Real Madrid are no doubt one of the top five teams in the world. Maybe even top two.
They play a stellar brand of football, boasting an array of global superstars who could walk on to any other club on the face of the planet.
This year - led by the insane run of form by Cristiano Ronaldo - Real are a treat to watch, a true testament to the attacking soccer preached by manager Jose Mourinho. The Spanish side's play in today's Champions League match was no different, a 4-0 dismantling of host Ajax to secure first place in Group G.
There were no problems with the soccer being played by Real Madrid today. The problem was in the blatant disregard for the spirit of the competition when in the 87th and 90th minutes - well after the match was won - Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos got themselves intentionally red carded.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Both players were in yellow card trouble after having been penalized earlier in the match. Since neither were going to play in the next match anyway, they chose to get themselves suspended now rather than have the suspension carry over into the knockout stage.
I'm of two minds about this.
On one hand, the idealist in me hates when teams resort to this sort of subterfuge to skirt the rules (hence the "blatant disregard comment" above). The rules are there to ensure a level playing field, and to ensure that the integrity of the game is kept intact.
What Mourinho had his players do in the dying minutes of a long-since-decided match completely flies in the face of that.
Of course, the cynic in me sees the intelligence of such actions. The "purity" of football went away long ago, and with so much on the line in just about every match (especially a CL match), it's almost become commendable when teams figure out new, innovative ways to gain an advantage.
Such is the duality of modern soccer these days. Many of us will adamantly condemn the actions of one player for bending the regulations in his team's favour, and in the next breath laud another player for his guile when doing exactly the same thing.
I'm no different. I saw no problem with Thierry Henry's Handball Heard 'Round The World , and yet I was incensed with Luis Suarez's impromptu goalkeeper act in the World Cup.
I'm still undecided about the Madrid players' actions today.
*Update* Highlights of the goals are now available.
(H/T to my colleague Yvan Delia-Lavictoire).