An Idol Rekindled: Barcelona SC Campeon de Ecuador

Photo credit: EFE

It has been 14 years since Barcelona Sporting Club, the marquee team from Guayaquil, Ecuador, last won the league. Fourteen years of struggle, bad coaching, political in-fighting, and fan disappointment. But it all ended yesterday when they were crowned champions of Ecuador, unleashing celebrations all over the country.

Barcelona had come to be dominated in recent years by the other big clubs in the country, such as LDU Quito and arch-rivals Emelec. Since 2011, however, the ownership by businessman Antonio Noboa and management by Zubielda, who built the team, and Gustavo Costas, who brought out the best in players like new-comer Narciso Mina, forged a unique understanding with the players that transcended to results on the pitch. 

Let's not forget that Barcelona SC is quite a popular club even though it has seen an extensive trophy-less stretch. They average 25,000 fans for home games and 15,000 for away games. No easy feat in any country. The "Toreros," as they are called, have seen their share of scrutiny and, at times, downright dislike by the national soccer media and the upper echelons of Ecuador soccer officials. There is a certain "Quito tilt" to soccer coverage in the country and the club has been able to break that barrier with this win.

As a child, I grew up watching this team week in and week out since most of my family were big fans of the squad. I, however, preferred certain other teams, for which I was often scolded. The derby matches I attended, the great "Clasico del Astillero," always fulfilled in its display of passion on and off the field. As fate would have it, my team almost always won, but I was happy to attend the Estadio Monumental in all its glory and watch the waves of yellow run up and down the general attendance stands. I admit that, deep down, I still hurt from Barcelona's win over Emelec in the 1989 Libertadores. So every time my team wins it is simply another attempt to make up for that loss--until they meet again in continental play.

In the end, I am happy for friends and family that have seen their dream come true, have cried with goals of glory, taken to the streets to celebrate, painted 9 de Octubre yellow and shown the country once and for all who really is the idol: Barcelona.

I dedicate this post to the great Mauro Velasquez Villacis and Javier Velasquez Villacis. I would like to thank the latter for his guidance in writing this piece and the former for inspiration in being a soccer fan.

Honoring a Soccer Journalism Icon: Mauro Velasquez Villacis

The year I went off to college my mother gave me an unusual gift: a series of obscure soccer magazines. They were specific to Conmebol (South America's soccer conference), and more importantly, strictly for the press. As I read through them I learned about the history of Conmebol and of its most important club tournament: The Copa Libertadores.

But why should I get this gift? Mother told me they came from my uncle Mauro, a world-respected soccer journalist, friend of the legendary Garrincha and a fan of Barcelona Sporting Club of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Perhaps he knew of my love for the game. It must have been so because I have over 20 cousins on my mother's side and yet the gift was especially for me. Up until that point, I had been to only a handful of futbol games. And yet he knew that following the beautiful game was one of my passions.

Regardless of the reasoning behind the gifts, my passion for the game grew stronger through the years and it led to this blog, my twitter account, and a distinct proclivity towards US Soccer and MLS.

I saw my uncle once again a couple of years back. He somehow knew that what I wanted was to discuss the game and to see his significant soccer library, his notes about soccer players, his relationships with individuals and his philosophy about soccer. "I follow the players," he said. And then I realized that so do I. It's not just about the games for us. It's about a player's tendencies, reactions and personality on the pitch.

This post is to honor a legend in the soccer media. Mauro Velasquez Villacis was recently awarded the "Most Illustrious Citizen of Guayaquil" award. It was given to him for his dedication towards sports journalism in Ecuador, for what he brought to the history of his country and the world at large, for the honesty and directness he employed in his work. They called him the "human computer" for his otherworldly wisdom, and most of all the award was given to him for his kindness and decency. He is an example for future generations in an age in which the public is increasingly critical of journalism, something that in his case is completely the opposite. He received an extended standing applause and was humbled to receive the award. His soccer language is as sophisticated as the use of his Spanish. Quoted by many. Respected by most. An icon in my life.

