The Team of the 2010’s: Real Madrid CF

 

Real Madrid winning their most recent Champions League title in Kiev on May 26, 2018. Real defeated Liverpool in the final 3-1.

By Joao Cunha

After that surreal final in Kiev I spent the next few days wondering where this Real Madrid side ranks in the history of the game. This was not an easy task, as this season Real looked like an average team finishing 17 points behind La Liga winners Barcelona. Not only that their journey to this Champions League title was unlikely. Real escaped blowing a 3-0 lead at home when Michael Oliver made the biggest decision of his career and awarded Real a controversial penalty. (Which in my view was the correct call) Cristiano Ronaldo converted the penalty and sent Real into the semi-finals. The semi-final against Bayern was defined by two horrendous mistakes. In the first leg Rafinha gave away the ball and Lucas and Asensio played a one-two and Asensio finished off the move off with a goal. Real won the game 2-1 and proceeded to draw the second leg 2-2 to win the tie. But the second goal was due to a grave mistake by Bayern keeper Ulreich who slipped and gifted Karim Benzema an open goal. In the final Real were also a bit fortunate as Liverpool’s best player Mohamed Salah went off with an injury after a controversial challenge with Ramos. Loris Karius then gifted Benzema a goal with a terrible mistake, Mane leveled the scores at 1-1. But than Gareth Bale scored a bicycle kick for the ages and sealed the game with a 40 yard shot that Karius allowed to go through his hands. Karius had made 2 horrendous errors and Real won the final 3-1. At this point the critics were out in force questioning how good of a side Real were.

Gareth Bale scoring the winner in the 2014 Champions League final the first of four titles in 5 years by Real Madrid.

After all in this run of 4 Champions League titles in 5 years they had one La Liga title. League is the mark of consistency and Real aren’t consistent enough, which is a fair point. Real got lucky to win this edition as teams gifted them these goals, and the teams didn’t take advantage of Real’s mistakes. Real can only win big games by being unimpressive and style matters in these debates. Other great sides like Sachhi’s Milan, Herrera’s Inter, Beckenbauer’s Bayern, Cryuff’s Ajax, Pep’s Barca, or Di Stefano’s Madrid were either more consistent or played much better football.

Ronaldo converting the final penalty that sealed Real Madrid’s 2016 Champions League title against Atletico Madrid.

But I think the critics of Real Madrid don’t realize how difficult this achievement is and they overrate these other great teams. Real Madrid whether some like it or not have defined an era football they are the team of this decade and they deserve to be honored as such. But let me first try to show what these other sides accomplished.

 

Bayern Munich 1974-76: Trophies won 1 Bundesliga, 3 European Cups, 1 Intercontinental cup.

Bayern only won 1 league title in their 3 European Cup winning runs which is the same as Real Madrid’s run. They didn’t win a domestic cup in this run either. They won the final in 1974 after a replay after a late equalizer by Schwarzbeck against Atletico denied the Spanish side the trophy. The next two finals they beat Leeds United and Saint-Ettiene 1-0 being outplayed by both sides. In 1976 they finished 10th place in the German League!!!!!

Herrera’s Inter 1963-1967: Trophies won 2 scudettos, 2 European Cups, 2 Intercontinental Cups.

La Grande Inter reached 3 European Cup finals in 4 years and really mastered catennacio under the wizard Helenio Herrera. However the second triumph is marred by allegations of Inter buying refs in the second-leg against Liverpool in 1965. They narrowly beat Benfica 1-0 in the final and were criticized for the ultra-defensive style. They lost the 1966 semi-final to Real Madrid and lost to underdogs Celtic in the 1967 final 2-1. They didn’t dominate domestically only winning 2 of 4 league titles and never winning the Italian Cup.

Sacchi’s Milan 1987-1991: Trophies won 1 Scudetto, 1 Supercoppa, 2 European Cups, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 2 Intercontinental Cup.

The standard bearer of the greatest team post-Ajax. A side that has been venerated by experts and historians for years. They dominated Europe for 2 years but only one 1 League title in Sachhi’s peak. Yet they are never judged on that for some reason. Even though Inter, Napoli, and Sampdoria all won the league in Milan’s golden era, they are given a break. Milan although dominant never won a domestic cup. Their second European cup win they barely got past Bayern in the semis winning on away goals after extra-time and narrowly edging Benfica in a tepid final 1-0. In addition the Heysel Ban prevented English clubs from competing in the European Cup until 1991 so it gave Milan a massive advantage that other clubs didn’t have. Until 1985 English clubs dominated European football so the ban made Milan’s run to the 2 straight titles easier. But they were so much better than this Real side…

Cryuff’s Ajax 1971-1973: Trophies won 2 Eredvise titles, 2 Dutch Cups, 3 European Cups, 1 Intercontinental Cup.

