Barcelona facing Porto
/ FCB
This was one of those years when Barcelona’s roller hockey team entered the Champions League as underdogs, yet paradoxically they came closer than ever to reclaiming the European crown they last won eight years ago. The Catalan side fell just short in the grand final against Porto, who built an early lead and made Barcelona pay dearly for a soft opening few minutes in such a crucial match.
Porto vs Barcelona
WSE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
FCP
3
1
FCB
**Lineups:**
FC Porto (3): Xavi Malián (gk), Rafa Costa (1), Carlo Di Benedetto, Gonçalo Alves (1), Helder Nunes (starting five); Pol Manrubia, Eduard Lamas, Ezequiel Mena, Telmo Pinto (1).
Barcelona (1): Sergi Fernández (gk), Ignacio Alabart (1p), Marc Grau, Ferran Font, Sergi Aragonès (starting five); Pablo Álvarez, Xavi Barroso, Sergi Llorca, Eloi Cervera.
**Goals:** 1-0 Rafa Costa (1:36); 2-0 Gonçalo Alves (7:12); 2-1 Ignacio Alabart (penalty, 27:10); 3-1 Telmo Pinto (44:16).
**Referees:** Joseph Silecchia and Francesco Stallone (Italy). Blue cards: Telmo Pinto (8:10) and Helder Nunes (18:20) for FC Porto; Marc Grau (0:54 and 29:05) and Xavi Barroso (33:39) for Barcelona. Fouls: 9-10.
**Incidents:** Final of the Men’s WSE Champions League Roller Hockey Final 8 held at Municipal Mulidesportos Mário Mexia in Coimbra.
Poor officiating, heavily biased in favor of the Portuguese side, did not help at all. Every small decision went to Porto, who were clearly the home team in a packed Coimbra arena filled with Portuguese fans. To their delight, they saw their team lift a fourth European title and end Barcelona’s dominance in Champions League finals.
The European dream ends for a Barcelona side that went much further than anyone expected, eliminating Sporting and Benfica in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Despite the huge economic gap, the team proved it is capable of far more than recent campaigns suggested.
Special mention goes to Sergi Fernández, who in his final Champions League showed he remains the best goalkeeper in the world. He did so again in the final, though he could not stop Porto’s brilliant start, helped by a favorable refereeing decision in the very first minute. A blue card for Marc Grau gave Porto a power play, which Carlo Di Benedetto could not convert, but Rafa Costa soon scored during the man advantage.
Porto pushed forward and Gonçalo Alves beat the Barcelona goalkeeper again with a long-range shot that deflected off a defender.
Barcelona managed to slow the frenetic Portuguese pace and impose a rhythm more suited to them, but they rarely troubled Xavi Malián, who was a giant between the posts. Even when Porto received blue cards for Telmo Pinto and later Joan Ignasi Alabart, Barcelona struggled. Only in the final minutes did they threaten, with Alabart hitting the post.
That was the start of the momentum Barcelona carried into the second half, where they scored early through a penalty converted by Alabart. From then on, Barcelona enjoyed their best spell, pressing hard and solid at the back, testing Malián repeatedly through Ferran Font.
Font was the most dangerous player for Barcelona but couldn’t find the equalizer. Just when Barcelona were at their best, the most controversial calls came: a second blue card for Marc Grau for a harmless action, and an even more baffling one for Pablo Álvarez Barroso after Telmo Pinto fell without any contact.
Barcelona resisted but couldn’t get the goal, and eventually conceded a brilliant strike from Telmo Pinto five minutes from time, dying on the shore.
Head held high and moving forward. Barcelona.
