Santos x Barcelona: The Stage Is Set

This is what all Santistas have been waiting for since the night of the Copa Libertadores win. All the build-up and expectation has finally come to a climax. On Sunday, Santos will face Barcelona in the final of the Club World Cup for a chance of glory against all odds.

I was going to use a significant part of this post to discuss the performance in the semifinal against Kashiwa – most notably the disgraceful second half display – but after catching up on the the sleep I lost this week, I didn’t see the point. We got the win courtesy of three beautiful goals and advanced to the final. That’s all that matters.

I’m not pulling a rabbit of a hat when I say that we will be hard pressed to succeed in the final. Barcelona are without a doubt the best team on the planet, with possible links to some sort of extraterrestrial inspiration. They would beat most teams on the planet 95% of the time. It is the remaining 5% that is important.

That 5% percent is what Sunday is going to be all about. Santos has the ability to access that realm of possibility. It’s going to take a performance greater than any other that the team has produced this year, but it can be done.

Sunday’s encounter will be the last in a year filled with great highs and some terrible lows. Whatever happens, all I want to see is a display worthy of the Santos shirt from the eleven men on the field. If we lose, so be it. If we win…the word elation can not encompass the wave of emotion a victory would bring.

I still believe in the third star. I still believe that we can beat Barcelona. Vai pra cima deles Santos!

Category: Team News