This Ajax fills every box possible as all-time great side, they dominated domestically winning 2 league and cups in their European Cup run. With Cryuff, Neskenns and co they tore apart many great European sides. They won 2 of their 3 finals by 2 goals, they beat the likes of Inter, Juventus, Real en route to their three-peat. They won a treble as well, This team might actually be underrated as the Dutch league was good in the 1970’s as their rivals Feyernoord won the European Cup in 1970. However the early 1970’s didn’t have many clubs who were great so Ajax were able to exploit a relatively weak era in European football. (If you don’t believe me Pananthikos got to a European Cup final in 1971 and lost to Ajax 2-0.)

Pep’s Barcelona 2008-2012: Trophies won 3 La Ligas, 2 Copa Del Rey’s, 3 Supercopa de Espana titles, 2 UEFA Champions Leagues, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 2 Club World Cups.

This team also had it all, they won a treble, a double and dominated the league. But their Champions League dominance was overstated they won the tournament 2 times in 3 years. Which is nice but Real in the 1990’s and early 2000’s did the same thing and they aren’t on this list. They needed a horrendous day by referee in the Chelsea-Barca semi in   2009 just to reach the final. They benefited from calls against Arsenal, Real en route to their 2011 title. They lost to Inter in a CL semi in 2010 and to an average Chelsea side in 2012. They did outclass Manchester United in 2 finals beating them 2-0 and 3-1. They played fantastic football and won 14 trophies but didn’t dominate Europe like other all-time sides.

Di Stefano’s Real Madrid 1955-1960: 2 La Ligas, 5 European Cups, 1 Intercontinental Cup.

Arguably the greatest club side ever this Real team won 5 straight European Cups winning finals by 2 or more goals 3 times. They beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in 1960 to seal this era of dominance with Puskas and Di Stefano scoring all 7 goals, Puskas scored 4 and Di Stefano 3. However even this team didn’t dominate domestically winning 2 out of 5 league titles which is the same as Barcelona at the time. They didn’t win the domestic cup as well. Yet this team is widely hailed as the greatest club side ever.

Casemiro celebrating his goal which helped Real beat Juventus 4-1 in the 2017 Champions League final.

These comparisons needed to be shown because almost all of these great sides had luck, weak points, or circumstances that benefited them. Yet when this Real side of the last 5 years is compared they are always nitpicked for not winning enough domestically. Yet they are the most dominant European side since Di Stefano’s Real. That is a fact. They have won every available trophy since 2013-14, 13 trophies in total.

Modern day Real Madrid 2013-2018: 1 La Liga, 1 Copa Del Rey, 1 Supercopa de Espana, 4 Champions Leagues, 3 UEFA Super Cups, 3 Club World Cups.

Gareth Bale scoring the winning goal in the 2018 Champions League final with a bicycle kick. One of the greatest goals in the history of the competition.

