Harambee Stars eligible Vyner shines as Wrexham stun Manchester United, Odada falls in Romania

Harambee Stars eligible defender Zak Vyner marked his return from injury with an impressive performance as Wrexham stunned Manchester United 1-0 in their opening preseason match at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Finland.

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Former Manchester United academy striker Sam Smith scored the only goal of the game in the first half to hand the Championship side a morale-boosting victory over the Premier League giants.

Vyner, who qualifies to represent Kenya through his family roots, started on the right side of a back three alongside Dan Scarr and Callum Doyle, with Arthur Okonkwo in goal behind them.

The defender featured for the opening 45 minutes before Wrexham changed their entire starting lineup at halftime, with Dominic Hyam replacing him.

Manchester United also fielded two different lineups, opting to start with several senior players including captain Harry Maguire, Joshua Zirkzee, Patrick Dorgu and new signing Andrey Santos, while veteran goalkeeper Tom Heaton started between the posts.

Wrexham made a bright start and almost took the lead inside the opening minute when Heaton lost possession under pressure from Smith before Maguire recovered to clear the danger.

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Heaton was called into action again in the ninth minute, denying Smith in a one-on-one situation, although the offside flag had already been raised.

The Red Dragons continued to threaten, with Bailey Cadamarteri forcing Ayden Heaven into a recovery tackle after charging down a clearance in the 18th minute.

United's best opportunities before the break came through Dorgu, whose effort was blocked by Scarr, before Zirkzee fired narrowly wide from outside the area.

Vyner delivered a composed display against United's attack, registering four defensive actions, winning both of his tackles, making one interception, blocking a shot and completing three recoveries. He also won both of his ground duels.

The 28 year old was equally assured in possession, completing 29 of his 33 passes for an accuracy of 88 percent and producing an accurate long ball that nearly created a dangerous opportunity for Wrexham.

The match marked Vyner's return after more than two months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury sustained at the end of last season.

His previous appearance came on 2 May in Wrexham's Championship fixture against Queens Park Rangers.

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Meanwhile in Romania, Harambee Stars midfielder Richard Odada endured a disappointing start to the new SuperLiga campaign as UTA Arad were thrashed 4-0 by Universitatea Craiova in their opening league match.

UTA remained competitive for much of the contest before collapsing late on as Craiova scored three goals in the closing stages to turn a narrow lead into a comprehensive victory.

Samuel Teles opened the scoring midway through the second half before Stefan Baiaram, Simon Elisor and an own goal from Din Alomerovic completed the rout.

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Despite the heavy defeat, Odada produced a disciplined performance in midfield after playing the full 90 minutes.

The Kenyan international completed 30 of his 33 passes for an impressive 91 percent passing accuracy and also registered a shot on goal.

Defensively, Odada won two tackles, made one interception and eight recoveries. He also won four of his eight ground duels while committing two fouls during the match.

Although the scoreline was disappointing, Odada's individual display offered one of the few positives for UTA Arad as they look to bounce back in their next league outing.