Real Madrid’s 2018: A continuation of a Golden era

By Joao Cunha

Real Madrid lifting yet another Champions League this time in Kiev. It was Real Madrid’s 7th Champions League title since 1998,

Real Madrid finished off the 2018 calendar year the way they finished the previous 2 years winning the Club World Cup. Real became the first ever team to win 3 consecutive World titles in club football and they won 4 World titles in the last 5 years. That level of success is astounding especially when you consider the relative instability of European and World football prior to this run. From 1991-2016 no European side has successfully defended the European Cup and only one team (Tele Santana’s Sao Paulo’s side in 91-92) won back to back World titles. This Real side while not as beautiful to watch as Pep’s Barcelona are remarkbly efficient. Real Madrid from April 2014 to December 2018 have won 14 trophies, the same number of titles as Pep’s Barcelona sides. That speaks to the dominance of Real Madrid over the past 5 seasons but this year has been chaotic and full of low-points as well.

Real Madrid started off the year dropping 4 points in their opening 2 La Liga games drawing at Celta and losing 1-0 at home to Villareal. Real for the first time in the club’s history blew an away win in the Copa del Rey to lose the tie to Leganes on away goals. Real finished the first 19 league games with a paltry 35 points which was their worst league start since 2006-07. In addition they were only 1 point above 5th-place Villareal and looked set to battle just to finish in a Champions League spot. In addition Real drew PSG in the last 16 of the Champions League and not many gave Real a shot to advance to the last 8. The situation looked bleak…until February 14, 2018. The day Real would turn around their season.

Marcelo’s epic celebration after his goal in the 3-1 win over PSG, Marcelo in the Knockout stages of the Champions League would score 3 goals and add 3 assists in 7 knockout matches. Big game player.

Real met PSG on Valentine’s Day in what was the turning point of the season. Although PSG started off the better of the two sides and even took the lead with Rabiot’s goal, Real never wavered. Toni Kroos earned a penalty just before half-time and Cristiano Ronaldo duly converted. At the point the tie was in the balance and while PSG had more of the play in the second-half, Real had the knockout blow. Marco Asensio’s cross found a way to Ronaldo and he kneed the ball into the net. A few minutes later, Asensio crossed another ball and Marcelo converted into the net. Navas made a key late save but Real held on to beat PSG 3-1 that night and would go on a big run after that game. Real beat PSG 2-1 in Paris to finish off the French Champions. Real also righted the ship in La Liga winning 41 points in their next 19 games and finished 3rd place. A terrible league season for Real as they finished with 76 points which is the lowest point total Madrid finished with in 11 years. But the Champions League was a different story.

This is just to show how blatant of a penalty this was. Benatia clearly kicked Lucas in the chest!!!!! The fact that some people tried to argue at the time this wasn’t a penalty still stuns me.

Real destroyed Juventus in Turin 3-0 behind a remarkable performance from Cristiano Ronaldo who scored that famous bicycle kick. (Ronaldo also scored another goal and assisted Marcelo’s pivotal goal) In the second-leg Real collapsed allowing Juventus to score 3 unanswered goals and possibly blow the tie. However their blushes were spared by a blunder when Benatia fouled Lucas Vasquez in the box. A clear penalty and a chance for Real to advance to the semifinals in the last-minute of normal time. Cristiano Ronaldo expertly converted and Real were on their way to another European Cup semi-final. It was their 29th overall and 8th in a row.

Karim Benzema taking advantage of an Ulreich error to score the goal that would send Real into another Champions League final. He only scored 12 goals in 2017-18 yet 2 of the most important in the semis.

Real Madrid’s next opponent Bayern Munich their classic rival over the years. Real bested Bayern 2-1 in Munich behind goals from Marcelo and Marco Asensio. In the second-leg Real scraped out a 2-2 draw behind a brace by Karim Benzema (one goal thanks to Ulreich’s blunder) and a heroic display by Keylor Navas. Navas in that second-leg made 8 saves and carried Real into their 4th Champions League final in 5 years. The sublime had become routine. The improbable was becoming reality, somehow despite all the odds Real Madrid were dominating Europe again. Another final awaited and this one was for the three-peat.

