Vinícius is reborn and takes Real Madrid to the round of 16 on the day Xabi Alonso had already begun to convince.

Real Madrid's first major authorial victory, led by Xabi Alonso , on the night of Pennsylvania, to secure the top spot in Group H and avoid Manchester City in the round of 16. Just as against Pachuca, Madrid won, but with the difference that this time they were convincing . It was a very serious performance from the entire squad, with Vinícius Jr. standing out above all for his two decisive actions in the first half. The goals for the final 3-0 came from the Brazilian striker, Valverde and Gonzalo García . In the next round, already a knockout round, Juventus Turin await, less fearsome than in previous years, but of greater substance than the weak Red Bull, who return to the land of Mozart's birth with one win and one draw in their three matches.

It's unusual to see a dark, overcast sky at this World Cup, with the night sky set to close, given the schedules chosen by the organizers to cater to the European public. But Real Madrid, on this third matchday, had to start their match at three in the morning in Spain and nine at night in Philadelphia, the city whose steps leading to the Museum of Art were climbed and made famous by Rocky Balboa in the film released in 1976. And it was in this city where the Whites secured their passage through the round without shining brightly, but with some green shoots that already show the hand of what the San Sebastian-born coach intends.

The approach on the pitch was striking from the start. Alonso gave his full-backs, Fran García and Trent Alexander-Arnold, width on the wings , while Tchoauméni slotted in between the centre-backs to form, when necessary, a sort of 3-5-2 formation reminiscent of the one the coach used during his time in charge of Bayer Leverkusen . Arda Güler, meanwhile, dropped back to the centre of the pitch to control the ball, and Madrid clearly dominated from the start. The first twenty minutes were a monologue, but without success in front of goal, with Bellingham having the clearest chance. Salzburg seemed like a soulless team, perhaps in need of a sip of their energy drink to wake up. In the United States, however, what gives wings seems to be an ice-cold Cold Brew or a little kombucha, which is what everyone drinks in the summer in Yankee territory. Be that as it may, the Austrian team woke up midway through the first half and began to string together at least several passes in a row.

The match thus entered a different phase. The Whites, although not having as much possession, allowed Red Bull Salzburg to take a step forward and opted to spread the field and run, knowing that chances would soon arise through the counterattack. And so came the first goal of the match, scored by Vinícius—who, incidentally, had one of his last great performances in the Whites' shirt, in what was a rather poor season, against this same opponent in January, when they met in the first round of the Champions League with a crushing 5-1 victory for the Whites—finishing with a cross shot after a quick transition , including a cutback.

It was a beautiful goal, but even more beautiful was his involvement in the second Real Madrid goal, scored by Federico Valverde in extra time of the first half. A pass from Güler left the Brazilian facing goalkeeper Zawieschitzky , ready to score his second, but the latter, in one of his usual flashes of genius, decided not to shoot, but to assist his teammate with a backheel, and the Uruguayan only had to tap in such a generous and brilliant gift. Anyone still awake in Europe would be reminded of that backheel that José María Gutiérrez , once known as Guti , used to score Karim Benzema's now legendary goal on that distant winter night in 2009 at the Riazor. Although stimulating, the comparison is exaggerated, and it's obvious that this goal won't have the same aura that the former had thanks to the on-field magic of the now-commentator. With the score at 2-0, both teams headed to the locker room.

A second half with little story

What a great signing the Chamartín squad has made by securing Dean Huijsen . Once again, the Spanish international was one of the standout performers, and it's a pleasure to see his defensive rigor. But, above all, how he overcomes lines with his ball control : his style of play fits perfectly with the idea that Alonso is gradually implementing at the most successful team in the old continent. Seeing Huijsen is one reason to pay the stadium ticket—even though the American prices are already crazy—and another is to enjoy the work of the crazy Rüdiger on the pitch. Living up to his nickname, the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field enjoyed one of those solo runs and the adventure led by the German international , which culminated with the defender on the ground and his calf up, but without danger in front of the opposing goal. There's no doubt that, one way or another, Rüdiger knows how to entertain the spectators.

Faced with the bleak outlook, the Austrians were forced to take another step forward and try to level the score by any means necessary . They had some good chances, but were unable to beat Thibaut Courtois . Meanwhile, Alonso made a change to the bench and brought on Luka Modric , in one of his final appearances as a Real Madrid player. This is one of the saddest pieces of news that the end of the Club World Cup will leave for every Real Madrid fan: the farewell of one of the most important players in the club's history, as well as the most successful, a symbol of one of Real Madrid's best eras. Against Salzburg, the Croatian international played his 594th game for his current team.

The rout for the team wearing black in Philadelphia was completed by Real Madrid youth product Gonzalo García. It was his second goal of the tournament, a goal of faith, well deserved to round off his third consecutive great match. The number 30 player fought for a long pass from Trent , and took the ball to face the opposing goalkeeper and lightly chip it to score the 3-0. A great goal from a player who wants to be important in this new project and who is surprising everyone. It's clear that he'll be a starter due to Kylian Mbappé 's temporary absence, but will Gonzalo play when Endrick is available? It remains to be seen, but the young striker's performance is proving to be one of the big news for Real Madrid in their American summer. Real Madrid's next match will take place in Miami, on July 1, and they will face Juventus.