City of lights left in darkness
Unknown to me, the Halle Carpentier was named after a boxer named George Carpentier whom in the golden age of boxing was quite a superstar. He was also known as the 'Orchid Man'.
I don't quite understand that one, for a boxer, as an orchid is a delicate flower known to need specific care to grow. I know I used a topiary metaphor last time out, but this time an orchid is apt for PSG.
They are a very attractive flower, but need care and attention to really blossom.
Let's leave the floral metaphors alone and say that two Dog Stars collided in a match that was anticipated by all and sundry. Two great names in sport clashed for the first time in handball and FCB proved that they are the top dog.
Barcelona may have been dressed in their away strip that resembled a lollipop, but they were sweet to watch, whereas PSG wore a strip that represented a French flag, but you couldn't say as a team, they espoused the virtues of égalité or fraternité. In fact they never really played with any libérté at all.
I wrote in my blog, pre-match, that having watched PSG, that they had a great dependency on Vori.
It was my belief that everything rotated around his position in or just off the line. His physical stature created havoc that allowed the backs of Kopljar, Narcisse and Hansen to feed off the space he created or the fear he instilled in the defence.
"Stop Vori and you stop PSG" was my by-line and Pascual came up with the simplest plan. starve him of the ball. It's basic handball, but done at such an exquisite level, that when Vori finally had a shot towards the end of the game, all his frustration was clear for all to see.
He is plan A and there is no plan B or C, and for all the individual menace of Abalo (check out his goal of the season in the second half) they have not got a concept to defeat a fluid and constantly changing defence, that cuts off their blood supply by starving Vori of the ball.
I defended Barca's chances in the competition, regardless of a poor Asobal League, because I believed they would come fresh to matches. But I add a further point.
Trust!
Xavi Pascual trusts his team. He has explored the technical, tactical and personal attributes of his players and has come to the grand conclusion, that all of them, to a man, can contribute on the court.
This is brought into sharp relief, by leaving Saric in goal, regardless of a tame first half. He redeemed himself with save after save towards the end of the game. Xavi's trust along with his tactical savvy won a game against a very strong opponent.
By contrast, although Gardent used Csaszar at last, he refused to use his bench. This was never more, in the fish-eye lens, than when Narcisse, gasping for air in the first half asked to be substituted. His players are tired. He has a first seven with Gojun as defender in his head and after this he is loath to make changes. As Vori, Narcisse, Hansen et al. wilted in the second half, a fresh Barcelona looked like they could play another 60 minutes.
From the 15th minute you felt the game was changing and although the first half finished even-Stevens, the beginning of the second half showed that defence is played with the legs and the brain and doesn't need to resemble rugby.
Barcelona choked the life out of PSG and always looked like they scored their goals much easier than their opponents.
The game was not a classic, although there were classic moments. In my very humble opinion it was a victory of a team over individuals and although the singletons were on a par one on one, the sum of their parts was not.
The city of lights, handball wise, was left in darkness as the visitors were victorious.
The trust in Barcelona won over the trust fund of PSG.
TEXT: Tom Ó Brannagáin, ehfTV commentator
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