That’s dominance 13 titles in 5 years, only Pep’s Barca had more trophies. But even that side won half as many Champions Leagues. They didn’t win the league as much but they finished 3 points, 2 points, 1 point away from the league winners in 2014, 2015 and 2016. They did win the league and Champions League double in 2017. Real have won 3 CL finals by 2 or more goals, 2 finals by 3 goals against Atletico in 2014 and Juventus in 2017. Since 2013 they haven’t lost a one-off final winning 11 straight finals, beating Barcelona, Atletico Madrid (twice), Sevilla (twice), Gremio, San Lorenzo, Kashima Antlers, Juventus, Manchester United, and Liverpool. Since 2013 Real have been one of the greatest away sides ever winning at Liverpool, Barcelona (twice), Atletico Madrid (twice), Sevilla, Napoli, Roma, Juventus, Paris Saint Germain, Dortmund, Schalke (twice), Galatasray, and Bayern Munich (three times!). They have won Champions League ties 9-2, 5-0, 4-0, 6-2, 6-3, 4-2, and 5-2 on aggregate since 2013-14. They are a ruthless team taking advantage of any mistake the opponent makes, teams have bad mistakes not just due to bad luck. It was also due to the pressure of playing Real Madrid in big games, no side had their experience and winning mentality. That caused mistakes by players they wouldn’t normally make, like Atleti not marking Sergio Ramos in the 2014 final, Juventus’s mix-up that led Ronaldo’s bicycle kick, Rafinha’s bad pass, and Ulreich and Karius making terrible errors in goal. These aren’t coincidences these are players and teams pressed into errors by Real’s relentless pressure. This Real side is the team that has defined the 2010’s and the only reasons they aren’t being lauded now is due to style and time. Their style isn’t flashy, the team’s strength is mental fortitude and adaptability, Real can play various formations 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-3-1-2, 4-2-2-2 and be really successful with them. They have an impressive ability of never getting rattled no matter how much they are getting outplayed, the Bayern Munich semi-final this year is proof of this. Real also have great individual players who work really hard. The core group of Navas, Carvajal, Ramos, Varance, Marcelo, Kroos, Modric, Casemiro, Isco, Benzema, and Ronaldo started 2 straight Champions League finals in 2017 and 2018, Yet they have been supplemented by other great players. Di Maria was the man of the match in the 2014 final, Khedira and Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas were vital members of that side. Contreao was a important member of the 2014 side and was in the squad in 2017 as well. Nacho, Lucas Vasquez, Asensio, Kovacic, Theo Hernandez has given Real great depth this season and the first four over several seasons. Lucas scored the first penalty in the shootout against Atletico in the 2016 CL final, Asensio scored the 4th goal in the 2017 final. Pepe and Morata were important members of the team as well, Pepe starting the 2016 final and being the starter in the 2014 edition until the final. Morata was part of the squad that won the CL in 2014 and 2017. James Rodriguez was a crucial member when Real won the league in 2017 and was a squad player in the 2016 and 2017 wins. Gareth Bale who has been reduced to a bench role this season scored the winning the goal in the 2014 final as a starter, assisted Ramos’s goal in the 2016 final as a starter. As a sub in the final against Liverpool he was the best player on the pitch and scored a decisive brace. Real’s strength in depth makes this side unique they have 16-17 players capable of deciding a match or being the best player at any given match. That is something that sets them apart from other great sides.

I mentioned time as another reason why people devalue Real’s achievement because Real made it look easier than it is. They aren’t flashy so some people think a side can do this again soon, and they will be sorely mistaken. This kind of run has happened once since the Real side of 1955-1960, this current Real team are the closest equivalent to that side winning 4 of the last 5 Champions League titles and reaching the semis 8 straight seasons. In 10-20 years time even the most vocal critics of this side will say how the hell did a team win 4 out of 5 Champions Leagues??? Why did we not see at the time how great of a side this was? Because a lot of people have historical amnesia they think the past everything was much better than it was, and the present is much worse than it is. This Real Madrid team is much better than it is being portrayed and all other great sides are all a bit overrated through the erasing of their difficulties and luck. Real more than any other side has defined its generation by winning, over and over again. Sid Lowe in his prediction of the Champions League on ESPN picked Real to win 3-1 and gave a great quote why Real would win. He explained that when, “Madrid play well, they beat you. They play average, they beat you. The play badly, they beat you.” That sums Real up perfectly they just win.  5 years ago Madridistas used to obsess over La Decima, the tenth Champions League. Now they have lost count and are dreaming about a 14th Champions League next. Some teams may have more style, more domestic dominance, more explainable wins, less luck, but almost all of them don’t win this much. This Real Madrid is one of a kind and maybe not now but in 10 years they will be the side that is most remembered in the 2010’s.

UEFA is considering banning Real Madrid from the Champions League next season as it isn’t fair to other clubs in the competition

Real Madrid lifting another Champions League and if UEFA and certain clubs have their way it will be the last one they will lift for some time. 

In one of the most unprecedented moves in the history of UEFA the organization might ban Real Madrid from the UEFA Champions League for being too good. Since the Champions League was rebranded in 1992 no club has won more titles than Real Madrid. Their recent dominance in the tournament winning 4 of the last 5 editions has forced UEFA to consider this drastic alternative to make it an even playing field.

