BARÇA v ATLETICO TICKETS: Thursday, December 21, 2006, 22′00 h. Jet lag and Torres to cause Barga concern
December 19, 2006 on 12:06 pm | In Uncategorized | No CommentsBy the time that FC Barcelona return from the trip to the Far East they maybe playing catch-up in the league and will be hoping to round off what has been an incredible year by staying in contention.
The problems that have, reportedly, come from the gruelling pre-season tour have raised questions about what the knock-on effects of the club’s appearance in the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan will be.
While there is no doubt that the competition in the Land of the Rising Sun is prestigious and worth all the time and effort given that it is the only major trophy that the Blaugrana have never won, it could have serious, adverse repercussions. The upside is the fact that after playing Atletico, Frank Rijkaard’s squad have two weeks off to rest and recuperate before resuming their battle at the top of the table with Sevilla and Real Madrid.
After the achievements of the past 12 months it would be a real shame should Barca not leave 2006 behind with a resounding home victory. The reigning league and European champions are currently unbeaten in Camp Nou and have only dropped two points from their seven league outings. The thing, and it really is quite a big thing, is that Atletico de Madrid were the only team to secure all three points from their visit to Barca last season.
Even more than that though, the victory ensured that they recorded the double over the Blaugrana having already beaten them in the Vicente Calderon earlier in the campaign. Barcelona’s defeat at home was followed by a loss in their following game at Valencia and saw talk of a crisis at the club.
That may seem laughable now, given the outcome of last season, but it should be a shrill warning.
Fernando Torres (pictured below) is highly-rated by journalists when it comes to linking him with other clubs and he is spoken about in revered terms by pundits and players alike, but the stark fact is that he is struggling to fulfill his potential. One of the few times in every season that the young striker really turns on the style is against Barca, as his three goals in the two games last term proves.
In the summer, los Colchoneros stayed true to form and had a major regorganisation of their squad and brought in a new coach, in the shape of Javier Aguirre, in the hope that this season will finally see them back up near the top. Despite being somewhat inconsistent once again, Atleti are in fact in the top five and making a concerted effort to earn a place in Europe. It is their home form that is troublesome, because away the team have performed very well, winning four times, drawing twice and losing just once from their seven matches. All the ingredients are there for a stormer and Barca will Just have to hope that the jet lag has worn off in time.
Jarvis tickets in Razzmatazz at 20.00; Friday December 22
December 18, 2006 on 12:28 pm | In Uncategorized | No CommentsYup, Christmas time is not one of the best times for gigs in Barcelona, and then out of the blue pops up Jarvis. Jarvis? Yes, Jarvis. As in Cocker. Pulp, in this magazine’s opinion, are possibly the best band of the last decade or so. But they’re ‘on hiatus’ as they say in the biz and the frontman, after appearing in Harry Potter films and presenting telly programmes and stuff, is back with a new self-titled album with such intriguing song titles as From Auschwitz To Ipswich. It’s a cracking piece of work, with the lyrics as inspired as ever, and Jarvis is only playing four European gigs on this tour, so count yourself lucky and catch him live as a Chrimbo treat.
Buy FC Barcelona TicketsBabyshambles tickets in Sala Apolo at 22.30, Tuesday December 19
December 17, 2006 on 12:24 pm | In Uncategorized | No CommentsPete Doherty is the guy who was kicked out of The Libertines for failing to do anything about his drug problem and is the favourite of the British tabloid press for his fling with Kate Moss, and his constant attraction of controversy wherever he goes. The guy is a complete and utter knobend and makes Oasis seem like saints in comparison. They have a habit of not turning up for gigs, which can often end in drunken chaos. There can’t be many illegal substances Doherty hasn’t dabbled in, and he was banned from Easyjet for life when travelling for the Primavera Sound in Barcelona this summer after wreaking havoc on the plane and leaving used syringes in the bog. Yet despite being named Worst Live Act of the year, the fans love him, and the band have had big hits in the UK, including the quaintly titled Fuck Forever, which made number 4!
