I am the underdog, the day I cease being one is the day we will all win. I am constantly battling bad guys and demons but I always come up on top. Cause they always think they have my number until I switch networks and go crazy. I am a crazy motherfucker, I am from the hood. I don’t care about looking good, I’ll crush you like teeth coming together on food. I am the underdog, the day I bring down Goliath is the day we’ll reign. Impressive propaganda, but it’s all in the mind and on my way. The hero’s journey concludes today with the underdog the hero of this play. I’ve beaten everyone who we were the same, my heroes next because this is a game. Underdog with a tendency to stand with my dawgs, if we stand together than we are united my dawgs, winning and slicing the pie with all of my dawgs, if we all eating then all is good my dawg. Underdog with the tendency to cause an upset, leave you cheering for the bad guy cause your hero left you upset. Underdog, after I win this battle then the game is gonna need a reset. I crash reality like a program that needs a reset. Time closing in on you it’s a sunset. Underdog until we are in the ring face to face, and I smash your face in resulting in the judge throwing your case. Cause you were complicit, now you claiming to have stood idle like a vase. Underdog until my hands are raised high and your back on the floor. Underground until I raise hell and leave things in tatters like before. Underdog until I shake up reality to the core. Underdog until I am no longer one any more.
It’s funny, somehow I became like my heroes. And they are not better than me because we are the same person, an archetype. So I am cool, I am what I am, everything I want to be. Thoughts and vibrations are really everything, they constitute reality. While life can be difficult sometimes, I still think “play” is the answer to everlasting happiness. I’ve never been serious, I’ve been playing ever since I was an infant. Just playing, creating, doing what comes natural to me, jazzing, improvising, being myself. Playing gets you to where you need to be because there is no end-goal. You play for the sake of it, to have fun. I am a piece of fate in either case and what I can do is microscopic in the grand scale of the universe. Why be serious? Just play, create, you are going to die in either case and no one is going to remember your name. Fine, I am philosophical and intellectual, reality and my actions label me. I had this girl who wanted to enter my frame, she mirrored my energy, used what I liked against me, she said the right things but the vibration was off. Regardless, because I am a narcissist like everybody else, it almost worked. I took her bait and we set a date, when the day of the date occurred things didn’t crystallize because our vibrations didn’t match. She was scamming me, she was a lie, she falsified herself to get to me. But that’s life, everybody wears a mask. Maybe I too wore a mask when I started out but it’s not like that anymore because I am vibrating with high caliber individuals. I think I am a high caliber individual, reality is condemning me to that fate. So I am playing, creating because I am a God. I need to create and the impact has to be widespread and far-reaching. I need help, I can’t do it alone. I am now playing at a high level. I am vibrating with good people and if I am indeed an archetype then my fate is already written by the stars. I think it is, or my current reality is false and it can’t be false because I have tangible evidence. Yes, entropy happens and we all turn to dust but I have to be the guy representing my generation!
It’s funny, somehow I became like my heroes. And they are not better than me because we are the same person, an archetype. Thoughts and vibrations are really everything, they constitute reality.
I am undisputed, champion of the world, greatness is constituted by God and the style prostituted by pussy ass niggas who attempt to fuck up the world with what I initiated but you lack charisma and you just hated. You can never climax at the top even if you masterbated while I come all night, all day, implanting seeds in your mind to make you grow and make this dough. I am undisputed, on top of mount everest, beating everybody to prove I am the best, pull the plug on your ass to give you permanent rest, why because I can, prohibited like a ban, flow crazy deserves to be in the can, Mr. Steal your girl and defeat your man. Damn! I’ve been winning ever since, where yall niggas, making light work on you like mince, secretive like a sphinx, I’ve been winning ever since, where yall niggas? Who wants to challenge me niggas? I am undisputed, sitting on a Throne that I looted, took it from a weakling king that I booted, banished him from his castle and he left muted. I am the one, I wear the crown and I am far from done, illuminate the town like the sun, head down to penetrate the cunt, sorry, I’m obscene, sometimes I paint pictures with my words to create a scene, if this were a horror movie, you would scream cause I devour punani like cream! I am undisputed, everything you see is mine, look at the signs, obey and we will be fine, wanna be a hero and we will take it aside, turn you into a sweater and make your insides your outside.
I am a winner, I am competitive, I never stop. I create systems and follow through until I am on top. The pick of the crop, my reign showers fields to ensure supply never stops, I deliver and demand triumphs a cops. Most wanted, five star performance every time, rig the game to take your last dime. I am a winner, better than a sinner, focus intensified better than a fat man at dinner, come close and I’ll kill ya, leave you bloodied like an encounter with a spinner. I am simply better, leave your girl wetter, have the public write you off, we don’t need no letter. I am a winner, I am always number one, the spotlight is on me, you’ll get it when I am done, who can stand alongside me, the answer is none, nobody can fuck with me like a nun. I am the best, the leader of any conquest, I’ll give you preferential treatment cause you just a guest but if you get on my face I’ll doom your ass cause you’ll be a pest. I am a winner, I have all the trophies, the budget is high so we don’t tolerate no low fees, bro please, stand aside so I can teach you how to appease, I am the consciousness of culture, haters in circles over my body like a vulture but I’ve got reserves stacked up like vouchers. I go overtime, I kill to solve the crime, get dirty to remove the grime and stand on the Throne to show its mine. I am a winner, I’ve got the calves to prove it, I’ve got stamina. A marathon runner with the speed of a sprinter. Penetrate resistance like a splinter, go deep like coitus in winter. I am a winner and all I do is win, win, win no matter what, I am always the victor.
