Manchester United received a police escort to the Rose Bowl last night in the opening match of its US Tour. The unsuspecting Red battled Los Angeles traffic — along with more than 86,000 avid soccer fans — forcing a late start to the friendly match against the LA Galaxy.
Traffic was the only thing that stopped the English team, though, as they delivered a resounding 7-0 shutout victory over the locals. It was an excellent start for new manager Louis van Gaal in his first match calling the shots.
The Reds set the tone for the evening, testing Galaxy goalkeeper Jaime Penedo twice in the first eight minutes. Just five minutes later, Danny Welbeck fired a 25-yard punt to give Manchester United a 1-0 lead. Goal number two came deep into the second half after AJ Delagarza was called for the handball, opening the door for Wayne Rooney to kick in goal number 2. Then, in a last minute first-half effort, Rooney again found the goal to take Man U into the half with a solid 3-0 lead.
After the break, Manchester United switched things up with 9 substitutions, while the Galaxy had 4. Ashley Young and youngster Reece James were among the substitutions – proving to be a dynamic pair for the Red in the second half. They teamed up for goal number 4 with James putting a left-foot finish into the corner off the assist from Young. James again found the goal at 84 minutes.
It was a tough night for Galaxy — with few opportunities to attack. Despite playing in their home town, the crowd was a sea of red, chanting “Glory Glory Man United” after every goal.
Much to the delight of the fans, there were two more occasions to celebrate as Young found the back of the net twice in the final minutes to give Manchester United the shutout.
It was an impressive performance for Man U and van Gaal. An excellent kick off to the tour. Next stop – Denver — where the Red will take on AS Roma in the first match of the 2014 Guinness International Champions Cup.
Article and photographs by Nestor Colombo.
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