Philadelphia, June 26 -- The ongoing FIFA Club World Cup has faced criticism for several reasons, including extreme heat, small crowds, and one-sided mismatches such as Bayern
Munich's 10-0 win over Auckland City.
However, new Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso insisted he was surprised at the quality of the football on show at the tournament.
Real Madrid was held to a 1-1 draw by Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal in the heat of Miami in its opening game, before defeating Mexico's Pachuca 3-1 in the second match.
A draw against Red Bull Salzburg will see Madrid into the last 16, and Alonso acknowledged that the quality of the non-European sides had taken him by surprise.
"It has been good for European football to see the level of competition ...