A year ago
in America Manchester United won a raft of pre-season games and came
home with a trophy. Ultimately, it all proved to be a portent of
absolutely nothing.
As
such Louis van Gaal will hesitate before reading too much in to what he
sees over the course of the next eleven days back in the United States.
Despite
that, the United manager will be pleased enough with what he saw from
the 22 players used in front of 46,000 here at the Seattle Seahawks’
Centurylink Field on the banks of Puget Sound.
United
managed to score just the one goal – an early header from new signing
Morgan Schneiderlin – and may indeed have been embarrassed had a shot
from Club America’s Alejandro Diaz not struck a post late in the game.
On
the whole, though, this was decent enough from a group of players still
looking for fitness,. Schneiderlin and other new signings Memphis Depay
and Matteo Darmin featured in the eleven players used in the first
period and all performed cohesively.
In
the second half, meanwhile, Bastian Schweinsteiger enjoyed his first
spell in a United shirt and contributed to a period that saw the
Barclays Premier League play rather more on the front foot.
However
with Schweinsteiger on the substitutes’ bench for the first half of the
game, the stage was clear for United’s other recent midfield purchase –
Schneiderlin – to make some kind of impact. The Frenchman certainly had
a reasonable half but the highlight arrived early on when he scored the
only goal of the first period.
In
truth, there seemed to be little danger when Juan Mata lofted a chipped
cross to the far post in the fifth minute. Schneiderlin, however,
carries an imposing physical presence and as such he was able to rise
above his marker and head the ball back across goal and in to the far
corner.
The
manner in which Schneiderlin celebrated – with a sharp fist pump –
showed what the goal meant to him. Friendly or otherwise, a goal cant
fail to help a new signing settle and it seemed as though the former
Southampton player felt the benefit immediately.
With
Van Gaal sending his team out to play 4-2-3-1, Schneiderlin lined up
alongside Michael Carrick as the base of the midfield with Depay playing
directly behind lone centre forward Wayne Rooney.
Against modest opposition, it wasn’t that hard for United to impress. Indeed they were comfortable for most of the half.
Depay
in particular carried a persistent and consistent threat. One neat
chipped pass he played through for Mata may have led to a second goal
had the Spaniard not have mistimed his run and been flagged offside. Not
long after that moment, Ashley Young pulled a ball back from the left
and Mata drilled a shot straight at the goalkeeper with his right foot
from 12 yards.
Against
this background, chances for Club America to seriously trouble were
relatively rare. However there were moments of self-inflicted discomfort
for United such as two early moments when Carrick lost possession and
another when Phil Jones failed to track a run from Carlos Quintero only
for the Club America player to fail to make contact with a cross from
the left.
Certainly
the Mexicans should have been awarded a penalty midway through the
first half when the referee somehow failed to spot Daley Blind’s
agricultural hack at the heels of Miguel Samudio. Had that challenge
taken place in the Barclays Premier League then United’s young
goalkeeper Sam Johnstone would have been facing a spot kick.
Johnstone
was only playing because of a slight injury to David de Gea. As such it
was another reserve Anders Lindegaard who appeared as Van Gaal changed
his whole team for the second period.
Despite
the changes, United still carried a threat and the fact that the
central midfield pairing was by now Schweinsteiger and Ander Herrera was
perhaps indicative of the club ‘s improved strength in depth. Indeed
within moments of the second half starting United were almost two goals
to the good.
Young
Andreas Pereira sold the Club America a simply dummy down the left and
when he cut back on to his left foot his shot flew across goal and only
inches wide with the goalkeeper left flat-footed.
As
time passed it actually became clear that United’s dominance was
increasing. Whether this was due to Van Gaal’s team or the fact that
Club America were beginning to tire after so much running was hard to
determine but as we reached the final 20 minutes it was certainly rather
peculiar that United were not further ahead.
Herrera was
enjoying himself in the centre of the field, finding more space than he
perhaps expected, but he was off target midway through the half when a
deep free-kick found him at the back post. The Spaniard’s header passed
across goal and wide.
Throughout
the second half the threat from the Mexicans had been virtually
non-existent. There was always the chance that United may pay for missed
chances, though, and Club America’s big moment arrived in the 73rd
minute.
Chris
Smalling gave the ball away needlessly inside his own half and when
Adrian Marin reached the byline he pulled the ball back and watched as
the incoming Alejandro Diaz struck the foot of the near post.
A
goal for the opposition may have embarrassed United a little. Certainly
it would have irritated their manager, who can be devilishly difficult
to please during pre-season.
As
it was, United immediately sprang loose at the other end as Adnan
Januzaj – remember him? – brought a sharp save from the Club America
goalkeeper with a shot from an angle.
Reviewed by Unknown
on
07:17
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