Zaha, Kagawa make case

Manchester United remained undefeated under new Dutch manager Louis van Gaal after defeating Inter Milan 5-3 on penalty kicks on Tuesday following a goal-less draw. Scouting striker talent for an English Premier League season only 18 days away, Van Gaal gave Ivory Coast striker Wilfried Zaha and Japan’s Shinji Kagawa a look in the second half and kept Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, reportedly being eyed for a transfer deal to Inter, on the bench until late. “I am very pleased,” Van Gaal said. “I think we played by far the best match of our sequence of three.” United, which debuted new blue uniforms, began the US pre-season tour with a 7-0 romp over the host Los Angeles Galaxy last Wednesday and edged AS Roma 3-2 at Denver three days ago. As a crowd of 61,238 watched, Inter’s Marco Andreolli slammed a shot off the crossbar in the shootout to leave United ahead 4-3 and United captain Darren Fletcher followed by kicking home the decider. “Fletcher hit the post in training so it’s also a little bit of luck, but we deserved the victory, I think,” Van Gaal said. Hernandez, Ashley Young, Tom Cleverly and Shinji Kagawa also scored in the shootout for United, which continues the American tour on Saturday against Real Madrid at Ann Arbour, Michigan, where a US record football crowd of more than 100 000 is expected. Chants for ‘Chicharito’ were rewarded with striker Javier Hernandez’s insertion by Van Gaal in the 78th minute. All the coach would say of Hernandez was “he’s a player of Manchester United at this moment.” On Kagawa, whom the manager has tested at finisher and playmaker roles, Van Gaal said he was pleased with his forward work. “He did it much better than in the two matches before,” Van Gaal said. Zaha, a 21-year-old winger and former Crystal Palace standout, took the field in the second half hoping to prove he could help the club and missed his best shot on the short side in the 90th minute. “I played all right. I’m happy,” Zaha said. “It’s not as much fun as being a winger but I’ll take it. “There’s so much pressure on me. Every chance you get you... take. There are so many players here.” Van Gaal liked what he saw from Zaha. “I was pleased with his performance,” Van Gaal said. “We have to see and wait - he has a lot of competition with the other strikers.” Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie are among those who could push Zaha into a loan, transfer or sale but the African says he wants to stay and that Van Gaal has made him better. “He’s a good manager,” Zaha said. “He will help me discover what I can do.” WASHINGTON-NAMPA/AFP