Bruno Fernandes' double gives Ruben Amorim his first pre-season win in front of packed US crowd

Scottish Sun

27-07-2025

Despite the victory in New Jersey, one high profile United player continued his poor form from last season
MAN UTD 2 WEST HAM 1 Bruno Fernandes' double gives Ruben Amorim his first pre-season win in front of packed US crowd
BRUNO Fernandes' double gave Ruben Amorim his first win of the pre-season campaign - and showed just how important it was to keep him at Old Trafford.
Amorim gave his captain the choice of staying at the club or accepting the £100m Saudi offer.
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United captain Bruno Fernandes netted two in his side's friendly win over West Ham in New Jersey
Credit: Getty
And the Portuguese boss was given a reminder of what his fellow countryman brings to the party with the early goals in either half that ensured the majority of the 50,000-plus inside the MetLIfe Stadium went home happy.
Fernandes put United in front inside just five minutes, rolling home from the spot after calamitous keeping from West Ham No 1 Alphonse Areola.
And the United skipper was equally deadly when he had time to line one up from the edge of the box soon after the restart, Areole helpless once again.
On a sultry evening which saw another run-out for £62.5m Brazilian Matheus Cunha - although no sighting of the club's other new big money recruit, Bryan Mbeumo - United were far too good for Graham Potter's side.
Yet Rasmus Hojlund's struggles to find the net continued, the Dane slamming a first minute shot against the post but then failing to hit the target when well placed, before being left begging for a Fernandes pass that would have gifted him a sitter.
For Amorim, though, the sight of Cunha and Fernandes showing early promise of a real understanding will have been the biggest boost, although Patrick Dorgu also impressed.
But while a victory was useful, the United boss will have been concerned at how easily Tomas Soucek slipped into the central hole left by Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo, leaving youngster Ayden Heaven exposed as Jarrod Bowen slammed home for West Ham.
In pre-season games, though, such things are less important and a week after United were limp and lifeless against Leeds in Stockholm, their intensity levels were much better.
Hojlund's early strike was soon followed by the United opener, with Areola dropping a simple ball and then compounding his felony by clumsily and blatantly ploughing through Heaven for the most obvious penalty you could imagine.
Bruno made no mistake, sending the hapless Areola the wrong way and with West Ham pretty woeful, the surprise was that United, without £71m Mbeumo - not involved at all after only completing his move to the club on Monday - did not immediately extend their advantage.
Dorgu's pace was a constant menace, Hojlund was wastefully high from 16 yards - Amorim's slap of the head a sign of his feelings - and the lively Cunha shot straight at Areola.
Leny Yoro should have converted a Fernandes corner before the flag rightly denied Amad Diallo from a clever Manuel Ugarte pass, although Soucek should have made them pay when he nodded tamely at the exposed Altay Bayindir from six yards.
Amorim was asked for his interval views at the break - a sign of things to come under the new Prem TV contract coming into force this season - while cameras were also briefly allowed in the United dressing room.
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West Ham's Nayef Aguerd hugs teammate Guido Rodriguez
Credit: Getty
Frustrations would have grown when Fernandes failed to get the ball past Areola after racing through the middle, when a simple pass would have given Hojlund a tap-in.
But the captain soon made up for the miss with an exquisite curler into the corner from the edge of the box, only for that misfiring central midfield to be punished as Bowen was too cute for Heaven before drilling home.
Bowen could even have nicked a draw with the last shot of the game, Bayindir making a smart save.
His goal, and the sight of Lucas Paqueta - who is set to be exonerated by the FA probe into alleged betting offences - were positives for Potter. He needs a few more.