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Atlante fails to hold early lead, overwhelmed by Barcelona 3-1

Atlante failed to hold an early lead and was overwhelmed by Barcelona 3-1 Wednesday in the semifinals of the Club World Cup.

Lionel Messi scored in the 54th, a minute after entering the match, to give Barca the lead and send it to Saturday’s final against Estudiantes of Argentina. Atlante will play the Pohang Steelers o Korea Republic earlier in the day in the third-place match.

Guillermo Rojas capitalized on a defensive lapse to put Atlante ahead in the fifth minute, but Barcelona quickly gained control of the match and dominated to the end.

Sergio Busquets equalized in the 35th minute, and goals by Messi and Pedro in the 67th assured the victory as the CONCACAF champion struggled to create chances.

Barcelona started with eight of the 11 players that began Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Xerez in its most recent Spanish league contest. But Atlante exploited the early nonchalance when goalkeeper Federico Vilar launched a free kick from deep in his own half and Rojas outraced Xavi to a ball that bounced once.

With the Barcelona defense chasing, Rojas got around keeper Victor Valdes at the right post and touched it past with the outside of his left foot.

The goal motivated Barcelona, which immediately began to control the possession and pin Atlante in its own half. Keeping eight players in its own defensive third, Atlante largely limited the European champ to shots from distance.

At times the defense was desperate, with Vilar coming off his touchline to the far touchline to challenge for the ball in the 24th minute.

Barcelona equalized when Xavi’s corner kick was redirected by Yaya Toure’s head to Busquets, who from the back top corner of the six-yard box one-touched the ball under Vilar.

Barca, which is unbeaten in 15 games in the Spanish league this season, continued to dominate at the start of the second half, but took the lead immediately after manager Pep Guardiola inserted Messi for Toure and Gerard Pique for Mexican national team defender Rafael Marquez.

Andres Inestia began Messi’s scoring effort with a wide ball to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who moved central before feeding the diagonally darting Argentine. Messi one-touched past Jose “Chepe” Guerrero before beating Vilar from 10 meters with a left-footed shot.

Inestia set up Pedro for his goal 13 minutes later, sending a short ball between the Atlante defense for an unmarked opportunity.

Rafael Marquez Lugo had a rare opportunity to pull Atlante within a goal in the 75th, running in unmarked against Valdes, but his shot from the right side was knocked away by the Barca keeper.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates

Tags: abu dhabi, Andres Inestia, Argentina, Argentine, Barcelona, champ, club world cup, corner kick, defender rafael marquez, defensive lapse, free kick, gerard pique, Guillermo Rojas, Jose, korea republic, league contest, left foot, lionel messi, nonchalance, Pedro, pep, pohang steelers, rafael marquez, Sergio Busquets, spanish league, touchline, united arab emirates, victor valdes, xerez, yaya toure, zlatan ibrahimovic

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Messi injury adds to Barca woes

Barcelona’s Argentine striker Lionel Messi faces missing his club’s crucial Champions League meeting with Inter Milan after picking up a thigh injury in Saturday’s draw with Athletic Bilbao, the club said on Sunday.

“First impressions with Messi are not good,” was how coach Josep Guardiola had reacted to the news overnight after his star man went off at the San Mames stadium with 15 minutes remaining, giving way to Bojan Krkic.

For Tuesday’s match with Inter at the Nou Camp Barca are already without the Italian side’s former striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has a leg strain.

In addition, central defender Eric Abidal and Yaya Toure are set to face a spell on the sidelines with swine flu.

Mexican defender Rafael Marquez is also showing swine flu symptoms and Barca were later to confirm if he is a further addition to the injury list.

“What is worrying me is how to get the players to recuperate. I need players who are fit,” said Guardiola.

With Barca held and Real Madrid now top of the league after edging Santander on Saturday the Catalan club are short on morale boosts a week ahead of the “Clasico” between the top two at the Nou Camp.

