Barcelona B started off their league campaign in the Second Division with an away win against Celta Vigo 1-2, thanks to goals by Jonathan Soriano and Andreu Fontàs. Details of the match are below, along with the highlights and download links for the full match.
Catalan sports paper Sport reports that FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has already chosen the four players he will be promoting to the first team this season. Following the success of Sergio Busquets and Pedro Rodriguez in the first team over the last two seasons, the Santpedor born coach is clear that he prefers players from the clubs renowned ‘La Masia’ over paying millions for transfers that may or may not adapt to the Blaugrana system.
According to Spanish sports paper Sport, the Mexican Football Federation has accepted the request made by FC Barcelona midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos to not be included on the list of players to face Spain in the friendly on August 11th, therefore making him available for the Super Copa match against Sevilla.
FC Barcelona’s official website confirmed that a squad of 28 players flew out to South Korean capital Seoul at 6 p.m CET this evening, where they will continue with Barca’s pre-season tour.
FC Barcelona official website reports that 17 players from the Barca B squad, with the exception of the ones called up for the European Under-19 Championships with Spain, will begin the preseason with the first team under the orders of Josep Guardiola on Monday.
FC Barcelona’s official website have today announced that Barcelona Atletic midfielder and Mexican international Jonathan dos Santos (20) has signed a contract extension with the club, tying him to the Camp Nou for a further two years.
Barcelona Atletic midfielder and Mexican international Jonathan Dos Santos (20) has been controversially dropped from the Mexican World Cup team by coach Javier Aguirre, according to reports across the football world.
The June 30 is a key date that will define the future of five of the gems of Barca’s famed academy, as it is the day their contracts with Barca will end. As of today, it is difficult to know what lies in the future of Jonathan dos Santos, Gai Assulin, Thiago Alcantara, Victor Vazquez and Marc Bartra.
FC Barcelona are trying to act quickly in order to secure the services of their future stars whose contracts are due to expire shortly. The first being Barca Atletic defender and Spanish Youth international Martin Montoya (19), who has today agreed to renew his contract for two more years.
Playing on a slippery pitch in atrocious condition, risk of an injury-causing clash of bodies is certain to happen, and it did last night for FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique against Tenerife. Having had to make a lunge in an attempt to block Alfaro from taking a shot on goal in the 14th minute, the Catalan player took a knock to his right knee and was visibly in discomfort throughout the rest of the first half.
Barcelona midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos (19) will be sidelined for the next 3 weeks according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo.
With numerous players rested for a host of niggling injuries, FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has invited an extra four Barca Atletic players to train with the first team at the Ciutat Esportivo this morning.
Barça Atletic conceded two early goals against Sporting, both scored by their forward Guillem, and despite constantly knocking at the opponent’s net, Luis Enrique’s lads were unable to conjure even a single point.
It was international duty for most Barcelona players this past week. What follows is a round up of the matches our players participated in.
Barça Atlètic were held to a 1-1 draw against Logroñés, a rival who clearly came looking for a draw, which they achieved with a last minute equaliser, just when it looked as if Luis Enrique’s team would take the points.
Logroñés came looking for a draw, packing their defence and midfield in an attempt to stop their hosts from playing – something they achieved in the first 45 minutes in which Barca made a few chances, but were unable to get on the scoreboard.
Soriano on target again
FC Barcelona players defender Rafael Marquez (31) and midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos (19) have been convened by coach Javier Aguirre for Mexico’s friendly against New Zealand on March 3rd. Former Barcelona youngsters Giovani dos Santos (20) and Efrain Juarez (22) have also been called up.
Mexico national team coach Javier Aguirre yesterday summoned nine Mexicans playing in Europe and nine players from the Mexican league, for the friendly against New Zealand in Pasadena (USA).
The friendly against New Zealand will be the second of four that Aguirre has scheduled to observe his players before finally revealing his squad for the World Cup. Mexico won the first friendly against Bolivia (5-0) and two other friendlies with North Korea and Iceland are still pending.
Credits: M10
Barca Atletic central defenders Marc Bartra (18), Marc Muniesa (17); midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos (19) and Juvenil A right back Albert Dalmau (17), all trained with the first team on Thursday to cover for the injured Alves, Abidal, Touré and Chygrynskiy.
The mystery about who will play at the Vicente Calderon on Sunday, has begun to unravel on Thursday morning at the Ciudad Deportiva Joan Gamper.
Injured players recuperating
Barça Atlètic conceded an early goal away to Denia and despite controlling most of the game could not find a way through the packed local defence.
Barça Atlètic will go into next weekend’s match against the league leaders with a 12-point deficit. The defeat against Denia combined with Sant Andreu’s victory against Badalona (2-1) means that the Barça reserves are now third with 47 points, a point behind Benidorm in second place.
Early goal
The two January ‘signings’ of Pep Guardiola for the first team, have returned to the reserves. Thiago Alcantara (18) and Jonathan dos Santos (19), were both seen training under the command of Luis Enrique at the Ciutat Esportiva on Monday morning and will be available for Barca Atletic’s next game against third division club Denia.
Earlier this year Pep Guardiola called up the two midfielders, along with Victor Vazquez (22) and Gai Assulin (18), to cover up the absences during the African Cup of Nations. Gai and Vazquez spent two weeks with the first team before eventually returning to the reserves, while Thiago and Jonathan continued for two more weeks (read more here).
