Bayern Munich's USA tour ends in resentment
Bayern Munich's tour of the USA has drawn to an inglorious close with a 2:1 defeat against a team of American Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Stars on Wednesday. The trip was supposed to see the Bavarian club break into the American market.
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The match on Wednesday evening ended with Bayern trainer Pep Guardiola pointedly refusing to shake MLS coach Caleb Porter's hand, apparently angry about his opponents' aggressive play in what was supposed to be a friendly match.
Guardiola had earlier appeared furious over two fouls committed against Xherdan Shaqiri and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
''We tried to play, and congratulations to the MLS. I hope they invite us next year so we can try to take revenge,'' Guardiola said at the post-match press conference.
There were so many questions about the coldness between the two coaches that US Soccer President Sunil Gulati intervened on Twitter to show there were no hard feelings.
All good with Pep Guardiola and Caleb Porter. With them for nice handshake outside the locker room after the game. #MLSAllStar
— Sunil Gulati (@sunilgulati) August 7, 2014
World Cup final hero Schweinsteiger had to leave the field due to a knee injury. The club confirmed on Thursday that it was "nothing dramatic".
The off-season trip across the Atlantic was supposed to showcase the famous German club and build a new fan base overseas.
But the tour was blighted from the start, with club staff and players including CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge unable to depart on schedule last week as they waited for their visas to be issued.
On Wednesday, Guardiola brought six team members from Germany's World Cup-winning squad onto the field for just 15 minutes in the second half.
The players had landed in the western US city of Portland, Oregon, just hours before and couldn't reproduce the magic that had been on display in Brazil in July.
And humiliation was piled onto Bayern as a former teammate, Landon Donovan, scored the second goal for the MLS team in the 70th minute.
As well as the showcase game against the MLS All-Stars, players attended the opening of a club shop in New York's Manhattan district earlier on the trip.
The club had already launched a US website in mid-July a bid to attract some of the country's 60 million football fans.
SEE ALSO: Schweinsteiger sorry for holiday video
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The match on Wednesday evening ended with Bayern trainer Pep Guardiola pointedly refusing to shake MLS coach Caleb Porter's hand, apparently angry about his opponents' aggressive play in what was supposed to be a friendly match.
Guardiola had earlier appeared furious over two fouls committed against Xherdan Shaqiri and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
''We tried to play, and congratulations to the MLS. I hope they invite us next year so we can try to take revenge,'' Guardiola said at the post-match press conference.
There were so many questions about the coldness between the two coaches that US Soccer President Sunil Gulati intervened on Twitter to show there were no hard feelings.
All good with Pep Guardiola and Caleb Porter. With them for nice handshake outside the locker room after the game. #MLSAllStar
— Sunil Gulati (@sunilgulati) August 7, 2014 World Cup final hero Schweinsteiger had to leave the field due to a knee injury. The club confirmed on Thursday that it was "nothing dramatic".
The off-season trip across the Atlantic was supposed to showcase the famous German club and build a new fan base overseas.
But the tour was blighted from the start, with club staff and players including CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge unable to depart on schedule last week as they waited for their visas to be issued.
On Wednesday, Guardiola brought six team members from Germany's World Cup-winning squad onto the field for just 15 minutes in the second half.
The players had landed in the western US city of Portland, Oregon, just hours before and couldn't reproduce the magic that had been on display in Brazil in July.
And humiliation was piled onto Bayern as a former teammate, Landon Donovan, scored the second goal for the MLS team in the 70th minute.
As well as the showcase game against the MLS All-Stars, players attended the opening of a club shop in New York's Manhattan district earlier on the trip.
The club had already launched a US website in mid-July a bid to attract some of the country's 60 million football fans.
SEE ALSO: Schweinsteiger sorry for holiday video
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