Money may be said to be the root of all evil but it only brings joy to the players, management and supporters of reigning Premier Soccer League champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
Sundowns made their intentions of retaining the championship and winning some cup silverware along the way very clear when they produced a polished performance to beat Santos 4-1 in their SAA Supa8 encounter at Super Stadium in Atteridgeville on Sunday.
The hosts have ensured a place in the semifinal of this lucrative competition fuelling more fear for other teams after
winning the Telkom Charity Cup last week.
In many of the soccer minds in Pretoria, the winner of this encounter was decided long before the first whistle blew.
The perception was not if, but by how much, Sundowns would runaway with this one, and that was probably the type of
psychological game that dampened the spirits of the Santos players.
To add to their fear on this unlucky 13th day of August, Santos saw themselves trailing 2-0 by the 20th minute with their nightmare intensifying in the 38th minute when Sundowns scored their third goal.
All three goals were gems beginning with Jose Torrealba’s opening goal in the 15th minute laced with a tinge of luck after
Dillon Sheppard hit a cross that came off the knee of the nuggety Venezuelan.
Four minutes later Sundowns were on the scoreboard again with Josta Dladla providing a pinpoint cross from a free kick for
defender Oscar Ntwagae to header passed Santos goalkeeper Brenden Wardle.
The penultimate blow to a never-say-die Santos spirit was Lerato Chabangu’s goal in the 38th minute, which left the Cape Townians with the almost impossible task of scoring four goals in the second half to win this encounter.
Early in the second half Santos put together a few neat touches which signalled their unwavering spirit and belief that they could salvage some pride.
Their short-lived persistence paid off in the 52nd minute when Eleazar Rodgers latched onto a powerless back header from Michael Manzini to tip the ball over the head of an advancing Calvin Marlin.
But their resistance was dealt a fatal blow in the 66th minute when Santos defender Marvin Bean manhandled Godfrey Sapula in the penalty area to concede the penalty which Esrom Nyandoro calmly converted.
Santos’s fight was just not enough for the millionaires parading as soccer players.
The message is loud and clear: 4-1 scorelines could be a regular occurrence when Sundowns play — and money can buy you everything. — Sapa