Manchester United’s difficult season showed no signs of improvement as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against the ASEAN All-Stars in the opening match of their post-season tour.
The composite team, featuring top players from Southeast Asia and Australia, consistently exposed United’s disjointed defensive line-ups, as head coach Ruben Amorim rotated through 27 players across 90 minutes in search of a working formula, but to no avail.
The only goal of the match came in the 72nd minute. Myanmar international Maung Maung Lwin capitalised on a lapse in concentration from United defender Godwill Kukonki, racing onto a through-ball from Adrian Segecic and slotting calmly past goalkeeper Tom Heaton.
United’s only real attacking spark came from second-half substitute Alejandro Garnacho, who was recently informed by Amorim that he should look for a new club.
The Argentine winger repeatedly troubled the All-Stars’ defence with his pace and intent, but was let down by poor finishing, frequently sending efforts high over the crossbar, mirroring the wastefulness of his teammates.
Despite Amorim’s pre-match insistence that he had selected a strong starting XI out of respect for the opposition, the oppressive 31°C heat and humidity clearly took a toll.
The United boss made four substitutions before the 30-minute mark, and swapped out the entire team again at halftime, even though the initial substitutes had played only a brief spell.
The club’s tour of Asia, which is expected to generate £8 million in revenue, now faces further scrutiny after such a lacklustre performance.
United must respond when they take on Hong Kong on Friday, but they’ll do so without Andre Onana, Harry Maguire, and Diogo Dalot, who have been diverted to India for commercial appearances on behalf of club sponsor Apollo Tyres.
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