Home » Manchester United u19s fall to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

Manchester United u19s fall to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

by Colm Murphy

Manchester United’s u19s took on TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in their last group stage match in the Sparkassen Bundesliga Cup.

With only one point picked up in the opening two fixtures, United need a win if they had any chance to advance to the semi finals.

Toby Collyer was eager to show his fight from the start as he picked up a yellow card just a minute into the action for a heavy challenge in the midfield.

Hoffenheim were first to test the goal with a snap shot from 20 yards but Tom Wooster got down quickly to save comfortably.

A long throw in over the top from Jurado looked to have Charlie McNeill through down the right but the forward was pulled back by the Hoffenheim defender.

Another heavy challenge that caught a Hoffenheim player late put Collyer on thin ice in the eighth minute. He wasn’t going to shy away from the tackles though and he slid in and stopped a counter attack with a fantastic challenge a minute later.

In the 15th minute Isak Hansen-Aaroen played through to McNeill who turned past the defender and dispatched clinically but the referee called it back with a dubious offside call that looked marginally onside.

A minute later, Hoffenheim came close to taking the lead. Their corner was headed out but the return ball in wasn’t dealt with allowing the Hoffenheim forward to slide in and poke the breaking ball towards goal but quick reactions from Wooster turned the ball round for another corner.

Wooster could do nothing on the next attempt though, as the corner was flicked on to the back post for a free volley which Wooster could only palm onto the crossbar and into the goal.

Half time saw Travis Binnion look to the bench to turn United’s hopes around with the introduction of Sam Mather, Maxi Oyedele, Louis Jackson, and Logan Pye.

A long ball over the top caused Hoffenheim trouble as Forson latched onto the second ball and played through McNeill who was dragged down in the penalty area but the referee waved play on.

Just minutes later, and it was another ball over the top from Wooster that was taken down well by McNeill and laid off to Mather bursting into the box and the substitute side footed into the bottom left corner to bring the game level.

Hoffenheim would restore their lead just two minutes later though. Maxi Oyedele in an unfamiliar right back position, allowed the winger to make a run goalside of him and then Wooster made a disastrous error as the winger’s near post strike rolled straight through his hands.

In the 33rd minute United won a penalty after some pulling in the box from a wide free kick. McNeill stepped up to take but put it the perfect height to the left for the keeper to make a great stop and keep Hoffenheim in the lead.

The German side immediately went up the other end and tested Wooster with a long range effort which caused some trouble with a dip and bounce but the United keeper managed to turn it past the post for a corner.

In the 42nd Hansen-Aaroen picked up the ball on the left and cut inside, nutmegging one player and jinking past another before being chopped down.

With five minutes remaining Hoffenheim hit on the counter drown the left but Wooster was out quick to close down the angles and make a good save.

Fighting for an equaliser into the dying minutes, United were unable to pull one back. A disappoint result which saw the youngsters finish bottom of their group.

The young reds will now take part in a consolation match on Sunday morning for 7th place.

United: Wooster, Jurado (Oyedele 26), Fredricson (Jackson 26), Aljofree, Murray (Pye 26), Collyer, Mainoo, Forson, Isak, Norkett (Mather 26), McNeill

Unused subs: Harrison, Gore, Ennis

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