Manchester United booed off after friendly loss in Malaysia
Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo in action against Asean All Star's Amani Aguinaldo. PHOTO: REUTERS
Manchester United booed off after friendly loss in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR - Manchester United suffered fresh embarrassment and were booed off as they lost 1-0 to a South-east Asian XI in Kuala Lumpur on May 28 in front of 72,550 football fans.
Ruben Amorim's side, who finished 15th in the Premier League for their worst season since 1974, looked lethargic and devoid of ideas in the gruelling heat.
Some fans at Bukit Jalil National Stadium left before the end and there were boos at the final whistle.
United have struggled for goals all year and it was more evidence why they are reportedly prepared to shell out £62.5 million (S$100 million) on Brazilian international attacker Matheus Cunha from Wolves.
Amorim, who was clearly frustrated during the match and shook his head at times, refused to confirm the Cunha deal.
The Portuguese coach was happy though to leave the Malaysian capital and head to Hong Kong with no new injuries and had no issue with fans booing his team off.
'We were slow and we still don't have it in us to win every exercise in training, every game,' he said.
'The boos from the fans, it's something that we need.'
He added: 'These people believe in Manchester United no matter what the context.
'It's our duty to improve the team and to improve the team next season.
'For me, we need to have that belief, that hunger to win every game, that is important.'
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes after the match.
PHOTO: REUTERS
In their first of two post-season games in Asia, United started with several regulars including Harry Maguire, Rasmus Hojlund, Casemiro, Diogo Dalot, Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo and Andre Onana.
In temperatures of 32 deg C at kickoff, it was the Asean All Stars who looked more threatening in the first half.
They shot just wide in the 16th minute and Onana was then called into action with a low save that endeared him to the pro-United crowd.
Fans cheering in the stands before the May 28 match.
PHOTO: AFP
Mainoo provided the first real threat for United with a 25-yard effort that was turned behind for a corner, before the young midfielder saw his shot cleared off the line in the 38th minute.
Captain Bruno Fernandes came on in the second half and his half-volley lit up a drab restart.
Argentine winger Alejandro Garnacho, on the trip despite looking like he is headed for the exit at United, made a lively cameo off the bench.
All-Stars Maung Maung Lwin (left) celebrates after scoring the only goal of the match.
PHOTO: AFP
United were better in the second half but the South-east Asian side stunned the visitors in the 71st minute when Burmese attacker Maung Maung Lwin found himself clean through on goal before firing into the top corner past Tom Heaton.
Soon after Heaton came to United's rescue to prevent further embarrassment.
United play the Hong Kong team on May 30. AFP
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
29 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Rooted in the earth, India's traditional mud wrestling thrives
India's mud wrestling, known as 'kushti' or 'dangal', has millennia-old roots but emerged during the period of India's Mughal rulers in the 16th century. PHOTO: AFP KOLHAPUR, India - Crowds cheer as muscular men in tight loincloths slap sacred scented soil on their bulging thighs and arms for a mud wrestling bout in India. 'When we fight, we sweat,' said 33-year-old Mauli Jamdade, a wrestling star in Maharashtra state, rubbing red-brown earth onto his body for each clash. 'The mud gives us grip and helps us grapple better.' Unlike conventional wrestling matches played on mats with regulated draws, India's mud wrestling is more raw – but has been the training ground for Olympic success. This style of wrestling, known as 'kushti' or 'dangal', has millennia-old roots but emerged during the period of India's Mughal rulers in the 16th century, blending traditional hand-to-hand combat with Persian martial arts. There are no blows or kicking, but plenty of throws to the ground, and it remains hugely popular. It took Jamdade over 15 minutes to defeat his rival, starting with a slow circling dance then twisting, turning and locking arms, before he pinned him down. The bout ends when one wrestler pins his opponent's back to the mud, irrespective of how long it takes. From mud into the Olympics Both men and women Indian wrestlers have won medals at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games in the more regulated form of the sport. But it is the mud, not mat, version that is popular in swathes of rural areas – with supporters saying it is not just a spectacle but a tradition that many want to uphold. Bank cashier Anil Harale ended his wrestling career after injuring his leg, but after work still slips out of his office clothes for a dirty wrestle. 'I miss it,' said the 46-year-old, who hopes his 'unfulfilled dream' will be realised by his teenage son, an aspiring wrestler. Wrestler KD Jadhav, who took bronze at the 1952 Olympics – the first Indian to win an individual Olympic medal – began his sporting career as a mud wrestler in Kolhapur, a city in Maharashtra. 'It is from mud that wrestlers reach the Olympics,' said excited fan Sachin Mote, among hundreds cheering the wrestlers at a bout. Mud, milk, oil Kolhapur is a core base of the sport with its centuries-old residential gymnasiums known as talims. Jamdade joined the Gangavesh talim aged 14. A picture of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman – a deity worshipped by wrestlers for his strength and devotion – gazes over waist-deep pits where the soil is dug. The earth is mixed with turmeric, yoghurt and milk, as well as neem tree leaves and oil, before it is ploughed and smoothened across the ring. For the wrestlers, the soil is sacred. 'It is everything,' said Jamdade. 