The all-time leading scorer for the Spanish national team roars with elation and runs into a group hug from the rest of the jubilant Barcelona squad. The goal completed a comeback for what is arguably the greatest team of all time, which had found itself in an unfamiliar underdog role in this year’s competition for the European club championship.
Villa’s celebration was dramatic even in comparison to professional strikers, who put peacocks to shame in their displays. But he had reason to be happy, and so do we all. F.C. Barcelona has brought beauty back to the beautiful game; its successes are reason for all sports fans to smile.
Maybe you don’t know much about soccer or you don’t care. Maybe you’re in Sports Illustrated commentator Frank Deford’s camp, and think soccer is lame because there aren’t enough goals and there’s a limit to what you can do with a ball with your feet.
Well, I don’t think Frank ever met Xavi’s foot.
Who is Xavi, you ask? Xavi Hernandez is the quiet maestro who steers the offense for both Barcelona, which has won Spanish league and Champions League titles, and the Spanish national time, which has won two Euro Cups and one World Cup over the last six years.
I, who like to root for underdogs and have despised big-money, domineering teams in sports – yes, I’m talking about the Yankees – have my reasons for admiring F.C. Barcelona.
•For one thing, it’s not easy to be a passionate fan in the U.S. for any soccer club;
•Barcelona may have more money than most Spanish clubs, but owners with crazy petro dollars spend freely for several English and German clubs.
•Despite having great players, including the peerless Lionel Messi, Barcelona operates with a firm team ethic. The egos are in check at Camp Nou, the Catalan team’s stadium.
Most importantly, Barcelona and Spain, with most of its starters from Barcelona, play football with an elegance that makes the game riveting. Instead of essentially pitching the ball into the penalty box and hoping someone heads it into the goal, Barcelona threads dozens of precise ground passes around an opponent’s half of the field until an opening is found for good shot.
Messi finds openings at a clip that is hard to believe, but his detractors, mostly bitter fans of rival Real Madrid, like to claim he succeeds only because of the maddening mastery of tika taka football his teammates possess.
That argument, related to the one whether Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo is the best striker, is entertaining to me. I know the answers, of course, but don’t have to dwell.
If I can find a sports bar somewhere showing Barca, I am happy.
http://youtu.be/IBqVXeoaYWs
