Three Real Madrid players who impressed on the preseason tour

Real Madrid won one out of four games on their preseason tour in the United States! Yay! After watching last night’s MLS All-Star Game with Real winning 4-2 on penalties after playing to a 1-1 draw through 90 minutes, it got me thinking, who has looked the most impressive thus far this preseason? Here are my top three players who stood out.

Marcelo

The crafty Brazilian was up to his old tricks while on tour in the United States. Despite not playing the full 90 minutes in any of the four matches, the left back really stood out with his incredible foot skills and attacking prowess, while also looking stout at the back.

Marcelo really impressed me in the first half of the first game, with his incredible skill in the defensive box.

I included this in my preview of the Manchester City match, but I need to include it again to further my point.

The 29-year-old looks to be primed for another incredible season on the left side of the formation after showing off for the American fans. Marcelo sported the captain’s armband Wednesday night in Chicago against the MLS All-Stars and only played for about 23 minutes, but he scored the winning penalty with ease.

Not to mention, he was a fan favorite everywhere the team went, especially in Miami and Chicago. Marcelo was critical in last year’s squad, and I doubt he’ll change heading into ’17/’18.

Mateo Kovacic

This man needs more playing time.

Last summer we saw Mariano Diaz play exceptionally well during the club’s preseason tour in the United States and earn more playing time because of it. Mateo Kovacic is similar in that way, yet different.

Kovacic did get a good amount of playing time last season, starting in 19 league matches and appearing as a substitute in 8 more matches. While playing just shy of 1,700 minutes, Kova was one of Real’s most consistent holding midfielders with his fantastic dribbling and passing.

This preseason was very impressive from Mateo who scored a goal against Barcelona in El Clasico in Miami, and was one of the best players Real had in their tour squad.

The most impressive pass from Kovacic was in the first match against Manchester United when the Croatian midfielder played a great ball down the wing to Theo Hernandez which led to the young left back drawing a penalty.

I am a big fan of Kova’s and I think he could start in more matches to help give players like Casemiro and Toni Kroos time off to rest. He has proven to be a great option off the bench and could eventually be a starter.

Plus, he scored a very casual, perfect penalty in the MLS All-Star Game, finishing with a subtle smile.

Theo Hernandez

New signing Theo Hernandez showed out in his first four games with his new club, getting playing time in every match while in the US.

Hernandez and Marcelo split time at the left back position and I was very impressed with Theo’s maturity and Carvajal/Marcelo like ability going forward. I was especially impressed last night against the MLS team.

Some of his best play came against Man U in his debut, as he set up the only goal of the match by drawing a penalty in the box.

While his dribbling (and juggling) skills might not be the most impressive, Theo has the tracking speed and pure running speed of a player like Hector Bellerin or teammate Dani Carvajal.

Fans seem to agree.

For a 19-year-old, Hernandez is very confident with the ball at his feet, and he seems like he can handle one-on-one defensive situations pretty well as Sebastian Giovinco was unable to make an impact attacking up the right wing for the time he was in the match.

I really like the promise of Theo and I like him as a back-up to Marcelo. I could see him developing into a great defender at Real Madrid, and even making an impact on the team this year.

Next: Looking at Real Madrid’s departures thus far this summer

Stay tuned to The Real Champs for more news and analysis ahead of the start of the competitive season in just five days!