SPAIN WORLD CUP SQUAD 2010 - Victor Valdes and Pedro are in

This afternoon Vicente Del Bosque, as unflappable and stoney-faced as ever, sauntered out into the press room and rattled off his Spain squad for the World Cup in South Africa. 'There you have the best 23 available' he assured the reporters. When quizzed about those players left out he replied 'It is always best to decide with your head, but sometimes you can't help but be influenced by your heart'. It sure can't be easy. The unfortunate souls sacrificed from the pre-squad were David De Gea, Diego Lopez, Cesar Azpilicueta, Marcos Senna, Santi Cazorla, Dani Güiza and Alvaro Negredo. Interestingly, the inclusions of Pedro and Victor Valdes are being labelled a 'surprise' in the press. After the seasons they've had I see their inclusions as obligatory. Perhaps the one big curveball thrown in by Vicente, it was the inclusion of Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez. A reward for his sensational season at the San Mames. Put simply, all the 'Mister' has done is what any Spanish fan would want him to do. Choose his squad on current form and not past glory. An all too common sin among national coaches. 

It was this selection policy that inevitably put pay to the hopes of Cazorla, Negredo, Senna and Güiza. This season they've either been out with injury or out of form. Diego Lopez wasn't helped by the wealth of goalkeeping quality on offer. Just take a look at yesterdays hero, Andres Palop. Not even considered within the top 4 keepers. Oh what Fabio Capello would do for a Palop. Or a Diego Lopez or a De Gea. The Atletico shotstopper and Azpilicueta need not fear. Their time will come. If the manager has taken any risks, it was by including a whole host of unfit players, not that he had much choice. Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas are still to make returns from injury, whilst Andres Iniesta and Xavi are by no means firing on all cylinders. Any serious injury to that quartet of stars could be critical. Would Spain still be favourites without Xavi knitting things together in the middle? Or deprived of the presence of Torres upfront? Whatever happens before kick-off on 16th June, 23 of Spains finest will travel down to South Africa with the hopes of a nation and the expectations of the footballing world on their shoulders. After winning Euro 2008 it comes with the territory. The fun starts now.

Spain Squad for 2010 South Africa World Cup:

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool), Victor Valdes (Barcelona)
Defenders: Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Javier Martinez (Athletic Bilbao), David Silva (Valencia), Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona)
Forwards: Jesus Navas (Sevilla), Juan Mata (Valencia), Pedro (Barcelona), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), David Villa (Barcelona)

Champions League: Mourinho masterminds Barcelona defeat (Highlights)

Inter Milan 3 - 1 Barcelona

(0-1) 19' Pedro, (1-1) 29' Sneijder, (2-1) 49' Maicon, (3-1) 60' Milito

They could well point to an arduous 14 hour bus journey. Or even an atrocious display of refereeing from Olegário Benquerença. But the brutal reality of tonights Champions League semi-final is that Barcelona were second best to an inspired Inter Milan. Jose Mourinho won the battle of the master tacticians as Inter maintained a suffocating intensity in midfield and defence that was simply too much for Barcelona. Ex-Madrid man Wesley Sneijder was irrepresible, with the Dutchman a constant thorn in Barcas side, operating just behind the two strikers. Diego Milito showed incredible strength and composure, holding the ball and laying it off to teammates as Inter broke out of defence every time Barca misplaced a pass. Mourinho employed a 4-3-1-2 set-up and with Pandev, Cambiasso and Thiago Motta immense in restricting Barca to sideways passes, and Maicon an everpresent threat down the right. Barca were made to look average.

Xavi and Messi never got into their stride, but they were never allowed to as they were swarmed out by a sea of black and blue. Sergio Busquets and Seydou Keita looked like a lost souls as they repeatedly gifted possession to the Nerazzurri. As for Zlatan Ibrahimovic; the big Swede was quite simply non-existant. Lionel Messi kept plugging away but he just couldn´t shake off his countryman, as 38 year old Javier Zanetti put in a gargantuan shift. Pedro had got Barca off to flying start as he slotted in following a surging run from Maxwell down the left. But for Barca the fun stopped right there. Ten minutes later Diego Milito, who had already missed a couple of sitters, sucked in the Barca defence helped the ball onto the unmarked Sneijder, who made no mistake from close range. Shortly after the break Maicon took advantage of yet another Milito lay-off to slot in.

Barca needed to react but they were let down by the linesman as Sneijders misplaced header fell invitingly across for Milito to nod in from an offside position. Payback time perhaps for all those favours that Barcelona received from Tom Henning Ovrebo that fateful night at Stamford Bridge, almost one year to the day. Dani Alves was shown a yellow card for diving when it appeared a stonewall penalty. Pique was flattened late on. Not a peep from the ref. Inter committed countless fouls as they sought to break up Barcas rhythm, but it was the reigning champions who were on the receiving end of five yellow cards. Barcelona pushed late on, in search of a potentially priceless second away goal, but Lucio and Julio Cesar deprived them of that luxury with some superb blocks in the closing moments.

