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| Wednesday, 11 April 2012 22:17 |
Sensational Ronaldo keeps Real Madrid on track for La Liga titleAtletico Madrid 1-4 Real Madrid Even by his absurdly high standards, Cristiano Ronaldo had a match to remember tonight. Two thunderous long-range goals and a penalty gave the Portugal winger his 7th hat-trick of the season. For good measure he provided the assist for Callejon to round off the scoring for Real. Former FC Porto striker Falcao scored Atletico’s goal.
There was a strong Portuguese flavour to the match, with Ronaldo, Pepe and Fabio Coentrao lining up for Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid side, and Tiago a starter for Atletico. Real Madrid could not afford to drop points having seen their seemingly unassailable lead at the table top whittled down to just four points by Barcelona in recent weeks. With Barça having won yesterday, only one point separated the two La Liga titans as tonight’s game kicked off. Goalkeeper motionlessThe hosts started brightly, but on 25 minutes Real were awarded a free kick in “Ronaldo territory”. Up stepped CR7 to smash a curling howitzer up and over the wall and low into the corner with goalkeeper Courtois rooted to the spot.Atletico were not about to give victory to their city neighbours on a plate, and in the 55th minute Falcao scored a carbon copy of a goal seen dozens of times in his Porto days. A cross was swung into the middle and the Colombian made little of his height and numerical disadvantage as he stole between Ramos and Coentrao to thud a powerful header past Casillas. As time began to tick down it appeared Barcelona may be about to gain more ground on their great rivals from the capital. But cometh the hour, cometh the man. With little over 20 minutes remaining, Ronaldo picked up the ball on the left, cut inside and hit another stupendous shot into the back of the net. Forty and counting for RonaldoRonaldo completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Higuain was barged to the ground. The Portuguese superstar moves on to a remarkable 40 goals this season in league play alone, one more than Messi. Ronaldo then turned provider, playing in Callejon who made it 4-1.by Tom Kundert Related: Ronaldo interview - "Everything I have today I've worked for" |
Oh, oh, the Bebe deal is being investigated. I find it odd since it seems perfectly reasonable to pay 9 mil for a completely unknown commodity.
The Jose Cardinal case?
In regard to Cristiano and Messi, enjoy both of them.
Obviously being Portuguese, I would much rather see Ronaldo win the Ballon d'or year after year, but at the moment, the vast majority of neutral futebol lovers believe that Messi is the better player. Don't get me wrong, Ronaldo is probably the most complete attacking player the world has ever seen, but he doesn't quite control a game as well as Messi.
Messi doesn't need to score goals to make his presence felt. In the last couple of Classicos, Messi hasn't scored too many goals, but his effortless dribbling and world class passing always gives Madrid nightmares. Ronaldo relies heavily on his speed and athleticism, and when he gets older his playing style will have to change dramatically.
Messi is capable of playing as a center forward, a winger, and most importantly as a midfielder. He can control the game with his passing, something Ronaldo doesn't do nearly as well.
In the end, it's all subjective. Ronaldo is a spectacular footballer and all us Portuguese should be proud of him. Messi is another brilliant talent, and he deserves the praise he receives. It is way too premature to call either of these players the best ever, so let's just sit back and watch these 2 gifts from the heavens light up the world with their tremendous ability.
Messi is better at dribbling around 3 or 4 players before completing the move with a simple finish beyond the helpless keeper. He's better at that than anyone in world football.
So for me, Ronaldo and Messi can't really be compared because of the tremendous dissimilarities in how they play the game. Ronaldo is the best at what he does, and Messi is the best at what he does.
If you really want to talk about who is better though, the discussion needs to center around how they play with their national teams. Messi blew his chance in the spotlight last year when Argentina went out with a whimper in the first knockout round of the Copa America, which they hosted. Now, Ronaldo will have his chance at the Euros this summer, and he's in the form of his life and up against the best. If there was ever a time for him to prove his worth, it's now.
Regardless of how the debate goes from here on out, I see a game like this and am reminded that there are at least some things that Ronaldo can do that nobody else can. He's in a class all on his own in many regards, even when compared to the great Lionel Messi.
