Tuesday 5 August 2014

Manchester United 3-1: Liverpool: United rally claims the prize

Quick-fire goals from Wayne Rooney and Juan
Mata in the second half cancelled out Steven
Gerrard's opener as United claimed early
bragging rights over their Premier League rivals.

Substitute Jesse Lingard completed the scoring
with a fine volley from the edge of the area in
the 89th minute at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.
Liverpool were in control of proceedings after
captain Gerrard converted a 14th-minute penalty
but the Manchester club hit back in the second
half.
Rooney - named captain for the fixture - put
United on level terms in the 55th minute before
Mata completed the turnaround with a goal of
his own just two minutes later as Louis van
Gaal's team ended their tour of the United States
unbeaten.

Both teams will now return to England as they
prepare for their Premier League openers, with
United hosting Swansea City on August 16 and
Liverpool entertaining Southampton the
following day.

United were forced to make one change to the
team that started against Real Madrid, with Javier
Hernandez replacing the injured Danny Welbeck
in attack for the club's final match in the United
States.

There were five changes to the Liverpool starting
XI, as Sebastian Coates, Kolo Toure, Jack
Robinson, Lucas and Jordan Ibe all made way for
Gerrard, Martin Skrtel, Mamadou Sakho, Glen
Johnson and Philippe Coutinho.
United made a composed start in Miami and
were unfortunate not to take a fifth-minute lead
as Sakho was on hand to scramble the ball clear
ahead of the onrushing Mata following Ashley
Young's teasing cross into the six-yard box.
Substitute Luke Shaw was called upon in the
eighth minute due to an injury to United wing-
back Antonio Valencia.

Liverpool began to cause problems and Brendan
Rodgers' men were awarded a penalty in the
14th minute after United defender Phil Jones
fouled Raheem Sterling.
Gerrard stepped up and made no mistake from
the spot, sending goalkeeper David de Gea the
wrong way.

Liverpool controlled the half from that point
with their high-tempo pressing causing United
problems and the Merseyside outfit thought they
had another spot-kick in the 33rd minute when
Sterling was brought down under a challenge
from Ander Herrera, but the referee waved away
appeals.
Sterling was in the thick of action within five
minutes of the restart, with his deflected shot
flashing just wide of the post.

But whatever Van Gaal said during his half-time
team talk worked as United restored parity 10
minutes into the second half courtesy of Rooney,
who was on the end of Hernandez's cross to
side-foot the ball into the far corner of the net -
his fifth goal on tour.
It got better for United two minutes later when
Mata beat goalkeeper Simon Mignolet from the
edge of the area, albeit with a deflection off
Sakho, before Lingard's fine finish late on.

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