Guest Jeffery S. Posted September 1, 2003 Share Posted September 1, 2003 Barça has set their Wednesday Spanish league match vs. Sevilla at five past midnight on the 3rd, in what may rank as the latest (or earliest) official match held in recent times. The game will be played at 00:05 and end around 2. Barça's pretext is that since up to 10 players could be called to national team duty on Wednesday, complying with the minimum four days before the game required by FIFA, this hour is the only way to play on the Wednesday as scheduled but not lose all their starters. The problem is that all the Dutch players are required to go on Tuesday, as well as Saviola to Argentina, while the only players that they'll "keep" are Turkish keeper Rustu (who coach Rijkaard has benched in favour of local kid Valdes) and Ronaldinho, who in any case has to fulfill a suspension for Brazil and could play anyways. I am planning to go to this match as they've cut the prices and even have promised to offer a free dinner to all attending (a great way for the club to lose money on top of it all). But it is in my view just another reason to suggest that Barça supporters blew it again in electing a president with off the wall ideas that will lead us down years of blind alleys (the one who conned club members about Beckham is now distracting his players from their season opener just to prove a weird legal point). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeta Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 I'm sure all the players are very happy to hear about it. Idiot. Sort of stunts that keep the troops happy and not demanding transfers. P.S. Have fun. I'm sure the boss well be very happy to see you wednesday morning all primed up for another productive day at the office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Oranje Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 I read somewhere that Rijkaard had said he didn't think it should impact on his teams performance much because many of his players go to bed late anyway.... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeffery S. Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Canuck Oranje I read somewhere that Rijkaard had said he didn't think it should impact on his teams performance much because many of his players go to bed late anyway.... lol Yes, Rijkaard has shown good humour about it, commenting that the game should go okay as long as the players do not fall asleep. The first 40,000 to the game get a nutrution pack with gazpacho (since we are playing a team from Andalusia), Doritos (late night party munchies?), an Actimel (kinda a liquid yoghurt, do those exist in Canada?), candies from Chupa-Chups (the multinational candy sucker company based here), and a pack from Bimbo the breadmaker (Spanish equivalent of Sunbeam). A humourous tv program will be done live from the stadium. A friend was buying tickets this midday and an Aussie guy behind him asked when the game started (lots of tourists go to Camp Nou without even knowing who's playing or what) and my buddy told him at 12:05. "That's in five minutes!" the guy replied. He had to be convinced that in fact he had another 12 hours to kill before match time. Seems Barça will also be able to play Quaresma, called up for Portugal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amacpher Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 But why is Sevilla going along with this idea?? The rule that forced this whole idea is meant to HELP them (the rule I'm talking about is that a team must have at least 2 full rest days between matches, and Sevilla played on Sunday.) So not only is Sevilla helping Barca by enabling all of their internationals to play, but Sevilla is hurting themselvees by not really having 2 full rest days (okay, tecnically they are but you know what I mean - since the game will be played on what 'feels' like a Tuesday). If they just had 18 teams in the league like every league should, they wouldn't even have this problem to begin with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachesl Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 Barcelona's gotta have some nasty lawyers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew W Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 Actually, I believe it was UEFA and/or FIFA who came down hard on La Liga last year because of how late their season stretched (running into Confed Cup time). I don't think La Liga had much choice but to get the games in. Crummy, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amacpher Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Andrew W Actually, I believe it was UEFA and/or FIFA who came down hard on La Liga last year because of how late their season stretched (running into Confed Cup time). I don't think La Liga had much choice but to get the games in. Crummy, though! Well, next summer is the Euro championships so La Liga has to finish earlier for even numbered years (2002, 2004, 2006, etc). Personally I'm in favour of La Liga running until late June during the odd-numbered years. It prevents their superstars from participating in ridiculous, waste-of-time tournaments that mean absolutely butkis (like the Confed Cup, Copa America, etc.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJT Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 quote:Originally posted by amacpher If they just had 18 teams in the league like every league should, they wouldn't even have this problem to begin with. Yes! No, wait, 16 teams! quote:It prevents their superstars from participating in ridiculous, waste-of-time tournaments that mean absolutely butkis (like the Confed Cup, Copa America, etc.)I disagree with you on the Confederations Cup, but I've already disagreed with you on the Club World Championship so I'm not surprised. But the Copa America is a different story. It is the oldest tournament involving national teams. People care a lot about it. Unfortunately they started holding it too often and then their WCQ got bigger and the Copa took a back seat, but they corrected it by moving it to every 4 years as every confederation championship should be. I think the Copa will be great next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amacpher Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 quote:Originally posted by DJT But the Copa America is a different story. It is the oldest tournament involving national teams. People care a lot about it. Unfortunately they started holding it too often and then their WCQ got bigger and the Copa took a back seat, but they corrected it by moving it to every 4 years as every confederation championship should be. I think the Copa will be great next year. Every 4 years is definitely a better idea - especially if they play at the exactly same time as the Euro championships - we can watch Europe in the morning/afternoon and Copa America at night everyday next June. But it still all depends on whether or not the countries participating take it seriously. If Brazil & Argentina field their C-team then what does it really mean if they lose? Basically I have a problem supporting any tourney where teams are fielding a 2nd or 3rd-string team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoyleG Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 Reminds me once when the Drillers had a late night home game, although not intentionally. Jeffrey S., There is a liquid yogurt called "Yop". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeffery S. Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 I went last night, there were over 80,000 people in the stadium (1-1). There is no match for Spanish lust for night life in Europe. Waves of people walking home at half past two in the morning (I live about 5 km from the stadium mostly downhill). I must say that there were a lot of young people who got older uncles' season's tickets, but a lot of the classic Barcelona grannies as well, so pretty good. And out of towners. I had beside me an Israeli and a couple from Malaysia, and a Man U fan who all came together, the Israeli told me that just that afternoon he had discovered that he and the Englishman had both seen the FA Cup final in 63 or 64 I think it was, Man U vs. Sheffield Wednesday, when both were teenagers. It is great to meet people steeped in football culture and keen on details ("which corner was it where the fans threw whisky bottles and a pig's head at Figo?"). Really an amazing atmosphere, helped by a ref who called Barça like a basketball team and Sevilla like American football. Such a blatant sort of "official revenge" that we were all laughing in the end. Seriously, they push me more in the supermarket lineup and I don't fall over writhing with my six-pack broken on the tiles around me. The Ronaldinho goal was a cracker, truly brilliant, and Barça ended up playing with local under 20 players Ros, Santamaria, Iniesta, Sergio García, Oscar Lopez, all very competent young talents. quote:Originally posted by amacpher If they just had 18 teams in the league like every league should, they wouldn't even have this problem to begin with. Well one of the reasons we have 20 teams is that Seville and Celta were supposed to be relegated for financial reasons, they bitched and protested publically, and the League let them back in. So we are stuck with the 20 still. In any case once the home team can set a time that is legal the other has no choice but to play then. The only problem Barça has is with the holder of pay for view tv rights, who did not broadcast the match and allege breach of contract (the tv folks have to approve the match times). Since Barça makes a huge sum from tv this could be a problem, but not complaints from Sevilla, who in the end are happy about the draw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew W Posted September 4, 2003 Share Posted September 4, 2003 Theatrics in the Spanish league? Nooooowaaay!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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