Who says soccer players have to go to Europe to face the world’s the best competition?
“I was telling a couple of my friends that I feel like I’m in the Champions League — Chelsea on a Saturday and Real Madrid on a Wednesday,” said D.C. United forward Alecko Eskandarian. “It’s pretty exciting, any player’s dream.”
United pummeled Scottish champions Celtic, 4-0, on July 11, and with eight players and the coaching staff onthe MLS All-Star team, had a major hand in last weekend’s 1-0 upset win over English Premier League titleholder Chelsea.
But tonight D.C. plays its third — and arguably biggest — international friendly in less than a month against Real Madrid in front of an expected capacity crowd of more than 65,000 in Seattle.
“This one means even a little bit more because it’s our team taking on Real Madrid,” said United assistant coach Tommy Soehn. “Obviously our hearts are here with D.C. United, and putting our team up against one of the best is going to be exciting for us to see what scale we’re on.”
Real’s loaded roster includes England star David Beckham, Italian World Cup hero Fabio Cannavaro, Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy and a host of Brazilians including Roberto Carlos, Emerson and Robinho. But after failing to win any trophies last season, the pressure is on for Spain’s most storied club — Real Madrid has won 29 league titles and nine European championships.
“For us there are no friendlies,” said Spanish forward Raul at a news conference in Salt Lake City on Tuesday. The 29-year-old has been the face of Real Madrid since making his first-team debut at the age of 17. “We always want to win. We represent a very important institution and we try to show that in any match we play.”
With the best record in MLS, United has its own burden of expectation. D.C. was hand-picked by the league to play in the match even though Seattle is 2,500 miles away from Washington, D.C.
“It’s a good burden to have, that’s what happens when you go on a roll like this,” said United midfielder Ben Olsen. “I think we are the team right now and we’re doing very well and playing very well. Hopefully we can show that against a great team.”
Note
Brazilian forward Ronaldo (knee surgery) and Spanish midfielder Guti (broken finger) did not travel to theU.S. with Real Madrid, which will also take on Real Salt Lake on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
D.C. United vs. Real Madrid
» Where: Qwest Field, Seattle
» When: Tonight, 11
» TV: Comcast SportsNet
