Perfect Barcelona stays on top of La Liga

After six games, Barcelona is the only team still unbeaten and stay on top of La Liga with 3 points advantage over the nearest rivals Real and Sevilla. Real suffered their first loss of the season at Sevilla, going down 1-2. Barcelona needs to get back to their old form and play better football than the match against Almeria.

The La Liga standing/ranking is on the right column above Google ads. Check it out! It will stay there... probably forever.

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Sevilla snaps Real Madrid unbeaten start with win
MADRID: Sevilla beat a Cristiano Ronaldo-less Real Madrid 2-1 on Sunday to end the Spanish powerhouse's unbeaten start to the season.

Renato was left unmarked to turn in Adriano's 66th-minute cross for the winner in front of 45,500 fans at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium.

Jesus Navas opened the scoring for Sevilla in the 33rd, charging into the area to head Fernando Navarro's floated cross home at the far post.

Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas then made two point-blank saves to keep Madrid in the game.

A momentary lapse by Sevilla three minutes into the second half allowed Pepe to head home an equalizer against the run of play.

The result means that Sevilla joins Madrid on 15 points, three behind Barcelona, which has started the season with six straight wins. - AP


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Older Posts: Messi The Legend

Barcelona beats Almeria with below-par performance

Barcelona can play better football than yesterday's 1-0 win over Almeria. After five good games, its usual to have one not-so-good game. So, still happy for Barcelona, now on top of La Liga with sixth consecutive win, ahead of Real which will play today.

Spanish La Liga Roundup, Oct. 3

MADRID (AP) - Pedro Rodriguez's spectacular first-half goal led Barcelona to a 1-0 win over Almeria to maintain the Spanish champion's unbeaten start to the season.

Pedro took a pass from Maxwell at the top of the area in the 31st before swiveling to fire a hard shot beyond goalkeeper Diego Alves into the far top corner.

Barcelona - missing Thierry Henry for the second straight game - recorded its sixth straight win to reach 18 points, three more than undefeated Real Madrid, which can keep pace with its archrival with a victory at Sevilla on Sunday.

Goalkeeper David de Gea helped Atletico Madrid to its first victory of the season in a nervy 2-1 win over Zaragoza. The teenager, who was making his debut, stopped a penalty and made a fine save late in the game to prevent Atletico from starting the season winless in six games for the first time.

Earlier Saturday, Diego Colotto scored from a corner in the 60th as Deportivo La Coruna beat Tenerife 1-0 for the Galician club to join third-place Sevilla on 12 points.

Almeria's bruising play early on drew the ire of the Camp Nou crowd but did little to disrupt Barcelona's possession, with the Catalans spending much of the game inside its opponent's half but only managing seven shots on goal.

"We tried to take the game inside to (Lionel) Messi but we couldn't make that extra pass," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said.

Almeria coach Hugo Sanchez was pleased his strategy of individually marking both Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta kept Barcelona's attack largely at bay.

"To play against such a dangerous team and to keep it back ... we're happy, but not satisfied because we didn't bring a point back," said Sanchez, who was making his first return to the Camp Nou since 1991 when the Mexican striker played for Real Madrid.

Pedro was unlucky not to score in the 18th after volleying Zlatan Ibrahimovic's floating cross on goal, as Alves got his foot out to deflect it off the post.

A minute later, Xavi headed Daniel Alves' cross over with no one but the Almeria goalkeeper to beat.

Xavi tested Alves after the start of the second half and the Brazil goalkeeper did well to get a hand out in the 77th to deny Ibrahimovic's low shot. The Sweden striker, who was celebrating his 28th birthday, had scored in each of Barcelona's first five games. Cesar Rodriguez is the only other Barcelona player to manage that feat - during the 1950-51 season.

Barcelona's defense, which was without the injured Dmytro Chygrynskiy, did not allow Almeria a single shot on goal.

At the Vicente Calderon, Jose Manuel Jurado slotted a loose ball inside the area past goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo to open the scoring after two minutes.

Goalkeeper De Gea, filling in for regular Sergio Asenjo who is away on Under-20 World Cup duty with Spain, tripped up Jorge Lopez inside the area to concede a 20th-minute penalty. But the 18-year-old saved Marko Babic's spotkick diving to his left.

Diego Forlan had a number of chances from long-range before Antonio Lopez scored with a free kick in the 66th.

But Zaragoza provided a nervy ending when substitute Ewerthon scored a 71st-minute penalty after Tomas Ujfalusi was booked for a challenge on Javier Arizmendi inside the area.

In Sunday's other games, it's: Xerez vs. Malaga; Villarreal vs. Espanyol; Valladolid vs. Athletic Bilbao; Sporting Gijon vs. Mallorca; Getafe vs. Osasuna; and Racing Santander vs. Valencia.

Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/10133522/Spanish-La-Liga-Roundup,-Oct.-3

Lionel Messi Top 30 Goals

A great video compilation of Lionel Messi's Top 30 goals by Javiermora5. The best goal is definitely the last goal where Messi dribbled past 4 defenders and also the goalkeeper to score possibly the greatest solo goal of all time. Hope we can see more goals like that from the Great Messiah.

Enjoy!




To read more about Barcelona and Messi, go to Messi The Legend.

Messi vs Ronaldo

Who is the best footballer in the world today? Messi or Ronaldo (MU kid, not botak/bald one)? Well, both have their own group of supporters/fans. For MU fans, usual la, Ronaldo should be your choice (or else you have to sit/stand with Liverpool fans in the Theatre of Dreams - heavily guarded. Bottles, shoes coming......Watch ur head!! no need to watch the game already). Same with Barca fans, most will say Messi is the best.

Maybe I should conduct a survey in this blog to determine who is the best! Just vote in the comment box guys or at Messi The Legend. Thank you.




Back to Messi vs Ronaldo. In my opinion, both have their own special trademarks. Of course, most girls will prefer Ronaldo because they look at footballer's face only. Even when Ronaldo is "dribbling", they also look at the face only - see got pimples or not isit? Ronaldo is also good in the air (heading ball, not other thing!) and freekicks (although I much prefer David Beckham's curly kicks). Messi on the other hand plays like Maradona. As my friend said, "the ball seems like gummed to his feet."

His dribbling skill, needless to say, is phenomenal. Compared to Ronaldo, his dribbling skill is more natural and beautiful. Ronaldo, you dont need to always left right left right....., like that I also can do, but I think I will get dizzy before the opponent. If you are really good, you just need a touch or two to dribble past your opponents.

It is not easy to play like Messi/Maradona, because their special dribbling skills are GIFTED, not learned.





p/s: This is an old post with slight editing, my original post at http://www.messilegend.blogspot.com/

The Road Less Traveled By Lionel Andrés Messi

PERSONAL DETAILS
Name: Lionel Andrés Messi
Position: Forward
Place of birth: Santa Fe (Argentina)
Date: 24-06-1987
Heignt: 1'69
Weight: 67

Lionel Andrés Messi
This Argentinian striker's footballing career started in 1995 at Newell's Old Boys, where he played until the year 2000. At the age of 13, Lionel Messi crossed the Atlantic to try his luck in Barcelona, and joined the Under 14s.

Messi made spectacular progress at each of the different age levels, climbing through the ranks of the different youth teams and then Barça C, followed by Barça B and the first team in record time.

In the 2003-2004 season, when he was still only 16, Messi made his first team debut in a friendly with Porto that marked the opening of the new Dragao stadium. The following championship-winning season, Messi made his first appearance in an official match on October 16, 2004, in Barcelona's derby win against Espanyol at the Olympic Stadium (0-1).

With several first team players seriously injured, the services of several reserve team players were called upon, and Messi became a regular feature of Barça squads. On May 1, 2005, he became the youngest player ever to score a league goal for FC Barcelona - against Albacete when Messi was only 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old. That record would eventually be beaten by Bojan.

At the Under 20 World Cup in Holland, Messi not only won the title with Argentina, but was also the leading goalscorer and was voted best player in the tournament. Aged 18 years, he had become one of the hottest properties in the world game. Shortly after, he made his first full international appearance in a friendly against Hungary.

His breakthrough as a player came in the 2005-06 season, starting with an amazing performance in the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Juventus. He was also outstanding at the Santiago Bernabéu, in Barcelona's unforgettable 3-0 win, and also at Stamford Bridge, in the Champions League match against Chelsea. Injury kept him sidelined for much of the latter stage of the season. Messi played a total of 17 league games, 6 in the Champions League and 2 in the Copa del Rey. Messi scored eight goals.

CHARACTERISTICS

Messi is an unusual player. He is highly creative, and has the skills to take on defenders with ease. He is a versatile left-footed player who can play either in the middle or on either wing, or even as a centre forward.

Although he is quite short, he is so fast and physically strong that he can cope with larger opponents. He is incredibly powerful, and a specialist in such dead ball situations as corners, free kicks and penalties.

Leo Messi is cool-headed and able to assume several responsibilities in times of need. He is a player who is destined to have a very successful career in football.

HONOURS (before 2008)

FC Barcelona
2006-07 Spanish Supercup
2005-06 Champions League
2005-06 League
2005-06 Spanish Supercup
2004-05 League

Argentinian National Team
2004-05 World Cup Under-20

The Most Memorable Treble in 2009 (After 2007 as i know)
2008-09 Spanish Supercup
2008-09 Champions League
2008-09 League

2009-10 Spanish Supercup
2009-10 UEFA Super Cup


Thanks to the Source: http://www.fcbarcelona.com/web/english/futbol/temporada_07-08/plantilla/jugadors/messi.html

I am Lionel Messi of Barcelona

Let me introduce you to the world's upcoming football legend Lionel Messi! Here is one of the top videos of Messi. Enjoy it!