adminLOS ANGELES. — Cristiano Ronaldo gave fans at the first football match ever at Dodger Stadium what they wanted on Saturday, scoring one goal and aiding another in Real Madrid’s 2-1 friendly win over Everton. More than 40 000 spectators turned out at the 51-year-old baseball stadium nestled in Los Angeles’ Chavez Ravine, and the first football goal in the venue’s history went to one of the game’s greats when Ronaldo scored in the 17th minute.
He had chipped a volley from the center of the area over the crossbar in the 10th, but made no mistake on his next chance, when a crisp ball from Mesut Ozil brought Everton keeper Tim Howard out of his goal and Ronaldo got round him to slide an angled shot into the open net.
“It was a little bit strange because we didn’t play in a football stadium, but the atmosphere, the tradition of this stadium is outstanding,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “To be in this stadium with such fantastic history is very good for us.”
Ancelotti didn’t address the Gareth Bale transfer saga. Tottenham’s 24-year-old Welsh star is reportedly set to complete a world-record move, valued at around $100 million euros, to Real Madrid this week.
Instead, Ancelotti voiced confidence in his current group of players.
Pressed as he was hustled out of a media conference as to whether Bale would indeed play for Real Madrid, Ancelotti quipped that perhaps Bale would wind up in baseball.
The frenzy of speculation over Bale hasn’t hampered Real Madrid’s pre-season campaign. They have now won four and drawn one of five pre-season matches.
Ozil doubled Real Madrid’s lead in the 31st minute after taking a pass from Ronaldo. — AFP.
Online Reporter