RedsUnite: a man utd blog

Al Hilal 3 Manchester United 2

Manchester United traveled to Saudi Arabia on Saturday night to partake in a testimonial for Saudi forward Sami Al Jaber. Tevez and Ronaldo scored for United in a match that saw several United regulars see significant playing time, certainly enough where you would expect the Reds to have won. I know almost nothing more than who played and who scored, however, as the reporting on this match is cloudy at best. One paper had Owen Hargreaves missing a penalty in the 90′ minute, while it turns out that it was United youngster Danny Welbeck who missed the equalizer from the spot. Reports suggest that the officiating for the match may have been a bit biased. From ESPN.com:

“When Al-Jaber went down softly under Rio Ferdinand’s challenge the referee surprisingly signalled for a penalty, giving the star of the show the chance to get on the scoresheet, which he grasped with both hands to level. Another soft penalty early in the second half was given which substitute Mohammad Al-Shalhoub scored, before being forced to re-take it and subsequently firing wide.”

The trip to Saudi Arabia has been debated vigorously, with the normal detractors pointing to the trip as evidence of United greed. United were paid £1 million to participate in the testimonial, while also participating in a four day training camp in Riyadh. A piece in the Guardian suggests that Fergie should be pleased, however:

“…Even a man with Sir Alex Ferguson’s aversion to losing football matches will be satisfied after a night that re-affirmed, indisputably, United’s status as the most fashionable football club on the planet.

It was raucous, relentless and more than a little surreal - football’s equivalent of the Beatles at Shea Stadium. There were, of course, some crucial differences. Women are forbidden from attending public events in Saudi Arabia, meaning the cacophonous screams inside the King Fahd came exclusively from male throats. Add to that the sound of bullets being fired into the air in celebration and the fact that alcohol is illegal in Saudi and it is probably fair to say this was a one-off experience for the 20 or so Mancunians behind the one red, white and black flag on view.

The point was that the American-owned English football club in the heart of Arabia - a city, incidentally, which westerners are advised not to visit - could scarcely have been afforded a more generous reception.”

Following the match, Alex Ferguson suggested that Saudi Arabia can learn from Japan and South Korea, citing the success of Ji-Sung Park and Hidetoshi Nakata. I know that this may be a reach, but does the omission of China from this conversation mean that the Dong Fangzhuo acquisition is officially a waste?