64,811 fans filed into Lincoln Financial Field on a rainy Thursday night to watch the final Group Stage match of the FIFA Club World Cup, which was being played in Philadelphia between Spain’s Real Madrid and Austria’s RB Salzburg.
Coming into the match, both teams were looking for a 3-point victory and a loss for Al Hilal in the other Group H fixture before the tournament’s Knockout Round. Thankfully for Madridistas, first-half goals from Vinicius Junior and Frederico Valverde and a second-half chip of the keeper by Gonzalo Garcia pushed Xabi Alonso’s side to 3 points and a spot in the Round of 16 at this Club World Cup.
“I think today was our best game as a team, I thought that for me personally today as well was the best game I’ve had. It seemed to click out there, we had a game plan, we executed it really well and we’re very happy with the win today and the result to top the group. Still unbeaten, now today 3 goals and a clean sheet is a good confidence boost going into the Round of 16” –Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Vinicius Junior Opens Scoring in Philadelphia
In the 40th minute of a 0-0 game in the rain, Francisco Garcia stopped an RB Salzburg transitional opportunity just outside Madrid’s own penalty area and quickly sent his team on the attack with a move to beat a Salzburg defender and a quick pass to start the counter.
Jude Bellingham received the ball in Madrid’s final third and played a long ball along the slick Lincoln Financial Field pitch that split Salzburg’s center backs and sent Vinicius Junior in on goal.
Vinicius took a couple of touches on his right foot and then, with a slight delay, cut back on 18-year-old Joane Gadou. With a tidy left-foot finish, he placed the ball in the bottom right corner of the net to give Real Madrid a 1-0 lead and fans a reason to celebrate in the rain.
Valverde Doubles Madrid’s Lead Before Half
Just before half-time, Salzburg’s Mamady Diambou miscued the ball behind his own backline, putting Vinicius in position to capitalize on the opportunity. The Brazilian collected the ball and took a big touch into the penalty area before playing the ball back behind him for Frederico Valverde to come and put away.
Valverde ran onto the free ball just inside the 12-yard marker and, with his first touch, placed the ball into the back of the net with a right-footed finish.
Gonzalo Garcia’s Chip is Cherry On Top
Already with a 2-0 lead, 21-year-old Gonzalo Garcia put a bow on Madrid’s dominant performance in the 83rd minute with his 2nd goal of the Club World Cup when Trent Alexander-Arnold played a long pass that sent the Spanish striker on the break.
Garcia nicked the ball from the Salzburg defender, which put him alone on goal with just the Keeper, Christian Zawieschitzky, to beat. Zawieschitzky came off his line to try and cut down Garcia’s angle, but the confident striker lifted the ball over the keeper and into the back of the net to give Madrid a 3-0 win.
Madrid’s 3-0 win keeps them unbeaten through the Group Stage of the FIFA Club World Cup and puts them at the top of Group H. This position will see them meet Serie A’s Juventus in the Round of 16.
Salzburg’s defeat and Al Hilal’s 2-0 win over Pachuca send the Austrian club home before the Club World Cup’s knockout round, which will pit Al Hilal against the Premier League’s Manchester City.
Praise for Lincoln Financial Field Club World Cup Pitch
64,811 is the biggest crowd at The Linc during the Club World Cup so far and was a nice preview for what we can expect next Summer when the World Cup comes to town.
Real Madrid’s Aurélien Tchouaméni had good things to say about the playing surface at Lincoln Financial Field, grown and installed by Tuckahoe Turf Farms in Hammonton, New Jersey, just a few days after teammate Jude Bellingham said the “pitches aren’t great at all” in Charlotte.
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Featured Image Credit: REUTERS/Susana Vera
