Cristiano Ronaldo
smashed a hat-trick as Real Madrid survived a colossal scare to beat Japan’s
Kashima Antlers 4-2 and lift the Club World Cup. A Gaku Shibasaki double
briefly threatened one of football’s greatest shocks after Karim Benzema had
given Real Madrid an early lead in Yokohama. But Ronaldo equalized from the
penalty spot before pouncing twice in extra time to give the Spanish giants
their second world title in three years and fifth in total.
The victory
extended Real Madrid club record unbeaten run to 37 matches in all
competitions, while French coach Zinedine Zidane surpassed Fabio Capello’s
record for their best start to a season. But the European champions, yet to be
defeated in 26 games this campaign, were forced to dig deep by an Antlers side who
finished a distant third over the J-League season, before winning the
championship final.
Benzema’s
toe-poked opener was cancelled out on the stroke of halftime by Shibasaki, who
took advantage of some calamitous defending from Raphael Varane to lash in a
sharp volley. The Japan midfielder then sparked wild celebrations among a crowd
of 68,000 seven minutes after the break when he smashed home a left-foot shot
from long distance. Kashima’s lead was short-lived, however, as Ronaldo leveled
from the spot after Lucas Vazquez was bundled over by Shuto Yamamoto.
Ronaldo, who
scooped his fourth Ballon d’Or last week, put Real Madrid back in front with a
clinical low finish eight minutes into extra time after a deft pass from
Benzema. And the Portuguese superstar completed his hat-trick -- the first in a
Club World Cup final -- six minutes later with another poacher’s strike to
break Japanese hearts.
