This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The most famous player in the world broke ground on a new stadium, the biggest crowd in team history came to watch a landmark game against one of the best clubs in all of soccer, and the weather was absolutely perfect.
Victory was probably too much to ask.
And so it was for Real Salt Lake, which enjoyed a historic weekend but could not transform it into an absolutely unfathomable one by beating legendary Real Madrid. Instead, some of the richest and most talented players in the world ultimately broke down the RSL defense and emerged with a 2-0 exhibition victory in front of 45,511 fans and a couple of major-league celebrities at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday night.
"It was a great atmosphere," RSL's Scott Garlick said. "This is what it should be like everywhere."
Just hours after Real
Madrid's David Beckham took part in a ceremonial ground-breaking for the new suburban stadium that will keep RSL in town for years to come, the teams met in a game that didn't count in any standings but nevertheless ranked as the biggest soccer event ever to take place in Utah.
Thousands of exhilarated fans packed the stadium - movie stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes watched from a luxury suite - dancing and cheering and popping flashbulbs as if the Olympics had just returned.
"That's a tribute to the people of Salt Lake," RSL's Chris Klein said. "What they got done today with the stadium and selling this place out, it's phenomenal."
And the home side far from embarrassed itself, even if it couldn't quite keep up while playing the final half-hour a man short because striker Atiba Harris was ejected with a red card for a reckless tackle on Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos.
In fact, RSL nearly made it to halftime in a scoreless tie, with Garlick diving to make several dazzling saves throughout the first half.
But in the 45th minute, defender Willis Forko was called for pulling down Real Madrid's Cassano in the box. That allowed striker Ruud van Nistelrooy to easily beat Garlick with a penalty kick, by shooting right while Garlick dove left.
"That was an unfortunate thing," Garlick said.
Van Nistelrooy played a pivotal role in the second Real Madrid goal, too.
One of the latest high-profile arrivals to Real Madrid in recent weeks, he played a wonderful pass down the right side of the field to the streaking Brazilian superstar Robinho in the 65th minute, and Robinho was able to hold off RSL's Eddie Pope and beat goalkeeper Jay Nolly to the far post.
"It's disappointing to give up a penalty kick in the first half," Klein said. "But hey, we went out and battled."
RSL had only a couple of strong scoring chances, and missed by agonizing degrees both times - once when a defender jumped in to cover for an out-of-position goalkeeper and block a blast from the penalty spot by Jason Kreis, and another time when Jeff Cunningham impressively dribbled around Robinho but sent his shot across the mouth of the goal and just inches past the far post.
When it was over, Beckham saluted the crowd, as did all of the RSL players, who left the field knowing they had performed respectably.
"They're the best players in the world, and we know it," Kreis said. "To hold your own and feel like, 'Hey, I can play at this level,' is a good feeling."