A UEFA spokesman admitted that Real’s victory in Kiev “was unfair to all other clubs. I mean all other clubs turn to shit when they see Real. How else do you explain Ulreich and Karius this season??? We might have to ban for a season just to allow someone else to win the competition.” According to sources Barcelona, Juventus, PSG, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid have all placed a petition to UEFA to ban Real Madrid from competing in the tournament. A Barca chief who didn’t want to be named said, “Well Madrid don’t do well in La Liga but they win the CL every year. We think it’s not fair that Real win it every year. Our club which is MORE THAN A CLUB gets destroyed by Roma but they win 3 in a row? UEFA needs to take action against this enemy of competition.” Liverpool refused to comment and Bayern didn’t want to admit they signed petition. Juventus swears that UEFA tricked them and that they wanted to ban Michael Oliver from the tournament not Real Madrid. Atletico Madrid higher ups did admit the only way they could win the CL would be if Real were banned as they have a “mental barrier” in Europe when facing Real. Which doesn’t bode well for them in the Super Cup. PSG are using this as leverage to keep Neymar saying if Real attempt to sign him they will keep their name on the petition. Despite the desire of these clubs there are many grateful to Real Madrid.

Inter Milan, Napoli, Manchester United, Manchester City have all sent Real thank you cards for winning the last 2 Champions Leagues. These clubs alongside Dortmund, Lyon, Marseille, Roma, and Chelsea are against the petition. They think Real make the tournament better and there is no need to ban them. It is suspicious that all the clubs supporting Real Madrid are major rivals of the teams Real have eliminated throughout the years. After the game yesterday Manchester United officials threatened to not be in the Champions League if Real was banned citing their dominance as a money making vehicle for other teams. They also loved the fact that Liverpool lost a final and were openly celebrating in their offices. Manchester City still upset over their elimination to Liverpool said that “City wouldn’t have lost 3-1 to Real because we don’t have a cone as our goalkeeper.” Harsh words. The other clubs have shown great support for Real and will boycott European competition if this ban is upheld. It is unlikely that UEFA will pull this off, A source from Inter Milan did say, “These clubs are sore losers. Banning Real Madrid???? UEFA should ban bad refs first, put in VAR, and the other teams don’t bottle it. Buy better goalkeepers!” This attitude didn’t go down well but Inter stand by this statement.

Real’s CL win might be their last if some bitter clubs have their way. But with the help of some thankful teams and the overall power of Real Madrid it is doubtful they will be banned. Maybe instead of banning Real UEFA could do what they did in 1960 to Real get an English ref to rig the tie for Barcelona. That cost Real the CL but did Barca take advantage? Nope they still choked the final away to Benfica. That would be a solution to the this issue or maybe other European teams could just improve and eliminate Real for once.

😀

The 24th of May 2014

By Joao Cunha

Iker Casillas lifting La Decima, Real’s tenth Champions League win in 2014.

Real Madrid are on the brink of a European dynasty, having reached their 4th Champions League final in 5 years and their 3rd straight. However not too long ago, there were real questions whether Real Madrid could conquer Europe at all.

In May 2014 Real Madrid had qualified for their first Champions League final in 12 years. Just that achievement was worth celebrating as Real hadn’t reached a final for 12 years. Before 2014, they lost 3 painful semi-finals. The first was to their eternal rivals Barca who beat Real 3-1 on aggregate. The second one in 2012 they lost a tough penalty shootout 3-1 to Bayern Munich, The final semi-final defeat was just as heartbreaking, Real nearly overcame a 4-1 loss in the first-leg but fell short again winning the second leg 2-0 but losing 4-3 on aggregate. It looked as if the club were going to a need a rebuild, Jose Mourinho had lost the locker room and was fired in 2013. Carlo Ancelotti was brought in to replace him as manager. The club added Isco, Gareth Bale, Carvajal, and sold Ozil in the summer. Things didn’t look great intially but the second half of the season the team grew in confidence and won the Copa del Rey and reached their first CL final since 2002.

The opponent in the final was Atletico Madrid had denied Barca and Real the league title that year in Spain. They were underdogs but had gone to Camp Nou and got a 1-1 draw to clinch the title. Atletico had eliminated AC Milan, Barcelona, and Chelsea to reach the final going unbeaten in all 3 series. This was going to be no easy final, as Atleti had won the season series beating Real 1-0 in the Bernabeu and drawing 2-2 at the Calderon. Real lost the league by 3 points so those 4 points lost effectively cost Real the league. But Real did eliminate Atleti from the Copa del Rey winning 3-0 at home and 2-0 away. This final would not only decide bragging rights between these two historic rivals but it would give them their coveted European title. Atletico had never won the CL previously and Real had gone through a long drought. The importance of this game for both sides could not be any bigger.