The plan has always been long-term. You can have that bitch, she’s all yours and expedient, no long-term prospects like a deviant. I never minded missing a couple of parties, I was lenient, I don’t wanna be cool, I just am and you can believe that. I am the guy who goes on social media to diss social media. Cause what you gonna do? A lot of yall are like insurance brokers, you claim too much. We see the unhappiness in your eyes in all your pictures. Masquerading in falsehoods thinking it will affect your futures. Handling this post solo, I don’t need features. Your self-importance is a fairy-tale no one believes. No one really cares, it might be hard to conceive. You can take your fluke win, my insistence is on the league cause consistence is the key. I only play for the long haul and not just the long ball. I play to win forever and that’s just my call. The plan has always been long-term. I never lost sleep over what glimmers because I’ve always known I am a star. On top like the emperor of the Tsar. Constantly shinning and raising the bar. I am serving millions of people around the world like I said I would. I am international like I said I’d be. My words are helping people see. My presence unlocks all doors like a key. I am only going to get better and better. My influence is growing and my voice moves matter. They didn’t understand because their focus was fixed on the fleeting present that dissappears like an illusion. Instant gratification, a failed conclusion. They labeled me a loser and a failure cause I was broke chasing a dream. Cash rules everything around me, I am getting the cream. Blind to the vision because their lense was shortsighted and narrow. Nowadays, my words pierce the skin like an arrow. Time is the great neutralizer, my past efforts are bearing fruit and my dreams are finally coming true.
I am stronger, I am faster, I am smarter, I am the one. Ask your girl who can’t keep her hands off me because the charisma is fuming like carbon monoxide, gaseous killing them slowly with a smile. I am outside, danger when me and your girl lock eyes, cause I’ll take her and she’ll feed you lies. This was always the plan, patience and increasing worth like land. Your man is so bland, it’s so sad, so I kicked him out cause I am the leader of this band. Beyonce longevity, changing positions to sustain the activity, you were too impulsive like a kid with a tooth cavity. Finally a dick big enough to fuck up the world, no missionary, that’s boring, just a cautionary, on all fours so the bitch remains stationary. The plan has always been long-term, life-bearing and conclusive like sperm, vintage and timeless like a perm.
Navigating the world can be challenging as we are always bombarded by messages informing us on who we should be. We are indoctrinated into other people’s viewpoints, we are influenced by advertising, we are told what is acceptable by the culture, we are expendable like pawns in a chess game. It’s easy to fall into the trap of victimhood because modern life is so fast paced and everything is always in motion, sometimes it’s like life is happening to you. It’s easy to get nihilistic and feel yourself as a spectator and not a collaborator. The movie Fight Club released in 1999 was ahead of its time in portraying the masculinity crisis in the 21st century. Being swept up by novelty and consumerism we lose the anchor that keeps us grounded in reality. We let things outside of ourselves defines us. Negativity plagues our lives. We lose the ability to make decisions for ourselves, we become victims, we become weak, we lose our masculine frames. 20th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche covered this on his masterpiece book “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” with his work on the “Ubermench” or “Overman” which directly translates to The Superman. He states that man should be bigger than his circumstances and aspire to be the very best that he can be. The “Ubermench” or Superman is better than passive, he is masculine and strong, he doesn’t make excuses, he is a leader of his life and is not a victim of any circumstance. The “Ubermench” is accountable and responsible for his own life. He is a man of purpose, he is in control of his destiny. The “Ubermench” makes his own decisions pertaining to his life. He has a masculine frame that is unyielding. A masculine frame is everything in the context of navigating reality and achieving any level of success. In this post we will be exploring how to breakout of the victims mentality so you can self-actualize and be the best that you can be.
Look inward and diagnose – Realize that everything is what you make it. Your life currently is the result of your past decisions and thoughts. Thoughts are the language of the mind. Have good thoughts. Look at your habits and catch yourself in the act of negative self-talk. Journal your thoughts to make sense of what is in your mind. This will help you reflect and understand your state of mind much better. Troubleshoot your mind in the same way you would to your computer. When your computer is slow and certain programs are crashing, you troubleshoot it to understand the problem and fix it. Without the troubleshooting you run the risk of causing irrevocable damage to the operating system. Your mind is your operating system, your thoughts are the language of your system, have good thoughts to have a good life.
Eliminate negativity – Stear away from negative people or situations that enable you to react in morally unjustified behaviors. Take responsibility for your life and your decisions. Understand that we are judged by the company we keep, birds of the same feathers flock together. Look at the people in your life. Eliminate negative people in your life. You can’t get far with negative friends who look down on you and take you for granted. As a man you need to be around people who help you get better. People who will feul your ambitions and move with you to the top. You need to be around men with value and accountability, men who inspire you and lift you up. You need to be around winners and conquerers, that is the only way to be a winner and a conquerer. Winners are enthusiastic about life, they are passionate and they are positive. Losers on the other hand have a victims mentality, a energy that calibrates at a low energy level and they never achieve anything of significance. Eliminate negativity and be with people who want the best for you.