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: athletic bilbao, barca, central defender, defender rafael marquez, eric abidal, first impressions, flu symptoms, inter milan, italian side, josep guardiola, Krkic, leg strain, lionel messi, nou camp, san mames, star man, swine flu, thigh injury, yaya toure, zlatan ibrahimovic

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Marquez close to Barca extension

Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez claims his protracted contract negotiations are close to reaching a conclusion.

The Mexican centre-back has been in talks with the Catalan giants for some time, without actually signing any paperwork and it is believed that the length of the terms on offer initially proved to be a sticking point for both parties.

It appears a compromise has been reached, though, as Marquez is ready to commit his future to the reigning European champions.

“The renewal is very close,” he told AS.

“It is a matter of finding the time to do so. This is where I’m making my life now and I feel very comfortable, I do not want to change. I have found happiness and contentment.”

Marquez, who has won just about every domestic honour during his time at Camp Nou, has also set his sights on becoming Barcelona’s most celebrated foreign star of all-time, surpassing Philip Cocu’s total of 292 appearances for the club.

“I do not want to have nothing to show for all my years here,” he added, with 227 outings already under his belt.

“We have already achieved important things and I will remember them fondly, and it is a source of satisfaction for me.

“I would like to stay here much longer. I’m waiting for things to happen and hopefully I can reach Cocu’s total of games.”

Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: Barcelona, camp nou, compromise, conclusion, contentment, defender rafael marquez, european champions, games, happiness, honour, important things, philip cocu

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Barca blame bad luck but Rubin coach is wilier than most

Has Lady Luck deserted holders Barcelona as their players suggested or did Rubin Kazan coach Kurban Berdyev and his players pull off the tactical masterstroke that has eluded so many others since Pep Guardiola took over at the Nou Camp at the start of last season?

It was probably a bit of both that led to Barca’s 2-1 defeat on Tuesday, their first Champions League reverse in 10 matches and a first home defeat in any competition since they lost to Osasuna last May when they had already secured the La Liga title.

The match was reminiscent of last season’s semi-final first leg against Chelsea, when the visitors defended stoutly in numbers and several times came close to grabbing a goal on the break.

Rubin went one better than the London club, exploiting the indifferent form and lack of pace of Barca’s Mexican central defender Rafael Marquez for Gokdeniz Karadeniz’s excellent winner on the counter attack.

The wily Berdyev, an intensely private man, watched impassively from the sidelines fingering his prayer beads, and Barca’s rivals, both in Spain and beyond, will doubtless try to learn from his success.

Whatever the reasons for Barca’s shock defeat, the hacks at the Madrid-based sports sheets were rubbing their hands on Wednesday, gleefully pointing to last weekend’s goalless draw at Valencia in La Liga and proclaiming the demise of Guardiola’s record-breaking side.

“Russian revolution at the Nou Camp!” trumpeted Marca.

“The ‘Pep Team’ lost their identity and were unable to produce the rhythm the match required. This Barca is not the champion,” was the headline in As.

The Barcelona-based papers preferred to focus on the fact that the European champions remain top of Group F after three out of six matches and have their fate in their own hands ahead of the trips to Kazan and Dynamo Kiev and Inter Milan’s visit to the Nou Camp.

“Crisis? What crisis?” asked Gabriel Sans in El Mundo Deportivo. “Barca have lost some fluidity and tactical freshness but their fate still depends on their own results.

“The glass is half full and they’ll drain it in Russia and drink to the health of whoever wants it.”

“Damn woodwork!” wrote Sport, referring to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s acrobatic volley that shook the crossbar in the second half and Yaya Toure’s header at the death that crashed against a post.

Guardiola seemed to take the loss in his stride, although he had a minor altercation with a Russian journalist at the post-match news conference when he was bizarrely asked if he even knew Berdyev’s name.

“This is why football is special,” he said of the match. “In any other sport, with our statistics, we would have won.”