'There is nothing without it.' More than a hundred wrestlers – some as young as 10 – train at the talim. It is an austere life. The rigorous training includes waking up before dawn, running, hundreds of push-ups, rope climbing and grappling. Tobacco and alcohol are strictly prohibited, phone usage is restricted and pre-marital relationships are considered a distraction. 'Never end' Kolhapur is a core base of the sport with its centuries-old residential gymnasiums known as talims. PHOTO: AFP For Jamdade, the first year at the talim was all about gaining weight – and that is an expensive affair. 'There are people who weigh 125-130kg,' he said. 'To fight with them, and match their strength, I need to be at least 120kg.' So when he is not in the ring or training, Jamdade focuses on eating. That includes at least five kilos of goat meat each week, some 70 egg whites, 24 apples, leafy vegetables and dry fruits. He washes that down with at least 21 litres of milk, 14 litres of sweet lemon juice and a protein shake made with almonds, cashews, honey, cardamom seeds, honey and milk. His monthly food bill totals US$350 (S$451) but the prize money he has won helps his family, who are from a poor farming background. Winnings range from a few hundred dollars to US$1,700 – more than the annual average income of an agricultural household in India. While the popularity of more organised wrestling on mats has grown, Jamdade believes mud bouts have a safe future as a core part of village fairs. 'Fairs will always continue,' he said. 'Mud wrestling will never end.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Al-Nassr working on renewing Ronaldo deal, says club chief
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Nassr v Al Khaleej - Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - May 21, 2025 Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo scores their second goal from the penalty spot. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo RIYADH - Al-Nassr are negotiating with Cristiano Ronaldo over a contract extension but face competition from a host of clubs eager to sign the five-times Ballon d'Or winner, the Saudi side's sporting director Fernando Hierro said on Thursday. Speculation over the 40-year-old Portuguese forward's future intensified after Al-Nassr's season-ending match at Al-Fateh on Monday, with Ronaldo posting on social media: "This chapter is over. The story? Still being written." "Ronaldo's contract with Al-Nassr runs until June 30. We will work to renew his contract so he can continue with us, and there are many clubs interested in signing him," Hierro told a news conference. Despite Al-Nassr failing to qualify for the Club World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last week that discussions were underway about Ronaldo playing in the June 14-July 13 tournament in the United States. FIFA has created a special transfer window for clubs to sign players for the event, and while Wydad Casablanca had been linked with a move for Ronaldo a source close to the Moroccan side told Reuters last week they were not in talks to sign him. Ronaldo finished as the top scorer in back-to-back Saudi Pro League seasons and Hierro described him as a trailblazer for Saudi soccer. "Ronaldo's presence from the beginning is a national project," Hierro said. "Cristiano has opened up soccer in this country to the world. It's phenomenal that he had the courage to come here, stay here, and open up the Saudi Arabian league to the world." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Former champ Kim A-lim in six-way tie for US Women's Open lead
Kim A-lim of South Korea chips onto the 18th green during the first round of the US Women's Open. PHOTO: AFP Former champ Kim A-lim in six-way tie for US Women's Open lead CHICAGO – Former champion Kim A-lim is keeping her focus, as she fired six birdies in a four-under 68 to headline a group of six tied atop the leaderboard after the first round of US Women's Open on May 29. Fellow South Korean Im Jin-hee, Japan's Rio Takeda, Americans Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin and Spanish LPGA rookie Julia Lopez Ramirez shared the lead, one stroke in front of another group of five players. Kim said she would not expend her energy worrying about who might be in striking distance. 'Honestly, I'm not thinking about (the) leaderboard because my job is process, not result,' said Kim, who won the 2020 US Open in her Major championship debut. 'Next three days, I play the same thing as today – focus on my line, hit it. That's all.' With little wind, Erin Hills, the rolling 6,829-yard par-72 layout in Erin, Wisconsin, offered perhaps its most benign face for the first round of the first US Women's Open to be held there. Noh, who holed out for an eagle at the 14th and birdied the par-five 18th, called it a 'good scoring day'. But plenty of marquee names were unable to join the 33 players to shoot under par. World No. 1 Nelly Korda was playing catchup after a bogey at the third, finally getting to even par 72 with a birdie at the par-five 18th. Defending champion Yuka Saso's bid for a third US Open title in five seasons got off to a rocky start with a two-over 74. World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand opened with a three-over 75 while third-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand – whose resume includes three Major titles but no US Open – posted a one-over 73. 'I think I'm happy with it,' Korda said. 'Obviously, I wish the ball found the bottom of the cup a little bit more. 'First day of the US Open, it's all about patience. I'm striking it pretty well, so hopefully I can carry that into the next couple days.' In men's golf, Ben Griffin, fresh from his triumph in Texas last week, fired a seven-under 65 to grab a two-shot lead after the first round of the Memorial Tournament at Dublin, Ohio. He ended his round in superb style with three straight birdies which left him with a two-stroke advantage over fellow American Collin Morikawa. 'I was kind of building on what I kind of was doing last week, making a ton of birdies, staying aggressive,' Griffin said. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
