I first encountered Jorge Gonzalez when I was in college, studying in Central America. It was 5 years after he retired and 13 years after he left Spain, which means it was a long time ago. If I had bothered to look it up on the then new Wikipedia, I wouldn’t have found an entry… Continue reading Magic in Cadiz
Author: Isaiah Cambron
The Rebirth of Laportisme
Barcelona is a city of high art and higher aspirations. From the Dalí’s surrealism to the curved windows of Casa Batlló, there is an adherence to transcendent artistic expression, physical beauty, and a sense of timeless grandeur while in the towering spires of La Sagrada Familia, there remains the push to become ever more, reach… Continue reading The Rebirth of Laportisme
They’re Here To Win: Champions League Final preview of Barça – Lyon
It is rare that we get 2 legendary teams playing against each other in a one-off tournament match. We, as fans, are often denied these monumental matchups by the stresses and pressures of season-long campaigns. And yet, here we are: 2 dynasties, one an established global force and the other an up-and-coming superpower whose expanding… Continue reading They’re Here To Win: Champions League Final preview of Barça – Lyon
Kicks Up the Back(side): Getafe-Barça
I won’t lie to you: watching Getafe is not high on my priority list. It’s not high on anyone‘s list: their Estadio Coliseum Alfonso Pérez holds 17,000 people and they average right around 8,500 fans per match. I know it’s somewhat rich for a Barça fan to laugh at attendance numbers given all the empty… Continue reading Kicks Up the Back(side): Getafe-Barça
From Frankfurt with Love: Eintracht-Barça
Long before I moved there, all I knew about Frankfurt was that it was the home of the European Central Bank. It was Germany, so of course it was efficient and cutting edge, which obviously meant that I envisioned a sparkling, futuristic world of marble and glass, sprawling plazas, and people in business suits wearing… Continue reading From Frankfurt with Love: Eintracht-Barça
Banking on a Miracle: Galatasaray – Barça Preview
It’s here. It’s time. Thursday is the big day, the one we’ve been looking forward to for months. The culmination of all the hard work, all the hours in the gym, all the training, all the film sessions and tactical analysis. It is the day that truly begins the quest for the holiest of grails… Continue reading Banking on a Miracle: Galatasaray – Barça Preview
Europa League preview: Barça-Galatasaray
Life can be confusing sometimes, especially when what you think you know turns out to be ridiculously wrong. As recently as 2 weeks ago I was operating on the assumption that Galatasary, Turkish league winners in 5 of the last 11 seasons and runners-up twice in the 6 years they didn’t win it, including last… Continue reading Europa League preview: Barça-Galatasaray
Are We Having Fun Yet? Elche – Barça
The 1965-66 La Liga season may not seem like much of a high-water mark, but for some it meets the criteria. There were 16 teams in the top flight and Atletico won the title with 44 points over 30 matches (wins were worth 2 points at the time, so in today’s world the colchoneros’ 18… Continue reading Are We Having Fun Yet? Elche – Barça
El Banquillo 9: Team Talk
Ah — it’s, uh, been a while. For the uninitiated, El Banquillo is a set of posts from Barcelona Football Blog’s deep past that were based on an old Jon Bois thing called The Dugout, which is literally the only good thing to ever come out of baseball. There were originally 8 El Banquillo posts… Continue reading El Banquillo 9: Team Talk
The Edge of Europe: Barça vs Napoli
I had meant to write a preview of the Espanyol match. I planned it out in my head, mentally prepared myself to write about Ivan de la Peña and the pain of losing that match, way back in 2009. I watched it with a bunch of friends and it turned from a joyous outing where… Continue reading The Edge of Europe: Barça vs Napoli