During a thrilling encounter in Las Vegas, New Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana displayed his vocal leadership and more during a 3-2 defeat against Borussia Dortmund.
Onana’s fiery reputation for not holding back on his teammates was evident when he launched into a furious rant at Harry Maguire after a careless pass to Christian Eriksen gifted Dortmund a chance.
Onana denied Sebastian Haller’s shot, and then, without hesitation, he rushed out of his goal to lash out at Maguire for the mistake. The former United captain remained composed, but the same could not be said for defender Brandon Williams, who engaged in a heated slanging match with goalkeeper Tom Heaton in a separate incident.
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Williams took exception to being blamed by Heaton for Dortmund’s second goal, which occurred shortly after Donyell Malen canceled out Diogo Dalot’s brilliant opening strike. Victor Lindelof’s misplaced pass led to the goal, and Heaton suggested that Williams had been slow to react, leaving Malen onside. Williams disagreed, expressing his feelings passionately.
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Despite Antony’s equalizer for United, another defensive blunder, this time by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, gifted possession to Dortmund near the penalty area, leading to Youssoufa Moukoko’s winning goal.
The match was also a testing one for 18-year-old Omari Forson, who earned his fourth pre-season appearance. Although the young Londoner had impressed throughout the game, he found himself embroiled in a head-to-head confrontation with Karim Adeyemi. The situation was concerning enough for Ten Hag to intervene on the pitch. Meanwhile, Bruno Fernandes raised concerns to the fourth official as Dortmund continued to provoke Forson, affecting the young midfielder’s concentration.
Unfortunately, Amad Diallo missed the game due to a knee injury that requires further assessment, and he was seen limping as he left the stadium. Additionally, 18-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is expected to be out for an extended period due to an ankle injury sustained during the 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in Houston earlier.
Despite the loss, Onana’s presence and vocal leadership were clear signs of his value to the team beyond his goalkeeping skills. Manchester United will undoubtedly aim to address their defensive shortcomings as they continue their pre-season preparations.