FCBARCELONA.CAT

06.08.2009 08:22

“We’ve got back the spirit of the last preseason”

Jordi Clos

Pep Guardiola said he was “very happy” with his team’s performance against the Seattle Sounders. Although he thinks “it’s too soon to be coming to conclusions”, he liked how Barça controlled the game and created chances.

Barça are pretty much where Pep Guardiola wants them to be at this stage of preseason. “I’m very happy,” he said after today’s game in Seattle. “We’ve got back the spirit of the last preseason, with lots of chances in the first half and fewer in the second but more control.” Although he thinks “it’s too soon to be coming to conclusions” he is pleased with the way the team defends and works.

“We were very good today,” he argued. “The other day we played it long, whereas today the team was together and we moved the ball around well.” He said that in his view the defence “is excellent and working well as a unit”.

Guardiola doesn’t often refer to players individually but on this occasion he did mention Messi’s first goals: “He’s got his first two and that’ll be good for the lad. He was getting into the right areas, he’s training hard and he’s strong and motivated like all the others”.

Márquez’s injury

The bad news of the day is that Rafa Márquez has a small calf muscle injury. Guardiola said that this is a blow as “I’ve got very few defenders, but fortunately we’ve got the academy and the two young players are looking good”. He refused to mention names of possible signings in this position and said that if there are no new players he will work “with what I’ve got”.