It may have ultimately been a friendly.
And Manchester United were undoubtedly not playing at full capacity with their miserable season winding to a close -- although performances over the course of the campaign might suggest that their best might not necessarily have been at a far higher level.
Still, Wednesday's game at Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia proved an evening to remember for Southeast Asian football as the unheralded ASEAN All-Stars pulled off a remarkable 1-0 win over the Premier League's fallen giants.
Bear in mind too that this hastily-assembled representative team was far from the strongest the region had to offer, considering there were notable withdrawals even up to a day before the game.
As arduous domestic seasons come to a close and with crucial qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup on the horizon, it is understandable that not all of Southeast Asia's finest footballers were available for selection.
Yet, they were able to match it -- and eventually defeat -- an United outfit that started with Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo, André Onana, Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot, Rasmus Højlund and Patrick Dorgu, before Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho were introduced at halftime.
Some unheralded names would end the evening as heroes for the entire region.
Here, we rate all the ASEAN All-Stars who played their part in the victory.
GK: Patiwat Khammai (off 83')
Now Thailand's first choice in goal after the position was previously monopolised by the formidable but since-retired Kawin Thamsatchanan, Patiwat may not be as imposing a figure but makes up for it by being an excellent shot-stopper.
The 30-year-old dealt with a handful of aerial situations in commanding fashion, while also showing clean hands with a number of saves where failure to hold on might have led to opportunities on the rebound for United. 7/10
CB: Amani Aguinaldo (off 46')
Any hope United might have had of bullying their Southeast Asian opponents into submission would have gone out the window from the moment they laid eyes on a surprisingly-intimidating All-Stars backline -- none more powerfully built than Aguinaldo.
The Philippines stalwart handled the uneviable task of marking Maguire at set-pieces admirably, even if he did get overly handsy on a couple of occasions. One or two adventurous passes out from the back did go astray but it was overall an accomplished performance. 6.5/10
CB: Kan Mo (off 64')
Kan Mo may have been representing one of the region's lesser lights in Cambodia, but the naturalised South African-born defender more than held his own.
Tasked with anchoring the All-Stars' three-man defence, Mo showed good strength up against Højlund and was a calming presence until he was replaced just after the hour mark. 6.5/10
Being the only player to feature for the entire 90 minutes is not the only reason why Delbridge was arguably Wednesday's standout performer.
The Incheon United veteran showed excellent composure and awareness throughout, especially in the second half when United posed more a threat down his side with the introduction of Amad. Prior to that, he had made a crucial goal-line block from Mainoo's close-range effort to keep the score at 0-0.
Given Australia coach Tony Popovic has shown an inclination to giving a chance to players who might have previously thought their international careers were over, 33-year-old Delbridge could yet add to his solitary Socceroos appearance back in 2022 based on this display. 8.5/10
RWB: Kealey Adamson (off 39')
One of the All-Stars' early substitutions in the 39th minute, Adamson did not have the longest of spells to impress but neither did he put a foot wrong.
Spending most of his time on the field engaged in an intriguing duel with Dorgu, the Macarthur FC man had more than enough pace and smarts to cope with what might otherwise have been a tricky situation. 6/10
CM: Sandro Reyes (off 46')
Had Reyes featured for more than just a half, he might easily have played his way into the man-of-the-match conversation.
The Philippines midfield schemer was constantly looking to instigate attacks in the opening 45, while also leading the press that gave United's defence less time on the ball than they would have liked for a friendly encounter.
Still only 22, the future looks bright for Reyes, who must surely be aiming to play at a higher level than Germany's lower leagues. 7/10
CM: Ezequiel Agüero (off 54')
Fittingly the opposition captain on a disappointing night for United. Especially given the other name he goes by -- Sergio Agüero -- is one that will give nightmares to most United supporters.
The Argentine-born Malaysia international did well to not overcomplicate matters as the leader of an unfamiliar outfit, and instead just carried out the simple tasks to perfection. 6.5/10
LWB: Declan Lambert (off 46')
Like Adamson on the opposite flank, Lambert did not have too many opportunities to impress -- especially with most of the attacking width being provided by the wingers.
Nonetheless, the fact that he more than matched it with a seasoned campaigner in Dalot was a feather in his cap in itself. 6/10
RF: Nguyễn Hai Long (off 46')
While Patiwat and Delbridge both starred in defensive terms, the real excitement was provided by Hai Long in an electrifying 45-minute stint.
The Vietnam winger fired away a first warning shot after just six minutes and continued to spend the rest of the first half threatening the United goal at every available opportunity.
His sheer pace and jinking style of dribbling gave Ayden Heaven an absolute headache and he could easily have ended up with a goal or assist with better decision-making. Still, he's only 22. 7.5/10
LF: Yaya Dukuly (off 46')
Down the other flank, Dukuly offered similar penetration to Hai Long even if he did not see as much of the ball.
A lovely turn of pace in the 10th minute saw him win a freekick in a promising position. Perhaps the All-Stars would have been served better with an equal number of forward forays down Dukuly's side, especially given he was up against an inexperienced Reece Munro. 6/10
CF: Abdel Kader Coulibaly (off 39')
Like Mo, Coulibaly is a recently-naturalised import that could easily be what Cambodia needs to climb up the ranks in ASEAN football.
The 31-year-old's build-up play is everything that would be desired from the focal point in attack and he created one of the All-Stars best openings when -- with his back to goal -- he effortlessly turned Maguire before releasing Hai Long with an incisive pass that few others might have envisioned. 7/10
Sub: Bounphachan Bounkong (on 39', off 54')
Laos' sole representative in the squad, Bounphachan looked lively the moment he came on before halftime but was soon to be replaced nine minutes after the restart.
