I Guess That's Why They Call Them The Blues: Birmingham A Better Bet Than Barca?

You watched the World Cup. As it went on you began to like it ever more. By the point of the final you were packed into a bar with hundreds of others. It was a Sunday night and well past your bedtime but that is how much you love soccer. The good news is that this love affair can continue even though the fat lady has sung, you can even take it to the next level by getting some real live football into you.

There are three options as to how to do this.
1. Watch Beijing Guoan in the CSL.
2. Watch FC Barcelona vs. Beijing Guoan on August 8th at the Bird's Nest.
3. Watch Brimingham City FC vs. Beijing Guoan on July 21st at the Bird's Nest.

"No contest," you say "it's Barcelona all the way." Well you're wrong and as much as it pains me to tell you here's why - and no, I'm not going to suggest you watch the CSL.

According to reports in the Spanish media, that have since surfaced worldwide, the Barca team that is coming is not the Barca team that you want to see. There are suggestions that Guardiola will allow his World Cup winning contingent to take a full month off after their victory. August 8th falls within that month. That means no Iniesta, no Xavi, no Puyol, no Pique, no Pedro, no Villa and - most upsetting of all - no Sergio Busquets. This is just a rumour and the Catalans were contracted to play their stars but it would be no surprise if it turned out to be accurate.

Birmingham City on the other hand are bringing their big guns. No gun comes bigger than Serbian international Nikola Zigic. The Birmingham new boy stands at a lintel-bothering six feet, seven-and-a-half inches. That's over two metres. That kind of defender-frightening height bodes for a really attractive long ball game which is the perfect counter to that quicksand passing game of Barcelona.

Stars or otherwise, the cheapest ticket for the Barcelona vs. Guoan game is currently RMB 680. This is strange as Guoan tickets rarely cost more than RMB 50 and tickets at the Camp Nou can cost as little as EUR 11.

Birmingham vs. Beijing - a battle between two towns with canals, strange accents and heavy industry - it's a clash of the veritable titans and tickets start at just RMB 100. That's less than EUR 11 and it gets you a seat for what could potentially be a classic pre-season encounter.

Take a look at both team's managers. A Spanish international and Barcelona legend, Pep Guardiola hardly had it tough. A Barca boy through-and-through, he rose through the ranks of the Barca academy as both a player and a coach. He can be found in the dugout sporting v-neck pullovers, blazers and designer stubble. Birmingham's Alex McLeish played 77 times for Scotland and won a European Cup Winners' Cup with Aberdeen. He's been at the helm of four clubs and the Scottish national side in his sixteen years as a manager. If you want to see a master tactician then it's McLeish all the way - even Rafa Benitez could win La Liga with Guardiola's squad.

Finally, Barcelona are obviously in terminal decline. Reports of borrowing money to pay their players wages are not a good sign. On the pitch it is worse. After a record breaking 08-09 season where they won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the UEFA Champions' League, the FIFA Club World Cup, the Supercopa de Espana and the UEFA Super Cup what did they win in 2009-10? Nothing but a boring twentieth La Liga title. If that's not proof of a team going backward then what is?

Birmingham City are on the up. After gaining promotion to the Premier League in 2008-09 (finishing second in the Championship) they went on to their best ever Premier League finish in 2009-10. Not only did they avoid relegation but they kept right onto the road of a top-half finish. Ninth place on your return to the top flight is a great feat, mid-table mediocrity never tasted so sweet.

If you have to pick one game to see this Summer then it has to be Birmingham City FC vs. Beijing Guoan.

Tickets for both Birmingham's and Barcelona's games are available from ClubFootball. Birmingham tickets start at RMB 100. Barcelona tickets at RMB 680. Contact ClubFootball at 5130 6893/4/5/6, and pr@wanguoqunxing.com.