crinkly_ears | Match Report: An Ambidextrous Goal & Some Number Speculation. Philadelphia Union 1 Real Madrid 2 (Reply)

A Striker Assists and A Play-Maker Scores A Goal.

The number 9 set it up. The number 10 scored it.

Mesut played the first half of the game against Philadelphia Union. Xabi Alonso returned to the midfield. Both were substituted at half time. The way the game played out probably had a great deal to do with these two substitutions.

Philadelphia Union seemed to have studied from the "How NOT To Break Down Real Madrid's Attack" Manual before the game. They played a suicidally high defensive line (employed to interesting effect last season in the second leg of La Liga by teams like Racing Santander, Sevilla and Valencia - all of whom were soundly thrashed) and, unsurprisingly, suffered for it. Madrid's first goal, for example, came when Xabi was allowed to pass long into the box. Callejon benefitted from a subsequent defensive error to score Madrid's first.

Mesut's balance is always really rather astounding!

Mesut himself scored less than 10 minutes later and the goal was interesting for a couple of reasons - the way it was created and the way in which it was scored.

First it was Benzema, and not Mesut, who found himself on the wing holding up the ball - after another defensive error. Showing an enormous Mesut-like composure, Benzi waited for Mesut to make his run (a very fast run) into the box through the two centre-backs before making a very Mesut-worthy pass. Mesut controlled the ball with his weaker right foot with one touch, evaded his marker, and then used his right foot again to score a very Benzema-worthy goal past another defender and the keeper.

Listen for the shriek in the crowd after the goal is scored. Was that you Katja?

A lovely piece of ambidexterity and a technically beautiful goal in every way! Mesut, of course, is famously left-footed - and his reliance on his left-foot hampered him considerably only a year ago - though he did score three times with his right foot last season (against AC Milan, Atleti, and Sevilla).

Much cuddling and happiness resulted.

Mesut obviously wanted to thank Benzi...

...His other teammates got to him first...

...But eventually they were able to have their high-five!

Understandably, at two goals up and the temperature hovering above 30 degrees, the game lost some urgency. And with Xabi Alonso and Mesut both off at half time, all the creativity in the attack vanished. After a messy second half in which Madrid conceded once to make it a 2-1 win for the visitors, the game ended.

Like a striker!

Numbers Speculation

And finally - the question that is uppermost on many minds - is Mesut going to be keeping that number 10 we are all growing so used to? Nothing is certain of course. Mesut played in the number 26 in last year's very brief pre-season before picking the number 23. Perhaps he wanted his locker to be next to Sami Khedira's? At any rate, that number, which was considered unlucky because its previous wearers (van der Vaart and Sneijder) had not precisely sparkled in it, has more than had its curse broken my Mesut's absurdly brilliant debut season.

Well this video would seem to suggest he'll be keeping it.

True or not - the video is sweet enough. And the tricks Mesut does with Sami, Adebayor and Sergio are rather cute aren't they?

.

.