Soccer. Football. Futbol. Fusball. Over 3.5 billion people in the world call soccer the best sport in the world, including me. From the age of seven onward, I have been a die-hard soccer fan. This article was quite difficult for me to write, because I had to give credit to my biggest soccer rival: Real Madrid. Yes, I'm forever an FC Barcelona fan when it boils down to Spanish Primera Division. And don't even get me started on Messi versus Ronaldo...I digress.
So, what's the big news? I would call it more than news. We are witnessing La Liga history. Real Madrid has attained the longest unbeaten streak of 40 games! Madrid has an average of over three goals per game, not even Bayern, Chelsea, or Juventus can compare. The streak was held up on January 12th when Madrid tied with Sevilla 3-3. Sevilla took the lead after 10 minutes when Madrid defender, Danilo, scored an own goal, but Marco Asensio equalised before half-time. Stevan Jovetic and Iborra both scored goals with stunning finishes, but Ramos rebounded with a penalty. Most of the Sevilla fans were stunned at the quality of play by Madrid, but Benzema left the crowd silent after scoring a last minute solo goal.
Madrid are currently leading the La Liga table, and likely to win, with 40 points followed by Sevilla and Barcelona. I have to give credit to Madrid for establishing talent within a realm of teamwork. Cristiano Ronaldo has been the top scorer for Madrid with 11 goals total this season, while Toni Kroos has assisted over seven goals. Gareth Bale, Ronaldo, and Kroos are three key players that have all extended their contract with Madrid. If you ask me who the man of the match is, I will always look to Sergio Ramos for his defense tactics and vision of plays. Ronaldo isn't too bad either ;) Congratulations to both the team and its masterful manager Zidane for reaching new heights in soccer history. The world may scream, “Hala Madrid!” But, Camp Nou will always yell, “Forca Barca!” The real showdown will be El Classico on April 23rd between long-time rivals Barcelona and Madrid. At the end of the day, football unites people all around the world due to the unconditional love of the greatest sport in the world. Yes, we may all have our favorite teams and players, but the sport is what it's all about.
