Pedro Rodriguez

[xaviniesta]

Just watching that goal again- just brilliant. Watch Pedro before Busquets gets the ball- standing dead still, a few yards inside the trap line. The instant he sees Busquets look up, he blasts off like a sprinter hearing the starter gun. Busquets not only gets the ball off in time to avoid the offsides call (any hesitation, and Pedro breaks the line before the ball is released), but puts a perfectly weighted and accurate pass on the blind side of the defender who is now scrambling to track Pedro's run. Pedro catches the pass in stride, and scoops a perfect chip into the side net over the onrushing keeper.

Astounding from both. Wow.

good thing about barca and especially pedro is that he can make the same run the other way. often with combining with alves when he first makes the step towards the goal but then changes direction the other way to create space and gets a free pass. go watch players do this in amateur level and you can see 90% the pass goes forward and it's a miscommunication. so annoying. then the excuse from the passer is "but you made a run forward there" Wwhy didn't you go for the pass" "what is wrong with you"

 

[BigBarcaBoy]

Delighted for Pedro, his head never drops and he still keeps working his ass off and making the runs. Hopefully the next goals won't take so long.

 

[FCBarca]

Just watching that goal again- just brilliant. Watch Pedro before Busquets gets the ball- standing dead still, a few yards inside the trap line. The instant he sees Busquets look up, he blasts off like a sprinter hearing the starter gun. Busquets not only gets the ball off in time to avoid the offsides call (any hesitation, and Pedro breaks the line before the ball is released), but puts a perfectly weighted and accurate pass on the blind side of the defender who is now scrambling to track Pedro's run. Pedro catches the pass in stride, and scoops a perfect chip into the side net over the onrushing keeper.

Astounding from both. Wow.

Absolutely...and if Pedro starts finding the net again, this attack becomes even deadlier - I know, hard to imagine

 

[ammarfcb]

Btw. ammar, you're still a long way from redeeming yourself for whining over Pedro starting

in hindsight if i knew he'd score 2 i wouldn't have said it but before the game it seemed weird

 

[BerkeleyBernie]

go watch players do this in amateur level and you can see 90% the pass goes forward and it's a miscommunication. so annoying. then the excuse from the passer is "but you made a run forward there" Wwhy didn't you go for the pass" "what is wrong with you"

Yup, all the time. Most amateur and pickup players here in the US think there's only one path to goals- forward, and in channels. Frustrating for a tikitaka player like me, who also makes off-ball supporting runs to open space for the ball carrier (but rarely gets the same support when I have the ball).

 

[Semi-Neutral]

Most amateur and pickup players here in the US think there's only one path to goals- forward, and in channels.

Or, as in my team, just sending in crosses from the wings, i.e. United.

 

[BerkeleyBernie]

Or, as in my team, just sending in crosses from the wings, i.e. United.

LOL, whether or not there is any teammate near goal (AND even if the goals are small popups with two defenders standing in front of it).

I've been thinking recently how pickup basketball is so different. Yes, you'll get some selfish players, but everyone understands the ball moves around the key, trying to find an opening. Not every play is a fast break, a solo drive to basket from the half-line, or a three point shot. Soccer players, on the other hand, all seem to rush like hell to the opposing goal line, with no concept of maintain a shape, no overlapping, no moving the ball down to the baseline then back up to the top of the box, no defense from the offense players when they lose the ball. Sigh...

 

[Semi-Neutral]

Our coach is a Barca fan himself, he tries to get us to understand the philosophy but we're not the team to do it. I like supplying my friend on the right (who jukes everyone out before losing possession with a poor cross) or breaking through the middle and trying a shot, our CM's just like to send it out wide for the wingers, our strikers dribble and either shoot or lay it off for the wingers...

Doesn't help that we play a 4-4-2.

I'm honestly not the right player for tiki-taka either; in theory I would like to play it but on the field it's so much more entertaining to run at people, or send long balls. Don't really know why.

 

[DonAndres]

I'm honestly not the right player for tiki-taka either; in theory I would like to play it but on the field it's so much more entertaining to run at people, or send long balls. Don't really know why.

Patience, my friend...

