Real Madrid crowned champions of the world

Published December 22, 2014
MARRAKESH: Real Madrid players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Club World Cup final.—AP
MARRAKESH: Real Madrid players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Club World Cup final.—AP

MARRAKESH: Real Madrid outclassed San Lorenzo of Argentina 2-0 in the Club World Cup final on Saturday to put a crown on their status as the best club in world football.

Goals from Sergio Ramos and Gareth Bale, after being forced into a scrap by the feisty South Americans, saw the Spanish giants secure their fourth trophy of 2014 and they will carry a 22-game winning streak into 2015.

Real added the year-ending trophy to the Champions League, Copa del Rey and European Super Cup titles they had already secured in 2014. They will also end the year on top of La Liga.

Real scored in each half of a bruising encounter in Grand Stade which Guatemalan referee Walter Lopez just managed to keep under control.

The Marrakesh crowd gave the European champions fervent support and were expecting a gala exhibition, which San Lorenzo were not going to allow despite the obvious gulf in class.

Ramos made the breakthrough, leaping up and heading in Toni Kroos’ sweetly stuck corner after 37 minutes and Bale doubled Real’s lead early in the second half for their fourth world club championship, first in the Club World Cup format.

“An unforgettable year,” Ramos, who had been an injury doubt because of a hamstring strain, said. “It’s a special day and this is a reward for all the effort and work that we have put in as a team.”

Real now have in their sights the mark of 26 straight wins achieved by Johan Cruyff’s Ajax side in 1971-72.

“We deserved to win the title — we can say that Real Madrid are the best team in the world at this moment,” said Real coach Carlo Ancelotti. “We have done really well this year, it’s been unforgettable. We are a team and a family.”

The indefatigable, joyous singing of San Lorenzo’s fans in the crowd of 38,345 was more uplifting than much of the team’s football. San Lorenzo sat back, letting Real bring the game to them rather than the other way around.

And they nearly scored on their first attack when Karim Benzema just failed to connect with Cristiano Ronaldo’s low cross from the right.

After that, San Lorenzo did well to restrict Real to a couple of chances in the opening half hour only for their resistance to be broken at a corner when Ramos outjumped the defence to break the deadlock.

Ramos had already been booked and could have been sent off for an ugly face-to-face rant at the referee as the game, which featured 40 fouls and numerous confrontations between players, threatened to get out of control.

Bale made it 2-0 six minutes into the second half when he collected a pass from Isco and fired the ball straight at Sebastian Torrico but the Argentine keeper made a terrible hash of the Welshman’s tame shot and fumbled the ball over the line.

Real stopper Iker Casillas had to wait until the 65th minute to be tested for the first time when he saved a low diagonal effort from Emanuel Mas.

He then made more difficult stops to deny Juan Mercier and Enzo Kalinski, although Real also missed several chances to score a third on the break.

“I told the players in the dressing room that I was proud to have led this team this year,” San Lorenzo coach Edgardo Bauza said. “Each defeat hurts, even when it is against a team as successful as Real Madrid, and we have to accept it.”

Earlier, New Zealand’s Auckland City claimed third place after defeating Cruz Azul 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out to become the first Oceania team to win a medal at the tournament.

The two sides were locked 1-1 at the end of normal time with defender Ryan de Vries’ goal in first-half injury time equalised by Joao Rojas’ close-range effort just before the hour mark for the Mexican side. In the shoot-out, Sanni Issa scored the eventual winner for the semi-professionals from Auckland.

Published in Dawn, December 22th, 2014

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