Ruben Amorim stunned in Malaysia as Manchester United beaten by Asean All-Stars

Belfast Telegraph

28-05-2025

Ruben Amorim cut a miserable figure throughout the friendly as his side were unable to break down the Asean All-Stars, a super-team comprised of Southeast Asian and Australian players. His already irredeemable campaign was somehow made more bleak.
After a goalless first half, the deadlock was finally broken with 20 minutes remaining by Maung Maung Lwin, captain of the Myanmar national team, and United could muster no response.
While Amorim named a strong squad, featuring five of those who started the Europa League Final, it was no surprise that United were groggy off the mark having flown to Kuala Lumpur just hours after finishing their Premier League campaign with a win over Aston Villa on Sunday. But, jetlag aside, there can be few excuses for the quality of their performance.
In the first half hour, All-Stars looked far more likely to score, going close through Nguyen Hai Long and Amani Aguinaldo, but the deadlock remained as Andre Onana made some important stops.
United woke up as Amorim made four substitutions on the half-hour mark, removing Harry Maguire, Casemiro, Diogo Dalot and Jack Moorhouse, who were replaced by four academy youngsters.
From their introduction, United were noticeably more creative but still failed to create many serious chances, the best coming from a pair of Kobbie Mainoo shots. He saw one saved from long range and the other blocked from close.
The additions of Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo at half-time did little to turn the tide as United were reduced mostly to speculative pot-shots. Ironically, Alejandro Garnacho, the man being edged out of the club this summer, looked the most likely threat.
But there was one key moment of quality when Adrian Segecic of Sydney FC dashed forward and found Lwin with an inch-perfect diagonal pass, threaded between the lines for the Myanmarese, who made no mistake from the one-on-one.
That moment was a nadir for United, who responded with some more spirited attacks but, despite Fernandes and Diallo's best efforts, they were confounded by the All-Stars, who sat in a pragmatic low block after taking their narrow lead.
Godwill Kukonki's injury time booking for halting an All-Stars counter-attack with a cynical shirt pull summed up another humbling outing for United, who return to action against Hong Kong on Friday.