Updated Forecast: In Excess of 8" of Snow, Plus Wind
And Now, 10-20 Inches
Federal Govt. Closed Tuesday
Snowmaggedon 1.0 in Time Lapse
Dejan Jakovic was the one bright spot for the United backline. His solid play helped keep Real at bay in the first half. (Kyle Gustafson / www.photokyle.com)
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.
"I would call it a great opportunity to show everyone how this sport is catching up very rapidly and to showcase some of the best players in the world. It was also a great opportunity for us to showcase what we're all about."
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Okay, I turned off adblock to see what a previous poster was commenting on. That is the most annoying advertising
I don't care if it's annoying, it's just nice to see United promoting a game that matters for something other than the bottom line. I didn't bother going out to DannyLand for yesterday's game, but I've got 9/2/09 circled on my calendar. ¡Vamos United!
Seriously? I was so excited to see the new ads today on DCist. Those blinking skeezy American Apparel ones were bugging the heck out of me. I had taken to pushing my browser screen up and to the left so it would block them out when I visited the site.
That first photo is great.
My brother said his seats were so close to the field, he could actually smell Ronaldo's Chanel perfume.
GAYYYYYYY
Hahahah!!! I love it!
I was one of the black-clad fans cheering for United. Great first half, is what I'll say. Wicks was brilliant, and I'm glad I got to see it up close, as we were sitting behind that goal.
I have to say it was hotter than hell out there. I'm sure this is all Dan Snyder's fault, but who doesn't let bottled water into the stadium? That's an epic fail. Temps at 100 degrees in the seating bowl, perhaps more. Yeah, that's great. Oh, and $5 for warm water in the concessions. Lovely.
Also, WTF with the music? I couldn't wait for the game to start - yeah, I wanted to watch it, but mostly I wanted them to shut the stupid-ass music that was blaring out of the speakers. I mean BLARING. I couldn't hear a thing of what my friend was saying to me, it was that loud.
All told, though, a fun afternoon.
You were wearing black. What did you expect?
Agreed. That shit was WAYYY too loud. I'm all for getting people pumped up at sporting events. But the heat combined with noise level before the game was just a bit much.
I also don't appreciate RM fans blasting their air horns six inches from my ear as I walk thru the concourse. you really had to keep your wits about you to make sure no red cones came within a few feet of your head.
but great match and a great day overall.
Wow, even the Nat's conceded on the water issue. There has been a lot of fan uproar at other sporting events over bringing water-and most have conceded. I'm surprised DCU does this. Given the heat this weekend, you should pitch the story idea to some of the sports writers at WaPo.
Nobody, but nobody, brings any outside food or beverage into DannyLand.
"you just cannot compare D.C. United and the mighty Real Madrid!"
You're right, sir. One was Franco's plaything, still profiting off the Generalissimo's fascist regime.
The other is DC United, your local team.
"Madrid, cabrón, saluda al campeón"
Nice post. And great photos.
Damn, you'd think FedEx Field had never let in 72,000 fans before. The wait to get molested by security was pathetic and fucking inexcusable.
On another note, I'd like to see a minor change to the traditional post-game jersey-exchange. How about trading shorts? I'd much rather see players' legs than their (usually) concave chests and Tour de France arms.
Show us female fans a little love, wouldja? Especially after $80 tickets and $8 beers...
I am sure Over the River would be more than happy to show female fans a little love.
OTR appears to be busy, Ms. Kitty, but your wish is my command.
Wicks was awesome. We should've shot much, much, much more than we did, but solid defense in the first half.
The (early) taunting "MONEY FOR NOTHING" to the tune of "DC UNI-TED" was enjoyable as hell.
And I agree 600% about the fukkin' too-loud music before first-kick. Considering the weather, the cost of seats, and the promise of a good match, I think we were all "pumped" enough already, & didn't need a massive fisting of teenybop glam-shite at that time.
All I wanted was to NOT be as humiliated as freakin' Toronto was. And lo, it came to pass. Worth the sunstroke, says I.