World Soccer - UK (2022-07)

H

alaMadrid, indeed.No
denyingtheirrighttoparade
a record-extending 14 th
ChampionsLeaguetrophy.
VictoryoverLiverpoolintheStade
deFranceclimaxeda sequenceof
footballingassassinations.They
unleasheda minimumof shots
againstParisSaint-Germain,Chelsea,
ManchesterCityand theRedsand
madethemall count.Ruthlessly.
CoachCarloAncelottiandhisteam
turnedclubhistoryonitshead.Alfredodi
Stefano’s originalgiantsweredemolished
in 1964 bytheruthlesshold-and-hit
strategyofInternazionale.Now Madrid
took“their” cuphomeby restraining
magicalLukaModric,“SirToni”Kroos
andCasemiro to smotherandconserve
energywhileunleashingcounter-attack
precision.
KarimBenzemaendedthe campaign
witharemarkable 15 goals(44 in all
competitions,a personalbest)for a
34-year-oldwhohadbeenwrittenoff
years agowhile ViniciusJunior’swinning
goal– an embarrassmentfor Trent
Alexander-Arnold – wasthe 2 1-year-
oldBrazilian’s fourthofthecampaign.
Ina fewweeksthiswill allbeold
history. Teamsandtimewill have moved
on.Whatmustnotbeforgotten are
clearlessonsfromchaosoutsidea
stadiumwhosebasicdesign,with dogleg
walkwaysand constrictedaccesspoints,
isinadequate.Hence thecrowd crushes
andhold-upsprovokedby alleged
forgedtickets, mischievouslocal
troublemakers,unintelligentstewarding,
plussecurity goons’panickyresortto
teargasandpepperspray.
NotthatEnglishfootballcanbe
self-righteousafter awfulmemories
ofthe Euro 2 02 0 final.
Bycontrast,Madridfanshadpacked
thewestendtocapacitylongbefore
kick-off buttheywerealsofewerin
numberandnotcursedbylatecomers
eitherwithouttickets or withforgeries.
Inthe nonsense of theParisiannight
hundredsoffansevenstruggled,long
after thefinal whistle,toleavethe
stadium,beingmisdirectedfromone

closedexittoanother.

Originallythefinalhad beenscheduled

byUEFA forStPetersburg; Russian

PresidentVladimirPutin’s attempted

land-grabinUkraineputpaidtothat.

Butthedecisiontoswitchvenueswas

taken backinFebruary.TheFrench– and

UEFA– needseekno excuseshere.They

shouldonlyberelieved andgratefulthat

nobodywas seriouslyhurtor worse.

Asfor thefootball,kick-offwas

delayed for 36 minutes,whichstill

featuredsingerCamilaCabelloin an

unnecessary“openingceremony”.This

wastheChampionsLeaguefinal,biggest

clubgameinworldfootball.UEFAneed

notcompetewiththeOlympicsorWorld

Cup;thisisaboutelitesport,short and

simple,with itsownsuperiordrama

ascrowdproblems

threatentoovershadow

finalinParis

• no-one needsthe dancinggirls.
  The delayforcedthe teamstowarm
  uptwice andaccounted forthe scrappy
  opening exchanges. Liverpooldrove
  forward with awillto avenge theirdefeat
  byMadridinKyivin 2018 and thesearch
  for amends aftermissing outonboth
  a unique quadrupleand thePremier
  Leaguecrown.In ateasing echo of
  events, they were edgedbyManchester
  Citybyone pointinthe league and
  byMadridtothe tune of onegoal.
  Liverpool,with Madrid’s deceptive
  acquiescence,tookearlycommand.
  ThibautCourtoisforeshadowedthe
  eveningaheadwith sharp savesfrom
  MoSalah,supportedby a sliverof
  fortunewhenSadioManehita post.
  Courtois’safehandsdeniedSalahagain
  whileMadridcontinuedplayingtoa
  differentrhythm.Theyrepeatedlysought

REALMADRIDMAKEIT 14

32 WORLDSOCCER

CHAMPIONSLEAGUEREVIEW

2022 CHAMPIONSLEAGUEFINAL

Manof thematch...

ThibautCourtois

scramblestomake

another save

Match winner...

ViniciusJunior

tucks home Real

Madrid’sgoal

Crowd problems...

Liverpoolfansqueue

outsidethestadium