OPINION: Memories of Barcelona

SNE Columnist Remembers Day at Gillette

July 22, 2008

By Mark Goodman

It has been nearly five years since the seminal moment in my growth as a soccer fan � and, perhaps, the sport�s popularity in this region � took place.

On July 27, 2003, FC Barcelona played Juventus at Gillette Stadium. The Catalans were coming off a (by their standards) dreadful sixth-place finish in La Liga, while the boys from Torino had just won their 26th scudetto � the last one that wasn�t deemed to have been aided by �financial assistance� to referees.

Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho captured Goodman's attention from the very beginning. (Photo source: Freewebs.com).

�We are very excited to host these two world renowned teams at our stadium,� said then-Managing Director of Kraft Soccer, Sunil Gulati on the club�s website. �This match, the CONCACAF Gold Cup games at our stadium�are quickly turning 2003 into the most spectacular international soccer year in New England since the 1994 World Cup.�

The stadium was only about half-full � somewhat of a disappointment, considering Barcelona�s recent sellouts at Giants Stadium. But those who were there � including my brother and myself, both relative neophytes to the world soccer scene � got a good show.

Javier Saviola, considered one of the foremost up-and-coming young strikers at the time, used his speed and finishing ability (where did that go?) to score twice in the first half and stake Barca to a 2-0 halftime lead.

The Catalans appeared cruising to victory until a couple defensive lapses in the closing minutes allowed Juve�s Marco DiVaio and Fabrizio Miccoli to tie things up at 2-all after 90 minutes.

Since we were in America, we needed a winner, so off to penalties we went. Carles Puyol scored the winner for Barcelona in what had to be considered a rather anticlimactic shootout.

Five years later, most of the details are pretty fuzzy (I had to look up Juve�s goal-scorers, and couldn�t remember anything about the shootout, except that Barca won). But I can still remember the presence of Edgar Davids, the Dutch engine in Juve�s midfield, still in the prime of his career and doing something impressive every time he touched the ball.

And we all witnessed the Barcelona debut of a certain funny-looking Brazilian with the feet of magic. Ronaldinho was Barca�s second-choice transfer target that summer, rating behind the David Beckham Publicity Machine in the eyes of Joan Laporta, the Catalan side�s newly elected president.

Still, there was more than a buzz in the crowd when Ronaldinho stood on the sideline at the beginning of the second half, ready to begin his quest as one of Barca�s all-time greats. As one who really only knew of Ronaldinho as a Barca player, it has been a strange sight the last week, seeing him in the red and black of AC Milan.

In the last five years, I�ve been to Barcelona twice, seen the team play twice more in person (and set to do it again Aug. 6 against the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium). I�ve bought four different Barca jerseys. I�ve jumped with joy (Barcelona 2-1 Arsenal in the �06 Champions League final) and nearly cried into my blue and maroon scarf (Manchester United 1-0 Barcelona, April 29).

And it all started on that sunny afternoon at Gillette Stadium.

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