One of the greatest goals ever scored in the Champions League final by Gareth Bale. Liverpool fans still blame Ramos though,

Real faced Liverpool in the Champions League final, and there were questions about Real being able to handle Liverpool’s front 3 of Mane, Firmino and Salah. In the end luck would go Real’s way as a challenge from Sergio Ramos on Salah forced the Egyptian to leave the game with a shoulder injury. Firmino was marked out of the game by Varane, Mane caused both Carvajal (who limped off injured) and Marcelo problems throughout the match. Benzema opened the scoring after a horrible error by Karius. Liverpool equalized through the dangerous Sadio Mane. The final looked even until Zidane subbed off Isco and brought on Gareth Bale. Bale then scored an incredible bicycle kick goal to give Real the lead, and added to it with a long-range shot in which Karius couldn’t save it, Real won 3-1 to win to their 3rd straight Champions League and to cement Real’s golden era. However the celebrations were short-lived, the end of an era was near.

Zinedine Zidane resigned 5 days after the CL win, Cristiano Ronaldo left the club in the summer to go to Juve after a contract dispute. Kovacic was sent out on loan to Chelsea as well. The squad added new players in Alvaro Odriozola, Mariano Diaz, Vincius Junior and Thibaut Courtois were added to strengthen the core of the team. Julen Lopetegui was hired in June to replace the departed Zidane. A new era began at Real Madrid without  Ronaldo and Zidane so how would Real Madrid cope?

Real started off on the wrong foot under Lope losing their first final in 5 years in the UEFA Super Cup 4-2 to Atletico Madrid, The game was lost due to 2 individual errors by Marclo that led to the equalizer and Varane which led to Atletico’s winner. The game would sum up Julen Lopetegui’s tenure: costly errors. Real would go on their longest scoreless streak in the club’s history under Lopetegui and would lose 3 straight league games to close out his tenure at the club. His last game was the most damning a 5-1 beatdown at the hands of a Messi-less Barcelona side. There was little choice but to fire Lopetegui and bring in Santiago Solari the Real Madrid’s Castilla coach at the time.

Atletico celebrating after scoring the go-ahead goal in extra-time that led to Real Madrid’s 4-2 defeat in the final. One of the low-points of the year.

What began as a temporary hire turned into a permanent hire after Santiago Solari won his first 4 games in charge of the first team. In addition the players resistance to having a manager like Antonio Conte certainly made the decision obvious, Solari would have the rest of the season to prove that he’s good enough for the job. So far Solari has done a great job, steering the club in the right direction. He’s won 11 out of his first 13 games. He’s brought up young players like Marcos Llorente, Javi Sanchez, and Vinicius Junior and has given them a chance to shine. In addition he’s shown faith in Courtois over Navas and as a result Courtois has begun to show flashes of his best form. Solari also has given Lucas Vasquez a starting role in which he has flourished in, and helped make Real a more balanced side. However he has had two 3-0 defeats in his tenure so far which is more 3-goal defeats than Zidane had in his entire spell at the club. The team is still not great defensively and is wasteful with its chances. There is a problem with form with a lot of the veterans like Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Isco, Marcelo, Karim Benzema, Raphael Varane, and Sergio Ramos being too inconsistent so often. However even with all these problems Real are still in the title race, still in the Copa del Rey and still in the Champions League. Real even managed to top their Champions League group for the first time in 3 years. The season even with its shaky start can still be salvaged and the Club World Cup win saw players return to form.

Real Madrid lifting their 7th World Championship in Abu Dhabi and their 4th in the last 5 years. They have the most Club World Cup wins with 4 and share a joint-record 3 Intercontinental Cup wins.

Santiago Solari took just 13 games to deliver his first trophy as Real Madrid manager when he won the Club World Cup last Saturday. Real began the tournament beating Kashima Antlers 3-1 behind a virtuoso hat-trick by Gareth Bale. Real Madrid then destroyed underdogs Al-Ain 4-1 to lift their 7th World title and 3rd straight Club World Cup win. Luka Modric scored a fine goal, Vincius Jr contributed setting up an own goal, and Sergio Ramos scored again in a final. But the star man was Marcos Llorente who scored a thundering volley to give Real a commanding 2-0 lead. Solari installed his faith in the young player and he delivered in a big game. Real Madrid despite all the noise, crisis talk, and difficulty have won another European and World double. Real’s era may not last forever, in fact there are signs this might be their last year. With the squad showing signs of attrition and inconsistency it seems unlikely that Real will repeat the feats of repeating as Champions League winners. The league and Copa seem more likely ways Real Madrid can win titles in 2019. Real Madrid do need to freshen up the squad in the summer and add 3-4 key players to reboot this side. However this discussion can wait another day. What must be said now is how extraordinary this side is and continues to be.