Buy FC Barcelona TicketsESPANYOL v REAL MADRID TICKETS: Sunday, December 17, 2006. ESPANYOL ON A REAL FINE STREAK
December 14, 2006 on 12:11 pm | In Uncategorized | No CommentsTo say that RCD Espanyol are riding on the crest of a wave at the moment would not only be cliche, it may also be something of an understatement. Such is the upturn in, not only, fortune but also performance and belief that Ernesto Valverde’s side take on Real Madrid with a 15-game unbeaten run in the league and Europe.
While the only glitch in that impressive spell saw los Periquitos make an early exit from the Copa del Rey at the hands of third-tier outfit Rayo Vallecano, things have improved beyond all recognition from the opening weeks of the
campaign when the most cynical of the club’s fans were actually daring to suggest the coach be axed. Two extremely late goals against Athletic and Betis turned one point into four, while in the UEFA Cup the team has recorded a 100 per cent record in their group. The most impressive week in virtually any team’s calendar this season, saw Valverde’s team defeat title-chasing Sevilla on the Sunday, then travel to Amsterdam where Henk ten Cate’s Ajax were put to the sword in midweek, before returning to beat Atletico de Madrid in the Vicente Calderon.
The victory last weekend against los Colchoneros moved Espanyol in the heady position of tenth in the table and after the game the coach even stated that the team had beaten a rival for one of the Champions League places. Whether things have quite reached that stage yet remains to be seen, but there is no doubting that not only are Espanyol winning games, they are also entertaining to watch at long last. Cynical Barca fans may claim there is an affiliation betwen their city neighbours and Real Madrid, but the loyal supporters would not ordain to have a second team, despite the odd historical references that have linked the two clubs in the past.
At present, Madrid would, no, doubt, jump at the chance to taste some of the luck that their hosts here have been enjoying of late. Fabio Capello said when he took at the Santiago Bernabeu that people would have to wait 50 days to see results, but it is now over 100 and his team are still being panned by the critics. Defeat last weekend aganst Sevilla did bring to an end a run of four successive wins in the league, but there is still a feeling that the star-studded team is churning out results rather than overwhelming the oppositon as Capello is stubbornly sticking to his Italian tactics despite all the evidence pointing to the that he should allow his players more freedom.
Espanyol have a god record in recent seasons against Madrid in the E Olimpic and will really fancy their chances of causing what may or may m considered an upset.
Despite playing in midweek while their opponents rested, Valverde’s tearr still be a very tough outfit for the visitors to break down and with their i record this term will do well to earn a draw.
Friday December 15 The Long Blondes tickets in Razzmatazz at 20.30.
December 13, 2006 on 11:46 am | In Uncategorized | No CommentsLike most people from Sheffield, this five-piece indie band are so insistent on telling us how good it is thereithat you just end up being more and more convinced that it must be shite. Fronted by a lass, Kate Jackson, they are a sort of Blondie-esque post-punky new-wave band.
Buy FC Barcelona TicketsESPANYOL v FK AUSTRIA TICKETS: Wednesday, December 13, 2006. Estadi Olimpic: Waltzing about
December 10, 2006 on 4:39 pm | In Uncategorized | No CommentsTo all intense and purposes, Espanyoi have ensured themselves of a place in the next round of the UEFA Cup as their form against continental opposition continues to impress.
In their previous home encounter in the competition, Zulte Waregem were swept aside as the hosts chalked up a 6-2 victory, to add to the three points garnered from their 2-0 win in Prague against Sparta in their opening match.
It is said that two wins should be enough to qualify, but as Sports Matter was put to bed before the game against Ajax in midweek, the picture may have changed somewhat.
Despite looking good bets to progress, the UEFA Cup has yet to capture the imagination of the club’s fans as just over 8,000 turned up for the qualifier against Artmedia, while only a thousand more attended the hammering of Zulte Waregem last time out.
FK Austria Magna, to give the club its full name, may have won the league title last term, but they are highly unlikely to defend it this time out. In their last match, before this magazine went to print, the team drew 2-2 at home with Liebherr GAK, and therein lies the problem.
