Real Madrid, one of Europe's most storied soccer clubs, has decided that, if they can't beat Barcelona on the field with their talent, they simply need to dig deeper in their money jar and buy what they can't build.

Let's face it, La Liga (Spain's soccer league) is one of the best in the world, and it's tough to become champion.

But Barcelona took it all last year, including not only the league championship, but also the UEFA Champions League title. That clearly didn't set well in Madrid.

So they went on a spending spree.

They paid out an estimated $375 million just for the rights to transfer the players they wanted, i.e., the figure didn't include the rather large salaries. Big money jar.

Among the eight players Real Madrid went after and got were Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (from Manchester United) and Brazil's Kaka (from AC Milan). They were FIFA's Player of the Year in 2008 and 2007, respectively.

Not bad. In NFL terms, that would be like landing Tom Brady and Larry Fitzgerald, according to Mike Wise of The Washington Post. Post soccer writer Steven Goff pointed out that the salaries of Kaka and Ronaldo for this year alone are more than the total D.C. United team salary during the entire 13-year history of the club.

The MLS team salary cap is just over $2 million per year. Real Madrid pays out more than that amount monthly.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out this season. It smacks of hubris to me. It just doesn't feel right.

Will the soccer gods allow trophies to be purchased? I sense a bad tackle and an ACL problem.

When Real met D.C. United Aug. 9 at FedEx field in Landover, Md., neither Kaka nor Ronaldo (nor for that matter, their other big-euro players) scored in a 3-0 victory.

The most entertaining soccer came from Real's young Dutch player Arjen Robben, especially his magical chip to himself before lofting the ball over the United keeper for the last goal of the game. He also assisted on one of Gonzalo Higuain's two second-half goals, which were things of beauty in their own right.

Granted, it was just a pre-season friendly for Real Madrid in the ridiculously hot and humid August weather in our nation's capital, and both teams subbed heavily as the second half slumped to its end. I understand the need to protect one's investment.

Ronaldo got off one good run in the 22nd minute, but in general we didn't see enough to know whether all that money was justified. I can't wait for the first game with Barca. One way or the other, it will be a season to remember.