Alexis Sanchez can't inspire Man United in draw with San Jose Earthquakes
SANTA CLARA -- Alexis Sanchez returned to the Manchester United team but could not inspire Jose Mourinho's side to a first tour victory of the summer.
United were held to a 0-0 draw by San Jose Earthquakes, bottom of the Western Conference in Major League Soccer, in front of a sparse crowd at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
The official attendance was given as 32,549 but the 68,000-capacity stadium looked a long way off being half full. More than 65,000 turned up to the same venue to watch United take on Real Madrid last summer.
Sanchez impressed on his comeback after a visa issue delayed his arrival in America but United created few chances and San Jose will feel they did enough to win. The Chilean was thrown in from the start despite only landing in Los Angeles on Friday.
Mourinho picked the same back four as he had done in Phoenix with Luke Shaw, Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling and Valencia all starting.
Bailly should have scored before five minutes were on the clock but inexplicably headed against the bar two yards from goal after a wicked free-kick from Sanchez.
Two minutes later Valencia hobbled off with an apparent calf injury to hand Mourinho his first injury scare of the tour.
Sanchez was lucky not to he the second after he was clotheslined by Florian Jungwirth.
Both sets of players took a pre-arranged water break after 30 minutes to escape near 90 degree temperatures in Santa Clara.
The game never had the same heat about it.
San Jose, who have won just twice all season, came close to opening the scoring when Vako beat Lee Grant only for Timothy Fosu-Mensah, on at halftime, to arrive just in time to clear it off the line.
Grant played his part in keeping the score 0-0 with a fantastic diving save to deny Tommy Thompson's long-range drive although, nine minutes from time, he could only watch as Yeferson Quintana's header came back off the crossbar.
Scott McTominay had United's best chance of the second-half after a good cross from Mason Greenwood but his header was straight at Matt Bersano.
After draws against Club America and San Jose to kick off the tour, the standard of opposition will go up a notch as United head back to L.A.
They take on AC Milan on Wednesday before finishing off with games against Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Game Information
Club Friendly News