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Rooney celebrates with Anderson and Berbatov after the opening goal. Julio Cortez/AP/Press Association Images
Roo-thless

Watch Rooney pull the strings as United put four past Americans

Anderson, Park, Berbatov and Welbeck all on target in New Jersey. Did Berba mean this?

WAYNE ROONEY APPEARS to be in good nick for the coming season, as he set up two goals with exquisite passes in United’s 4-0 drubbing of the MLS All Stars last night.

While he may have been slightly disappointed not to have made it on to the score sheet himself, he was central to most good things United did, providing assists for Anderson and Berbatov either side of half time.

A neat interchange between Rooney and Berbatov put Anderson free in the box after 19 minutes and he slotted cooly to open the scoring. Ji-Sung Park made it two shortly before half time with a great solo effort and emphatic finish across the face of MLS goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon .

The 26,760 sellout crowd at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey were treated to more Rooney magic in the second period, as he lifted a pass over the MLS defence to put Berbatov through on goal. The Bulgarian watched his attempted lob come back off the bar but was on hand to chest the rebound and volley into an empty net.

Danny Welbeck piled on the misery in the 68th minute to make it 4-0, and despite a free kick from David Beckham in the 89th minute that almost saw him score against his old side, the scoreline finished that way.

“They are so quick to the ball, and it’s one or two touches and they are going and they are not letting up,” MLS defender Tim Ream later said. “With Rooney, that just shows how much of a well-rounded player he is.”

United’s last game of their US tour sees them take on Barcelona in Washington on Saturday in a repeat of May’s Champions League final.

~ Additional reporting from AP