He adds and keeps going. When he beat Riesgo in Anoeta, Fernando Torres reached the number of 50 goals in First division. It’s already far September 15th of 2002, date in which he scored his first goal against Sevilla. Since then, three seasons have passed in which the frontman hasn’t stopped to add, obtaining in addition in two of them the merit of being the maximum national scorer of division. In spite of the critics and debates that accuse Torres of lack of goal, the numbers doesn’t deceive: 13 goals in 2002-03, 19 in 2003-04 and 16 in 2004-05 guarantee the trajectory of a player who, with only 21 years, has not only responded to the expectations as a scorer, but that also has supported on his backs the weight of an historical club, as it is Atletico of Madrid... and he continues doing it.

Several of these goals remain in the eyes of supporters due to its quality, and each one of them is different than the others. At Calderon stadium they still remember that time in which a junior player went to De Boer with anger and strained the ball with cleverness between the post and Bonano, or that one in which the same boy let Puyol backawards with a flick header in a race to beat Victor Valdes. In Mallorca they won’t forget the spectacular play in which Torres received a pass in depth that took advantage of to execute a poisoned lob from outside the area that ended with the ball inside the net.

Surely that in Sevilla, at Ruiz de Lopera stadium, they recall with weighing afternoon in which a young man from Fuenlabrada, black and yellow dressed, cleared them three points with two goals (One of its 11 double), first by penalti and another one by a spectacular volley that shooted 45 meters pass, on which Torres himself recognize like their favorite goal. Also Naybet, the Depor’s ex-sweeper, remained nailed after Fernando surpassed him with a selfpass that finally transformed himself into a goal... And thus up to 50.

The frontman has been specially Barcelona’s and Villarreal’s nightmare, on which he has scored five and six goals respectively, as well as Mallorca, that has suffered five more. Four goals received Athletic, Betis and Real Sociedad, three Sevilla and Espanyol, and a pair of them Malaga, Murcia, Valencia, Valladolid, Racing and Albacete. Leasts damaged have been Deportivo, Rayo Vallecano, Celta, Osasuna and Numancia, on which he have only scored a goal. Finally the great thorn is called Real Madrid, because Fernando Torres for the moment hasn’t scored against the white shirts, although in the same situation are Alavés, Getafe and Zaragoza.

The bad moments also have existed for the red-and-white captain. As it’s usual in the forwards, it has been through bad patches: The last one, very recent, when he didn’t see goal in 10 matches of League, although these times of drought haven’t slow down their evolution: A total of 50 goals in 106 matches in the frist division throws an average of one goal each two encounters. After the goals against Barcelona and Real Sociedad the forward has demonstrated he have forgotten that bad patch, and to be in total physical training conditions to begin a new stage: The way towards the 100.


Photo: J. A. Sirvent