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Manchester United v Real Madrid: International Champions Cup – live!
Manchester United v Real Madrid: International Champions Cup – live!
(35 minutes later)
12.00am BST
00:00
Full-time: Manchester United 1-1 Real Madrid
Penalties will now provide us with a modicum of excitement.
12.00am BST
00:00
90 mins +3: Blind lofts a free kick from wide left, intended for Lukaku. He gets to it, but he’s too far out and there’s no power on it. And it was wide. So there’s that.
11.58pm BST
23:58
90 mins +2: We’ll have a few minutes added for the hydration break of course. Can anyone do something decisive in that time. Hakimi tries as he runs to the byline on the right of the box, only to scoop his resulting cross behind for a goal kick.
Confirmed. There’ll be three minutes added time.
11.57pm BST
23:57
90 mins: Another shot from distance, this time from Quezada. Another ball flying well past the posts. Penalties looming.
11.55pm BST
23:55
88 mins: Corner for Real Madrid. Inswinger that’s headed off the line by Pogba, with de Gea having drifted back to his back post.
And now Hakimi finds himself in a little space arrowing in from the right channel headed for goal. He gets his head up but drives his shot well over from outside the box.
11.54pm BST
23:54
86 mins: Oscar brings down Mkhitariyan and picks ups a yellow card for the latest in a few fouls he’s committed today (it was his tackle that prompted Herrera to be withdrawn).
United trying to be a little more proactive in these dying moments, perhaps hoping to get back in the changing room before they have to endure a penalty shootout (under competition rules that will follow if the teams are level after 90 minutes).
11.52pm BST
23:52
84 mins: BIG MISS FROM FELLAINI! McTominay sweeps in a lovely ball from the right to the penalty spot, where Fellaini is waiting in acres of space. With the goal gaping, however, his first touch sees him knee the ball somewhere in the vicinity of Alcatraz.
11.50pm BST
23:50
82 mins: Zidane, by the way, is wearing a baseball cap whose scale teeters perilously close to “novelty”. Mourinho prefers to repel the sun by glowering at it.
Dangerous little move for Madrid there as Hakimi slides the ball across the six yard box looking for a touch from Gomez, but this time Lindelof does defensive things and gets his body in the way to stop the decisive tocuh from the Madrid man.
11.47pm BST
23:47
80 mins: Fellaini breaks up play in midfield and United come forward. Some strong hold up play from Lukaku sees McTominay pick up the ball and instantly lay it off to Pogba in space on the left of the box. He can’t get a clean shot off though, and neither can Mkhitaryan when the ball eventually breaks to him.
11.45pm BST
23:45
78 mins: We’re back under way. I think. The players are certainly spread out again.
11.45pm BST
23:45
76 mins: We’re still hydrating, which gives us time to check in with James Maslen again:
“As an Ex Pat and long time Spurs fan and I finally made a game in person and there was no mention in the Guardian or other major media outlets. Now that United are playing everyone is following it. A wee bit frustrated!”I feel like I know you now James, and I feel your frustration. I’d put my hand on your arm in a reassuring manner — but under the weather circumstances across much of America right now, that might be a bit...clammy.
65,109 the attendance by the way. And Valencia has used the drinks break as an opportunity to sneak onto the field to replace Darmian.
11.42pm BST
23:42
74 mins: The Madrid youngsters look to be enjoying their time up against the United regulars here, especially after getting that goal out of nothing.
And now we’ll have another hydration break...
11.40pm BST
23:40
72 mins: Now Real Madrid have a free kick just to the left of their box near the touchline. Smalling’s tackle wold have been called clumsy in another era where Lindelof hadn’t just made his paradigm-shifting redefinition of clumsy with that foul on the penalty.
Quezado goes direct on the free kick and the ball was moving as de Gea was forced to push it clear.
11.38pm BST
23:38
GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 1-1 REAL MADRID (CASEMIRO!)
Casemiro absolutely leathers it up the middle of the goal to tie the game!
11.37pm BST
23:37
Penalty to Real Madrid!
