MUNICH--
Bayern Munich (BM) took the opportunity of honoring the career of Franz Beckenbauer, the iconic German footballer, for their pre-season match with Real Madrid (RM). Before the match, Beckenbauer was the honorary starter for the match, choosing to knock it to Cristiano Ronaldo (much to the surprise of CR7).
Vying for the Beckenbauer Trophy the two teams started off in a very different way. BM held a quick pace, battering RM keeper Iker Casillas, still chuffed from his WC win this summer. RM had very few chances in the first half, with the best two chances provided to Higuain. In the 2' he had a wonderful ball to easily head in, but chose to put it over the bar. In the 35' CR put a nice ball in for him but he couldn't put his foot on it.
BM dominated the first half (and the entire match really) and in the 7' minute they had an opportunity to go ahead when Sergio Ramos brought down Franck Ribery in the box. Badstuber took the penalty and it was blocked out by Casillas, but it came right back in and Casillas once again parried. It wasn't long before BM had another golden chance with Ribery. His freekick hit the wall, but bounced into his own path...but Casillas didn't allow it in.
It is no secret that I'm not a fan of Franck Ribery but he outplayed himself today. He was by far the star on the pitch until he was subbed off (much to his dislike) in the latter half of the second.
BM had too many wonderful chances in the first half on which they just couldn't capitalize.
Jose Mourinho's choice of clientele was curious to me. He started with Ricardo Carvalho (who just signed his name to RM papers two days ago). Was he really fit to be playing? I guess not, because he had absolutely no impact on the backline (like the other swiss cheese members of the RM "defense"), and Ribery made mincemeat of him, as did Klose, on too many occasions. Their disorganized back four were responsible for the beating Casillas took in the first half, while Jorg Butt on the other end was having a pedicure while waiting for an RM scoring chance.
The frontline of RM was even more disorganized. CR and Higuain were up front with Canales. The latter, who made his debut against Club America in San Francisco, looked outclassed by the Champions League runners-up. He had done well against Club America, and so-so against the LA Galaxy, but tonight he truly showed his lack of pitch awareness and naivete.
Cristiano was frustrated by the lack of service he was getting, and chose to do the work himself. He set up Higuain several time, and Di Maria when he came on, and then Benzema as well. All of them were not worthy of the ball, and CR seemed reticent to go forward himself. Has he been told by Mourinho that he's to play a classical winger position? If so, I'm not sure how long that will work if they're not going to score with the others. Benzema was poor again. He doesn't seem capable of following a fast-paced match. When Cristiano was screaming down the wing, he was ten paces behind...so when the cross or pass came in, Benzema was nowhere to be found and the ball just rolled haplessly in front of the goal box. The flailing arms and histrionics of Cristiano seemed to match my disbelief in Benzema's lack of awareness. I'm sure CR was thinking, "Rooney would have been there." And he's right.
Many changes were made in the second half and RM had a bit more life to them, but still disorganized in the back, middle, and up front!!! They were fortunate that BM did not connect on their chances or this match could easily have been 6-0.
At the end of 90, the score was still 0-0, so they went to penalties. BM missed two and RM made all of theirs so they won the match. They didn't celebrate much, and the scowl on Mourinho's face seemed to indicate that they will pay in training for their lack of shine on the pitch.
One comical moment happened when the announcer said that Cristiano looks very small on the pitch but is "actually a giant...I saw him in the tunnel before a match at Old Trafford and he is a hulking, large man...6' 4'' or 6' 5''!" What? Cristiano is 6' 1'' with heels on...and he is a narrow-bodied thinman...yes, he has muscles, but he is certainly not a hulking man!!! Why do all the announcers have to be knobs?
What does this mean for both teams? Who knows!!!! Someone will still be leaving RM before their season starts...my bet is Drenthe, and maybe a few defenders. It wouldn't matter because all of them are worthless.
In short...Cristiano's talents are still wasted in Madrid.
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