Before the championship match between Barcelona and Manchester United began, it was unclear whether the Barcelona defense would be good enough to stop the United.
I mean, three of their four usual starters were unavailable for the Champions League final, could they really stop Cristiano Ronaldo and the United's front line?
Well, 90 minutes and a 2-0 victory later, it's clear Barcelona is the best football team in Europe.
If you missed it, there's a replay tonight at 10 p.m. CDT. I don't know about you, but I'll have a hard time not watching it again. When else do you get to watch such great football in the U.S.?
It took them some time to get going, but after a Samuel Eto'o goal in the 10th minute, Barcelona never looked back. Over the final 80 minutes the United had no chance to get back in the game, and they, along with everyone else, knew it.
After the first 10 minutes of strong play by Manchester United, they never presented a true challenge to Barcelona, looking like a shadow of their usual selves the rest of the way. Barcelona, on the other hand, enjoyed a 1-0 lead most of the game that seemed more like 3-0 with the ease with which they were able to maintain it.
Barcelona controlled the rest of the game, passing and moving with ease while Manchester United were unable to right the ship, fading away after 10 strong minutes early in the match.
And when Lionel Messi put Barcelona up 2-0 in the 70th minute all they had to do was close out the final 20 minutes to receive the trophy. And they did, easily.
Not only did they play like the best team in Europe, Barcelona also celebrated like the best team in Europe. After forming a guard of honor while the United received their medals at the podium, Barcelona didn't hold back in their own celebration.
There was plenty of confetti, fist pumps, yelling and singing to go around. The celebration by Barcelona made the annual celebration by the Super Bowl champs look like a youth league championship by comparison.
The only letdown in today's Champions League final is that there is such a time zone discrepancy between the United States and Europe. It's unfortunate because the UEFA Champions League final is as exciting a sporting event to watch as the biggest game annually in the States (the Super Bowl) if not more so.
It's certainly one of the biggest annual events in Europe, and it's unfortunate it cannot be aired during prime time in the United States to allow more Americans to witness the incredible football being played by these teams. Of course, since that will never happen, I'll settle for an excellent championship matinee that still allows me to catch the NBA playoffs later tonight.
And now, while Manchester United are left with a lot of unanswered questions, Barcelona proved today they were the best team in Europe.
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