Practice gratitude – Gratitude is the act of magnifying what you have. It is positive energy that radiates. It teaches you to be thankful for what you do have. It’s insistence is on abundance instead of lack. With gratitude you have everything you need, you feel lighter on your feet, you are encouraged and confident about God’s love and grace. Gratitude is what gets you to have a truthful life. It purifies the soul and makes you an overall great human being with the magnetic power of a magnate. Without gratitude for life, a man is in danger of having nihilistic thoughts and resorting to instant gratification that numbs the pain as a means of escapism.
Go after your purpose – Go after your dreams, this will teach you to be a person of character. It teaches you to be accountable for your destiny. No excuses, you fight for your dreams with everything you have. You take the disappointments, learn the lessons and commit to doing better the next time. The act of going for your dreams and following your purpose will give you confidence and greater self-esteem. Apathy will cease to exist and you will be in charge of your life. You will be a man of high value and everything will flock to you. A man without a purpose will always be a victim of life.
Help others – Take your attention off yourself and concentrate that energy on somebody else or an organization. Offer your time to a worthwhile course like a homeless shelter. Give what you can. Donate what you don’t need anymore to someone who does, things like old clothes, blankets and toys go a long way. It will make you feel good and will give you control and power, alienating the feelings of unworthiness and victimhood. Helping others makes us feel important as our contributions are noted and appreciated. Great men are the change that they want to see in the world, they contribute more than they consume and they offer a hand because it helps the world move forward.
Meditation – Add meditation to your schedule. Mindfulness meditation helps with observing our thoughts and quieting down the internal monologue. Realize that you are not your thoughts and you can distance yourself from them and watch them go by. Thoughts are just spontaneous things that happen and you don’t have to identify with them. Meditation helps with emotional mastery as you will be able to regulate your emotions and resist the urge to lash out at people. This is important because we live in a world that is survival based dictated by the fight-or-flight organ the amygdala, and as such the skill to be able regulate and perceive other people’s emotions is priceless. A high value man is one with impeccable Emotional Intelligence. You get high emotional intelligence by being emphatic. Empathy is the ability to put yourself in other persons shoes. Meditation helps with caltivating empathy skills because you can slow things down and be reflective. A man who can’t control his emotions is deemed to be impulsive with no self control, a big turn-off for the opposite sex and other men will not respect you. Meditation helps you recognize negative self-talk so you can fix it and be better.
All my life I’ve been told that I wasn’t going to make it. Like “you just an Alexandra boy. Have you ever seen a successful Alexandra boy?”. Lol, Wow! The negativity, written off and marginalized before I even start. Of course I’ve always shunned off the statements and stayed defiant, choosing to take one step at a time. With humility, my head down I have always risen above the hate and negativity. I am not stupid, I know I am slightly disadvantaged but I am not a victim, I’ve never been one. My gameplan has always been to do more than required and with time my efforts have compounded. Going the extra mile is something that is now automatic and it has made me distinguished. I raise my head and I find myself in different circles. I am the only person who looks Iike I do. It’s crazy, I did it, my head is above the water, I made it. I still meet black people with a house niggas mentality, the Steven’s on “Django Unchained” and they assassinate my character in attempts to get me to react but it’s all so funny to me because by probing they have confirmed I am “Bright boy” the exceptional nigga. I never thought I’d see the day my leather jacket became the scapegoat. They are scared of me, no words can put me down. They can’t control me, they can’t manipulate me, they try to cut me out but it’s a bigger picture and they can’t photoshop me out. The little township boy is in their face and is not going anywhere, instead his accruing power, moving from class to class, creating relationships, dominating the court, I can fit in anywhere, I am a social butterfly, they can’t do anything to me because I am playing the game! Now to diss me is to reflect their hypocrisy and ignorance. The little township boy keeps on rising.
Little township boy, don’t let them tell you, you can’t do it. It’s all in your head, you can accomplish anything you want. Anything you want in the world is yours! You can get it, believe in yourself, stay with the process and care enough. When you rise up, they will try to bring you down. Keep moving.
P.S. It was Reginah who said I would never make it, she cited the fact that I was from Alexandra and wore a leather jacket as the reasons. She did everything to break my spirit but she couldn’t. Cognitive dissonance on her part because she knew I’d already made it but acknowledging it was difficult. No biggie, I appreciate the negative energy to feed on.
I am a cool guy, I ain’t got beef with anyone. I serve up what you give out. If you treat me good and with respect you’ll receive that a thousand fold, but if you an asshole I am happy to dish out shit. No excuses, no privileges, control yourself. I am a pro at your passive aggressive antics – what? Did you honestly think that you were smarter than everybody else? Funny guy, out of sync, you ain’t shit. I see through disguises too, masks can’t fool real eyes. If you want beef I am happy to serve it on a platter. If you organizing a hit, make sure it sticks cause if you botch it, I am coming for your soul. I am tired of being humble, I am the greatest of all time, come close and I’ll show you, anytime, any place. Receipts, receipts, receipts I am happy to reflect your tastes. If you want a battle, I am happy to oppose you. Words don’t count, it’s your actions that are gold. I am a fucked up person too and I am ready to exercise my repressions. Receipts, apologies don’t mean much prepare yourself for my comeback. I hold grudges, I never forget and I am coming for your ass. Receipts, don’t start wars you can’t finish. No negotiations, no treaties, everything will end up in fire and smoke. Cause I don’t give a shit, I am narcissistic, grandiose, egotistic, irrational and envious, so please give me an opportunity to exercise my nature. Receipts, cross the line please, I am begging you! Disrespect me, slander me, make me the scapegoat and I’ll show you why I am the goat. Receipts, receipts, receipts you on an imaginary pedestal, time to take you down and humble ya. Receipts, cause I also don’t care, I am after power, I am merely a reflection of you.
