BARCELONA, Spain -- Lionel Messi missed a late penalty attempt before Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup with a 0-0 draw against 10-man Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night. Messi had a chance to put the result beyond doubt in the 89th minute, but fired his penalty kick off the crossbar to finish a forgettable night for the Argentine star. Barcelona eventually claimed the trophy on away goals following the 1-1 draw in the opening leg last week. Atleticos disciplined defence stifled a Barcelonas attack featuring Neymar, making his first starting appearance for his new club. And the visitors enjoyed the best scoring opportunities -- other than Messis penalty attempt -- but werent able to get the critical goal, mainly because of Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Atleticos chances were hurt in the 81st when Filipe Luis was given a red card for apparently hitting Dani Alves. The scoreless draw meant Neymars first-leg goal was the difference. "Im happy with the title. Whenever there is a title in play what counts is winning it," Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino said. "But as far as the team goes, I want to see more. Above all in these types of games, we need to find more precision and the ability to create more spaces." Messi was back for Barcelona after missing one game due to a left thigh injury sustained in the opening Super Cup match last week. But the four-time world player of the year wasnt his usual dynamic self, lacking his spark and finishing touch. He uncharacteristically scuffed a close-range shot off a pass from Sergio Busquets to start his off night. Martino gave Neymar his first start in his fourth official game for Barcelona since his move from Santos in June. Messi and Neymar had only previously been on the pitch together for 7 minutes because Martino said he wanted to ease the 21-year-old Brazil striker into his new team. But those eager to see the two together were disappointed. While Messi was below par, Neymar wasnt able to exploit his speed and dribbling against Atleticos physical defence. "I think that individually they both played well," Martino said. "Its true they didnt find one another or combine much. With Neymar playing on the left and Messi tending to move out to the right, they are far away. But I dont doubt they will find each other." Barcelona increased its record of Spanish Super Cups contested between the league and Copa del Rey champions to 11, but its performance over both legs raised questions about its transition under Martino since July. Atletico, meanwhile, kept building on its good start to the Spanish league and its preparations for a return to the Champions League. "We played both games very well," said Atletico coach Diego Simeone, who guided his team to the Copa last May. "We had more chances than they did. I am very proud of my players because we were competitive across both legs with Barcelona, which is the best team in the world." . The International Olympic Committee released the official list of bid cities on Friday after the deadline for applications had passed. The candidates -- all previously announced in their own countries -- are: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing; Krakow, Poland; Lviv, Ukraine; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm. [url=http://www.officialthecardinals.com/authentic-matt-holliday-cardinals-jerse... Holliday Pink Jersey . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. [url=http://www.officialthecardinals.com/authentic-jason-heyward-cardinals-jerse... Heyward Cardinals Jersey . - Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is not a fan of his teams use of the wildcat formation, saying "it makes you look like a high school offence.Arsenal and Everton drew 1-1 on Sunday in a fantastic back-and-forth match between two teams high on style. Both sides passed the ball with confidence, and despite only coming away with a point, Evertons confidence will get a massive boost from having played so well at The Emirates Stadium. One of the talking points during the game was how high Arsenal were defending wide free kicks. The game commentator said it was a dangerous tactic from the Gunners, as it invited the ball to be played in behind the defenders. I disagree, for a number of reasons. 1. The goalkeeper needs space if he is to come and attack the ball. It is essential for the defenders to set a defensive line that gives the goalkeeper enough room to come and claim the ball if (when) it comes into the penalty area. It is a fine balancing act, though, and this is something that Arsenal do exceptionally well. In the 15th minute, Everton had a wide free kick. Arsenal have not yet picked up their defensive marks in this picture, but it indicates just how high they are prepared to hold their line. They are not even ten yards from the line of the ball, and when the ball is played short by Everton, they are quick to react and force the ball away from goal. Wojciech Szczesny has the entire penalty area to come and claim the ball if it is flighted into the box, which is all that he can ask for - an excellent example of a well-organized defensive line from Arsenal. 2. Defenders need to be ball-side, goal-side. By this, I mean that good defenders are always in a position where they are favourite to win the ball if it is played in behind them, and can also get a challenge in if the ball is played into the attackers feet. When defending wide free kicks, it is imperative for the defender to be ball-side, goal-side. You do this by ensuring that you are “touch-tight,” meaning that you are close enough to touch the attacker, and closer to your goal than the attacker.dddddddddddd With a more central free kick, Arsenal still hold a very high line; they are inviting Everton to play the ball into the penalty area. But because they are ball-side, goal-side, they are favourites to win the ball when it comes into the area. The one Everton attacker that is in behind the defensive line is in an offside position, and must come back onside before the ball is kicked. At this point, the Arsenal defenders must get ball-side, goal-side, or they run the risk of being second favourite to win the ball. 3. If the defensive line is set too deep, the goalkeeper cannot react to a header or deflection. This point was perfectly exemplified in Canadas 2-0 loss to the Czech Republic in November. Canadas defensive line was set so deep, that goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld could do nothing about the first goal, scored in just the third minute of the game. Look at how deep the Canadian defensive line is (in red). When the ball is flighted to the near post, Marcel de Jong is out-jumped by Ondrej Celustka, who heads the ball past Hirschfeld. The goal could have easily been prevented had Canada held a more aggressive defensive line nearer the 18-yard line. If the ball is floated in behind the defensive line, it is a much easier play for Hirschfeld to make. Being a good defender is about assessing, prioritizing and mitigating risk. You always want to be in a position where you are favourite to win the ball if it comes into the most dangerous area - which is generally closer to your goal. But there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to your distances from the ball, when to drop in and when to hold your line. That is down to the judgment of the players, who must make those decisions based on their individual and collective skill sets. The best teams, like Arsenal at this point in time, are exceptionally well-organized and consistently make the right decisions as a group when defending. wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys cheap soccer jerseys wholesale jerseys wholesale jerseys cheap nfl jerseys china ' ' '