Radamel Falcao would have felt a long way away from Old Trafford on Monday night as he surveyed the deserted Zayed Sports City stands and felt the warmth of a Middle Eastern night.
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Unfortunately for him, his three-goal haul from Colombia’s friendly double-header in the region has also been far from the norm during his trying loan spell at Manchester United.
The 29-year-old was not a lively performer in Abu Dhabi, yet his accomplished penalty in the 3-1 victory against Kuwait showed a flash of the lethal performer of old.
Game finished 3-1 to Colombia in #AbuDhabi. @FALCAO scored penalty but did very little else. Showed no real pace or intent #mufc @Sport_360
— Matt Monaghan (@mattmonaghan360) March 30, 2015
As his unstoppable effort – from a questionable spot kick he won himself after being felled by Mohammad Al Rashidi – crashed in off the crossbar you could see the predator from Atletico Madrid and Porto, rather than the listless outcast with a paltry four goals in 22 club appearances this term.
#MUFC striker and Colombia captain Radamel Falcao after beating Kuwait 3-1 in #UAE. https://t.co/BwEevwtkc1
— Sport360° (@Sport_360) March 30, 2015
But he will need to show more in the final months at United to earn a permanent deal there or at another elite side. Against a nation ranked 125th in the world, this was generally a display devoid of real venom and the incision that once defined him.
Much more telling tests have already been faced by Falcao this season as he seeks to prove the serious knee injury suffered in January 2014 have not robbed him of his brilliance. It is hard to see that the substitute’s bench will not be there to greet him against Aston Villa this Saturday.
The Monaco striker remains a key figure for his country, wearing the captain’s armband and eliciting shrieks of excitement from the lively Colombian contingent at ZSC.
He had hinted at a return to his vintage best in Thursday’s 6-0 dismantling of Bahrain, a brace and an assist his haul.
His side took the lead in eye-catching fashion, Toulouse midfielder Abel Aguilar volleying in superbly from the edge of the box.
The advantage did not last into the interval. Kuwait skipper Musaed Neda saw the ball strike him unwittingly from a corner in injury time and fortuitously creep past Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina.
Colombia improved after the break. Substitute Edwin Cardona’s bouncing 30-yard effort put them back in front on 69 minutes before Falcao took centre stage.
He will hope his final months at United have a similar ending.
