Every year, or almost very year, the Club World Cup is the
tournament of the best of the best in the soccer world, the champions of each
province of the world playing the champions of the other. Although some clubs have won multiple times
in the history of the championship, no team has won back to back. Real Madrid, with two previous titles under
the belts, will attempt to be the first back to back champs in series
history.
Today they will battle against Brazil's Gremio in the FIFA
Club World Cup final. A victory on Saturday
would give them their fifth trophy of the year, they lost out only on the Copa
del Rey. In 2017, the Vikings have
captured also the Primera Liga, the UEFA Champions League, the Spanish Super
Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. Coach Zidane
and captain Sergio Ramos have vowed not to look beyond their Brazilian
opponents.
Zinedine Zidane says Real Madrid will give their “maximum” in
their bid to make history in Saturday’s FIFA Club World Cup final in Abu Dhabi. The defending champions take on Brazil’s
Gremio in the showpiece at Zayed Sports City seeking to become the first team
to lift the trophy in successive years. While this championship is well
respected in South America and in many places in the world, Europeans tend to
look beyond it to their normal season, and to the Champions League competitions.
Zidane acknowledges that Gremio represent formidable
opponents. The Porto Alegre side were the last side to book their place in the
Club World Cup having late last month sealed a first Copa Libertadores crown in
22 years. Gremio defeated Mexico’s
Pachuca in Tuesday’s semi-final to secure the meeting with Madrid, while
Zidane’s men struggled the following day to overcome UAE champions Al Jazira.
They required an 81-minute goal from substitute Gareth Bale to seal the
victory. The come from behind win was
considered a miracle by the Spanish press, and Gareth Bale was referred to as
"El Salvador," the Savior. Archrivals
Barcelona are the only team which has won three Club World Cup titles, so with
a victory Saturday, Real Madrid would join them on this lofty perch,
vindicating themselves despite their flagging in the Spanish standings.
Meanwhile, Gremio manager Renato Portaluppi has warned Madrid
they will face a “super-motivated” opponent when the two face off in Abu Dhabi
on Saturday.
May the best team win.
The US sports world is concentrated, today, on the beginning
of the Bowl Season in College Football. Today
there are five bowls. R+L Carriers New
Orleans Bowl will be contested at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans,
Louisiana, at noon, local time. The Troy
Trojans (10–2) will battle the North Texas Mean Green (9–4), the Sun Belt
Conference vs. Conference USA. The AutoNation
Cure Bowl will be played at the Camping World Stadium, Orlando Florida, pitting
the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (6–6) against the Georgia State Panthers (6–5),
another matchup of the above conferences.
The Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada, pits the #25
Boise State Broncos (10–3) against the Oregon Ducks (7–5), the Mountain West
Conference vs. the PAC 12. Truly, if
there were ever a dog of a day in the
Bowl Season, today is it, but the Boise State vs. Oregon game, matching the
Mountain West Conference and the PAC 12, is the saving grace. There are two games rounding out the day, the Gildan New Mexico Bowl, at Dreamstyle
Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico, matching the Marshall Thundering Herd (7–5),
and the Colorado State Rams (7–5), and the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, at the Cramton
Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama where the Arkansas State Red Wolves (7–4) and the Middle
Tennessee Blue Raiders will play.
An astounding controversy has erupted in Milano, Italy, where
the blood feud is apparently not dead.
Last year he was the phenom, and toast of the town... Now, AC Milan fans are venting their anger at
Gianluigi Donnarumma as Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain prepare to offer
goalkeeper escape. Based on his
popularity, and renown as the great white hope of Italian sport, the Italian
goalkeeper signed a new contract, but is reportedly keen to get this new contract
annulled, which would allow him free agency at the end of the year. This has enraged Milan fans, who have banded
together to display massive anti Donnarumma banners at their home games.
The banners attack both Gianluigi Donnarumma's, who has
previously been featured in this space, and his future at AC Milan. Fans have also demanded that the "other
Donnarumma," Gianluigi's "parasite"
brother leave the club. The largest banner,
unfurled at the San Siro stadium in AC
Milano's Copa Italia victory over Verona, was aimed at Donnarumma and read:
"Psychological violence by giving you €6million-a-season & signing
your parasite brother? It's time to leave ... our patience with you is
over!"
His contract, a four-year, €6 million-a-year deal, allows Donnarumma
to "annul" the deal. Donnarumma
is reportedly claiming that he signed his new contract under pressure from the
Milan board, with Raiola even suggesting his client had received death threats
before committing his future to the club.
That is certainly a lot to handle for a teenager. Donnarumma burst onto the scene in 2015 as a
16-year-old and has since established himself as Milan's, and maybe Italy's
undisputed No 1. Watch this space for further updates.
Paradise. From now
until sometime in January. Paradise for
true fans of football. American that
is. NCAA Division One College
Football. From the shores of Florida to
the Yukon, from Honolulu to Maine, crowds which make the pros jealous will fill
football palaces to cheer on their favorite teams. Although there were a few ceremonial games
last weekend, this weekend marks the official start of the NCAA College
Football Season. 
Today's menu shows only one game between ranked teams,
neither at home, to make it more interesting.
Number 11 Oregon will take on Number
16 Auburn at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Dallas Cowboys home stadium will maybe
see more action and drama today than in all the upcoming NFL season, as these two teams duke it out on the field. Oregon does not have a good history here,
having lost several key games the infrequent times they have been featured
here. 
