Barcelona conclude US tour with draw
European champions thrill sold-out crowd in draw with CD Guadalajara
Related
- Highlights: FCB 1, CDG 1
Watch
- FC Barcelona 2009 U.S. Tour
- Crew explode after half to top Quakes
He had his goal celebration all planned out too. As soon as he deposited the ball into the empty net, the San Jose, Calif. native would "go crazy" and share perhaps the most satisfying moment of his career with numerous family and friends who there to see him.
Alas, Padilla's plans turned out to be for naught. His success at evading Valdez left him with a tight-angled shot that he could only bang off the post, and a match that did plenty to entertain the 61,527 fans at Candlestick Park ended in a 1-1 draw.
"I had five minutes, and I was thinking, 'If I get the ball, I have to go straight to goal,'" said Padilla. "I went straight to goal and it hit the post and went straight out. That's how soccer is and you have to live like that."
Yet neither Padilla nor Chivas head coach Francisco Ramirez seemed too crestfallen over the miss, and with good reason. Chivas, even while ceding the lion's share of possession to Barcelona, still gave a good account of themselves. This was especially evident given that they were missing three players to international duty and had their defense torn apart by Toluca, 4-3, in their Apertura opener.
"I was very happy with the functioning of the team," said Ramirez through an interpreter. "The youngsters stepped up, and we were solid in the areas where we had shown difficulty in the regular season."
 |
|
NEWS
• Barca finish tour with draw• Messi leads Barca past Seattle • Sounders eager to face best • Beckham shines against Barca • Barcelona outlast game LA MULTIMEDIA
• Highlights: FCB 1, CDG 1: Watch • Highlights: FCB 4, SEA 0: Watch • Barca top Sounders FC: Photos  • Messi at Space Needle: Watch • LA pushes Barcelona: Photos • Beckham's free kick: Watch • Highlights: FCB 2, LA 1: Watch • Full coverage > |
Ramirez's counterpart, Barca manager Pep Guardiola, also found reason to be satisfied. Barcelona completed their U.S. tour playing the kind of possession soccer for which they are renowned, and as the La Liga season approaches, Guardiola likes the way his team is progressing.
"The players played very good in the games," said the Barca manager. "Each training session, morning and afternoon, the training was really, really good to see. ... The behaviors of the players on the pitch, helping each other, it is the first step to being successful."
Even before Padilla's brush with hero status, it looked like Chivas might score an unexpected victory. After enduring a first half that saw Barca's Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry come close to scoring on several occasions, Ramon Morales scored on a bullet header from a Xavier Baez cross in the 50th minute to give the Mexican side a 1-0 lead.
But with Barcelona outside back Dani Alves practically wearing a groove into the turf on the right flank, it seemed only a matter of time until Barca equalized. That goal finally came in the 64th minute when Bojan Krkic turned home the Brazilian's inch-perfect cross to knot the score at one.
Alves nearly struck for the winner minutes later, when his speculative effort from the right wing struck the post. Barca continued to press, but were nearly caught out by Padilla's effort, and ultimately settled for the draw.
That his side didn't emerge victorious was of minor concern to Guardiola. His biggest worry heading into the match was clearly his team's health and the way they played, and on those counts, he considered his side successful.
"I'm disappointed in the fact that we didn't win, but I am so, so, happy, because we played as a team," said Guardiola. "My consideration of Chivas is high. They are a very, very good team. They are very dynamic. But we played very, very good."
Padilla will no doubt be wishing he had been just a little bit better.
Jeff Carlisle is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
