Barça leaves the USA unbeaten with Dembélé as a star and Lewandowski in scoring drought

Barça already won its fourth and last game of the American tour on the train.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
31 July 2022 Sunday 08:55
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Barça leaves the USA unbeaten with Dembélé as a star and Lewandowski in scoring drought

Barça already won its fourth and last game of the American tour on the train. On the pitch as well (0-2), although Red Bull, well ranked in their league (MLS), stood up and played with character.

The journey from lower Manhattan to Harrison, in New Jersey, where New York Red Bull has its home, was like visiting a sports store, where you could find the most recent culés and vintage jerseys, in all the designs and colors.

Once in the stadium, there were those who wore the name of Messi, the one who most –“he has to come back”! exclaims Sefar, a fan of Asian origin-, Ansu Fati, Iniesta, even Suárez and Griezmann. A true marabunta azulgrana. Zack and his friend were amazed. They were among the few who wore the Red Bull jacket. "It's a strange feeling, I feel foreign in our field, not even that we played outside", said Zack with some frustration.

Sarmiento, who wore the 10 in azulgrana, was wearing the local hat. “One is my team and the other is my crush,” he commented. "I just need to go to the Camp Nou, but this today is like the little Camp Nou", he consoled himself.

And it was. The welcome to the Catalans was deafening, as if the animation stands were there. The locals were this time the visitors. They understood the difference between a team and a global legend. Lewandowski got the gala ovation. On the bench, Aubameyang signed autographs. The most politically correct was Thierry Henry, who, as a former player for both clubs, wore a split shirt, half for each team.

The game started with suffocating pressure from Red Bull, who wanted to make it clear that they were not Inter Miami's dilettantes. But the circulations of Busquets, De Jong (his first start and in midfield) and Gavi began to function amid massive shouts of “Barça, Barça”. The public got angry with the referees if they whistled fouls against the Catalans.

Fervor in the stands with a combination of those "almost" between Dembélé and Lewandowski. The Catalans went on to fully control the ball, although the first corner of the game came from Ter Stegen's goal. And the first dangerous shot, at 15 minutes, corresponded to the locals, to Yearwood. He replied with an even better chance for Barça in a shot by Dembélé.

Another "almost" in a header from the Polish striker, looking for a debut. Once again, Lewandowski returned to the charge, with a play in which the shot came out a little high after getting rid of several rivals. Xavi giving encouragement from the band, restless. He already said it in the press conference the day before, "Barça doesn't play exhibition matches".

It was clear that for the locals it was not another exhibition. They played for everyone. And Lewandowski had it again, this time the Colonel goalkeeper took it out. Meanwhile, Dembéle seems different, they have changed him. Every time he intervened, the stadium came to a boil. Again the Pole and again the goalkeeper.

The Red Bull Arena thunders. "Barca, Barca." And for the first time they applauded the referee, by drawing a card to one of the locals who cut a De Jong progression.

Then, in minute 39, Raphinha assisted Dembélé, who in his new version of mega crack, took a cross shot that entered the goal without Coronel being able to do anything but watch it pass.

Xavi, who sent Dembélé to rest, introduced five changes at the start of the second half (Piqué, booed; Sergi Roberto, Pedri and Ansu Fati), while the locals came out with a totally different eleven.

Between boos, Piqué lost a ball, which became a goal pass to a rival, who failed to materialize. Then a yellow card for an excessive tackle was celebrated with a big boo. In response, a sector chanted his name, hate and love.

In a penetration from the left, Lewandoswi was about to open his account on a shot that was poisoned on a rebound. And another one that the goalkeeper Meara took from him.

Despite being a different eleven, the Red Bull team did not lose face in the game, although between the Pole and Ansu they did not stop looking for the second goal. But Lewandowski, who received another standing ovation, left the United States without having been released. Three games without scoring, something unheard of for him.

Such was the pressure that Meara had to narrowly remove a ball coming from one of her teammates. Playing with ten, after Edelman's expulsion for a brutality on Balde, Meara did not understand each other with a defender and Memphis Depay took advantage of all roguery to make the second in the 86th minute and clear any surprise. The party finished with the exit of spontaneous and the tackles of the people in charge of security and the police.

In this way, Barça left the United States unbeaten, with victories against Red Bull, Inter Milan (0-6) and Real Madrid (0-1), and a 2-2 draw with Juventus. Back, Dembélé leaves like a crack and Lewandowski dry. Xavi stressed that he leaves "with good feelings." The Red Bull Arena fired Barça with fireworks.