 

[Henry_IB]

Hope he keeps it up now and it wasn't just a fluke. Up until he hasn't really been dreadful, just lackluster in front of the goal. His work rate, creativity etc have been up to standard.

 

[Paganinisrvnge]

Funny how he went from being terrible at finishing to absolutely bossing it against Espanyol. Should have easily had a hattrick if the linesman wasn't blind. Perhaps getting that slight touch to score the first goal suddenly destroyed the mental block he had.

Maybe Messi can shoot it at Alexis and make it go in off him in the next game to boost his confidence?

 

[footyfan]

Patience, my friend...

True. The sad thing though is that everyone needs to have that patience and that mentality. This is very difficult for amateur and pick-up games where people might be there for fun. Regularly playing with the same players will help in some way.

 

[xaviniesta]

LOL, whether or not there is any teammate near goal (AND even if the goals are small popups with two defenders standing in front of it).

I've been thinking recently how pickup basketball is so different. Yes, you'll get some selfish players, but everyone understands the ball moves around the key, trying to find an opening. Not every play is a fast break, a solo drive to basket from the half-line, or a three point shot. Soccer players, on the other hand, all seem to rush like hell to the opposing goal line, with no concept of maintain a shape, no overlapping, no moving the ball down to the baseline then back up to the top of the box, no defense from the offense players when they lose the ball. Sigh...

i've always been thinking that footballers should really learn pass&move from basketball. it's so simple but people seems to freeze every time they give a pass. or the other thing is that every player wants to give the final, killer pass every fucking single time. that just kills the game.

 

[footyfan]

i've always been thinking that footballers should really learn pass&move from basketball. it's so simple but people seems to freeze every time they give a pass. or the other thing is that every player wants to give the final, killer pass every fucking single time. that just kills the game.

lol you seem really pissed with your teammates. I've recently been having this problem too but there's not much I can do about it. Lots of times they don't look up to assess options and just pass to the first guy they see. Basically, the only way we score is if opponents' make some mistakes or with some crosses that fall to our striker.

 

[Flavia]

Five years since Pedro’s debut with the first team

Roger Bogunyà

01/12/2013 11:35

Pedro made his debut on January 12th 2008 against Murcia, under head coach Frank Rijkaard

Pedrito has been Pedro for quite a while now and this Saturday marks the fifth anniversary of his debut with the first team, made on January 12th 2008 in a game against Murcia. Coach Frank Rijkaard gave him his start, bringing him on for the final minute.

Below we look back over his first team career through ten unforgettable events:

12th January 2008. Barça first team debut. Comes on for just a minute in place of Samuel Eto’o against Murcia (4-0). Later that campaign he gets five more minutes against Valladolid (4-1).

16th August 2009. Gets his first goal, in the ‘Cathedral’ of San Mamés, against Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup, helping Barça to a 1-2 lead in the tie.

20th August 2009. Signs his first contract with the senior squad, though he had already made 14 competitive appearances in the 2008/09 season at the orders of Pep Guardiola.

28th August 2009. His second first team goal – scored in the second half of extra time - secures the European Super Cup in Monaco against Shakhtar Donetsk (1-0).

16th December 2009. His goals in Abu Dhabi (including a decisive strike in the final) help Barça win the Club’s first World Club Cup and make him the first player ever to score in six different competitions in the same season. His gift for goals is confirmed.

27th February 2010. Celebrates his 50th appearance with the first team with another decisive goal against Malaga in the Camp Nou (2-1), bringing his total to 16 in his opening half century of matches.

20th May 2010. His Club form (23 goals in 52 appearances) brings him to the attention of Spain manager Vicente del Bosque, who hands him his international squad debut for the World Cup in South Africa. Forms part of the opening line-up in the team that lifts the winner’s trophy in the final.

29th January 2011. Scores in six consecutive league matches, equalling the record jointly held by Escolà (1944/45), Quini (1980/81) and Stoitchkov (1993/94).

28th May 2011. Yet another goal helps Barça to a fourth Champions League final win, in Wembley.

25th May 2012. Once again, he helps Barça to another final victory with two goals in the Spanish Cup final against Athletic Club (3-0).