Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup.
The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality.
Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament.
Photo: AFP
“There is always a joy to contribute to the team by scoring, but if we can get points, that’s even better,” Ramos said through an interpreter.
“We played very well as a team. Of course, football showcases the goal, but we’re here to share this experience,” he added.
Still, the moment was exactly what Ramos had in mind four months ago when he eschewed the comfortable life at a Saudi Arabian club or the lure of Major League Soccer to continue his professional career in Liga MX with Monterrey — a proud and relatively wealthy club, but hardly the Mexican equivalent of Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain.
Photo: AFP
When he returned to the sport from a nine-month break, Ramos chose Rayados in part because they had already qualified for the Club World Cup and he wanted to play with the world watching.
FIFA has been similarly eager to showcase the world’s most famous players in this tournament, whether it is by quickly including Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami on curious grounds or by creating a special transfer window in an unsuccessful attempt to encourage a club to sign Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ramos made it happen for himself — and then one of the greatest centerbacks in soccer history delivered in Monterrey’s first match, complete with an appropriately flashy celebration with his thrilled teammates and their ecstatic fans.
Not everything was perfect in Pasadena: Ramos shared some responsibility for Lautaro Martinez’s tying goal late in the first half, although it came after an exceptional bit of ball movement that would have been difficult for any team in the world to stop.
In the other Group E match on Tuesday, River Plate beat Urawa Red Diamonds 3-1 in Seattle.
In Group F, Mamelodi Sundowns beat Ulsan HD 1-0, while Fluminense drew 0-0 with Borussia Dortmund.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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