Title race all but over as Barca hit new low

The Super League title race appears all but over after Barcelona suffered their 4th loss in row, going down to a resilient Monaco side overnight.

For the 2nd consecutive season rivals Real Madrid have run away with the trophy - with their most recent big victories against English giants Manchester City and Chelsea respectively, all but wrapping up the title.

Although Barca have a game in hand, they are currently 18 points adrift the league leaders, and with only 8 games remaining would need a miracle and a complete collapse from JM and his squad to claw back into contention at this point.

Helping the Barcelona cause is the recent injury to Madrid star Ronaldo, with early diagnosis of a knee strain being 3 weeks on the sideline, and with games against Bayern Munich and the Clasico ahead - just how Madrid handle the loss of their main man could prove pivotal in the title race.

It is not completely inconceivable that Real Madrid lose several of these remaining games, which gives Barcelona hope - however it is more of a concern of how exactly Barcelona is going to win any of their remaining fixtures after suffering their worst slump in recent memory.

SB has his reputation on the line now and more importantly the world number 1 ranking at stake.
Remembering the winner of this competition takes home 500 FPA ranking points.
If Barcelona can finish within 6 points of their rivals SB and his team still receive 400 ranking points, and within 12 points they receive 250 for effort - however if they fall more than 12 points behind at completion of the season, as they currently sit, they receive a big fat zero.

A stress out SB struggles for answers against Monaco last night

 

Super League Resumes - Barcelona suffer 3 straight losses

With the re-commencement of the Super League season following the Easter break - Barcelona fans would be hoping that it didn't. Once again we find a team struggling to find momentum despite possessing a player in incredible scoring form as Messi is - a further 3 losses on the trot will do nothing to quieten rumours of a rift between players and manager.

SB is now certainly under pressure to keep his position - 12 points adrift of league leaders Real Madrid, who themselves are guilty of not capitalising on an opportunity to even further widen the gap after 2 draws and a loss.

However, with a little more than half of round 2 remaining, it is looking more and more unlikely Barcelona will claw this lead back.

"It's amazing that for 2 seasons in a row now they have struggled to match it with Real Madrid in this competition format." an FPA official commented today.

"It appears that SB and his team either struggle with this format of competition - or maybe it is with the new PS4 systems. Technically this is the same team that won a double on FIFA 14 (PS3 system) late last year. But they have looked a shadow of themselves since the change."

"But in saying that - I would admit Real Madrid also seem a better side since the old PS3 days - this also plays a part."

Barcelona now have little time to make up for lost points - their next match is MUST WIN you might say!

Messi reacts to his teams recent disappointments

SB arrives back in Barcelona for a press conference in surprisingly high spirts despite claims of a 'rift' at the club

Barcelona wins Easter Tournament

Despite recent form and struggles in the Batalla De Titanes Super League, SB and his Barcelona team brushed aside all recent criticism and produced a gold medal performance to edge out arch rivals Real Madrid to this seasons first Miscellaneous tournament trophy.

In a competition which featured 5 of Europe's best teams, Barcelona (SB), Real Madrid (JM), the hugely disappointing Bayern Munich (PM), PSG (MP) and the surprise packets Liverpool (SP) - it always appeared obvious that the final would consist of the overwhelming favourites - Barca and Real Madrid.

The final went the way of the Catalans this time - a dubious penalty late in the first half the major talking point of a match which probably failed to live up to expectations.

But Barcelona couldn't care less - they win the Easter Tournament and more importantly claim 200 FPA ranking points, while runners up Real Madrid will take home 100.

Messi slots the dubious penalty home for Barca

Ronaldo celebrates a late consolation goal

Barcelona celebrate a special night

Therefore, as things stand at this present time - Barcelona are the current number 1 team after the tournament victory.
However this will most certainly change when play in the Super League resumes - as it is Real Madrid in the box seat to claim a 2nd successive title.

New Super League Season off with a bang!

In what could be the last Batalla De Titanes for now, with a World Cup nearly upon us, and hopefully FIFA 15 (with the return of League seasons) not too far behind, we celebrated with two cracking games of football to start the new campaign.

Current Champions Real Madrid got us started with a solid display against a disappointing Zenit in Madrid.
The BBC ( Bale, Benzema, Cristiano) combination up front again proving to be lethal - with Bale scoring a classic brace while his team mates came ever so close to adding to the Russian sides misery.

Over in Barcelona, SB and his team brushed aside the disappointments of last season and showed they mean business this time around. In what was meant to be an each way bet - Barcelona had it all their own way against what can only be described as a hopeless Arsenal, with Messi scoring 2 on their way to a brilliant 3 nil start to their season.

After the game, SB will very confident in his team's chances this season.
"We want to go undefeated all season." SB said

Its a bold statement from a boss who barely managed to hand on to his job following the most disastrous period of his career.

With such a great start to the season, we can be sure this will be much closer fought competition than the one horse race it turned out to be last time around.

"We want to go undefeated all season." Bold statements from a bold man.


 

FPA Introduces First Ever Rankings System

For years now, through countless editions of FIFA, the PS world has begged the question: just who is the better player - SB or JM.

Currently the only way to celebrate achievement is counting total trophies won, and of course this must and will continue. However The Fifa Players Association has acknowledged a rankings system must now also be introduced for a number of reasons.

