Real Madrid is bringing the cavalry for its summer tour of the United States.
Madrid has chosen a first-choice squad for its three games in the World Football Challenge, which includes the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil, Kaka, Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas.
The biggest omissions are Argentines Angel di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain, who will be participating in Copa America.
Madrid is slated to play the Los Angeles Galaxy at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum on July 16, Chivas de Guadalajara at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium on July 20 and the Philadelphia Union at Lincoln Financial Field on July 23.
Here is the squad that manager Jose Mourinho is bringing to the United States:
REAL MADRID'S WFC ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS – Iker Casillas, Antonio Adan.
DEFENDERS – Ricardo Carvalho, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Alvaro Arbeloa, Raul Albiol, Ezequiel Garay, David Mateos.
MIDFIELDERS – Mesut Ozil, Kaka, Fernando Gago, Xabi Alonso, Lassana Diarra, Sami Khedira, Hamit Altintop, Pedro Leon, Sergio Canales, Nuri Sahin, Jose Callejon, Roysten Drenthe.
FORWARDS – Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Esteban Granero.
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What do you think of Madrid's travel squad? Planning on going to any of its WFC games?
Share your thoughts below.
I do have the privelage of going to see the Real Madrid VS. Philidelphia Union match and im delighted to see the squad being displayed by Jose Mourinho. Im sure these matches will be very entertaining against these sides witha star studded lineup from Madrid.
I saw Manchester United VS. Philidelia Union last year at the same venue and i was pleased with the enjoyable atmosphere but the lineups werent as satisfying as the one Madrid has promised. I was able to see stars as Giggs, Scholes, Smalling, Gibson, Macheda, and Obertan, but the Man. United first team would of been a better treat. Even in the MLS All-Star game i attended soon after the lineups were B-team quality and they still managed to drop 4 on the “MLS All Stars”. The Madrid tour will be a delight to watch for all with the squad chosen.
yoou have to be kidding, homie. If LA had an entirely different team (like Barca) they were able to compete with Real Madrid…
Didn’t Seattle get like 46K for a Thursday game?
MLS teams use these games as good experience also. Every year, MLS inches closer in quality…especially the past few seasons. I predict some Eurosnob anguish this year. If LA can make a couple of acquisitions, they can compete with a pre-season Real Madrid.
Seattle almost got there last night!
Yea that has to be a typo of some sort…Isn’t Gago playing if Copa America too? Thought I saw him on the Argentina roster
Agreed. It’s great that these big European clubs use MLS teams as preseason practice (although their options are limited since it’s summer), but I’d rather see a 50,000 seat sell out crowd for an MLS match. We can dream, right?
I wasn’t expecting Canales; thought he would be loaned out first…
when is Fulham going to cash-in on Dempsey and tour the USA? A tour after the WC would have brought in some nice dough for them.
Personally, I feel Granero plays midfield and is nothing close to being a forward. But maybe that’s just me….
I’ll watch these games, but I’m saving my ticket $$$ for meaningful MLS matches which are more exciting IMO. It’s nice to have a chance to see these top stars close up every once in a while, but it’s honestly a bit annoying to me that these money grabbing tours are “highlights” of the summer soccer calendar, seemingly every year now.
my 2 cents.