Barcelonas dream final at the Bernabeu is now hanging by a thread. The defeat, and the manner in which they were thoroughly outclassed, will mean they leave the Italian capital with their tails firmly rooted between their legs, but there is still hope. They will only need to repeat their home match against Inter in the group stages to reach the final. Mourinhos gladiators are a completely different side to the one Barca faced in November, but with Barca backed by a vibrant home crowd, Inter will have to be at their very best to stem the Blaugrana tide once more. Camp Nou....Your team needs you.

WILL MESSI TURN IT AROUND? Tell me how many goals Leo will score in the second leg for your chance to win the Barca 2010 Away personalised Messi shirt. ENTER HERE!

Sergio Canales in a Real Madrid shirt; Jose Antonio Reyes for Spain?

A couple of things that caught my attention this week. First was seeing Sergio Canales appear on television wearing a Real Madrid shirt. Probably not the wisest thing he's ever done, especially as he is still running out as a Racing Santander player. What kind of message does that send out to those who turn up week in week out to watch Racing? How does it make his teammates feel as they hover five points above the relegation zone? Canales is arguably Racings best player, but is his heart still in Santander? He is still incredibly young, and has obviously fallen victim to Marcas complete disregard for any football club outside the Bernabeu, but if I were Miguel Angel Portugal I would be tempted to drop the youngster in favour of someone who has his head and heart in the Sardinero. It's unlikely to happen, but the fall-out from this two-part interview, in which he was forced to admitted he believed Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Messi, could see those fans that adored him only weeks ago turn against the teen sensation. His father had better keep a tighter rein in the future.

My fellow blogger 'GaryMadrid'  from 'MadridAtleticos' made an interesting point under my last article about Jose Antonio Reyes' credentials for the World Cup this summer. As did 'SoccerPower' in favour of Barcelonas Pedro. Two classy players but will either really be on that plane to South Africa? Personally I'd like to see both make that trip, but the harsh reality is that neither are likely to be taken along. Reyes is arguably La Ligas most in-form player right now, as he leads Atléticos charge into the latter part of the season, but you have to think it's a little too late for a push for a World Cup position. But if he were to play a huge role in an Atlético cup double and helped lift them into the UEFA spots in La Liga, would Del Bosque be able to ignore him? As for Pedro, we all know that the lad from Tenerife has a huge future ahead of him, but is he ready for a World Cup squad? He is most certainly capable, and have no doubt he would bring a lot to the table, but he is yet to feature in a Spain squad, let alone in a match. I was also astonished to find out he only has two under-21 caps to his name. Experience may count against him as Vicente makes those finishing touches to the most envied squad in world football.

Madrid press unleash dirty tactics on Barcelona

I find it hard to believe that the award-winning, best-selling sports daily in Spain, Marca, would resort to such childish behaviour in order to belittle their great rivals in Barcelona, but they have. All weekend we were shown images that appeared to show Pedro in an offside position when he received the killer pass from Andres Iniesta. What most didn't notice at the time was that Marca had used photoshop to get rid of the lines on the pitch, that clearly show Pedro to be onside.

They really need to accept that football is all about cycles, and right now it's Barcelona who are clearly in the ascendency. Real Madrid enjoyed their last golden period around the start of 2000 and they will no doubt reappear soon to take over at the top of the La Liga and dominate Europe once more. Maybe it hurts Marca that their flagship team spent an obscene amount last summer, only to see them lag five points behind at the halfway stage, but that's the way it is. It will take time for the newly-assembled team of galacticos to gather pace, and for me they've done superbly well to be only 5 points behind having missed Pepe, CR9 and Kaká for lengthy periods of time. And all this after a particularly nasty smear campaign aimed at Lionel Messi in an attempt to divert attention away from Ronaldos misplaced swing at Mtiligas nose. It's hard enough to accept that we have severe media manipulation in most walks of life, but in sport it certainly has no place. Shame on you Marca.

Messi leads Barcelona to World Club Cup Glory

Barcelona have completed the historic clean sweep. Todays 2-1 victory in the FIFA World Club Cup final against Estudiantes gave Barca their sixth trophy of what has been a monumental year for the Catalan club. There isn't a superlative that hasn't been used to describe this Barcelona side, and you have to wonder when this trophy winning bonanza will end. Guardiolas outfit dominated the final from start to finish, but had to rely on a last-gasp Pedro goal in the 89th minute to cancel out Bosellis first half  header and send the final into extra time.

