LOS ANGELES: Cristiano Ronaldo gave fans at the first football match ever at Dodger Stadium what they wanted Saturday, scoring one goal and aiding another in Real Madrid’s 2-1 friendly win over Everton.
More then 40,000 spectators turned out at the 51-year-old baseball stadium nestled in Los Angeles’ Chavez Ravine and the first football goal in the venue’s history went to one of the game’s greats when Ronaldo scored in the 17th minute.
He had chipped a volley from the center of the area over the crossbar in the 10th, but made no mistake on his next chance, when a crisp ball from Mesut Ozil brought Everton keeper Tim Howard out of his goal and Ronaldo got round him to slide an angled shot into the open net.
Ozil doubled Real Madrid’s lead in the 31st minute after taking a pass from Ronaldo.
The Spanish side’s second goal came a minute after Sylvain Distin appeared to score on a header for Everton, but the goal was disallowed because of a foul.
Everton also saw a golden opportunity go begging in the 24th, when Marouane Fellaini’s header off a corner kick ricocheted off the right post.
Second-half substitute Nikica Jelavic scored in the 61st minute for Everton, but the English club were unable to find an equalizer even as they began to play more confidently in the closing stages.
The victory sends Real Madrid into the title match of the International Champions Cup, an eight-team friendly tournament that will end on Wednesday in Miami.
They will face the winner of Sunday’s match at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, between Chelsea and AC Milan.
Everton will play for third place against the loser of that match.