Gallant Madrid end the year on a high

Real Madrid ended their remarkable year on a high in Marrakech as they defeated Argentine outfit San Lorenzo 2-0 to lift the first Club World Cup.

Goals either side of half time from Sergio Ramos and Gareth Bale ensured a fourth trophy of 2014 for Los Blancos, who also lifted the Champions League, Copa del Rey and European Super Cup. The win in Morocco also ensured the team extended their winning record to a remarkable 22 games in a row – four more than the previous best by a Spanish club.

The praise heaped on Real Madrid by the team’s FIFA Club World Cup rivals before the tournament turned out to be justified. The hot favourites more than lived up to expectations in Morocco by winning their fourth trophy of 2014, making this the most successful calendar year in the club’s history.

The ruthless manner in which Madrid brushed the opposition aside may have had a familiar look to it – after all, Carlo Ancelotti’s men had conquered Europe in May by winning the UEFA Champions League for the tenth time. But the team’s current 22 game winning streak, the most recent of which came with a 2-0 victory over San Lorenzo in the final, has taken Los Merengues to another level. Madrid, who disappointed at their last appearance at the Club World Cup in 2000, will now make sure the trophy takes pride of place in the Santiagao Bernabeu cabinet.

That is unquestionable. Since losing back-to-back Liga fixtures against Real Sociedad and Atletico early in the season, Madrid have now won 22 consecutive fixtures to set a new club record (the previous best was 15). They have also overtaken the Spanish mark of 18 registered by Frank Rijkaard’s Barcelona in 2005-06.

The run started with a 5-1 success versus Basel in the Champions League on September 16 and has continued with wins against Deportivo La Coruna, Villarreal, Elche, Ludogorets (twice), Athletic Bilbao, Levante, Liverpool (twice), Barcelona, Cornella (twice), Granada, Rayo Vallecano, Eibar, Basel again, Malaga, Celta Vigo and now Almeria.

“It’s a fitting end to an unforgettable year. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and delighted with our performances. For me, Real Madrid are the best team in the world,” said Ancelotti who, after winning the Club World Cup in 2007 with Milan, is now a two-time world club champion.

In terms of making history, Real, who have now equalled Milan’s record of four World and Intercontinental Cup wins, a number of players had special reason to celebrate: Iker Casillas, as the only survivor from the team that came fourth in 2000; Toni Kroos, the midfield colossus and provider of the passes for Ramos’ goals, who won his third world title in 12 months; and Cristiano Ronaldo, who after winning the Club World Cup with Manchester United in Japan in 2008, becomes one of the few players to have won the trophy with two different teams. And the incredible achievements of this team may be just beginning.

Not only did Real Madrid’s triumph in Morocco represent the climax of the club’s phenomenal current run, but it also confirmed the recent domination of European sides in the tournament. It was the seventh win in 11 editions for the UEFA representatives, and the third time an Argentinian team has been defeated in the final. After overcoming modest Auckland City in the semi-final with a 2-1 extra time win, San Lorenzo could not repeat the heroics that won them the Copa Libertadores.

Real added the year-ending trophy to the Champions League, Copa del Rey and European Super Cup titles they had already secured in 2014. They will also end the year on top of La Liga.

Last Saturday’s triumph was also their 22nd consecutive win in all competitions, and they now have in their sights the mark of 26 straight wins achieved by Johan Cruyff’s Ajax side in 1971-72.

But to extend the unprecedented run to 23 matches, they’ll have to win away to Valencia when La Liga’s winter break comes to an end in early January. And three days after that they’ll visit Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey.

Ancelotti.s side will put their winning streak to the test on numerous occasions next month, especially in retaining the Champions league trophy won last season.

Having won 22 successive games in all competitions, Real are one of the favourites to triumph in this season’s Champions League, along with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

But the La Liga leaders will need to break a curse, which stretches back to the 1992-93 season, when Milan lost 1-0 to Marseille in the final after cruising through a group, which also included Porto, PSV and Gothenburg.

The same thing happened to PSG two years later when, after gaining maximum points from group fixtures against Bayern, Spartak Moscow and Dynamo Kiev, the French outfit lost to Milan at the semi-final stage.

The manager is also thinking about the future. “I’m proud to say that I have a very professional, serious and focused group of players to work with. I’d be delighted if we could repeat what we’ve achieved this year.”

Time will tell if in-form Ancelotti’s side will add another trophy to its cabinet in the coming months and break the back to back Champions League jinx.

@AnthonyNlebem

Anthony Nlebem