Football: Man United rout Sounders 7-0

SEATTLE: Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick in 21 minutes as Manchester United routed Seattle Sounders 7-0 in a friendly. Michael Owen set the tone in the 15th minute, beating former Premier League foe Kasey Keller with a header to open the scoring. The score remained 1-0 at half-time largely thanks to a superb save by Sounders keeper Keller on Owen late in the half. After the interval, however, the English Premier League giants took charge with the addition of substitutes including Rooney, Park Ji-Sung and Mame Biram Diouf who scored just four minutes into the second half. Rooney scored in the 51st, 69th and 72nd minutes.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2011.