Atletico started off well, they started the injured Diego Costa and had replace him within the first several minutes of the match. Things were beginning to improve for Real as Bale missed a good after a giveaway in the midfield. But then the unthinkable happened for Real, a corner was cleared out Juanfran put the ball in the box Casillas mistimes his jump and Godin heads the ball into the net. Atletico Madrid 1 Real Madrid 0. The captain of Real Madrid a big-game player had made the most tragic of errors in a final no less. It was stunning and Real at that moment seemed like they had a mountain to climb. Yes it was only one goal but it was Atletico Madrid who routinely won 1-0 games. Real were shellshocked and left the half trailing 1-0.

The second half began with Raul Garcia blazing an effort over the bar for Atletico. Real then began a wave of Real attacks. Cristiano Ronaldo’s free-kick was saved by Cortouis. Isco, Marcelo, and Morata came on to replace Khedira, Contreao and Benzema respectively. Bale missed a golden chance after racing past 2-3 defenders. Isco and Bale both blazed efforts over the bar. Atletico repelled waves of attacks, Godin and Juanfran made desperate tackles. Di Maria and Bale ran and attacked their full backs, along with runs by Marcelo and Carvajal. The time ticked on…70 minutes, 75 minutes, 80 minutes, 90 minutes and still no answer. Then the pain of defeat began to become apparent. Losing to Atletico who had been the joke of Real Madrid was bad enough, but losing it in a Champions League final was even more absurd. This was Real’s competition, the won they had won 9 times at that time, it seemed so tough to take. I was resigned to defeat if 92 minutes wasn’t enough to break this Atletico wall why would it change in the next 3 minutes. Real earned another corner and I held my breath and expected nothing to change, They would clear the ball and get a minute closer to winning except that never happened.

Sergio Ramos heading home that goal against Atletico Madrid. One of the 5 most important goals in Real’s history.

Luka Modric delivered a great corner and Sergio Ramos scored a wonderful header to level the scores at 1-1. I was celebrating like a madman, somehow Real had saved themselves. Casillas kissed Ramos for that goal as it saved Real and himself from damaging his legacy. Florentino Perez stood up and applauded the goal breaking protocol. But who could blame him? He like all other Madrid fans had waited so long to reach this final and to see the team reborn drew wild celebrations. But after I calmed down I realized that Atletico looked downbeat and exhausted, there was no chance they were winning this final.

Florentino Perez celebrating Real’s equalizer in the CL final. As president of the club you aren’t supposed to do this but it was such a big goal he couldn’t control himself.

My suspicions were correct and Real tore Atletico up in the extra-time scoring 3 unanswered goals. Di Maria’s run forced Cortouis into a great save only for the rebound to land near Bale who headed home the winner. The big signing had delivered the winning goal in the final. Marcelo’s low shot made it 3-1 and Cristiano Ronaldo the star of the team scored a penalty to make it 4-1. Campones de Europa. La Decima. It had arrived. Real were finally back where they felt they belonged and they haven’t really left since that fateful night. Casillas lifted the trophy in the Lisbon sky and the tickertape confirmed that Real were Reyes de Europa once again.

Gareth Bale heading home the winner for Real in the 2014 CL final.

The impact of that night cannot be understated, it helped create this modern Madrid dynasty. The next 4 seasons would see Real reach 3 finals and win back to back Champions League titles in 2016 and 2017. As they seek a three-peat in 2018 it is worth remembering that Real getting to finals wasn’t ever easy. They had long droughts, painful eliminations, humiliating days. Those 12 years of pain saw Porto, Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern, Man United, AC Milan and Barcelona win the competition. Barcelona their rivals won it 3 times in those 12 years, they weren’t even considered the biggest team in Spain anymore. They had lost their prestige and luster. Until that fateful day, the 24th of May where Real returned to their throne. That began the dynasty that Real fans currently enjoy. 92:48 24th of May, 2014 the day Real began their own era in the Champions League.

2018 UEFA Champions League final Preview Real Madrid vs Liverpool: The battle between a dynastic force and an upstart.

 

By Joao Cunha

Steven Gerrard lifting the 2005 Champions League title after a miracle comeback against AC Milan in 2005.

This year’s Champions League final is between two traditional clubs who have combined to win the competition 17 times, 12 wins for Real and 5 for Liverpool. Real dominated the tournament in the 1950’s and 1960’s reaching the final 8 times in those decades and winning 6 titles. While Liverpool had their dominant run in the late 70’s and early 80’s winning 4 titles from 1977 to 1984. However since the Champions League era began in 1992 both clubs fortunes shifted dramatically.

