Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal hoping to put the seal on pre-season with win over Liverpool
ALTHOUGH it’s easy to dismiss a pre-season tournament, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal understands the significance of beating Liverpool on Tuesday (EST).
ALTHOUGH it’s easy to dismiss a pre-season tournament, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal understands the significance of this next game.
VAN GAAL CONTENT WITH UNITED SQUAD
THE GREAT RUMOUR MILL STRIKER MARKET
There will be at least some bragging rights on the line in the clash against English rival Liverpool.
That match is the title game of the International Champions Cup.
After United’s shocking seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season, van Gaal has a chance to win this tournament less than a month after officially taking over as manager.
“It’s also good for English football, and I think that’s very important that two teams from the Premier League shall play in the final,” van Gaal said.
“It is preparation time, so it doesn’t say anything, but it is better to win than to lose.”
United and Liverpool are among several big-name European teams who have been in the US for this tournament, and they seemed to approach the matches with varying degrees of urgency.
Van Gaal’s team went unbeaten in group play, beating AS Roma, Inter Milan and Real Madrid to reach the final.
The 3-1 win over Madrid on the weekend took place in front of 109,318 at Michigan Stadium, the largest crowd to see a football game in the United States.
That scene underscored the benefit of these games - they help top European teams tap into the growing football market in the US.
But the timing isn’t always ideal, as evidenced by Madrid’s lineup, which was missing star Karim Benzema and new acquisitions James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos.
Cristiano Ronaldo came on late in the second half as a substitute, and even that was a surprise.
In a World Cup year, there isn’t much down time between European seasons, so managers have to balance preparation and rest for their star players.
Madrid went winless in three games in the event - but manager Carlo Ancelotti sounded satisfied with his team’s participation.
“Here, we can find all we need to have a good pre-season,” Ancelotti said.
“This time, it was good to do a friendly game, and for the future, I think it will be the same.”
For United, this tournament has simply been a small step forward - an encouraging start for a club that definitely could use one.
“You cannot say, ‘OK, we shall beat every team.’ No, it is not like that,” van Gaal said after the win over Madrid.
“But of course, it’s a very good result for us and will give confidence to all the players.”