A tale of cigarettes, grappa, time travel and hopefully goals

Season 9 – 2005/06

The Barca squad is pretty stacked, so no major purchases are made at the beginning of the 2005/06 season.  Some of the young guns are moved around between the Senior squad and the B side.  Cherif Rott is a young French lad with skills to burn, however he can’t run for longer than five minutes and a stiff breeze will knock him over, he has load of potential though.

The first game is the now traditional, Super Copa Espanola, the last two seasons this has been against Real Madrid, but this year it is against newly promoted Merida, they beat Atletico 7-1 in the final last year, in part, due to Atletico selling both of their keepers in the January transfer window and having to play with Greys in goal.  Merida are no Madrid and Barca manage to win the only trophy that has eluded Dazza since he joined, he even gets a goal in the second leg.

As the season is about to begin Poppa Bisonte gives young Dario a call.  He has finally convinced the Italian FA that Louis van Gaal is no longer the man for the job.  He has lined up a replacement, someone he is convinced will get the job done, helping Younger Dario cement his legacy by winning and international competition.  With all that out of the way, it is the traditional Wednesday start in the Primera Division and Hubs picks up where he left off last season.

Dario misses the next match, away to Las Palmas, he has a chest injury, he dismisses any suggestions of this being linked to his high cigarette intake.  Figo and Muisi B get the goals in a comfortable 2-0 win.  Dario is back for the following home tie against Deportivo, he is still a little off the pace, fortunately Jermaine Gentenaar (Ronald de Boer regen) gets the goal in a 1-0 win.

Real Betis are up next and Bisonte is back in the goals, unfortunately Barca throw away a two goal lead, leaving two points on the table.

Defence of the Champions League trophy begins against Dario’s former club Juve.  It’s a back-and-forth game that looks to be heading for a draw until Dazza’s old pal Del Piero pops up, first blood Juve.  Barca are in a group with Juve, Inter and Dinamo Moscow.  Only two second place teams go through so maximum points are needed if they are going to make it out of the group.

Back in the league, Castellon are beaten 2-0, goals from the big Croatian centre back Bobbie Scoria and De La Pena.  Hubs scores in the next match against Bilbao but with over 60 minutes left Barca can’t get another and it’s a disappointing draw.

 It doesn’t feel like Dario, or the team have really got going yet, however, despite Inter boasting a plethora of stars, and Darren Purse, Muisi Barnes scores the only goal of the game in the San Siro.

Next up is Atletico, they have finally bought a keeper, but it doesn’t stop Dazza, in fact, only Dazza can stop himself, missing out on a potential hat-trick due to a missed penalty.

Dario scores another couple of goals a week later, this time in the blue of Italy and with a game to spare Italy are through to the World Cup finals.  Unfortunately, Dario gets injured for a few weeks in the celebrations after the game.

In Tatanka’s absence Barca beat Sporting Gijon 1-0 and Dinamo Moscow 4-2.  Hubs is back in the team for the trip to Valencia, that ends 1-1 and Dazza fails to score.  It’s late October now and Bisonte only has eight goals to his name.

That all changes in the next game, Barca face last years finalists, Atletico, in the Copa del Rey 3^rd round.  Despite Atletico upgrading to a real keeper for the 2005/06 season it doesn’t help.  Dario plays his little socks off and scores a hat-trick despite missing one of his two penalties.  Ex Barca player Roberto Rios gets himself sent off, poor lad, that kick started a crazy final 20 minutes in which four goals were scored.

Fresh off the hat-trick Dario gets a couple more, including one penalty, he’s been erratic from the spot this season.  Salamanca easily brushed aside.

It’s a pretty dull affaire at the Stadio Delle Alpi in the mid-week Champions League match.  A combined total of five shots on target during the game with neither team being able to break the deadlock.

Against Zaragoza Dazza proves it isn’t just the number of goals you score but the importance of them too.  After throwing away a two goal lead the Bison pops up in the 83^rd minute and Barca take all three points.

