Gina's Soccer Diary August 7th - Game Night

Ok, you can read a official game recap anywhere. I’m going to talk about my experience on this wonderful day instead. I’m also not technically a Real Madrid fan but I can safely say Real Madrid does have several players I am a huge fan of like Kaka, Arjen Robben, Raul and Iker Casillas. I also really enjoy Sergio Ramos, Guti, Diarra, Royston Drenthe and Wesley Sneijder - yes, the L’Orange are my second favourite team to root for on an international level. (*van der Vaart & van Nistelrooy, who I also adore didn’t feature in the TFC game)

Before we continue - For the record I admire Christiano Ronaldo’s considerable skills and hard body work ethic but there is something missing for me… he doesn’t give me that giddy enthusiastic feeling I get watching the other guys I mentioned. I think it’s because with him, I don’t get a sense of magic happening. He comes more across as a well-oiled machine of football grooming. It could be the lack of actual televised interviews he does (and no, TMZ doesn’t count) but I have never gotten a sense of his personality. This is why I still hold onto a certain cynicism about him - just so ya know.

Moving on…

Anyone who knows me can attest that I am a proud Canadian and proud to be from the great city of Toronto. I also always root for TFC and I even did tonight. But I would be lying if I said I hoped Toronto FC was going to hold Real back on this night. Because I wanted blood, I wanted hearts…I wanted goals - plenty of them and yes m’am did they ever deliver.

One respected soccer journalist (my friend, John Molinaro of CBC Sports Online) wrote that Real Madrid made Toronto look like “Plebeians”. Yeah, that’s right, the ancient Roman word for common vulgar people hailing from a lower class – Oh John you word-smith, you!

I was expecting TFC to struggle against Real, but certainly not to such a telling score line as 5-1. When the match was done, most of the Real players didn’t look as if they had broken much of a sweat and TFC looked worked to the bone.

Enough of picking on TFC because they did have one of the nicest goals of the night (in the 75th) - A rebound by youngster Gabe Gala started from a wonderful play by TFC’s O’Brien White.

Actually, TFC started the opening minutes of the match as if someone had lit a firecracker under their butts, with great plays by De Rosario & Vitti up front. Then Madrid quickly took the reins and scored three goals within the span of 30 minutes. I missed most of it!

Security Disaster Recap:
Yes, I missed the opening 20 minutes of the match due to some horrible security person at BMO… Here’s a long story short - After leaving the press box I proceeded to my (very expensive) seat, which was a birthday gift from a dear friend. Even though I had a purchased ticket in hand, my press pass somehow got in the way (which I was still wearing).This woman, let’s call her “Claudia” (well, because that’s her name) refused to let me take my seat. Apparently to this security lady, a ticket in hand means nothing when you’re already deemed a lowly press person.

She took off with my - again, let me stress this, PAID TICKET – and came back 15 minutes later!

Upon her return with my PAID TICKET, she seemed defeated that it was legitimate. Just when I thought it was over she then said she “needed to report me” to some higher power for reasons unknown (even to her obviously).

I took a deep breath, held my ground that I was doing nothing wrong and demanded she let me see the game I was there to see. I stood up to “the man” but remain sour as I missed Ronaldo’s goal and Raul’s second goal. I was however, able to poke my head in the stadium to catch the first Raul goal – which was very perdy indeed.

OK, I’ve cried enough. Back to the game…
Pellegrini took Kaka off at half time, which robbed the boy wonder of the standing O I always wanted to give him. Anyway, considering that this was Kaka’s first match since he signed for Real in early July, I have to say he looked pretty good. He’ll be back to his speedy self in no time!

Ronaldo subbed out about 20 minutes into the second half, to a deserved standing ovation by most of the fans at BMO. I don’t understand why people feel the need to boo him. So he’s awesome and he doesn’t play for your team, big deal. He dated Paris Hilton, that’s punishment enough.

His substitute was Real’s newest signing – Xabi Alonso. My other favourite Madrid player Robben, came on around the same time and scored a peach of a goal for the Galacticos. Many people have wondered whether the signings of Kaka and Ronaldo could only mean an uncertain fate for Robben this season*.

The game was now done. I stuck around to watch Kaka give an interview to one lucky reporter below and proceeded to make my way out of the very busy parking lot. I am grateful I had a chance to see this modern Real Madrid outfit of Spanish and international superstars play my local heroes at TFC.

Now, it’s about time one of Italy’s big three visits Toronto, is it not?

Thanks for reading, over & out.

GB.

* Robben & Sneijder were traded two weeks later to Bayern Munich and Inter Milan respectively. Darn it, I now have to follow two MORE teams!