As part of the ‘Red Devils’ preseason, the Manchester United vs Cerezo Osaka Asia Tour friendly will be this Friday, July 26, 2013 (3:00 AM Pacific) at the Osaka Nagai Stadium. The game against Cerezo Osaka will be Manchester United’s 2nd preseason game in Japan, where their 1st match was a loss to Yokohama F. Marinos last Tuesday. The Red Devils have had a mediocre series of performances in their first three friendlies under new coach David Moyes; they lost in Thailand 1-0, won in Australia 5-1, and lost against Yokohama 3-2. A poor preseason thus far, however these are only exhibition games which will allow the team to begin playing under the new coach’s system.
In another hot day in Japan, Manchester United is ready to play their 4th preseason match ahead of the start of the Premier League 2013-2014. Their match against Cerezo Osaka will serve as another opportunity for coach Moyes to layout his ideas and tactics on his new team. The team has not played great in the Asia Tour, however, it has allowed Moyes to start analyzing which players to keep in the first-team squad for next season.
This preseason has been filled with rumors, surprises, and new kits for the Red Devils. Manchester United is still on the hunt for Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas, where it is rumored that Wayne Rooney will be transferred if the FC Barcelona player arrives. Meanwhile, there have been some nice surprises relating to the performance of young players in the Asia Tour.
New signing Wilfried Zaha has demonstrated his great play-making capacity, while 20 year old Jesse Lingard has been the team’s new revelation. Lingard has been dynamic; a nice surprise who is now being considered to form part of the first-team squad when the season begins. Lastly, Manchester United unveiled their new dark-blue away kit which will make its debut in the match against Cerezo Osaka.
Manchester United vs Cerezo Osaka Prediction
Manchester United has not played in their best form throughout the Asia Tour, however, on Friday they will leave Japan with a win. The sold-out crowd of 50,000 fans at the Nagai Stadium will be cheering for their returning hero, Shinji Kagawa (played for Cerezo Osaka 4 years), and that will allow the Japanese midfielder to be the best player on Friday. Manchester United will play with many reserves, but Cerezo Osaka will not be able to handle the English squad. The Manchester United vs Cerezo Osaka match will end in a 3-1 win for the Red Devils.
Manchester United vs Cerezo Osaka TV Schedule
The Manchester United vs Cerezo Osaka Asia Tour friendly will be televised this Friday, July 26, 2013 on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Deportes at 3:00 AM Pacific.
