Motorsports

Curse of Balsa and the Stick

Published

5 days ago

January 19, 2026

Sophia

he FC Barcelona He once again collided head-on with misfortune. What was in this time was Anoetabefore that royal societyit was a desperate night when five balls to the post prevented Barça from winning. because he is balsa He did enough to keep Donosti from going home empty-handed, but between an unfavorable refereeing decision (three goals disallowed and one penalty annulled) and timber, he ended up paying a steep price.

The dry sound of the ball hitting the post became one of the main features of the match. balsa He gained the upper hand step by step, racking up more than 20 clear finishes along the way. Five very clear chances ended up scoring goals. Remiro. Too much to talk about bad luck.

5 suits…and always balsa

According to official sources published by FC BarcelonaSince OPTA started counting shots on the crate (2003/04 season), there have only been three times when a team hit five balls on the crate in the same game. Oddly enough, the three are starring in balsa: Previous December 2015 betisDecember 2017 vs. sports And now in 2026, royal society.

Furthermore, at Anoeta, all the goals came after the break. Dani Olmo He started the merry-go-round as soon as the second half started, hitting two consecutive shots (47th and 48th minute) that could have made it 1-1. In 1966, lewandowski I saw how his powerful headbutt was repelled. RemiroI ended up kissing the post before leaving. And in the final stage, Kounde (85′) and Rashforda direct corner at 90+2 completed a true exercise in collective frustration.

Situation coming from far away

What happened in Donosti is not an isolated episode, but a reinforcement of a pattern of events. balsa From the beginning of the course. Anoeta’s five sticks took the Barça team to 19 wood shots in La Liga and 23 in all competitions. Both rankings put Hansi Flick’s side top of Europe’s top five leagues.

he balsa Attack, generate, reach. In fact, they continue to be one of the most productive teams in Europe in terms of attacking power. But the stick has become his most recurring enemy, tormenting wingers, interior players and forwards alike. No one is saved: Lamine and Ferran (4), Olmo, Rafinha and Rashford (3), Lewandowski and Fermin (2), Eric and Kunde (1) They have already tasted the bitter taste of the tree.

balsa stick order

trees can withstand strong winds

Mallorca 0–3 Barça (Liga): Rafinha (58′) and Dani Olmo (69′).
Levante 2-3 Barça (Liga): Ferran Torres (36 minutes)
Barça 6-0 Valencia (League): Ferran Torres (50 minutes)
Barça 3-0 Getafe (League): Ferran Torres (42 minutes)
Oviedo 1-3 Barça (Liga): Rafinha (31 minutes) and Ferran (56 minutes)
Barça 2-1 Real Sociedad (Liga): Lewandowski (84 minutes)
Barça 2-1 Girona (League): Rashford (29′, direct free kick) and Fermin (51′)
Bruges 3-3 Barça (winner): Fermin (10′), Lamine Yamal (27′), Eric Garcia (58′)
Celta 2-4 Barça (League): Rashford (24′) and Lamine Yamal (88′)
FC Barcelona 3-1 Deportivo Alaves (Liga): Lamine Yamal (43 minutes)
Villarreal 0-2 FC Barcelona (League): Rafinha (15 minutes)
Racing 0-2 FC Barcelona (Copa del Rey): Lamine Yamal (64 minutes)
Real Sociedad 1-2 FC Barcelona (Liga): Dani Olmo (47′), Dani Olmo (48′), Lewandowski (66′), Kounde (85′), Rashford (90+2)

Please flick positively

Despite suffering the psychological blow of defeat, flick He preferred to remain optimistic. The German coach assessed the team’s performance and the amount of chances created and was convinced that this was the right path. Furthermore, Anoeta became an almost cursed stadium for them. balsa Although in recent years, There is a strangely reassuring precedent. Some of Barça’s last league defeats against Donosti ended with them clinching the league title at the end of the season.

If he balsa If they maintain the level of play they’ve shown and adjust their defensive concessions, the club’s misfortunes should eventually fade. Because in football, sooner or later the wood usually regains what it has taken away.

