By Amy Tennery
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (Reuters) -Real Madrid’s 21-year-old striker Gonzalo Garcia has gone from virtual unknown to a tournament sensation at the Club World Cup, netting his fourth goal in five games on Saturday to help send the LaLiga side into the semi-final.
At a tournament where organizers were banking on household names to build the excitement, the academy graduate has become the breakout star, seizing his chance to deputize for an ill Kylian Mbappe.
“We’ve seen him play in the last few games and today he did it again,” said manager Xabi Alonso. “He is making the most of this opportunity.”
Garcia’s terrific run began in Real’s opener against Al-Hilal last month, where he scored in a 1-1 draw, as Mbappe was sidelined with acute gastroenteritis.
He recorded an assist in Real’s second group-stage affair against Pachuca and added a bit of insurance in Real’s 3-0 win over Salzburg to close out the group stage.
He headed another in to clinch their round of 16 win over Juventus 1-0 on Tuesday, where Mbappe came in off the bench for Garcia.
Mbappe was a second-half substitute again on Saturday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, but this time came on as veteran forward Vinicius Jr. came off, a sign of just how high Garcia’s stock has climbed.
“I think that he is in the right place, right time, and we’re very happy with the work he’s doing – and he’s also scoring goals,” Alonso told reporters.
It was hardly what fans expected from the homegrown talent who had made few starts in LaLiga before the U.S.-hosted tournament, but has become the bedrock of the Real attack under manager Alonso.
Garcia and his Real side face a tough test against the European champions Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday at MetLife Stadium.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery; Additional reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
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