Key points
Manchester United take on Bournemouth in the club’s second pre-season friendly in the USA.
Following a 2-1 win over West Ham, Manchester United face more Premier League opposition in the USA in the second game of the club’s pre-season tour.
United face Bournemouth in this upcoming fixture, held in Chicago, at the 61,500 capacity Soldier Field stadium. The game kicks off at 2.30am UK time on July 31.
United in Focus will be covering the game live throughout early Thursday morning.
Manchester United 4-1 Bournemouth
Bournemouth pull one back. It might go down as an own goal for De Ligt.
[Link]Final 10 minutes
United have made their changes and they have kept pressing high up the pitch to make it difficult for Bournemouth to play out from the back.
[Link]Manchester United 4-0
Diego Leon went on a brilliant run down the left flank before tripping over. Luckily, the ball fell into Ethan Williams’ path as the youngster hit the target.
[Link]Man Utd make nine substitutions
United make nine changes with Heaton and De Ligt the only players remaining on the pitch.
[Link]Bournemouth hit the crossbar
Bournemouth come close as Heaton pushes an effort onto the crossbar.
[Link]Manchester United 3-0
Amad makes it 3-0 with a clever finish into the bottom corner. Hojlund scrapped for the ball inside the box before Fernandes allowed it to roll to the Ivory Coast international.
[Link]Close chance
Fernandes tees up an effort for Mount, who sends his shot to the wrong side of the post.
[Link]Half-time: Manchester United 2-0 Bournemouth
Manchester United lead 2-0 at half-time against Bournemouth. Amorim’s side has dominated the first 45 minutes and deserves their lead thanks to goals from Hojlund and Dorgu.
They’ve worked hard to be in this lead and Amorim will want more of the same after the break.
[Link]Shaw walking gingerly
Luke Shaw appears to have suffered a dead leg before going down, covering his face. He’s back on his feet now, moving much better.
[Link]United upset with decisions not going their way
Fernandes and Mount were visibly frustrated with the officials after a number of fouls go in on Amad. He is getting no support from the referee.
[Link]Sensational tackle
Luke Shaw just made a last-ditch tackle Nemanja Vidic would have been proud of!
[Link]Manchester United 1-0
A brilliant cross from Dorgu finds Hojlund, who sends his glancing header into the back of the net. Stunning finish and great start!
[Link]United pushing high up the pitch
In the opening minutes, United are pushing Bournemouth high up the pitch. It leads to some clever build up play between Mount and Fernandes, but Hojlund is unable to make the most of the goalscoring opportunity.
[Link]Amorim demands improvement from his players
Speaking ahead of the match, Amorim said: “I think today we need to improve in the way that we can keep the ball in some place. I think the physicality and the speed of Bournemouth are going to be a great test for us.
“They are always running behind, so our defense has to be perfect in the line. We are going to use different players in different positions.
“So, to see everything, because our goal is to start the season really well with a lot of options and everybody ready to play.”
[Link]Amorim sends message to Amad
Ruben Amorim has explained what he wants to see from Amad in the No.10 role against Bournemouth.
“It’s a different position for him. He needs to be prepared to play there. I think it’s really important to have a left foot in that position.
“Of course, we have also Bryan [Mbeumo] in that position, but the season is long, and we want to see also Amad can give us a different option when he plays a winger or as a number 10. “So we want to see different things in preparedness.”
The Ivory Coast international is getting a chance to perform in his familiar role, stepping away from his responsibilities at right wing-back.
[Link]Building momentum
It might be pre-season, and most fans will agree results don’t matter, but it’s also about building momentum ahead of the competitive season. Amorim will want to do that after enduring such a difficult first six months at Old Trafford.
A convincing win over West Ham gives United a chance to make it two wins from two in the United States. The Reds are also unbeaten in two pre-season friendlies after a scoreless draw with Leeds earlier this summer.
The Red Devils played with a good level of intensity and they moved the ball with purpose against the Hammers. Rasmus Hojlund will be hoping to build on his performance with a goal.
Amorim will want to see a similar performance against Bournemouth. It would help create more optimism ahead of the new season.
[Link]Harry Maguire expects “tough” game vs Bournemouth
Harry Maguire is expecting a difficult game against Bournemouth in Chicago.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the pre-season friendly, Maguire said: “Really hard. They’re a good team, a physical team and they play with a lot of intensity. I’m sure they’ve got a strong team out.”
Cunha and Mbeumo in attendance at Soldier Field
Although Cunha and Mbeumo won’t feature against Bournemouth, the new duo have both arrived at Chicago’s Soldier Field to watch the match.
[Link]Cunha suffering with fatigue
Amorim: “Cunha has fatigue. Need to assess all the players. Have to be careful with everyone. He’s available for the next one. Matheus felt a little bit fatigued. He was ready to play, he wants to give everything, but we need to be careful.”
[Link]Bournemouth XI
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has named a strong side to face United.
The Cherries boast an impressive record against United in recent years.
One player of note in the starting line-up is Semenyo, who was linked with a move to Old Trafford earlier this summer. That was before United signed Mbeumo.
No Cunha or Mbeumo in Man Utd squad to face Bournemouth
Tom Heaton gets a rare start between the sticks and Leny Yoro is surrounded by experience in defence. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that Matheus Cunha has been left out of the squad, but there’s no place for Bryan Mbeumo either.
Mbeumo is likely to make his debut against Everton on Sunday in United’s final game of the Premier League Summer Series.
Amad Diallo gets a chance to play in the number-10 role, while Diogo Dalot plays at right-wing back. Rasmus Hojlund gets another chance to lead the line amid transfer links to Benjamin Sesko.
[Link]Manchester United XI & substitutes vs Bournemouth
United starting XI vs Bournemouth: Heaton; Yoro, Maguire, Shaw; Dalot, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu; Amad, Mount; Hojlund.
Substitutes: Bayindir, Mee, De Ligt, Fredricson, Heaven, Munro, Leon, Collyer, J. Fletcher, Kone, Mainoo, Ugarte, Mantato, Williams, Obi.
[Link]When did Manchester United last play in Chicago?
United players tend to enjoy visiting the United States, so Ruben Amorim’s side are likely enjoying this year’s pre-season tour.
The last time United played at the Soccer Field in Chicago was exactly a decade ago.
United took on Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain and lost 2-0 after goals from Blaise Matuidi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Red Devils will be seeking a better result this time around.
[Link]When does Manchester United vs Bournemouth kick-off?
Kick-off in United’s second Premier League Summer Series match is at 2:30 am UK time on Thursday morning. The game will kick off at 8:30 p.m. local time in Chicago at the Soccer Field.
[Link]Welcome to UIF’s live coverage of Manchester United vs Bournemouth
We will be live throughout the early morning to cover everything from Manchester United’s third pre-season friendly against Bournemouth in Chicago.
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