messi says "this one is for tito":
BARCELONA, Spain (AP)
TEAM OF THE YEARWho made FOX Soccer's best XI for 2012?
Find out. Lionel Messi polished off his record year with his 91st and final goal of 2012 in
Barcelona's 3-1 win at
Valladolid on Saturday, which the team dedicated to ailing coach Tito Vilanova.
Messi scored in the 59th by dribbling between a defender's legs before making it 2-0 after Xavi Hernandez had opened the scoring two minutes before halftime.
Players from both teams wore T-shirts before the game with messages of support for Vilanova, who had throat surgery to remove a second tumor in two years from a saliva gland on Thursday.
Barcelona remained perfect in nine away games and extended its record league start with its 16th win in 17 rounds. It opened up a nine-point lead over second-place Atletico Madrid and a 16-point gap over Real Madrid before it visits Malaga later Saturday.
Barcelona was coached by assistant Jordi Roura, with Vilanova being released from hospital just moments before the game. He is expected to undergo around six weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
''This win is for Tito,'' said Barcelona defender Dani Alves. ''It's a surprise and joy that he is home now. We are here to help him any way he can. Football is secondary now, he is fighting for his life.''
