Carmageddon, Los Angeles' traffic panic resulting from the shutdown of the normally packed 405 Freeway, may have kept some fans away from the L.A. Memorial Coliseum Saturday night, but the 56,211 on hand were treated to a show from one of the world's best soccer clubs.

Real Madrid, holders of a record nine European championships, opened its preseason slate with a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy, but the attendance was significantly lower than the 89,134 that saw the teams play last year at the Rose Bowl.

The Spanish giants coasted to the win while using 22 players in the opening match for both clubs in the World Football Challenge that features teams from seven different countries.

New signing Jose Maria Callejon scored in the 31st minute and youth team striker Joselu added another in the 40th minute, giving Real Madrid a 2-0 lead before the first team attackers entered the game in the second half. Superstar striker Cristiano Ronaldo scored a wonder goal in the 53rd and French forward Karim Benzema notched his team's fourth in the 58th.

"I'm happy. We just started training on Tuesday," Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho said. "I think collectively we did well. Individually we also had very good performances. The result was not the most important thing, but it helps for the confidence and happiness of the team."

Galaxy reserve forward Adam Cristman pulled one back in the 67th minute but it was too little too late for Los Angeles.

"We weren't able to field the kind of team we wanted to field for tonight's game," Galaxy manager Bruce Arena said, citing injuries and fixture congestion. "If we're healthy and we didn't have to play the game [last] Wednesday against Seattle, I think we would have gotten a lot more out of this game."

David Beckham captained the Galaxy in the match against his former team. The English star played four seasons for Real Madrid from 2003 to 2007.

"It was always going to be emotional," Beckham said. "It was emotional leading the team out there and playing against some of my friends that I have great memories with."

New signing Fabio Coentrao made a solid debut for Los Blancos, tallying an assist on Benzema's goal and earning Man of the Match honors.

Real Madrid came close to the game's first goal in the 4th minute, when Kaka ran through the center of the Galaxy defense before setting up Marcelo, who put his attempt from near the penalty spot over the crossbar.

Los Blancos were back on the attack in the 10th minute, when Callejon got free down the left flank. Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Saunders charged off his line to make a good save and took the rebound off of Callejon's boot.

Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan and Real Madrid defender Marcelo wowed the crowd with an individual battle down one of the flanks. The Brazilian got the better of the duel, winning the ball off of Donovan with a sliding tackle and later making a flashy spin and back heel pass.

Kaká provided constant danger throughout the first half and put a charging volley straight at Saunders in the 25th minute.

Real Madrid finally broke through in the 31st minute, through another piece of skill from Kaká. The former FIFA World Player of the Year played an excellent through ball to the left flank from the center of the field that Calljeon easily ran onto. Callejon slid his shot past the outstretched hand of the charging Saunders and just inside of the far post, eliciting chants of "Madrid, Madrid!" from the Coliseum crowd.

The Galaxy got its first good look at goal in the 36th minute off of a David Beckham free kick. Los Angeles defender Greg Berhalter wiggled free at the back post but headed wide of the post.

A mistake from Beckham in the midfield led to Real Madrid's second goal. The midfielder played a poor pass that was intercepted by Marcelo and sent up the field to Joselu. The 21-year-old striker charged at Beckham in the penalty area and hit a low shot that deflected off of the Galaxy captain’s ankle and past Saunders for a 2-0 Real Madrid lead.

Coentrao played a great give-and-go with midfielder Esteban Granero in the 42nd minute that resulted in a diving save by Saunders on Coentrao's shot.

The start of the second half brought with it a makeover for the lineup sheets. The Galaxy made four substitutions, including withdrawing Donovan, while Real Madrid brought nine new players onto the pitch, including Ronaldo, Benzema, Mesut Ozil and Xabi Alonso.

Surprisingly, it was Galaxy reserve forward Adam Cristman who made the immediate impact on the game.

Cristman put a header wide of the far post off of a cross from Juninho in the 46th minute and then put a low shot on goal two minutes later that was easily saved by Real Madrid backup goalkeeper Antonio Adán.

