FC Barcelona is Mes que un Club

FC Barcelona won their 4th UEFA Champions League tittle against Manchester United by 3-1 at Wembley stadium in London, England. Canarian striker Pedro opened the score at 27' with a wonderful pass from catalan legendary midfielder Xavi. The "Red Devils" tied at 34' with a powerful goal by brit bad boy Rooney. Several other shots at goal were made by the catalan side but the halftime stop with both sides tied at one.

The culés controlled the ball almost 70% of the time during the game. Then at 54', argentine foward Messi put the 2-1 with a long distance goal which took Man U's dutch goalkeeper Van Der Saar by surprise. It was Messi's first goal in english soil. To wrap the wonderful performance by the blaugranas, Spain striker David Villa scored at 69' with a play started by Man of the Match, Messi, and a pass from catalan defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets.

At the end, french defender Eric Abidal (who had battled cancer in the previous months) raised "La Orejona" to celebrate the azulgrana's 3rd UEFA Champions tittle in 6 years. The catalan side also won in 2006 against Arsenal (2-1) and in 2009 also against Man U (2-0).

Messi was the competition's leading scorer with 12 goals equaling Van Nistelrooy's previous 2002-03 record. "La Pulga" ended with 53 goals and 25 assists in the entire season and is in the run for his 3rd straight FIFA Ballon D'Or award.

Barcelona's head coach Josep Guardiola got the 10th tittle of his three year span. 3 straight La Liga tittles (2009, 2010 and 2011), 2 UEFA Champions Leagues (2009 and 2011), 2 Spanish Supercups (2009 and 2010), 1 European Supercup (2009) and 1 FIFA Club World Cup (2009) and 1 Copa del Rey (2009). Also, he is the only coach in history to have won a Sextuple by winning all the tittles possible in a single season of European football.

FC Barcelona has three more competitions to complete their almost perfect year. In August 14th, they face arch rivals Real Madrid in the first leg of the 2011 Spanish Supercup at Bernabeu stadium. The second leg is at the Camp Nou in August 17th. This competition faces up Liga Champions and Copa del Rey Champions.

In August 26th, they play the 2011 European Supercup against UEFA Europa League winners, portuguese side Porto, at the Stade Louis II in Mónaco. In December 8-18, they will compete for the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup against the winners of the Champions League of the other FIFA world regions. They qualify for the latter three competitions by winning the 2011 UEFA Champions League.

Rudo y Cursi by Carlos Cuarón

Rudo y Cursi is the first feature film directed by mexican screenwriter Carlos Cuarón. The movie is produced by Cha Cha Cha, a company integrated by fellow mexican directors Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Guillermo Del Toro. Starring are Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna with supporting roles by puertorrican actress Jessica Mas and argentinean actor Guillermo Francella.

The story of brothers Tato "Cursi" Verdusco (Gael) and Beto "Rudo" Verdusco (Diego) who work in a plantation in their poor Mexican town. They also play in the local soccer team. One day a scout, Batuta (Francella), arrives and watches them playing. Tato is the first who is drafted to play at a soccer club in DF called "Deportivo Amaranto" but he also wants to be a singer. Rudo eventually is scouted to another team in DF to play as the goalie. They both become famous players but Cursi falls for a beautiful model (Mas) who is a social climber and Rudo becomes an avid gambler. Both brothers are against each other at the final soccer game of their lives.

Cuarón's debut as a director is very-well accomplished. The photography is great because of the contrast between the poor coastal mexican towns and the urban life at the DF. The story flows very smoothly without flashbacks or any goofy camera tricks that enhances a non-linear storytelling. His brother's camera work, like long takes are seen a couple of times throughout the film as well as the use of a voice-over narrator who explains the context. Gael and Diego's acting complement very well the kind of funny but very real story that Cuarón tries to tell. The script resembles his shorts like "Me la Debes" (You Owe Me One) and his famous movie "Y tu mamá también" in the sense of being a simple, funny, sexy and thought-provoking drama that can be enjoyed anytime.

Carlos Cuarón along with brother Alfonso, Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Guillermo Arriaga and Carlos Reygadas are the new generation of mexican filmmakers who are making spanish-speaking cinema stand for itself nowadays.