Real Madrid's past and future collide in California: Mastantuono and Sergio Ramos

When Florentino Pérez signed Sergio Ramos in the throes of August 2005, Franco Mastantuono was, at best, a project for his parents. And when the Camas native, on a Lisbon night in May 2014, scored the most important goal in Real Madrid's recent history , the Argentine was a six-year-old boy who couldn't have imagined the brilliant football career he would have just over a decade later.

At 39, Ramos is living his final days as a footballer, wearing the shirt of Mexican club Club de Fútbol Monterrey , in magnificent form. After a successful career spanning more than twenty years, the Andalusian faces this Club World Cup knowing that it's his last international showcase in the world of the king of sports, and he's making the most of it: in his competition opener, he scored a header—of course—against Inter Milan, the favorites to advance from the group as leaders, and on Matchday 2, he was instrumental in his team's clean sheet. He is the oldest player to score a goal in the Club World Cup —counting this and previous formats—having done so at 39 years and 79 days old.

Instead, Mastantuono is presenting himself to the world these weeks before he has even reached the age of majority, as one of the pearls destined to dominate the football scene in the next five years, and in his last adventure with River Plate before boarding a plane to Europe and seeking to confirm all the hopes placed on his game. At 17 years of age, despite not scoring or assisting, he made a good impression in his team's debut against the weak Japanese side Urawa Red and, just five years later, he was named MVP of the match against Monterrey .

On the American afternoon of June 22, a day when the public should have been paying more attention to what was happening in the Middle East than at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Ramos and Mastantuono faced each other for the first and, surely, last time in their lives. The Real Madrid of the past against the Real Madrid of the future, one of the standard-bearers of the best Real Madrid team in history, the one who changed the club's recent history with his 93rd-minute goal—his number in Mexico—and the one who will be one of the Chamartín side's favorites for the rest of this decade and the next.

Intensity from the opening whistle

The "millionaires" were the better side from the start . The already heralded Real Madrid player —although he won't join the team managed by Xabi Alonso until August, when he comes of age—was clearly visible from the outset, producing good and decisive plays in the opposition half. Maximiliano Meza, one of the scorers on the opening day, created danger with his movements and associations, but without generating any excessively dangerous actions in the first forty-five minutes.

Rayados showed that they are a team with enormous defensive strength, with Sergio Ramos, a hierarchical figure, who knew that if they scored points, his team would have a good position to advance to the round of 16, as they face Urawa Red Diamonds on the final day, already eliminated from the competition. However, the Mexican side barely created any danger in the opposition's half, apart from a long-range shot from Spaniard Sergio Canales . Several familiar faces for fans of the Spanish league were present on the Pasadena pitch. For River, former Sevilla full-backs Montiel and "Huevo" Acuña were in the starting lineup, as was former Valencia midfielder Enzo Pérez. For Monterrey, in addition to Canales, another former Sevilla player started, "Tecatito" Corona.

There was no shortage of excitement, but there were goals in the first forty-five minutes. Mastantuono and Ramos left their work for the second half.

Franco Mastantuono had the opportunity to make his Club World Cup debut in the 66th minute. After a good collective move by Marcelo Gallardo 's team, the now Argentine international unleashed a left-footed shot from inside the box that was parried for a corner by goalkeeper Esteban Andrada. It was a clear-cut opportunity, capped by a brilliant save from the Mexican goalkeeper, who had already put in a great performance in his team's World Cup debut against the current Champions League runners-up. The match began to open up around the 60th minute, after the Buenos Aires team seemed to take a step forward.

The same team had a clearer chance ten minutes later, when Colombian Miguel Borja , who had come onto the field just five minutes earlier, missed a one-on-one with Andrada, who was beginning to establish himself as a key player in the match. Monterrey minimized its risks even further, knowing that a goal from their opponents would leave them seriously injured heading into the final matchday.

The game was over for Mastantuono in the 83rd minute when Pity Martínez came on as his replacement. The substitution came immediately after Ramos sent Montiel's dangerous run down the wing to a corner, with whom he engaged in a heated exchange. And there was no time for more. The duel between Real Madrid's past and future prospects ended in a draw, but both sides put in a remarkable performance: while the Argentine was voted the man of the match, the veteran Spanish center-back was instrumental in protecting his opponent's goal from the attacks.