Real Madrid have added Xabi Alonso to their trophy case, and Liverpool to the list of teams that just couldn’t say no.

They’ve been after the Spanish National Team star for awhile, and finally landed him at the cost of $50 million. Now they can add him to a summer shopping spree that includes FIFA Players of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, French phenom Karim Benzema, as well as _ in alphabetic order _ Raul Albiol, Alvaro Arbeloa, Esteban Granero and Alvaro Negredo. Real Madrid _ which has spent $372 million just in transfer fees this summer _ plays at Toronto on Friday and D.C. United on Sunday, the latter game at Fed Ex Field, not RFK.

How does one team afford all that? I have no idea. But that’s why Barcelona was stumping for a salary cap. Do you think all that spending backfires and they implode like the real estate market did? Hollar at us….