PHOTO: Barcelona’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic reacts as Rubin Kazan’s Vital Kaleshin (R) gestures during their Champions League soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, October 20, 2009. REUTERS/Albert Gea

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Tags: central defender, defender rafael marquez, dynamo kiev, el mundo deportivo, european champions, freshness, inter milan, karadeniz, kurban, lady luck, london club, masterstroke, nou camp, pep, prayer beads, private man, rubin kazan, russian revolution, shock defeat

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Barca put in the boot over Bojan’s beautiful goal

Barcelona were so proud of the slick passing move that led to Bojan Krkic’s second goal during the 2-0 win at Almeria on Sunday that they have published all the statistics surrounding the strike.

In the 53rd minute, Xavi won the ball and gave it to Lionel Messi which was the first step in an uninterrupted 37 pass move that lasted one minute 49 seconds, the league leaders said on their website.

Every Barca player on the pitch, except goalkeeper Victor Valdes and defender Rafael Marquez, touched the ball at least once. The only shame was that Bojan’s finish took a deflection that helped it past a wrong-footed Diego Alves.

Almeria, coached by former Mexico striker Hugo Sanchez, may not be a major club but they are a tough nut to crack at home. It was their first defeat in seven matches at the Juegos Mediterraneos stadium.

Of course, there is more to Barca’s triumphant reaction than just hailing a great goal.

Barca’s arch-rivals Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 5-2 away in a controversial and bruising match on Saturday which has led to a storm of criticism over the referee.

Home fans resorted to the ironic chant “Asi! Asi! gana el Madrid!” (This is how Real Madrid win) and even the pro-Madrid sports daily AS led with the same frontpage headline on Sunday.

The article on Barca’s website has the sub-heading “El Barca gana asi” (Barca win like this) above their goal description.

Has anyone else seen a better goal with that number of passes? For anynoe wondering, Esteban Cambiasso’s strike for Argentina v Serbia at 2006 World Cup included 24 passes.

PHOTO: Barcelona’s Bojan Krkic (2nd R) celebrates with Lionel Messi (R) and other team mates after scoring his second goal against Almeria during their Spanish first division match in Almeria March 15, 2009. REUTERS/Francisco Bonilla

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Tags: almeria, arch rivals, Argentina, athletic bilbao, Barcelona, Bilbao, bojan krkic, defender rafael marquez, deflection, Diego Alves, Esteban Cambiasso, Francisco Bonilla, goal description, home fans, Hugo Sanchez, LA Liga, league leaders, lionel messi, MADRID, Mexico, rafael marquez, real madrid, rsquo, spanish first division, team mates, tough nut, victor valdes, xavi

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USA beat Mexico in World Cup qualifier

The North American top clash between the United States and Mexico ended in a 2-0 win to the homeside. Michael Bradley scored both goals.

The forward, who plays his club football for Dutch side Heerenveen, first beat the Mexican goalie on 43 minutes and added another, just to be sure, in the 92nd.

Mexico played part of the second half without Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez, who was sent off on 66 minutes.

El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago held each other to a 2-2 draw in their first match of this final qualification round.

Carlos Edwards put T&T ahead on seven minutes and veteran Dwight Yorke doubled the lead from the penalty spot 20 minutes later. The visitors were heading for a rather easy victory until Osael Romero got one back in the 83rd minute, and then netted a dramatic equaliser four minutes into added time.

In the final match of the night, Costa Rica defeated Honduras 2-0. Andy Furtado scored both goals, in the 48th and 59th minutes.

As a result, the USA and Costa Rica share the lead after the opening day, followed by Trinidad & Tobago and Costa Rica.

Written by: Jonathan Roorda

Tags: added time, clash, club football, defender rafael marquez, dutch side, dwight yorke, easy victory, edwards, equaliser, final match, four minutes, homeside, Michael Bradley, MLS, opening day, romero, roorda, t amp, trinidad and tobago, veteran, world cup qualifier

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