Real Madrid vs. Barcelona: Hoping El Segundo Is More Beautiful Than El Clasico

First things first.  Can we please bury the title, "El Clasico?"  Just too much hype for any game to live up to.  I mean, the derbies of the world don't call themselves "The Classic."  It's just too much pressure for a game that's already known as "The Beautiful Game" to live up to.  I mean, you're basically calling the contest the most classic match of the most beautiful game in all the world!  No wonder Barcelona and Real Madrid fell on their faces, (were they fouled or did they dive), under the pressure last week! 

It's nearly as insane as a manager proclaiming himself "The Special One."  Imagine that?  That would be calling yourself the most special manager of the most classic match of the most beautiful game in all the world!  Although at least we'd be guaranteed a brilliant match of creatively attacking tactics, and quickly-paced counterattacks, rather than American soccer circa 1990—drop 11, and when in doubt, foul.  Oh wait.  According to sources, that's exactly what we were witness to last week.  Surprise, surprise.

I have to come clean.  I did see this coming last week, and it really shouldn't have surprised many outside of the diehard fans of Spain's two largest cities.  Both teams are certainly capable of playing the most wonderful futbol any two club's could hope to play.  Unfortunately for Shakhtar and Tottenham, both Spanish sides displayed just that in the first legs of their previous round.  But when Mourinho's boys face their bitter rivals, especially having spent more money in their attempt to defeat Barca than most small countries can claim as their Gross Domestic Product, the game changes. 

My points were quite simple.  "So, why then, am I hesitant that the game won't live up to its billing... I just hope we will see more of that than of Madrid fouling, Barcelona diving, and Guardiola & Mourinho squaring off again before the second leg."  Looking at the 5-0 clubbing by Barcelona when Mourinho tried to play, the 1-1 tie on penalty kicks with Madrid finished with 10 men, the prediction wasn't that outlandish.  The first leg is the first half to a manager eyeing the title.  Playing an underdog at home, you aim to finish them before their return to their fans for the second leg.  Facing a tough road match, keep it 0-0 as long as you can before returning home. 

But this is the second leg.  This is a match that begins 2-0 on aggregate, not 0-0 when the Starting XI take the pitch.  For this reason, I don't think we'll see anything like the last match, (dare I saw "Clasico").  Madrid will have to open up at some point, though they may start the match trying not to concede a third goal before the half.  Whether they score or not is another story, but the "foul first, play second" mentality will take a back seat to Tottenham's pace in their return leg against Madrid (Ironically, Madrid advanced from the previous round after Crouch's reckless challenges left Tottenham with 10 men in the first match as well.  A point Mourinho didn't feel he had to reprimand the referee for.).

Many of Madrid's fans in the first game will certainly become players, as Higuain, Benzema, Kaka and Adebayor can't all be cheering bystanders at kick-off.  And I can't imagine Pepe's replacement at midfield being another defender.  Of course, this game is at Camp Nou, so Barcelona, already to 2-0, will be content to let the game come to them.  I'm sure they will employ the same possession that's made them the envy of the world's finest clubs.  I'm confident their three Ballon d'Or finalists of Messi, Xavi and Iniesta will have their stamp on the game over the three Academy Award finalists of Busquets, Pedro and Alves.  

UEFA has taken a look at the last game, which means the referees have been given clear instruction that similar antics from Game 1 shouldn't be similarly rewarded.  I'm sure Guardiola's instructed his men that senseless dives leave Barcelona one card closer to finishing the leg with 10 players—something Mourinho's attacking arsenal will be more than happy to attack.  Which means...if Madrid can only foul Barcelona just enough to entice a few acting classes, to have a player sent off for diving on the biggest stage since Totti's Italy in Korea...could we be headed...to the same style of game...that we just saw last week?

No, Barcelona's too talented.  Too smart to allow that.  And Madrid has too much of an offense to not try to win the game outright.  The door to the finals is one Barcelona has one hand on.  Turning the knob and stepping into Wembley is 90 minutes away.  And the world's greatest trio of players are holding the key.  In their home. 

When Prince William wed Catherine Middleton last weekend, the term "fairy tale wedding" was tossed around like rice after a ceremony.  I thought nothing of it until Princess Diana's former butler said, "I despise that term."  With all of the failed marriages sitting in the front row of that wedding, yes, the term seemed too lofty.  A wedding is but a day; a marriage a lifetime.  Therein lies the fairy tale. 

Similarly, El Clasico is something most Barcelona/Real Madrid matches can't reach.  It's more than the clubs.  It's the circumstances, the roster used on the pitch, the tactics the manager calls out from the bench, the standings on the table of La Liga or the aggregate score of a two-leg UCL match.  No, I don't want El Clasico.  I'm hoping for El Segundo.  Not as catch a name, but if the two teams abandoned their mentalities from the first match, the beautiful game would be more than pleased.