Someone Actually Touched Messi

((HT: beINSports))

Barcelona played Malaga today in La Liga and it appeared that the back line for Malaga wasn't going to roll over for anyone...

Much less Messi...

The weird thing about the whole exchange was that Weligton and Pique each got yellows when a red card REALLY would have been appropriate.

How good was Malaga's defense...???

Barcelona were held without a shot on goal in a league game for the first time in the past 11 seasons...

That good...

THIS Is The Response To Racism In Soccer

((HT: Fox Soccer/Jenky67's Vine))

Barca was having a tough one against Villareal in La Liga today...

The team was still mourning the loss of former coach Tito Villanova in his fight with cancer and Dani Alves, during the match, had a banana thrown at him...

The response was classic...


Barca won in come-from-behind fashion, 3-2, and the HQ hopes that the next game Villareal has at home will have less fans as a result of this stupidity...

Copa Goes To Real

((HT: UEFA))

Thanks to Gareth Bale


Hell of a run... and that's why they paid all that money to Spurs to get him to La Liga...

The 2-1 win gives Madrid their 19th Copa del Rey and the first trophy under coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Barca Gets 14-Month Transfer Ban

FIFA decided to flex its collective muscle on one of its model franchises yesterday when an investigation uncovered that FC Barcelona was mishandling their transactions involving athletes under the age of 18.

Their statement read in part:

“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the Real Federacion Espanola de Futbol (RFEF) and Spanish club FC Barcelona for breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.

“The investigations concerned several minor players who were registered and participated in competitions with the club over various periods between 2009 and 2013.”

It looks like the summer and winter transfer windows will now remain without Barca's participation. The club plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)- which is notorious for voting in favor of people they like and voting against those they don't regardless of the evidence presented.

There are select conditions involved in youth transfers and FIFA claims that Barca violated the terms on ten players and also fined them the equivalent of a little over $500,000- which, for Barca as a franchise, is around seven dollars of their budget...

Barca will have some transfer decisions this off-season including both goalies and Carles Puyol, so it will be interesting to see if the deals they have in place for replacements will be able to stick...

Here's Valdes' injury that will keep him out for seven months and keep Barca fans gnashing their collective teeth...
((HT: UEFA))

El Clasico Certainly Was

((HT: La Liga/Star Sports))

When Benzema put Real Madrid in front of Barcelona 2-1, you thought it was going to be a two-team race for the top of the La Liga ladder. But if you thought that, you were sadly mistaken...

A Messi hat trick (of course) put FCB in front for a hotly and highly-contested 4-3 final that puts these two teams and Athletico Madrid all separated by one point in the top of the table...

Here's the goals...


Cristiano, of course, after the match felt he wuz robbed...via Football Espana

“We played against 12. It's always the same. They don't allow us. Maybe they wanted Barca back in the League. I don't want to leave this inside of me and I’m not looking for excuses, but the ref is not at the required level for a game like this. If Barca lost today they would have been out. After five years here, I understand how things work."

He also promised the team would win the league and feels Real Madrid never gets their calls in game...

Ah, rivalry...

Messi Sets History at 26

((HT: beINSports USA))

370 Goals for Lionel Messi by the age of 26...

Lionel Messi has become FCBarcelona's all-time top scorer- passing Paulino Alcantara
Here's 370...

Post by beIN SPORTS USA.

This Loss Could Cost Barca The Title...

((HT: La Liga))

All it took was Fausto Rossi's first of the season 16 minutes in to make the HQ wonder what may really be wrong with Lionel Messi...


Valladolid's shocker 1-0 win over Barca may cost them the title down the line...

Now, it's up to Atletico Madrid, who visit Celta Vigo later on Saturday, and Real Madrid, who host Levante on Sunday to figure out how the standings will shake out after this weekend...

Champions League: Barca and PSG Roll

((HT: UEFA/youtube))

Barcelona has had traditional issues winning in Manchester, but that went away today with a 2-0 win over Manchester City.

A Demichelis red led to a Messi PK and Dani Alves scored in the end for a comfortable win


And PSG blew out Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 off an Ibra double...
It wasn't even that close...


Leverkusen is even thinking about resting players in the away leg if the series since things are so out of hand in their match-up...

Atleti and Milan go tomorrow as well as Arsenal and Bayern Munich...

Messi Does It Again...

((HT: beinsportsUSA vine))

Or... another normal day at work...

Barca was down 1-0 in the slop at the Bernabeu, but then Barca woke up...

This goal by Messi gave them the lead heading into the locker room...


See...???
Normal...

How's This For An Own Goal...???

((HT: DailyMotion))

Cristiano Ronaldo is on the verge of a three-game La Liga suspension for dissent and excessive hand waving the other day...

So, the folks over at Barca tried to get some things moving forward in their semi-final with Real Sociedad

And its goals like this that give you the margin you need to win and advance to the anticipated final everyone on the planet is looking for in the first place...

HILARIOUS own goal | Barcelona vs Real Sociedad... by LaLigaAction

Pretty good facial...

More Big Names Fall: ManU and Barca Lose On Saturday

It was a not a good day for the big names in the sport...

Stoke City beat Manchester United for the first time in the history of the Premier League with a 2-1 win for the Potters...and their first win against the Devils since 1984...

Charlie Adam had a big day for former ManU star Mark Hughes' squad including a little luck on a free kick...


