Manchester United 2-3 Borussia Dortmund
After this 3-2 loss to Borussia Dortmund, which was a comedy of errors, Manchester United’s US tour ended with a record of one win and three defeats. The $1.9 billion Allegiant Stadium was located across from Dean Martin Drive and shielded from the 40C heat and sirocco wind blowing across the Mojave Desert, on which Las Vegas is built.
The winning goal for the German team was the third of the evening to be the result of a United defense error. After playing a one-two with Julian Brandt, Marco Reus intercepted a pass from Aaron Wan-Bissaka and slid the ball across for Youssoufa Moukoko to beat André Onana.
Preseason friendly can go in the “phony war” file, but Erik ten Hag and his team left Las Vegas right away, regretting not just the loss to Arsenal (2-0), but also the defeats to Wrexham (3-1, with a junior team), and Real Madrid (2-0).
Donyell Malen’s two goals had given Dortmund the lead for the first time after 18 seconds of sloppily played football up until Antony’s second-half equalizer.
Before that, Donny van de Beek assisted Diogo Dalot with a touch, and the Portuguese player decorated this match with a 20-yard strike that flew past Gregor Kobel and into the top left corner of the Dortmund net.
The eleven changes and inclusion of Tom Heaton, Harry Maguire, and 19-year-old striker Omari Forson in the XI Ten Hag fielded were not the best he could muster. Following the blow to Maguire’s reputation, the manager replaced him as captain with Scott McTominay, delivering a decision that may be characterized as more tough love from his management.
Maguire, a footballer who (unfairly) has become the pantomime villain for fans, currently lives in a condition of almost perpetual low confidence. There were a few jeers directed towards Maguire at this point, but they quickly subsided as he frequently looked up to see Victor Lindelöf drifting into the “John Stones” defensive midfield position from central defense and Brandon Williams moving into his area from left-back.
As Christian Eriksen, Jadon Sancho, and Forson found space around him, Lindelöf was also observed in an aggressive position to link play; however, after 37 minutes, Ten Hag substituted him with Antony, ending the night for the last of these players. The left-back took offense to this, and when Karim Adeyemi stepped in to defend his teammate, Forson stuck his head into the No. 27’s shoes. It is almost clear that this was as a result of his earlier film of Julian Ryerson. when this argument, both were arrested, and when Forson was taken away, Ten Hag spoke with the child for about 30 seconds to explain the choice.
As halftime drew close, Malen scored twice in a minute, and United collapsed. Adeyemi was able to force the ball to the No. 21 who volleyed in his equalizer despite being surrounded by a number of defenders. United sank even deeper after the kickoff; although control was regained, Heaton’s attempt to find Lindelöf resulted in a lost ball, setting up Malen once more. He failed to miss.
Williams, who had put Malen onside, was upset and appeared to be accusing Heaton of being at responsibility for the situation rather than himself. Perhaps Ten Hag concurred, as Williams stayed on and Onana took the place of Heaton for the remainder of the game.
But the United Calamity department had more to offer. This time, Onana had to throw himself to the left to block Sébastien Haller’s shot after Maguire tapped to Eriksen in close quarters and dispossessed the Dane. Maguire did not escape Onana’s wrath, though, as the Cameroonian ran over to give him a thrashing after Adeyemi missed the follow-up. Here was just another example of Maguire’s decline in status.
What United needed was relief and Antony provided it. Van de Beek – inadvertently – contributed a second assist by making a block in Dortmund’s area and there was the Brazilian with his lethal left to score and ease his team’s mood.
Yet here was no new dawn of United solidity. Maguire, though not at fault, deflected the ball on to his own bar from Ramy Bensebaïni’s header at a corner, then the lively Adeyemi glided in but spooned wide.
Ten Hag sent for the cavalry, removing every starter remaining apart from Sancho, as on came a band of A-listers – Jonny Evans apart – led by Bruno Fernandes, Lisandro Martínez and Marcus Rashford.
Another, Wan-Bissaka, was teed up by Rashford yet at close range he hoofed into the crowd in what was nearer to a NFL field goal attempt by the Las Vegas Raiders, who play here. After Moukoko’s winner he regretted this even more and toward the end Antony felt a similar emotion as, with his much less favoured right, he missed an easy chance from near-in.
Holding 61,100, the venue was not close to a sell-out for United’s first ever game in the neon-jungle that is America’s gambling capital. But on leaving Las Vegas, Ten Hag had a little to ponder.