I used to think that players like Ibra (the self-proclaimed "Ferrari") and Ronaldo were very annoying but I've had a change of heart. Both of these players are aware of the heavy criticism directed at them for their behaviour, but they both simply shrug it off and continue doing what they do best, which is play brilliant football and look like they are having fun while doing it. Sure they cry and moan ocasionally to the refs, but it's because they love the game and so get frsustrated when things don't go there way. In every interview that I have seen, Ronaldo has seemed very down to Earth, friendly and most improtantly, unconcerned by the criticism. He notes that he simply trains hard and gives it his all when he plays. His coaches have had nothing but exceptional things to say about his work rate and I, for one, thing he is much more entertaining to watch than Messi.
Messi is fantastic, still young and already smashing records. I wont say that he is the best ever since I'm not convinced of this just yet, but he lacks the charisma and playfulness of Ronaldo and that's something I've come to appreciate more and more as the years go by.
Maybe you should get your own facts straight before accusing others.
There are some incredibly stupid comments about Messi in this thread, but as they say, haters are gonna hate.
Both Messi & CR7 are fantastic players in different ways, and we are lucky to be born in the same era as them and enjoy them play every week.
also a fun fact barca has like 6 red cards in their last decade while oppositions has somewhere around 30...what does that tell you?
lets not forget referees also...UEFA sure likes to pick the good guys dont they?
and for those who ignore the top writing, to make it simple: ronaldo has won in the best league in the world, where physicallity is the main asset(EPL) messi has not...and i cna agree messi would not last in the EPL since he will have people going after him during games and he would not be able to handle all the tackling, just imagine 4 sergio ramos going after him every game lol we all know how that would end!
What many disparage Cristiano for, this pundits applauds him. As should we.
http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/23878/cristiano-ronaldos-giant-steps
Secondly, yes messi has great support around him, but like another poster after you pointed out...look at who ronaldo plays with...its not a bunch of hacks!..hes surrounded by the best players in the world, and the other half...ok like the other third is the spanish national team. You guys talk like hes playing for Santa Clara. So what hes been to the semi finals and finals of the euros and world cup. Its not like he dominated in either tournament.
Dont get me wrong, I like ronaldo, and him and messi are far and away the best players in the world today, two of the greatest of all time, Im pround of ronaldo. But i dont have a CR7 portugal jersey, or follow madrid just because he is on the team. I see his highlights and thats it. Many young players never have acted like he has. Since when is age an excuse. If i acted like ronaldo my dad would slap me up side the head (and did). Im sorry, the winking, pulling of the jersey and flexing, giving the finger, the foot stomping and crying...its not for me. Mario Balotllu, Ibra, and the like arent for me. So yeah I judged him...what no one here has judged a player...no one has any thoughts on Mario Balotelli? Apparently Im the only person that judged a person I didnt know....well Im sorry for that everyone....I promise ill do better to meet every footballer in person and spend quality time before i make any statements on them.
I was going to say Nene was class, the best, my fav of all time! ...but really I never met him, so I could be wrong...so it would be wrong for me to make an assumption.
Anyway, theyre both great, but i prefer messi, ronaldo doesnt play for Benfica so all he has to do for me is be the best during the world cup and euros and ill be happy
Voice it's pointless trying to reason with the Messi nut-huggers. Just Google 'messi dive'. I can think of tons of examples of Messi being a diving whining crybaby. The famous Barca 1 Inter 0 CL match, where Messi dived when he was between Chivu and Lucio. What about the Classico where Messi was given a yellow for dissent, and then made a terrible challenge on Xabi Alonso. The ref went to pull out a card, then realized he'd already booked Messi, and put the card back, because he didn't want to send Messi off. What about another Classico when Marcelo jumped to head a ball away, and there was daylight between him and Messi, but Messi dived anyway. Yet another Classico, when messi lost possession deep in the real half. Instead of tracking back, Messi and co. stayed on the ground asking the ref for a card, and Real counterattacked and scored. I can give you a thousand such examples.
Please, if Messi has class, then the Dali Lama is Portuguese!
If you compare Ronaldo's offensive teammates at Madrid (Benzema, Higain, Ozil, Kaka, and Di Maria) with his offensive teammates in the Seleccao (Postiga, Nani, Almeida, Meireles, Moutinho) you'll notice a significant difference in quality and playing style.
Real Madrid utilizes a 4-2-3-1 with Ozil or Kaka, world class attacking midfielders who can directly create chances in the final third. Ronaldo also has the support of a fantastic winger in Di Maria, and excellent strikers in both Benzema and Higuain. With all this world class talents, particularly at center forward and attacking midfield, defenses can't solely focus on shutting down Ronaldo. Therefore, Ronaldo has a lot more chances to score when playing for Real Madrid.