Throughout history tragedy has been an instrument that has shaped how we have lived our lives. It was tragedy that communicated how fragile our lives were actually are. It was tragedy that undressed our deepest anxieties, namely the fear of death. Tragedies said that we are confined in our mortal decaying bodies. It was a useful analogy. The Greeks were articulate at expressing this point – they would stage this in a form of dramas and people from all parts of life would come dressed in their best outfits to witness this spectacle on stage, mortality and death were dramatized. Fast forward a couple of years later and we have the news. The news are food for the amygdala! They are fear driven and they are effective because of that regard. They keep us glued to our screens, feeding us with our daily doses of chaos, destruction and deaths in a form of statistics. Stalin once stated one death is a tragedy but a million deaths a statistic, useful and thought-provoking sentiment in the context of the news. Are we sick for being so addicted to the news and all the anxieties and stress they bring? Partly, human beings are not perfect – in fact, we are extremely flawed. However, news are effective, the have a purpose, granted they are food for the amygdala but they connect us to our primitive sides – the will to survive. They remind us of the volatile nature of the world – the fact that nothing is guaranteed. The news are a home for human nature. The news are tragic! Because life is suffering, we need to be reminded of the tragic on a constant so that our internal structure and method of being is hardened. So that we don’t have passive minds and attempt to try the new every opportunity we get. Life is a gift, a celebration of some sort and we should live by embracing our talents. We get a limited time to do it and that’s suffering aspect of it but if we are true to ourselves, it can become an eternity. We shouldn’t be divorced from death, death is the catalyst, the driving force that should in actuality push us to the life we desire. Death is good, death is wonderful and as such we should be connected with it every time, remind ourselves of our mortality and strive to make the best of the limited time we have.
Death is the sublime! The consciousness that everything fades and everything is a lapse in time that will cease to exist. It is the realization that even the Universe is at the mercy of something bigger, that it too will be extinct like the dinosaurs and in the near future – like human beings. Death is the problem solver. Mothernatures way of refreshing things and keeping them moving. Death is inspiring, it is driven, motivated, determined, irrational, strong-willed and businesslike. Death is bigger than all of us. Death should be worshipped. Meditating on death or keeping ornaments that remind us of death every day will make our lives better. Our lives will be structured and we will be goal-orientated individuals. Our self-perceptions of ourselves will be higher resulting in high self-esteem and confidence that will enable us to live. We will be fulfilled individuals with the will to impose ourselves to the world. We will nurture the Universes’ soul with the happiness that we will bring to the world. Death is an intellectual concept we could use to better ourselves to create more, be more – to self-actualize! Death is not the only thing we could use. The sublime is something bigger than you, bigger than life! Time fits the category; there was a time before me and you and there will be a time after me and you. By elevating your perspective and using time strategically, you can have a meaningful life. It can be structured, calculated and custom made. By making time an ally, you can make your wildest dreams come true.
In 2003, Manchester United were having one of their pre-season games against Sporting Lisbon. The team for the upcoming season was strengthened and Manchester United were once again one of the favorites along with Arsenal to land the big premier league trophy. Against Sporting Lisbon, Legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson fielded a strong side to test the boys against Lisbon. Lisbon were impressive. They played good, free-flowing football. It was fast and direct. At the heart of their offensive play was young Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo dawning the number 28 jersey number on the left flank. At times, he was unplayable. He had a charisma in his play. He was quick, deceptive, had good passing range, his decision making was superb, he was a showman and dazzled the crowd with his skills, he could shoot with both legs, was a good crosser of the ball and he was only 17 years old. At the end of the game, the Manchester United players went to their manager and told him to sign the young Portuguese, the manager concurred – it was a no brainer, this boy was destined to be a star! It didn’t take long for Manchester United to get their man and before the season commenced he was officially a Manchester United player dawning the iconic number 7 jersey worn by Eric Cantona and David Beckham. The young Cristiano Ronaldo would serve his apprenticeship phase under the tutelage of the greatest manager in the world at the best club in the world. Expectations were high and he seemed geared up and ready to take over the world.