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a bicycle kick against Juventus in the quarter-finals against Juve, Real went on to win the game 3-0.

Real Madrid embraced the modern marketing era and the revenues associated with tours in Asia and North America. They established their global brand under president Florentino Perez in the early 2000’s and established a great economic power to go with their success on the pitch. Real had won 2 Champions Leagues from 1998-2000 but suffered from massive financial instability. The club could have easily gone the route of Lazio, Fiorentina, Leeds, or Valencia who struggled with financial issues in the last 2 decades and fell off as big clubs. Thanks in large part to Perez’s intelligence in the global marketplace Real modernized and became one of the wealthiest clubs in the world.

Sergio Ramos lifting the 2016 UEFA Champions League trophy.

Due to this wealth Real continued to win the CL, winning it 4 times since 2002 and 3 titles in the last 4 years. Real aren’t just one of the top clubs in the world, but they are the standard. The European dominance that Real has enjoyed is a rarity in the modern era, and you have to go back to the 1970’s to see a team dominate the European Cup at this level. Another Champions League win for Real would be their 3rd straight, emulating the achievements of Bayern, Ajax in the 1970’s. Even more remarkable is that a win in Kiev would give Real 7 Champions League titles since 1998. To put that in perspective the 2nd most successful club in the competition is AC Milan with 7 titles. Real’s dominance in the last 20 years could surpass even their great sides in the 1950’s and 1960’s. A win for Real Madrid would reinforce their status as the world’s best club and make this 20 year-run of success unprecedented.

As for Liverpool they were slower to adapt to the financial realities of the modern game. Liverpool were left behind in the 1990’s by a successful and commercially astute Manchester United. Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, began to compete in this market as well. Although Liverpool did win a CL in 2005 with the Miracle in Istanbul over Milan, it was a brief rainfall in what has been a mostly lost 28 years. Since 1990 Liverpool have not won a league title, since that time Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Blackburn, Leicester, and Leeds United all won the title. To make matters worse Manchester United won 13 titles and 2 Champions League titles establishing themselves as the new kings of England in the 1990’s and 2000’s. Chelsea even gained as a force and won the CL in 2012 to put more salt in Liverpool’s wounds. They were getting left behind, with poor ownership for many years which included the ill-fated stint of Hicks and Gillete in the late 2000’s who saddled the club with debt. They couldn’t outspend their rivals like City, Chelsea, or United. And didn’t have the stability of a club like Arsenal. It was hard to see how Liverpool would return to their former glory.

Mohamed Salah celebrating his goal against Manchester City in the CL, Liverpool won the game 3-0.

Then the Fenway Sports Group bought the club in 2011 and paid off its debts reinvested in the squad. Although they had a few inconsistent season with Daglish and Rodgers at least the club could be seen trying to modernize. They went on more regular trips to pre=season abroad, upgraded some of their sponsors, and tried to modernize their scouting system. When Jurgen Klopp was introduced as Liverpool coach in 2015 it seemed like the perfect marriage between club and manager. A manager who wanted to modernize for a club that needed to. The success was slow but within his second season Liverpool were back into the Champions League. This year with the additions of Salah, Robertson, and Van Dijk they are in the final of the CL for the first time in 11 years. They haven’t won a trophy since 2012 so this would be a massive title for Liverpool, to reclaim their lost prestige. They are a fun and exciting team, playing modern pressing football. The hard working midfield of Milner, Can, Wijnaldum try their best to win the back and feed their amazing front 3. Mane, Salah, and Firmino are the best attacking trio in world football today. Firmino uses his awareness and passing ability to create space for Mane and Salah. He can also finish very well especially if he’s not looking. Mane is an incredibly fast player who can stretch a defense and finish very well. But the star of the team is Mohamed Salah who’s scored 44 goals in all competitions this season, he’s an incredible dribbler and finisher. His pace frightens defenders and has a great ability to time his runs to perfection. This attacking team has produced incredible results in the Champions League, beating Porto 5-0 in Portugal, beating Manchester City 3-0 at home, and rolling past Roma 5-2 at home. They have scored an astonishing 40 goals in 12 games to get to this point and if they win the CL it could seal their legacy as the most attack-minded side to win the competition. The record for most goals for a single-season in the CL belongs to Real Madrid who scored 41 goals in 2013-14. A few more goals and a win would not give Liverpool a title but it would restore their reputation as a massive club again. 6 Champions League wins is more than Barcelona and Bayern Munich plus with their style and verve the neutrals will hope they finish the job. Liverpool are back on the big stage again but they must beat the modern dynasty to become truly feared.

