Madrid, to conquer the world

After they confirmed their place in the final of the Club World Cup, San Lorenzo began to play a game that they know will be lost today if they only play football. It is easy to assume that, for this reason, their president rejected the designation of the Portuguese referee Proença, without being assisted by the rules (the referee should be from a country other than those of the finalists, not from a different confederation), but encouraged by the noise it would create.

Interestingly, the prejudices against Proença did not come because of his continentality or his nationality, but instead because of his severity when applying the rules, a common note, according to the Argentine perspective, that applies to all European referees (they don’t know Mateu).

It is logical that a team whose survival plan is based on defending and ferocity concern themselves with the permissiveness toward “physical contact”, even with acknowledgement (of Pepe) before being charged. There is no blame to apportion to the team that looks ahead to the final with an obvious inferiority born from budgets: one of 10m euros against another of 530m euros.

Certainly, the Guatemalan Walter López will be in charge of measuring “physical contact” tonight. Do not discount that they will speak of Simón Bolívar in search of friendly treatment.

The problem for San Lorenzo (the umpteenth) is that Real Madrid are not easy to intimidate. Players like Ramos, Pepe, Cristiano and Bale are, in addition to being talented footballers, imposing athletes who do not shy away from the fight. On the paper, the Madrid players are quicker and stronger than the guards who want to apprehend them.

Pride. Pride is virtually San Lorenzo’s only argument. Facing the most significant match in their history, they will do it before 10,000 fans who have crossed half the world to support the Cyclone of their loves. Romagnoli’s pep talk to the rest of the team before their semi-final expressed the feeling of the players: “Think of the family over there, in those who came, this is a big club, lads, we leave the soul, the heart, come on, come on!”

The proper names emphasise the distance between the contenders. Sergio Ramos will not miss out and James could enter in place of Illarra in the starting XI. The Argentines, who lost their top stars after winning the Libertadores (Correa to Atlético and Piatti to Montreal Impact), will cling to the left foot of Barrientos, the courage of Cauteruccio, the barrel of Ortigoza, the legend of Romagnoli and to the miracle, of course.

from Últimas noticias | Diario AS http://ift.tt/1xxqwns

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