Fresh off a 5-2 destruction of the L.A. Galaxy to begin their preseason, Manchester United headed to Sandy, Utah to face Real Salt Lake in another international friendly. This is the second clash against a MLS opponent, from here United will then face three big clubs in the International Champions Cup.
-Jose Mourinho swapped out all 11 players to begin the second half, after taking a 2-1 lead into the locker room break. Here is the link to our first notes and takeaways from this one.
-United have announced the re-signing of back-up goalkeeper Sergio Romero, who will now remain with the club until 2021. Mourinho revealed his goalkeeper platoon yesterday for this match and the next one.
“In the second match, David does not play,” Mourinho told the media this week.
“We play the kid (Pereira) for 45 and Romero for 45. The third match against Man City, we don’t play Joel. We will play David for 45 and Romero for 45.”
-As Austin Powers would say, “who throws a shoe?! Really?!” And who gets a red card in a friendly?! Seriously! Antonio Valencia does. He committed a brutally stupid and completely unnecessary challenge on Real Salt Lake ‘s Bofo Saucedo.
https://twitter.com/JogaBonitoUSA/status/887152802614718465
That’s basically a villain in The Karate Kid “Johnny, sweep the leg” kind of moment when you consider that this was just a meaningless exhibition match. United then played with only 10 men from the 68′ on.
-On the flip side, don’t feel sorry for Saucedo, he gave Juan Mata a kick on the right ankle that saw the Spaniard’s night end early. Mata came on at the beginning of the second half, and played just 15 minutes. No one scored in the second half, so the final score was United 2, Real Salt Lake 1.
-United next to head to Houston, for the first ever Manchester Derby ever held outside of Europe on Thursday. They’ll face Manchester City in an exhibition that will see both sides honor victims of the Manchester Arena terrorist attack. Go here for more on those shirts and the bigger cause that they’ll serve.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV.
Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Sound Cloud, LinkedIn and YouTube.