Ronaldo, another former FIFA World Player of the Year, scored a golazo in the 53rd minute. The Portuguese star went into his trademark routine of fancy stopovers while charging at Los Angeles right back Bryan Jordan, faked a shot that sent three Galaxy defenders scrambling and hit a left footed rocket into the top of the net for the 3-0 lead.

"Goals like that make you just want to stand back and clap," Beckham said.

Real Madrid added a fourth goal five minutes later. Coentrao sent in a cross from the left flank and Benzema peeled away from his defender in the six yard box before heading home past Galaxy third-string goalkeeper Brian Perk.

"I think Madrid played very well and they deserved to beat us," Arena said.

Cristman popped up again in the 67th minute and was rewarded for his hard work with the Galaxy's only goal of the night. Adán stopped a low shot on goal but couldn't control the rebound, pushing the ball to Cristman's feet. The 26-year-old forward calmly turned the ball into the open net from five yards out, cutting the deficit to 4-1.

"I think Adam's made a lot of progress over the last week," Arena said.

Ozil got into the attack for Los Blancos in the 70th minute, hitting a hard shot on goal that Perk saved. Ozil's ensuing corner kick was headed over the bar by a leaping Ronaldo.

"I always like to play against [the] Galaxy," Mourinho said. "They want to play football. They don't want to play a defensive match, they want to give a good game to the crowd and because of that they're the type of team I like to play during the preseason."

News and Notes

 -- The Galaxy can cross one competition off of its busy schedule after losing 3-1 to the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. The loss eliminated Los Angeles from the single elimination knockout tournament, which it last won in 2005. Former Galaxy forward Nate Jaqua opened the scoring for the Sounders in the fourth minute of the game played outside of Seattle. Jaqua added an assist in the 25th minute, setting up Fredy Montero for Seattle's second goal. Galaxy forward Adam Cristman cut Seattle's lead to 2-1 with a 40th-minute goal set up by Chris Birchall, but the Sounders clinched their progression to the semifinals with Lamar Neagle's 74th-minute goal. Seattle has won the last two U.S. Open Cups and will play FC Dallas in the next round. The other semifinal features the Chicago Fire and the Richmond Kickers of the United Soccer Leagues.

-- Next up for the Galaxy is a mid-week date with the Columbus Crew at the Home Depot Center. The Wednesday match against the Crew (7-5-6, 28 points), who are in third place in the East, will be Los Angeles' third game in eight days.

-- Real Madrid will continue its preseason tour of the United States with a Wednesday match against Mexico's Chivas de Guadalajra in San Diego. Los Blancos will also play the Philadelphia Union next Saturday in Pennsylvania. Real Madrid plays its first competitive game of the season August 14th against rivals FC Barcelona in the Supercopa de España.

-- Los Angeles midfielder Chris Birchall (pictured left) was suspended for two games by MLS for his 93rd minute tackle on Patrick Nyarko in last Saturday's game against the Chicago Fire, the league announced Wednesday. Birchall was also fined $500 and will miss Wednesday's match against the Crew and the July 30th match against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

-- Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez missed the match with a fractured nose. Gonzalez was fitted for a mask on Friday and Arena said he could be out for a couple of weeks.

-- The starting 11 for the MLS All-Star game was announced this week, with four Galaxy players being named to the squad that will face Manchester United in New York on July 27th. Franklin will be making his All-Star debut while Beckham and Gonzalez will play in the event for the second time. Donovan has made 11 straight MLS All-Star teams.

-- Victoria Beckham, the Galaxy midfielder's wife and former Spice Girl, gave birth to the couple's fourth child and first daughter on Sunday. "She's been sleeping well so I hope that doesn't change," Beckham said about his new daughter, named Harper Seven Beckham.

-- Mourinho explained his preference of holding preseason training camps in the United States by saying he appreciates "the space the American society gives to the players" and the fact his players "can walk on the streets" in less-than-soccer-crazy Los Angeles.

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