Barca 5, Real 0.

Barca, at its best, is so good that it plays a different game. Unlike other historically great sports teams, Barca does not play with power; its best players are short and light. Barca is pure skill, skill so distilled and profound that it mesmerizes both spectators and opponents. Real, the second best team in the entire world, coached by the best coach in the entire world (loathsome as he may be), was today utterly embarrassed, humiliated, blown off the pitch. It was wonderful.

And then we have Liverpool. I haven't really been blogging since the World Cup, but it hasn't been because I haven't been watching Pool. I've watched far more matches this year than the last two...and have been terribly disappointed. Notwithstanding the promise of new ownership, Hodgson looks out of his league, and the team itself simply isn't as talented as it needs to be. Konchesky is simply unfit to start on a team of Liverpool's stature, Carra's aged a decade in the last two years, and the less said about Christian Poulsen, the better. I don't know where Pool will finish, but this team doesn't feel like a top-five team; in other words, in contrast to previous teams, an outside the top four finish won't be "undeserved."

Just the same, I'd really like the lads to prove me wrong.

FF