REAL MADRID: 2011-2012 SPANISH LEAGUE CHAMPION
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Real Madrid team clebrates the title |
The League champion gets in some way, the husband of the year award. No other team has been most faithful and constant, none as serious and family. There may be more witty lovers, but do not support a timetable. The champion, in many ways, share the amatory philosophy of Paul Newman, immune to infidelity: "Why eat hamburger out when I have steak at home". This has been the Real Madrid this year, a red meat eater. The opposite of a 'Mad Men'. Its persistence has been extreme virtue and their numbers of large family: 115 goals in 35 games. Not a distraction, not a bad week. Not a weakness.
Real Madrid, in its perfect strength, has not only been able to win in bad afternoons. Even in these, has thrashed its opponents, like yesterday. No team, while known, had succeeded so far, without relationship between soccer and goals. With inspiration or not, with wind in favor or against, with bad or good game, the matches have been closed with outrageous markers. Achieving such thing, is to put wine in the bottle without stepping on grapes. A similar prodigy.
Winning the League, and do it with this caravan of goals and records is a matter of much merit... and Mourinho. The coach's value is unquestionable. He has won Leagues in four countries what confirms, if necessary, his aptitude for languages and long distances. Only the gigantic size of Real Madrid can measure his formidable personal record. Mourinho is the 16th coach of Real Madrid winning a League, after Schuster.
The win in San Mames stadium has all the possible spiritual values. Served not only to become champion where no one except the Athletic did before. Not only was a feat in the house of Pichichi or Zarra. The victory in the 'Cathedral' makes Real Madrid earns the championship with victories in the fields of all the Spanish League champions (Camp Nou, Mestalla, Vicente Calderon, Anoeta, Benito Villamarin, Sanchez Pizjuan, San Mames), with the single and excusable exception of Riazor (Deportivo La Coruña is in transit to First Division). A total of 22 goals for and eight against.
About football, Coentrao, Higuain and Callejon made the starting lineup and the team played an intense game from the get-go looking for a goal. Iriazoz managed to only just snatch the ball from Higuain in the opening minute and one minute later cleared a shot by Coentrao. Real Madrid attacked and Athletic withstood it as much as they could, but Javi Martinez touched the ball with his hands on the 11-minute mark and a penalty was awarded. Cristiano Ronaldo took the shot and Iriazoz managed to save it, but Real Madrid kept trying: Ozil passed the ball to Higuain four minutes later and the Argentinian defeated the keeper with a sensational shot. The German midfielder netted a second for the team after an impressive collective effort and a masterful cross from Ronaldo (19').
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Higuain scored the first goal of the match |
Real Madrid started to control the game well and the locals created little danger. Casillas saved the day with a great stretch in an Iñigo Perez free-kick, after which San Jose sent the ball to the crossbar (36'). The Madridistas had another chance to net a third one minute later through Ozil, whose shot also hit the crossbar.
Real continued to have the reins of the game after half-time and scored their third goal on the 50-minute mark when Ronaldo headed in an Ozil corner-kick. The locals' pride was hurt and they looked harder for a goal, but the Whites' defence was incredibly solid, especially against Toquero and Llorente. They also tried to net more strikes and Callejon came close to tallying a fourth, but Iriazoz cleared his shot (59'). Athletic were only proving dangerous in set pieces, while Real Madrid never relaxed and continued giving an intense performance to the end.
De Marcos hit the crossbar with a distant shot on the 67-minute mark and, minutes later, Javi Martinez was sent off with a second booking (72'), which dampened the mood of the match, which had until then unfolded normally. Mourinho replaced Higuain with Benzema (76') and two minutes later Granero came on for Ozil.
Real Madrid continued to absolutely dominate the clash in the final minutes of the encounter. They had possession of the ball and let time go by in order to celebrate winning the league title as soon as possible. At the sound of the final whistle, the entire squad and coaching staff stormed the pitch and embraced in jubilation.
There was no better or more appropiate scenary for the end. Real Madrid won the League and is still close to complete the almost perfect season, that of the hundred points. Glory and honor for who performed the most difficult role: the perfect husband. Congratulations champions.
Summary
Stadium: San Mames
Attendance: 35,000
Goals: 0-1, min.15: Higuain. 0-2, min.19: Ozil. 0-3, min.50: Cristiano Ronaldo.