasn’t kicked and if one coward did so it made no difference. What Valencia tried to do in the second half was put 3 or so men on Messi, this was futile sure it brought a little success but not for long. Rijkaard was clever to bring on Bojan, Valencia were perplexed another great managerial masterstroke from Rijkaard.


Schuster please take note

He only did it because Neeskens told him to.

Vertonghen wrote:

TM wrote:

Vertonghen wrote:

TM wrote:If kicking Messi is what it takes for too contain him so be it

Your novice of a coach thought this was the best idea last season. Messi still is too hot to handle

Well it worked last night, duh

From what I saw yesterday Messi wasn’t kicked and if one coward did so it made no difference. What Valencia tried to do in the second half was put 3 or so men on Messi, this was futile sure it brought a little success but not for long. Rijkaard was clever to bring on Bojan, Valencia were perplexed another great managerial masterstroke from Rijkaard.


Schuster please take note

you mean masterstrokes like forcing eto on the left when he has showed time and time again that barca dont get the best out of him by using him there. there was one time in the second half where i really thought messi was dangerous and that was that big chance he got which he should have scored on to be honest. apart from that i dont he did all that and like messiah said i got the feeling that he was overdoing it like he tends to do.

Yeah Frank is a genius.

Playing Eto'o wide left. Messi in a central position, Puyol at right back etc etc

Vertonghen wrote:

Messiah wrote:i like it when the front 3 rotate their positions he keeps everything a pit unpredictable, but we do miss is presence in the box when he goes out their.

Welcome to the bojan fan club Vertonghen

I really am confident Barça have a future superstar in Bojan, such an exciting player full of exuberance. We know he has the ability and talent and he is at the perfect club to fulfil it. With the likes of Messi, Puyol, Iniesta and Xavi they will make sure he will be a winner.

Should be wearing the no14 shirt IMO, but Henry is decent enough

Now that you've said it, he should be wear the #14 shirt, but he is young he will be wearing it soon enough.

Messiah wrote:

Vertonghen wrote:

Messiah wrote:i like it when the front 3 rotate their positions he keeps everything a pit unpredictable, but we do miss is presence in the box when he goes out their.

Welcome to the bojan fan club Vertonghen

I really am confident Barça have a future superstar in Bojan, such an exciting player full of exuberance. We know he has the ability and talent and he is at the perfect club to fulfil it. With the likes of Messi, Puyol, Iniesta and Xavi they will make sure he will be a winner.

Should be wearing the no14 shirt IMO, but Henry is decent enough

Now that you've said it, he should be wear the #14 shirt, but he is young he will be wearing it soon enough.

DAMN STRAIGHT !

TM wrote:Yeah Frank is a genius.

Playing Eto'o wide left. Messi in a central position, Puyol at right back etc etc

These players are good enough to play in these positions. I’m unsure about Puyol but no one trusts Oleguer. I read he got a biography of Franco for Xmas

Vertonghen wrote:

TM wrote:Yeah Frank is a genius.

Playing Eto'o wide left. Messi in a central position, Puyol at right back etc etc

These players are good enough to play in these positions. I’m unsure about Puyol but no one trusts Oleguer. I read he got a biography of Franco for Xmas

Messi was pretty useless and ineffective in a central role, so you're wrong.

Puyol is hardly a right back, no pace and no idea how to show a winger onto his weaker side, resulted to body checking Vincente and co last night.

Are you sure Puyol can read?

TM wrote:

Vertonghen wrote:

TM wrote:Yeah Frank is a genius.

Playing Eto'o wide left. Messi in a central position, Puyol at right back etc etc

These players are good enough to play in these positions. I’m unsure about Puyol but no one trusts Oleguer. I read he got a biography of Franco for Xmas

Messi was pretty useless and ineffective in a central role, so you're wrong.

Puyol is hardly a right back, no pace and no idea how to show a winger onto his weaker side, resulted to body checking Vincente and co last night.

Are you sure Puyol can read?

Oleguer got the book; this is what I’ve heard. Rijkaard I don’t think deliberately starts Messi as a CF (he’s no Schuster you know). I think you will find there were other factors to why Puyol was played at RB such as no adequate cover, at the end of the day it could be cost effective , but yesterday possibly was the first choice Barça back4?

TM wrote:

Vertonghen wrote:

TM wrote:Yeah Frank is a genius.

Playing Eto'o wide left. Messi in a central position, Puyol at right back etc etc

These players are good enough to play in these positions. I’m unsure about Puyol but no one trusts Oleguer. I read he got a biography of Franco for Xmas

Messi was pretty useless and ineffective in a central role, so you're wrong.

Puyol is hardly a right back, no pace and no idea how to show a winger onto his weaker side, resulted to body checking Vincente and co last night.

Are you sure Puyol can read?

you are kidding right?

Messiah wrote:

TM wrote:

Vertonghen wrote:

TM wrote:Yeah Frank is a genius.

Playing Eto'o wide left. Messi in a central position, Puyol at right back etc etc

These players are good enough to play in these positions. I’m unsure about Puyol but no one trusts Oleguer. I read he got a biography of Franco for Xmas

Messi was pretty useless and ineffective in a central role, so you're wrong.

Puyol is hardly a right back, no pace and no idea how to show a winger onto his weaker side, resulted to body checking Vincente and co last night.

Are you sure Puyol can read?

you are kidding right?

After last nights display no im not kidding, and he's not exactly slow but he's not fast for a fullback.

first chance ve had to comment on last nights game. honestly i don't know how barcelona win but a very commited valencia defense and the best display by far ive seen from hildebrand.

its still hard work to go i just hope we have a bit more of an attitcking emphasis at home we certainly will need to be. i don't think we will hold them out again like that.

credit to the defensive qualitys which i have critisised all season last night was exceptional.

certainly sets up a intreguing and tense 2nd leg at the mestalla. amunt

De La Red scored tonight!

Gestafe 3-1 Racing

2nd Getafe goal was class, mainly because of Pablo Hernandez - gets the ball from Uche, waits a bit, then spots Casquero's run and plays a beautiful little ball into his path, totally confusing the defense

Did I not say to you guys around this time last year that Pablo would be big!? He has made a huge impact at Getafe. In the UEFA Cup, La Liga and la Copa.

If Valencia don't get him back for next season, they will live to regret it.

2-0
Mata with the second after a very quick counter attack. it is looking very hard now for barca now.

44' GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL DEL VALENCIA. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL DE MATA. VALENCIA 2-0 BARCELONA