in a stadium named “Camp Nou” located in the Spanish city of
Barcelona there are 24 players looking at a ball situated in the middle
of the field awaiting the referee’s whistle.You focus your vision further
& realize that you are seeing Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká,
Xavi,Iniesta, Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Ibrahimovic, Xabi Alonso, Thierry
Henry, Karim Benzema …& you realize that the Best Players in the
World of Football are before your very own eyes. The whistle blows
& you are witnessing the “Clasico” the big Spanish League “Derby”
between FC BARCELONA & REAL MADRID.
(photo: Mundodeportivo.com)
There are few occasions & few places (perhaps except for Argentina
& the Boca Juniors vs. River Plate game) in the World of Football
that allows you to view, feel & live Football at its highest level.
Never before have so many World Class players been summoned
together in one place to play with & against each other. For example,
rumour has it that this years Golden Ball Award final places will be
Messi the winner, Cristiano Ronaldo second & Xavi Hernandez third;
they will all be there this Sunday representing their team along with
the current Best Goalkeeper in the World who is Iker Casillas & a list
of Top 10 World ranked stars: Kaká, Iniesta, Ibrahimovic, Benzema,
Xabi Alonso, Ramos, Puyol, Henry…etc & etc. This is awesome,
unique, special & not to be missed if you are a Football fan.
The pre-match favourites are FC BARCELONA who displayed last
Tuesday in their Champions League must win game against Inter
Milan that they are firing, & won 2-0 without Messi & Ibrahimovic.
REAL MADRID is leading the Spanish League classification table by
1ºpoint over Barça, but their game yesterday showed that they
are a playing contradiction, miles behind the worst level Barça
could play & are winning thanks to individual solutions ahead of
any real coherent team play which is lacking & worrying some Real
Madrid Directives. In fact, Real Madrid show continuing signs of
lack of physical endurance in their matches, lack of coordination,
emptiness in creativity & solutions. This paints a bleak picture for
Madrid, but they will have back CRISTIANO RONALDO & his mere
presence will give the visitors a moral boost & a substantial lift in
the quality scale. According to the latest media comments by
Ronaldo, the man is centred, eager & wishing to score to let the
World know that the “King wishes his crown back”.
(photo:elmundo.es)
Either way, anything can happen as this match, this very special
clash of giants does not follow the standard prognostics & written
rules of a normal obliged scheduled game. This is one of the biggest
spectacles in Football & even the “Gods” themselves take a break
& desert their control over destiny to hand it over with free reign to
24 players who are consciously & physically lifted above their normal
levels.
Latest news is that Messi is trying hard to overcome injury to be fit,
with Ibrahimovic almost certain to start. At Real Madrid Cristiano
Ronaldo is fit & roaring to go with Benzema upfront & Kaká in his
natural position just behind the forwards…The stage is set, will you
miss it, will you dare give a result?