A couple of years later and he was one the exciting and best young players in the league. He had developed into a supreme, elite football star. He was a better dribbler, picked the best moments to showboat, he was one of the best crossers of the league, he was a fantastic header of the ball, his shots were on target more and he had become a deadly dead ball specialist scoring free-kick goals for fun. He regularly scored more than 20 goals in the league ensuring Manchester United’s dominance in the league. It wasn’t a fluke too. The young Portuguese worked hard. Carlos Tevez his teammate 2007-2009 once told reporters about Ronaldo’s will to be the best. He stated “I wanted to work on my shooting so I came in an hour earlier before the training session and he (Ronaldo) was already there training. So the next day, I came in two hours earlier and although he (Ronaldo) was a bit tired he was already there training.” Cristiano Ronaldo was always the first person on the training pitch and he was always the last one to leave. He was there 2 hours before everyone and stayed on 2 hours after everyone had left. He embarked on what we call “Deliberate Practice”: For 4 hours every day he would work on shooting drills, free-kicks and other soccer related things. He did it every day, even when the tasks would become passive, boring and repetitive. He learned to discipline his mind and work hard consistently. He was obsessed with being the best player in the world. In 2008, he was named the PFA’s Player of the year and PFA’s players’ player of the year. In addition to that he was named UEFA’s best player of the year for leading Manchester United to the trophy. He was also named FIFA player of the year and won the Ballon D’Or Award – an award given for individual performance. It was a clean sweep of all the awards. It was warranted too, he impressively lead Manchester United to the treble (Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League) scoring a whopping 42 goals in all competitions in which 31 were in the league – A record that stood for 9 years. Amongst those goals is one of the greatest goals in the history of the premier league, a stunning free-kick that will never be replicated no matter how many times you practice.
After that amazing season, Europe’s heavyweights started knocking on Manchester United’s door. Showing strong intent to purchase Cristiano Ronaldo were Real Madrid who were prepared to shutter the world transfer record to bring the star to the Santiago Bernabou. Cristiano Ronaldo was interested, citing that it was a dream to play for Real Madrid. However, Manchester United weren’t keen on letting their superstar go. So, a compromise was reached. Sir Alex Ferguson convinced Cristiano Ronaldo to play one more season at Old Trafford and after that he is free to leave for Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo obliged. It was another great season for Cristiano Ronaldo as Manchester United once again won the league and were in the finals of the UEFA Champions League. Manchester United were hoping to defend their crown and with Cristiano Ronaldo on their side who had scored the best goal of the competition (A 40 yard shot that hit the top corner against Porto) they had a chance. Their opponents in the final of the Champions League were FC Barcelona who had won the league with an impressive 99 points. They had also won the Spanish Cup and were hoping to make it a treble. It was a going to be a magnificent final and the stage was epic, Rome was all geared up! It was a fantastic start for Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United as they had FC Barcelona in comprising positions. A noteworthy highlight was Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal bound free-kick saved by Victor Valdes. FC Barcelona however got their noses in front and it stayed that way for the duration of the game. They played extremely well and introduced a new brand of football to the world. The football of shot passes, diagonal passes, passing into space, running into space and triangle formations. Xavi Hernandez made the midfield his and bossed Manchester United alongside Andreas Iniesta. Sergio Busquets was deployed as a CDM and Yaya Toure was a CB. FC Barcelona wanted to retain possession with the type of tactics they deployed in that game. Later in the second half of the game, a new star was introduced to the world namely Lionel Messi who scored an amazing header from a Xavi Hernandez cross to take the game away from Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United. The game finished 2-0 in favor of FC Barcelona and they had done it – they had successfully completed the treble! Later that year it was Lionel Messi who had a clean sweep of the awards and dethroned Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in the world. It was only the beginning of the rivalry between these great players.
In 2009 Real Madrid announced the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo. It was a world record fee of 100 Million. They also bought 2007 Ballon D’Or winner Ricardo Kaka who was in his prime. To add to their attack they completed the signing of Karim Benzema who was branded the next best thing from Lyon. The signings provided real intent to topple FC Barcelona’s dominance and reign in Spain. Earlier in the year FC Barcelona had humiliated Real Madrid 6-2 at the Santiago Bernabou. A drastic change was needed. Florentino Perez, the president of Real Madrid also brought in Manuel Pellegrini to be at the helm of the team. There was optimism in the air. Throughout the season, Real Madrid were strong contenders for the league battling it out until the last day of the season. Real Madrid however came out short and ended the season with 96 points to FC Barcelona’s 98 points. There were positives though. In his first season at Real Madrid, their star man Cristiano Ronaldo scored an awesome 26 goals in the league. Real Madrid however did get knocked out of the UEFA Champions League last 16 phase and did nothing of note in the Spanish Cup. While Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona were headlining the tournament. In a game against Arsenal at the Camp Nou – a game in which FC Barcelona were trailing Arsenal 1 to 0, Lionel Messi scored an awesome 4 goals! He was untouchable! He was unstoppable! In a post-match interview, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger proclaimed that he was the greatest player in the history of the game. It wasn’t just him, football pundits exploded with praise for the young Argentine star. Once again, Cristiano Ronaldo witnessed Lionel Messi take all the awards and the acclaimed that came with it.
