Real Madrid, "arguably the most popular soccer team in the world," tonight will face off against the MLS All-Stars at Soldier Field, and the La Liga team's presence has "drawn a buzz among soccer fanatics," according to Chris Kuc of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. During a four-game preseason slate that has seen Real Madrid play in the L.A. and Miami, crowds have "flocked to see the team." Chicago will be "no exception" as the MLS ASG is "officially a sellout with more than 61,000 expected to attend." Even Real Madrid's workouts have "drawn crowds, including hundreds who watched the team scrimmage and do drills" yesterday at Soldier Field. Real Madrid MF Toni Kroos said, "Everywhere we go in the USA or China or Madrid or Europe the fans are crazy." Kuc notes Real Madrid will take the field "without reigning FIFA player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo and while that will strip the match of some off its luster," there are "plenty of other top players on the team for fans to watch soccer at its top level." Fire and MLS All-Star coach Veljko Paunovic said, "Even if Cristiano isn't here they have enough talent on that team not only to give us a spectacle but give us a very competitive game" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/2). In Chicago, Brian Sandalow notes if Fire MF Bastian Schweinsteiger thought Ronaldo's absence "diminished the sold-out event at all," he "wasn't saying." Schweinsteiger: "They still have a lot of good players." With or without Ronaldo, Real Madrid is "also one of the biggest brands in world sport." Fox soccer analyst Eric Wynalda said, "It's a spectacle. It just is. That's the reasoning behind bringing Real Madrid to play in this game, because of who they are and what they mean as a global brand. The attention will be on them, and there’s an opportunity to put on a good show" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 8/2).
SOMETHING TO PROVE: Toronto FC MF Michael Bradley said, "There's no better opponent than Real Madrid. We want to ... represent ourselves and the league in a real way. Everyone understands it's a friendly game, but you play to win and you want to be sharp." Paunovic said that more important, though, is "showing all those watching that MLS continued to improve its quality of play and grow America's soccer fan base" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 8/2). The AP's Jim Litke notes MLS fans "chafe at the perception the league lags well behind their top-tier counterparts in Europe and want their team to show up once again with something to prove." The MLS All-Stars' 2-1 win over Bayern Munich in '14, however, may have been "too competitive" when then-Bayern manager Pep Guardiola "left that game without shaking hands, instead wagging his finger at what he considered unnecessarily hard tackles by MLS defenders." Yet the ASGs have "proved worthwhile for both sides, providing MLS with an opportunity to gauge its level of play against top-flight competition." In return, the European clubs have "used the exposure from the game and their tours to build their brand with U.S. and Canadian audiences" (AP, 8/2).
