UEFA Champions League
Three minutes was all that separated Atletico Madrid from a Champions League triumph, but with Sergio Ramos equalizing in second half stoppage time, you got the feeling Atletico had little left in the tank. The last ten minutes of regular time saw Atletico basically park the bus and it was only a matter of time before Real would find the tying goal. The scoreline makes the game seem like a blowout, but remember the game went into extra time, and once Real took the lead in the 109th minute, Atletico had to push people forward to try and tie the game. The fatigue was obvious, and Diego Simeone, who was a tactical genius all year, may have made his biggest mistake all season. He chose to start injured forward Diego Costa, who limped off after just 9 minutes. That substitution could've been used later when Juanfran was obviously in pain, but Atletico were out of subs. Juanfran's mistake led to the game-winning goal. The third goal was probably the most obvious indication of Atletico's fatigue. Marcelo basically dribbled half the team without much resistance. People will criticize Simeone for a long time, but to be fair the Argentinian went with his star forward who did everything in his power to be fit for this match. Sometimes in sports a great manager/coach makes a bad decision, but Simeone's tactical brilliance this season should be the talking point. His players were the best "team" in Europe. It's very sad that a good chunk of this team will likely not be in Atletico uniforms next year, but if Simeone stays, he will more than likely find more less-known talented players. On the flip side, Real Madrid used their super-stars and simply had more talent than their city rivals. World-record signing Gareth Bale had many brilliant moments this season, and he capped off his first year at Real with the game winning goal in the Champions League Final. Is he worth $100 million? In Real's eyes he is worth every penny, especially if more trophies flow into the Spanish capital. Real Madrid are easily the most successful team in the history of the Champions League. This is their tenth win, known as "La Decima", something they've been waiting for since 2002, the last time they won the trophy. Real will probably buy more players this off-season simply because they can. They are one of the richest clubs in the world, and the rich will get richer. They have a strong world-wide fan base making them one of the most popular clubs in the world. Though no club has repeated as Champions League winners in the modern era, Real may be the odds on favorite next year.
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| Gareth Bale, the most expensive signing in the world, was pivotal to Real's success this season. |
Champion: Atletico Madrid (10th title, 1st since 1996)
Copa del Rey (League Cup): Real Madrid
Champions League (2nd, 3rd, 4th): Barcelona, Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao
Europa League (5th, 6th, 7th): Sevilla (current Europa League Champions), Villareal, Real Sociedad
Relegation (18th, 19th, 20th): Osasuna, Real Valladolid, Real Betis
When the season started, many pundits said that it would be Real Madrid or Barcelona lifting the trophy. To be fair, many said Atletico would be a dark horse title challenger, but not many really thought they would actually pull it off. With only a quarter of the payroll of Real and Barcelona, Atletico had to fight until the last minutes of the season to secure the title. It was fitting that the last day of the season had Atletico Madrid travel to Barcelona with a three point lead. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, and Barca fans have a claim because Lionel Messi's goal in the second half was incorrectly ruled offsides. However, Atletico fully deserved the title this season. Shortly after the game, Barcelona coach Tata Martino stepped down and former player Luis Enrique took over. Real Madrid's chances at the title were basically shot when they went 0-2-1 before beating Espanyol in the last game. The one loss was to Celta Vigo, who essentially had nothing to play for. To be fair, Cristiano Ronaldo was not fully fit for these games. Though there was more parity in this year's La Liga, there is still a wide gap between the top three teams and everyone else. The gap between 3rd and 4th place was 17 points. Athletic Bilbao was the 4th place team, and they should not be taken lightly in next year's Champions League, should they make the group stage. Led by young star Iker Munain, Bilbao play a creative-free flowing style, backed by a solid defense. In a bit of a surprise, Osasuna were relegated from the top flight after 14 years. Their last home game was overshadowed by fan violence which included an hour stoppage in the match to treat injured fans. Elsewhere, Sevilla took home the Europa League title (the second tier competition below the Champions League) beating favorites Benfica in the final. At one point it even looked like Sevilla may climb into 4th and a Champions League spot. Next year, the Europa League winner gets an automatic bid into the Champions League, and Sevilla will be one of the favorites to repeat. Now let's see some of the individual awards.
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| Atletico Madrid: 2013/14 Champions |
My Awards
Player of the Year: Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid)
Costa was La Liga's second leading scorer behind Cristiano Ronaldo, but he was more important to his team and was pivotal in Atletico's title winning campaign. He scored more than a third of his team's goals. Costa was especially sharp in the earlier part of the season, while injuries plagued him at the very end. It was a real shame he wasn't fit for the Champions League Final. Speculation and the sale of David Luiz suggests Costa is on his way to Chelsea, but it's likely that nothing will be settled for sure until the conclusion of the World Cup.
Manager of the Year: Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid)
Simeone was the manager of the year by a mile. With the resources he had at his disposal, it's truly a miracle that Atletico won the title...or is it? Simeone reminds me a lot of Jurgen Klopp, Borussia Dortmund manager, in that his team doesn't have seemingly endless money to spend but he gets the very best from what he's given. Klopp has already won the Bundesliga twice with Dortmund and Simeone's last two seasons in charge have seen a La Liga title and a Europa League title. Like Klopp, Simeone will likely have key players leave but because of his coaching style, Atletico will reload (though it may take more than one season). Simeone gives me hope that money can't always buy championships.
