Real Madrid traveled to Kuwait Tuesday morning to close out the
season with a friendly against the country's national team. José Mourinho stated in a presser that the
team was "here to play, not be tourists," with Iker Casillas echoing
the sentiment saying "we're here to play a great game and to
win." And win they did. Los
Blancos put an end to the '11/'12 season with a 2-0 victory against the
Kuwait NT, goals from Ángel Di María and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Al-Kuwait Sports Club stadium was filled to capacity, the match
starting with a lot of pomp and circumstance, with firework displays and fans
blowing vuvuzelas in the stands.
Cristiano made a first goal attempt with a header following a cross from
Mesut Özil, but nothing came of it. It
would be Di María who opened the score sheet at the 27' minute mark, with a
left-footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Cristiano got his goal minutes later at the
31', with a – would you guess it – a header from very close range. The Portuguese all-star made a few more
attempts throughout the half, but none resulted in goal. Nevertheless, he received cheers from
Kuwaiti fans for every move.
The second half saw a lot of changes in lineup from both
sides. In fact, Mourinho replaced 10 out
of the original Starting XI, the only one remaining being Hamit Altintop. Kuwait's side too made its changes in
lineups. Neither side managed to score
in the second, Madrid's game being quite relaxed and casual in comparison to
their normal pace.
The Kuwait team played with lots of courage in spite of being overpowered
by their Spanish counterparts. Los Blancos captivated the fans as they played
with ease, Kuwaiti supporters singing their praises. A Kuwait football official had the following
to say:
"This is just a package of fun and excitement. We know that we
can't beat them (Real Madrid). The game
is only aimed at boosting and encouraging our national team. Playing with one of the biggest and strongest
team in the world is a plus to the Kuwait national team."
Once the men return to Madrid, they will get some well-deserved
R&R. Some players can start right
away, while others will only have a few days before having to report to their
national teams for international duty.
Until then, ¡Hala Madrid!
written by Gail Hidalgo
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