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Barcelona draws 1-1 with Guadalajara

BOJAN Krkic scored for Barcelona as the European club champions drew 1-1 with Mexican club Guadalajara day in the final match of its US tour.

Before a crowd of 61,572 fans at Candlestick Park, Guadalajara captain Ramon Morales put Chivas on top in the 50th minute, but Krkic equalized 14 minutes later.

"I'm disappointed in the fact that we didn't win, but I'm so, so, so happy because we played as a team," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said. "We are pleased to have been here. Hopefully next season, we'll come back."

After a first half in which Guadalajara didn't put a shot on goal, Morales broke through, heading a cross from Xavier Baez past goalkeeper Victor Valdes.

"It was a great pass and I was fortunate to put a good head on it," Morales said.

Barcelona, which made eight changes at halftime, applied more pressure in the second half and outshot Chivas 9-2 over the game.

The defending Spanish champions got back even when Dani Alves - one of the few Barcelona starters to play the entire match - sent a skimming 40-yard cross from the right to the far post, where an unmarked Krkic tapped it home.

Alves almost scored two minutes later when he flew past Chivas defender Edgar Mejia and launched a curling shot that glanced off a post.

"Both teams put on a very good show," Alves said. "It was a very positive outing for us. It serves well in our mission to get prepared for the season. Everybody is happy with this draw."

The Mexicans had one final chance to pull out a win when Jesus Padilla stormed past Barcelona captain Carles Puyol in the 88th minute. But after drawing Valdes to the deck, Padilla's left-foot shot from 6 yards also hit the post.

Barcelona, which beat Los Angeles and Seattle in earlier friendlies, dominated possession in the first half.

Thierry Henry had the best scoring chance in the opening period. Sprung free by a pass from Lionel Messi in the 29th minute, Henry dribbled in from 15 yards and successfully eluded the charging Chivas goalkeeper, but the angle for his shot was a little too severe, and it hit the outside of the near post.

Messi's bicycle kick shot in the 34th minute went wide, and Pedro Rodriguez hammered an 18-yard shot a minute later, but it went directly into the chest of Michel.



 

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