Real’s team isn’t as flashy as Liverpool’s but it is remarkably effective. Real have eliminated the champions of France, Italy, and Germany to reach the final. They won in Paris, Turin, and Munich 2-1, 3-0, and 2-1 respectively to help them get there. While Liverpool have youth and excitement on their side, Real have experience and toughness. This group of Real players: Marcelo, Nacho, Carvajal, Ramos, Isco, Casemiro, Ronaldo, Bale, Benzema, and Modric have all played together since 2013. Even with the additions of Navas, Kroos, Vasquez, Asensio, and Kovacic the majority of Real’s players have won at least 2 Champions League titles, 9 players have won 3 titles. For Real this isn’t the biggest game of their lives, hell for many of them it is just another big game. They have played so many of them and won a vast majority of them. Since 2013, Real Madrid have won 12 trophies including 3 Champions League finals. They haven’t lost in a one-off final in 5 years and have won a remarkable 10 straight finals (1 Copa del Rey, 3 CL’s, 3 UEFA Super Cups, 3 Club World Cups) This has been the most successful era in Real Madrid’s recent history. But the club judges itself on Champions League titles, as Jorge Valdano once said at Real “the summit is the European Cup” So anything other than a win in Kiev would be seen as a disappointment. Especially considering their poor domestic campaign where Real finished 3rd place and 17 points behind Barcelona who won the league. The Copa del Rey loss to Leganes will put more pressure for Real to redeem this season and win one more European trophy. For many of these players it could be their last season at the Bernabeu so this final could be their last game to seal their legacy. The future of Zidane as manager appears to be safe but a defeat could increase the pressure for next season. There will be changes at Real regardless of the outcome, but the club feels it is their divine right to win the cup with the big ears. And if they do succeed one more time, this current Real side will be remembered as a legendary team.

Karim Benzema’s goal against Liverpool at Anfield, he scored twice as Real went to win 3-0.

For two clubs of their size they haven’t faced too often in the CL, only 5 meetings took place with Liverpool winning 3 times and Real winning twice, The most famous meeting was in 1981 when Alan Kennedy scored a late goal that gave Liverpool their 3rd European Cup under legendary manager Bob Paisley. Liverpool also knocked Real out of the CL in 2009 winning 5-0 over two legs with a memorable 4-0 win at Anfield. Real did win the last 2 meetings beating Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield and 1-0 at the Bernabeu which helped Liverpool crash out of the group in 2014-15 season. But that’s about it for the history so I will give some reasons why both clubs can win the title.

Steven Gerrard scoring one of his 2 goals in Liverpool’s 4-0 win against Real in 2009.

Liverpool:

Real are seemingly at the end of their great run and have scraped their way to the final. Especially the last 2 rounds where better finishing could have knocked Real out. Liverpool are very clinical and giving them chances could be costly. Liverpool are younger and fresher and their pressing game can expose their midfield which can be too slow in possession and occasionally careless with the ball. Casemiro especially is prone to losing the ball in key areas due to his inconsistent passing. Real’s attacking full-backs will give space for Mane and Salah to operate and they will create a lot of chances. If Liverpool defend competently it is doubtful that Real can win an open game with them. In addition Liverpool’s pressing system isn’t a good matchup for Real and could cause Real problems. Salah has been in great form and could be the key as well.

Real Madrid

Real’s experience could be the difference in a game of this importance. Real have been through every scenario possible over the last 4-5 seasons in the Champions League and won’t be fazed by a deficit. In addition Liverpool’s press won’t last the entire game and Real are ruthless in taking advantage of mistakes. The Bayern tie is a perfect example of this where Real got outplayed for 145 minutes of the tie and still won 4-3 on aggergate. Real don’t need to play well to win a final just ask Atletico in 2014 and 2016. As long as Real don’t commit too many errors and take their chances they could do it again. In addition finals are low-scoring affairs which will benefit Real more than Liverpool. Real have proved they can withstand defensive pressure at high pressure games and that might be the key. Plus they have a match winner in Cristiano Ronaldo who has 4 goals and 1 assist in 5 CL finals.

