I am in Philadelphia tonight for Real Madrid’s third and final pre-season game in the U.S. The team has been training hard in California and they have flown 3,000 miles to a very warm Philadelphia for tonight’s game.
More than 50,000 tickets have been sold for this game and the parking lots are full of Real Madrid fans with them all anticipating another convincing Real victory tonight.
First Half
Starting XI for RealMadrid: Casillas; Carvalho, Arbeloa, Varane, Casado; Granero, Alonso, Ozil, Callejon; Benzema, Rodriguez
3rd Minute: Goal from Callejon. Simple ball over the Union defence and Callejon slotted the ball home from 15 yards out.
10 Minute: Another terrible Philadelphia defensive error and Benzema steals the ball and feeds Ozil who scores.
11 Minute: Union defender Califf heads over from inside the six-yard box from a corner. Mourinho will not be happy that he got that free.
18 Minute: Casillas makes a great save to deny Le Toux after the Real Madrid defence was carved open. Not sure if it us jet lag, but Real Madrid looking really sluggish in first-half.
28 Minute: Benzema sends Callejon in all alone on the Philadelphia Union goalkeeper but this time the Union keeper keeps the shot out to preserve the 2-0 scoreline.
29 Minute: Mapp once again attacks the left-side of Real Madrid’s defence and his cross is cleared off the line by Varane.
31 Minute; Ruiz sent through the Real Madrid back line but his poor control lets Casillas make the save. Real Madrid looking really poor defensively.
35 Minute: Daniels puts Le Toux w/ a sneaky chip, but Le Toux’s left-footed shot goes just wide of the far post. Union getting chances.
Real Madrid back four of Carvalho, Arbeola, Casado and Varane have been really poor. Real Madrid go into the half two up but they could easily be down 4-2. Mourinho needs to do lot of work defensively before the season begins.
Second Half
Real Madrid half-time substitutes: Cristiano, KAKA, Pepe, Marcelo, Coentrao, Alonso and Fernandez
56 Minute: Ronaldo just misses with a header from a Callejon cross. He was easily a head above the Philadelphia defender with that leap.
63 Minute: Cristiano fires from 25 yards out just wide of the near post past a diving Philadelphia keeper. The speed that Ronaldo gets a shot away is so impressive.
75 Minute: Pretty stale second half. Real Madrid not creating much nor is Philadelphia. Still 2-0
78 Minute: Coentrao crosses for Nacho, who sends a volley wide of the far post. If that had gone in it would have been goal of the season.
80 Minute: Farfan scores for Philadelphia with a stunning chip from just inside the penalty area. Brilliant goal and is no more than the Union deserved.
89 Minute: Real Madrid gives Roger Torres way too much room just outside the penalty box and he fires just wide from 20 yards out! Real defensive problems continue. A good side could have scored 5 tonight against the Whites.
93 Minute: Fernandez makes a very goo diving save to deny McInerney’s strike from 20 yards out!
Final Score: Philadelphia Union 1 Real Madrid 2
Union will be the happier of the two squads. They created five or six really good goal scoring chances against one of the best teams in the world. I have seen a lot of MLS teams this season and the Union are the best MLS team I have seen.
Don’t know if it was tiredness but Real Madrid were poor tonight. Yes they scored two goals, but the Union ripped their back four apart way too many times tonight. Jose Mourinho has a lot to work on before the Spanish SuperCup next month against Barcelona.