Out of nowhere Madrid have a chance to get back in it, after Lindelof, who’s not had the best arrival in a United shirt, clears out Hernandez in the box. Kevin Stott points to the spot in somewhat restrained fashion for him — maybe because there wasn’t exactly much suspense about the clearest penalty you’ll ever see.
Updated
at 11.37pm BST
11.35pm BST
23:35
68 mins: Martial earns a corner after darting forward to receive a return pass from Blind. Blind takes the corner but doesn’t clear the first man. Still, McTominay retrieves to keep the sequence moving for United, only for Fellaini to be offside in the box when he picks him out with his pass forward.
11.33pm BST
23:33
66 mins: Oh I get it...sorry, took a moment...you had me at “plethora” James.
Anyway, back in Santa Clara, this game continues to stop and smell the roses.
11.32pm BST
23:32
64 mins: James Maslen emails to enthuse, with the subject line “So glad you discovered this tournament”
“There was a great game last night featured 6 goals and a plethora of top English talent as Spurs beat PSG. Just letting you know as there is no mention of the game or even the score in The Guardian. Sounds like this one is very exciting.”
It’s a sad side effect of long exposure to the Guardian cultural milieu that I can’t tell if James is being sweetly enthusiastic or playing deadpan chess in 3D with me. Either way, I wouldn’t have necessarily said this game was “exciting”.
11.29pm BST
23:29
62 mins: Half an hour more for this game to come to life. No sign of it as yet. United have a free kick midway inside the Madrid half though, and they work it wide for Blind who whips a no-nonsense cross into the box, that Lukaku was looking to get to. He didn’t, but United have a corner. It’s floated to the familiar target of Fellaini, but his header is over the bar.
11.27pm BST
11.27pm BST
23:27
23:27
60 mins: Oscar and Gomez try to combine on the edge of the box, but the latter’s touch was poor. They get another chance though and now there’s a real opportunity with a free kick just outside the D, following McTominay’s clumsy tackle to try and retrieve the situation.
60 mins: Oscar and Gomez try to combine on the edge of the box, but the latter’s touch was poor. They get another chance though and now there’s a real opportunity with a free kick just outside the D, following McTominay’s clumsy tackle to try and retrieve the situation.
The wall retreats a comically short distance, with predictable results as the ball bounces off it. Physics.
The wall retreats a comically short distance, with predictable results as the ball bounces off it. Physics.
11.25pm BST
11.25pm BST
23:25
23:25
58 mins: A little worry for United as a half-cleared ball falls to the edge of the box where Casemiro is winding up for a shot. Unfortunately for him he barely touches the ball with his swiped kick, let alone gets any power on it.
58 mins: A little worry for United as a half-cleared ball falls to the edge of the box where Casemiro is winding up for a shot. Unfortunately for him he barely touches the ball with his swiped kick, let alone gets any power on it.
11.23pm BST
11.23pm BST
23:23
23:23
56 mins: Hakimi shows a little hustle to charge after a deflected ball and harry the United backline as they try to work it clear. More willing than effective though.
56 mins: Hakimi shows a little hustle to charge after a deflected ball and harry the United backline as they try to work it clear. More willing than effective though.
11.21pm BST
11.21pm BST
23:21
23:21
54 mins: Kevin Stott by the way, has a nice sideline in emphatic penalty choreography. He. Really. Points. To. That. Spot. Will we see him in action today.
54 mins: Kevin Stott by the way, has a nice sideline in emphatic penalty choreography. He. Really. Points. To. That. Spot. Will we see him in action today.
Not with the ball ricocheting around midfield we won’t. United try to knock the ball forward now, but Casilla is out quickly to snaffle the ball over the top as Lukaku tries to run ont o it.
Not with the ball ricocheting around midfield we won’t. United try to knock the ball forward now, but Casilla is out quickly to snaffle the ball over the top as Lukaku tries to run ont o it.
11.19pm BST
11.19pm BST
23:19
23:19
52 mins: Virtually an all-new cast on the field, but no significant increase in tempo.
52 mins: Virtually an all-new cast on the field, but no significant increase in tempo.
Herrera picks up a little knock now and rather than take any chances, Mourinho hauls him straight off the field — taking the opportunity to make a few points about refereeing to referee Kevin Stott. McTominay will replace him.
