Jump to content

La Liga 2021-2022


WBT

Recommended Posts

Exciting first 45. Dest would be un-Man of the Match so far. Hope he shines in the second half.

Can't believe Modrić is 36. Don't watch a lot of club soccer, but have seen Luka lace it up for Croatia in Cups and Euros since 2006. Gonna get in my feels when he finally hangs it up.

Hope the USMNT's youngsters take note of Modrić because he's proof of how much a player can improve if he keeps working at his craft. Luka showed a great deal of promise as a 21-year-old, but he didn't become one of the world's best midfielders for another six or so years, and he arguably didn't hit his peak until he was 32.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

that looked like it could have been one of the most devastating knee injuries i've ever seen. he bangs skulls midair, goes unconscious, then lands on his left leg with his foot planted in the ground, causing his leg/knee to move in ways i've never seen. if he escaped that without shredding everything in that knee it's a miracle.

Edited by shadow_operative
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cruyff to Pep to Xavi?  We'll see 

Quote

Barcelona looking at Xavi as new head coach, put Barjuan in temporary charge

By Adam Crafton and Sam Lee

October 28, 2021Updated 8:50 AM CDT

0 Comments

 

 

Barcelona: Xavi being eyed to become new manager.

Barcelona are looking at Xavi as they move to appoint their new head coach.

 

Former coach Ronald Koeman was dismissed from his post on Wednesday night following Barcelona’s shock defeat against Rayo Vallecano. The Nou Camp club lost that game 1-0.

 

They have put Barcelona B coach Sergi Barjuan in temporary charge of the first-team ahead of the Alaves game at the weekend.

 

A difficult start to the season, their first after the exit of Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain, has left Barcelona ninth in the La Liga table. They have won just two of their last five league matches.

 

Xavi will move to his former club after beginning his managerial career with Al Sadd in Qatar. He helped the team reach the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League in his first season in charge.

 

Al Sadd have started the season in fine form, winning all eight of their opening games — including a victory in the Emir Cup final.

 

The 41-year-old Xavi could return to the club where he made his name as a player. Xavi made his debut for the senior side in the 1998-99 season and stayed with Barcelona until 2015.

 

In his time there, Barcelona won La Liga eight times, the Champions League four times and the Copa del Rey three times.

Will the deal get done?

DERMOT CORRIGAN, SPANISH CORRESPONDENT: It might not be as easy as everyone would assume. It is hardly in the interests of Qatar to let Xavi go with the World Cup coming up.

 

Barcelona’s financial situation means they will not want to pay compensation for him either.

 

It is also interesting that Barjuan has been put in temporary charge. He supported Joan Laporta in the elections and was rewarded with the job of managing the Barcelona B team, replacing Francisco Javier Garcia Pimienta. He had worked in the academy for 19 years.

 

This is another big step in Barjuan’s coaching career, no matter how long his interim spell lasts.

How has Xavi performed as a coach?

Xavi became a title-winning head coach for the first time in March as his Al Sadd team won the Qatar Stars League at a canter. The Prince Cup and the Qatar Cup were also lifted last season.

 

Albeit without the scrutiny, pressure and intensity he lived with during 17 seasons as a Barcelona player, Xavi is patiently progressing as a rookie coach.

What do his peers think?

“Every day he is improving,” says Qatar resident Bora Milutinovic, the well-travelled former coach of USA, Nigeria and Mexico (among others), and a predecessor of Xavi’s at Al Sadd.

 

“The first steps have been excellent. The question is now what will he do in the future? To be a great coach, you need time. But when you are intelligent like Xavi, everything is much easier.”

 

Heimir Hallgrimsson, the former Iceland and Al-Arabi coach, pitted his wits against Xavi with his team between 2019 and 2021. He, too, has been impressed.

 

“What he is gaining here is the only thing he was missing; to be the guy in charge,” Hallgrimsson tells The Athletic. “(In terms of) philosophy, playing style… He was probably ready before he started here. But he made the right step to learn in Qatar. In coaching, you never know when you are ready. You just have to jump.”

Is there anything else I need to know?

Plenty. For more on Xavi the manager, The Athletic’s Phil Buckingham took a closer look earlier this year.

 

Go Deeper below.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
3 minutes ago, WBT said:

Xavi wins his 1st game in charge 1-0 in the Barcelona derby.  The goal was on a questionable penalty.

Sevilla drew today so they're now tied on top with Real Sociedad.

La Liga never gets enough credit for how competitive it is. It was legit better than the PL for a stretch there in the mid 2010s.

Any word on Dest's recovery?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Speedtrucker said:

He was listed with a muscle injury in my La Liga news feed from Marca. He’s out for the rest of ‘21.

Also rumors are he’s having a hard time picking up Spanish, which is a big problem for Spanish socios. They want their non-Spaniards speaking in at least broken Spanglish for interviews

He attended Barça’s academy in the U.S., he’s from California, and he’s having trouble picking up Spanish?? JFC!!

As someone who took French 1 FOUR FUCKING TIMES before switching to Spanish in college and then still not being able to speak until a couple of years into his time in Argentina, I can relate to sucking ass at learning languages. 
 

SOLUTION:

Vertical Lessons

I had an American girl tell me that that is the best way to learn a language and a girl can find “instructors” at the drop of a skirt. 

Pro soccer players can find attractive ones who actually know how to teach a language. Mallorca needs to get Hoppe a hot tutor and pay her to demand focus between fucks.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

FC Dallas Academy dual national product Jonathan Gómez got his first start for Real Sociedad B (San Sebastian… a.k.a. “Donostia”, Basque Country) and went the distance in the loss. 

I went to San Sebastián in 2019 and passed the stadium driving to and from Bilbao, and now an FC Dallas guy plays there, so Real Sociedad B is definitely my team in La Liga 2.

Problem from the RSB boys is that they are firmly in the drop zone. Unless Gomez can provide a real spark, they are going down. 
 

Today he drew a foul that gave RSB a PK (that was converted), so it’s a start. 

image.thumb.jpeg.3e0bea12025857ee77d7633a7b3b5a16.jpeg

https://www.espn.com/soccer/commentary?gameId=610941

Edited by Napoleon
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...