31 La Liga Titles and Counting!

By: Corey | May 4th, 2008

Wow, what can you say about the finish to that game. It was a hard slog for 80 minutes and then all of the sudden it was a rush of blood to the head! I was left speechless as I jumped up and down yelling GOALLLLLL!!!!! when Hig’s scored. Everyone else in the room kind of starred at me funny, but I didnt care, I kissed the bag on my jersey and celebrated however I could.

Scoring Summary
Osasuna Real Madrid
Francisco Puñal (pen 83) Arjen Robben (87) Gonzalo Higuaín (89)

Match Stats
Osasuna Real Madrid
Shots (on Goal) 15(6) 13(6)
Fouls 23 17
Corner Kicks 6 3
Offsides 3 4
Time of Possession 50% 50%
Yellow Cards 4 4
Red Cards 0 1
Saves 4 5

Match Information
Stadium: Estadio Reyno de Navarra, Spain
Attendance: 40,000
Match Time: 15:00 ET
Referee(s):
Luis Medina Cantalejo (Referee)

Here is a 2 great videos of the game, a quick season recap, a shot of the Cibelese and some title celebrations on the Osasuna pitch!

Osasuna 1-2 R. Madrid (Real Madrid Campeón/Champion La …
Uploaded by ComedLov

This one has my boy Palacio Domingo singing Hala Madrid!

osasuna-real madrid 1-2 ¡¡ campeon de liga 08 !!
Uploaded by vinylculture

It was such a tremendous example of Madridismo, that undying passion and hunger that Real Madrid and its players possess to win, and its something that captivates viewers across the world. A proper match recap is kind of silly to be honest, the game was a bit rough on the eyes but it didnt matter because we won the title! 31 league titles, the first back to back titles in 18 years, and a trip to Cibeles yet again! What a marvelous day, and if I didnt have finals tomorrow I would have a few beers tonight. Here is the reaction of all those associated with Real:

RAUL
“It was all so beautiful. We turned around a very complicated match. The team displayed its solidarity, humility, and sacrifice. This title is all about unity.”

“This is our second consecutive league title. We’re excited to get to Cibeles and to share it with our fans. We wanted to win this title sooner rather than later.”

“Wednesday’s match will be special. We hope to win it for our fans so that they can be a part of something as great as today.”

“The team never gave up. We kepy on fighting despite conceding the goal. Thanks to that faith we were able to turn it around and win the title.”

“The team has given it its all this season, but we have some room to grow and next season we will demand even more of ourselves.”

“We won in one of the most difficult stadiums to play in. We were the most consistent team all year, and that’s why we deserve this league.”

GUTI
“It was a shame I couldn’t participate. This is the reward for a year of hard work. The match against Osasuna was important because it was on such a difficult pitch to play on. We are thrilled.”

“The dressing room was going crazy. Some guys have never celebrated a title. I hope it’s just the beginning of a glorious era for Real Madrid.”

“All titles are special. We’ve won leagues in the last match and they’ve also had their magic. We were anxious to win another league.”

“Now we only want to celebrate with our fans. We’re eager to get to Madrid to celebrate with them.”

“Having Barcelona welcome us onto the pitch will be a nice touch, but all that matters is that we won the championship.”

CASILLAS
“We are extremely happy because we were level and then managed to win in the last minute thanks to Higuaín. All we want to do now is celebrate.”

“It was an uphill battle after Osasuna scored. A draw would have been a good result because we would have only needed one more point to be champions. Higuaín’s goal was incredible. I still feel like I am dreaming.”

“It wasn’t the warmest of celebrations being that we won the league away from home, but now we can go back to Madrid to celebrate with our fans.”

SALGADO
“This is my fourth league title, but it feels like the first. I am thrilled with the team’s attitude and the way which we won our 31st league.”

Bernadine
“We have to enjoy every minute now that we can say we’re champions”

How incredible was that ending?
It was straight out of a movie and what a great ending. Being champions is beatiful. It’s incredible.