Herrera picks up a little knock now and rather than take any chances, Mourinho hauls him straight off the field — taking the opportunity to make a few points about refereeing to referee Kevin Stott. McTominay will replace him.
11.17pm BST
11.17pm BST
23:17
23:17
50 mins: Martial and Lukaku try to get something going off the latter’s cushioned header in the box, but Martial can’t find the final ball.
50 mins: Martial and Lukaku try to get something going off the latter’s cushioned header in the box, but Martial can’t find the final ball.
At the other end Oscar decides to seize the day during some rare moments on the field by going for a shot from distance which flies past an unimpressed de Gea’s post.
At the other end Oscar decides to seize the day during some rare moments on the field by going for a shot from distance which flies past an unimpressed de Gea’s post.
11.15pm BST
11.15pm BST
23:15
23:15
48 mins: Most of these Madrid players are reserves, while United have brought on several starters, including Pogba, who I just spotted. He’s in for Lingard, and Lindelof has come on for Bailly. Blind replaces Darmian.
48 mins: Most of these Madrid players are reserves, while United have brought on several starters, including Pogba, who I just spotted. He’s in for Lingard, and Lindelof has come on for Bailly. Blind replaces Darmian.
Mkhitaryan has looked good for United in their games so far, but he’s crowded out in his first moment on the ball in midfield here.
Mkhitaryan has looked good for United in their games so far, but he’s crowded out in his first moment on the ball in midfield here.
11.12pm BST
11.12pm BST
23:12
23:12
Second half starts:
Second half starts:
Plenty of subs to catch up on, but for now just know this: Casemiro is in for Kroos. Tejero, Manu and Casillas are in as well, and Marcelo, Nacho and Navas are out. Quezado in for Varane; Franchu in for Bale; Hakimi for Carvajal; Oscar for Isco
Plenty of subs to catch up on, but for now just know this: Casemiro is in for Kroos. Tejero, Manu and Casillas are in as well, and Marcelo, Nacho and Navas are out. Quezado in for Varane; Franchu in for Bale; Hakimi for Carvajal; Oscar for Isco
Romelu Lukaku replaces Marcus Rashford. Ander Herrera replaces Andreas Pereira. Henrikh Mkhitaryan replaces Michael Carrick. Chris Smalling replaces Phil Jones.
Romelu Lukaku replaces Marcus Rashford. Ander Herrera replaces Andreas Pereira. Henrikh Mkhitaryan replaces Michael Carrick. Chris Smalling replaces Phil Jones.
More as I get it...
More as I get it...
11.04pm BST
11.04pm BST
23:04
23:04
Half-time thoughts:
Half-time thoughts:
It’s not exactly been scintillating stuff — neither team has looked capable of a great deal of joined up thinking (which in fairness — pre-season friendlies...).
It’s not exactly been scintillating stuff — neither team has looked capable of a great deal of joined up thinking (which in fairness — pre-season friendlies...).
It’s been down to individuals to produce little moments to impress the crowd — Modric has looked his usual clever self, if not his usual sharp self, Benzema has tried to get into decent positions, and Marcelo has at least been providing an approximation of what he does best.
It’s been down to individuals to produce little moments to impress the crowd — Modric has looked his usual clever self, if not his usual sharp self, Benzema has tried to get into decent positions, and Marcelo has at least been providing an approximation of what he does best.
Meanwhile United have not offered consistent threat going forward, but they have the lead thanks to the great work by Martial down the left to create the opening. Martial has famously lost his way since his initial scintillating arrival in a United shirt, but that was a reminder of his virtues on the ball allied, for once, with a decisive touch at the end of it.
Meanwhile United have not offered consistent threat going forward, but they have the lead thanks to the great work by Martial down the left to create the opening. Martial has famously lost his way since his initial scintillating arrival in a United shirt, but that was a reminder of his virtues on the ball allied, for once, with a decisive touch at the end of it.
Lingard scored in this stadium two years ago, against Barcelona, and now he has another one against their great rivals. He didn’t have a lot to do to finish it, but then again, having players in position to finish was a basic trait Madrid didn’t demonstrate in the first half, so credit to him.
