» Nick Green's 100 Percent Soccer blog
HOUSTON - Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson is ready to give Major League Soccer its due.
The Red Devils wrap up their American tour at Reliant Stadium tonight at 5:30 PDT against a collection of All-Stars from the MLS, a league that Ferguson said is rapidly gaining worldwide respect. Manchester United beat Philadelphia, 1-0, last week, then lost to Kansas City, 2-1, Sunday in its first preseason tour in the United States since 2004.
"The progress is obvious," Ferguson said. "We realized that in the game against Philadelphia and just as much against Kansas City. There's a massive improvement in the organization and standard of play. That would be the reason I think they're ready to play the best teams in Europe now."
Manchester United is playing without several top players, including World Cup participants Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra, Michael Carrick and Nemanja Vidic. The Red Devils are using the tour to tune up for their Premier League schedule, which begins Aug. 16.
Exhibition or not, the MLS players are eager for a chance to validate their league against one of the world's pre-eminent soccer powers. The All-Stars have won five of six matches against international opponents in previous years, including a 1-0 win over former Premier League champion Chelsea in 2006.
"It's a game where we're representing
Galaxy teammates Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle, Colombian star Juan Pablo Angel and Argentine standout Guillermo Barros Schelotto headline the All-Star roster, though it's uncertain how much Donovan and Buddle will play. The Galaxy, led by All-Star coach Bruce Arena, played a team from Puerto Rico in a CONCACAF Champions League match on Tuesday night in Carson.
"You can't put the players' health at risk," Houston Dynamo coach and All-Star assistant Dominic Kinnear said. "It's a delicate thing that he (Arena) has to handle. He'll be very careful with what he does with his players."
Ferguson, meanwhile, said Mexican star Javier Hernandez may make his Manchester United debut in Houston.
The Red Devils acquired Hernandez, their first Mexican player, in April from Chivas Guadalajara. The Red Devils play Chivas in Mexico on Friday, but Ferguson may move up his first action, depending on the 22-year-old's conditioning.