After 19 matches of the domestic season, FK Austria lie in eighth place in a division of just ten teams, because they have drawn nine of their matches. Allied with four wins and six defeats, it is easy to see why the team is not challenging anywhere near the top, which is currently occupied by runaway leaders Red Bull Salzburg.
By the time they visit Montjui’c, Austria’s bid to make it through to the next round could already have faltered as they failed to win any points in their opening two matches.
A 4-1 home defeat at the hands of Zulte Waregem was swiftly followed by a 3-0 loss against Ajax in Amsterdam and only a victory against Sparta in midweek will have given them anything to play for. If Espanyoi are through and Austria are out, then this game, entertaining though it may be, could be used as an opportunity to give some of the lesser used players a chance to taste first-team action against foreign opposition.
But if both teams still need something to ensure their place in the knockout rounds then it could be a real thriller and with plenty of empty seats, you can be sure of having a good view.
BARÇA v REAL SOCIEDAD TICKETS Saturday, December 9, 2006. The final outing before Japan
December 5, 2006 on 5:02 pm | In Uncategorized | No CommentsHaving lifted spirits at the Anoeta, Real Sociedad’s new coach Miguel Angel Lotina will not be relishing his team’s trip to Camp Nou for what will be a very long evening.
The San Sebastian-based club earned a creditable draw at Atletico de Madrid last weekend and moved off the foot of the table for the first time since September. After an horrendous start to the campaign, la Real sacked former Barca midfielder Jose Mari Bakero as their trainer and installed Lotina, who had been looking for work since quitting Espanyol at the end of last season. Victories may still be difficult to come by, but three draws in their last three games have at least stopped the feeling that they are doomed to lose before games even start. Like Barca, the Basque Country outfit have several of their forwards missing through injury, but unlike Barca, they do not have a star-studded HH squad from which to pluck a replacement.
Darko Kovacevic is back on the treatment table,
while Danish striker, Morten Skoubo, is also sidelined and after opting to allow Nihat to leave during the summer la Real are somewhat bereft of a sure-fire goalscorer.
As for Barca, this is their last league game before they jet off for the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.
Knowing that they were going to be participating in such a gruelling mid-season expedition, it makes the folly of the pre-season tour to Mexico and the United States, in favour of a more traditional warm-up, seem all the more daft.
The players are all talking about wanting to have a cushion at the top of the table before they make their way to the Land of the Rising Sun and a victory over here would at least ensure that they leave with three points under their belt.
Against Villarreal, the Blaugrana proved that despite all the absentees they can still perform as they produced one of their most complete displays of the season.
Ronaldinho also answered a few critics by netting his 50th league goal for the club and then following that up by scoring one of the goals of the season.
After a performance like that, it has to be hoped that the trip to-Japan does not set the players back and that they can return to maintain the level that they are reaching.
BARÇA v WERDER BREMEN TICKETS: Tuesday, December 5, 2006: Make or break time for Barça
December 4, 2006 on 5:14 pm | In Uncategorized | No CommentsAll the talk will stop on Tuesday evening as FC Barcelona look to prevent themselves making an embarrassingly early exit from the competition which they dominated last season.
Nobody dreamt when the draw was made at the end of August that the reigning champions would be struggling to make it out of the group stage, but that is the reality. After taking only one point from their two matches against Chelsea and drawing in Germany against Werder, Frank Rijkaard’s team now find themselves two points behind their visitors for this encounter and sitting in the UEFA Cup qualification spot. The Barca coach announced immediately after defeating Levski Sofia in their last Champions League outing, that he was extremely confident of overcoming Werder, but this will be a true test of the team’s nerve. Now doubt, the Germans will arrive to defend in numbers and look to hit the hosts on the break and that is exactly the approach they should take if they want to earn the precious point that they need to cause a major upset. After a couple of unwelcome defeats, and a slide away from the top of the Bundesliga, Thomas Schaaf’s team earned an encouraging victory against Arminia Bielfeld in the penulimate league outing before this match. More importantly was the huge boost to morale that the win against Chelsea in the last Champions League game.