The return of Keita and Touré from the Africa Cup of Nations, in good condition and the recovery of Sergio Busquets from the left kidney brusing he suffered, eventually led to the return of both the homegrown youngsters to the reserves as their chances to gain minutes with the first team have decreased considerably. Guardiola feels its better for the duo to continue accumulating minutes with the reserves rather than staying inactive for too long.
This is a featured post. Please scroll down for all the latest news.
author: Didac Peyret
source: Soccernet
date: 02 February 2010
editing: totalbarca
Arsene Wenger believes that top clubs have to make compromises to ensure they play in their own recognisable style – he believes clubs have no hope of making their mark on history without implementing a clear philosophy on the field. For Wenger, the biggest and best sides have a responsibility to the game and must show others what can be achieved.
Everybody has now seen the success of such a model in place at Barcelona. Bringing together an unlikely mixture of art and efficiency, Barca have shown that it is possible to break away from the cautious tactics that have characterised the modern game to win every trophy available to them in 2009.
Only seven players from the senior squad took part in a training game on Wednesday along with players from the reserves and the youth team.
Although Wednesday was a day off for the first team, seven players who feature rather less frequently in the starting line-ups took the chance to get in some extra practice together with youngsters from the reserves and the youth team.
First team players
Barcelona chiefs are in advanced talks with central defender Gerard Pique (22) over a new contract.
Guardiola and eight other players namely Victor Valdes, Yaya Touré, Pedro Rodriguez, Carles Puyol, Lionel Messi, Eric Abidal, Andres Iniesta and Rafa Marquez have already renewed this year and now the ‘operation shield’ (as called in the Spanish media) will continue with the renewals of Piqué and the other homegrown youngsters.
Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo says Pique is set to sign a new deal that will run until 2015 with his new buyout clause being set to £150 million.
According to Catalan sports paper Sport, FC Barcelona technical secretary Txiki Begiristain is currently working on the future of four players whose career path with the first team is still undecided. The said players are Jeffren Suarez (22) who has yet to renew his first team contract – which expires at the end of the season, while Jonathan dos Santos (19), Thiago Alcantara (18) and Gai Assulin (18) are still on Barcelona reserves contract – also expiring in June, and have yet to sign any new contract with the club.
As reported by the paper, as per FIFA regulation, these players are free to negotiate with any clubs six months before their contracts end – that is since from 1 January 2010.
In one session of the press conference yesterday, FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola touched on the 4 cantera players’ potentials – Barca Atletic’s players that he enlisted as covers for the month of January. His message to them was clear: “Seize the opportunity and make full use of it.”
Despite persistent rumours to the otherwise, FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola is again reiterating that he is satisfied with the players that he has, and insists he can always summon Barca Atletic’s players to cover for any short-falls in the squad – as is the case during this African Nations Cup tournament period.
“If it was necessary, I probably would have considered signing someone, but for a month, it is not worth it. I am well served, I can’t complain. I have a good squad that can always be supplemented with reserve players. For a month, I prefer to give them a chance, and I know they will do well,” was his answer to a question during a press conference earlier today.
Confident that the cantera players can fill in for absences of Malian Seydou Keita and Ivorian Yaya Toure, Guardiola said Jonathan dos Santos (19) and Thiago Alcantara (18) will remain with the first team throughout the month of January as he has “great faith” in them. The coach is also enlisting the services of Victor Vazquez (22) and Gai Assulin (18), who were invited to train along, but will only be used when he needs them.
Jonathan Dos Santos making his La Liga debut, against Villarreal on January second, 2010.
UPDATE
Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo reports that all the Americas players are now back in Barcelona except for Argentine Lionel Messi, who is given four extra days off by Pep Guardiola, and who still carries a slight discomfort in his right ankle. The last to arrive is Brazilian right-back Dani Alves, and he is expected to join the training session this afternoon, even though all players coming from across the Atlantic are not required to.
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UPDATE
There seems to be some confusion over the third Barca Atletic member being summoned by Pep Guardiola with El Mundo Deportivo - as reported below – claiming Victor Vazquez (22) as the the player chosen, while the other Catalan sports paper Sport expecting Oriol Romeu (18), another midfield player.
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Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo reports that Barca Atletic’s midfielders Víctor Vazquez (22), Thiago Alcántara (18) and Jonathan Dos Santos (19) are the three reinforcements from the Barcelona Reserve side summoned by first team coach Pep Guardiola during the jam-packed month of January when he will be short of midfielders.
LIGA 1, WEEK 18:
FC Barcelona Atletic managed only to draw their away game against Valencia Mestalla, who currently occupy the last place in the standings. Luis Enrique’s men failed to achieve victory against a team, that fought hard to earn their single point.
The Barcelona players enjoyed a high possession game, while Valencia were confined to defending for large parts of the game, which was played at their home ground. Despite controlling the game, the Barcelona players failed to create any clear chances in the initial stages of the game.
However, this changed gradually as the game went on, and in the 26th minute FC Barcelona open up the scoring. Fontas unleashed a superb shot outside the box, after a great cross from Rueda, which went behind the Valencia keeper.
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