MLS All-Stars Fall to Manchester United for 2nd Time

Manchester United 4 – 0 MLS All-Stars

In a rematch of the 2010 MLS All-Star Game, Manchester United was chosen to line up against the 2011 All-Stars. During their tour of the US, United played and defeated three MLS teams including a 7-0 stroll past the Seattle Sounders. In a final chance to show the skill of the league the coach of the All-Star team, Hans Backe, was given the task of putting together a competitive side to face United. In the first half play seemed pretty even, but a couple of defensive lapses gave the English Premier League champs a 2-0 lead at halftime. Things did not get any better in the second half when similar problems in the back gave United another pair of goals to finish the game with no answer from the All-Stars.

It was the All-Stars that created the first scoring chance of the game. In the 5^th minute Omar Cummings and Omar Bravo combined for a give and go that put Cummings inside the 18. He continued to the goal line, but when he finally took his shot there was little angle to beat United keeper Anders Lindegaard.

United’s first real scoring chance came in the 18^th minute. Rooney received a long diagonal ball deep on the left side of the field. Jamison Olave stayed with Rooney down to the goal line where Rooney slotted a low cross through Olave’s legs towards the 6 yard box but keeper Faryd Mondragon dropped down to intercept the cross before it reached the foot of Dimitar Berbatov.

The All-Stars were quick to react to the near chance of United by creating their own a few seconds later. Cummings received a pass just outside of the penalty box with Brad Davis making a run to his right. Cummings laid the ball off to Davis who cut the ball back onto his favored left foot, but was unable to get a solid shot and sent the ball straight to Lindegaard.

In the 20^th minute United earned their first goal of the game. From Lindegaard’s distribution after saving Davis’s shot, United connected a number of passes that ended with Rooney and Berbatov connecting a few short, quick passes through a very loose defense. The final pass from Rooney found Anderson unmarked at the top of the box. Anderson slotted a low shot to the left, beating the wrong-footed Mondragon.

After United took the lead, the All-Stars tried to answer with a few shots from distance. David Beckham collected an errant pass from United’s back line, drove forward and ripped a shot from well outside the 18, forcing Lindegaard to tip the shot over the crossbar. Minutes later Davis took a shot of his own that ended with the same result.

United had a good chance to go up 2-0 after a short corner was sent back to Patrice Evra on the left side. Evra sent in a cross towards the far post where Rooney was fighting for position inside the six yard box with Shalrie Joseph. The ball found Rooney’s out-stretched foot and forced a couple of reaction saves from Mondragon, but the play was called dead for offside

In the 45^th minute the All-Stars saw their chance at going into half only down by one taken away by Park Ji-Sung. Park received a ball from Evra near the left corner of the 18 and took the ball straight at Sean Franklin beating the defender and firing a shot far post past a diving Mondragon who did all he could to get a touch on the ball, but couldn’t stop it from ending in the back of the net.

United added their third goal of the night in the 52^nd minute when Rooney sent a diagonal ball behind the All-Stars defense to Berbatov who shrugged off Geoff Cameron and took the ball into the 18 where he tried to chip keeper Tally Hall. Berbatov’s shot bounced off the crossbar back to him and he calmly collected the ball with his chest and fired a volley into the goal.

The All-Stars tried to answer with their best chances of the second half. In the 59^th minute Beckham collected a clearance from United’s penalty box and sent in a cross that found the head of an unmarked Nick LaBrocca, but LaBrocca sent the ball well wide of the goal. Five minutes later Chris Wondolowski took a shot from the top of the penalty arch that was saved. The rebound fell to a wide open Bravo, but the resulting attempt missed just to the right of the goal.

United finished up their 4 goal performance in the 68^th minute. Danny Welbeck received a ball on the left side and like Park, started to run at the All-Star defense. Welbeck cut to his right, beating LaBrocca, and fired a shot that deflected off Cameron’s knee and left Hall with no real chance to stop the ball from finding the back of the net.