The match between Manchester United and Arsenal in Los Angeles attracted several high-profile attendees to the SoFi Stadium.
Among the notable faces in the crowd were Justin Bieber, former One Direction member Niall Horan, boxer Chris Eubank Jnr, and Cruz Beckham. However, the speculation about Natalie Portman’s presence turned out to be untrue.
The impressive 70,000-capacity stadium, which opened its doors in September 2020, was developed by Stan Kroenke, the owner of Arsenal and the LA Rams.
Earlier this week, Confidential reported that Hollywood actor Gary Oldman is anticipated to visit United’s training camp at UCLA during their time in the city.
During previous tours in California, Julia Roberts has been known to stop by and say hello to the team.
Justin Bieber was in the stands for Manchester United’s clash with Arsenal at the SoFi stadium
Bieber poses for a picture with Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard after the Gunners’ win
Bieber was one of a number of stars that were in the stands for the match, and was seen taking photos with (L-R) Ben White, Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard and Odegaard
Onana’s Mind Games
Andre Onana embraced the opportunity for some mind games with the Arsenal players during a scheduled penalty shootout following Saturday’s match in Los Angeles.
Regardless of the game’s outcome, both clubs agreed to proceed with the shootout after Arsenal claimed a 2-1 victory in California.
The United goalkeeper pointed out the specific areas in the net where he anticipated Arsenal’s players would aim, a tactic that appeared effective as he saved a shot from Kai Havertz, and Jakub Kiwior subsequently missed.
Defender Gabriel was not pleased with Onana’s antics, confronting him after scoring his penalty. Jadon Sancho eventually converted the deciding penalty, granting United a small consolation.
In explaining the purpose of the shootout, United manager Erik ten Hag said: ‘It’s essential. In all the cup competitions we are involved in, penalties can be pivotal. I think Andre made two excellent saves, which underscores the importance of having a goalkeeper proficient in penalty shootouts. He demonstrated it again, and I believe aside from one, all penalties were executed well.’
Andre Onana was happy to indulge in some shoot-out mind games against Arsenal on Saturday night
Gabriel Magalhaes took exception to Onana’s antics as he loitered after converting his penalty to confront the United keeper
Navigating SoFi Stadium
While the SoFi Stadium is an impressive venue, exiting it can be quite the challenge.
Following Saturday’s game, the English media took almost thirty minutes to discover the exit after heading to the mixed zone to catch player comments. It took an additional thirty minutes to find a taxi to take them from Inglewood to Marina del Rey, where many members of the UK press are staying.
Berrada Appears at Fan Event
New United CEO Omar Berrada attended a countdown event to kick-off at Hollywood Park, near the SoFi Stadium, which was celebrated by 2,000 enthusiastic fans.
Berrada, who started in his position earlier this month after serving gardening leave at Manchester City, was joined by other members of the club’s leadership team during the event organized by COSM.
Enthusiastic crowds have attended events organized by the club in the initial days of United’s pre-season tour. The stands were filled during the open training session at UCLA on Friday, and many more attended a Q&A with former players Andy Cole, Denis Irwin, and Wes Brown at the LA supporters’ club.
Omar Berrada made an appearance at a fan party at Hollywood Park for a countdown to kick-off party
Players Unite in Support of Alex
A heartwarming gesture from the United players saw them invite disabled supporter Alex Nield onto the field for photographs after Casemiro noticed him in the stands during Friday’s open training session.
Alex, who frequently attends United’s matches with his father John and is well known by the players, stepped onto the pitch at UCLA, where he was warmly welcomed by the squad.
United players brought disabled supporter Alex Nield onto the pitch for photos after Casemiro spotted him in the stands at an open training session on Friday
Alex poses for a picture with the whole squad and manager Erik ten Hag on the training field
Alex goes to the majority of United’s games with his dad John and is familiar to the United players
Hughes Supports Utd Youth
United’s lead academy coach Dave Hughes has joined the tour to support the numerous young talents within the squad.
Manager Erik ten Hag has utilized the pre-season matches against Rosenborg, Rangers, and Arsenal to give younger players a chance to shine in the second half, and a squad of academy players is slated to face Real Betis in San Diego on Wednesday.
With so many academy players traveling, United decided additional coaching support was needed to assist their integration into the senior team, leading to the nomination of Hughes by Travis Binnion, the club’s head of player development and coaching, and first-team coach Darren Fletcher. Hughes is a former Aston Villa and Cardiff City player who joined United’s academy in 2022.
