Rodrygo, art without demagogy

Without apparent problems in Cádiz, Madrid negotiated a match that had raised uncertainties due to the accumulation of casualties. Every week we hear some bad news. Vinicius returned from Brazil with a major muscle tear, the second he has suffered this season, a more than worrying fact for a player who until now had resisted the old equation of sprinters: maximum speed multiplied by a high repetition of violent efforts equals sure fibrillar problems. Without Vinicius, Madrid clung to Rodrygo and the inevitable Bellingham. In every game, the Englishman leaves his mark.

The one from Cádiz served as an appetizer for Madrid, which faces Naples tomorrow in a game without drama. Two reasons have shaved it: the Italian team is not even the shadow of its previous edition, the one that crowned it Italian champion against the odds, but with impressive authority, and Real Madrid is classified for the round of 16. It will be interesting, however, to observe him in his current state, thin on the roster due to injuries.

Two young players from the quarry, Nico Paz and Gonzalo, played the last minutes in Cádiz. Carvajal, Nacho and Lucas Vázquez also participated in the match. Rarely in recent years have so many people been seen forged in the quarry. Against Naples perhaps history will repeat itself, and it would be a good time because the fans want to measure the promises at home before loans and sales to other clubs.

Rodrygo passed through Castilla so briefly, barely leaving a trace. In a way, it’s his style on the field. He is so fine that he conveys an ethereal impression, of a player who does not contact the ground. He glides without the slightest abruptness, with a dancer’s balance and a lightness that invites admiration, not epic. It is likely that his delicate style works against him, at least in the perception of some sectors of Real Madrid fans., who consider it cold. But it is the ice in his veins that allows him to close wonderful plays, like the ones he starred in the two goals he scored in Cádiz.

A footballer capable of these prodigies is a different footballer, one of those whose Real Madrid shirt fits them like a glove, although rejection is also part of the atmosphere. Madrid’s history presents several examples of stylists dividing the staff. Benzema preceded Rodrygo in this ranking, before becoming a total idol. Others, in the case of Guti, never abandoned their status as being discussed. In all cases, this type of player adds another characteristic: they do not put on a face of speed, they despise demagoguery, always so helpful when it comes to earning easy applause.

The absence of Vinicius increases Rodrygo’s responsibility in the team and before the fans. Madrid is very short of forwards and may fear a lack of offensive flow. It is great for him that Rodrygo has now recovered his goal tally, not only because he is scoring again, but because of the way he does it. The ones he scored in Cádiz denoted that his confidence has returned. They were goals that required a compendium of decisions and skills: driving, feinting, dribbling and finally choosing the shot. When a forward puts together all that production, he is like a paintbrush.

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