This final could determine so much for Real and Liverpool and their players, Ronaldo or Salah will be facorites to win Balon d’or if their team wins. But more than that this should be a great game with two teams who want to attack and play good football. This should be a memorable final and potentially historic as well.

Retinitis pigmentosa what is it, and how it affects my life

By Joao Cunha

This is what an eye with RP. Although the macula is maintained, there is a loss of pigmentation in the eye.

I was born with a rare genetic condition which is known as retinitis pigmentos (RP). This strange and rare disease is not widely known due to its uncommon nature. It is estimated that 1 out of every 4,000 people suffer from it. RP disrupts the ability for a person to see at night, and compromises their peripheral vision. It is found for most people in childhood as the child is unable to see in the dark and struggles with their peripheral vision. There is no known treatment for RP at the moment but with gene therapies down the line there is hope eventually for a solution. However RP can cause the peripheral and central vision to worsen over time, which has  happened in my case. As the Wikipedia article on RP does a good job of summing up,

“The progressive nature of and lack of a definitive cure for retinitis pigmentosa contribute to the inevitably discouraging outlook for patients with this disease. While complete blindness is rare,^[39] the patient’s visual acuity and visual field will continue to decline as initial rod photoreceptor and later cone photoreceptor degradation proceeds. Possible treatments remain in the research and clinical trial stages; however, treatment studies concerning visual restoration in retinitis pigmentosa prove promising for the future.”

It is the slow decline of vision that is the hardest part to deal with for me. I am 24 now, my vision has been stable for 21 years. But in 2015 it began to decline noticeably for the first time. It didn’t last long and with new glasses the vision improved until the next year, the next decline happened. New glasses this time only gave me a temporary reprive and I felt my vision get worse as time went. What I used to take for granted in studying, reading, playing video games, going out became a real challenge. There is no doubt my grades suffered quite a bit in the final 3 semesters as the vision progressively got worse. I couldn’t do the same things I used to do. I couldn’t read as fast, write as well, study as efficiently, and there were days where I went to class with very low vision. I could hardly see much, I bumped into things, I felt like I wasn’t even paying attention as well. What I used to have was going away. I never gave up and somehow ended up completing my college degree but to this day I don’t know how I did it.

Imagine that you wake up a certain day and you couldn’t see half the things you are used to seeing. Imagine that your peripheral vision was like a box. Imagine that you couldn’t drive. Imagine making spelling, grammatical errors just because you can’t see things properly.  Imagine having to do twice the work of most people just to do the same amount of work they do.  Imagine if you couldn’t do things you used to do. Imagine if in addition to the normal concerns a person has, you add the concern about losing your sight. You spend at least once a day thinking about if there will be treatment, is the treatment safe, will it even work, how long will it take for this to come out. Imagine going to an eye doctor every year for 2 decades and them telling you “well there is no treatment out right now” This is basically what I deal with almost every day of my life. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me, I just want to be understood.

I remember once being in class and one of my teachers said to me when I told her that I had RP. She said to me, “How are you going to get through this class?” I answered, “I will. I got through so far.” But later I thought, man how do I get through this every day especially as it got worse? The answer wasn’t simple because I don’t know. I have always tried to look ahead with optimism about my life, no matter the circumstances. I think the key is in just accepting what you are dealt. The acceptance of things no matter how bad they are is the first step to healing and moving on. That class I took where with that teacher I ended up getting an A. I think that comment motivated me to show her and myself that I can do this. I mean to navigate through college, I scheduled only morning and afternoon classes to avoid night classes. I had to take only 4 classes each semester as I couldn’t deal with the workload of additional classes. I had to remove any form of social life to focus on my studies. I didn’t do things that were fun during the semester to focus on doing well. It is the sacrifices I made that in the end got me to overcome this obstacle.

This is not to say that it isn’t hard because it is. But at the same time I try to not let it define me as a person. I think if I did that I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere. I want people reading this to take away from this, that I function well in spite of this disease. I am not here to lie and tell people that it made me stronger, because I don’t believe it did. I think it is something that I could have lived without and been much better off without dealing with it. However I appreciate all the moments I can see well, that I can read and write effectively, I love when I can study or work on something for hours, because it means I can see well. Watching Real Madrid or any sports play has become even more important as time passes. I cannot afford to take for granted what remains of my vision at this point. I appreciate these things more than in any point in my life and this is the silver lining I hold on to. One day maybe this feeling maybe rewarded with better vision, but until then I will keep on trying with what I have.