Real Madrid's next friendly is against Alcorcon on Friday behind closed doors. No TV cameras and no starters as Mourinho tests his B unit.
Next Friday, July 24, Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid will play the first match of preseason. It will be against Alcorcon at the Valdebebas training complex.
It will be played behind closed doors, with no Real Madrid TV cameras to record the match for fans to enjoy. It will be the first test for the Portuguese coach, but he will not have the vast majority of the usual starters in the squad, so it will be a test for the B unit.
Unfortunately, Madrid fans know Alcorcon very well, because in the 2009-2010 season it was the team that knocked us out of the Copa del Rey with a 4-0 at its stadium. Everyone called it the “Alcorconazo,” and it has remained forever etched in the memory of Spanish soccer. It was a very big blow for the team coached by Pellegrini at that time, who was Mourinho’s predecessor in his first spell. The coach used it at the time to motivate the players by reminding them of one of their failures.
Right now, the most important thing for Mourinho is that the players start to understand what he is asking of them for this coming season. He is hopeful about starting to see positive signs that make him optimistic about the following season. For the moment, he is not thrilled with the B unit because he believes they have many areas for improvement. However, with work and competition with those in the A unit, they could end up offering another version.
The Portuguese coach wants to see a team that fights for every ball as if it were the last. He has seen some footage from recent seasons in which some players have strolled around the field and have not pressed at key moments. This is something that cannot happen in his team, and even less so after the failure of these past two years. The team’s image has to be positive and show that they want to win every match.
And Friday’s match against Alcorcon is a great opportunity for the players who, in theory, are going to play fewer minutes over the course of the season to show Mourinho they have the level to be decisive when he needs them. That is why, even if it is a meaningless friendly with unlimited substitutions, it does not mean Madrid’s players do not have to go out on the field to win and to show their worth. In addition, the coach is one of those who believes that “you play the way you train.”
