Real Madrid 3, Chivas Guadalajara 1
Two of soccer's best teams went at it, keeping it close until the final minutes. In the end, Real Madrid was just a little better than Chivas Guadalajara.
Jose Maria Gutierrez got the tiebreaking goal in the 88th minute and Roberto Soldado added a score during injury time to lead nine-time European club champion Real to a 3-1 victory before 54,432 at Soldier Field on Saturday night.
Gutierrez took a header from Roberto Soldado and scored from about 20 yards out to break a 1-1 tie. Later, Raul Bravo passed upfield to Soldado who sent a shot into the left side just before the final horn sounded.
"Chivas played very strong today," Real midfielder Thomas Gravesen said. "They were technically strong. In the end, I think they ran out of steam."
The match was Real's first on a world exhibition tour that includes a match against MLS' Los Angeles Galaxy at Carson, Calif., on Monday. Real will then head to Beijing, Tokyo and Bangkok.
Chivas, a 10-time Mexican division champion, scored the game's first goal when Francisco Palencia converted Jhonny Garcia's centering pass from the corner in the 73rd minute.
David Beckham lofted a free kick over four defenders to Alvaro Mejia for a header that tied it in the 78th minute.
Both teams missed chances earlier in the game. Real's Michael Owen hit the crossbar in the 43rd minute, and Chivas' Juan Pablo Alfaro missed from 15 yards out in the 58th.
Palencia's header from close range in the 70th minute sailed to the left, and Real goalie Iker Casillas stopped a rushing Rafael Medina one minute later.
Real isn't exactly in midseason shape. The team had five practices before this match, and it hasn't won a championship in two years.
"To go two years without winning anything is a big drought for Real Madrid," Beckham said.
This was a good start for Real.
"Just what we needed," Beckham said.
Now, the attention turns to Los Angeles, where Beckham finds himself in the center of a subplot. He has expressed an interest in playing Major League Soccer at some point -- specifically for the Galaxy.
After Saturday's game, Beckham made it clear he's happy with Real ... and, yes, he is open to the idea of playing in the U.S. some time down the road.
"I had that three weeks ago," Beckham said about a possible wave of questions. "I had a lot of questions about when I was going to come over, if I was going to come over and play. I said I'm happy with Real Madrid at the moment. I've got a few years left on my contract, but you can never tell what's going to happen in the future. And MLS does interest me a lot."
For now, he and his teammates are doing their part to raise interest in the sport. That's what this tour is about, they said -- promoting soccer while preparing for the season.
"Soccer is a game that has caught the imagination of a lot of youngsters," Owen said. "The World Cup helped. the next stage is to have a really, really competitive league (in the U.S.) that can compete with European and South American teams."