Barcelona again looks ready to collect cups

Following is the second post written by Bill Wolfrum (view all of Bill’s work here) for ThroughBall.com. I, for one, welcome our new blogging overlord.

It had been a harsh run for Barcelona. Winning just two of its previous seven matches, the team was coming off a league loss to Valencia, and a brutal 2-1 home loss to Liverpool in the Champions League.

All it took, of all things, was a trip to Zaragoza to perhaps straighten out a season that was rapidly appearing to be veering off course.

Starting a team sans a striker but loaded with attacking midfielders, Barcelona recaptured some of its magic from the previous two seasons, as goals by Xavi and Andres Iniesta were enough to hold off a late charge by Zaragoza, and push Barca into the next round of Spain’s national tournament.

It has thus far been a tough season for Barcelona, as injuries and ennui have sapped the team of its previous form.

Ronaldinho has had a most perplexing run, and still appears out of sorts and not near the player he was in the two years leading up to the 2006 World Cup. His weight has become an issue, as is a back-breaking schedule of playing and endorsement responsibilities that possibly have dulled some of the great Brazilian’s drive. Nonetheless, the 2004 and 2005 Player of the Year still is capable at playing at a mind-boggingly high level, and currently sits near the top of La Liga with 16 goals.

Returning from his foot injury, Leo Messi looked every bit the gifted superstar many expect him to become against Zaragoza, and his form could help push Ronaldinho back near the top of his game.

Messi’s magic should help the intensity level, and the return of Samuel Eto’o could be the final piece to give Barca a third consecutive La Liga title. The brilliant African has stewed some on the sidelines, but when he consistently takes his rightful place in the starting 11, all sins will likely be forgotten.

With a 3-0 blanking of relegation-aimed Athletic Bilbao previous to the win at Zaragoza, Barcelona now enters a brutal three-game run with consecutive games against Sevilla, Liverpool and Real Madrid. While advancing in the Champions League against a sometimes spotty Liverpool squad at Anfield seems a longshot at best, Barcelona could get through this three-game stretch with the Spanish Division lead well in hand.

So while repeating last season’s double appears doubtful but not impossible, Barcelona supporters would gladly take a Spanish League - Copa Del Rey double. And with the team appearing to finally be hitting on all cylinders, Barcelona is once again appearing to be a team capable of collecting cups.

Bill Wolfrum resides in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, where he believes Verdão’s recent 4-0 victory will catapult them into the Brazilian C Series. His work appears at Williamkwolfrum.com and WorldGolf.com.