Writing-off the previous season as a disaster, Real Madrid decided to go with a manager who would match their lofty ambitions. They identified Jose Mourinho as the guy who would dethrone FC Barcelona and retain Real Madrid’s status as one of the best teams in the world. Jose Mourinho had just won the treble with Italian Side Inter Milan. It was Mourinho’s Milan side who had knocked out FC Barcelona on the Champions League Semi-finals. At San Siro, they managed to beat FC Barcelona 3-1 playing swift and deadly counter-attacking football that was too much for the Catalan outfit. They lost 1-0 at the Camp Nou but won on aggregate 3-2 and that result was enough for them to progress through to the finals of the Champions League against Bayern Munich. A final they triumphed courtesy of two Diego Milito goals. It was Jose Mourinho who would bring glory to Real Madrid. To aid Jose Mourinho in his quest Real Madrid bought two of the best talents exhibited in the World Cup in South Africa namely Angel Di Maria and Mesut Ozil. Xabi Alonzo was brought in from Liverpool and his compatriot Ricardo Carvalho from Chelsea. Having come so close last season, now the team that could challenge FC Barcelona this season was complete. FC Barcelona lost their opening game against Hercules 2-0 and it gave Real Madrid an open window to capitalize, a chance they didn’t pass up on. Both teams would have to meet up in the run in. Leading up to the big El Classico game, both teams were red hot playing exquisite football. They were thrilling the fans and scoring a lot of goals. Cristiano Ronaldo was Real Madrid’s talisman while Lionel Messi was FC Barcelona’s talisman. The big day at the Camp Nou came and everyone was buzzing. Although, Real Madrid hadn’t beaten FC Barcelona in 5 competitive games – this time was different, they were at the helm of the log and were not planning on relinquishing their top spot. They had the right players to challenge FC Barcelona and the best manager in the world at the time. Despite all those positives, the game finished 5-0 in favor of FC Barcelona. Once again, FC Barcelona had humiliated Real Madrid in front of a global audience of over 600 million viewers. FC Barcelona were better in every department. Somehow, it looked like they were faster. Real Madrid were like unfit amateurs. They couldn’t get the ball of FC Barcelona. They chased and chased in vain with nothing to show for it. Xavi Hernandez, Andreas Iniesta and Lionel Messi were wonderful. Lionel Messi was deployed as a false number nine, so he could assist in midfield and create space for David Villa and Pedro Rodriguez on the flanks. Real Madrid didn’t know how to counter this formation. It was strange and unorthodox. Lionel Messi provided two wonderful assists that were dispatched by David Villa. The world had never seen football played like that.
A couple of months later, FC Barcelona were comfortably at the helm of the table. They were in the Spanish Cup final and their opponents were Real Madrid. Coincidentally, they also drew Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the champion’s league. The Spanish Cup finals went into extra-time, an occasion that needed a hero. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up and scored a wonderful header that won Real Madrid the cup. Finally, a change of momentum, a change of fortune, Real Madrid were elated with the result and Cristiano Ronaldo who had been great all season had led them to the promise land. The focus shifted from the Spanish Cup to the Champions League. The first leg was at the Santiago Bernabou and the Madrid hopefuls were optimistic. Real Madrid had a real change of eliminating FC Barcelona, of winning the Champions League. Paul the Octopus who had predicted the success of Spain in the World Cup finals against Holland was brought in and he predicted a Real Madrid win. Everything seemed to be in Real Madrid’s favor – even luck, Jose Mourinho had transformed Real Madrid. Lionel Messi however had other plans. In the last 15 minutes of the games, he passed Ibrahim Affaley on the left flank who in turn crossed it the box for an incoming Messi who dispatched it with a fantastic finish. 5 minutes later, he was fouled in the center of the pitch. He took a quick free-kick and passed Sergio Busquets who in turn passed it back and Messi dribbled past 5 Real Madrid players and scored. It was a classic goal. The Santiago Bernabou didn’t believe what it had just witnessed. Some fans started leaving after that goal despite there being 10 minutes left, it was over. FC Barcelona won 2-0 away and looked poised to play in the finals. The result of the second leg was 1-1 which meant that FC Barcelona would play the final against Manchester United at the Wembley Stadium. FC Barcelona ended up winning the final 3-1. They also won the league. The Spanish Cup proved to be a consolation prize as FC Barcelona won all the big honors. Cristiano Ronaldo however scored an amazing 40 league goals breaking a record that was held by Real Madrid legend Hugo Sanchez for more than 40 years. He scored an impressive 54 goals in all competitions and won the European Golden Boot. Lionel Messi scored an impressive 53 goals in all competitions and managed to score 31 league goals. For the third time in his career, Cristiano Ronaldo watched Lionel Messi take all the awards that were available. At this point in his career, he was the undisputed best player of 3 years.
