Houston: Javier Hernandez scored on his Manchester United debut as a youthful Red Devils team put in an impressive performance to beat the Major League Soccer All-Stars 5-2 in a friendly on Wednesday.
Federico Macheda had two early goals while Darron Gibson and Tom Cleverley also found the net for the Premier League side.
The sellout crowd was announced at 70,728, the largest for an MLS All-Star game since the first one in 1996.
"We were really delighted," United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said. "When you go and play in the stadium, the size of the crowd and the atmosphere, you're motivated by that.
"That was a good omen for our players. To come out, see the stadium, good pitch, big crowd, it was perfect for them."
MLS All-Star teams had won five of their last six games against international opponents, including a 1-0 win over Chelsea in 2006. They were confident this week, eager to show how much improvement the league has made since its inception in 1996.
But the Red Devils, stinging after a 2-1 loss to Kansas City on Sunday, took a 1-0 lead before the smoke had cleared from the pregame fireworks display. Macheda intercepted a weak pass by defender Kevin Alston and chipped a low shot past goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts just 24 seconds into the game.
"He is outstanding in those positions," Ferguson said of Macheda. "You always feel very confident. When he went through, I expected him to score. It was a well-taken goal."
Macheda made it 2-0 in the 13th minute, beating Ricketts with a header after a corner by Nani.
The All-Stars got their best scoring chance of the half about 3 minutes later, when Juan Pablo Angel fired a direct kick that United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar punched over the crossbar. United controlled possession from there and hardly allowed the All-Stars a decent scoring chance for the rest of the half.
"They are all in incredible shape and they can penetrate to the goal with just one or two passes," said MLS midfielder Dwayne De Rosario, who scored in the 90th minute. "They can really open you up, and they did that very effectively and caught us going forward."
American star Landon Donovan was among those who stayed on the MLS bench in the first half. Donovan and Los Angeles Galaxy teammate Edson Buddle played in a CONCACAF Champions League game Tuesday in California and flew to Houston on Wednesday.
Ferguson inserted Hernandez in the 63rd minute, prompting roars from the thousands of Mexican fans in attendance. The Red Devils acquired the 22-year-old Hernandez in April — the club's first Mexican player.
Striker Brian Ching scored a minute later, heading in David Ferreira's free kick from the left. The four-time All-Star was a second-half substitution by MLS coach Bruce Arena.
Hernandez got behind the All-Stars' defense in the 69th minute and was brought down. Gibson converted the resulting free kick, curving a shot from just outside the penalty area into the upper left corner of the goal.
Cleverley scored about 3 minutes later, beating backup goalkeeper Nick Rimando with a low left-footed shot.
Hernandez, a speedy striker, took a long pass from Paul Scholes and hooked a long shot over Rimando in the 84th minute for a 5-1 lead.
Ferguson thinks Hernandez is polished enough already to fit in the Premier League.
"There's still little things to do, but not a great deal in terms of his technique and things like that," Ferguson said. "Once he gets used to our training, he'll be OK."
Donovan, the star of the U.S. World Cup team, trotted onto the field in the 74th minute, drawing a loud ovation.
"It's been really nice since I have been back to realize how many people cared about what was going on in South Africa," Donovan said. "For us, it's exciting and it's fun and it's emotional for us to be there. But when you come home and realize that they were there with you, it was special."
Manchester United will play Chivas Guadalajara on Friday in Mexico before returning to England. The Red Devils will play the traditional Community Shield curtain-raiser to the Premier League season, against Chelsea, on Aug. 7 before opening their league campaign against promoted Newcastle on Aug. 16.
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