Manchester United defeated New England Revolution 4-1 in a friendly match on Wednesday, July 13, 2011.

New England Revolution 1-4 Manchester United Video Highlights

The match highlights can be viewed here at Free Soccer Highlights.

New England Revolution 1-4 Manchester United Recap

The Red Devils opened their pre-season USA tour with a strong win at Gillette Stadium.

It was an scoreless first half before United took a 2-0 lead early in the second half. Michael Owe made it 1-0 in the 51st minute while Federico Macheda doubled the lead in the 54th minute. Kenny Mansally had the lone Revolution goal while Macheda scored a second in the 61st minute and Ji-Sung Park put the match out of reach.

United will continut their tour with a match at Seattle while the Revolution return to MLS.

New England Revolution 1-4 Manchester United Match Stats

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Reigning English Premier League champions Manchester United kick off their 2011 USA pre-season tour with a friendly against MLS side New England Revolution. The match will take place at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Wednesday, July 13, 2011. Kickoff is scheduled for 20:00 EST (USA Eastern), 01:00 BST (UK time), and 02:00 CET (Central Europe).

New England Revolution v Manchester United TV Listings

It will be televised on ESPN (USA), MUTV (Worldwide), Digi Sport (Eastern Europe), Al Jazeera Sport (Middle East), and on SuperSport (South Africa).

New England Revolution v Manchester United Preview

Man Utd manager Alex Ferguson

“As we experienced last season, we’ve seen the rise in United States soccer,” said Ferguson. “We expect a really difficult game, as we did last season. All the games were very, very tough, so we look forward to it. Hopefully we do ourselves justice, but most importantly it’ll be a step forward in terms of fitness, which is one of the reasons we’re here.”

“I think the Revolution will be ahead of us in fitness,” said Ferguson, whose side just began training sessions last week. “Last year, we had a really difficult game in Kansas and it was a reminder that no matter what game you go into, you can lose a game of football if you don’t prepare properly and go in with the right attitude and right approach to things. It can happen.”

Revolution manager Steve Nicol

“We’re looking forward to the game immensely.”

“It’ll be a great experience for [the players] to play against one of the best teams on the planet and some of the best players on the planet. I’m sure it’ll be a great experience for our guys. Hopefully we can do well and that’ll give us some confidence to take into the rest of the season.”

Man Utd player Wayne Rooney

“On this tour it’s important for us to get the fitness work in and get fit for that first game of the season.”

“Through the games we know we’ll do that because teams in MLS are physical teams. They work hard and that’ll push us as well to get more work in the games. I’m sure come the end of the trip, we’ll have gotten a lot of fitness work in.”

“You look at those players and obviously when you see the way they play and then you look at MLS, it’s similar to the way they play.”

“They work hard, they’re physical and they’ve got quality.

“They’re so committed.”

“I think for any team to have players who are committed like that, it’s a great ability to have to be that committed and to work hard. I think the league’s definitely on the rise and I’m sure within the next five or 10 years, it’ll be one of the major leagues in world football.”

Man Utd player Ashley Young

“You look at how teams are these days, and the football has come on leaps and bounds in the past few years,” Young said. “We know we’re going to have tough games throughout this tour and that always helps to be able to have tough games. It sets you up for the league when you go back to England.

“We’re looking forward to every game that we’ve got,” he continued. “It’s about building your fitness up, but at the end of the day, you don’t want to go out there and lose the games.”

New England Revolution v Manchester United Prediction

Man U wins 2-1

New England Revolution v Manchester United Betting Odds

NE win – 7/1

Draw – 7/2

United win – 2/7

Follow @jrf90thminute

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Once again, the Red Devils will make their way to the United States for their pre-season. They will take most of their top stars with a few not joining until later in the tour because of international play this summer. This includes David de Gea, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Tom Clevelerly, Danny Welbeck (all UEFA U-21), and Javier Hernandez (CONCACAF Gold Cup) who won’t be with the team initially.

United will face several MLS sides on the trip (Chicago, Seattle, and NE) along with the MLS All-Stars (repeat of last summer) and FC Barcelona.

The full roster is below.

Manchester United 2011 Pre-Season Squad (USA Tour)

GOALKEEPERS: Ben Amos (ENG), David de Gea (ESP)*, Sam Johnston (ENG), Andres Lindegaard (DEN)

DEFENDERS: Fábio da Silva (BRA), Rafael da Silva (BRA), Jonny Evans (NIR), Patrice Evra (FRA), Rio Ferdinand (ENG), Phil Jones (ENG)*, Chris Smalling (ENG)*, Nemanja Vidic (SRB)

MIDFIELDERS: Anderson (BRA), Michael Carrick (ENG), Tom Cleverley (ENG)*, Ryan Giggs (WAL), Nani (POR), Gabriel Obertan (FRA), Ji-Sung Park (KOR)

FORWARDS: Dimitar Berbatov (BUL), Mame Biram Diouf (SEN), Javier Hernández (MEX)*, Federico Macheda (ITA), Michael Owen (ENG), Wayne Rooney (ENG), Danny Welbeck (ENG)*, Ashley Young (ENG)

