Gonzalo Garc?a downs Juventus to send Real Madrid to Club World Cup quarters

• Last 16: Real Madrid 1-0 Juventus (G Garc?a 54)
  
• Mbapp? makes first appearance of tournament

Kylian Mbapp? at last made his debut at the Club World Cup, coming on to face Juventus two weeks and four games after he was hospitalised with a stomach virus that saw him lose five kilos. But while the Hard Rock Stadium chanted his name, cheered as he made his way to the halfway line and stood as one to hand him an ovation when he came on, the excitement overflowing, it was the kid for whom Rita Hayworth is family but many of them had not heard of a month ago who took Real Madrid into the quarter-final.
The best competitions always have a revelation; here, it is the 21-year-old Gonzalo Garc?a. He scored his third goal in the US, a superb thumping header doing what no one else could over 90 minutes here, and beating the Juventus keeper, Michele Di Gregorio. A family of rugby players, bullfighters, and perhaps the most famous actress there ever was ? his grandfather was Rita?s cousin ? has a footballer too, and he looks like being some player. Good enough, says Spain?s under-17 coach Hern?n P?rez, to be Madrid?s striker for a decade to come.
Continue reading...

More...