EXTREMELY WELL BALANCED REAL MADRID WINS BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TITLES

Real Madrid has made the history today, yet again. As the first team at a club level, the "merengues" were able today to repeat, back-to-back, as the winners of UEFA Champions League, by beating Italian champion Juventus Turin, by the score of 4:1. In the old formula of the competition, called the European Cup of Champions, the "merengues" have won it six times, out of which five times in a row (1956-1960); yet since the enactment of the new formula of UEFA Champions League in 1992, no team, including Messi's Barcelona, was able to win two back-to-back titles. Altogether, the "merengues" have now won record 12 European Champion League titles - the same amount as won by all English club teams! The Real Madrid charismatic coach, and one of the greatest players in soccer history, Zinedine Zidane, was able to give the "merengues" the necessary balance and cohesion which the team was lacking under the previous coaches. Throughout this season, Real had the key players in Marcelo, Modric, Isco, Kross and Ramos, whereas Cristiano Ronaldo, although lacking in dribbling skills and vision to be considered a player on the level of Lionel Messi, is truly now a veritable poacher of goals, even though he disappears for the long intervals of the game. Juventus exhibited throughout this season a formidable defense, yet somehow, due to scintillating Real Madrid midfield, and below par performance of Pijanic and Khedira, the "merengues" were able in the second half to assert the control of the midfield, and to create more scoring opportunities which were converted twice by Ronaldo, in addition to Casemiro and Asensio. Juventus' goalkeeper, Gigi Buffon, who was looking to collect the only missing title in his career, has to hope that 2017/2018 season, apparently the last in his career, will be the lucky one. On the other hand, Paulo Dybala, the formidable dribbler of Juventus, might want to join Barcelona this summer, as Juventus seems to lack quality in the midfield in order to have a shot at winning the next edition of the Champions League.

Janusz Andrzejewski is a New York City based attorney who writes on legal or other community important topics. You can contact him by telephone at (212) 634-4250,  or, through email: janusz@januszandrzejewski.com or jwandrzejewski@gmail.com.

