Another persective on the recent friendlies by the Guardian Unlimited
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United's kids lose out but win new friends
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Telford Vice
Sunday July 23, 2006
The Observer
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For South Africans who count themselves among Manchester United's 75 million supporters, football came home 10 days ago. That is when the Premiership giants arrived in South Africa and even their defeat on penalties to Kaizer Chiefs in Pretoria failed to dampen the spirits of their loyal fans. Despite the absence of World Cup players like Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy, United rarely looked in danger of losing any of the three games they played against the willing but outgunned Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
Then, after 90 minutes of scoreless play yesterday in which United at times seemed static in front of goal, Ben Foster and Chris Eagles missed their spot-kicks to hand Chiefs a victory that was celebrated with giddy abandon.
However, winning meaningless games was not what United came to South Africa for. They came, instead, to gauge the form of young players like Foster, Giuseppe Rossi, Phil Bardsley and Fangzhuo Dong.
Foster kept goal immaculately and the Chinese striker Dong, who should be granted a work permit by early next year, scored in United's 1-0 over Chiefs in Cape Town. However, the 18-year-old also wasted several chances yesterday. Still, Rossi, just 19, and defender Bardsley passed the tests set for them.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer returned from two years out through injury to score twice in United's 4-0 triumph over Pirates in Durban. Paul Scholes seems to have overcome the blurred vision that troubled him last season, while Ryan Giggs was as solid and as organised as ever.
Off the field United's visit has been an even bigger triumph. The English Premiership consumes vast chunks of space and time in the South African media and United are by far the most visibly supported club.
Sir Alex Ferguson and his players have used their time in South Africa to wish Nelson Mandela a happy eighty-eighth birthday, visit an orphanage and a children's hospital and generally put themselves at the disposal of the great unwashed. Their public, it would seem, has been satisfied.
'The fact that there are only a few senior players here doesn't really matter because we're also interested in seeing some of the newer players, like Rossi,' said Ethel Sleith, who is the vice-chairperson of the South African branch of United's supporters' club.
'We were at a dinner with Fergie the other night, and he said even Liverpool supporters would understand that United has an attraction that no other club has,' she added.
Each of United's matches drew large crowds despite being broadcast live on television and the fact that tickets to the games cost far more than those for a top domestic fixture.
On a pitch strewn with female dancers and beaming government officials, a bemused Sir Bobby Charlton took in the scene like a man who had gone out for a pint and happened upon a troupe of performing seals.
United's visit was part of a bigger picture that is already focused on the 2010 World Cup, which will be played in South Africa.
'This is not about bringing Manchester United over for one year, it's about bringing a top European team to South Africa for the next few years,' said Brad Jansen, a spokesperson for sponsors Vodacom. 'The World Cup will be a big challenge for South Africa, but it's such a good country and there is so much enthusiasm that I think it will all work well,' Ferguson said. Jansen added that the matches marked the first time in South African football that stadiums had used a seating plan to allocate seats.
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http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1827081,00.html
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