Manchester United picked up their second win of the Premier League Summer Series, dispatching Bournemouth 4-1 at a blustery Soldier Field in Chicago.
Following another day of speculation, Rasmus Hojlund continued his impressive pre-season form and opened the scoring after eight minutes with a delicate header from a Patrick Dorgu delivery.
The promising Dorgu doubled United’s lead before the break with his first goal for the club, following a well-worked Mason Mount free-kick that caught out a flat-footed Cherries defence.
Amad added a third shortly after the restart, pouncing on a penalty area melee with a now-trademark finish, before Ethan Williams notched a fourth less than two minutes after his introduction in the final quarter.
Bournemouth did collect a late consolation through the outstretched leg of an unfortunate Matthijs de Ligt. Still, it offered little joy to a thoroughly outplayed group.
On an evening when Ruben Amorim made six changes to his starting XI, he was encouraged by a promising performance, with distinguished transitions complementing a relentless final-third press from the off.
Crucially, his side has maintained the momentum collected at MetLife Stadium without collecting any injury concerns ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Everton.
An impressive pre-season outing for an athletic Manchester United side
While the Windy City lived up to its historic name, the Premier League rivals enjoyed familiar conditions amongst the backdrop of a predominantly red audience.
Amorim opted to rotate his line-up to maximise the potential of his travelling squad, with Matheus Cunha given the night off. Thankfully, despite the initial worries of an uncertain fanbase, the Portuguese tactician was quick to dispel concerns.
“It’s fatigue – we need to assess all the players,” Ruben confirmed during his pre-match duties.
“He will be available for the next one, so we try to keep it safe for all the players and Mathues, this morning, felt a little bit fatigued.
“He was ready to play, but I know that, especially in the beginning, with a new club, he wants to give everything. We need to be careful.”
Bruno Fernandes reverted to a withdrawn midfield pairing alongside Casemiro, with the trio of Amad, Mount and Hojlund proving to be instrumental throughout a largely dominant opening 45.
Much to the delight of their adoring American audience, there was no let-up from the Reds following the restart, with a stellar intensity from back to front.
Notably, Hojlund was energetic throughout and led the line with the desired arrogance. If his goal was the hallmark of a talented striker, his presence in the area for Amad’s finish was everything a manager would want from an imposing nine.
While there were many standout performers on the evening, his compatriot Dorgu offered a thrilling display on the left flank and cut the figure of a man coming to terms with the expectations of the jersey.
De Ligt came in for Harry Maguire at the break, with the remaining starters given 70 minutes of a runout before Amorim introduced nine replacements.
Fittingly, with a plethora of academy talent chomping to take their shot in Chicago, 19-year-old Williams responded quickest in the area to compound the misery on Andoni Iraola, before his side mustered a late consolation.
Nobody will be recalculating the title prospects of this Manchester United side off the back of a dominating pre-season outing, but this was a fiercely credible showing from a squad excluding Bryan Mbeumo, Joshua Zirkzee, Noussair Mazraoui and Cunha.
Make no mistake, if Bournemouth had turned up and delivered a similar beating, there would be ample noise reverberating around the football world.
This was a warm-up for a crucial Premier League campaign, but it was a fixture between two domestic sides that neither would want to lose. It is okay to enjoy it.
Focus will now switch to Sunday’s meeting with Everton in Atlanta, with an eager United contingent hoping for a trio of victories Stateside.
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Primary image via manutd.com
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