Being on the short end of a 5-0 thrashing never felt so good for the handpicked group of Major League Soccer all-stars Tuesday night.
That’s because the opponent was powerhouse Real Madrid and the site was the imposing Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Spain.
Enough said.
“It’s the highlight of my career so far,” Rapids striker Jeff Cunningham said via telephone from the MLS team bus as it left the stadium. “It was a great atmosphere, around 60,000 people and playing a match against Ronaldo, (David) Beckham and the like.”
Cunningham was joined by Rapids midfielder Pablo Mastroeni for the once-in-a-lifetime event that had little sporting chance. The MLS squad, many of whom where involved in international matches last week and MLS games Saturday, arrived Monday and had less than 24 hours to prepare for the nine-time European champions.
Whether the game was meant to be a promotional event for MLS or an audition for some of its talent, Mastroeni said the players were in the dark.
“It wasn’t really explained,” Mastroeni said. “I think all the players were just chomping at the bit to play against these guys. We just winged it.”
Cunningham said it was an honor to be guarded by Brazilian Roberto Carlos, and an even bigger thrill was to hear the defender remind his teammates to watch Cunningham’s speed.
Cunningham and Mastroeni agreed the atmosphere at the Bernabeu was unlike anything they had experienced, even in the World Cup.
“It was by far the most surreal experience,” Mastroeni said. “We were pinching ourselves.”
Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo is sure to be pinching himself now that his two stars appear to be returning injury-free. Clavijo objected to the timing of the friendly match.
“What do we have to prove here?” Clavijo said Monday. “If we want to be big, let’s pick the right time to play.”
Clavijo, Balboa to play
Rapids soccer ambassador Marcelo Balboa will play alongside good friend Clavijo on Monday as the two are inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y. The Rapids will face defending MLS champion D.C. United in a friendly match and Clavijo said he and Balboa will play, probably in the game’s final 25 minutes.
Balboa and Clavijo, both defenders, were teammates and roommates with the U.S. national team and join former players John Harkes and Tab Ramos in the class of 2005.
Serna’s situation
Striker Diego Serna continues to practice with the Rapids although he has not been offered a contract. According to Clavijo, Serna has petitioned for a U.S. green card, which would allow the Rapids to sign him as a domestic player rather than release someone from their senior international spots.
The Rapids have one roster spot available as an injury replacement for midfielder Matt Crawford, who is out for the season after hip surgery. Crawford said he had just gotten off crutches and was feeling OK.
Footnote
The Rapids will scrimmage the University of Denver at 4 p.m. Friday. Their next MLS match is Sept. 3 against D.C. United at Invesco Field at Mile High. Although United’s Freddy Adu has been out several weeks with a medial collateral ligament strain, a team spokesman said Adu is expected to travel to Denver.
