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The MetLife Stadium in New Jersey was the venue for what turned out to be a high scoring slug-fest between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the International Champions Cup.
Both sides had not really impressed in pre-season up till this point and would have sought to use this match as a medium to gel into form, but while Atletico played their part well, Real Madrid totally lost the script, falling to a 4-goal deficit in the first 28 minutes.
A second-half rally was enough to make the final scoreline of 7-3 somewhat presentable, but two late goals cannot cover the fact that Real Madrid were extremely poor on the night.
In what was a totally shambolic performance front to back, virtually every Los Blancos player could be put on a wall of shame for disappointing in the match, but we shall limit them to just four in this piece.
These were the four most disappointing players for Real Madrid against their city rivals:
#1 Thibaut Courtois
Having initially been undecided about his first-choice goalkeeper, the general consensus is that Thibaut Courtois would man the sticks for Zinedine Zidane next season.
Against Atletico, the former Chelsea shot-stopper was handed a start from the get-go but had to pick the ball out of the back of his net after just 30 seconds.
It was a foreboding of things to come, as a further four goals were shipped into the Real Madrid goal in just 45 first-half minutes.
In fairness to Courtois, he was very much a victim of circumstance, as there was not much he could do about any of the goals but this does not change the fact that conceding five goals in one half is just not befitting of a Real Madrid goalkeeper and the 27-year-old would not look back on this match with fond memories.
#2 Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos is widely considered by many to be the best central defender in the world and while many might not be fans of his shenanigans, his trophy count and individual accomplishments speak for themselves.
When it comes to experience, there are not many who possess it in more abundance than the Real Madrid and Spain captain and given his status as a team leader both on and off the field, the onus is on Sergio Ramos to step up and lead the way.
Against Atletico however, the Sevilla youth product was the major culprit in a criminally shambolic Real Madrid defense, as he failed to marshal his lieutenants effectively, with the result being that the Los Blancos backline was all over the place, suffering wave after wave of Atletico attack.
To make matters worse, Ramos was directly responsible for Atletico Madrid's fourth goal, as it was off his scoffed clearance that Saul Niguez threaded the ball for Diego Costa to score.
Despite the arrival of new defenders, Sergio Ramos would still retain the mantle of defensive leader, but his display against Atletico would surely rank among the worst in his 600-game 14-year legendary career at the Bernabeu.
#3 Dani Carvajal
Over the last five years, Dani Carvajal has played his way into being considered arguably the best right-back in the world, with his bombarding runs forward and pin-point delivery proving an important asset in Real Madrid's armory.
The arrival of the highly-rated Alvaro Odriozola from Real Sociedad last summer was to provide competition for Carvajal in his position, but the 27-year-old largely held his own, making 37 appearances in all competitions in Real Madrid's disastrous campaign.
Against Atleti, Zidane opted for Odriozola from the start and the 23-year-old was run ragged by the impressive Thomas Lemar in the first 45 minutes.
At half-time, the more experienced Carvajal was brought on in his stead, and the first telling contribution from him was to receive a red card in the 65th minute.
The right-back had been the recipient of a somewhat harsh tackle from Thomas Lemar, but that did not excuse his petulant retaliation, and his actions led to a free for all, as the Real Madrid players vented their frustrations at their lethargic performance.
Not one to back down from a fight, Diego Costa entered the fray and both he and the instigator received their marching orders for early showers on the night.
This was the second game in a row that a Real Madrid defender would receive a red card and Zidane would hope that it does not become a recurring trend.
#4 Isco
Though he might be a firm Zidane favorite, Isco's position at Real Madrid is far from certain and with less than a month to go until the start of next season, the Spanish international is still not sure where he would ply his trade next term.
Having been named the 2012 Golden Boy, Isco arrived at Real Madrid with high expectations, but despite starring fleetingly, the 27-year-old has not done enough to justify the hype that surrounded his arrival.
Against Atletico, Isco was handed a start but was nothing more than a passenger as Koke and co totally dominated proceedings in midfield en route their 5-0 first half bashing.
Indeed, Isco's only meaningful contribution in the match was knocking Diego Costa over in the box at the death of the first half; an action for which he was penalized and shown a yellow card.
He arguably should have been sent in for an early shower, as the Spanish international was guilty of being too aggressive and making a number of unnecessary fouls but Atletico would not complain too much, as he could well have been absent, as his presence did not make any difference.
