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How different, really, are D.C. United and Real Madrid? On the surface, that's a laughable question. One has spent vast fortunes to attempt to knock off their eternal rivals; the other has only a handful of players who earn salaries that wouldn't be scoffed at on the other team. One is from Spain, a country that arguably boasts the best domestic league and national team in the world; the other is from the United States, where the domestic league is seen as little but a minnow in the worldwide football hierarchy, and the national team is in a constant uphill battle for respectability. One squad's bench contains nine players who could wipe the floor with most teams in the world by simply adding a couple guys they found on the street; the other's bench, while not untalented, would likely struggle to make it through an entire season with a winning record.But football, if nothing else, tends to be the great equalizer. Here are two teams that certainly can lay claim to being the most successful in their respective countries. And on any given day, United's character could certainly match that of the Spanish giants, even with such a gulf in talent between them. There was little separating the two teams on the pitch -- only a 1-1 draw in 2006.So, really, what's the difference?
Well, as one Madrid supporter said to me with unreserved aplomb on the long walk between Morgan Boulevard and FedEx Field, "you just cannot compare D.C. United and the mighty Real Madrid!" That certainly was the case on Sunday. Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka may have been the draw, but it was the Arjen Robben and Gonzalo Higuain show as Real Madrid came alive in the second half to defeat D.C. United 3-0 before a club-record attendance of 72,368.
Despite the defeat, United players were in good spirits about the exhibition.
"It's great to see this type of scene in America, and we hope it continues to happen," said midfielder Ben Olsen. "Hopefully in the future we can start getting those type of crowds for D.C. United."It was hardly surprising that white Madrid shirts vastly outnumbered black United jerseys (big kudos to those wearing pitch black in 97 degree heat) or that chants singing the praises of the Castilian side rang out through the stadium corridors. This is a universally-known club that had basically gone on a two-month crusade to raid the most attractive players in the world from a number of other just-as-revered clubs, soaking in what little fans they had yet to conquer.But while Ronaldo showed plenty of class on the pitch (and some off of it, calling United "a team that plays good soccer" after the match), and Kaka was dynamic in his distribution, it was a pair of players who weren't part of the summer transfer binge that delivered glory for Madrid. Both Robben (a talented, but injury-plagued attacking winger) and Higuain (an often-forgotten piece of Madrid's vast collection of world-class strikers) proved that while Madrid sure added a lot of talent this summer, it's not like they were a bunch of scrubs to begin with. Higuain scored twice in two minutes right before the two-thirds mark of the match, exhibiting an incredible amount of clinical skill. Robben then added the third with a cheeky finish: while on a breakaway, the Dutchman volleyed to himself, then chipped over substitute goalkeeper Milos Kocic. It was straight out of a video game, and the fans ate it up.
As for United, the team struggled to penetrate the Madrid backline, and couldn't muster much outside the occasional half-chance. But they did have long spells of possession, and, to their credit, were completely competitive against the new galacticos before Robben and Higuain took over matters. Goalkeeper Josh Wicks was especially solid, making two or three saves in the first half and boosting his already quick-rising stock.
United manager Tom Soehn was positive in assessing his team's performance, noting that the Black-and-Red "came out and accomplished what we did for 55 minutes." He also called it "a pretty special day," and hoped that the match helped to grow the game here.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid
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Real Madrid