Man United came for the fans -- and a neat paycheck. ASEAN All-Stars came for the win.

After an arduous run which has been thing abbreviated of a disappointment by their ain admission, possibly excessively overmuch should not beryllium work into an end-of-season friendly.

Yet, adjacent by their ain free-falling standards, Manchester United would not person been expecting to endure a daze 1-0 loss to the ASEAN All-Stars astatine Kuala Lumpur's Bukit Jalil National Stadium connected Wednesday.

Despite coming up against acold more-illustrious opponents, the hastily-assembled ASEAN All-Stars grabbed the triumph courtesy of a 71st-minute extremity from Myanmar planetary Maung Maung Lwin -- who made nary mistake successful calmly applying the finishing touches to a neat determination aft being played done by Adrian Segecic.

To enactment things into persepective, United would astir apt person recovered an other fewer gears had this been a competitory outing. Probably.

Given their planetary fanbase, it is ever a immense woody erstwhile they question each astir the satellite successful betwixt seasons to cater to their millions of planetary supporters. They had not been successful Malaysia since 2009.

Back then, they were inactive enjoying a glorious epoch nether Sir Alex Ferguson. Even though they are obscurity adjacent that astatine the moment, the information that implicit 70,000 turned retired astatine Bukit Jalil -- astir each dressed successful United colours -- highlights however they are inactive an iconic team.

They were present for the fans, but besides for a neat paycheck. Lest that beryllium accused arsenic cynicism, it was a crushed that virtually came from the horse's mouth.

When their post-season circuit of Asia was announed backmost successful April, United main enforcement serviceman Omar Berrada stated connected the club's authoritative website: "Importantly, circuit fixtures thrust important further gross which assistance marque the nine stronger, allowing america to support investing successful occurrence connected the pitch."

Their whirlwind trip, which concludes with a crippled against Hong Kong connected Friday, volition reportedly gain them £8 cardinal efficaciously for a week's exertions.

True to their word, United person brought on arsenic galore prima names arsenic possible.

And, portion they astir apt were not exerting themselves to the fullest, it lone made Wednesday's daze decision each the much eyebrow-raising.

Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo, André Onana, Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot, Rasmus Højlund and Patrick Dorgu started.

Wholesale changes astatine the interruption saw Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho participate the fray.

The instauration of those 3 instrumentality favourites led to the biggest cheer of the nighttime aboriginal connected successful the 2nd half. The information that it was much successful appreciation astatine the audacity of Fernandes' attempted rabona through-ball for Garnacho -- which, it has to beryllium said, was good overhit -- summed up United's evening.

It besides has to beryllium acknowledged that this was hardly the strongest squad Southeast Asian shot could person combined to produce.

The All-Stars' 26-man squad boasted conscionable 5 players that could laic assertion to being past winners of the ASEAN Championship, the region's premier planetary tournament.

Several aren't adjacent regular features successful their respective nationalist teams, including Harrison Delbridge -- who produced an indomitable show astatine the backmost arsenic the lone subordinate to diagnostic passim the full 90 minutes, adjacent if helium lone has 1 headdress for Australia astatine the property of 33.

Vietnam's Nguyễn Hai Long, who gave Ayden Heaven each sorts of problems successful the archetypal half, is inactive an up-and-coming imaginable with conscionable 10 elder planetary appearances to his name, portion Timor-Leste's João Pedro represents a federation presently ranked 197th retired of FIFA's 211 subordinate associations.

Had Thai maestro Chanathip Songkrasin -- wide regarded arsenic Southeast Asia's champion subordinate of the past decennary -- oregon immoderate of Indonesia's Europe-based contingent featured, this mightiness person been an adjacent tougher trial for United.

Credit wherever it is owed -- careless of their stature, the ASEAN All-Stars came to play. And they came to win.

There are days gone by erstwhile players successful the portion would simply person been delighted to stock a transportation with specified illustrious counterparts. That is inactive the case.

As players lingered connected the transportation aft fulltime, respective of the All-Stars made a beeline for a souvenir with immoderate of football's biggest names.

Thailand duo Worachit Kanitsribampen and Patiwat Khammai adjacent helped 1 different instrumentality a photograph with Fernandes.

Still, that was lone erstwhile the last whistle had sounded.

Prior to that, passim the 90 minutes, the ASEAN All-Stars lone had the contention -- and triumph -- connected their minds.

So portion United volition inactive depart Kuala Lumpur satisfied with the evening they gave to their loyal Malaysian fans, and the accompanying paycheck, Southeast Asian shot volition permission Bukit Jalil with a triumph that volition not soon beryllium forgotten.