Manchester City routs Real Madrid 4-1 in front of Coliseum soccer record 93,098
Real Madrid plays in a stadium nearly 6,000 miles away under a French coach and with a superstar from Portugal.
Yet each summer, it doubles as America’s team.
Since the inception of the International Champions Cup five years ago Real Madrid has drawn the two largest crowds in U.S. soccer history, with 109,318 fans flocking to watch the team play at Michigan Stadium in 2014 and 105,826 filling the same venue last summer.
Wednesday night’s ICC match against Manchester City was no different, as 93,098 fans filled the Coliseum for the largest soccer crowd in the stadium’s history, with the overwhelming majority donning the iconic white kits of “Los Blancos.”
If the Real Madrid faithful were disappointed that Cristiano Ronaldo, the team’s star striker, was vacationing in China, it certainly didn’t show. Despite his absence, the crowd’s raucous tone was set almost two hours before kickoff, with thousands of fans hollering in excitement at the Jumbotron as it showed Real Madrid stars Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos making their way into the Coliseum. When Manchester City hit the field for warmups, the same crowd erupted into a heavy round of jeers.
For many Real Madrid fans in attendance like Orange County natives Abby Schneidewind and her boyfriend Ramiro Ramirez, the chance to see their team in person was the opportunity of a lifetime. The two, who have been rooting for Los Blancos since 2010, said at halftime that the $80 sticker price was more than worth it.
“We’re fans of the L.A. Galaxy so we see them play against European teams all the time but this is actually amazing because it’s all their top players playing on the field,” Schneidewind said. “This is like, real. Not to shame L.A. Galaxy, but it’s so cool seeing two prominent European teams play against each other.”
Unfortunately for Real Madrid fans, the night ended in disappointment, with Manchester City defeating Real Madrid, 4-1.
Though Real Madrid spent much of the first half on the attack, it fell apart after halftime, giving up goals to Nicolas Otamendi (52nd minute), Raheem Sterling (59), John Stones (67) and Brahim Diaz (82).
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