There are a couple more goals for Dazza in the 2^nd leg of the 3^rd round of the Copa del Rey.  Atletico brushed aside 7-2 on aggregate.

Barca look like they are starting to score more freely again.  Aided by Celta’s keeper getting sent off Hubs scores another hat-trick, with the now customary single penalty goal.

The games are coming thick and fast, Hub’s favourite team visit the Camp Nou and are brushed aside.

Sevilla are beaten in a close game.

Late November and the World Club Cup Final.  Botafogo are the opponents.  Barnes and Dazza score the goals.  Trophy number two is in the bag.

Dario gets another important goal, this time against local rivals Espanyol.

Dinamo Moscow are beaten in the final group game in the Champions league, despite a nerve wracking last 20 minutes.  Juve didn’t lose a match so Barca are runners up, however the 13 points is enough to see them through to the Quarter finals.

Real Sociedad are just as good this year as last.  Bernd Krauss has built a formidable side.  The match at Anoeta is a spicy one, however Barca run out eventual winners.

Despite having not lost a league match Barca and Sociedad are level on points after 15 games and have almost identical goal differences.  It looks like it will be another close run championship.

The Copa del Rey quarter final is against Celta, it’s a first leg victory for Barca, however conceding the away goal is not ideal.

The final match of 2005 is against old rivals Real Madrid, these games have usually been close, not this time.  Barca are unbeaten in the league since August.

January means two things, a new year, and the European Super Cup Final.  The final is held over two legs, one at the beginning of the month and one at the end.  Schalke are the opponents.  Schalke have a Bakayoko on the team, not the real one though, this guy is called Francis.  He scores a goal but it doesn’t make a difference.  One of the more exciting Super Cup Finals is played out over the two legs, in the end it is another trophy for Dazza and Barca.

Sandwiched between the two Euro Super Cup games, Barca continue to show their strength in the league.  Mallorca are beaten 2-0 thanks to a brace from De La Pena. Racing Santander and Merida are beaten 2-1 and Valladolid are dispatched 3-1.  Dazza scoring in three of the four matches, would have been all four matches but his 50p penalty foot strikes again as he missed one against Mallorca.

Celta were also beaten 1-0 in the away leg of the quarter final, thanks to a goal from Dani, making it 3-1 on aggregate.  Barca are through to the semi-finals and face league rivals Real Sociedad at the end of March.  The last match in January is a 1-0 against Las Palmas at the Nou Camp.  De La Pena scoring again.  Fortunately, when the Hubs is firing blanks, Muisi, Ivan or Dani usually step up.

February begins with a trip to the Riazor, and Dazza is Ria-zor sharp in front of goal, scoring the winner in the 69^th minute.

Dani steps up again, this time against Real Betis, in a hard fought 1-0 victory.  Dario is back on it again a week later though.  Castellon the victims.

Another weekend, another win and some more goals split between the front four.  They’re proving to be a pretty deadly partnership.

March begins with the Champions League quarter finals against Bayern Munich, the first leg is in Munich. Not even a 91^st minute consolation goal from Markus Babbel can save face for the German outfit.

Dario is on the score sheet again, this time against Atletico Madrid. He has scored in almost every game in January and February, surely this can’t continue through March as well.

And it can’t, a rare goal-less games sees Sporting Gijon and Barcelona play out a 0-0 draw at El Molinon.  Although the Barca fans only have to wait till Wednesday for Hubs to hit the target again.  Bayern are well beaten at the Camp Nou and Barca are back into the semi-finals of the Champions League, aiming to lift the trophy for the third time in a row and what would be Dazza’s fourth.

A goal against Bayern is followed by a hat-trick against Valencia.  Hubs trying to get the record for the longest time between his first and third goal.

The final league game in March is away to Salamanca, Tatanka gets another, equalling his total of 46 goals scored last season, however he’s only played 44 games, surely hitting 50+ again is on the cards.