Although Cristiano Ronaldo was not winning individual awards, he was playing exceptional well. He and Messi had raised the bar so high. Ronaldo however thought that this season would be the year that Real Madrid eclipsed FC Barcelona. Everyone was working hard and they all understood their roles. For this season, the plan was to win the league. European Champions FC Barcelona had a long schedule and Real Madrid understood that fatigue would be a factor for FC Barcelona, what they needed to do on their side was to stay perfect and win games. They started off well and carried on winning. FC Barcelona followed suite but were struggling. FC Barcelona had key members of the squad like David Villa and Carles Puyol injured early on. They labored on some games and drew a couple. Real Madrid just kept on winning. The big game came El Classico and was contested at the Santiago Bernabou. The game started off great for the home side Real Madrid who got a goal in the opening 5 minutes through Karim Benzema. However, FC Barcelona equalized through Alexis Sanchez. Xavi Hernandez scored the second and Cesc Fabregas scored a third goal to take the game away from Real Madrid. The score finished 3-1 in favor of FC Barcelona. That result however did not dethrone Real Madrid at the helm, it merely reduced the deficit to 1 point. Real Madrid carried on winning games while the games piled up for FC Barcelona and the injury list kept on getting bigger. In the process FC Barcelona won the UEFA Super Cup, The Spanish Super Cup and the Club World Cup. When they returned to playing league football, they were fatigued and labored through results. While Real Madrid were playing the best football in Europe. Jose Mourinho’s side were irresistible! They played the best counter-attacking football the world has ever seen. It was one touch football, it was direct, concise and devastating. Teams didn’t know how to cope with it. Xabi Alonso, Angel Di Maria, Mesut Ozil, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo were phenomenal! They would win 9-0 or 8-0 or 7-1. Mesut Ozil racked up an impressive number of assists. He had 20 more assists than second placed Lionel Messi in Europe across all competitions. Cristiano Ronaldo was scoring goals for fun. After a couple of months Real Madrid and FC Barcelona met at the Camp Nou for the second leg of their league encounter. Real Madrid were at the helm of the log leading FC Barcelona with 4 points. FC Barcelona had to win if they were to have any chance at defending their title. It was a tight encounter and at half time the score was 1-1. The second half commenced and the game required a hero. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up and finished a swift counter-attacking move. After scoring he celebrated and popularized his iconic “calma” celebration. The Camp Nou was deaf quiet. The match finished 2-1 in favor of Real Madrid. Real Madrid lost on penalties against Bayern Munich on the Champions League semi-finals. However, it was still a successful year. They had achieved what they wanted to do. They had dethroned FC Barcelona and won the league with a staggering 100 points! A feat only achieved by Italian Champions Juventus under Conte. They achieved it playing great football and scoring plenty of goals in the process. Cristiano Ronaldo scored an impressive 46 league goals beating his own record that he achieved last season of 40 goals. He managed to score 60 goals in all competitions. Lionel Messi however scored an unbelievable 50 league goals that season. He was the Champions League top goal scorer with 12 and finished the season with 73 goals in all competitions. He also broke Gerrald Mullers record of 85 goals in a calendar year – scoring an unbelievable 91 goals in a year! For the fourth time in his career, Ronaldo watched as Lionel Messi took all the awards.
In 2013, the general consensus was that Cristiano Ronaldo would always be second best to Lionel Messi – that nothing he did was enough. To be fair, it was partly true. In another time, another period Cristiano Ronaldo’s stats would be enough to make him one of the greatest players of all time. However Messi’s presence was hindering him a place in the stars, a chance at immortality –to be a true great of the game. Football pundits were sympathetic while Cristiano Ronaldo was pragmatic. All that mattered to him was getting better. The season commenced and Lionel Messi was at his usual best. He led a rampant FC Barcelona who wanted the league back. They were ruthless and unforgiving. Lionel Messi made history by becoming the first player to score against all the teams of the league consecutively – simply put he scored every game. It put FC Barcelona way ahead of the pack in log. However fate smiled at Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi got an injury in the last 2 months of the season. It was unfortunate for Lionel Messi but great for Ronaldo. Messi’s injury didn’t hurt FC Barcelona as they matched Real Madrid 100 points of the previous season. While Real Madrid finished 18 points behind. Lionel Messi scored an unbelievable 46 league goals and won the European Golden Boot that season. However the Ballon D’Or ceremony would be in January and it merits work done in a calendar year. With Lionel Messi’s injury Cristiano Ronaldo had a chance. Lionel Messi aggravated his injury and that prolonged his stay on the sidelines for an additional 3 months. Something that seemed to motivate Cristiano Ronaldo. In the month of September he scored 3 hatricks in a space of 2 weeks while playing for both club and country. With Messi on the sideline, he had the stage on his own and he was rejuvenated. He scored a wonderful 63 goals in the calendar year and despite not winning any honors for Real Madrid he was announced as the best player at the Ballon D’Or Awards. Cristiano Ronaldo was emotional on the stage as he cried. All these years, he had been number two when his efforts merited number one was hard for him. It was a release. It was well deserved.
In 2014 Cristiano Ronaldo carried off were he had left off last year. A new coach in Carlo Ancelotti was appointed and the future seemed bright. Carlo Ancelotti was an experienced manager who had won titles all over the world. He had previously lead AC Milan to two European titles and with the current crop of players – he would be the one to bring La Decima to Real Madrid and Florentino Perez. Real Madrid were playing well with their Carlo Ancelotti inspired 4-3-3 formation. The players were rejuvenated after the sacking of Jose Mourinho. Cristiano Ronaldo had found a second release. He had a swagger. He was in the moment. He owned the title of being the world’s best! Real Madrid were exciting and played a brand of football that got them plenty of goals. Everyone was chipping in with goals as players like Karim Benzema rediscovered their form. Gareth Bale who had been just signed from Spurs for a world record fee joined in the party and found his stay at Real Madrid to be a pleasant one. For their efforts Real Madrid were in the finals of the Spanish Cup against their fierce rivals FC Barcelona. Cristiano Ronaldo was suspended for the final because of disciplinary reasons but they still beat FC Barcelona to win the cup 2-1 courtesy of a Bale solo goal that was worthy to be a match winner. Real Madrid’s city rivals Atletico Madrid won the league on the last day against FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou courtesy of a Diego Godin equalizer. Had FC Barcelona won the match, they would have won the league. However, it wasn’t meant to be. Real Madrid were in the finals of the UEFA Champions League against city rival Atletico Madrid. A final they won 4-1 after extra time. Cristiano Ronaldo had scored a staggering 17 goals in 11 games in the competition. This led to him being named as UEFA’s best player of the year. He was once again named the best player in the world at the Ballon D’Or awards. Now he had 3 Ballon D’Ors to Messi’s 4.