Luka Modric winner of the 2018 VBalon D’or award.

Real Madrid in 2018 managed to win two titles despite all the chaos of players leaving, managers being sacked or resigning, pressure from media and other clubs, the fans unrelenting and sometimes warranted criticism of the performances. That is no mean feat, especially in an age where the Champions League is THE competition to win. That puts extra stress on Real Madrid to keep winning and they still pull it off. Despite the dip in form this season Luka Modric won the UEFA Best Men’s player award, FIFA’s Best player award and the prestigious Balon D’or award. Gareth Bale rounded off a bounce back year winning the Golden Ball at the Club World Cup and finishing as the top-scorer of the tournament with 3 goals. The brilliant performances of Cristiano Ronaldo cannot be understated as well as he scored 44 goals in 44 games in his farewell season at the club. So many players contributed ionot making this 2018 calendar year a successful one, it took a team effort to keep this great run going.

Gareth Bale winning the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup’s player of the tournament award.

This year shouldn’t be remembered for the end of an era alone, but a continuation of a successful side. Real with these trophies have won 13 Champions Leagues and 7 World titles which are both records by a good margin. This year consolidated Real as the standard as far as trophies in modern football. Other clubs may have style, they may be loved and cherished more, but Real Madrid have substance. They win trophies; a lot of them. In the long run that’s what this year will mean to Madridstas. 2018 the year Real Madrid were once again European and World Champions,

 

Marcelo Gallardo’s River Plate: The new gold standard in South American football

By Joao Cunha

The date December 9th, 2018 will go down as the greatest day in River Plate’s history. It was not only the day the club won its fourth Copa Libertadores but the day it defeated Boca Juniors in a competition they used to rule. Boca Juniors in the first part of the 2000’s were the dominant team in South America, winning 4 Copa Libertadores, 2 Copa Sul-Americanas, 3 Recopa Sul-Americana and 2 World Titles from 2000-2007. River were then in the midst of an 18 l-year continental drought that culminated with a humbling relegation in 2011. Boca were the kings of Argentina and reached another final of the Libertadores in 2012. However they would lose to Tite’s Cirinthiabs that year. From that moment on things began to change. Boca began a precipitous de Lomé and River rose from the ashes. 

After Ramon Diaz led River to a league title in 2014, he resigned allowing Marcelo Gallardo to assume the reigns. In his first year as manager he delivered immense success. River Plate ended their 18-year wait to win a continental title with a Sul-Americans victory over Atletico Nacional in the final. Of course the most memorable game was the second leg of the semi-final against Boca. River won 1-0 behind a goal by Pisculichi a penalty save by Barovero. River in 2015 were even better defeating San Lorenzo to claim the Recopa and winning the Libertadores defeating Tigresof Mexico 3-0 in the final. They had barely scraped out of the group winning 1 out of 6 group games, but went to elongate Boca )pepper-spray incident eliminated Boca), overcame a 1-0 loss at home to thump Cruzeiro 3-0 at the Moneral, before defeating Guarani in the Semis before their eventual defeat of Tigres. River were the new force in South America and finished off the year by reaching the Club World Cup final losing 3-0 to Barcelona. That 2015 had great leaders like Barovero, Pisculuchi and Funes-Mori, as well as startlets like Lucas Alario, Giovanni Simeone abd Teo Guturrez. The next 2 years River won 2 Copa Argentinas in a row and a Recopa in 2016, but fell short in the Libertadores. In 2018 the pressure was on for River to deliver another Libertadores. 

