The 19-year-old Manchester United striker seems to perform his best while on U.S. soil. During the Red Devils' 2010 summer tour through America, Macheda scored two goals against the MLS All-Stars at Reliant Stadium in Houston and took home Man of the Match honors.
The youngster's preseason performance didn't carry across the pond, however, as Macheda had only one goal for United during the regular season before he was taken on loan in January by Sampdoria of the Italian Serie B league.
Back with United for the start of 2011-12 preseason, Macheda made the most of his return to the U.S., scoring two goals and earning Man of the Match honors in a 4-1 victory over the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro on Wednesday night.
When asked if playing stateside brought him any luck Macheda smiled but didn’t seem to have an answer.
"Yeah, it seems to be [good luck]," he said. "I hope to keep it like that the rest of the trip."
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson thinks there is something about coming to America that relaxes his players.
"Coming to the States is an advantage in the sense that the travel, food, language, accessibility to a lot of things is easier," he said. "[A player can] have a walk down the street, go and get a coffee, have a coffee. There’s the relaxation that you don’t get in other countries."
Soccer interest in America is not nearly as rabid as it is in other countries, where players are treated like celebrities and constantly have media attention around their every move. Save for superstar Wayne Rooney, United players had the luxury of touring through Boston without being noticed. Reds players and coaches had the opportunity to walk through the Harvard University campus during their stay in Boston, something Ferguson said would not be possible in other locales.
"You go to the Far East, it’'s phenomenal, the Far East, in terms of support and affection for Manchester United," Ferguson said. "There's thousands [of people waiting] outside the hotel. So you get there first for relaxation and reconciliation but you’ve got to admire the fanaticism of support in the Far East. No matter whether it's Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, it's all the same. They can think of it that way in the States, of course, but it’s not as intense, you know?"
Ferguson will take his club throughout the U.S. this month, stopping for matches in Seattle, Chicago, New York/New Jersey and Washington D.C. The purpose of the trip is to ensure the players are physically fit before the regular season begins, but being able to enjoy some private time away from constant media scrutiny is a welcome respite for United players.
"It's been a good experience here in America," Macheda said. "This is a good stadium and the fans are really nice … I hope to score more in the coming games and the USA seems to bring love to me."
