BARCELONA, Spain -- Barcelona conceded a second goal to Getafe forward Angel Lafita in injury time to stumble to a deflating 2-2 draw at home on Saturday,
dealing a major blow to its hopes of repeating as Spanish league champion.
DeMar DeRozan USA Jersey . Lionel Messi volleyed in Dani Alves pass for his 28th league goal this season in the 23rd
minute, only for Lafita to level after a rare attack for Getafe in the 37th.
Substitute Cesc Fabregas appeared to put Barcelona back on track when he
initiated a move that ended with Alexis Sanchez scoring in the 67th. But
Barcelonas brittle defence again betrayed it in the final moments when Lafita
charged in to head home Jaime Gavilans cross and grab a draw that silenced the
Camp Nou. Out of the Champions League and Copa del Rey, Barcelonas chances of
defending its domestic crown are fading fast. The Catalan club was left three
points behind Atletico Madrid before the leader visits Levante on Sunday. There
are two more rounds after this weekend. Real Madrid trails Atletico by six
points but has a game in hand. Despite still being mathematically alive,
Barcelona appears to have given up the title. "This hasnt been a good season,
nor is this the way we wanted it to end," Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino said.
"The responsibility lies with the manager. Our expectation was to stay in it as
long as we could. We did so until today. If we havent been able to beat a team
fighting to stay up, then we dont deserve to be champions." Barcelona has been
sub-par in the second half of the season. After dropping just four points
through the first 18 league games under Martino, it has dropped 18 points in the
last 18 rounds. Martino, who is widely expected to be fired, added, "Sometimes
you dont think its necessary to ask for a second chance because you dont deserve
one." Elsewhere, Celta Vigo won 2-0 at Osasuna, Elche won 1-0 at Malaga, and
Valladolid edged Espanyol 1-0 as it tries to escape the relegation zone.
Barcelonas first home game since former coach Tito Vilanovas death last week
from throat cancer featured a commemorative video, an enormous banner with the
message "Tito, Always Eternal," and a minutes silence before kickoff. Barring
slipups by Atletico and Madrid, Barcelona wont win a major title for the first
time since the 2007-08 season, before former coach Pep Guardiola took over with
Vilanova as his assistant. Vilanova led the team to the league title last year
in his only season as coach. Barcelona dominated the outclassed Getafe for the
first 80 minutes, but its lack of scoring touch cost the host dearly. Lafita
converted two of Getafes three scoring opportunities, while Pedro Rodriguez and
Alexis were particularly off target for a Barcelona side that generated a
plethora of empty shots. Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets said the players
were the "only ones" to blame. "We have committed mistakes that are not
befitting players who want to play in this league. We wont win any titles this
year, and I hope that serves the team in years to come." Getafe rested one point
above the relegation zone. In Pamplona, Manuel "Nolito" Agudo scored his third
brace in as many games for Celta. He struck first in the 20th with an exquisite
chip shot and followed that by driving in a cross from an angle in the 34th.
Celta climbed into eighth place while Osasuna was left level on points with
Valladolid and clinging to safety. Elche moved four points above the drop after
winning at Malaga thanks to Garry Rodrigues goal in the 11th. Elche had two
players shown direct red cards. Reserve goalkeeper Antonio Rodriguez was booked
for coming off the bench to argue with Malagas players in the 68th, and defender
Alberto Botia was sent off in the 82nd for kicking the ball into a prone Malaga
player after a foul. Valladolid defender Antonio Rukavina scored in the 20th and
Espanyol was never able to mount a comeback, with Luis "Pizzi" Afonso dismissed
with a second yellow card in the 72nd. Valladolid striker Manucho injured his
leg in the second half and had to carted off.
Dwyane Wade Bulls Swingman Jersey . With Van Osch out with a flu bug that has been rampaging through the tournament, Knezevic
stepped in to lead B.C. (4-3) to a pair of victories on Tuesday before 1,131 at
the Maurice Richard Arena.
Karl Malone USA Jersey .com) - Whew! North Dakota States reign as the three-time FCS national champion was pushed to the
limit by South Dakota State on Saturday, but freshman R.CHICAGO -- Bayern Munich
forward Julian Green wants to play for the U.S. national team and has applied to
FIFA to change his association from Germany. The 18-year-old, who was born in
Tampa, Fla., played for Germany in three qualifiers for the 2014 European
Under-19 Championship, making his debut last Oct. 10 against Belarus and getting
assists two days later against Latvia and on Oct. 15 versus Scotland. He made
his professional debut for Bayern on Nov. 27 as an 88th-minute substitute in a
Champions League match at CSKA Moscow. FIFA since 2009 has allowed a one-time
change in national team affiliation for a player who has appeared in an official
match for a youth national team as long as the player had dual citizenship at
the time. "We are absolutely thrilled," U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said in a
statement Tuesday. "He is a very special talent. We wanted him to feel
comfortable with our program and listen to his heart when making this decision."
Green trained with the U.S. team in Germany this month ahead of its exhibition
game against Ukraine. "Obviously this was a big decision, and I spent a long
time discussing it with my family,&quoot; Green said in a statement issued
by the U.
Isaiah Thomas Celtics Jersey. S. Soccer Federation. "I was born in Florida and my father still lives there, so I have
deep roots in the U.S. Im very proud to be representing the United States. "A
big part of the decision was the experience I had in Frankfurt. All the players
were super nice and welcomed me from the beginning. Clint Dempsey gave me a
jersey with my name on it, and the way they supported me gave me a lot of
belief. The coaches have shown a lot of trust in me, and now I hope to do
everything I can to earn a spot on the World Cup roster." Green has been invited
to the U.S. training camp ahead of an April 2 exhibition against Mexico in
Glendale, Ariz. He will become the latest German-American to join the U.S.
program under Klinsmann, following Jermaine Jones, Fabian Johnson, Daniel
Williams, Timmy Chandler and Alfredo Morales. Klinsmann played for Germanys team
that won the 1990 World Cup and the 1996 European Championship, and he coached
Germany to third place in the 2006 World Cup. He moved to California after
retiring as a player in 1998 and replaced Bob Bradley as U.S. coach three years
ago.
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