At least Barca drew with Rubin Kazan this time, but in no way did they impress. Something about Champion’s League play has the boys from the shore playing snake-bitten…and I think I know what it is.
Take a look at the crew from Barcelona and answer me one question. Even though they are the reigning European Champions (and have a huge bullseye on their backs) do you think they kind of expect to be in the Final 16? Like, they figure “Eh, we’ll be ok. I mean, we need to work hard in the Premier League, but in the Champion’s League, we’re fine.” Anybody sensing that besides me?
Now, I’m not saying that Rubin Kazan sucks, but I am saying that they are an inferior opponent to Barcelona. So, if an obviously inferior opponent beats and then draws the defending European Champion (who probably has the world’s best player) then you have to assume that the winner isn’t just winning…somehow the loser is doing more than their fair share of losing.
When I saw the score of the match on ESPN I turned to my 5-year old and said “They did it again!” She could’ve cared less, but she could see the shock on my face and she said “What’s the matter Daddy?” You know, as if something bad had happened.
Well, something bad DID happen. Barcelona, on some level, laid down for Rubin Kazan. I don’t know if it’s a managerial thing, a player thing, an organizational thing, or what, but it’s someTHING. This team has a mindset issue somewhere that allows it to scorch through the Premier Division and lose to an inferior Russian opponent and then get drawn by that same opponent just a couple weeks later.
Don’t you think they would’ve figured out how to play this team by now?
We could write it off and say that Rubin Kazan just “has their number” but I don’t buy that. Something’s up in the home of the ’92 Olympics…what it is remains to be seen.
