Shaw: No Easy Games On Tour

Luke Shaw says the Reds know they are in for two difficult matches on tour against European giants Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, but the defender insists the quality of the opposition in Manchester United’s opening two games cannot be underestimated.

The Reds face Club America of Mexico in Seattle on 17 July and MLS side San Jose Earthquakes in San Jose on 21 July in the first two International Champions Cup games before the meetings with the Spanish and French champions.

Shaw has been impressed by the growth of Major League Soccer in the US, while no Mexican side has won more titles than Club America. The England international is therefore expecting both to provide tricky opposition during Tour 2015, presented by Aon.

“Coming up against teams that we’ve not really played before and who we aren’t really sure about in terms of how they’ll play, it’s a new challenge for us as a team,” he told ManUtd.com.

“The Earthquakes are in the middle of their season so maybe that will mean that they’re fitter towards the end of the game. I think that’s great for us though because it’s all about getting your match fitness up and not too much about the results. It’s more about making sure we’re ready for the start of the season, so it will help us.

“I think everyone always looks forward to going out to America and playing in the great stadiums they have and against the teams they have. Over the last few years, football has been growing and growing, and the teams don’t look like ones which can be beaten easily. They’re going to be tough games.”

Shaw admits he is particularly excited about testing himself against forwards of the calibre of Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and hopes the games will provide a taste of things to come for United this season if the Reds can progress to the Champions League proper.

“From my perspective, I’m really looking forward to playing against Barcelona and PSG, two of the best clubs in the world. It’s something to really look forward to, not only for me, but for the whole team," he added.

“The best teams are playing against the best teams [in these games], and I think it’s a little taster of what we might be able to expect in the Champions League. If we can get through the qualifier, we could get them in the Champions League, so it’s nice to be playing teams like that and I’m sure they’ll be looking at it in the same way – to play against Manchester United is always a big occasion.

“Everyone has seen how good Messi is - there probably isn’t a way to stop him! [Laughs] You just have to hope that someone else will come to help you. It’s something that I’m really looking forward to, the chance to hopefully play against a player like that.

“He and Ibra are different, but they’re both world-class players. Ibra is a different player to someone like Messi, but they’re both very difficult to play against.”