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Manchester United U19 finished fifth in the Mercedes-Benz Junior Cup on Sunday.
Find a recap of Saturday’s action here.
Having started the previous round with a 1-1 draw against VFB Stuttgart, United needed a win against 1. FC Heidenheim in the final match to secure a place in the semi-finals.
But things didn’t start well for the Reds, as a loose pass from Elyh Harrison put James Nolan under immediate pressure, resulting in a turnover that the German team quickly took advantage of.
United recovered with an incredibly quick counter-attack in which Ethan Wheatley finished off a fine one-touch pass.
However, Heidenheim regained the lead and, needing a result, manager Colin Little threw down the kitchen sink and put Finley McAllister in goal. However, the gamble did not pay off and while United looked for an equalizer, Heidenheim extended their lead to finish the match 1-3.
United then faced Brondby IF in the 5/6 place play-off in which goalkeeper Cameron Byrne-Hughes made his first appearance for United.
The young goalkeeper made an instant impact when his adventure on the field saw his shot blocked by James Bailey to head in the midfielder’s first goal of the tournament.
Brondby pulled one back before Gabriele Biancheri expertly finished off a swashbuckling counterattack to win 2-1 and claim fifth place.
A somewhat disappointing tournament for the Reds, a draw against eventual winners VFB Stuttgart on Saturday demonstrated the potential of United’s group.
Not being used to the nature of 6-a-side football, it was often evident that United’s desire to maintain possession and move the ball was more akin to 11-a-side football, in contrast to German teams who employed more enthusiastic football. approach in possession to deadly effect with quick counterattacks.
But strong performances from captain Finley McAllister and James Nolan made them United’s clear standouts with their quick thinking and intensity contrasting sharply with United’s often slow play.
