summary next Wednesday night as I find myself in a 95 km walk
from Gijón to Covadonga (a "Spiritual" promise) that will keep me
away from an Internet line & a PC. Although I am sure we will find
a place to rest our feet in a pub somewhere that has a TV available
& tuned into the final. I will Twitter comments, no doubt.
(photo: Messi & Llorente, courtesy marca.com)
Said all this, the Spanish Football season 2008/09 is consequently
coming to its natural end with “La Liga” left with 3 games &
traditionally close by – as it is - the Final of the SPANISH CUP
with FC BARCELONA & ATHLETIC DE BILBAO this year to play
for the title this Wednesday night at the Mestalla Stadium in
Valencia.
Both have had opposite trajectories this season, FC Barcelona is
on the verge of proclaiming the “Liga” title, is in the European
Cup Final in Rome & has the chance to take the Spanish Cup, an
extraordinary season for them. Athletic de Bilbao has had a
“horror” season for their standards as they fought to stay out of
the relegation zone most of the current season & have placed all
there hopes in the Spanish Cup Trophy to at least "brighten" their
season.
Both Clubs are the leading historical winners of this competition
with Barça winning 24 titles ( 33 finals) & Bilbao winning 23 titles
(34 finals) & the latter may equal the former next Wednesday night.
The last time Bilbao won a Spanish Cup title was in 1984 & precisely
against FC Barcelona 0-1 in a game that ended in a violent all-in-
brawl that involved Maradona & players from both sides. See the
video below:
As we have seen, the Barça vs Bilbao games are historically a
toughly fought affair & this Final won’t be any different. Bilbao
have their full squad of players available & have been planning
this final for weeks. Barça on the other hand go in with 4 key
players out: Marquez (injured), Henry (injured), Abidal (suspended)
Both Clubs are the leading historical winners of this competition
with Barça winning 24 titles ( 33 finals) & Bilbao winning 23 titles
(34 finals) & the latter may equal the former next Wednesday night.
The last time Bilbao won a Spanish Cup title was in 1984 & precisely
against FC Barcelona 0-1 in a game that ended in a violent all-in-
brawl that involved Maradona & players from both sides. See the
video below:
As we have seen, the Barça vs Bilbao games are historically a
toughly fought affair & this Final won’t be any different. Bilbao
have their full squad of players available & have been planning
this final for weeks. Barça on the other hand go in with 4 key
players out: Marquez (injured), Henry (injured), Abidal (suspended)
& Iniesta (injured). Barça Coach Guardiola will have to reorganize
the team set up & play to make good without the habitual & now
the team set up & play to make good without the habitual & now
missing pieces of his effective Jigsaw puzzle. Apart from this,
psychologically Bilbao are pumped to the maximum & Barça will
have to gain control early of the ball, calm the nerves & begin
moving Bilbao around if they are to open them up & get an early
goal to increase their possibilities. Bilbao on the other hand will
be physical & look to “cut down” the Barça playmakers like Xavi,
Messi, Eto´o & company. In a nutshell, it is going to be an
extraordinary final that will dazzle everyone & anyone who is a
Football fan.
(photo: Iniesta key player will be missing - courtesy marca.com)psychologically Bilbao are pumped to the maximum & Barça will
have to gain control early of the ball, calm the nerves & begin
moving Bilbao around if they are to open them up & get an early
goal to increase their possibilities. Bilbao on the other hand will
be physical & look to “cut down” the Barça playmakers like Xavi,
Messi, Eto´o & company. In a nutshell, it is going to be an
extraordinary final that will dazzle everyone & anyone who is a
Football fan.
Prognosticated line-ups are still in the air, as Bilbao is being very
secretive training behind closed doors & with curfew rules being
applied, while Barcelona has a job ahead as it figures out which
players will substitute the injured, & which strategy & tactics they
will put in place. We will all have to nervously wait & see :-)
Anyone willing to predict who will win this beauty of a trophy on
Wednesady night? Barça or Athletic?
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