Key occasions
Oops – let’s hear from Xabi Alonso …
“After the primary quarter-hour, we began getting good management. We did very professionally and really effectively.”
Throughout cooling break, he made an adjustment to begin to pull the sport wider.
On Garcia: “That’s what a striker is supposed to do.”
On Mbappe: “He can have extra coaching, he can have extra days to recuperate, so we’ll verify.”
NOW I’ll bid farewell. Thanks all.
With that, I’ll bid farewell. Benefit from the Actual Madrid-Monterrey match after Monterrey’s upset win over Borussia Dortmund this night. (Look, if Al-Hilal can beat Manchester Metropolis …)
Thanks for checking in with us right now.
Valverde speaks on goal-scorer Garcia: He strikes very effectively, he’s a participant from the academy, he sees a chance.
Valverde on his play: I attempted to do the most effective for all my teammates.
The translator then laughed at one thing that was clearly misplaced in translation.
Final phrase from the mailbag: Kurt Perleberg asks why we haven’t seen any US gamers for Real Madrid.
As a result of they’re not that good, possibly?
Google’s AI tells me the document for many La Liga appearances by a US participant is 94 by Yunus Musah, all at Valencia. Then Luca de la Torre with 59 at Celta Vigo. After that, Kasey Keller (Rayo Vallecano) and Sergiño Dest (Barcelona) are tied with 51.
However significantly – it’s all about the precise match. And even then, the workforce and their supporters won’t respect you. Trying your approach, Chelsea.
Now we have not been offered any postgame feedback but. Numerous beer promotion.
Full time: Actual Madrid 1-0 Juventus
Should you have been anticipating Actual to dominate this encounter, you have been proper. Solely a collection of stellar saves by Di Gregorio stored this shut. Juve had some vibrant moments early on however nothing that screamed, “sure, this workforce deserves an equalizer” for the final 60-75 minutes.
Subsequent up: the winner of Borussia Dortmund vs. Monterrey, which can happen within the good air-con of Atlanta this night. I’m selecting Monterrey. Concacaf are overdue.
90 min +5: Final likelihood for Juve, and is {that a} name for a penalty? No, our referee says with emphatic waves of his arms. Replay exhibits Kolo Muani was principally headed for the bottom the entire time, hoping for a miracle.
The ball is recycled out and hit from a good distance away out of desperation. Courtois collects, and …
80 seconds left … throw-in for Actual. Juve gamers exhibiting some lengthy faces.
Justin Kavanagh writes: “Infantino can be glad that Mbappe is again now that Messi is out of the match. If Juve might sneak an equalizer, although, you’d fancy Di Gregorio to offer the heroics in a shootout.”
I’d predict Actual would win a shootout 1-0.
90 min +3: Offside on Juve.
90 min +1: Actual play keepaway for some time, then blast the ball downfield for no obvious purpose.
The group, having completed saluting Valverde, are silent. Expectations for the remaining 210 seconds are low.
We’ll have 5 minutes of stoppage time, beginning … oh, 30 seconds in the past.
90 min: Ceballos replaces Valverde, who receives a well-earned ovation as he departs. He wipes his sweaty face, then claps to acknowledge the gang.
89 min: Valverde springs ahead and loses management of the ball however manages to knock it off a defender to earn a nook kick. That’ll preserve Juve pinned again a bit extra as time begins to expire.
Fast phrase from krishnamoorthy v: “When you’ve got finished refereeing for U 14, you’re certified for Manchester derby.”
I nonetheless have so much to stay for, so no thanks.
87 min: YELLOW to Jude Bellingham. That’s our first card of the day, and there have been no incidents so far at which it was even a query. Truthful play certainly.
85 min: Eventually, it’s Juve’s final window, and we’ll see Weston McKennie together with Federico Gatti. The unhappy figures of Locatelli and Rugani stroll out previous their very own aim for the lengthy stroll across the subject to their bench.
83 min: Bellingham combines with Vinicius Junior, and the ball is sprayed extensive to Tchouaméni, who shoots again throughout the grain, and forces a tenth save, this one a fingertip save at full extension, from Di Gregorio. He’s coming into Tim Howard territory right here.
80 min: It will seem that Igor Tudor modified his thoughts about utilizing his third substitution window proper now, and Juve are certainly on the assault. Actual regain management, however that was a useful reminder that this recreation continues to be simply 1-0, thanks largely to Di Gregorio’s 9 saves.
Recreation reset on the cooling break …
Actual lead 1-0 on a robust short-range header by Garcia.
Mbappe is in for Actual, and Modric is about to affix him, though they really want individuals on the again to maintain issues calm for one more 15-20 minutes.
Talking of calm, the Climate Channel now says “anticipate dry circumstances for the subsequent 6 hours,” and the precipitation on the radar is all north of Miami.
Modric takes the captain’s armband as he replaces Güler.
We haven’t seen affirmation that McKennie is definitely on.
76 min: So we WILL see Weston McKennie on this recreation!
After the cooling break …
72 min: CHANCE for Actual, and the way did THAT keep out?!
Exact passing within the penalty space, together with a few touches for Mbappe, and it goes again to the highest of the realm for Güler, who launches a brutal shot towards the decrease nook that Di Gregorio by some means retains out. Tremendous recreation by the Italian keeper.
70 min: CHANCE for Juve. Not over but!
However they’re taking out Yildiz, so possibly it’s. Off the bench, it’s US cornerstone Weston McKenn- … oh, no, it’s Teun Koopmeiners.
