Barcelona vs Thailand August 7, 2013
Barcelona have had a bit of an up-and-down preseason performance. After being defeated to Bayern Munich 2-0 in July, the team took out their ire on Barcelona vs Valerenga, beating them 7-0.
Following that, the Catalans drew with Lechia Gdansk, 2-2. That fueled another drubbing, this time of Neymar's former club, Barcelona vs Santos, 8-0.
Now, the team will face Barcelona vs Thailand. With just three preseason matches before August 21st's Supercopa match against Real Madrid, FC Barcelona should be sanding off the edges and really pushing into form as the season draws near.
Let's preview this Barcelona vs Thailand live stream friendly match.
While there is a good chance Neymar won't play against Thailand football, as he was recently diagnosed with anemia, all eyes would obviously be on the Brazilian starlet if he was on the pitch.
Obviously, with stars like Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta, etc., there is plenty of first-rate talent to observe. But for Barca, at least in the preseason, the younger talent is more intriguing.
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| Barcelona vs Thailand August 7 |
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| Barcelona vs Thailand |
Will players like Martin Montoya, Cristian Tello, Marc Bartra and Sergi Roberto prove to Martino they deserve more regular roles than they were given last season? The emergence of Marc Bartra would be particularly important, as it would soothe some fears about Barcelona's obvious need at centre-back.
The preseason is also an excellent chance to see how second-team players are performing. For example, can players like Alex Song make bigger marks on the team this season? Since Messi and Neymar seem destined to occupy two of the forward spots, who will win the competition for the remaining spot? Alexis Sanchez, Pedro or Tello?
With Manchester United chasing Fabregas like a schoolboy with a crush, will Martino allay any fears the player might have about a diminished role and keep him in the starting 11 on a regular basis? And will Fabregas be playing in his more preferred midfield role, or will he be pushed out wide?
In many aspects, this is as important a preseason as Barcelona football have had in some time. A new manager. A new superstar in Neymar. The chance to work in some of the younger players as an older generation—Xavi Hernandez, Carles Puyol, Dani Alves, Iker Casillas and Victor Valdes—winds down.
Barcelona football club can't be the same team it was last year—the one that was dominated by Bayern Munich. Thus, every preseason game is a chance to see how the evolution of the club is progressing. The game against Thailand is no exception.