Lingard scored in this stadium two years ago, against Barcelona, and now he has another one against their great rivals. He didn’t have a lot to do to finish it, but then again, having players in position to finish was a basic trait Madrid didn’t demonstrate in the first half, so credit to him.
Anyway, expect multiple changes after the half, and hopefully a very different game full of free-flowing end-to-end genius. And not more wilted ambling.
Anyway, expect multiple changes after the half, and hopefully a very different game full of free-flowing end-to-end genius. And not more wilted ambling.
11.02pm BST
11.02pm BST
23:02
23:02
Half-time: Manchester United 1-0 Real Madrid
Half-time: Manchester United 1-0 Real Madrid
half time thoughts in a minute.
half time thoughts in a minute.
10.55pm BST
10.55pm BST
22:55
22:55
45 mins+3: Mareclo has the ball in the net at the other end, after Kroos had retrieved Bale’s weak header and scooped the ball over Romero for Marcelo to head home on the goal line. But the flag was up early and it won’t count. And that will be that for the half...
45 mins+3: Mareclo has the ball in the net at the other end, after Kroos had retrieved Bale’s weak header and scooped the ball over Romero for Marcelo to head home on the goal line. But the flag was up early and it won’t count. And that will be that for the half...
10.54pm BST
10.54pm BST
22:54
22:54
GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 1-0 REAL MADRID (LINGARD!)
GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 1-0 REAL MADRID (LINGARD!)
Jinking Martial (remember him), does some jinking from the left, taking three defenders out of the game with some great close control before stabbing the ball across goal to give Lingard the simplest of point blank finishes. United lead!
Jinking Martial (remember him), does some jinking from the left, taking three defenders out of the game with some great close control before stabbing the ball across goal to give Lingard the simplest of point blank finishes. United lead!
10.52pm BST
22:52
45 mins+1: We’ll have three additional minutes to think about what we’ve done...hang on...
10.52pm BST
22:52
44 mins: Jones does well to recover now, as Vazquez briefly gets goal side of him, though turns out he was offside when he made his move.
But now there’s a real bit of danger as Modric, who’s had some bright little feints and darts, gets clear of Fellaini on the right of the box, and drives a low ball past the stretching Romero, looking for a touch home on the edge of the six yard box. Bailly gets to it first, but there was an opening for Madrid there, had any forward made a move.
10.49pm BST
22:49
42 mins: Jones, facing his own goal, has to cut out a fast cross, with a first time touch that could have gone into his own goal but ended up being a solid intervention. Turns out the flag was up though.
Better from United now, as Lingard strides up the middle. He has Rashford making a run alongside him but elects to go it alone, with a rasping shot driving just past the near post. Navas looked like he had it covered, but that was a decent attempt.
10.46pm BST
22:46
40 mins: Bale, who’s been pretty peripheral today, is bundled over in midfield and gets up slowly as play moves away from him. He’s far from the only player to look anonymous today mind.But now here comes the man who threatened to eclipse him in the second half of last season: Isco. He sprints up the right, then checks and...delivers a really weak ball across the box that never looked like finding a team mate. And we’re back to the stalemate.
10.44pm BST
22:44
38 mins: The surface seems to be giving the players the odd bit off difficulty with their footing. Marcelo is the latest to have to do the “totally meant to do that” dance as he trips over himself. The USA team will be playing here on Wednesday night in the Gold Cup final (check your “Summer of football” brochures) and will be watching the conditions with interest.
10.42pm BST
22:42
36 mins: Benzema tries to barrel his way into shooting space on the edge of the United box, but only succeeds in falling over under pressure. Madrid come back at United again, and Benzema looks offside as he tries to reach another Marcelo outswinger from the left. He wasn’t really near it though.
10.40pm BST
22:40
34 mins: Romero gets us back under way with a goal kick, as the last remnants of the contents of a Gatorade bottle drip poetically off his goatee.
10.37pm BST
22:37
HYDRATION BREAK!
Everyone wanders to the sidelines to drink water/conclude their transfer to the opposition.
10.37pm BST
22:37
30 mins: Half an hour gone, but the good news is there’s another hour of this to go.