How do you feel right now? What is going through your mind?
We have to enjoy the moment with those closest to us. We are looking forward to being in Madrid with our fans. All we can do is think about the party and celebrating this title.

Did you get drenched in the dressing room?
Everyone did. No one escaped. It was beautiful. Celebrating in the dressing room was incredible.

Was Real Madrid the better team tonight against Osasuna?
We diplayed grit and courage after Fabio Cannavaro was sent off and we were superior. Finishing a game in that manner in a stadium as challenging as this one and with one less player was incredible.

What will you remember most about this league?
Every single moment was precious. We Todos los momentos son preciosos. We have to enjoy every minute now that we can say we’re champions. There’s going to be a lot of turbulence on the flight home because no one will be sitting down. We’re all eager to get back to Madrid to celebrate. There is a lot more pressure as a coach and, of course, a lot more excitement once the objective has been fulfilled.

What did you think about the Osasuna fans?
I hope Osasuna aren’t relegated for the sake of their players and their fans. I witnessed a spectacular atmosphere. There was a lot of tension and a hard-fought battle on the pitch. It was a challenging pitch, but we proved what we’re capable of.

Calderon

“We were one man down and our players never stopped proving their courage, drive and winning character. It was lovely to witness their reaction. I am very proud of them and I’m sure our fans are too.”

“You can never think this team is out of a game because it is capable of achieving impossible things. Today’s was an heroic victory and we should be happy for that. We must now celebrate this title, especially because it is the first time in 18 years we win two consecutive leagues. We will depart for Madrid as soon as possible and once we arrive we will go straight to Cibeles. The proper celebrations will take place when we are officially given the title.”

“I am immensely happy. We’ve won the title with three games left for the championship to end. This has been thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of these 25 men, who give their all on the pitch.”

“The team showcased drive and a will to win. Our fans should be satisfied with the team’s image. We don’t want to talk about possible signings now, only about success and happiness. The guard of honour Barcelona will give us is just a mere anecdote, nothing more. They are sportsmen, like us.”

“I will congratulate Schuster for this title. I had faith in him; I always knew he would lead the team to success. He will continue to helm this project. This team must now aspire to win it all.”

“We had to be champions as soon as possible. They fought very hard and we must all be happy with them. They will surely win much more. They’ve put me in the shower. The dressing room hosts a party filled with champagne.”

“This isn’t luck. Our players made a great effort. We should be proud of our 25 heroes. They fought to the end. Higuaín always does somehting great in the final minutes and he is extremely happy despite his head wound.”

Mijatovic

We finally managed to clinch the title, and we did it with a great match. We are very happy. It was a tough game which came down to the wire. What a spectacular ending. I want to congratulate everyone starting with the players.”

“Every title is important, but my job now entails a lot more responsibility. I celebrated in my own special way; different than my days as a player.”

“The Spanish league is the most important in Europe. We were superior from the start and we deserve this title.”

“All that’s left now is for Raúl to drape the scarf on Cibeles.”

Ziganda

“They have had the luck and the quality of champions. It is very difficult to explain what happened. We have suffered and it took a huge effort to take the lead,” Ziganda said.

“They equalised from a set piece and we were still shocked when their second went in. Madrid have had all the luck.

“It is very hard to take because a win would have really boosted our confidence. They have hut us where it hurts, but we are not knocked out. We have to recover now and win two of our last three games.

“We had it in our hands and we let it escape, but we have to now go to Mallorca and win. It is a real shame, but the table remains very tight and we have the same chances as six other teams near the drop zone.”

My player of the game was Diarra. He was immense, whether it be his improved passing, monsterous tackling or ability to play all over the pitch tonight, he really drove the team on. He took no prisoners in what was a scrappy midfield battle, and if it was not for Sneijder having an off night, Diarra would have looked even better if there was better service. And what can you say about Higuain? He just loves to score title clinching goals, but cant score for the life of him during a meaningless league game…

I really am at a loss for words, it was such an incredible comeback, I want to know what everyone else thinks about the win and the title. HALA MADRID!!!!

EDIT: NOW WITH MORE TITLE WINNING GOODNESS!!!!