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| Tuesday, December 3, 2002 15:17 EST |
Real Madrid shuts out Olimpia
[Reuters]
YOKOHAMA, Japan -- European champions Real
Madrid beat Olimpia of Paraguay 2-0 to win the World Club Cup
for the third time on Tuesday, emphatically bringing to an end a
poor run of results this season.
Real, who won the competition in 1960 and 1998, went ahead
in the 14th minute at International Stadium when Brazil striker
Ronaldo finished clinically from just inside the box after Raul
had cleverly dummied a left-wing cross from Roberto Carlos.
Substitute Guti, on as a late substitute for Ronaldo, added
a richly deserved second for Real with his first touch, heading
in a right-wing cross from Luis Figo in the 84th minute to
exorcise the ghosts of the 2-1 defeat to Boca Juniors two years
ago.
However, it could have been a different story if Olimpia
striker Rodrigo Lopez had not volleyed a wicked cross from
right-back Nestor Isasi against the post moments after Ronaldo's
opener.
Ronaldo memorably scored twice to give Brazil a 2-0 win over
Germany in the World Cup final at the same venue in June.
But he wasted a glorious chance to repeat that achievement
in the 42nd minute, latching onto a Raul pass only to blast over
from close range with just goalkeeper Ricardo Tavarelli to beat.
The Spanish side, who has struggled domestically this
season, continued to dominate after the break as it looked to
add the World Club Cup to the Champions League and European
Super Cup titles the club has won in its centenary year.
Ronaldo and Raul both came close in quick succession before
Roberto Carlos brought an acrobatic save from Tavarelli in the
56th minute with a curling effort from 25 meters as Real put the
South American champions under intense pressure.
Olimpia striker Miguel Angel Benitez saw a long-range effort
flash just wide in the 65th minute but in truth the Paraguayans
rarely threatened a Real defense marshalled superbly by Fernando
Hierro, unflappable on his return from an ankle injury.
Claude Makelele, who also impressed on his return from
injury, could have put the result beyond doubt for Real four
minutes later but the French midfielder missed his kick with the
goal at his mercy after a pull-back from Ronaldo.
Raul just failed to make enough contact from another teasing
cross from Roberto Carlos in the 78th minute as the crowd of
66,000 urged Real forward.
But Guti, who replaced man-of-the-match Ronaldo in the 82nd
minute, underlined Real's superiority six minutes from time,
escaping his marker to score with a glancing header after fine
work from Figo.
"It was satisfying not just to win this title in our
centenary season, but to find our scoring touch again was
important," said Real manager Vicente del Bosque.
"We haven't been scoring goals recently so that, and the
fact we had several players back from injury, gives us reason to
be optimistic about the rest of the season."
Ronaldo, who has been battling the flu over the past week,
agreed that Real was ready to turn the corner after slipping to
seventh in La Liga, eight points behind leaders Real Sociedad.
"You could call this a lucky stadium for me, but you have to
make your own luck and the whole team worked hard for this win,"
he said.
"Today was a different occasion from the World Cup but the
adrenalin was still there. Now we have to take this sort of form
back to the Bernabeu with us."
Real won the inaugural World Club Cup over home and away
legs against Penarol of Uruguay in 1960. The club also lost a
two-leg final to the same opponents in 1966.
Real beat Vasco da Gama of Brazil 2-1 in 1998 to win its
first title since the competition switched to a one-match format
in 1980.
Despite the result, Olimpia manager Nery Pumpido was full of
praise for his team.
"My players showed they could compete with the best team in
the world, so I'm very proud," said Pumpido, who won the World
Cup with Argentina in 1986, the same year he won the World Club
Cup with River Plate.
"Real are a so-called 'Dream Team' but my players created a
number of good chances against them. We just didn't take them
and that was the difference."
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