Barcelona Sporting Club falls from grace

For those of you unfamiliar with South American soccer, there is another Barcelona soccer team. It's not Spain's FC Barcelona, it's Barcelona Sporting Club of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The "Idolo del Astillero" also happens to be the most popular team in the country and one with the most fame (until Liga won the Libertadores last year). It's the Manchester United, Dallas Cowboys, New York Yankees, etc of Ecuador. So if the team is relegated to a lower division it has to be a big deal.

Indeed, Barcelona are very close to being mathematically and officially relegated to Ecuador's Serie B. I must admit I haven't been following the game in my birth country as much due to other things in life getting in the way. I can only watch so much soccer and usually I reserve my Ecuador time to the national squad and my club Emelec.

A little background info: The team was founded in 1925. Contrary to what one may think, the team is not modeled or based on FC Barcelona, but instead it is an homage to Spanish support for the founding of a multidisciplinary club and the city of Guayaquil. The team is currently tied with Club Deportivo El Nacional as the most successful team in the country in terms of national championships (13 titles). They were the first Ecuadorian team to make it to the Copa Libertadores finals, having done so twice in 1990 & 1998. Notable players include Ruben Insua, Manuel Uquillas, Agustin Delgado, Pablo Palacios, Jimmy Izquierdo, Ivan Kaviedes, Eduardo Hurtado, Marcelo Trobbiani, Jimmy Montanero, Byron Tenorio, Edwin Tenorio, Mario Saralegui, Ivan Hurtado.

Today things look ever-grimmer for this iconic club team. They could, with a mix of results, sneak back into safety. This predicament is not unlike what happened nine years ago, when the team had to go to Ambato in search of a positive result to avoid relegation. The team delivered and the relegated squad was Liga de Quito. That's right, the reigning champions and the 2008 Libertadores and 2009 Recopa champions. It took seven years after falling to the Serie B for Liga to bounce back and storm into the international scene.

Could we see a major turnaround from Barcelona? Why not. It happened with Liga. True, it's the governing body that is to blame for their errant ways for the past decade or so, as alluded to by important members of the Ecuador press. The great Mauro Velasquez has mentioned to me the weaknesses and ambivalence that the club management has continuously shown. I would welcome a stronger Barcelona team to give Emelec better competition and elevate the status of the game in the country due to the team's considerable following.


Am I happy that Emelec is much higher in the table and competing internationally? Of course. Am I happy to see Barcelona falter like this? Not really. I like competition (especially if Emelec always wins) and right now there just aren't any more teams in the city of Guayaquil. This is the clasico. This is the city derby. There can be no yin without the yang. Some of my earliest soccer memories are those of "el Clasico del Astillero," including those in the 1990 Libertadores. I've been to five of the games already and I can't wait to go to the next. So, good luck, Barcelona. Emelec is waiting for you to break your heart again.

Ecuador: A few observations from a soccer nation

Ecuador, the place of my birth and the reason soccer runs so deeply in my veins. I'm giddy when Ecuador wins, pathetically upset when they lose but at the same time I remind myself that we were always the underdogs. Behind Bolivia and Peru and only superior to Venezuela. Now I cheer for the USA with just as much candor. It is my home and has been so for much longer than Ecuador ever was. When it comes to clubs, however, Emelec is my favorite team. And this is much to the dismay of both the Velasquez and the Mera families (fans of Barcelona SC de Guayaquil).

Added to all of the above, I am also related (nephew) to the great Mauro Velasquez Villacis, author, commentator, friend of Pele and Alberto Spencer. I spent a few precious minutes with him in his majestic soccer vault, where he stowed away detailed statistics on all the major games of the world, descriptions of every goal Pele scored, news and notes and biographies of countless soccer personalities. Today's posting is not so much about him but more on what people there think of the US game, important recent events and past stars. I spoke with uncle Mauro as well as other fans of the beautiful game. The questions are generic and the answers are the general feel from all the interviewees. Here are a few words from them . . .

