D.C. to host rematch of Man. U.-Barcelona
The morning after trouncing the MLS All-Stars 4-0 at Red Bull Arena just outside of New York City, Manchester United players did on Thursday what many tourists do when they come to Washington, toured the White House.
A block or so away, just off Constitution Avenue, players from FC Barcelona attempted to get in some light training after having arrived just after 3 a.m. on a flight from Munich, Germany, where they took down Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Audi Cup. Their activity was shut down by U.S. Park Police.
“It was for security reasons,” Barcelona midfielder Xavi said through a translator. “They said that no more than 10-15 could play at a time so we just had to come back to the hotel to train. We wanted to stretch a bit. We decided to turn back.”
| UP NEXT |
| Barcelona vs. Manchester United |
| When » Saturday, 7 p.m. |
| Where » FedEx Field |
| TV » ESPN2 |
Both teams ultimately retreated to their respective and appropriately swanky accommodations — Barcelona at the Ritz-Carlton, Manchester United at the Mandarin Oriental — to relax and prepare for Saturday’s rematch of their Champions League final clash on May 28, a 3-1 Barcelona victory that was watched by a record 4.2 million American viewers.
With a crowd of more than 80,000 at FedEx Field, which is currently undergoing construction in the upper deck, the atmosphere could resemble that of London’s Wembley Stadium two months ago, not that of a preseason exhibition.
“The final is the final. Saturday will be a friendly game,” Manchester defender Patrice Evra said. “For Man. United, there is never a friendly game. You have to win every game. You have to respect the shirt when you play, and you have to win.”
Winning is what both clubs have done far better than their competitors. Manchester United has 19 English Premier League titles, including four of the last five. Barcelona has 21 Spanish League championships, including the last three in a row. But more importantly, the Catalan club has won two of the last three European titles, both at the expense of Manchester United, proof that an English inferiority complex has merit, or that Barcelona’s current squad might be the best club team of all time.
Both squads, however, will be missing star players when they square off at FedEx Field. Argentinan wonder Lionel Messi — the world’s undisputed best player — will be absent after representing his country in the Copa America tournament while 23-year-old Mexican forward Javier Hernandez, coming off a 20-goal debut season in Manchester, won’t play after suffering a concussion in training on Tuesday.
“To be fair, I think that we are on the same level,” Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said. “It’s true that we were lucky to have won the Champions League last year, and I think we had a great game, and we deserved to win. But the difference between one team and the other is so small. … I think that we have to give everything we have, try to be as fit as possible to compete well and compete against them and play the game to win.”