A 15-minute spell was hardly sufficient for him to showcase his full ability but he remains the finest talent Laotian football has at the moment. N/A
Sub: Adib Ra'op (on 39', off 64')
Just as he has done for much of his career, Adib went about his job with minimal of fuss but is rarely one to grab the headlines.
Nonetheless, featuring in the game was deserving recognition for one of the more-consistent but unheralded performers in the Malaysia Super League. 5.5/10
Sub: Irfan Fandi (on 46', off 68')
Brought on at halftime, it was surprising to see Singapore's lone representative replaced by the 68th minute although it is unclear if it had been injury-enforced.
In that time, Irfan managed to put in a couple of crucial challenges on Garnacho and Fernandes to halt any danger United might have posed. 6/10
Sub: Azam Azmi (on 46', off 83')
While United looked far more dangerous after Garnacho was introduced down their left flank, the fact that he ultimately failed to have any major impact is done to the job done on him by Azam.
The 24-year-old must surely watch plenty of United matches, for he almost instinctively knew each time Garnacho tried to cut in onto his right foot -- sticking out a toe on each occasion to prevent the Argentinean from pulling the trigger. 6.5/10
Sub: Nguyễn Hoàng Đức (on 46')
Once of the region's most technically-proficient playmakers even if he does not always get the recognition he deserves, Hoàng Đức was the perfect halftime replacement for Reyes as he ensured the All-Stars still have a distributor looking to get them on the front foot.
He was never afraid to look for the probing ball in behind the opposition defence, and might even he created a couple of clear-cut opportunities had his range been on the mark. 6.5/10
Sub: João Pedro (on 46', off 83')
Like Bounphachan, João Pedro is the great hope for one of Southeast Asia's traditional strugglers in Timor-Leste.
As he has shown numerous times in the past, the 26-year-old is rarely overawed on the big stage but it was perhaps a shame that he did not have many chances to run directly at the United defence -- which is when he usually does the most damage. 6/10
Sub: Adrian Segecic (on 46')
On the back of a breakout, Golden Boot-winning season with A-League outfit Sydney FC, where he has scored 18 goals in competition even if he isn't always in the starting XI, it it easy to see why a return to Europe could be on the cards for Segecic.
The youngest player in the All-Stars squad at just 20, Segecic was fearless in leading the attack after halftime and his movement often gave his teammates an outlet to release some pressure.
A clever layoff saw him provide the assist for the only goal of the game, while he even could have scored one of his own from a scintillating counterattack in added time -- if not for a stunning last-ditch tackle from Jim Thwaites as Segecic bore down on Tom Heaton's goal. 8/10
Sub: Maung Maung Lwin (on 54')
It may have come in a friendly, but Maung Maung Lwin is unlikely to cherish a goal as much as the one he dispatched past Heaton on Wednesday.
A decade on from his international debut with Myanmar, the 29-year-old is one of the region's most-reliable performers -- illustrated by the fact that he is now in his fourth season with Lamphun Warriors in the Thai League 1, which is widely regarded as Southeast Asia's strongest domestic competition.
After being played in by Segecic's neat pass, Maung Maung Lwin calmly sent a right-footed drive unerringly into the far corner to secure a victory that will live long in the memory. 7.5/10
Sub: Ben Davis (on 54')
A tidy display from the Thailand international with English roots, who previously spent time on the books of Fulham and Oxford United.
While he is more than willing to display his skill when deployed further forward, Davis understood the central-midfield role he was given after replacing Agüero and was instead content to drop deep and retain possession. 6.5/10
Sub: Đỗ Duy Mạnh (on 64')
As the squad's only two-time winner of the ASEAN Championship, Southeast Asia's premier international tournament, Duy Mạnh's experience was particularly crucial with the changes that were being made as the game wore on.
Initially deployed on the right side of the three-man defence, the Vietnam veteran had to move centrally just four minutes later following Irfan's departure but would anchor the backline through to the end -- even when United threatened to break the door down in the closing stages. 6.5/10
Sub: Nguyễn Văn Vĩ (on 64')
With just over half an hour to impress, Văn Vĩ was actually to provide a decent display of his abilities.
While he was always one of the first to charge back when the All-Stars were defending, he would then almost automatically be seen hovering near the halfway line to provide a forward option once possession had been regained.
Văn Vĩ is somewhat a late bloomer given he only has 11 caps to his name at the age of 27, but there is no disputing now that he is Vietnam's first-choice left wing-back for the foreseeable future. 6.5/10
Sub: Kakang Rudianto (on 68')
Kakang was introduced in the 68th minute and, while he was one of the more-inexperienced players on the park, it did not really show as he provided the All-Stars goal with good protection -- while also helping Azam out whenever it looked like he might get double-teamed by Garnacho and Harry Amass. 6/10
Sub: Haziq Nadzli (on 83')
On for just seven minutes or so, reserve goalkeeper Haziq normally wouldn't have warranted a rating.
But for the clean hands he showed on a couple of occasions, as well as his adventurous throw from a corner that instigated a counter which almost lead to Segecic scoring a second goal, Haziq deserves his rating. 6/10
Sub: Malik Risaldi (on 83')
Unfortunately for both of Indonesia's representatives, Malik -- like Kakang -- did not have that much of an opportunity to shine. Even less so after only coming on in the 83rd minute. N/A
Sub: Worachit Kanitsribampen (on 83')
Likewise, Worachit almost had no time to make an impact although it would have been interesting to see how he would have fared in a wide attacking position -- where he is well capable of playing in even if he is more commonly deployed in the centre of the park. N/A