By: Joe Lami

SAN JOSE, Calif.—18,000 fans showed up to Avaya Stadium on Tuesday night to see global megapower, Manchester United take on the San Jose Earthquakes as part of the Guinness International Champions Cup. It marks the second game for both clubs, as they each have played Club America to start the tournament. San Jose lost 2-1 to Club America a week ago in San Jose. Man U is coming off of a 1-0 victory.

The match marks the first time Manchester United has ever played the Earthquakes, giving San Jose soccer fans a great chance to see legends such as Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata, and Bastian Schweinstager up close.

Earthquakes coach, Dominic Kinnear, wanted to make sure his players weren’t star struck out on the pitch going up against some of the worlds best.  “I told them before the game to go out and enjoy it, but it’s important that we make a game out of it”.

They did just that as,the Red Devils came out victorious with a 3-1 victory, though the Quakes did have chances. Manchester United coach, Louis van Gaal, mentioned that he thought San Jose was the better team in the first 15 minutes. Man U finally got on the board in the 32nd minute. Mata rocketed a shot from the top of the box that pinged off of the lower right post and in.

Manchester United added their second just five minutes later, as they took advantage off a bad pass from Jean Baptist Pierazzi. Man of the match, Memphis Depay got the steal and tucked the ball into the right hand corner of the net to make it 2-nil.

The Earthquakes were able to get on the board before half, as a beautiful play by Shea Salinas at the touch line set up Fatai Alashe who hammered it past Sam Johnstone to make it 2-1 going into halftime.

The second half saw a lot of the reserves come into the match for both sides, as the International Champions Cup doesn’t restrict the amount of substitutions a team can use.  Among those reserves was newly acquired Bastian Schweinsteiger for Manchester United.  Playing in just his second match for the Red Devils, he was not impressive according to van Gaal. “We played very bad in the second half, Schweinstegier included”.

Manchester United’s loan goal in the second half came in the 61st minute when Jesse Lingered crossed it from the right side and found the head of Andreas Pereira in the middle of the box who was able to get it past David Bingham.

The Quakes came close to adding another in the 70th minute, when newly signed Marc Pelosi fired a rocket just missing the top left corner. Kinnear liked the play of Pelosi in his first match, “He did okay, I would have liked to see him score though”.