Goal of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) vs. Valencia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcoMXSrf_PA
Honorable Mention: Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid) vs. Getafe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35oTWd1tFO0
Signing of the Year: Carlos Bacca (Sevilla FC)
Who? The casual La Liga fan probably has never heard of Bacca, but that may change during the World Cup. Colombia star Falcao is 50/50 to be fit, but Colombia may have found his replacement. Bacca came over from Brugge for just 7 million Euros, and led the team in scoring with 21 goals, 14 of them in the league. Bacca also scored in the penalty shootout against Benfica in the Europa League Final. At 27, Bacca is likely in the prime of his career and could be poised for a huge World Cup.
Bundesliga
Champions: Bayern Munich (23rd title, 2nd consecutive)
DFB Pokal (League Cup): Bayern Munich
Champions League (2nd, 3rd, 4th): Borussia Dortmund, Schalke 04, Bayer Leverkusen
Europa League (5th, 6th, 7th): Wolfsburg, Borussia Monchengladbach, Mainz
Relegation (17th, 18th): Nurnberg, Eintracht Braunschweig (Hamburg SV finished 16th and played a playoff against the third place team in the 2. Bundesliga. Hamburg won 1-1 on away goals rule and remains the only team to play in the top flight since the creation of the Bundesliga in 1963).
This was supposed to be a more competitive Bundesliga season. Instead, the Bundesliga went from a two horse race, to a one horse race by Christmas. Bayern brought in even more reinforcements, including former Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola. Borussia Dortmund were supposed to be the second horse in the race, but a plethora of injuries saw the team fade. Dortmund also brought in more players, but having to play multiple 17 and 18 year olds in the starting eleven is usually not a good sign. Ilkay Gundogan missed the entire year with back problems. Neven Subotic and Jakub Blaszczykowski missed most of the season. Marco Reus, Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer, and Nuri Sahin also missed some time. Still, even if all of those players were fit, it's hard to imagine they would've won the title. Bayern clinched the title with 7 games to go on March 25th, a Bundesliga record. They also set the record for most matches without a loss in the league with 53, a streak that ended in April. With title out of reach fairly early in the season, the main battle in the Bundesliga would be for the 2nd-4th spots and the Champions League. It came down to the last match of the season as Wolfsburg and Monchengladbach played out a 1-1 draw which meant Leverkusen held on to the 4th spot. Had either team won, they would've been playing in the Champions League instead. This year, all four German teams made it out of their respective Champions League groups. Hamburg escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth. The Bundesliga adopted a new format for relegation this season where the 16th place team plays a home and home with the third best team from the second tier. Hamburg didn't win either tie, they only scored once, but it was all they needed as they stayed in Germany's first tier due to away goals rule. They remain the only team to play in the first tier since the Bundesliga was founded in 1963. There was also controversy which may lead to the Bundesliga adopting goal-line technology. Leading 1-0 against Hoffenheim, Leverkusen striker Stefan Kiessling looked to have scored a second goal. The ball actually went through a hole in the side of the net, but the speed at which it happened fooled everyone. It wasn't until a few minutes after the goal that the hole was discovered. There was even more controversy in the DFB Pokal final when Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels had a header cross the line before it was cleared. The referee did not award a goal and Bayern won in extra time. Afterwards, Bayern Munich brass said they would support video replay in the Bundesliga.
Here's a video of the Kiessling "Ghost Goal": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3CLrTOcDa0
My Awards
Player of the Year: Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund)
I could've picked someone from Bayern, but many of them had outstanding seasons, plus Ribery and Robben missed time due to injury. Reus also missed a little time, but when he came back he inspired his team. The German international finished with 23 goals and 18 assists in all competitions and nearly led Dortmund past Real Madrid in the Champions League. When he came back from a calf injury, Reus was sluggish at first, but once he found his form, Dortmund easily secured second place. He has a 35 million Euro release clause, and turned down a contract extension. A good performance for Germany at the World Cup may see bigger teams willing to splash a lot of money to get his services.
Manager of the Year: Dieter Hecking (Vfl Wolfsburg)
Hecking gets my vote because of the turn-around from last season. In fact, Hecking was almost fired after Wolfsburg JUST escaped relegation last season. This year, Hecking's Wolfsburg finished just one point out of fourth place and will compete in next year's Europa League. They have a great core of young players in Kevin de Bruyne, Ivan Perisic, and Luiz Gustavo. De Bruyne and Perisic will feature for their respective national teams (Belgium and Croatia) at this year's World Cup. Goalkeeper Diego Benaglio and forward Ivica Olic provide veteran experience and Wolfsburg will make a realistic challenge at the top 4 next year.
Goal of the Year: Naldo (Wolfsburg) vs. Frankfurt
Naldo's strike beats out my honorable mention because of its importance. It kept Wolfsburg in the race for 4th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=K-QexutuqNM
Honorable Mention: Hakan Calhanoglu (Hamburg) vs. Borussia Dortmund
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nK58AssP9tc
Signing of the Year: Josip Drmic (Nurnberg)
Nurnberg were relegated from the Bundesliga, but they had a shining star in an otherwise dark season. Drmic came over from Swiss side FC Zurich for just 2.2 million Euros. He was easily the best return on investment as the Swiss international netted 17 goals, third best in the league. Not surprisingly, he was called up to his first World Cup. By the way, he's only 21 years old. Drmic signed a five year contract with Bayer Leverkusen after this season, meaning he will likely play in the Champions League next year. Because of his age, Drmic is the perfect striker to build a team around and Leverkusen are already a consistent top 4 team. With Drmic, Leverkusen may be a dark horse in the title race next year.
Adam Bakiera
Follow me on Twitter: @abakiera and be sure to follow @RiffRamSports
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