WORLD CUP: SHOULD ARGENTINA BEAT GERMANY, MESSI WOULD SURPASS MARADONA AND PELE

We cannot measure the talent, level of technical skills and individual accolades achieved by the footballers such as Maradona, Pele and Messi. We can try instead to compare the achievements of the teams in which they played, the strengths of the teams against whom they were competing and the quality of the supporting players in their own teams, as well as our stars' impact on their own teams, through decisive plays and goals, through creative vision exhibited. The highest amount of trophies with national team won Pele with Brazil. Yet Pele played in such strong national team of Brazil that one cannot say that he was indispensable to Brazil to win the championship. During the 1958 tournament, when Brazil won the first title, 17 year old Pele wasn't even the Brazil's best player. He had around the best player of the World Cup 1958: Didi, as well as such greats as Vava, Garrincha, Altafini, Zagallo, Nilton Santos and Djalma Santos. In World Cup 1962 Pele was injured, in a second group match against Czechoslovakia, and didn't play further, instead he had to watch Garrincha, the best player of World Cup 1962, to lead Brazil to their second world title. Again, in World Cup 1970 played in Mexico, Brazil was so full of talented players, that one cannot say that it was Pele whose impact was indispensable to the Brazilian third world title. Having around such players as Jairzinho, Tostao, Rivelino, Gerson, Clodoaldo, Carlos Alberto, Brito, Piazza, or Everaldo did not put much pressure on Pele. His task was easy and he did not have to deal with major stress accompanying for example Maradona, or Messi and Neymar in their world cup campaigns. The proof is in that famous Carlos Alberto's goal (after a series of moves and passes between seven Brazilian players) of the final match of World Cup 1970, stamping the Brazil's win over Italy. Pele did not have to dribble through whole defenses of opponents like Maradona did in World Cup 1986 in Mexico (against England, then Belgium). Otherwise, Pele's Brazil did not have as strong opponents as Argentina did in World Cup 1986, which they won, and World Cup 1990, which they lost to Germany on a hugely controversial penalty. Also, Maradona did not have such support as Pele always had. With their clubs, Pele won Libertadores Cup and the Intercontinental Cup, yet again he had stars in his Santos team. Maradona was not so successful with his clubs, yet he had more competition as he left for Europe, after playing in Argentina for a weak club Argentinos Juniors and then for a year at Boca Juniors. Maradona's two years at Barcelona, Spain were not successful either as he only won Copa del Rey, but one has to say that he was injured for long spells of time. Only with Napoli in Serie A he was relatively successful by winning Serie A in 1987 and 1990 and being twice Serie A runner up, and adding to collection UEFA Cup. He managed to do it all in the time when Serie A was at its peak and was the strongest league in the world, and AC Milan was the best team in the world, and Inter and Juventus were not far behind. Maradona on a weekly basis had to play against Van Basten, Gullit, Rijkard, Baresi, Maldini, Donadoni, Matthaus, Klinsmann, Bhreme, Zico, Platini, Cabrini, Rush, Laudrup, Roberto Baggio, Schillaci, It seems that Maradona played in a much tougher environment than Pele, who never was brave enough to take on a challenge of playing in European best leagues, against better defenses of European teams, more sophisticated tactically, and better athletically than those in Pele's native Brazil. Consequently, Maradona until now was the greatest player, with Pele behind, followed by Johan Cruyff , Garrincha and Zinedine Zidane. And here comes Lionel Messi, the player with the ball glued to his feet while running at highest speeds (Pele and Maradona were slow in comparison to Messi and in their dribbling they relied mostly on control of the ball and body moves ) , shattering goal-scoring records, who achieved in club football everything - neither Maradona, Pele nor Zidane can compare to his achievements with their clubs. Only Alfredo di Stefano, Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer achieved so much (or perhaps more) with their club teams. Of course, Messi is not finished yet. In World Cup 2006 Argentina was so rich in talent (that it should have won the title except for that tactical mistake of Pekerman who took his playmaker Juan Ramon Riquelme  off the pitch while leading 2:0, allowing Germany to make a comeback and to advance to semifinals) that there was no place for 19-year-old Messi, in World Cup 2010, Messi was quite good, but Argentina was handicapped by the worst coach in history, Diego Maradona himself, and Argentina again was knocked out in quarterfinals by Germany. Now, after club season when Messi was trapped by recurring injuries, he does not run so much with the ball, he is much more economical in his game, plays deeper as the real playmaker of the old times, yet when he is needed, he delivers. He led Argentina unbeaten in qualifications to this world cup. Now, in Brazil, his goals against Bosnia and Iran were decisive, his two goals against Nigeria had a calming effect on the team. The tough game against Switzerland, was iturned around by the Swiss, who strongly knocked at Argentina's goal, yet little Messi made decisive play and assisting pass to Di Maria, who managed to kill the game. In the match against Belgium, the plays around Messi became more and more physical, yet Messi was brilliant in tight spaces, holding the ball, liberating himself at times from swarming around him Belgians, and playing precise 40 yard passes. Decisive was his play, after which Argentinians scored the winning goal: Messi, in Belgian half, in the the middle of the pitch, was swarmed by several Belgians, when he spun away from two defenders and clipped a pass to Di Maria, who quickly passed further to Higuain, and the latter turned and volleyed beautifully home. One of the several passes of brilliance. In the semifinal match against Holland, the team playing with seven defensive players, Messi seemed to be contained (his father said after the match that his legs were stiff and he cannot run anymore). Yet he made a brilliant play in tight space in the right corner area, when he spun away from the Dutch defenders and send beautiful pass across the penalty area to free Maxi Rodriguez who should have converted, yet he ended up with a tame shot, which bounced from the ground, allowing Cillessen to calmly stop it. It was the moment when the decisive goal, resulting from Messi's flash of brilliance, should have been scored. Instead, the game went to penalties, where Messi calmly gave the lead to Argentina, after the first Dutch penalty was saved by Romero. Little Messi delivered again, on dead legs this time. If the Argentinian physiotherapists can somehow prepare those legs for one more match, if those legs can give Argentina another decisive play against the toughest opponent any team in history had to play in a world cup final, little Messi would surpass Diego Maradona as the greatest player in the history of this sport. But make no mistake, their opponent is the favorite of the final, no matter how much sentimental and sympathetic I am to Argentina's and Messi's campaign, nobody in the history of the World Cup had ever had to play such a formidable opponent as Argentina has in Germany, in such a great for Germany time, when they enjoy mental as well as physical advantage coupled with a better schedule of matches, giving them an additional day for recovery before the final. This German team is brilliant tactically, full of players with high individual skills, majority with great physical parameters. These German young men, who before played together for Germany teams under the age of 21, 19 and 17, are guided for a long period of time by the same coach, Joachim Low. In addition, this Mannschaft seemed to have recovered the old German "never die attitude" and the ability to win when it goes tough. If Argentina can somehow turn around the tables, and beat the Germans, Messi indeed would become the greatest of them all. Not that he is not the greatest in my eyes already. Good luck, little genius.