It's already the 8th loss for Manchester United this season...

Barcelona's 25-game home match win streak was also thrown away in La Liga when Valencia beat the title holders 3-2...

The visitors became the first La Liga side not named Real Madrid to leave Camp Nou with three points since Hercules won 2-0 in September 2010.

Here's your look at the back and forth

OSG Clasico: Barca Up At The Break (UPDATED W/Barca 2-1 Win)

((HT: beINSport))

And here's how... it had nothing to do with Messi or CR7

Post by beIN SPORT USA.

The game is being seen by a billion people- about three times the Roman Numeral Clasico played here in the States...

Chew on that for a second...

More game details at the final whistle...

PM UPDATE: A ridiculous goal by Alexis Sanchez gave Barca enough cushion to survive el Clasico, 2-1. But one point of contention for the Real fans came from this no-call that should have given an equalizer to the visitors...
((HT: beINSport via Instagram))


Oh, here's the Sanchez goal... see for yourself...

Messi Matches Ronaldo Hat Trick With One Himself

((HT: Fox Soccer/UEFA))

When Ronaldo had a hat trick of his own yesterday, the HQ thought that someone would match the effort today...

And, yep, it was Messi...

After a bit of a slow start, Barca took care of Ajax in the first end of their home-and-home...

Here's the highlights...


The only real surprise on Day Two of the Group stage was perpetual pain in the ass Basel as they scored two late to beat Chelsea. Other winners included Arsenal, Napoli, and AC Milan...

Bayern Slaps Around Barca

((HT: UEFA/Fox Soccer))

There are times that, in soccer, that half a Messi would be worth facing a full Messi and teams would still cower in fear over facing FC Barcelona...

Today in Munich, in the first round of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, was not one of those times...

An admittedly banged-up defense and Messi on one leg combined with a very physical roster of Bayern Munich gave the home squad a 4-0 win and poises them only 90 minutes at Camp Neu away from playing for the trophy.

Here's the Bayern highlights...since there aren't really any Barca highlights...


It was Barcelona's biggest loss in the Champions League since 1997, a 4-0 defeat to Dynamo Kiev in the group stage in 1997.

Barca Survives Scare With PSG, Joins UCL Semis

((HT: UEFA/Fox Soccer))

The question the HQ asks is somewhat rhetorical...

Just how influential a player is Lionel Messi for Barcelona...???

Answer... a whole freaking lot...

Barca looked somewhat skittish in their home half of their quarterfinal against PSG. Messi didn't start because of temporary gimpiness and the lack of offense showed as the visitors took advantage behind Pastore's goal early in the second half.

But down 1-0 and in need of an equalizer, manager Jose Mourinho decided to bring the ace out of his sleeve...

And Messi made a difference- evne if he didn't touch the ball...

But, when he did, it was the standard amount of magic... enough magic for Barca to advance to the semis with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Dortmund...

Here's the highlights...

Barca's Valdes Suspended Four Games For El Clasico Rant

((HT: BeInSport US))

FC Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes has been handed a four-match suspension after being sent off in the 2-1 La Liga defeat to Real Madrid. He was shown a red card for verbally abusing referee Miguel Angel Perez Lasa after Lasa didn't award a PK in the last minutes of stoppage time in their loss to Real Madrid in last weekend's el Classico...

Here's the highlights with Valdes outburst at the end
((HT: Canal1))


Barcelona actually has what they call a "legal department," and will appeal the decision.

Valdes will miss Primera Division games against Deportivo La Coruna, Rayo Vallecano, Celta de Vigo and Real Mallorca if the suspension is upheld- none of them all that important...

ACM Takes Care Of Barca In Champions

And, no, that's not a misprint...

AC Milan stunned Barcelona 2-0 in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie in the UEFA Champions League.

Kevin-Prince Boateng gave Milan the lead in the 57th minute, but Barcelona wanted to challenge as it looked like Cristian Zapata looked like he could have been called for a hand ball on the Riccardo Montolivo assist.

Sulley Muntari sealed the win with nine minutes to go...
((HT: FoxSoccer/UEFA))


Barcelona only had two shots on goal the entire match...

And, to think, that ACM started out 15th in Serie A after their first 8 matches...
FCB is in trouble and has to go pedal down in the rematch...

El Clasico... Was... Again...

((HT: LFL/youtube))

We're not even really going to talk about it...
Let's just show you... and the Messi free kick was ridiculous...


See...???
we told you...

Carlos Puyol's Arm Goes A Direction Not Normal (UPDATED)

((HT: UEFA/youtube))

It's the Group stage for the UEFA Champions League and FC Barcelona was playing Benfica in Portugal. After a bit of a slow start, Barca was motoring right along with a lead and tried to cement the three points away.

Puyol goes up for a header when... in the 78th minute...


Obviously, he's out for this weekend's La Liga match against Real Madrid, the "El Clasico." And after his leg injuries that kept him off the pitch for quite some time in the last season, this really is a downer for Puyol and the Barca fans...

More when we know more, but this looks like it has dislocation written all over it.

Wednesday UPDATE: Yep, it was dislocated...

According to the FC Barcelona website...

"The club captain will undergo conservative treatment and is expected to be out for about eight weeks."

Messi Wasn't Against Bayern Leverkusen

((HT: FoxSports/UEFA))

There, simply, are no words...
He went off... more than anyone else ever has...