What Cristiano Ronaldo did today, expunge any chance that Juventus was going to end Real Madrid's run of eight straight trips to the Champions League Final, doing so with a most ludicrous goal that drew a standing ovation from the crowd in Turin, and a look mixed equal parts bemusement and agape wonder from Zidane, was another sign that this man is not done yet. And with him in such imperious form, neither is Real Madrid.
This has been a season of oddities at the Bernabeu. A year after seemingly conquering Spain along with Europe, setting into action a new period of Madridista rule, they are looking way up at Barcelona in La Liga, and Zidane's job seemed to be holding on for dear life. So many odd, lifeless performances. So many times when all seemed lost, a year after it all seemed like it would never end. But now that the business end of this tournament, their tournament, has reached, the old stars are back, the team is fighting, and Ronaldo is doing Ronaldo things.
Ronaldo started the season suspended, and then distracted and disorientatingly average, but once the calendar flipped to 2018, his has returned with all sorts of vengeance, looking to corral Leo Messi for the La Liga scoring crown, and doing things only he does in the Champions League. This is his tournament. There was a ludicrous stat mentioned today, that he has scored more goals in quarterfinals matches in the Champions League (22) than Juventus as a club (21). The stats are boundless, but that has always been there. What we saw today was the magic however.
The ball seemed suspended in midair, carving towards Ronaldo, who readied himself. It was over in one seamless flash, him contorting himself perfectly, striking the ball perfectly, hitting the corner of the net. For a few seconds, no one really could make sense of what happened. Gigi Buffon just stood there, Leo Bonnucci shrugged his shoulders, with a look of 'what was I supposed to do.' Ronaldo himself acted more restrained than usual, almost as if to say he let the goal do all the work for him. And then they started clapping, and clapping.
I've longed heard about this age old story of the Bernabeu crowd giving Ronaldinho a standing ovation after a goal worth of the man. I've never seen such a thing happen in my time watching, but I did today. Ronaldo had just killed off Juventus, but the fans had nothing to do but stand and applaud. Zidane's own meme-worthy, rubbing his head in amazement, was almost as good. He's a man who has scored some amazing goals in his lifetime, one in this very competition that will go down in history (a goal he would openly say was better than Cristiano's when pressed on it), but even he had no idea what he just saw.
The best part of this is Ronaldo, especially over the last three years, has become known for being the worlds greatest 'right place, right time' goal scorers ever. Optimists and fans say it is due to his preternatural sense of where to be; the pessimists call him a poacher who specializes in 'tap in' goals. That's what made this so crazy, a goal that would make the Man United Ronaldo blush at its audacity, its sheer brilliance, technically perfect and so dramatic.
Some day he really will slow down, he really will stop scoring goals. The investments Real Madrid made last offseason and probably will make this upcoming one will take centerstage. But until then this supernova star is still burning so bright, enough to bring wonder to a man on the touchline who has seen it all, and fans that have had joy beaten out of them at times. Ronaldo is still a legendary player, and moments like today's in Turin are just more brushstrokes to that perfect canvas.
