38 or 39? Simply not enough.
38 or 39? Simply not enough.
By Dominic Vieira, writing from Lancaster, England
38 or 39, does it really matter? No! But to the Madristas or fanatical MARCA journalists it certainly does; that debate can take place elsewhere. A player who has scored 52 goals in 53 season appearances is sensational and that’s a word which can describe Cristiano Ronaldo. However, his most important goal was not realized in La Liga but in the Copa del Rey final against eternal rivals FC Barcelona allowing the club to lift the trophy for the first time in 18 years. For manager Jose Mourinho and most of the team, it was their first piece of silverware conquered in the trademark white shirt. Unfortunately, that milestone appears to be overshadowed by Ronaldo either equalling or surpassing Telmo Zarra’s and Hugo Sanchez’s 38 La Liga goal record.
The speculation and bets regarding Ronaldo’s newly established record had kicked off even before the start of the season, alongside MARCA’s annual typical claims that this year Madrid will claim their 10th Champions League trophy or 32nd league title. As both those ambitions failed, the attention was placed on their goal scoring forward to break the 38 record. Ronaldo who is in phenomenal form, certainly deserves credit for his achievement and will receive his second European Golden Boot unless Messi scores an unlikely amount of goals. But let’s not forget about his team-mates as they’ve contributed with a number of assists, merit must be allocated to the the flourishing Mesut Ozil, the pioneer Xabi Alonso and talented yet inconsistent Di Maria.
Retreating to the main focus, Hugo Sanchez played a huge role in the Real Madrid side which won the 1989/1990 La Liga in record breaking fashion under Welsh manager John Toshack. It was a magnificent season as they clinched their 5th consecutive title (25th in total at the time) scoring 107 goals. The Mexican striker was a menace up front in a team which included Hierro and Schuster, as he netted 36% of the team’s goals, 38.
21 years later, the world’s most expensive player broke that record, nevertheless his incredible tally of 39 goals was insufficient for Madrid to lift the title which they desperately desire. Ronaldo’s number of goals reflects his near completeness as an attacking player; 27 goals scored with his right foot, 8 with his left and 4 with his head. Interestingly, 44% of them were converted set pieces and he’s produced 13 assists.
In addition, there’s one match remaining against bottom placed Almeria this Saturday. Real Madrid are 8 goals short of last year’s total and sit in 2nd with 89 points, they finished last season with 96. Taking into consideration that Cristiano played fewer games last year, the team have not outclassed Pellegrini’s performance. But in football, 2nd place is always 2nd place, regardless of the statistics.
“CR39” as MARCA now proudly salute him, has broken a tough record and equalled Messi’s 52 season goal record registered this season. The Barcelona player has participated in one more game than Ronaldo, however he does possess almost double the amount of assists. Prior to the last 3 matches where Ronaldo scored an astonishing 9 goals, the Pichichi race portrayed an electrifying Tom & Jerry-esque contest and fans can be assured that this competitiveness between the two will continue in both domestic and European competitions for several years.
Obviously collective trophies will always hold a higher importance than individual ones. The moment when Ronaldo places the Pichichi boot on his trophy shelf, a glimpse of disappointment should appear on his face as a La Liga or Champions League medal won’t be accompanying it. But look on the bright side, next season is Real Madrid’s 110th anniversary (be prepared for intense MARCA propaganda) where the team will aim to celebrate it with silverware; a club of Real’s dimension must win trophies. Ronaldo alongside a rapidly developing team, will be fighting for that dream with his goals and assists.
And if he can’t parade throughout the Madrid streets on an open-top bus holding a trophy next year, he might as well score 40+ league goals, a milestone which very few master. It can still be accomplished this season and it’s an achievable goal because with this man, anything is possible.