Truth is, it’s been pretty dull so far.
Carrick tries to liven it up with an elegant little ball up the middle for Martial, but Martial is unable to control the ball. Perhaps he was distracted by thoughts of the impending hydration break, and HERE IT IS!
10.34pm BST
22:34
28 mins: Madrid do some prodding around near the United box and Marcelo, he of the teasing crosses, is at it again. This one floats to the back post and is easy for Romero to claim.
10.33pm BST
22:33
26 mins: Just a faint increase in tempo as we go over the halfway point of the half, with Madrid beginning to look a little more urgent as they finally unpack from their holidays.
It’s United looking for an opening around the Madrid box now though, they work the ball from right to left ponderously rather than patiently and Modric eventually breaks up the play.
10.31pm BST
22:31
24 mins: The crowd today is unlikely to surpass the record crowd that watched these two play in Michigan a couple of years back, but it looks pretty big. Not particularly noisy though. Were Roy Keane here he’d be muttering prawn sandwich comments under his breath (though he may want to swap out the culinary references to match the Pacific Coast — and the fact that prawn sandwiches in this heat is a public health disaster waiting to happen).
10.28pm BST
22:28
22 mins: Isco and Marcelo both show good control down the left to make space for the latter to send another tempting little outswinger to the edge of the six yard box. No white shirt has made a run to that area though. A move to try again in a few months etc etc.
10.26pm BST
22:26
20 mins: Benzema pops up again, this time in a genuinely threatening space near the penalty spot, but under pressure he only succeeds in laying off the ball for a secondary runner who turns out to be a figment of his imagination. A move to try again in a few months time perhaps.
10.25pm BST
22:25
18 mins: The game is still somewhat choppy, with both teams gaining and losing midfield possession in short order. Benzema and Bale briefly look to have found a pocket of space down the left, but...they haven’t.
Updated
at 10.25pm BST
10.23pm BST
22:23
16 mins: Other than that Martial shot, I’m not remembering any attempts on goal. That may be down to short term memory loss. This one time in Manchester in 1988 I was...
...where were we. Watching Madrid make short lateral passes along the halfway line, apparently. It’s not where you’re from, it’s where you’re at.
Updated
at 10.24pm BST
10.21pm BST
22:21
14 mins: United have a throw deep down Madrid’s right hand side. Martial wriggles his way into the box with a couple of tricks, but can’t find a decisive touch. Fellaini follows in with rather less subtlety, before Marcelo ends the sequence with the prettiest sequence of all, improvizing a flick and headed clearance that leaves the Belgian in his wake.
10.19pm BST
22:19
12 mins: So no score in the opening ten minutes, and no great urgency from either team — understandable in the heat. The game’s being played at just above walking pace at the moment.
Madrid beginning to play their way into the game now, and Modric makes a lively looking dart up the middle, only to run into a cluster of United defenders with no obvious outlet. As you were.
10.16pm BST
22:16
10 mins: United retaining possession in the Real Madrid half though not doing so with any great elegance. Pereira and Fellaini just about combine on the edge of the area now only for Pereira’s touch to let him down and for the ball to squirt harmlessly away.
Madrid’s turn now, and Marcelo floats a ball across the box, but Darmian does enough to glance it clear of any Madrid forwards for a throw.
10.14pm BST
22:14
8 mins: United not necessarily looking the more effective, but definitely showing some signs that they’re that bit further along in pre-season preparation.
Now MArtial steps inside from the left, looks up and drives a shot goalwards from the edge of the box. Navas pushes the ball clear at the last minute as the ball threatened to swerve away from him.
10.13pm BST
22:13
6 mins: Madrid make their first move forward now and it causes some consternation in the United box. Benzema has way too much time to curl a delicate little ball to the edge of the six yard box, where it’s met by an unholy combination of Bale, Romero and the unfortunate Phil Jones, who gets battered during his goalkeeper’s punched clearance.
10.11pm BST
22:11
4 mins: United settling slightly more quickly than Madrid — eight of whom started the Champions League final and may be wondering what exactly they need to do to get a rest...
