Wrexham stunned Man Utd’s young squad with a remarkable 3-1 win in front of watching co-owner, Rob McElhenney at San Diego, leaving the Red Devils to regroup and refocus for the upcoming pre-season fixtures.
Fellow owner, Ryan Reynolds, is in the UK because of filming commitments, but McElhenney was among a crowd of nearly 35,000 in San Diego as Eliott Lee, Aaron Hayden and Sam Dalby got the goals for Wrexham.
While United’s senior squad travelled to Houston ahead of their game against Real Madrid later on Wednesday, an academy XI took on the League Two side.
They started brightly but after just 12 minutes they were lucky to keep 11 men on the pitch after goalkeeper Nathan Bishop was only shown a yellow card for a heavy challenge on Paul Mullin after racing out of his penalty area.
Mullin needed oxygen during more than five minutes of treatment, but was able to walk off the field with the help of Wrexham medical staff.
Bishop was booed relentlessly by the Wrexham fans until he was substituted at half-time and by the time he went off, he had already conceded twice.
Lee got the first with a volley from a couple of yards out after Liam McAlinden’s cross from the right before defender Aaron Hayden doubled Wrexham’s lead with a close range header after United, who included Jonny Evans in their starting XI, failed to deal with a long throw into the box.
United, being watched by first-team manager Erik ten Hag, pulled a goal back with the last kick of the first half when Marc Jurado’s cushioned volley found the net after a pinpoint cross from Alvaro Fernandez.
But any hope they had of mounting a comeback were wrecked just a minute after half-time.
Dan Gore, impressive up until that point, lunged into a challenge on Andy Cannon and was sent off. Gore’s studs were raised but he can count himself a little unlucky to be shown a straight red card.
Despite going down to 10 men, United kept the ball well but eventually Wrexham made their numerical advantage count with a third goal through Dalby’s back post header.
