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The other games today - 2011/12


Baggio

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Just back from Barca - Club Americ game at Cowboys stadium in TX.

 

Gotta say that for a dome stadium it's a heck of a place to watch a game. Especially with the video screens that they have. For those that don't know....the video screen hangs down the middle of the pitch from about the Penalty Arc to the other Penalty arc - yes, that's a video screen that is 50m long and 22m high. There are also two smaller screen on each end of the big screen for those behind the goals to watch. And they show the game live.  The roof does slide open on the stadium "to let God watch his beloved Cowboys", but thankfully it was close today as it was 108/43 degrees outside so the AC was welcome.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/pmrye/08062011246.jpg

 

A bit of a recap for VI (and anyone else interested)

 

No Messi or Puyol, but Xavi, Iniest, Silva and Pique played.  Silva scored he best goal of the game and won Man of Match but I thought he was run close by Thiago for best player.  Silva worked the channels really well in the first half when the 1st team was out there....great running, and movement. Faded in the second half when the subs started and Xavi and Inesta went off.

 

It looked like they played 442, but really that's their defensive formation and usually it was more 352 with Kieta pushing up into Midfield when the had possession (which was most of the time).

 

                Thiago  Silva

Pedro R    Xavi      Iniesta    Adriano

Abidal      Pique      Kieta      Busquets

                      Valdez

 

The game was really dying in the last 10 mins but a couple of late subs in the 2nd half #30 Deulofeu and #27 (unknown stocky player) decide to run at America and made some great interchanges to press the goal 3-4 times. Deulofeu also stayed on his feet well in the final moment of the game in the Penalty Area close to the by-line to slip the ball in front of goal where Kieta was waiting (looked like an OG to me (on the super huge replay screens) but they gave him the second goal of the game).

 

Final observation - the mainly hispanic crowd was probably 70% Barca and only 30% Club America, and they booed Club America big time.  Surprising as when I saw Chelsea vs Club America at the same stadium the crowd was mainly Club America fans. Must be the lure of the Barca bandwagon.

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No Messi or Puyol, but Xavi, Iniest, Silva and Pique played.  Silva scored he best goal of the game and won Man of Match but I thought he was run close by Thiago for best player.  Silva worked the channels really well in the first half when the 1st team was out there....great running, and movement. Faded in the second half when the subs started and Xavi and Inesta went off.

 

 

We signed Silva? :smitten:

 

I watched the game bar 20 minutes where the signal went off (apparently there was a storm outside), so thanks for the recap. #27 is Carmona, who isn´t really a prospect but has played very decently this preseason.  Overall we still looked rusty and didn´t overload the last third like we use to do when on form, so the forwards were pretty isolated. Preseason and Messilessness I guess. Thiago looked a bit lost playing uptop (was just an experiment) and improved when put back in midfield.

 

Overall we are a bit short of preparation for the Supercopa, and with Messi/Alves/Alexis/Mascherano only starting training tomorrow it doesn't really look good. Now, I care little for the Supercopa but it's against *them* and I'll hate it if we lose.

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Guest BlacknWhiteArmy

Btw, Nolan to start and captain West Ham, alongside Scott Parker. Impressive central midfield that is for a Championship side.

 

Noble's in there as well. It's a Big Sam 4-3-3.

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Btw, Nolan to start and captain West Ham, alongside Scott Parker. Impressive central midfield that is for a Championship side.

 

They've got a decent spine tbh. Carew and Cole, Nolan and Parker, Faye with Green in goal. They'll go up.

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Btw, Nolan to start and captain West Ham, alongside Scott Parker. Impressive central midfield that is for a Championship side.

 

They've got a decent spine tbh. Carew and Cole, Nolan and Parker, Faye with Green in goal. They'll go up.

 

They should walk the league tbh.

 

Saying that, with Big Sam in charge, I wouldn't be surprised if they go for 1-0 wins, only.

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Nice to see West Ham's fans have stuck by them and haven't left the stand behind the goal totally empty.

 

Away stand, innit?

 

Only a third of it used to be. Not the whole thing. Not like CC teams will be taking more fans either.

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Why is Howard Webb reffing this?

Thats what I don't get. it's because theirs no Premiership on this week so all the refs who would normally ref Championship games have their noses snuffed out.

A bit unfair really.

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Why is Howard Webb reffing this?

 

Why not?

 

He's a Premier League ref, so might not let as much go as a regular Championship referee (or will let too much go by trying too hard) and he'll be pally with most of the West Ham players. I wouldn't be too happy if I was Cardiff.

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