The hope for a miracle looms large over the 2019 UEFA Champions League final, to take place early on Sunday (2/6/2019). Who would have thought that the final at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain, would be an all-England match between the two soccer giants, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur?
After they were bludgeoned 0-3 by FC Barcelona on May 1 in the first leg of the semifinals, no one believes that Liverpool can win the home match. “I don\'t gamble in football, I don\'t like gambling but I wouldn\'t bet one single coin on Liverpool in the final. Juergen Klopp has been in the club for three and a half years and has won absolutely nothing,” former Chelsea and Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho said after Liverpool’s painful defeat.
As it turned out, Liverpool brutally defeated Lionel Messi and his teammates 4-0 on their menacing home turf at Anfield. Mourinho then backtracked on his comments. “This comeback has a name: Juergen,” he said. “This is a reflection of his personality, of never giving up. [This was about] the fighting spirit, [in which] every player gave everything. I think this was not about tactics or philosophy, but heart and soul and empathy that led to the victory.”
After the match at Camp Nou, Klopp seemed to have defeat on his mind, rather than victory. He said that a miracle or failure through a beautiful game were the only possible options at Anfield.
“Winning against Barcelona is the hardest thing to do in soccer, especially after they beat us 3-0,” Klopp had said.
Klopp could not believe that his boys were devastating Barcelona at 3-0, and then they followed it up with the fantastic fourth goal. “I was talking on the edge of the field and saw the ball fly into the goal. I was asking, who scored the goal?” Klopp recounted. The goal was by Divock Origi, who used Trent Alexander-Arnold’s fast and tactical corner shot.
‘Mentality monsters’
Klopp said that the victory was due to his “mentality monsters”. Their spirit of never giving up was based on the awareness and recognition that “alone we are weak, together we are strong”.
The soccer motto has even reverberated into the halls of politics, with the British Parliament talking about Liverpool’s phenomenal win. Klopp’s statement was then linked to the issue of Brexit and the European Union: it might be better for the United Kingdom to stay in the EU with all its weaknesses, rather than going it alone from across the channel. Alone, the United Kingdom would never win.
...Actually we can still secure success if everyone comes together
Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn event suggested to outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May that she take a lesson from Liverpool’s victory. He urged May to be cunning in her negotiations with EU leaders in Brussels while recalling Liverpool’s motto, “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. “...Actually we can still secure success if everyone comes together,” said May.
Other than Liverpool, Tottenham also brought pride to England football fans. Mauricio Pochettino’s boys were close to defeat at Johan Cruyff Arena, with Ajax leading 2-0 in the first half. Winning the second half was far from a sure thing after they equalized the score. It was only after Lucas Moura’s third goal at a critical point at the 96th minute that they were able to decisively defeat Ajax, which had earlier beaten giants Juventus and Real Madrid.
“Lucas’ three goals were just madness,” said forward Son Heung-min.
“Thank you, football,” said Pochettino, adding that, “It is impossible for us to live without football.”
Surely, if life needs to be yanked from its certainties to make us feel grateful for its miracles, it seems that only soccer can achieve this. As author Nick Hornby wrote, “Real life does not have last-minute winners.”
People sometimes need miracles to overcome defeat. It is difficult for real life to grant such miracles. We must be grateful for soccer, as it is on the pitch that people can turn the tide to win when they are destined to lose. However, this does not mean that miracles were the only thing that has taken Liverpool and Tottenham to Madrid for the Champions League final.
Duel of tactics
In training his players, Klopp has been persistent in keeping to his principle: In soccer, luck only helps sometimes. What will always be there for us is our hard work. Hard work must be done step by step while maintaining our watchfulness over the opportunities and chances we can use. As Klopp said, “The last five minutes is enough to score three goals.”
Under this philosophy, Liverpool is certain they can defeat Tottenham at the final.
Meanwhile, coach Pochettino has a truckload of tactics. He has been able to shape Tottenham into a well-functioning team. In the last three years, his players have always followed his command. They know one another well and are very solid.
It seems that Tottenham has traveled the easier path to the final. It is a different story with Liverpool. They failed to win the Premier League because of a 1-point gap with Manchester City, and have twice made it to the Champions League final. Surely, they will not lose on both counts. However, Liverpool could suffer such consecutive losses if it is not careful.
If this happens, Liverpool will have only themselves to blame. Soccer, after all, is simple and fair: you cannot file a lawsuit if you lose in the 90 minutes you spend on the field.