Manchester United’s preseason is underway.
Jose Mourinho’s side played their first game of the summer, drawing 1-1 with Mexico’s Club America in Phoenix overnight.
As the United boss has been quick to point out this week, the team that travelled to the United States last week is far from full strength. Deprived of all of the players that appeared at the World Cup in Russia, a visa issue meant that Alexis Sanchez has also been unable to fly out for the first week of the tour.
All this meant that the game was an opportunity for some players to make their first senior appearances for the club. Along with newly signed veteran goalkeeper Lee Grant, promising youngsters Mason Greenwood and Tahith Chong their both featured in the game, the latter particularly impressing those United fans who bothered staying up to watch.
Introduced with half an hour remaining, shortly after Antonio Lopez had scored the opener for the Mexican side, Chong would later play a significant role in Juan Mata’s equaliser. His inviting cross from the right was headed onto the post by Ander Herrera, only to eventually fall to Mata to turn home.
As well as this, the 18-year-old’s all-round display had some United fans tipping him to break into the United first team during the season ahead.
https://twitter.com/MourinhoMindset/status/1020165152132468736
https://twitter.com/utdxtra/status/1020151234525790213
https://twitter.com/SSIIIIUUUU/status/1020151853865209857
https://twitter.com/SudinMUFC/status/1019663707792478208
https://twitter.com/TheManUtdWay/status/1020150784418373632
https://twitter.com/RedDevilBible/status/1020151262459965441
Think it's safe to say Chong is the next Ronaldo
— ManUtdMindset (@ManUtdMindset) July 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/NickiiDupre/status/1020151432618467328
Chong at right wing is already better than the players we have had playing there in last couple of years
— Nik (@NikUTFR) July 20, 2018
Curaçao-born Chong, who’s played international football for the Dutch underage sides, joined United from Feyenoord in 2016. Last season he was awarded the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award at Old Trafford, recognising the impact he made after coming back from surgery a knee injury.
