ABC
The Welshman Gareth Bale and the Spanish Marco Asensio showed their best football in the first half and scored the goals with which Real Madrid beat Roma 2-1 in the third and final game of their preseason tour of the United States.
The half-hour delay due to the strong storm that fell in the area of East Rutherford (New Jersey), where MetLife Stadium is located, was very good for Real Madrid, who played his best game, with a full football attack and defending.
The great novelty presented by coach Julen Lopetegui in the lineup for the last game of his tour in the United States was the debut so far in the preseason of central defender and captain Sergio Ramos, the rest of the team was the same as previous matches with a Bale of great leader and Asensio of goleador.
Both were the protagonists, just 1:35 minutes after the game began, the great play to give Bale a master pass Asensio controlled the ball to finish majestically and beat the goalkeeper Robin Olsen, Roma.
He could not start better the current European champion, who gradually imposed his best football, quickly, touch ball, unmarked and great physical power.
Roma could do nothing against the superiority of Real Madrid, which left reflected with another great move by Bale, who after 15 minutes, after receiving a ball from Daniel Carvajal, beat by speed and change of pace to his marker defender Ivan Marcano and took a powerful shot from the left leg to beat Olsen.
Real Madrid did everything right in the field and completely dominated the control of the ball and the creation of new scoring opportunities that did not materialize before the good performance of Olsen.
But Roma lacked ideas and could not control the ball or take away the pressure of Real Madrid that gave an exhibition of good individual and overall football both in attack and defense that kept until both teams went to the locker room.
In the second half, as usual, Lopetegui decided on the changes and completely changed the team with the exception of goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
While the coach of Roma, Eusebio Di Francesco, also did the same to completely change the whole team including the goalkeeper Olsen and although the new players tried to keep the same rhythm of the game and everything was different.
However, Real Madrid had the chance to have won 3-0 thanks to the actions of the young players, like the Brazilian Vinicius.
The one that did arrive was the goal of Rome’s honor, achieved by Kevin Strootman in the 83rd minute when he shot a powerful shot and overtook Navas, who had barely had to intervene.
At the end Real Madrid’s deserved triumph ended the tour with two wins against Roma and Juventus (3-1) and a defeat suffered against Manchester United (1-2).
Real Madrid, who returns to Spain, will play the next game, first in their field, on Saturday when they face AC Milan in the Santiago Bernabéu Tournament and on August 15 they will play the European Supercup against Atlético de Madrid.
Roma left the tournament with two defeats, the one suffered against Real Madrid and Tottenham (1-4), and the victory they achieved against FC Barcelona (4-2).