Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey Final against rival Barcelona today in Spain. This is very important and encouraging news for fans of the Madrid team who have suffered greatly over the recent years due to a lack of titles. The fact that the Copa came by defeating Barcelona makes the victory even sweeter.
This was a great game. As ESPN blogger James Martin notes, “this game truly lived up to the Clasico name.” The two sides played fantastic soccer. The players exhibited heart, emotion, and an unquenchable thirst to win; they knew what this game meant to them, their fans, and the future of their clubs. The final truly seemed like a heavyweight matchup between two giants who did all they could to win.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the star for one of these two heavyweights, Real Madrid. Despite criticism about him not playing up to his potential in the most important games, like those against Barcelona, Ronaldo exhibited his undeniable talent. In fact, he overshadowed Lionel Messi- who many believe is the best player in the world and, maybe, of all time. Ronaldo scored the game-wining goal in overtime when it seemed like the slugfest would surely end up in penalty kicks. With only a few minutes left, Ronaldo nailed a cross by his teammate Di Maria into the back of the net; Barcelona goalkeeper Pinto had no chance. That ball was destined to go in and bring some glory back to the city of Madrid.
The question now is: Will Madrid’s glory be short lived? The answer is still unknown. Currently, Barcelona leads Madrid in the race for the Spanish title. In addition, many favor Barcelona to win the Champions League as well. Will Madrid be able to come back and win either or both of these titles and leave Barcelona title-less? Or, was Madrid’s win in the Copa del Rey a one-time thing that will once again allow Barcelona to brag about being the best Spanish team in the world? The answers to these questions will present themselves in the coming weeks. All Madrid fans can do for now is enjoy this victory, be thankful for the great game of soccer they witnessed, and hope that Ronaldo will truly live up to his nickname as the “Angel of Madrid”.
With a salary of $6,333,591 second only to the Yankees of $7,000,000, I react to a Real Madrid win similarly as I would with the Yankees, unenthusiastically. With sports that don't have salary caps, teams better their odds of winning titles by buying all their talent, giving them an immediate unfair advantage then less successful organizations. This approach of "buying the way to victory" takes a lot of enjoyment and meaning out of the sport it occurs in. Every team should have the same chance entering the competitive season.
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