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Man U pummel Hangzhou to cap Asia tour

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-07-27 12:57

HANGZHOU: Manchester United wrapped up their Asia Tour in spectacular style yesterday with an 8-2 drubbing over domestic league club Hangzhou Greentown.

Man U's veteran winger Ryan Giggs came off the bench and notched a hat-trick in 30 minutes, while Michael Owen continued his impressive rise to form by scoring a double in the first half.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who picked up Owen on a free transfer from Newcastle this summer, predicted Saturday that his new striker could bag 15 goals in the coming season based on his recent play.

Hangzhou Greentown FC finally got into the act with goals from Wang Hongyou in the 76th minute and E.A. Voldo in the final minute.

"It's a very good performance," Ferguson said. "We showed good speed in the first half and we finished strong and controlled the tempo of the game."

United's first game of the Asia tour took place in Malaysia on July 18 - the English Premier league titleholders managed to secure a 3-2 victory.

In a rematch two days later, the Red Devils won 2-0.

The second match was scheduled to take place in Indonesia but was canceled after what is widely suspected as a terrorist bomb attack in Jakarta.

United moved to South Korea and came from behind to pick up their third consecutive win, 3-2 against FC Seoul.

The result of yesterday's match is bittersweet for Chinese fans, legions of whom are dedicated followers of Man U and appeared elated to see the strong performances from United's superstars.

"It's more important for us to watch the Manchester United match on home soil in action or on TV live than to care about the result of the exhibition match," said Lin Lin, a local fan.

Since 2007, it's been very difficult for Chinese fans to watch English clubs live: Broadcast rights of English Premier League matches were awarded to a small digital channel until 2010, while rival leagues such as Italy's Serie A and the German Bundesliga are available on free-to-air channels.

This is set to change next season as Guangdong TV is reportedly buying parts of the broadcasting right from the small digital channel to broadcast EPL matches.

Brendan joined The China Daily in 2007 as a language polisher in the Language Tips Department, where he writes a regular column for Chinese English Language learners, reads audio news for listeners and anchors the weekly video news in addition to assisting with on location stories. Elsewhere he writes Op’Ed pieces with a China focus that feature in the Daily’s Website opinion section.

He received his B.A. and Post Grad Dip from Curtin University in 1997 and his Masters in Community Development and Management from Charles Darwin University in 2003. He has taught in Japan, England, Australia and most recently China. His articles have featured in the Bangkok Post, The Taipei Times, The Asia News Network and in-flight magazines.