We may have done it — we may have found the biggest fair-weather football fan on the planet. All it took was one incredible kick of the ball.
Football fans typically pride themselves in devoting themselves to a team. Normally fans will support two teams: their local club and their national team. Americans might add a European team as well, but typically the most dedicated fans focus on one or two teams.
Then there’s this guy, Moe.
Watch the highlights again. You've already seen them, but watch them again, especially Ronaldo's second goal.
Who else could it be??
Cristiano Ronaldo puts Real Madrid ahead early in Turin! pic.twitter.com/sBKCDsRvM6— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 3, 2018
Some clever movement in the box from Real Madrid (and a basketball-style screen) left the Juventus defense befuddled and gave Real Madrid the lead three minutes into the Champions League quarterfinal first leg Tuesday.
Who else could it be??
Cristiano Ronaldo puts Real Madrid ahead early in Turin! pic.twitter.com/sBKCDsRvM6— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 3, 2018
Juventus play Real Madrid today, and if Gianluigi Buffon has anything to say about it the Italians will approach this game with an entirely different mindset than the last time these two teams met.
"I'd say we went into the Cardiff game over-confident and that was mistake number one. At the same time on the night Madrid were the better side and I hope for a better performance from Juve on this occasion," the 40-year-old told Diario AS.
With Bayern Munich attacker James Rodriguez returning to Spain to play Sevilla in the Champions League this week, the Spanish media turned its attention to the Real Madrid loanee with a staple of the country’s football coverage: unsubstantiated transfer rumors.
The rumor wasn’t all that juicy, just that Bayern will certainly move to make his loan permanent this summer by activating a clause that was included in the initial two-year loan contract signed last July.
Mario Mandzukic is reportedly in good health heading into the Champions League quarterfinal clash between Juventus and Real Madrid. That's good news for Juve, as it was a Mandzukic bicycle kick in last year's UCL final that was the lone bright spot for the Italian side.
A few weeks ago, Lionel Messi reached the landmark of 100 goals in the UEFA Champions League, joining Cristiano Ronaldo as the only footballer to achieve the feat. The following comparisons between the two were inevitable, because for the last 10 years, it’s just been Ronaldo and Messi at the top of the world’s premier club competition.
In fact, you’d have to go back to the 2006-07 season and AC Milan’s Kaká to find the last Champions League top scorer by season not named Ronaldo or Messi.
When Alex Ferguson was scouting for talent in 1992, he had eyes on Leeds United Irishman Denis Irwin. Ferguson returned to Old Trafford with Irwin, picking up the fiery Frenchman Eric Cantona with him. Still convinced these miraculous transfers are nothing more than a coincidence? Nothing more than a marvelous yet inexplicable choice like your parents magically agreeing you can sleep over at Jimmy’s because you’ve been a good lad?