Athletic Club - FC Barcelona
Final
Cup

Athletic Club - FC Barcelona

Athletic Club
Athletic Club
14
FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
  • 8' Toquero
  • Yaya Toure 31'
  • Messi 54'
  • Bojan 58'
  • Xavi 64'

LocationMestalla , Valencia

Dream turned into nightmare

Athletic Club couldn’t conquer their twenty-fifth Copa victory after losing to FC Barcelona by 1-4….

Athletic Club

Athletic Club couldn’t conquer their twenty-fifth Copa victory after losing to FC Barcelona by 1-4. All our efforts were in vain and the class of the best team in the world at the moment won on the day. A pity keeping in mind the social mobilization of our fans, but in the finals there can only be one winner. In the minds of everyone the commendable behaviour of our followers will be remembered, with or without tickets. Thanks a million to all those who as one breathed life into our team. This, however, will not be our last final.

Athletic got off to a great start, good position and what’s more scored the first goal. A corner kick was finished off with a header from Toquero near the second post and Mestalla exploded when all of this happened only ten minutes into the game. FC Barcelona monopolized the ball, but hardly created any goal-scoring opportunities, a deep pass to Eto’o, which was ruined by Amorebieta and another long-distance shot taken by the man from Camaroon which was caught by Iraizoz. On the contrary, they obliged our team to play tightly and, above all, very far from their goal area despite the repeated attempts made, and once again applied the pressure as soon as Pinto got the ball into play.

And the dream started to turn into a nightmare, when from their area Yaya Toure finished off a long-distance shot which just touched Amorebieta and found its way into the back of the net. This player should have received his second yellow card for an offensive hand gesture directed towards our fans, but the referee only gave him a warning. Despite all of this, Athletic was still alive at the half time break, but once the second half got underway, and despite trying to maintain possession of the ball longer during the initial stages of this half, they were affected just like the majority of mobile phones and connections by the sweepings at Mestalla, but not FC Barcelona who either annulled or absorbed them and of course by their tremendous class. The debate during the last couple of weeks was whether the Catalan squad is the best in the world or the best in football history. And that’s where we are at when Messi, Bojan and Xavi added more fuel to this debate and by scoring 3 goals in no time, without leaving any hope of reaction, despite Susaeta, Ion Velez and Etxeberria stepping onto the field to replace David López, Toquero and Orbaiz.

It wasn’t to be and when a team is by far superior one can only end the match with ones head up high, congratulate the others and wait for better luck in the Supercopa after having finished the competition with a good score and receiving the reward of being able to participate in the first edition of the UEFA Europe League. To have what is probably the best and most loyal fans in the world helps on this occasion to teach a lesson on how to encourage, get behind a team and how to lose. At and away from the field. Beti Zurekin (Always with you).