FC Seoul 2 Manchester United 3 - all the action as it happened in South Korea

24 July 2009 15:16
Welcome to Seoul's World Cup Stadium on another hot and steamy night in South Korea. It's always a bit bonkers when Manchester United play here and tonight is no exception. United starting XI to face FC Seoul (4-4-2) Kuszczak; O'Shea, Brown, Ferdinand, Evra; Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson, Giggs; Rooney, Macheda. Full-time details Kuszczak (Van der Sar 45mins); O'Shea, Ferdinand, Brown, Evra (Fabio 75mins); Fletcher (Gibson 45mins), Carrick (Park 75mins), Anderson (Nani 61mins); Giggs (Scholes 61mins); Macheda (Owen 61mins), Rooney (Berbatov 61mins) The ground is full to its 80,000 capacity and you can bet there will be a bigger roar if United score than if the home team manage to squeeze one past Tomasz Kuszczak in the visitors' goal. Sadly for the Koreans, their favourite son Ji-Sung Park is only on the substitutes' bencg after only joining up with the United party on Wednesday. There are bound to be lots of changes in the United team as the night wears on... FIRST HALF Just short of 25 minutes gone here and all the predictable things have happened. United have had most of the possession, Park has been cheered hysterically every time he has appeared on the big screen and some of the crowd have cheered at times when nothing has been happening at all. GOAL! But what we didn't expect was a goal for Seoul. Koh Myong Jin had already warned United of his team's capabilities in the ninth minute with a low drive that Kuszczak held low to his right when the home side scored 15 minutes later. A cross from the right from Kim Seung Yong was decent enough but should really have been intercepted by Wes Brown. For some reason, though, Brown chose to leave the ball and Montenegran striker Dejan Damjanovic stole in to score on the volley from eight yards. United have tried to hit back since and Federico Macheda has just brought a save from Kim Ho Jun with a shot at the near post. There are 15 minutes to go before half-time. GOAL! I should have waited a minute before I sent that last update. Almost immediately United equalised. A cross from John O'Shea on the right was allowed to reach Wayne Rooney (right) and he scored with a nod of his head, even if replays appeared to suggest the ball took its final touch off his left shoulder. 1-1 now. Eleven minutes to the break. GOAL! Right on the stroke of half-time United go into the break trailing 2-1 after Damjanovic punishes the visitors for a second time today with a neat finish. HALF-TIME It's half-time here and it's 2-1 to FC Seoul. Damjanovic has caused the United defence problems all night - with Brown looking particularly uncomfortable - and the big number ten has just scored again. Brown did manage to block one shot from Damjanovic in the 41st minute - albeit with his backside - and then Kuszczak dropped to his knees to save a long range effort. United had no answer in first half injury time as the centre forward ran on to a pass inside Patrice Evra and lifted the ball expertly over Kuszczak as the Polish 'keeper advanced to narrow the angle. Time for Fergie's first decent team-talk of pre-season... SECOND HALF The second half has started and United have made two changes at the interval. Edwin van der Sar is on for Kuszczak and Darron Gibson is on for Darren Fletcher. GOAL! United have struck back here and Macheda has got the goal - his second of the tour. Rooney picked out his run in the 58th munute and the young Italian showed great composure to round the goalkeeper and score with his left foot. He really did take it well and it looks like it could be his last action of the game. Macheda, Ryan Giggs and Rooney are all coming off now on the hour and Paul Scholes, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen are all on. And now there's another - Nani for Anderson. Owen got an enormous cheer. Still nothing to what will happen if Park comes on, though. It's 2-2 and there is half an hour left. GOAL! It looks as though United have decided they don't want to lose this game. They are 3-2 up now. Owen crossed from the right and Berbatov scored with a header. Three United strikers have scored now tonight. Not a bad omen for those who have decided there is no life after Ronaldo. There are 21 minutes to go here... Owen has just hit the post from Gibson's cross and Park is on now. His every touch is being cheered like a goal - it's just a shame that his first one crossed the ball from one side of the pitch and off the other side. Doh! It's all over here. United have won 3-2 and on the back of their second half performance. Scholes struck the bar late on but it didn't matter. Thankfully, Park didn't score. My ears couldn't have taken it.

Source: Daily_Mail