Nani opened the scoring in the 22nd minute for the English champions Manchester United, who were dominated 3-1 by the Spanish giants in the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley in May. Thanks to the stature of the clubs, FedEx Field in suburban Washington — home of the NFL’s Redskins — drew a crowd of 81,807, the largest ever for a football match in the Washington DC area.
Tom Cleverley set up Owen’s goal, intercepting Sergio Busquets’ pass intended for Seydou Keita and racing toward the goal before finding Owen, who lofted the ball over Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes. Six minutes earlier Thiago Alcantara had equalised, blasting into the top corner of the goal after winger Carlos Carmona had cut inside and slotted a pass through.
The victory completed a perfect US tour for Manchester United, who return to England after five victories in as many friendlies.