Janusz Andrzejewski is a New York City attorney, writing on legal and other important community topics, as well as on the subject of sport. You may contact him by telephone (212) 634-4250 or through e-mail: janusz@januszandrzejewski.com

WORLD CUP 2014: BRAZIL V. ARGENTINA POSSIBLE, BUT GERMANY V. HOLLAND - REPEAT OF 1974 FINAL - MORE PROBABLE

The Argentinians will surely treat the Argentina v. Holland semifinal as an opportunity to take revenge for the 1998 quarterfinal loss (remembered for the Bergkamp's exquisite ball control, exhibited on his famous goal scored from Frank de Boer's long pass). After all, they are blessed with the great Messi's presence in their team, and the Dutch team this time around does not abound with great talent, except for the unpredictable Robben, and good scorer Van Persie, who isn't so mobile any longer. Wesley Sneijder is still blessed with good shot on his free kicks, yet he also is a bit under par. After all, he has been diagnosed to have anemia not so long ago. Who else? Perhaps Jan Klaas Huntelar, a great shooter, but nothing more than that. Indeed, this Dutch team, except for Robben, appears to be so short on creativity. So short, that the Dutch were unable to get the ball into Costa Rica's goal, defended by inspired but nothing more than solid Costa Rican defense and Navas, second string goalkeeper. And the Dutch have to meet now Argentina of no one else but Leo Messi on a mission to mark the Rimet Cup with his fingertips. What a task! As I already have written here, I really want Leo Messi to win his World Cup, but I am afraid that this Dutch team might be a very inconvenient obstacle. It seems as the most logical solution for Luis Van Gaal to play again seven defensive players (as against Spain) and two forwards (Robben and Van Persie) roaming in counterattacks, linked to the rest of the team by perpendicular passes of Wesley Sneijder. The defense probably would consist of 3 central defenders (Vlaar, De Vrij, Martins Indi), whereas midfield would be composed of two holding players (Wijnaldum and De Jong, if the latter one is back to full fitness) and of two full-backs (Janmat or Kuyt and Blind). Argentina would play Zabaleta, Garay, De Michelis (or Fernandez) and Rojo in their defense, whereas Biglia will probably again take Gago's spot, as the second holding player at Mascherano's side. I believe, that with Di Maria's absent, on the flanks, beside Lawezzi, it would be the turn of Aguero, if he fully recovered from injury. If not, then the veteran, Maxi Rodriguez, seems to be the best choice. Messi will play in the hole, right behind Higuain. As much as I would love Messi to get to the final, and consequently as much as I want Argentina to win, for reasons explained in one of my first articles on the subject of World Cup 2014, I believe that this defensive Dutch team, so detested for their play by their own experts of total football, will get to the final. The repeat of the World Cup 1974 final between Germany and Holland is much more probable than South American final of dreams: Brazil v. Argentina. That is unless Leo Messi show that he is the greatest of them all. And that he is, I strongly believe.

Janusz Andrzejewski is a New York City attorney writing on legal as well as other community important topics. You can contact him by telephone (212) 634-4250 or  by e-mail: janusz@januszandrzejewski.com