United’s offense and the Soccerball teams

Disclaimer: I’d like to say that I’m not a Harry Potter fan, and I do not know why the title ended up sounding like one of them books. Or movies. But this could become a series… just a thought.

There’s a lot to be said for US sports programs and their focus on athletics from a very young age. It’s great that kids are encouraged to get into sports, find their true calling, follow their dreams and all that. Which is of course in stark countrast to the choices kids get in the most populous democracy in the world. There is however, a couple of bones I have to pick with the system. One, there’s only four sports really – Baseball, ‘Football’, Basketball and Hockey, in no particular order. None of which most of the rest of the world plays. Thankfully that is being addressed, thanks to the great publicity push by FIFA our friends from south of the US border and soccer is now quite a big thing. Which brings us to my second bone. For the country that dropped the ‘u’ from colour and honour to make it easiour for everyone, the football and soccer terminology seems strangely counterintuitive. Of course, if New York can win the ‘World Series’, I’m sure it’s all good.

And so it is that Manchester United find themselves in the land of Soccer, skilled offenses and brilliant plays. In their second pre-season tour to the US in as many years, United have done pretty well over the 270 minutes of football so far. In the spirit of the three-pronged-headline movement, here goes my three-match-summary.

Revolution, Rotations and Machedaaaaaaaaahhhhh

The most :O moment in the New England Revolution game (we won 4-1, if you must know) was Macheda scoring two goals. Yes Kiko, remember him? The man who went from famously causing Martin Tyler to orgasm to the ignominy of being unable to help an Italian team of young, virile men stay up (dirty minds alert). I’m hoping this tour is just part of his severance package, and that he got an earful from Ashley Young who he went straight to celebrate with after his first goal. “Now do you agree when I said it was a bloody fluke…”

I’m guessing around 15 substitutions are allowed in these pre-season games and United made full use of it to rotate through their squad twice over. So after Carrick had made a lung-bursting run from midfield (and finally proving the existence of the probability value 1/infinity) to set up Macheda’s first, Giggs and Park played a poetic 1-2 in the opponent’s 15 yard box to round off United’s goals for the night. Somewhere before all this, Lindegaard showed how he’s capable of commanding his box by taking the very bold and very tactless step of yelling at Vidic to correct his position.

While we appreciate the enthusiasm…

Rooney, Rooney and Rooney (and a bit of Obertan)

The Seattle weather clearly helped the Red Devils feel right at home, what with its perennial rain and wind. And it showed, as the fans of the unfortunaley named Sounders fell silent while Rooney volleyed, pivoted, passed and faked hiw way to the easiest hattrick in his career since… well, since ever I guess. He seems to be slipping ever so comfortably into the trequartista, or false nine or whatever else you want to call the position. Obviously he’s not the next Scholes, but between Nani, Tony V and Ashley Young, there are no enough runners around him for him to start moves, watch the action unfolding in HD in front of him, and then jog to the edge of the D for the cross/cutback. Or an elaborately conceived backheel flick, if Nani’s playing the final pass. Yep, I can see that working out well for us.

 What I can’t see working out is Obertan doing 13 stepovers against the Chelsea backline three times a match. Obertan always peaks during pre-season and everyone’s convinced this is his season – well, it’s happened the last two years now. And then he gets clattered midway through one and a half stepovers at the Briattania, and all the confidence goes limp as if it just met Macheda. The only hope for this season is that all is-he-on-steroids bulking up helps him cope with the ‘physicality’ of the Premier League.

Step up

MLS All Stars game up next, which I’m assuming, is a much sterner test than the three so far. And then our favourite favourite friends from Catalunya. Oh boy oh boy oh boy.