Soccer- DC United Lost in Friendly against Real Madrid
By Ally White
After a loss against the Houston Dynamo and the stress of recovering from that game, the DC United had an international friendly game against one of the power teams in Europe, the Real Madrid, this past Sunday. Despite playing well, the DC United couldn’t handle the talent and easy touch that marked the plays by Real Madrid and failed late in the game 3-0. Nevertheless, the game was a great experience for the team’s staff and players, an event most fans will remember for the rest of the year.
From the beginning of the game, the United were ready to play the best soccer they could with one of the best teams in the world. In 90-degree heat and a huge crowd of spectators, DC United nonetheless managed to end the first half 0-0 by playing a strong defensive game. The United had almost no options to score, but their tactical plan to stop the best Real Strikers turned out positive results in the first 45 minutes of the match.
DC maintained its defensive strategy in the first 10 minutes of the second half, gaining an option to score in the first minute when Helbert Frederico Carreiro da Silva – or just “Fred” – kicked a 25-yarder. However, the ball was intercepted over the crossbar by Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
However, United was unable to stop the barreling talent and strong play of the Real Madrid players. In the 57th minute, Gonzalo Higuain gave the Real the option to open the score after a great shot close to the penalty area. Two minutes later, Higuain scored against off of Arjen Robben, who, in the 69th, raised the ball and sent a shot over reserve goalkeeper Milos Kocic to score the third goal for Real Madrid. The Merengues continued to dominate until the end, finishing with a score of 3-0 in their favor.
After the match, United captain Jaime Moreno said that even though his team had played well against one of the best teams in the world, it needed to do well for the entire 90 minutes and not only for a half. However, Real Madrid boasts a much better roster with Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Raul Gonzalez at front, a difficult trio to manage.
United head coach Tom Soehn, however, expressed his happiness at his team’s performance, claiming that even though United lost 3-0 the experience was a good one. The memory of such a match, he said, would last forever.
“It's definitely an experience I'll never forget … the atmosphere, the players on the field -- it was pretty special…whether they (the crowd) were cheering for Real or cheering for D.C., we wanted to put on a show.”
With more experience gained, the DC United is now prepared for their next MLS game this weekend, in which they will face Toronto FC at the BMO Field on Saturday, August 15th.
About the Author
Ally White is a top senior copy writer on MLS Games for the online sports betting http://www.instantactionsports.com. Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.