Nothing can personify desire, determination and will power better than Cristiano Ronaldo’s outstanding display of footballing master class against Atletico Madrid in the 2018-2019 Champions’ League quarter-finals fixture. Having spent 10 years in the Spanish capital Ronaldo was pretty much used to the pressure and grudge that the Atletico Madrid side has always brought whenever playing against him. Yet in the first leg against the familiar foe, Atletico Madrid trampled the Italian side by 2 home goals earning themselves a precious two-goal aggregate lead to defend at the Allianz Stadium.
This is just what the numbers stated. And the numbers as always didn’t depict the whole story. At the end of the first leg, as he gestured some erotic actions to the crowd, Simeone might’ve started believing that he already had his one foot into the next round. The jeers and boos from the crowd at Wanda Metropolitana the home of Atleti were all targeted to Cristiano Ronaldo. After losing by two goals to Atleti as he was being jeered by the Atleti fans he raised all the five fingers of his palm to gesture them the number of times he won the Champions League as opposed to zero titles of Atletico Madrid throughout their entire history.
Two weeks later Cristiano would end up scoring three goals at home to send Atleti crashing out of the tournament. In a game that was intense right from the start, Juventus were sending balls flying into the box to meet Cristiano’s head. Despite the tight defending put on a show by the Rojiblancos, their resistance eventually broke as Cristiano towered above the Atletico defense and headed in two goals. Later in the game, he converted from the spot to seal an inch-perfect comeback.
Video Courtesy: Youtube Channel Juventus
It seemed like it was not Juventus against Atletico Madrid rather it was Cristiano Ronaldo against Atletico Madrid. The performance that night ended up writing Cristiano Ronaldo’s name all over the fixture. It was as if the Champions league wanted Cristiano Ronaldo in the quarter-finals. Cristiano gave his absolute everything and helped Juventus edge the fixture on aggregate by a score of 3-2.
Post the match Cristiano’s wife and girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez in a letter wrote “This 3-0 nobody steals it. You deserve it, not for the three goals tonight. You deserve it for your dedication, for what you get in the club where you are. You are a trailer for your team-mates, coach and everyone we admire and support every day. Karma exists. God knows, God gives it to you, because the world of soccer is yours. WE LOVE YOU.”
When a comeback seemed necessary but impossible Cristiano Ronaldo raised his level of competition and shattered Atletico like a house made of a stack of cards. In the week preparing for the game it was speculated that Cristiano gave absolutely everything on the training pitch to keep himself fully fit and tactically sound for the game and ended up transcending his desire to win with his superb warrior mentality. Such is the work ethic of the man from Portugal that he not only fires himself up but also ends up inspiring his entire team to work hard for victory.
Self-belief, hard work, and pure desire won that night. This Cristiano Ronaldo victory became yet another example to warriors in the world of sports and beyond all other fields of life of the fact that, “The difference between the impossible and the possible is a man’s determination.”
Already exhibited to the world by the beautiful game, just drafted into words by Gagandeep Singh
The Holy Soccrament 