Jonathan Woodgate finally made his Real Madrid debut on Sunday, coming on as an 85th-minute substitute in a 5-0 friendly victory over an MLS Select XI at the Santiago Bernabeu. The former Newcastle and Leeds defender had been sidelined for 16 months with a muscle problem, and his appearance marked a significant step towards full recovery.
Woodgate played 45 minutes against Real Madrid's junior team last Friday, which convinced coach Wanderley Luxemburgo that he was ready for his first public outing in a Real shirt. Although he only touched the ball three times, both he and the crowd clearly enjoyed the moment. Real have also arranged a practice game for Wednesday to help Woodgate build up his confidence.
David Beckham opened the scoring with a curling 22-yard free-kick that went in off the post, before Ronaldo added two trademark goals either side of half-time. The Brazilian striker collected a Zidane pass to make it 2-0 just before the break, then burst through the middle of the MLS defence to fire home an unstoppable shot in the second half.
Guti made it 4-0 with 10 minutes remaining, prompting Luxemburgo to bring on Michael Owen, but it was Raul who rounded off the scoring from close range in the last minute. The MLS Select side, coached by former Liverpool hero Steve Nicol, included US internationals Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and Ronnie O'Brien, but they rarely threatened Real's goal.
