Juventus Glieson Bremer Silva Nascimento (3) collides with Real Madrid Eden Hazard (7) during the second half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Real Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri looks on during the second half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Real Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Real Madrid Eduardo Camavinga (25) brings the ball up the pitch during the second half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Real Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Real Madrid Daniel Ceballos (19) dribbles the ball during the second half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Real Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Juventus Federico Gatti (15) kicks the ball during the second half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Real Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Real Madrid Marco Asensio (11) kicks the ball during the second half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Real Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Juventus Weston McKennie (14) walks off the pitch at the end of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Real Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Real Madrid Marco Asensio, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Real Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Real Madrid Daniel Carvajal (2) vies for the ball against Juventus during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Real Madrid Eder Militao (3) vies for the ball against Juventus during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Some of the 93,000 record breaking fans in attendance are pictured during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Real Madrid Luka Modric (10) brings the ball up the pitch during the second half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Real Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
A field invader is escorted off the field by security at the en of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Real Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Juventus Angel Di Maria (22) looks to pass against Real Madrid during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Real Madrid Vinicius Jose Paixao (20) is taken down by Juventus defenders during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Real Madrid Federico Valverde (15) dribbles the ball during the second half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Real Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Real Madrid Thibaut Courtois (1) punches the ball during the second half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Real Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks on during the second half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Real Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Juventus Lenoardo Bonucci (19) kicks the ball against Real Madrid during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
A soccer fan dances prior to the start of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match between Real Madrid and Juventus at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Juventus Angel Di Maria (22) recovers the ball against Real Madrid during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Th starting eleven for Real Madrid pose for a portrait during the fist half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Real Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Juventus Manuel Locatelli (27) kicks the ball against Real Madrid defenders during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Juventus Angel Di Maria (22) chases the ball against Real Madrid during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Juventus Alex Sandro Lobo Silva (12) looks to pass against Real Madrid during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Soccer fans cheer prior to the start of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match between Real Madrid and Juventus at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Juventus Glieson Bremer Silva Nascimento (3) looks tp pass against Real Madrid during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Juventus Danilo Da Silva (6) fights off a Real Madrid defender during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Real Madrid Federico Valverde (15) kicks the ball against a Juventus defender during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Soccer fans react to the camera during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match between Real Madrid and Juventus at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Juventus Moise Kean (18) vies for the ball against Real Madrid Eder Militao (3) during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Real Madrid Karim Benzema (9) takes a penalty kick for a goal against Juventus Perin Mattia (36) during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Starters for both Real Madrid and Juventus enter the pitch during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Juventus Glieson Bremer Silva Nascimento (3) kicks the ball past Real Madrid Luka Modric (10) during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Juventus Lenoardo Bonucci (19) pushed the ball past Real Madrid Karim Benzema (9) during the first half of the Soccer Champions 2022 Tour match at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
PASADENA — Making final preparations for the upcoming European season, a pair of the continent’s iconic clubs, Real Madrid and Juventus, delivered the largest attendance for a soccer match in the U.S. this year.
The Soccer Champions Tour — a four-city, five-match series of exhibitions over a nine-day stretch — concluded Saturday night at the Rose Bowl as a crowd of 93,702, the most to take in a club soccer match in L.A. history, produced a white-out in the stands as fans on both sides represented their club’s respective home jerseys.
Fielding strong starting lineups on both sides, Real Madrid easily dismissed the Italian competition, 2-0, ending their American experience with a 1-1-1 record.
A “friendly” El Clasico against Barcelona at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas marked Real Madrid’s first appearance with a 1-0 defeat. The European champions then earned a 2-2 draw against Liga MX’s Club America in their next match.
“All the stadiums were full,” said Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti. “A lot of happiness. We are really happy.”
Europe’s most successful club resumes competitive action with the UEFA Super Cup on Aug. 10 in Helsinki, Finland, versus Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt. Real Madrid’s La Liga opener comes four days later.
The current UEFA Champions League winners jumped ahead of Juventus in the opening 20 minutes when French striker Karim Benzema snapped a hard strike from the penalty spot past backup goalkeeper Perin Mattia.
The opportunity came after a giveaway by Juventus and a sloppy missed clearance allowed speedy Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior to run free into the box, where he was hacked to the ground by his countryman, Danilo Da Silva.
At the hour mark, following numerous substitutions on both sides, Madrid added to its lead when forward Marco Asensio tapped in a shot that was setup by a series of passes around the Juventus box.
Juventus, looking to rebound off a fourth-place finish in the Italian league last season, plays one more friendly match on Aug. 7 against Atletico Madrid at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv, Israel, before their Serie A schedule begins the following week.
During its three Stateside exhibitions, the Italians defeated Chivas Guadalajara 2-0 in Las Vegas and drew 2-2 against Barcelona on Tuesday at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas.
Saturday’s match at the Rose Bowl topped an exhibition last weekend in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for the most-attended soccer match in the U.S. in 2022, as Bayern Munich and Manchester City prompted a crowd of 78,128 to fill Lambeau Field as part of the Audi Summer Tour.
In March, an announced crowd of 74,479 at Bank of America Stadium established the top mark when Charlotte FC faced the L.A. Galaxy for its first-ever home date, setting the all-time Major League Soccer regular season attendance record in the process.
The inaugural Soccer Champions Tour, promoted by AEG, yielded an average announced attendance approaching 60,000.
Correction:Bayern Munich played against Manchester City, not Manchester United, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
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