* Indicates player will join tour in progress

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The World Football Challenge will return in 2011 with clubs from Europe and Major League Soccer. Manchester United and FC Barcelona headline the competition while MLS sides Chicago Fire and New England Revolution will also compete. For now, there are three confirmed fixtures (listed below) but more clubs and matches will likely be added (to be announced at a later date)

2011 World Football Challenge Schedule

July 13: New England Revolution vs. Manchester United, Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Mass. (8 pm ET)

July 23: Chicago Fire vs. Manchester United, Soldier Field, Chicago (8 pm ET)

July 30: FC Barcelona vs. Manchester United, FedExField, Landover, Md. (7 pm ET)

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The Red Devils have released their pre-season schedule in the USA as they will play several MLS sides and FC Barcelona. The full list is below and it’s expected most of these matches will sell out despite being played in large stadiums (with exception of Red Bull Arena). For MLS clubs, this will be a chance to increase exposure and play against one of the top teams in the world.

The exact roster that Manchester United will bring will likely not be announced until sometime in June or July.

Manchester United 2011 USA Tour/Schedule

13 July v New England Revolution, Gillette Stadium, Boston

20 July v Seattle Sounders, Qwest Field, Seattle

23 July v Chicago Fire, Soldier Field, Chicago

27 July v MLS All-Stars, Red Bull Arena, New Jersey

30 July v Barcelona, FedExField, Washington DC

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The Kansas City Wizards hosted the New England Revolution in a battle of two teams in the Eastern Conference needing points to get back in the playoff race.

KC Wizards 4-1 NE Revolution Video Highlights

The match highlights can be found here at Free Soccer Highlights.

KC Wizards 4-1 NE Revolution Recap

The Kansas City Wizards would move into 5th place in the Eastern Conference with a 4-1 win over the Revolution.

KC had goals from Birahim Diop in the 16th and 27th minute which were his first ever MLS goals (and shots on goal). New England would cut the lead in half just before halftime as Kenny Mansally scored in the 37th minute.

In the second half, KC added to their lead with goals from Kei Kamara in the 65th minute and Jack Jewsbury in the 69th minute.

The win puts the Wizards into 5th place with 23 points and above the Revolution in the standings. They are now one point behind the Chicago Fire for 4th place and still several points back from the last playoff spot (Colorado with 28 points).

Overall, it was a poor performance from the Revolution who played a 3-5-2 formation and were exposed defensively against KC’s 4-3-3. Both teams could still make the playoffs but neither look particularly strong in the match.

KC Wizards 4-1 NE Revolution Match Stats

Goals

KC – Diop (16, 27), Kamara (65), Jewsbury (69); NE – Mansally (37)

Shots

KC – 13, NE – 9

Shots On Goal

KC – 10, NE – 2

Saves

KC – 1, NE – 6

Fouls

KC – 8 , NE – 11

Corner Kicks

KC – 2, NE – 3

Offsides

KC – 2, NE – 4

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The SuperLiga, a competition between Mexican Primera Division and Major League Soccer, will kick off its 2010 edition this week. It has two groups of four teams with the top teams advancing to the semifinals and eventually a final. The tournament will feature the teams who finish in the middle of the standings for both leagues. The full group stage schedule is below along with TV listings and predictions.

2010 SuperLiga Group Stage Schedule, Predictions, and TV Listings

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Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 New England Revolution – Video Highlights

The Galaxy scored early on a free kick and held on for a 1-0 win over the Revolution.

The goal came in the 5th minute as Edson Buddle headed a Landon Donovan cross into the back of the net. That was the only goal of the match as neither team would score for the next 85 minutes.

Both teams would have chances including the Revolution in the second half. They could have easily tied the match but couldn’t convert and come away with no points the match. Landon Donovan, fresh off his Everton loan, played the whole match and created a few great chances late in the match.

Overall, it was a decent performance from the Galaxy but neither team looked very sharp.

Scoring:

LA – Buddle (Donovan) 6

Misconduct:

NE – Alston (caution, reckless tackle), 18

NE – Niouky (caution, reckless tackle), 41

Lineups:

LA Galaxy: Ricketts; Franklin, Gonzalez, Leonardo, Dunivant; Magee (Birchall, 67), Kovalenko, Juninho (Stephens, 80), Lewis (Cazumba, 26); Buddle, Donovan.

New England Revolution: Burpo; Alston (Smith, 90), Gibbs, Osei, Sinovic; Nyassi (Boggs, 58), Phelan, Niouky, Tierney; Dube (Mansally, 76), Schilawski.

Attendance: 21,376

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Toronto FC, another team with great fan support, just missed out on their first playoff spot. They were too inconsistent and losing 0-5 at NY was an embarassment. Other notable storylines for the resurgence of the Los Angeles Galaxy, who with Beckham and Donovan, were the top team in the Western Conference. With the end of the regular season, this is the final list of power rankings for Major League Soccer.

