West Ham6–1Dallas Tornado

Just when they thought they were settling down to something like their true form, the Tannadice side received a rude jolt in this U.S. Soccer League match at Baltimore, Maryland, on Saturday night.

United were only one in arrears at half-time, but never really got to grips with the London side, who fielded their World Cup trio of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. West Ham represent Baltimore.

It didn’t help United any to be playing in the gold uniforms of the Baltimore Bays after their own had been mislaid in transit.

They trailed by one goal at half-time, but then the roof fell in as the faster-moving Londoners won in a canter.

Trevor Brooking opened the scoring in the ninth minute, sprinting through the defence to take a pass from John Sissons on the left and then pushing the ball past the advancing Mackay, who managed to get a foot to it, but couldn’t deflect it from its goal-bound course.

Eleven minutes after the restart Geoff Hurst switched play from the left to the right wing to John Sissons. Sissons pushed it inside to Moore and from 20 yards Bobby gave Mackay no chance.

Four minutes later it was 3-0, as Hurst received a long goal kick from keeper Bobby Ferguson. The ball bounced over the heads of the United defence and Hurst, sprinting past Smith and Gillespie, brought the ball under control and almost walked it past Don Mackay, who was left by himself to protect his goal.

United’s lone goal came from Alan Gordon in the 67th minute. He took a cross from Davie Wilson and, with Ferguson stranded, scored with a shot that went into goal off the foot of Ron Boyce.

Any hopes of a come-back similar to the one against Kilmarnock last Wednesday were checked as the Hammers came back with three goals in the last 18 minutes.

In the 73rd minute Martin Peters took a pass from the head of Geoff Hurst and volleyed it in with a left-foot shot.

Goals by Brooking two minutes from time, with an easy shot from 10 yards and a final one by Ron Boyce, from a perfect pass by John Sissons a few seconds from time, ended the agony for United.

United had opened well in the first half and nearly scored the first goal in the seventh minute when Alan Gordon shot from 12 yards. Bobby Ferguson got his fingers to the ball as it rolled towards the goal, but full-back John Charles outsprinted Kenny Cameron, thrust out a foot and pushed the ball off the goal-line.

Another golden opportunity for the golden-shirted Scots came mid-way in the first half as Ferguson blocked a shot and Wilson Wood took the rebound only to chip it over the sprawling goalkeeper and over the bar.

Jerry Kerr said after the game: “I think we played some of the best soccer we have played in North America in the first half, but West Ham were just too good for us. I think the score should have been about 3-1. West Ham were the best team we have played. Geoff Hurst was absolutely fantastic.”

The return game against West Ham is at Dallas on Wednesday and next Sunday United play an exhibition game in Portland, Oregon.