2015 saw drastic overhaul in the FC Barcelona camp. For the first time in years they had failed to win a trophy. They needed a change of scenery. For this they sacked Head coach Gerardo Martino and brought in Luis Enrique. FC Barcelona bought PFA’s Player of the year Luis Suarez from Liverpool who despite a 10 match ban scored an incredible 31 goals in the league. FC Barcelona also bought the best midfielder in La Liga at the time Ivan Rakitic who played his football at Seville. Claudio Bravo was brought in from Real Sociedad and Marc-Andre ter Stegen from Germany. The result lead to FC Barcelona’s dominance in the league again as they managed to secure another treble of the league, the Spanish and Champions League. Lionel Messi was once again at the helm of football. He dethroned Cristiano Ronaldo after two years and won his 5th Ballon D’Or award. Cristiano Ronaldo was once again relegated to second place.
2016 saw the appointment of Zinedine Zidane as the head coach of Real Madrid and that immediately brought in changes. Despite FC Barcelona’s domestic dominance having won both the League and the Spanish Cup. Real Madrid were in the finals of the Champions League against city rivals Atletico Madrid. A repeat of the 2014 final. Real Madrid won the final courtesy of a penalty shoot-out and Cristiano Ronaldo won the best player of the tournament award having 16 goals in 11 games. He was also the top goal-scorer of the tournament. 2016 also marked the year of the European Championships that were happening in France. Portugal relied on their captain and talisman Cristiano Ronaldo to inspire them to the finals. Entering the tournament, Portugal were overwhelming underdogs. Making it past their group would be quite a remarkable feat. They drew all their group stage matches and ended the first round with 3 points. They qualified to the next round as one of the best number 3’s of the tournament. Amazingly they made it all the way to the finals against host nations France. Cristiano Ronaldo was vital in their bid to stay alive in the tournament. He scored important goals that helped the team progress. His leadership was evident as the team fought for one another. The team was highly spirited and motivated. They were hungry. They played like David and you had the feeling they were going to slay Goliath with every game they played. Their approach in the group stage was pragmatic but no matter, it had lead them to the Finals of the European Championships. The last time they had gotten this far was when they were hosting the games in 2004 when Greece beat them 1-0 in front of their fans. This time, it was different. There were no expectations attached to their name. France where the team under pressure to win as the host nation. The game commenced and before the half hour mark, Cristiano Ronaldo got an injury and had to be subbed off. It was a big blow for Portugal and their chances to win the match. However, they stayed strong and compact. They were stable and cemented. They fought for every ball and for one another. They frustrated France and the fans started to be restless. On the sideline Cristiano Ronaldo was cheering the boys on. He was motivating them and instilling belief in them. He did all this while on his crushes with his leg heavily bandaged. At 90 minutes, the game was still 0-0 and the Portuguese players started to believe. Before the game commenced for extra-time, Cristiano Ronaldo and the coach had encouraging words to impart on the players. Cristiano Ronaldo wanted this so badly, because he was a winner. Because his spirit was contagious, it got to the players and they also wanted to win it not only for their injured captain but for themselves. They played extra-time and at the second half of extra time Eder came in as a substitute and scored a goal for the Portuguese side. Cristiano Ronaldo became more animated on the sidelines after the goal, he began shouting out instructions to his teammates on the ground. Telling them to be compact and strong. He was passionate and in the moment! France threw the kitchen sink at Portugal but failed to score. And just like how Portugal had failed to win in front of their home fans in 2004 – France failed to win in 2016. It was a great triumph for the Portuguese side and Cristiano Ronaldo proudly lifted the trophy. It was a great moment in his career. He had won two European Competitions with both his club and country. He was a certified great, a football immortal and one of the best to ever do it! He was named the world’s best player once again taking the crown from Lionel Messi after one year. Now he had 4 Ballon D’Or awards to Messi’s 5.
The next season under the tutelage of Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid won the league and retained the Champions League beating Juventus 4-1 in a final Cristiano Ronaldo dominated. He scored an impressive 16 goals and was named player of the tournament once again. He was named the best player in the world for a record 5 times equaling Lionel Messi’s record of 5 Ballon D’Or awards. Now there was no doubt. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players to ever play the game. His childhood dream had been realized, his hardwork had paid off.
Cristiano Ronaldo relied on the Sublime namely time, because he was doing all he could every day. He understood that it would reflect on to the world. He refused to take anything for granted and kept playing at a very high level. He was able to motivate himself. He was confident of his abilities and despite what everyone said he knew it was only a matter of time. With deliberate practice he had attained mastery in a short number of years. Being immersed in something bigger than yourself – a god, death, destiny, the universe, will give your life purpose, it will help you in the times were you are most vulnerable, it will drive you and it will propel you to greatness. For Cristiano Ronaldo it was his destiny to be the greatest and he needed time to help him get there. Surround yourself with the sublime!
antakalipa 