If you did not already know, Barca lost this weekend for the first time this season. In other news, the earth is flat and a Quentin Tarantino movie was considered wholesome family fare.
Barca in cruise control with Leo Messi at his finest controlling a ball entirely with his left foot from start to finish with the most delicate of placements. Delicious. Then Barca exemplifies its team approach as Xavi picks Dani Alves with an on the coin pass and Pedro cutting in is in perfect position to finish the Brazilian's cross. Perfect.
Real Sociedad exposed the first chink in the armour through Chory Castro as Barca looked Arsenalesque in its defending. Watch Dani Alves enact a Bakary Sagna (harsh, I know but he's been jelly lately!) like dereliction of duty. Gerard Pique got sent off after picking up a second yellow for a trip on former Arsenal striker Carlos Vela (looking a bit more beefy). Pique lingered on in a fit of pique at the decision but as his partner Shakira famously sang, "Replays don't lie", it was a clearly blatant foul. Anyways, he got to spend more time with her and the couple had their baby son, Milan Pique Mebarak today. Congrats!
The over extended Barca defense got picked apart in the 65th minute as Chory Castro's shot took a deflection off Javier Mascherano and a slowly reacting Victor Valdes could only parry into goal. Barca was unable to clear a corner which saw the ball being pinged from end to end. Into the 90th minute and Imanol Agirretxe ghosting between two Barca defenders was able to direct Carlos Martinez's cross into goal with an outstretched right leg. Tito Vilanova looked like he couldn't believe what had had just unfolded. Their unbeaten run was over. Before this match, Barca had reeled off 55 points from a possible 57 in an unsurpassed streak of dominance.
Like Real Madrid but for different reasons, Barca now has a goalkeeping controversy with Victor Valdes refusing to re-sign with his club which has made him a Catalan apostate. There is talk of him leaving for Man Utd or Liverpool, clubs with goalkeeping concerns. It's all down to ego but his form will be scrutinized and if Barca begin to look fallible then we might see Jose Pinto between the bars.
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