Source: Mundo Deportivo

Sophia

Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.

Motorsports

F1 Team Principal: “The radio was silent for the first time. That’s good news”

Published

17 hours ago

January 23, 2026

Ruth

F1 Team Principal: “The radio was silent for the first time. That’s good news”

Alpin evaluated the first drive of the Mercedes-powered vehicle positively and said that the race at Silverstone gave the team confidence before the preparations for the 2026 season.

The Enstone team is working as a Mercedes customer for the first time, abandoning Renault’s own engine on the eve of new rules. On a rainy and cold shooting day, Pierre Gasly rode 140 km of the allowed 200 km, and the program was shortened only due to weather conditions. Despite this, the A526 with Mercedes engine and transmission operated without any technical problems.

Flavio Briatore, one of the team leaders, noted that the silence on the radio was the main positive point:

“For the first time in my long career in Formula 1, a car goes, comes back, comes out again and nothing else happens. Usually we talk about temperature, oil and settings. The radio was silent here. That’s good news.”

“We covered less than 150 km due to aquaplaning. There was no point in risking the car.”

Source: Sport UA

Ruth

Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.

Motorsports

The new F1 team has established a driver academy. To be driven by the Le Mans winner

Published

17 hours ago

January 23, 2026

Ruth

The new F1 team has established a driver academy. To be driven by the Le Mans winner

Audi has officially announced that it is creating its own driver development program that will cover the entire path of young talent from karting to formula series and possibly Formula 1. The move is part of the brand’s long-term strategy to compete for the championship title by 2030.

Alan McNish, a former Formula 1 driver, multiple winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and long-time representative of Audi in motorsport, has been appointed head of the programme. The company states that the aim of the initiative is not only to find fast pilots, but also to train athletes with the right mentality, determination and the ability to work as a team.

The launch of the junior program puts Audi on par with leading Formula 1 teams such as Ferrari and McLaren. Red Bull and Alpin have been investing in the development of young drivers for many years.

Source: Sport UA

Ruth

Motorsports

Solberg continued to lead the Monte Carlo Rally, Toyota’s festival.

Published

17 hours ago

January 23, 2026

Kyle

Solberg continued to lead the Monte Carlo Rally, Toyota’s festival.

On the second day of the Monte Carlo Rally, the opening round of the World Rally Championship (WRC), which will be held from Thursday to Sunday, Swedish driver Oliver Solberg (Toyota) further widened his lead.

This Friday’s itinerary includes three different specials, each running twice. The Swede, son of 2003 world champion Petter Solberg, who had already finished first on Thursday, shined again on the snow and ice in the first stage of the day, setting the best time (13 minutes 48.5 seconds).

Of the nine special stages held so far, Solberg has won four, with a cumulative time of 2 hours 11 minutes 13.1 seconds. Due to a puncture he was only fifth, 27 seconds slower than Toyota teammate Elfyn Evans. “It’s been a great day because my advantage has increased. I’m happy and just want to welcome a new day,” the Swede concluded in a statement to the organization.

Even so, Evans continued to take 2nd place from the second day. The Briton never finished lower than fourth in any section and ended the day with a time of 2:12:21.5, 1:08.4 behind Solberg. “It was a good day, a little up and down, but good,” Evans said of his performance.

The joy for Toyota continued with the performance of Sébastien Ogier. The previous world title saw the Japanese team close to the full podium with a time of 2 hours 12 minutes 28.0 seconds, very close to that of the British athletes who had improved by nearly 18 seconds compared to Thursday’s time. The Frenchman particularly shined in the eighth section, navigating the muddy area better than his rivals (18:05.1).

Ford had to regret Irishman Josh McErlean’s withdrawal on stage nine, when his car went off the road in a snowbank shortly after the route began.

The Monte Carlo Rally will see drivers covering a total of over 339 kilometers across 17 stages. There are four stages remaining, including a super special through the streets of Monaco, on Saturday 24th January, and a further four stages on Sunday 25th.

Source: Mundo Deportivo

Kyle

I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.