Owen Scores in First Appearance As Man United Beat Malaysia XI

After a crazy summer which consisted of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, two of the biggest names in football, leaving Old Trafford to major contracts elsewhere, and replacing the two stars with Michael Owen and Antonio Valencia, Manchester United showed very little effects of what happened to them during this summer's transfer window as they scraped by Malaysia XI 3-2 at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in United's first friendly of the new season on July 18th.

United has had a crazy trip already in Southeast Asia, as they were forced to cancel their second friendly of the year at Indonesia after a double suicide bombing in Jakarta at both the JW Marriott and the Ritz Carlton, where United was scheduled to stay, killed nine people.

This will cause United to once again play Malaysia XI on July 20th, as a replacement to the game that was originally planned to be played in Jakarta against the Indonesian All Stars on the same dated.

However, United didn't allow this to impact them, as they got two goals in the first half from Wayne Rooney and Nani, as United headed into the half with a 2-0 lead, and appeared to be headed towards their first victory of the new season.

Malaysia XI didn't make this easy for the Red Devils, as they got two goals early in the second half from Mohammed Amri Yahyah, which tied the game at two.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson finally decided to bring in Michael Owen, who was making his first ever appearance with the Red Devils after joining from Newcastle after Newcastle was relegated at the end of the 2008-2009 Premier League season.

Owen didn't disappoint, as he scored after Malaysia XI keeper Mohammed Farizal Marlias misjudged a cross from Ryan Giggs, which allowed Owen to net his first ever goal with United, which turned out to be the game winner as United won 3-2.

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