World Soccer - UK (2022-07)

(Maropa) #1
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
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