There was no question over whether the Blues had an agenda going into the game, knowing that if they lost it would cause Barca grief, because Werder were outstanding as they humbled the English champions thanks to a goal from Per Mertesacker. For Barcelona, they will need a performance similar to the one that they produced a year ago when they beat the same opponents 3-1 in Camp Nou. Even then though it was a tough match with a scoreline that, it could be said, flattered the home team. It may be an unexpected end to the group stage, but it is one that will have fans on the edge of their seat to see which of these two attacking teams comes out on top and which goes into the UEFA Cup.
ESPANYOL v SEVILLA TICKETS, Sunday, December 3, 2006: Estadi Olimpic EURO CHAMPS SET ESPANYOL TEST
December 1, 2006 on 4:48 pm | In Uncategorized | No CommentsHaving questioend in which direction Espanyol are heading in recent weeks, the team appears to have finally given an answer itself as they moved into mid-table over the past fortnight.
A victory against Athletic Bilbao in Montju’ic was followed up with a useful draw away at Real Betis, meaning that los Periquitos are now unbeaten in eight league games.
That run stretches back until late September and, although it may not always have been pretty, is an impressive statistic that coach Ernesto Valverde must take credit for.
What has also been very encouraging is the team’s apparent refusal to accept defeat as the last couple of outings have proven.
Standing at 2-2 in minute 94 of the match against Athletic, Walter Pandiani fired in a late, late winning goal and then repeated the trick at Betis as he netted the leveller in minute 95 to ensure that Espanyol garnered four points from matches
that appeared to be profferiNg only one. While the home side gear up for another test, Sevilla have continued to maintain their pursuit of FC Barcelona at the top of the table and are very well-placed should the Blaugrana slip up. The last time that Juande Ramos’ team actually tasted defeat in any competition was against Barca in October, but since then the team has won four of their five domestic matches, while drawing the other.
Sevilla have been winning headlines, and rightly so, for their brand of attacking football as they utilise extremely fast wingers to break out on counter-attacks that often end in chances. They are proving to have found a successful system in Europe once again to boot as the 4-0 win at Grasshoppers in midweek proved.
While Espanyol will want to slow the pace of the game down when the two teams meet on Sunday, if they fail to then they could well be punished. This should be a real cracker.
Saturday December 2 Primavera Club Festival tickets in the CCIB and Auditori (both in the Forum Centre, which is next to the Maresme/Forum metro station in Plaga Levant).
December 1, 2006 on 11:45 am | In Uncategorized | No CommentsPrimavera Sound is arguably the biggest musical festival of the year in Barcelona, and this year, for the first time, they are holding a sister event, Primavera Club, which is essentially the same deal, but on a smaller scale. It started on Friday night, with the bill including They Might be Giants, Cansei of Being Sexy and Richard Hawley. You’ve probably missed that by the time you’re reading this, so let’s take a butcher’s instead at what’s happening Saturday. There’s Scottish band Teenage Fan Club on the Estrella Damm stage at 00.45, playing exclusively songs off the Bandwagonesque album. There’s the NYC post-punk with a disco flavour of The Rapture, who gave us worldwide hit House OfJelaous Lovers (Estrella Damm at 02.30). There’s the sixties sounding glam, country and power pop of one of the fastest rising bands in the USA right now, The New Pornographers (Estrella Damm at 23.30). There’s this decade’s answer to the poppy girl bands of the sixties, the very aesthetically pleasing Pipettes
(Estrella Damm at 21.00). There’s American indie band The Wrens, whose career has always been blighted by unfortunate legal questions (Estrella Damm at 22.15). There’s the sort of Beach Boys-esque Ladybug Translator (Auditori at 18.00). There’s the modern day Bob Dylan or Neil Young that is Jeff Tweedy (Auditori at 21.45). There’s the folky Laura Veirs (Auditori at 19.00), followed by more folk from Cat Power and the Dirty Delta Blues (Auditori at 20.30). The other two stages have DJs and all that electro-shite, where you’ll all be so hyped on drugs to care who the artists are, so we won’t even bother telling you.
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