In the second half of extra time, Leo Messi downed his countrymen with a goal which proved he can score with pretty much any part of his body, as he chested in a Dani Alves cross. Pep Guardiola burst into tears at the final whistle, which was odd, but the emotion of leading his childhood club to an unprecedented sextruple was too much for the normally mild-mannered manager. We'll be talking about this Barca side for years to come, and it is an absolute privilege to watch them play the beautiful game in their uniquely magical manner. Xavi, Messi, Puyol, Pique, Iniesta and the rest of Barcelonas starstudded squad have written their names in footballing folklore. No club has ever managed to win every single tournament they've entered in one season and it's unlikely that we'll ever see it again. All hail the almighty Barcelona.

Barca through to FIFA World Club Cup final: Atlante 1 - 3 Barcelona

Barcelona are on the verge of the six-trophy haul, but they had to come from behind to seal their place in saturdays final of the 2009 FIFA World Club Cup in UAE. Guillermo Rojas took advantage of some hesistant defending from Barca in the 4th minute to lob the ball over Victor Valdes and nick it into the net just before the ball went out of play. Marquez and Puyol forgot the basic rule of defending and let the ball bounce after a hopeful punt upfield and it proved costly. But from that moment on it was a procession, and Barca could have easily ended up sticking six past Atlante.

Guardiola had to wait until the 34th minute before his side got back on level terms, when Sergio Busquets slotted past keeper and defender from inside the area following a Xavi corner. Judging from the celebration there is a mini-Busquets on the way. Dani Alves and Ibrahimovic both had chances to put Barca infront, before Leo Messi came on and turned the game on it's head with a sterling goal. The little genius had only been on the pitch a minute when he raced onto an exquisite pass from Ibra, took it past the goalie and squeezed a shot between defenders and into the net. Absolutely glorious.

Ten minutes later the game was over, and little Pedro entered the history books as they only player in football history to have scored in 6 different tournaments in one year (La Liga, Spanish Cup, Champions League, Spanish Supercup, European Supercup and now the FIFA World Club Cup). That's one for the pub quizes in a few decades time. The goal itself was another work of art, with Iniesta winding his way into the area, swaying one way then the other before delivering the killer pass to Pedro, who was left with the relatively simple task of firing past Vilar. So job done and Juan Sebastian Veron and his team, Estudiantes of Argentina, await in Saturdays final. I'd place a considerable amount of cash on Barca making it six out of six for 2009, and what an achievement that would be.

PEDRO: Little Pedro fast becoming the main man

'Pedrito' arrived at the Camp Nou in August 2004 after making waves at hometown club CD San Isidro of Tenerife as a youngster. Five years on we have Pedro the man, and he is proving to be an absolute revelation after scoring 7 in 14 games, including a cup winning goal in the Supercup against Bilbao. With the options Barca have in attack, it must be a daunting task trying to create a gap for yourself in that star-studded line-up, but the kid from the Canaries is giving Guardiola serious food for thought as he prepares his team for this weekends clash against Real Madrid.

Father figure Pep Guardiola

His journey through the ranks started in the 'Juvenils' but it wasn't until the 2007/2008 season that his immense promise was unleashed on the first team squad. That year he helped the Barcelona B side into the 'Segunda B' (Third Division) scoring 6 in 36 games and he was rewarded with two appearances in the first team by Frank Rijkaard, against Murcia and Valladolid. Rijkaard was moved on at the end of that season, with his Barca B boss Pep Guardiola given the hotseat and it is this close relationship with the manager that has helped Pedro make the leap so smoothly. In pre-season 2008/2009 Pep took him to Scotland, with the 'canterano' scoring his first goal for the first team on that tour and it was then that his transition from 'Pedrito' to 'Pedro' was complete.

Triple success 2008/2009

That season saw him play a part in both the Spanish Cup final against Athletic Bilbao and the Champions League final against Manchester United, as Barca won an unprecedented Triple; some way to start your career. These experiences are now bearing fruit as he goes from strength to strength in 2009; overtaking Bojan in the pecking order and scoring his first competitive goal which won Barcelona the Spanish Supercup in September against Athletic Bilbao. Since then he hasn't stopped scoring, bagging his first Champions League goal against Dynamo Kiev in September and putting Inter Milan to the sword this week with a perfectly timed run that gave him space to slot in Alves' cross.

Spain call-up on the horizon?

Equally comfortable with both feet, Pedro can play on either wing or up-front, as is currently being used by Guardiola as one of a three-pronged attack in Barca's stylish 4-3-3 formation. It's difficult to specify one outstanding trait in Pedro's repetoire: he's quick but not lightning quick, he's skilfull but not mesmerisingly so. Able to take defenders on and possessing a sweet strike his success is part down to his extraordinary technical ability (see the goal against Almeria below!), something developed at Barca from an early age and which has rewarded the club with world class talent such as Xavi, Iniesta and Messi. The number 17 is the most recent to roll off the conveyor belt, and is now firmly fixed on Del Bosques radar, with fans clamouring for his inclusion in the Spanish national team. It won't be easy but nothing could alert the Spain coach more than a match-winning performance against Real Madrid on sunday.

 Pedro Goal against Almeria (03.10.09)