69 min: Valverde appears decided to get on the scoresheet, regardless of what number of occasions he has to shoot. Di Gregorio scoops this one off the bottom.
67 min: To underscore the purpose, Actual shoot twice in three seconds, every time bouncing again off a wall of defenders.
Mbappe formally makes his approach in, which implies we see loads of image of individuals sporting his shirt. He replaces Garcia, scorer of the lone aim to this point.
Right here comes Mbappe …
Right into a recreation through which, truthfully, Actual in all probability don’t want him. Juve haven’t appeared like equalizing shortly.
66 min: Affected person possession for Actual, and why not?
63 min: Nicolas Gonzalez is the person changing Kelly.
The Climate Channel continues to be saying “thunderstorms will finish at 5:30” whereas we have now no thunderstorms and no lightning on the radar.
The sport continues.
60 min: BICYCLE KICK by Valverde, and it’s solely the alertness of the in-form Juve keeper Di Gregorio that retains us from being at 2-0.
59 min: Conceição departs, changed by Filip Kostic. Additionally, English defender Lloyd Kelly, signed completely by Juve after a profitable mortgage spell, is out.
56 min: Conceição bids for a direct reply with a worm-burning shot that Courtois has to dive to slap away.
Now we have now reached the a part of the sport through which gamers sit down with cramps.
GOOOOOALLLL! Actual Madrid 1-0 Juventus (Garcia 54)
That was coming, like a storm entrance passing throughout the peninsula.
And this time, Alexander-Arnold takes a contact, seems up and places in a excessive cross that drops the place Garcia has sufficient house for an uncontested 6-yard header that he knocks straight below the bar and into the web.
51 min: Nook for Juve, as we’re once more beginning brightly. Actual defend effectively and break rapidly with Vinicius Junior down the left, stopped by Locatelli deep in his personal half.
Garcia then attracts a foul from Conceição. Nothing attention-grabbing from the free kick, however the ball is labored again out to Bellingham, who blasts a shot from 20 yards that stings Di Gregorio’s arms.
And one other likelihood for Actual as Di Gregorio sprawls to cease a dipping shot with some menace.
50 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold runs on to the ball in an acre of house close to the nook of the penalty space. He has all day to settle it, and he picks out a spot …
No, I’m kidding – he blasted it a number of dozen rows into the stands.
49 min: A cross will get by for Juve, however the ball goes past the attacker. Additionally, the flag was up. And there are in all probability different causes it wouldn’t have been a aim.
For the document – there have been no halftime subs.
48 min: Courtois and a defender can’t agree on who ought to be clearing the ball, and the ensuing awkward clearance finally yields a Juve nook.
47 min: Valverde tries curling a shot throughout the penalty space, and he doesn’t miss by that a lot.
No signal of climate points but.
Second half is underway. Nonetheless 0-0.
Ian Copestake writes: “Are you the primary MBMing referee within the Guardian’s historical past? And does your full identify recommend a penchant for French symbolist poetry? So many questions and so couple of minutes.”
All that I find out about French is that my identify roughly interprets to “fairly laborious.” So far as referees go … possibly? To be truthful, I’ve by no means finished any degree greater than Below-16 low-level journey, Below-14 higher-level journey and Below-19 rec league. I’m too outdated to maintain up with anybody else.
The ever-knowledgeable Peter Oh checks in: “It’s attention-grabbing that RM followers are watching in Athens, GA, however frankly I’d be extra impressed if REM followers have been watching in Athens, GA. Or possibly even the band themselves. Anyway, this match makes me surprise if I’m Dropping My Faith.”
One in every of my bands performed an R.E.M. tribute not too long ago, however we didn’t try this one, due partially to the dearth of a mandolin participant.
When drummer Invoice Berry left one of many two Huge Bands from Athens (the opposite being the B-52s), the headline font within the native newspaper was about the identical measurement as the tip of World Warfare II.
Climate watch
Justin Kavanagh writes: “The Forecast referred to as for ache at first, however the climate now Feels Like Rain in Miami, so I believe you want a few of the nice John Hiatt at halftime. “
Sadly, sure, it seems that a few of the inexperienced blobs on the radar in and round Florida at the moment are passing over Miami. The Climate Channel says “thunderstorms prone to proceed by 6 p.m. (two hours and alter from now),” however there’s no lightning on the map. Possibly we’ll simply have a great soaking rain.
Halftime: Actual Madrid 0-0 Juventus
After a promising begin at each ends, Actual have had the higher of issues because the cooling break, however truthfully, neither of those groups can end in addition to Al-Hilal.
Simply saying.
45 min +3: Bellingham, Valverde and Alexander-Arnold type a potent passing triangle and work their approach ahead, the place Trent unleashes a robust cross that might simply have caromed into the web off any of the gamers from both facet lined up throughout the 6-yard field.
45 min: Spectacular flip from Güler, however his cross is blocked away.
Actual reset, and it’s a CHANCE for Actual as Valverde laces a shot from 18 yards that Di Gregorio impressively knocks extensive with a mighty sideways leap. That would possibly have been goal-bound.
4 minutes of stoppage time, nonetheless 0-0.
43 min: Thuram has it on the left for Juve, however his cross finds nobody in Juve’s darkish shirts.
41 min: Shortly taken free kick at midfield for Juve. They proceed even after one in every of their gamers rolls round on the grass for a bit. Actual win the ball again due to, of all individuals, Vinicius Junior, monitoring again to assist out on the again.
39 min: Juve now appear to have seen sufficient of Actual’s affected person and almost efficient assault. They swarm to win the ball again.