Portugal utilizes a 4-3-3 where Ronaldo is the obvious focal point of the attack. Meireles and especially Moutinho are excellent midfielders, but they do not orchestrate the play in the final third like Ozil or Kaka. Ronaldo also lacks a quality center forward partner when playing for the Seleccao. Ronaldo and Nani are the only world class players in the final third, so it is much harder for Ronaldo to receive so many clear cut chances. Both he and Nani have the responsibility of creating and finishing chances without the help of an attacking midfielder or a quality striker.
You say arrogant - I say he is driven to be the best and his confident in his abilities.
You say pompous - I say he is confident in his abilities and willing to shoulder the burden of expectations...he is willing to take the pressure that goes along with being him.
You say diving cry baby - ya, maybe when he was a kid at ManU, but he isn't nearly as theatrical as he was, he has matured as a player, and if you can't see that - well, keep reading "footy reports" that come out of England...where they still have an axe to grind against him. By the way, if you haven't noticed - your boy messi has his hand high in the air as he goes down for the slightest touch...didn't he recently get a card for simulation?
As for an assessment of who Ronaldo is as a person and player? I'll take the word of people who know him personally and his manager who say he is a good person, who works hard each and every day of his life to be the best he can be.
You can troll all you like with talk of Messi, I'll say this to you and every other person who trumpets Messi as the best.
To be the best - you have to show that you can dominate in the best league in the world...the English Premiership. Ronaldo's ManU teams weren't nearly as star-studded as Barcelona.
Dominating in Spain, with what amounts to the World and European champions Spanish National team aka Barcelona - doesn't cut it in my books.
Messi has never done it with Argentina - Ronaldo has played in WC semi-finals and Euro finals.
However Ronaldo's goal-scoring exploits are more impressive to me for 2 main reasons:
(1.) Messi plays for a better team, the best in the world, and is suppourted by better players who have been playing together for many years. Take Messi out of that team (i.e for Argentina) and he's not quite the same is he?
(2.) There is no question that Messi is more of a conventional striker than CR7. Ronaldo is still first and foremost, a wide attacker, who is in the team just as much to assist the centre-forward, as to score himself. So for a winger to be scoring 50 goals in a season, is simply sensational!
However to me and many others, i'm sure, who follow the seleccao, and not Real Madrid, these exploits will mean nothing if CR7 doesn't finally extend his form to the seleccao. With the Euros and the "group of death" coming up, we badly need regular goals...and considering CR7's goal-scoring in the last few seasons at club level, there is no question he has been quite disappointing for the seleccao in contrast. Let's hope that all changes this summer!!!
I know Ray Hudson gets a lot of flack for being a homer and loving Barca and Messi.
But his reaction to Cristianos goal was, lets say orgasmic.
I, for one, love listening to Ray call a match.
http://www.balls.ie/2012/04/12/ray-hudson-has-a-verbal-explosion-after-ronaldos-free-kick/
Below, I'm also posting a link to a Cristiano documentary. It's called Cristiano Ronaldo Tested to the Limit. It's 45 minutes long, but it's very interesting.
By the way it also points to the reason behind the pointing to the thigh celebration. It's clearly due to his teammates teasing him about where his power is generated from.
http://www.balls.ie/2012/03/31/take-45-minutes-to-watch-this-awesome-cristiano-ronaldo-documentary/
Enjoy.
can he bury barcelona el clasico next week?
Im already dreading watching ronaldo b#$^h and complain in the euros.
Regardless he's had another tremendous year for Real. He leads the league with 40 goals, Messi has 39.
Messi is having an incredible CL, with 14 goals, while CR7 stands at 8.
For me I would take Cristiano over Messi for the clear fact that I could slot him in any club and he could excel. Messi would have a harder time integrating himself.
I know that there's a battle between fans on who's the best, but frankly we should be thrilled to be able to watch two huge superstars in our time. Two all time greats on two great teams.
Pepe and Coentrao also had great games. Coentrao was beaten in the air by falcao once or twice, but he made numerous impressive tackles and interceptions throughout the match. Hopefully Mourinho will notice that Coentrao is a better overall left back than Marcelo.