Best Pictures, Tweets and YouTube Clips from Rio Ferdinand's Testimonial

It was supposed to be a simple celebration. Instead it provided cause for concern.

Manchester United honored veteran defender Rio Ferdinand with a testimonial match Friday night at Old Trafford, hosting Spanish side Sevilla in a preseason friendly. Although the match started with a celebratory atmosphere, neither United nor their fans could be pleased with the result—a 3-1 win for the visitors.

Vitolo, Marko Marin and Bryan Rabello scored the goals for Sevilla, who dominated the first half before holding off United's comeback bid after halftime. Antonio Valencia scored United's only goal after excellent buildup work from teenager Adnan Januzaj in the 65th minute.

Before kickoff, both teams treated Ferdinand to a guard of honor as he entered the pitch. Earlier, he had led Manchester United onto the pitch as captain.

Ferdinand, who has earned five selections to the PFA Team of the Year in his 11 seasons as a United player, was joined by his family as the teams lined up for pre-match introductions. Meanwhile, new United manager David Moyes treated the home crowd to autographs.

Once the first whistle sounded, however, the mood was much different.

Sevilla sliced open United's defense for two goals in a four-minute span in the first half. Both moves involved straight-line passing down the middle of United's team. Vitolo scored the opener in the 21st minute, and Marin—on loan from Chelsea—tapped in the second in the 25th, highlighting a strong all-around personal display.

United mounted a comeback in the second half, possibly aided by the fact that Sevilla played Thursday night in the UEFA Europa League. The hosts pulled a goal back through Valencia 20 minutes after the break and threatened for much of the second half after the introduction of Ryan Giggs and Wilfried Zaha. But Sevilla killed off the comeback in stoppage time after new signing Kevin Gameiro set up Rabello.

The match, which was Moyes' first in charge of Manchester United at Old Trafford, will not have any effect on United's season. Besides Ferdinand, United's lineup featured mostly reserves, making an accurate appraisal difficult. But coming as it did two days before the Community Shield—and just over a week from United's Premier League opener—the result will raise concerns.

Will Moyes be a success in his first season at Old Trafford? Will Ferdinand, at age 34, continue to play an integral role in this United side? With the season inching closer, we're about to find out.

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