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Monday, November 11, 2013

'LA DECIMA' COLUMN

Cristiano, the ace; Xabi, the king and Isco, the wildcard




Cristiano aside, for he is Real Madrid and everything it stands for, what happened yesterday was another step in Real Madrid’s quest for excellence: a thrilling first half followed by a less than thrilling second.
Regarding Cristiano and the Ballon d’Or, I was told by someone who votes for the award and claims to have the inside scoop that it might be crucial for CR7’s aspirations that he book Portugal a place at the World Cup, which is his mission in the play-off tie against Zlatan's 'Swedamovich', who stand in Portugal’s way.
However, from an organisation whose boss acts the fool at a student union, the fact that the "greatness" of a player like Cristiano might hinge on him scoring 3, 4 or 50 goals in the World Cup play-offs is the joke that just keeps giving. It is an award which was never bestowed on Laudrup, so I could not care less and maybe Cristiano does not either. That said, it is true that December is just around the corner and this keeps things interesting.
Certainly, hearing the Bernabeu faithful frenetically chorus "Cristiano, Cristiano!" just goes to show that we at least treat one Portuguese well here. If we carry on like this we will end up asking for another bringing together along the lines of Swedamovich: Spain & Portugal; and what a turn up for the books that would be.
The third blend, Madrid & Football, is still in the making. The wait is livened up by other things, one of which is Xabi Alonso. He must be convinced to sign a new deal, right? As the offer is permanently on the table, it is a matter of how good he feels: strong, fully recovered, in tip-top condition. Only then will he stay.
Xabi is a vital member of the team, simply because of the player he is, because he makes Khedira better – and that allows Modric off his leash – and because he will take Illarra under his wing... If Cristiano is the ace and Xabi the king, then Isco looked likely to be the wildcard. Of course, it is a long season and there is plenty of time for the good, the bad and even the ugly, but I like him and it is far too early to write him off just yet.

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