The Warrior slays Real Madrid: Vidal lives up to nickname with monstrous performance

Nicknames are, for the most part, nonsensical and inaccurate.

Maybe you did something once, just by chance, and suddenly an off-the-cuff comment from a friend catches on and never lets go. You're stuck now.

"Lord" Nicklas Bendtner is a thing that exists, after all. Nicklas Bendtner sucks. It's not clever, even in a condescending way. 

So why do we bother attributing some kind of catchy nickname to almost every player on the planet? Because sometimes we get it right, and they're all too perfect.

Juventus superstar Arturo Vidal, The Warrior, is the foremost example. 

The Chilean midfielder, 27, carries around his epithet like a badge of honor. He earns it. In Tuesday night's thrilling 2-1 victory over Real Madrid, where he put in the type of mind-bending midfield performance that makes you stand and applaud, Vidal reminded everyone why that term of endearment is ingrained to him as permanently as the tattoos that cover much of his sinewy body.

The team sheets ahead of the semifinal indicated that the former Bayer Leverkusen man, whose €10.5-million transfer to Turin in the summer of 2011 should probably be investigated for grand larceny, would be deployed at the tip of Massimilano Allegri's midfield diamond. The team sheet lied.

It would have been far more accurate for the deceitful piece of paper to simply have all 11 spots on the pitch listed as belonging to Vidal, because that's precisely what happened inside a raucous Juventus Stadium on yet another magical Champions League evening.

Let's not get carried away here. How can anybody possibly cover the entire field in a single match? He was a monster that not even Victor Frankenstein could concoct, but Vidal couldn't have literally covered the entire pitch ... 

Oh, I see. Alright then. Carry on.

Heat maps, though, can be deceiving. Running is great, but not all of it is created equal. Sure, Vidal covered a mammoth 11,968 metres in the match, more than any other player on the pitch. But Sergio Ramos put in a heavy amount of work as well, and he was decidedly terrible. 

The difference? As has been the case since moving to the club, Vidal's athleticism, tenacity and skill manifested itself in results. Tackles, clearances and interceptions in one direction, key passes in the other.

His world class ball-winning ability allowed the Chilean to dive in with typical ferocity when challenging Real Madrid's attacking stars, making a team-leading three tackles on the evening.

(Courtesy: Sportsnet)

This one in particular, after he had already been blitzing around the pitch for some 70 minutes, showcased his ridiculous stamina - a quality that is absolutely vital to the success of Juventus' vaunted midfield.

(Courtesy: Sportsnet)

To make a picturesque tackle instead of sloppily hacking someone after that kind of run, from that angle, is what separates Vidal from so many others who aspire to reach similar levels.

When he wasn't dispossessing Cristiano Ronaldo and Toni Kroos, he was getting his side out of danger, making a team-leading six clearances. Need to kill an attack in its tracks? No problem. His three interceptions tied him for second on the Bianconeri behind only Giorgio Chiellini.

Important note: Chiellini is a central defender. Vidal, in theory, was an attacking midfielder. 

That theory became reality when the mohawk-clad dynamo was able to get forward, where he, of course, led the team in key passes (2), and completed 10 passes in the final third of the pitch. It's not an overwhelming number, but the fact that he contributed anything at all in that area is ludicrous considering his aforementioned defensive work.

It's also one of the main reasons the Italian club finds itself on the brink of the Champions League final for the first time since 2003.

"I am here to help Juve get back where they belong," Vidal said upon his transfer from Germany four years ago. 

Mission accomplished.

"Many teams wanted me, but I had no doubts as soon as Juve called," he continued. "I want the fans to know I am a warrior, which is what many people use as my nickname."

With the precision befitting a machine, mission accomplished once again.

Fitting for someone whose indefatigable performances continue to prove that he is the closest thing this sport has to a cyborg.