Best Of Spain: American Tour Showcases Potential of New Madrid

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

This is the first in what will hopefully be a series of articles I have entitled "Best of Spain."  This is a project to translate or reinterpret the outstanding articles in the Spanish press into English, for the pleasure of those non-hispanohablantes among us.

I have here given full credit to the authors where it is their due, including a link to the article in question, but as this is a somewhat loose translation of a highly idiomatic language, much of the style is my own and some of the ideas necessarily embellished.

The inspiration for this article is a piece entitled "América descubre el potencial del nuevo Madrid" by Alex Gortázar, published in MARCA on 10/08/09.

America shows the potential of new Madrid

Real Madrid returned from America with the feeling that Florentino Pérez’s magnificent project has already hit the ground running.  The details are a little fuzzy, but Pellegrini already knows, broadly speaking, the squad he’ll be able to count on and who will be his most important performers.

July ended inauspiciously with a defeat against Juventus in the semifinals of the Peace Cup.  Madrid weren’t clicking and had conceded four goals from set pieces in a handful of matches.

However, they had just arrived in Canada when their problems began to disappear.  The American tour saw the reincorporation of those internationals who had played in the Confederations Cup, who had been given extra vacation, as well as the two new signings from Liverpool; Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso.

The first stop of the American tour was Toronto.  This was the first time that Real Madrid had ever played a game on Canadian soil, and the local fans enjoyed the spectacle put on by Los Blancos immensely. 

The 7th of August, 2009, will go down in the history of the club as the day that Kaka (who debuted) and Cristiano Ronaldo played on the same pitch for the first time in the white shirt of Madrid.

The opposition didn’t pose too many problems for the Merengues, who scored with ease against the Canadians.  The final scoreline of 5-1 demonstrated the stunning power Madrid have at their disposal, with such a solid base that supports a style of football that is both very attractive and very practical. 

Pellegrini is close to achieving what he has been seeking with the classic 4-4-2 that did so much for him at Villarreal.  Albiol and Xabi Alonso played their first minutes as Madrid players against Toronto. Arbeloa returned to wear once more the shirt that he defended countless times in Madrid youth teams. 

The second stop was Washington D.C., the capital of the United States.  The encounter was played out in suffocating heat, and Pellegrini’s men were sorely taxed by the opening play. 

They didn’t succeed in breaking DC United’s stubborn resistance until the second half.  It was Higuaín that broke the deadlock, staking his claim to a place in the first XI with a quick-fire brace.  Robben, not wishing to be outdone by his teammate, was also very active and sealed the rout with the final goal of the evening against the Americans.

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