With a core of veterans like Ponzio, Enzo Perez, Pinola, Maidana and the addition of Lucas Pratto River has a great team built to win titles. In additions Piti Martinez, Palacios and Quintero they had the young players needed to compliment their veteran leadership. They started off 2018 inconsistently with middling league form coupled with great form in the Libertadores. They even beat Boca Juniors 2-0  to win the Argentinian Super Cup. River topped their Libertadores unbeaten over eventual Brazilian league runners-up Flamengo finishing 2nd. River then easily defeated Racing and the 7-time winners of the Libertadores Indiepiente to reach the semis of the Libertadores.  They would face off against the 2017 Libertadores winners Grêmio. They lost 1-0 at the Monumental setting up a brutal return leg in the South of Brasil. Incredibly Grêmio took a 2-0 lead overall lead and looked set to advance to the final. Until River came back and equalized through Borre. River had dominated the match but Grêmio held firm until the last minute. River earned a penalty and Piti Martinez slotted it the ball into the net. River had done it the hard way but they were in the final. They received luck along the way, Gallardo ignoring his suspension, the River goal that got them in the tie vs. Gremio had a handball in the buildup. But they would face their biggest challenge yet a final against Boca Juniors. 

The first leg was tense and exciting with Boca twice taking the lead before being pegged back twice by River. Lucas Pratto was the star with a brace in the Bombonera. The second-leg due to fan violence against Boca players had to be played in Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. The second leg began with Boca limiting Ricer’s attacks and countering with Benedetto. It worked and Benedetto scores a lovely goal to give Boca a 1-0 half-time lead. At that point it looked like things would be bleak for River. But they roared back in the second half, scoring a great goal by their talisman Lucas Pratto to make it 1-1. River slowly began to dominate the game with their midfield of Palácios, Piti Martinez, Nacho Fernandez and the sub Quintero finding space all over the pitch. Boca held on for extra-time and they looked exhausted by the end of the 90 minutes. To make matters worse for Boca, Barrios was sent off for a stupid two-footed tackle in extra-time. River capitalized with the man advantage in the second half of extra time with a stunning goal by Quintero. A goal for to win any final but especially a final as controversial as this. It was a remarkable strike that left Boca’s keeper heloless. Boca lost Gago to injury and played bravely and forced Armani into some decisive saves and hit the lost. But a giveaway allows Piti Martinez to finish off Boca scoring on ah empty net after a Boca corner. River had done it, they liberated themselves from the shadows of their eternal rivals. Boca fans can no longer just throw RiBer jokes or Libertadores wins, because River has had their own era in the sun. They also did it by beating their rivals in a final to do so. This is River Plate’s time and Gallardo is the head of this rebirth. 

Marcelo Gallardo has 6 international titles with River Plate since 2014. His teams have eliminated Boca 3 times en-route to titles. They are the standard bearers of Argentina club football and of South American football as well. There is only one trophy loading the Club World Cup. If Gallardo adds that title to his resume he will not only be regarded as the best manager in South America but one of the best in the world. 

Of coise some Will try to downplay this particular triumph due to understandable complaints. River broke the rules with Gallardo attending games while he was suspended against Gremio. The small minority of idiots who caused the infamous incident before the second leg could be enough for River to have been expelled from the tournament. Similar circumstances with Boca fans in 2015 caused their elimination and River going to the last 8. But that call was on COMMEBOL, not River. River agreed to postpone the match two weeks later and didn’t play their home game to give Boca a better chance. River winning the tournament afterwards is not on them, they earned the the title on the pitch. Their success hasn’t been built overnight it has been a project for several years that has got them in the pinnacle of South American football. They play with a spirit, determination, technical ability and intelligence. What separated River and Boca was the intelligence of both sets of players and managers. River fell behind 3 separate times and never panicked. They subtly changed their plan and kept going, patiently building waves of attacks. Boca panicked after they got the lead and were too defensice. Schelotto’s substitution of Benedetto so early made little sense. Boca lost their threat on the counter. Bringing on a half-fit Gago made no sense either as he didn’t last the game. While River’s sub Quintero made the difference with a goal and an assist. River knew they were going to win, Boca hoped they would win. How the roles have reversed. 11 years ago River wanted to be where Boca was, now it is Boca who look up to the force that is Marcelo Gallardo’s River PlYe. Lós Reyes de Sul-America.