What do you think of the US national team?
Very solid. Great faith in their game and extremely focused. They stick to the game plan.

And what about the future of the US in soccer?
They can only get better from here. They have the seeds and the infrastructure.

Is Cristiano Ronaldo really worth the millions Real Madrid spent on him?
Yes. There is no one else like him.

What about Argentina? Maradona?
Maradona's appointment was just a stunt. He can't coach. He wasted away his brain cells through years of drug abuse. Argentina won't go far with him as coach.

What do you think of the current Ecuador national team?
Felipe Caicedo is not working well for the team. He's too erratic and not dangerous enough and does not compliment Benitez.

And Liga de Quito's triumph in the 2008 Libertadores?
There is a difference between club and country. Most answered they did not care for Liga's success since it's a club and does not represent them (most were Barcelona or Emelec fans). I feel otherwise. It was a triumph for Ecuador soccer, one that added to the national team's success in 2006. I wrote more about this on another blog entry.

That's all for now. I was enlightened by my soccer talks during my brief stay in Quito and Guayaquil. I will have a couple of posts dedicated to Mauro Velasquez Villacis. Stay tuned.

SoccerBud: Jamie Trecker

Jamie Trecker has angered me more than once with his highly oppininated and blatantly negative comments about US soccer, the federation, and the MLS. He has received much hate mail from soccer fans, probably myself included although I can't remember. Some info on Trecker first from the Chicago Reader: "In addition to writing for Fox Sports, Trecker also works as the soccer research department for ESPN International, which contracts him to compile a weekly report of scores, statistics, and analysis of matches worldwide. The document, which the network consults when putting together its soccer telecasts and highlights reels, can run as long as 200 pages."
Just recently Trecker has posted highly negative chronicles on the national team's games against England and Spain, and lukewarm previews on the recent matches (the game against Argentina is this Sunday on ESPNClassic), as well as comments on LA's form during their first match.
I must say I disagree with Trecker on a lot of fronts. He may come from a renowned soccer journalism background (his father Jerry Trecker was an editor and sportswriter at the Hartford Courant for almost 40 years; he was among the first writers at an American daily to cover soccer regularly) and covering the sport with 5 TVs plugged into five different satellite dishes and anough knowledge of Spanish, German, Italian, and French to follow the sport from multidimensional angles, but his treatment of national players is sometimes ridiculous. We want to see the sport and the league grow in this country and although some negatives must be divulged along the way as a result of progress, it is also important to keep focused on what we should do to elevate the game in this country. He reminds me most of my uncle Mauro Velasquez, also a renowned figure in soccer journalism in Ecuador and most of the Spanish-speaking world (he has featured in several times on Spain's "Don Balon" magazine). Velasquez was often opinionated and extremely negative of Ecuador soccer, even during its recent surge onto the world scene.
But back to Trecker... Please take a breather, bud. Give us a hint of how the game can be improved. Give us positives about the league and the game. A man with such wealth of information should not constrict himself to the dark side of the sport. Yes, the US team looked horrible against England and yes, the MLS is not what soccer purists want. But recognize this... the US played a great game yesterday that only lost pace in the second half due to the absence of Adu and the unfortunate lack of play from Wolff. The MLS is still a work in progress and classic soccer league organization complete with relegation, salary caps and scheduling is still a few years away when the dust of league genesis settles.
I don't agree when he says that "life has more disappointments than anything else." Our triumphs eclipse all other things. What do we remember Maradona for most of all? Two things... Mexico 1986, quarter finals, Argentina 2 - England 1: His "hand of God" goal and the most beautiful play in World Cup history for the second goal.
Don't cheat us with the negatives... give us good. Soccer has come too far in this country to throw it all away with a few simple words.