Half a glimmer of excitement as Nacho gets himself in a spot of bother on his own touchline, as he fails to clear, and gives away the first corner to Manchester United, but t’s nothing special and Madrid’s lines push up after a simple clearance.
10.09pm BST
22:09
Kickoff
United get us under way in the scorching sunshine and instantly get into trouble under Madrid’s press, but any danger is quickly averted. United try to come forward now but Lingard and Pereira get a little mixed up in traffic and the move breaks down for a throw.
10.07pm BST
22:07
Social media is abuzz
Justin Kavanagh writes:
“Evening Graham. The name of the Levi Stadium inevitably brings to mind that slightly psychedelic 1994 U.S.A. denim jersey and the sight of a goateed Alexis Lalas gambolling about the scorched green fields of America like a mountain goat who accidentally finds himself dancing awkwardly on the plains at an acid party. Good vibes indeed! Nowadays we have to listen to Lalas droning on endlessly at half time, like your besuited granddad telling you how great things used to be in his day.”
Leaving aside a slight stern look for being somewhat harsh on Alexi Lalas — one of the great misunderstood sweethearts of the American game — you may be in the right place for back-in-the-day reminiscences about acid house parties. MVITA!
More to the point:
@KidWeil Will there ever be a Real Madrid team that can swim faster than a shark?
Anyway, we’re about to kick off...
10.02pm BST
22:02
Team News
Our team to face Real Madrid... #MUTOUR pic.twitter.com/iZhxAc9s01
📝🏃🇺🇸 #RMTour#RealMadrid XI 🆚 @ManUtd #HalaMadrid #RMMovistar pic.twitter.com/vAGVGHsrah
Still no starting time together on the field for Rashford and Lukaku for United. As promised there are plenty of changes from the City lineup.
Madrid meanwhile sending up a much more experienced line up for the first half, though of course there’s one significant absence from that list — rumors that Ronaldo will be sky-diving into the stadium, to a Pitbull soundtrack, in the 59th minute, can not be confirmed.
9.56pm BST
21:56
Real Madrid
With Morata gone, Madrid have freed up funds to go shopping again this summer, what with Morata being the 8th most expensive player ever and whatnot.
Not that waiting to balance the books has ever exactly been a priority for Fiorentino Perez before (though then again, given the high profile tax trials sweeping Spanish football, it’s possible nobody at Madrid actually knew there were books in the first place).
Anyway, Madrid might want to move fast. Their pre-season is somewhat compressed compared to some of their peers. They’ll be seeing tonight’s opponents again on August 8th in the European SuperCup in Macedonia, before which they have that clash with Barcelona in Miami, a game against the MLS AllStars in Chicago. It’s no surprise that the team who’ve won three of the last four Champions Leagues should be involved in so many marquee games, but they’re blowing through a lot of timezones in quite a short time to do so.
Meanwhile a shirtless Zidane has been whipping the fans into a frenzy of expectation with these thundering words:
“We hope for a good game. It’s the first one and everyone wants to play and get minutes under their belts. It’s game one, I hope nobody picks up any knocks, that we play well and I’m not bothered about the result. It’s a case of giving it our best and nobody getting injured.”
Summer of football is not for the faint of heart (or air miles).
9.45pm BST
21:45
Manchester United
Mourinho has promised to switch his starters up again from the 2-0 win over Manchester City in Houston. More intriguing will be how he arrays those starters. Watching the two games against LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake earlier this week, there were a few formations that looked less like long term solutions to extract the best from personnel, and more like Mourinho looking up beseechingly at Ed Woodward, like some sulky Oliver Twist, and begging for “some more”. There’s still an issue with attacking width for one thing...
More to the point United have already said their summer business is not done, but after the rapid aquisition of Romelu Lukaku they’re back to being in the same cagey standoff many big teams are in at this time of year. Perhaps a Neymar move could start the dominoes tumbling. We’ll see. Just don’t expect Gareth Bale to be one of the moving parts headed United’s way. Mourinho had this to say on that matter on Saturday:
“It’s clear Bale likes Madrid, likes the challenge and the situation. He is in a very good situation now. … I never felt a desire for him to leave. Why waste time and energy on him like that.”
