Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Real Madrid: Massacre in the Making?

The outcome for the Los Angeles Galaxy's exhibition with Real Madrid might as well be decided long before the match even begins at the Rose Bowl.

Bruce Arena's Galaxy will be limping into the Rose Bowl with a string of defeats to the Chicago Fire in MLS play and the Puerto Rico Islanders on aggregate in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Whereas for Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid Club de Futbol, they are primed for a shot at hoisting some hardware in La Liga.

Real Madrid are a side that have hoisted their share of hardware. They won La Liga in the 1931–32, 1932–33, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1994–95, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, and 2007–08 seasons.

During the 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1917, 1933–34, 1935–36, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1961–62, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1988–89 and 1992–93 campaigns, Real Madrid won the Copa Del Rey.

Then there is the UEFA Champions League. Real Madrid were the first winners of this major competition and won the 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1965–66, 1997–98, 1999–2000 and 2001–02 editions. Finally, Los Blancos won the FIFA Club World Cup in 1960, 1998 and 2002.

Last year, Real Madrid finished three points behind Barcelona for first place in La Liga and exited the Champions League in the first knockout round 2-1 to Olympique Lyonnais on aggregate. In the Copa del Rey, Los Blancos finished in the round of 32.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina's Gonzalo Higuain form Real Madrid's scoring nucleus. Ronaldo, the face of Portuguese football, scored 26 goals in La Liga to go with seven in UEFA Champions League play. Higuain leads the team in most goals scored in La Liga with 27.

Possible starting XI (formation 4-2-3-1):

1 Iker Casillas (C)

4 Sergio Ramos ---- 3 Pepe ---- 18 Raul Arbiol ---- 2 Alvaro Arbeloa

() Sami Khedira ---- 22 Xabi Alonso

9 Cristiano Ronaldo ---- 8 Kaka ---- () Angel di Maria

20 Gonzalo Higuain

Cristiano Ronaldo played with an abbreviated side against Club America on Aug. 4 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco and scored a decisive free kick to help Los Blancos to a 3-2 victory.

The rest of the team took part in a special training session at UCLA, where 200 supporters took plenty of shots of Kaka and Casillas warming up, among others.

“MLS is a very, very good league," Casillas said after training. "Obviously, people like Rafa Marquez and Thierry Henry are here, so something must be great about this league. Landon Donovan is, no doubt, a very good player [and] I expect when we play them on Saturday, we will have a great match."

Flattering statements from Real's keeper, to say the least.

Prediction:

But I'll be honest with you all: Real Madrid will not be doing any justice to themselves or their hosts if they don't blow the Galaxy out of the water.

This is a side that should go off to a fast start this season, and Los Angeles will get a firsthand glance as to why Real Madrid deserves the pedigree they have.

This won't be close, it will be a massacre in the making.

Real Madrid 6, Los Angeles Galaxy 0

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT and will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español.

INS & OUTS:

Next up for the Buddlevan Connection...Brazil

Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle have been called up to the U.S. National Team for a friendly with Brazil on Tuesday, Aug. 10 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Some superlatives to run you through for the Galaxy's No. 10 and 14: Donovan will go into next week’s game against Brazil as the all-time leader in goals for the U.S. with 45 in 127 appearances for his country.

Three of those goals came this summer in South Africa, with the Galaxy captain scoring against Slovenia, Algeria and Ghana. 

Donovan, who is also the National Team’s all-time leader with 45 career assists, leads MLS with 11 assists on the season, while adding five goals in 13 games.

On Sunday against Chicago, He became the sixth player in MLS history to reach 100 career regular season goals by converting a first-half penalty kick.

Of his 100 goals, 69 have come as a member of the Galaxy, leaving him one goal shy of Cobi Jones’ club record of 70 regular season goals.

As for Edson Buddle, he has made five appearances for the U.S., including two at the World Cup in South Africa.

The 29-year-old has two goals in those five games, with both tallies coming in a 3-1 friendly win over Australia on June 5 in Roodepoort, South Africa.

The leading scorer in MLS this season with 12 goals in 14 games, Buddle had been capped by the U.S. just once prior to being included in the initial preliminary World Cup roster which was announced in mid-May.

These are the players called up to the national team for the friendly.

GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton)

DEFENDERS (6): Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Étienne), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht)

FORWARDS (3): Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Pachuca)