LOS ANGELES - Cristiano Ronaldo did not disappoint in Real Madrid's opening match of its celebrity tour of the United States this summer.
Ronaldo, one of the biggest names in soccer, excited a crowd of over 50,000 in Hollywood by doing what he does best, scoring a goal in the second half of the Spanish club's 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday night.
"The support is amazing," he said of playing in front of the American fans. "We win, that is most important, and we’re happy. We want a reward for training hard to start the season."
Jose Callejon and Joselu started the scoring spree on the helpless Major League Soccer squad with goals eight minutes apart in the first half and Karim Benzema added a header in the 57th minute as Real Madrid began its preseason off on the right foot.
"It’s just very good training," Ronaldo said. "We did it today. In the first half we played with a different team. In the second half we changed, so we’re happy. We still are in training, so it’s very good to play against [the Galaxy].”
Ronaldo, who set La Liga's scoring record with 40 goals last season, entered as a substitute at halftime and instantly proved that he's in a whole other class. The striker toyed with three defenders before going to the near post on a tight angle in the 53rd minute.
It was a signature goal for the superstar.
After falling down four goals and looking nowhere in the same class as one of the top teams in the world, Adam Cristman's header after teammate Jovan Kirovski forces the first save put the Galaxy on the scoreboard.
“I always like to play the Galaxy. They want to play football," Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said. "They don’t like to play a defensive match, they want to give a good game to the fans, and because of that, that is the kind of team I like to play in preseason.”
L.A. midfielder David Beckham played against his former team before being substituted in the 61st minute.
ARTICLE SOURCE : WW.GOAL.COM
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