Saturday, 31 May 2014

Real Madrid's Ronaldo Ties Lionel Messi on All-Time Champions League Goals List


Real Madrid's Ronaldo Ties Lionel Messi on All-Time Champions League Goals List
Shaun Botterill/Getty Images 
With his goal from the penalty spot in the 120th minute of theUEFA Champions League final against Atletico Madrid on Saturday, Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo tied FC Barcelona striker Lionel Messi for second place on the all-time Champions League scoring list, per ESPN Stats & Info.
With 67 goals apiece, both Ronaldo and Messi trail only former Real Madrid legend Raul, who scored 71 times in the competition.
Ronaldo began the season with 50 goals in Champions League play but set a new single-season record by scoring 17 times. He broke the previous record of 14—held by Messi—back on April 29 when he bagged a brace against Bayern Munich in the second leg of their semifinal matchup.
Ronaldo's goal put the finishing touch on a 4-1 extra-time victory, giving Real Madrid their 10th European Cup trophy, which is three more than any other club. The title was also Real Madrid's first since2002, when they defeated Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-1 in Glasgow, Scotland.
The dominant scoring was hardly kept to the Champions League, as Ronaldo also led La Liga with 31 goals this season, tying Liverpool striker Luis Suarez for the most goals scored across the top five European Leagues.

Luis Suarez is the best in the world ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, claims Uruguay team-mate Cristian Rodriguez

Uruguay will be without the finest player on the planet if Luis Suarez fails to recover from injury in time to play England on June 19.
That is the verdict of Uruguay midfielder Cristian Rodriguez, who said: ‘He is the best player in the world. And I’m not saying that because I’m Uruguayan and so is he.’
Liverpool’s 31-goal star looks like making it back just in time to face Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka and Rodriguez drives home the importance of his recovery when he says: ‘As far as I’m concerned Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are a notch or so below Suarez. He has demonstrated it for club and country. Messi and Ronaldo are not as good for their countries as for their clubs.’
Model: Uruguay midfielder Cristian Rodriquez shows off the new home kit for the World Cup
Model: Uruguay midfielder Cristian Rodriquez shows off the new home kit for the World Cup

 

Suarez looks set to miss Uruguay’s first game of the Finals against Costa Rica in the hope that the extra days will see him start against England alongside Atletico Madrid’s Rodriguez.
‘Everyone loves “Luisito” in the squad,’ he says. ‘He is a rebel on the pitch who fights for every ball but that is what we love about him in Uruguay. We hate to lose at anything, we want to win — so his will to win makes him a good Uruguayan.’
For all the fight on the pitch Rodriguez paints a very different picture of his team-mate off it. ‘All the Atletico Madrid players were in the dressing room watching on television on the day of the draw and the text messages started flying.
'There is a group of us who send messages to one another and Luis is among that group, although he is one of the quieter ones who does not write that much; he tends not to get too excited about these things.’
Race against time: Luis Suarez is hoping to be fit in time for the England clash after his knee op
Race against time: Luis Suarez is hoping to be fit in time for the England clash after his knee op

Group photo: Rodriguez (front right) lines up alongside Suarez (back 2nd right) ahead of the match against Argentina in Montevideo last October
Group photo: Rodriguez (front right) lines up alongside Suarez (back 2nd right) ahead of the match against Argentina in Montevideo last October
Star attraction: Rodriguez says Suarez is better than Lionel Messi
Star attraction: Rodriguez says Suarez is better than Cristiano Ronaldo
Star attraction: Rodriguez says Suarez is better than Lionel Messi (left) and Cristiano Ronaldo (right)


Rodriguez defends Suarez against the accusation that his quest to always finish on the  winning side means he crosses the line sometimes.
‘He lives for football and in  football if you are not alive then you are asleep and they take the ball off you — “adios”. You have to be smart on the pitch. It’s part of the game. You’ve got  the referee there; he’s there for  something isn’t he?’
Rodriguez agrees Uruguay and England are in the group of death but not just because of the presence of three world champions. ‘No one should underestimate Costa Rica because in a World Cup anything can happen,’ he says of his country’s first opponents.
On form: Suarez scored 31 goals for Liverpool in the Premier League last season
On form: Suarez scored 31 goals for Liverpool in the Premier League last season

Eye on the ball: Atletico's Rodriguez trained ahead of the Champions League final but did not play
Eye on the ball: Atletico's Rodriguez trained ahead of the Champions League final but did not play

‘People say Costa Rica will be the easiest rivals but the temperatures will be high and they will be used to the climate and that could make them stronger.’
Does he believe a European team can win this summer’s tournament?
‘It’s not impossible for a European side to win in South America but it is a different climate and the pitches are very different — the surfaces are drier and that slows the game down; and it’s very humid. That is what will test the European teams. In Spain the pitches are kept wet and the ball runs faster so it is going to be very different for them.
‘There is also the added factor of travelling for European sides. Brazil is a massive country so  we have to travel, too; but our starting point is a lot closer!’
All in: The Costa Rica team pose for a photo with president Luis Guillermo Solis (top row, 7th right) on Friday
All in: The Costa Rica team pose for a photo with president Luis Guillermo Solis (top row, 7th right) on Friday