Even a severe thunderstorm watch across Philadelphia wasn’t going to deter the thousands of Madridistas who travelled from far and wide to watch Real Madrid.
Their reward for braving the elements was witnessing the first clear sign of what life will look like under Xabi Alonso, as his side beat RB Salzburg to set up a last-16 clash with Juventus.
After a stuttery start to life against Al-Hilal and having played most of the game with ten men against Pachuca, this was a performance of control by Madrid with Vinicius Junior scoring a superb goal and getting an assist for Federico Valverde in the first-half before Gonzalo Garcia got a delightful third, with six minutes to go.
Like Miami last Wednesday and Charlotte on Sunday, Philadelphia was a sea of white as Madrid rolled into town.
They queued up under the afternoon sun to take pictures by the famous Rocky steps outside the Museum of Art while thousands more tailgated outside the ground. This felt like a spectacle before a ball had even been kicked.
Even as the heavens opened close to kick off in this stadium exposed to the elements, the masses sang the Madrid anthem with such emotion that you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in Spain.
Vinicius Jr scores Real Madrid’s first goal against RB Salzburg in the Club World Cup
A huge crowd of 65,000 packed out Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field in the rain
As the designated away team, Alonso’s side played in their navy blue kit but here at the home of the Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, this very much felt like Madrid had moved in for the night.
Alonso once again left Rodrygo on the bench – a clear message to the Brazilian, who has been linked with a move away from the club, while Antonio Rudiger started in place of the suspended Raul Asencio, alongside Dean Huijsen and Aurelien Tchouameni in a back three.
That meant Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fran Garcia were operating as wing-backs, often dropping to make it a back five and it was Madrid who dominated the ball in the early stages, with Vinicius Jr denied in the 20th minute by a great save from 18-year-old Christian Zawieschitzky.
Thomas Letch’s youthful Salzburg side, with nine players in the starting lineup aged 22 or under, grew into the contest as the half went on but were undone five minutes before half-time by a devastating Madrid counter.
Jude Bellingham barks instructions to his Real Madrid team-mates in the game stateside
Trent Alexander-Arnold shares a laugh with his new manager Xabi Alonso at full-time
Jude Bellingham’s exquisite pass to Vinicius Jr split through Salzburg and this time, the Brazilian showed his class with a wonderful left-footed finish past the outstretched Zawieschitzky.
In added time, Madrid doubled their lead as Vinicius Jr turned provider, pouncing on a deflection and finding Valverde with a quality backheel. The Madrid skipper made no mistake from inside the box, driving his strike beyond Zawieschitzky.
In fairness, the teenage goalkeeper had no chance and just like against Pachuca, Madrid had struck twice in quick succession.
Salzburg pushed after the break, knowing that they were on their way out with Al-Hilal winning against Pachuca in Nashville, but were always kept at arm’s length, while Luka Modric’s farewell tour continued as Alonso used all five of his substitutions.
How fitting it would be for Modric, who has won 28 trophies since joining Madrid in 2012, to cap off his 13-year stay with more silverware. That prospect is very much still alive for the Croatian.
Thousands of Madridistas travelled from far and wide to watch Real Madrid in Philadelphia
Thursday’s game saw one of the biggest attendances of the entire Club World Cup
And there was still time for Garcia to chip the ball past Zawieschitzky and put the icing on the cake, with his second goal of the tournament. The 21-year-old is making the most of his opportunity up top, until Kylian Mbappe returns.
From the brutal heat of Florida and North Carolina to the unrelenting rain in Pennsylvania, Madrid have got the job done in Group H, albeit against weaker opposition.
Tougher tests await, not least with Juventus in Miami on Tuesday, followed by a potential quarter-final against Dortmund or Monterrey.
But already, Alonso’s men are showing signs that they can be a team for all seasons and with the likes of Mbappe and Eduardo Camavinga set to return next week, it’s fair to say that things are just getting started. For the 64,811 inside the Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday night, this was a Madrid display to savour.
