Peace Cup: Low Crowds, High Stakes

Goal.com's Ewan Macdonald reflects on what the Peace Cup meant to the teams taking part, if not for the fans.

Aug 2, 2009 2:41:24 PM

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Amauri, Juventus (Peace Cup)
Has the Peace Cup been a success? Has it been important? Certainly, the lack of fans in the stands has led some to question this pre-season tournament - an attendance of 300 in Huelva to see Lyon take on Besiktas being a particular low point - but, at the same time, there have been some examples of high-stake successes in Andalucia.
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Here we look at a few of the key outcomes of the tournament, which draws to a close with Aston Villa taking on Juventus at La Cartuja in Seville.
  • The 'Rest of the World' fights back: Real Madrid made it to the semi-finals, but they were pushed all the way by an Al-Ittihad side who managed a credible draw at the Santiago Bernabeu. For a Saudi side to record a point against a team containing the likes of Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo - even in pre-season - is viewed as a success in Asia.

It was hard for Ittihad
  • Youngsters break through: We've seen a few promising careers begin to blossom in Spain. Perhaps chief amongst these is that of Marc Albrighton, an Aston Villa youngster who has only played sparingly for the first team so far and not at all in the Premier League. At the Peace Cup, though, he's been a stand-out.

All bright on the Marc front
  • Old faces redeem themselves: Tiago was once considered the laughing stock of Turin - a graceless, pointless midfielder who Juventus could not rid themselves of. But, under new coach Ciro Ferrara, the Portuguese has been given a new lease of life, and he's not wasting the chance to repair his reputation.

Swept back to success
  • A bit of pocket money: Any holiday to the south of Spain invariably incurs expenses. Any club hoping to bring back some raffia donkeys, though, will be heartened by the prize purse on offer. It is thought that the winner of the tournament receives €2m - that's very slightly more than Copa Libertadores victors reportedly picked up this year.

Never leave home without it
Ewan Macdonald, Goal.com

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