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Manchester United’s u19s are in Germany this weekend for two tournaments in the Rewe Junior Cup and Mercedes Benz Junior Cup.
Split into two groups, the first group kicked off the 5-a-side Rewe Junior Cup in Göttingen with two matches against JFV Eichsfeld-Mitte and Hansa Rostock.
Starting off against the local amateur youth club from nearby Eichsfeld, James Scanlon put United ahead quickly before an errant back pass from Reece Munro caught Rafe McCormack off guard and rolled into the United net to level it back up at 1-1.
United looked in full control over the amateur side though as Victor Musa soon restored the lead before United really piled it on in the latter half of the match.
Goals then came for Louis Jackson, a second for Musa, Albert Mills, Jim Thwaites, and Jacob Devaney to round out a convincing 7-1 victory.
All the goals in United’s opening day at the #ReweJuniorCup.
7-1 win over JFV Eichsfeld-Mitte
Scanlon ⚽️
Musa ⚽️⚽️
Jackson ⚽️
Mills ⚽️
Thwaites ⚽️
Devaney ⚽️Followed by 4-2 win over Hansa Rostock
Scanlon ⚽️
Jackson ⚽️
Baumann ⚽️⚽️#MUFC #MUAcademy pic.twitter.com/WD5rQC0urc— Manchester United Academy (@RedYouthUnited) January 5, 2024
In the second match, United were up against a tougher test in Hansa Rostock of 2. Bundesliga.
United’s attacking method of using 15-year-old defender McCormack, the youngest player at the tournament, as a makeshift keeper in possession proved fatal in the early stages as Hansa Rostock were able to score twice past McCormack on quick counters which didn’t allow Tom Myles enough time to get back on the pitch and in goal.
But sticking to the method brought dividends with McCormack finding Scanlon with a splitting pass into the Rostock box for the Gibraltar youth international to turn and score.
McCormack’s initiative at the back was deadly again with two minutes remaining as he cut out the entire Rostock outfield with an incisive pass to find Devaney in the opposition box for an easy layoff to Jackson to finish.
Devaney’s strength on the boards then allowed him to shrug off the Rostock defender and move into the box before finding Zach Baumann to take the lead with just over a minute remaining.
Baumann then added a second in the dying seconds to clinch the 4-2 win over a tough Rostock side who were resolute at the back.
Speaking after the match, captain Louis Jackson was quick to note the need to be more compact in possession moving forward in the tournament if they want to reduce the danger of conceding goals to counterattacks like against Rostock.
The 18-year-old also expressed his gratitude for gaining the unique experience as they do not regularly partake in indoor football.
United continue the group stage on Saturday with four matches including one against Fortuna Düsseldorf.
