Newcastle's US tour got off to a losing start on Tuesday evening, when they were beaten by Mexicans Club Atlas of Guadalajara at the Miller Park home of baseball side Milwaukee Brewers - the first reverse of Steve McClaren's time in charge.

Following a delayed start when no less than three national anthems were aired as the teams were presented (Mexican, English and US), United fell behind to an eleventh minute spot kick. A slicker Atlas side playing their final pre-season game then doubled the lead soon later - much-travelled striker Gonzalo Bergessio winning the penalty, scoring it then beating Tim Krul with a first-time lob. 

And only the crossbar prevented the Argentinean from rounding off an eleven minute treble, as Atlas threatened to run riot against and reinforce pre-games concerns about our scheduling the strongest of the trio of stateside opponents first rather than last.

Moussa Sissoko did reduce the arrears with a low shot on the stroke of half time, but there was to be no United equaliser despite the Premier League side dominating the second period.

A crude tackle from Jamaal Lascelles conceded the penalty, the former Nottingham Forest defender making his second United start in what was an unchanged outfield 10 from Gateshead on Friday.

The combative Mexicans put United under pressure when not in possession and four bookings underlined the fact that there was little friendly about this encounter, the referee doing well to ignore some histrionics from Atlas players and waving play on as tackles flew in. 

Maybe it was just as well they didn't let Cheick Tiote in....

With Siem De Jong some way off match fitness and Yoan Gouffran getting little change out of the defence, the only real positives before Sissoko's goal came when he twice got down the right and found Cisse, although the number failed to get his efforts on target.

Introducing Karl Darlow at the break, McClaren left his six outfield replacements for the final quarter of the game and chose to give 90 minutes to Lascelles, Williamson, Anita and captain Colback.

United dominated the second half, Cisse's 53rd minute effort looking as if it had been carried over the line by the 'keeper and the subject of instinctive appeals by several players (later TV replays showed to us that it stayed out, but others were adamant it crossed the line).

De Jong ended a good move on 58 minutes by flashing a low shot across goal and following the six substitutions, the third kit-wearing Magpies encouragingly built up a decent head of steam as they pinned Atlas back.

The best chance of the closing stages saw Rolando Aarons find space on the left and waltz round his marker on the edge of the box. However he opted to fire a low effort that was palmed away rather than find the far top corner as he memorably did at Schalke last year.

It's hardly worth writing that our corners remained no threat, despite several different players taking them and also worthy of note that the opposition made a raft of late changes that badly affected their momentum.

To end on a positive note, while the substitutes warmed down after full time, members of the starting XI signed autographs for fans and posed for endless selfies - Haidara and Sissoko in particular patiently complying with all requests.