To be more accurate, it scores goals for all my friends who play football with me The new FC Barcelona uniforms have been out for a little bit now and you would have noticed the new blue/aqua uniform that the Barca player wore on their trip to Scotland. That is obviously the new Away jersey and the Home jersey has stayed the same. Overall, I can speak for many people in saying that the new away jersey looks really nice and the designers did a great job. Here is what my a team mate told me at weekly training the other night:

Dude, I wanna get that new Barcelona jersey, you know the blue one? I love the style of the numbering on the back, it looks really good

50 Years And Going Strong

Personally I really like the new colour scheme of the away shirt and the 50 year commemoration around the FC Barcelona badge is really nice. What do you think of the new away shirt? Leave your comment below and we can discuss the pros and cons.

With the win over Dundee United, Barcelona headed into this match with optimism and a positive outlook on the game. Manager Frank Rijkaard used the same formation as previously used against Dundee with the attacking trident of Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o and Santi Ezquerro (Note Lionel Messi is resting due to the recent Copa America). He then went on to replace the three attackers with Thierry Henry, Dos Santos and Bojan Krkic. The best part about the win is the fact that Ronaldinho scored twice and that made me pretty happy. He scored with his head for his second, which I’m sure he was very happy about because I know for a fact that he believes that his heading game is one of the weaker aspects of his game, so this could only boost his confidence. Here are the goals with the accompanying video clips so enjoy.

Ronaldinho Penalty Kick (21st min)

Great run by Zambrotta which really helped his side take the lead. Cool and well placed finish by Ronaldinho.

Ronaldinho Goal (40th min)

Great one-two touch and pass by Eto’o and great cross by Sylvinho to find Ronaldinho who smartly heads the ball in the other side of the net.

Dos Santos Goal (51st min)

Once again, great build up with a exceptional run by Bojan who cuts the defence in half with a great ball to Henry who whips the ball back in for Dos Santos to calmy place into the net. (Keep your eye on Dos Santos for the future, he’s going to be a great player)

Okay I want to acknowledge a couple of things first. It’s been a while since I spoke about a game that Barca has had so I am happy to be posting a topic about a match. Secondly, I know this blog is all about Ronaldinho and how to play like him, but I think Henry deserves a little credit for the great start he’s had with his new club and team mates. This breaks some what of a curse that Barca has had to contend with, as the club has lost to the Scottish side on four previous encounters. Manager Frank Rijkaard noted the great performances of his debutants. Here’s what he had to say about them:

Touré Yaya had a great match especially considering how little we’ve trained, and he adapted very well to our playing system. Abidal did a good job on the flank. It’s promising because he’s very strong, fast and can only improve. Henry moved well, intelligently, and gave extra depth to our game. He hadn’t played for some time. At the beginning he had doubts but he was convinced that he wanted to take part with the team.

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Now Onto The Actual Match

Henry was the hero for the day with the only goal, Yaya provided a solid wall of defence and Abidal proved to be the owner of the left flank. The actual goal itself came in the 90 th minute thanks to Giovani dos Santos being fouled inside the left-hand side of the penalty box. As a result, Henry stepped up to take the spot kick and delivered the ball down the centre to rebound off the keeper and then calmly put the ball away.

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Before this event however, Barca came close with missed opportunities from Ronaldinho, who hit the cross bar off a free kick outside the area and both Ezquerro and Eto’o had their respective chances before the half-time whistle blew. It’s a great result for Barcelona who will take this win in their stride and prepare for their next match against Hearts tomorrow which should be even more exciting and I will cover that one as well.

Many don’t talk about the mental aspect of football. The fact is that having the right mindset and attitude towards a game can make or break your performance out on that field. Has someone already told you this? or have you found out the hard way? Personally, my biggest challenge when I play a game of football is getting into the right mind set, so that when I get out onto that field I can confront anything that comes my way without second guessing myself, and the sheer nature of the league I play in doesn’t let me do this. That is why I do my best to walk out onto that field relaxed and ready to play my game.

You Talked About Being Relaxed?

You can’t start playing football when your mind is going a hundred miles an hour, it just doesn’t work out in the end for you. When you receive that ball from a team mate, are you going to know what you are to do with it? Or has your mind been distracted from an event that has taken place before the game. This can be something as small as seeing a beautiful girl on the sideline. When you come to play your game, all your focus needs to be on the game and you need to be relaxed towards what you need to be doing. Now don’t think I’m saying be physically relaxed because that will encourage laziness on the field, but be relaxed in the mind so that you can take each situation the ball comes to you as different and that way you can respond well to each occasion.

Be Confident In Your Abilities

If you are in a team, then you aren’t there by chance. The manager has seen you play and has put you into the team, so don’t ever question your abilities as a football player. If you’re like me and you train, trying to better your ball control or your left foot, you still need to be confident in what you do, because if that ball comes down onto your left foot, you gotta be able to cross that ball in or switch it to the other side. Confidence is one of those things that tend to multiply your feelings and emotions, because when you pull something off because you were confident enough to try it, you will be encouraged to do well and keep going. So next time you are about to play any game of football, keep these things in mind and you will most probably come out having a great game.

FC Barcelona have now resumed their training as they look forward to some great pre-season games overseas. As you know, Barca will be taking on Dundee United in Scotland very soon and so Frank Rijkaard and his men have begun their preparations with confidence in winning the titles they desire. Most notably, Victor Valdez, the Barca keeper who was quoted saying:

We have the best attack that any team can have

And why shouldn’t he think that when they have the likes of Ronaldinho, Eto’o, Henry and Lionel Messi attacking the opposition goal.

Injuries Force Some To Stay In Barca 

For this trip to Scotland, Barca will have the following players out due to injury or extended holiday, in this case due to the Copa America:

• Gudjohsen (left knee injury picked up from last season)
• Puyol ( right knee ligament damage picked up from last season)
• Messi (Copa America holiday rest)
• Marquez (Copa America holiday rest)
• Milito (Copa America holiday rest)

Images from Barca Training Camp

Cesar Rangel/AFP/Getty Images

Ronaldinho and Henry enjoy training which seems to help their friendship even more, but…

Cesar Rangel/AFP/Getty Images

It can help their competitive spirit even more, and that translates on the field (Note Ronaldinho’s newer 10R boots)

Cesar Rangel/AFP/Getty Images

Finishing off the training session, the team indulge in some head juggling. Fun but effective during matches.