Pre-Season 2010: MLS All-Stars 2-5 Manchester United: Five-star Red Devils cruise to dominating victory

Early Macheda double kicks off United rout

29 Jul 2010 04:25:00

By Anthony Sciarrino

More On :  Manchester United, MLS All-Stars 2009, Tom Cleverley, Federico Macheda, Chicharito, Darron Gibson
Federico Macheda, Manchester United (Goal.com)
Reliant Stadium, Houston, USA
Kick-off: 01:30 BST

MLS All-Stars
 2-5
Manchester United
Ching 64'
De Rosario 90'		   Macheda 1'
Macheda 12'
Gibson 70'
Cleverley 72'
Hernandez 84'


A first-half double from Federico Macheda and goals from Darron Gibson, Tom Cleverley and Javier Hernandez led Manchester United to a resounding 5-2 victory over the MLS All-Stars in front of 70,728 at Reliant Stadium, Houston in the early hours of Thursday morning UK time.

United got off to a flying start, with Macheda pouncing on a weak back-pass from New England Revolution defender Kevin Alston and slotting the ball past Donovan Ricketts to give the Red Devils the lead just 24 seconds into the match.

Ricketts almost gifted the 18-year-old Italian a second just five minutes later, holding the ball in the box and almost giving it away to Macheda, but the LA Galaxy keeper was able to clear the ball awkwardly for a United throw-in.

It did not take long for Macheda to double both his tally and United's lead, as the Italian was left all alone inside the six-yard box to nod in a corner from Nani to put the Premier League giants two up after just 12 minutes.

United received an early injury scare as Gabriel Obertan was replaced by Tom Cleverley after just 17 minutes, limping off after picking up a knock in a tackle from Revolution midfielder Shalrie Joseph.

The MLS All-Stars rarely threatened in the first half, with their best chance of the first 45 minutes coming at the half-hour mark, when Chicago Fire midfielder Marco Pappa's sharp angled drive was comfortably saved by Edwin van der Sar.

United nearly made it three five minutes before half-time, with Darren Fletcher playing a clever one-two with Nani before firing the ball off the crossbar having Ricketts well beaten.

Coming out of half-time trailing by two goals, the MLS All-Stars were much better in the second half, controlling more of the possession and responding to their early deficit.

The MLS All-Stars were able to halve United's lead in the 64th minute, with Houston Dynamo striker Brian Ching heading in a driven free-kick from David Ferreira in front of his hometown fans to make the score 2-1.

But United restored their two-goal lead just six minutes later, as Darron Gibson fired a spectacular 25-yard free-kick into the top left corner of the net, leaving substitute goalkeeper Nick Rimando with no chance.

Just two minutes later the rout was on, with Cleverley scoring a wonder goal to give United a commanding 4-1 lead.

The 20-year-old played a fine one-two with Fletcher, controlling the Scot's return ball in the box, flicking it over two MLS defenders and sliding the ball past Rimando to make United's lead three.

Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, who came on for Nani in the 63rd minute, made sure that it was a memorable debut with United, beating the offside trap and latching on to a long ball from Fletcher before lobbing it over the approaching Rimando to make the score 5-1.

The MLS All-Stars were able to add a consolation goal in stoppage time, with former Houston star Dwayne De Rosario beating Wes Brown in the dribble and firing the ball past Van der Sar to make it 5-2, which is how the match would end.

Macheda earned the game's Most Valuable Player award for his early double which spurred United on to a dominating victory over the MLS All-Stars.

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Rafael, Brown, J.Evans, Fabio (Scholes 72); Obertan (Cleverley 23), Fletcher, O'Shea, Giggs (Gibson 52), Nani (Hernandez 62); Macheda (Welbeck 62).
Subs not used: Amos, Kuszczak, Berbatov, De Laet, Diouf, C.Evans, Smalling.


See highlights of MLS All Stars 2 - Manchester United 5 here

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