Zizou comes to Carson
THERE WERE FAR MORE world-renowned athletes in Southern California last week than usual, and certainly far more than usual in Carson. That is where the soccer team Real Madrid took to the field to face the L.A. Galaxy on Monday night in a friendly match. Neither the Galaxy, nor Carson, stood much of a chance.
The L.A. team looked hapless against the fabled European club, and the city was overwhelmed by the crush of fans who descended on the intimate (just 27,000 seats) Home Depot Center, home to the Galaxy. Not only was the game a sellout, thousands more came hoping to scalp tickets. Police were overwhelmed by the traffic, and fans had to scramble to park miles away from the stadium or be shuttled in from a nearby mall. Tickets with a $60 face value were being snatched up for $1,000 -- for a meaningless exhibition match. Meaningless, that is, beyond what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see such an assembly of talent.
Arguably more than half of the world’s top dozen players are on the Madrid payroll, including Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Luis Figo, Raul, David Beckham and Michael Owen. Many Americans may be unfamiliar with these names, but people almost anywhere else -- from Brazil to China -- know these athletes the way Americans know Shaquille O’Neal or Tiger Woods. And all of them came to Carson.
Los Angeles is a global city; hence the pandemonium in Carson. British fans wore their national team jerseys and cheered on “Becks” and Owen. European expatriates huddled in the stands with Mexican immigrants and suburban soccer families thirsting for a taste of electrifying, world-class soccer. Thousands of people wore Madrid jerseys, inscribed with their favorite player’s name on the back.
But the night belonged to Zidane, or “Zizou,” the graceful 33-year-old French midfielder of North African descent who is probably the best player of the last decade. He led France to a World Cup championship in 1998, scoring two of three goals in the final against Brazil, but has since retired from the French national team. He offered Galaxy players a lesson in dazzling footwork that neither they nor fans will soon forget.
Aside from their talent, the visiting Madrilenos were gracious too. They chose to score only twice on the home team.