• Firstly it provides a way to distinguish just who is achieveing better results on an ongoing basis. In the past unless you won a trophy, you really do not recieve any reward for a good season.
• We can now test head to head finishes and placings on all competitions between SB and JM - as ranking points are accumulated.
• This will prevent blowout seasons where certain players may have thrown away half a season when it became clear they had no chance of winning.
• Players will be deducted points in the League if they finish outside the Top 4. This keeps a season interesting even if a player is out of winning contention. 

While SB currently clearly leads the All-Time Trophy count with a total of 5 Stars across the three competitions we count (2 League Titles, 2 Cup and 1 Champions League). Two of those Stars were won just last season when he won the League and Cup double with Barcelona.
Prior to that it was the famous Treble season also with Barcelona.
In between it could be argued SB has done very little and it was a long, trophy-less era after the Treble.

JM has a very long way to go to catch his great rival on all-time achievements. He trails with only 2 Stars to his name (1 League and 1 Cup title). And although he has come so close on so many occasions, sadly JM has little to show for the hard work.

It could even be argued at times throughout his career he has been the better player - early 2014 for example, but this is an argument for another day.

Now a new Ranking systems will allow us to truly say who is the number 1 PS4 FIFA player on Earth. No disputes. Results will tell the story.

This is how it will work.
Both players will start with a clean slate of zero points from the new Super League season.
The points will carry over every year, through each new season, and through new editions of FIFA.

League:
1st Place: 1000 points
2nd Place: 500
3rd Place: 250
4th Place: 100
Outside 4th position: -250 points (this will not be deducted if player is already on zero)

Cup:
Winner: 1000
Runner Up: 500
Semi Final: 250

Champions League:
Winner: 1000
Runner Up: 500
Semi Final: 250

Batalla De Titans Super League: 
Winner: 500
2nd Place within 6 points: 400
2nd Place within 12 points: 250

World Cup:
Winner: 1000
Runner Up: 500
Third Place: 250

Miscellaneous Tournaments:
Winner: 200
Runner Up: 100

The Golden Awards...

In the aftermath of what was a very successful Batalla De Titanes: Super League season, we can now award the individual and team awards.

Golden Boot  (currently commercially termed "adidas Golden Ball") for best player;

• the Golden Boot - (Top Goal Scorer)

LIONEL MESSI (Barcelona)

Messi collects and kisses his well deserved Golden Boot award.

Messi was oustanding in this Super League, with a total of 27 goals to his name. This included a bunch of hat tricks and man of the match displays. With Barcelona next best being Neymar on 7 goals - it is clear without a doubt Messi carried Barcelona through the back half of the season.

Who knows what could have been if he had been able to find some of those 27 goals in the first half of the season.

Messi's closest rival to the Golden Boot award was of course Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, on 17 goals.
However the biggest difference would be Ronaldo's contribution to the team, having gifted many a goal to his fellow team mates including Benzema (12 goals) and Bale (8 goals). Which is a clear reason why he was given our next award.

• the Golden Ball - (Player of the Season)

CRISTIANO RONALDO (Real Madrid)

Without doubt the best player on the planet this season - Real Madrid's Ronaldo

• the Golden Glove Award (for best goalkeeper)

DIEGO LOPEZ (Real Madird) 

Diego Lopez accepts his award via satelite.
His contribution to the Champion team was crucial to their success and has been acknowledged

• the Most Entertaining Team (award for the team that has entertained the public the most during the League season, as determined by a poll here at the FPA.

BAYERN MUNICH

A somewhat controversial choice - but theres no doubt they were great to watch in this league season



Real Madrid Win Super League

Its finally official, although we have known for quite some time, our winner of the inaugural Batalla De Titanes: Super League is goes to this seasons most consistent player - JM.

Most pundits agreed SB would enter this League season with the favouritism tag sitting safely in his left pocket, but it wasn't long into Round 1 of games when it all began to unravel for SB and his Barcelona men.

Its been a super disappointing season for SB, who will do well just to keep his job for next season, as it wasn't just the number of losses they managed to accumulate over the 1st half of the season in particular - it was the manner in which they occurred.

Although they definitely improved at the back end of the season, when it was clear the League was already won by Real Madrid. However it was the early struggles which most people will remember about this campaign for Barcelona.
It was clear SB had struggled early to adapt to a new system of play, or perhaps a hangover loomed over his players from last seasons double success. Whatever the case, SB refused to take responsibility for the poor forms and dismal performances of his team and for this has surely lost many fans.

On the flip side, our Champion, JM has had a season to remember. His Real Madrid team have stepped up under the new system, even burying a few demons by finally defeating arch nemesis Bayern Munich several rounds ago. And who can forget their biggest achievement this year - the biggest Clasico result in history - the 5 nil embarrassment of Barcelona.

Modric gets a chance to lift the Super League Trophy for Real Madrid

Despite this being a strange kind of year - with no official League or Cup tournament/league fixtures - we have still been treated to some lovely football at times and with the announcement of the return of Super League for another and perhaps final season - we can be assured another brilliant league prior to the World Cup in July.

Can JM and Real Madrid take the prize again - or will SB find a way to return to previous dominance.
We can't wait.

Real Madrid continue to celebrate