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Barca emerge world champions in Club World Cup

Comment: 0 December 19th, 2011 by: admin

A BRACE from Lionel Messi, plus a goal each from Xavi and Cesc Fabregas handed Barcelona a 4-0 win against Brazil’s Santos to win the Club World Cup last Sunday.

The final game, held at the Nissin Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, featured a showdown between the European champions and the South American champions. However, to some, it was also a competition of strength and skill between Messi and the 19-year old Santos star Neymar.

Regulation time ended with Barcelona emerging victorious in the competition for the second time since 2009.

The game had Messi tallying the first goal with Xavi’s assistance in the 17^th minute, and the last goal fed by Dani Alves in the 82^nd.

In between were a 24^th-minute goal by Xavi (Alves assited), and one by Cesc Fabregas fed by Messi in the 45^th.

‘We gave them no option,’ said a proud Messi.

‘We are happy for the victory.  The important thing is to show that when the team plays, we play very well.  And we got the victory.’

According to the star player, who is in the running for the prestigious Ballon D’Or award, Barca’s competition – whoever it is – is faced with the usual tactics and the tried-and-tested systems that the squad have adopted under manager Pep Guardiola.

This decision has proven astonishingly successful, with Barca winning 13 of a possible 16 titles under Guardiola’s management.

‘Our idea is always the same: to try to keep the ball, to control the game, to try to get as much ball possession as possible and today we got that,’ Messi described.

Guardiola was beaming at the result, and publicly dedicated Barca’s 13^th title to David Villa.  The striker was knocked down by a fractured chin sustained during the semi finals.

His current condition forced him to fly home from Japan, and now faces a lengthy recuperation period.

‘We missed him very much,’ said Guardiola.  ‘I talked to him a lot (since the bad injury) and I want to talk to him tonight.’

The manager held nothing back as he praised him squad’s virtuoso performance.

‘They were like artists,’ he described.  ‘What was envisioned in their minds happened in the pitch.’

Guardiola reportedly refused to pin the win on one particular player, and instead emphasised the overall contribution of the team.

‘I’ve tried to get the players to work together as a team and use the strengths they have,’ he said.  ‘Our players have been playing very well, but it is important to keep that level going.’

On the other side, Santos manager Muricy Ramalho said that the loss was not at all a cause of embarrassment.

‘Barcelona have played various teams around the world and nobody can beat them,’ he said.  ‘Eventually some team may, but I don’t think it’s possible now.

‘[The loss] was not embarrassing and it was not a blow to us,’ he insisted.  ‘We need to be humble – we were beaten by the best team in the world.’

Addressing the Messi-Neymar comparison, Ramalho admitted that Messi currently stands as the world’s best player, although Neymar is set to one day become the best.

For Barca, despite winning the title, they will go back to Spain to again face the challenge of toppling intense rivals Real Madrid and reclaiming the top spot in the Primera Division.

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