The following two matches are both at home and both in the Cup, the first the home leg of the Champions League semi final against Dazza’s old club Juve.  The second is the home leg of the Copa del Rey semi final. In a close match, where Micky Landreau gets MOM for Juve, this tells you all you need to know, Barca lose 0-1 thanks to an 85^th minute Raul goal. The Copa del Rey goes much better thanks to De La Pena.

Still firing in the league, the trip to Celta should fill the team with confidence before travelling to Turin in an attempt to overturn a 0-1 deficit.

The game against Juve is one of those frustrating affaires, Barca clearly the better side on the day. Dazza’s 62^nd minute penalty gave a small glimmer of an amazing comeback, however 16 minute later Pistone put the game beyond doubt. Annoyingly all three of Juve’s scorers were scouted, and bought by Papa Bison and the bloke in charge when Dazza was there, as was Raul, who scored in the first leg, bastards!  Three / four on the bounce would have been incredible stuff, never mind.

The Champions League upset is brushed aside two days later.  Barca repeat the 2-0 scoreline of the first leg beating Sociedad to book a place in the Copa del Rey final.

Away to Espanyol, Dario spurns the opportunity to take his total to 50 for the season, missing another spot kick.  It also means that Barca drop two points as the match finishes 0-0.  He also fails to score in a 4-0 thumping of Real Sociedad. Following this it is a third straight game without a goal for the Hubster and Barca finally lose a league game 0-1 away to Real Madrid, it was a classic Champ-Manning.

All this is forgotten in the following match, Barca sit top of the table by 12 points with five games left to play.  Dazza goes out and puts on a display, netting goals, 50, 51 and 52.  Real Sociedad can only manage a draw, moving them into third place, leaving Real Madrid second but 13 points behind with only four left play.

Feeling free and easy after wrapping up the league Barca put three past Zaragoza, aided in part, by Zaragoza getting two players sent off, one either side of half time.

The goal against Zaragoza is Dario’s last of the season. Chief Rott (not quite his name) scores the only goal in 1-0 win over Mallorca. There is a boring 0-0 draw with Sevilla and the second XI beat Racing Santander 2-0, allowing the first team to rest up before the final of the Coppa del Rey.

The final is far from a classic, however thanks to Dani, Barca win 1-0, achieving a domestic double.

Juve beat Man Utd 1-0 in the final of the Champions League, thanks to a Christian Panucci goal, Micky Landrover getting MOM again. The Barca boys can’t help thinking that if they had got past Juve that would have been their third straight win, Man Utd seem a little shit, despite having reached two finals in two year.

Barca finish with 99 points, only losing that one league game to Real Madrid, so close to an unbeaten season.

I forgot to take pictures of the Barca squad stats, so we will move swiftly on to the World Cup Finals, that are being held in England.

The opening match goes well, and despite Dazza not getting on the score sheet it’s a strong performance against Portugal.  Captain Grandoni’s sending off and Legrottaglie’s injury are far from ideal though.

The second group match is a hard-fought win over Yugoslavia, Hubs with the only goal of the game.

The final group game is a ridiculously bad 1-1 draw with China, Hubs again scoring Italy’s only goal in the 90^th minute, saving some kind of face.

Despite the disappointment against China, the 2^nd round match against Mexico looks winnable.  Keeper Tomassini has other ideas though, gifting Mexico three goals. He’s lucky he doesn’t play for Colombia otherwise he might have been Escobar-ed after that performance.

In the end Croatia beat Spain 2-1 to lift the trophy as Dario watches on the TV, cigarette and grappa in hand, wondering what might have been.

The customary summary table shows that along with being Primera Division top scorer for the third year running, Dario is still a favourite or the Spanish press, pick up the Football writers award for the third straight time. Still no European Footballer of the Year award, not sure how that one is selected?

Join Tatanka for his fourth season at Barcelona next week, he is into the final year of his contract and 45 goals away from scoring 200 for Barcelona.  What does the future hold?