Cliff Notes – Manchester United came for the fans and a neat paycheck. ASEAN All-Stars came for the win
- Manchester United suffered a surprising 1-0 defeat to the ASEAN All-Stars, with Myanmar’s Maung Maung Lwin scoring the decisive goal in the 71st minute.
- Despite fielding a strong lineup, United’s performance was lacklustre, raising questions about their readiness for the upcoming season.
- The match attracted over 70,000 fans in Kuala Lumpur, highlighting United’s enduring global appeal, even as they seek to rebuild after a disappointing campaign.
Manchester United came for the fans — and a neat paycheck. ASEAN All-Stars came for the win.
After an arduous campaign which has been nothing short of a disappointment by their own admission, perhaps too much should not be read into an end-of-season friendly.
Yet, even by their own free-falling standards, Manchester United would not have been expecting to suffer a shock 1-0 loss to the ASEAN All-Stars at Kuala Lumpur’s Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Wednesday.
Despite coming up against far more-illustrious opponents, the hastily-assembled ASEAN All-Stars grabbed the win courtesy of a 71st-minute goal from Myanmar international Maung Maung Lwin — who made no mistake in calmly applying the finishing touches to a neat move after being played through by Adrian Segecic.
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To put things into persepective, United would probably have found an extra few gears had this been a competitive outing. Probably.
Given their global fanbase, it is always a huge deal when they travel all around the world in between seasons to cater to their millions of international supporters. They had not been in Malaysia since 2009.
Back then, they were still enjoying a glorious era under Sir Alex Ferguson. Even though they are nowhere near that at the moment, the fact that over 70,000 turned out at Bukit Jalil — almost all dressed in United colours — highlights how they are still an iconic team.
They were here for the fans, but also for a neat paycheck. Lest that be accused as cynicism, it was a reason that literally came from the horse’s mouth.
When their post-season tour of Asia was announed back in April, United chief executive officer Omar Berrada stated on the club’s official website: “Importantly, tour fixtures drive significant additional revenue which help make the club stronger, allowing us to keep investing in success on the pitch.”
Despite fielding a formidable starting XI boasting the likes of Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire, Manchester United found themselves well matched by the less-illustrious ASEAN All-Stars. AP Photo/Vincent Thian
Their whirlwind trip, which concludes with a game against Hong Kong on Friday, will reportedly earn them £8 million effectively for a week’s exertions.
True to their word, United have brought along as many star names as possible.
And, while they probably were not exerting themselves to the fullest, it only made Wednesday’s shock defeat all the more eyebrow-raising.
Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo, André Onana, Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot, Rasmus Højlund and Patrick Dorgu started.
Wholesale changes at the break saw Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho enter the fray.
The introduction of those three fan favourites led to the biggest cheer of the night early on in the second half. The fact that it was more in appreciation at the audacity of Fernandes’ attempted rabona through-ball for Garnacho — which, it has to be said, was well overhit — summed up United’s evening.
It also has to be acknowledged that this was hardly the strongest team Southeast Asian football could have combined to produce.
The All-Stars’ 26-man squad boasted just five players that could lay claim to being past winners of the ASEAN Championship, the region’s premier international tournament.
The ASEAN All-Stars would claim a remarkable 1-0 win over Manchester United on Wednesday courtesy of Myanmar international Maung Maung Lwin’s calm finish in the 71st minute. MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images
Several aren’t even regular features in their respective national teams, including Harrison Delbridge — who produced an indomitable display at the back as the only player to feature throughout the entire 90 minutes, even if he only has one cap for Australia at the age of 33.
Vietnam’s Nguyễn Hai Long, who gave Ayden Heaven all sorts of problems in the first half, is still an up-and-coming prospect with just ten senior international appearances to his name, while Timor-Leste’s João Pedro represents a nation currently ranked 197th out of FIFA’s 211 member associations.
Had Thai maestro Chanathip Songkrasin — widely regarded as Southeast Asia’s best player of the past decade — or any of Indonesia’s Europe-based contingent featured, this might have been an even tougher test for United.
Credit where it is due — regardless of their stature, the ASEAN All-Stars came to play. And they came to win.
There are days gone by when players in the region would simply have been delighted to share a pitch with such illustrious counterparts. That is still the case.
As players lingered on the pitch after fulltime, several of the All-Stars made a beeline for a souvenir with some of football’s biggest names.
Thailand duo Worachit Kanitsribampen and Patiwat Khammai even helped one another take a photograph with Fernandes.
Still, that was only once the final whistle had sounded.
Prior to that, throughout the 90 minutes, the ASEAN All-Stars only had the contest — and victory — on their minds.
So while United will still depart Kuala Lumpur satisfied with the evening they gave to their loyal Malaysian fans, and the accompanying paycheck, Southeast Asian football will leave Bukit Jalil with a triumph that will not soon be forgotten.