As for tonight, Mourinho will not have any of the players who played 70 minutes against City wasting time or energy — he’s giving starts to the likes of Darmian and Timothy Fosu-Mensah, who’s been impressive in his moments at full back so far on this tour, and who Mourinho expects to be making his break into regular first team appearances this season. Team news in a moment though.
9.36pm BST
21:36
The ICC
The ICC has become something of a fixture in the American soccer calendar (always to be confused with the American football calendar), and whatever you make of the competitive merits of the competition taking place at this time of year, the organizers do seem to gather the top teams in Europe each year and to put together a pretty convincing set of clashes on paper.
That paper has a habit of being scribbled on extensively of course, as these teams scramble to move players on and bring players in, with occasional awkward conversations ensuing. Just this week, one-time United target Alvaro Morata became the most expensive Spanish player ever when he was transferred to Chelsea; David de Gea remains a target for Madrid, even as Mourinho insists he’s going nowhere etc.
Other teams in the tournament are rumored to be doing big business too. I was in New Jersey last night to watch Neymar torch Juventus in the first half of Barcelona’s clash with them, and if the reports of an imminent transfer to PSG are true, that could be the last time he’s seen in a Barça shirt. Juventus will be happy to see the back of him mind, after he did this...
...actually scratch that. Juve play PSG in the ICC on Friday... Barcelona meanwhile will be up against both of today’s two teams in the coming days — with the first Clasico outside of Spain in 32 years taking place in Miami next Saturday.
9.21pm BST
21:21
Preamble
If you like football, you’ll love a “summer of football”. Like football, but sweatier, and with more subs.
Welcome then, to the latest installment in 2017’s “summer of football” — as Manchester United take on Real Madrid for the ultimate prize:
David de Gea
International Champions Cup points.
These points are a treasured commodity which can be collected and exchanged for prizes like “pre-season bragging rights” and “full functioning fax machines”. And Manchester United already have three of them, thanks to beating Manchester City the other day, in their opening game in the ICC — with Romelu Lukaku leading the way with a typically bullish charge-and-wallop goal to endear himself to his new fans.
Madrid in the meantime have no ICC points, and no David de Gea, as Jose Mourinho was keen to emphasize yesterday. They do have Cristiano Ronaldo though, who has offered a fairly predictable end to his coy flirtation with the exit door, by deciding to close it and walk sniffily back into position.
The game is taking place in the Bay Area, at Levi’s Stadium, by the way, which may explain why Zinedine Zidane chose to refer to the “good vibes” he was feeling from his team this week. Or it may just be because he hasn’t had to watch them actually play anyone yet. Summers of football can be cruelly indifferent to the dreams of seasons to come.
Anyway, I’ll be with you for all of the action, 97 substitutions, incomprehensible jazz-fusion formations and fleeting appearances by players destined to become future pub quiz questions. Send me your tweets to @KidWeil, your emails to graham.parker@theguardian.com and your transfer requests to The Guardian.
2.04pm BST
14:04
Graham will be here shortly, in the meantime here’s what José Mourinho had to say about David de Gea’s future:
José Mourinho has guaranteed “100%” that David de Gea will not be sold by Manchester United to Real Madrid or any other club for the coming season.
The manager was speaking in California’s Palo Alto before Sunday’s tour meeting with Real in San Jose. De Gea nearly moved to the Spanish club two years ago before the transfer collapse on the final day of the 2015 summer window.
United are bracing themselves for a further bid so Mourinho’s statement could be a message intended for Real.
“I can guarantee that he’s not going this season, that I can, and my feeling is it will be very difficult for him to go. Because he’s a very honest boy, very straight,” he said.
Mourinho suggested United allowed De Gea, who has two years left on his terms, the choice of whether to move to Real.
“He was contacted for a long time [by Real],” the 54-year-old said. “The club was close, then we open because I always have this feeling of when a player has a desire to go I don’t like to stop players to go because in the end you don’t get what you expect from them if they want to move and they don’t.
“I don’t think the feeling from him [towards Real] is very good. I see him very happy and focused and working better than ever so for me 100% he stays with us.”