1. Los Angeles Galaxy – They have a well balanced club that are one of the favorites to win the MLS Cup. Donovan is in terrific form and if he can deliver in the playoffs it could be time for him to follow teammate David Beckham and transfer to Europe.
2. Columbus Crew – A meaningless loss on Sunday against New England as Columbus had the Supporter’s Shield already clinched. The Crew are the favorites to reach the MLS Cup Final in a weaker Eastern Conference.
3. Houston Dynamo – A talented team who is tied for the fewest goals conceded with only 29 through 30 matches. They should reach the Western Conference Finals but will need Brian Ching and Stuart Holden to have good performances.
4. Seattle Sounders FC – They may be in their first year as a franchise but the Sounders are as dangerous as anyone. Freddie Ljungberg as adjusted well to the league and Kasey Keller has been a wall in goal.
5. Chivas USA – The team has been up and down after a terrific start. Sacha Kljestan appears to have found his form and the club will need it against the Galaxy.
6. Chicago Fire – The Fire limped into the playoffs as the second placed team in the Eastern Conference. With Blanco and McBride they can win any match but the defense is the real question mark.
7. New England Revolution – Another club that didn’t finish strong and had to get a result in the last weekend to make the playoffs. They are the only team to make the playoffs with a negative goal differential.
8. Real Salt Lake – They just made the playoffs and note likely to advance very far in the playoffs. The key will be improving their form on the road.
9. DC United – Their busy schedule with the US Open Cup, Champions League, and MLS schedule caught up to them in the final part of the season. They were always within reach of a playoff spot but couldn’t get the result in the final weeks. The defense is the focus in the offseason as they conceded 44 goals in 30 matches.
10. Colorado Rapids – The Rapids were in position to qualify in the final few weeks but couldn’t get the results when they needed them. A team that is close to being a contender but needs some help in the midfield and defense.
11. FC Dallas – They made a late run and almost came out of nowhere to make the playoffs. They were one of the better teams in the last few months and Jeff Cunningham was the MLS leading scorer with 17 goals.
12. Toronto FC – The lack of defense was their achilles heel as Toronto once again failed to make the playoffs. They need to make moves in the transfer market.
13. San Jose Earthquakes – San Jose had talent but never really got going until the final month or so of the season.
14. Kansas City Wizards – The Wizards were never considered one of the top teams and struggled in July, August, and September.
15. New York Red Bulls – A 5-0 win against Toronto does little for the Red Bulls who were simply horrible this season. Next season they have a new arena and rumors are that Thierry Henry will be transferring after the World Cup. It should provide a much needed boost to the franchise and specifically their attendance.

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2009 MLS Cup Playoffs Schedule
All times Eastern; schedule subject to change

Conference Semifinals – Game #1

Eastern Conference
(1) Columbus Crew at (4) Real Salt Lake, Saturday, Oct. 31 – 6 p.m. ET (Regional TV, Direct Kick, MLSnet.com)
(2) Chicago Fire at (3) New England Revolution, Saturday, Oct. 31 – 4 p.m. ET (FSC, FSE)

Western Conference
(1) Los Angeles Galaxy at (4) Chivas USA, Sunday, Nov. 1 – 5 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)
(2) Houston Dynamo at (3) Seattle Sounders FC, Thursday, Oct. 29 – 10 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)

Conference Semifinals – Game #2

Eastern Conference
(4) Real Salt Lake at (1) Columbus Crew, Thursday, Nov. 5 – 8 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)
(3) New England Revolution at (2) Chicago Fire, Saturday, Nov. 7 – 8:30 p.m. ET (FSC, FSE)

Western Conference
(3) Seattle Sounders FC at (2) Houston Dynamo, Sunday, Nov. 8 – 3 p.m. (TeleFutura, Regional TV)
(4) Chivas USA at (1) Los Angeles Galaxy, Sunday, Nov. 8 – 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)

Conference Championships (times TBD based on match-ups)
Thursday, Nov. 12 (ESPN2, Deportes)
Saturday, Nov. 14 (FSC, FSE)

MLS Cup 2009
Sunday, Nov. 22 – 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN and Galavision)

MLS CUP PLAYOFFS FORMAT
Playoff Format: Conference Semifinal series are conducted in a home-and-home, aggregate-goal format. The lower seeded team in the Conference Semifinal hosts the first game. The winners of those four series advance to single-game Conference Championships that will determine the MLS Cup Finalists.

The team that scores the most goals in the home-and-home series advances to the single elimination Conference Championship. If the teams are tied after 180 minutes in the Conference Semifinal series, a 30-minute extra time period (divided into two 15-minute periods) will be played followed by kicks from the penalty mark, if necessary. The team with the higher seed between the two Conference finalists will host the Conference Championship game.

In the case of ties after 90 minutes of regulation in the Eastern and Western Conference Championship games and MLS Cup, 30 minutes of extra time (divided into two 15-minute periods) would be played followed by kicks from the penalty mark, if necessary, to determine the winners.

Predictions

Columbus v RSL – Columbus wins 4-2 on aggregate

Chicago v NE – New England wins 3-2 on aggregate

Los Angeles v Chivas – LA wins on aggregate 2-1

Houston v Seattle – Seattle wins on aggregate 5-3

Video Previews (previews of individual matches will be added later)

All the matches

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