Three Thoughts on Real Madrid – Preseason in USA
I was originally going to do a three thoughts post for each game that Real Madrid played, but after being so busy and getting behind I've decided to whittle it down to just a three thoughts on Real Madrid vs the three teams that they played. I would say Real Madrid vs the MLS, but one of the teams that Real Madrid played was Chivas Guadalajara which is actually a Mexico League team. They just happened to play that game in San Diego. Real Madrid was able to win each of their games pretty handedly from what I saw. Real Madrid's preseason in USA also included games at LA Galaxy and at Philadelphia Union. With the Union seeming to play the best match against Real Madrid.
Real Madrid played to win each game. Probably to get their name out there or maybe they are out to fully train and prove they are out to get Barcelona. Granted EPL/La Liga teams have been known to make the MLS teams look exactly like they are and that is a team from a much younger American League team than an International league team. A couple of the MLS teams have managed to beat International League teams, but not very many. I don't recall Real Madrid being in the US last year, so I don't want to speculate on how they would of done last year. Especially since the World Cup was going on about the same time.
Ronaldo didn't seem to be holding much back. Cristiano almost seemed like he was on a mission to punish some of the MLS defenders/goal keepers, even threading one ball through a pretty tight space between the keeper and the near post. Another ball I seriously think could of put a hole in the top of the net had he of not most likely deflated the ball off the cross bar, even causing the front of the goal to lift off the ground a couple of inches. (The goals are not light, just to let you all know. They are generally made of aluminum and are 8 feet tall and 24 feet long, depth may vary and sometimes might not have more than just the front frame, but the I previously mentioned did, which makes it that more incredible.) In just 3 preseason games Ronaldo was able to score 4 goals in those 3 games. Really it was only 4 goals in 2 games, because he was goalless in the third match against the Union. He was able to get a 2nd half Hat Trick against the Chivas team, which looked like they wanted to do good against Real Madrid and played decent in the first half, but just couldn't hold on. If he can continue like he did against the MLS, then he could see another season much like he did last year in La Liga scoring 40 and setting a new record.
How will Real Madrid react to these easy matches? My hopes are that they don't think the pushed too hard and let up when the season starts because they played so well in the preseason. It is preseason and if they use this to find little flaws, which I'm sure there are some, but I am not fully a professional so I don't really know they will start off the regular season red hot and be able to get to the top of the table quickly and stay up there. Hopefully Barcelona who has almost been completely unbeatable last year will make a few slip ups in the beginning of the season and then it will end up being a race at the end of the season between Real Madrid and Barcelona for the La Liga title. My hopes that Real Madrid comes away with it, but if Barcelona plays at all like they did last year then it will be hard to keep Barca from winning La Liga a 4th year in a row.
McBeth