Manchester United Apparel

While Cory Gibbs' early goal gave the Fire a 1-0 lead, Manchester United answered back minutes for the equalizer with a header.

Considered one of the most powerful teams in the world, Manchester United won 3-1 despite sitting most of its best players for most of the game.

More than 61,000 fans attended the match that pitted Chicago’s Major League Soccer (MLS) team against one of the English Premier League’s most storied soccer clubs. As of Friday afternoon, the cheapest tickets on Stubhub.com were going for $60.

Since the game was announced in late March, local soccer stores have received a boost in sales. Chicago Soccer , a soccer specialty store with four locations including one at Skokie's Westfield Old Orchard Mall, has been selling tickets to the game as well as sports apparel.

“As far as jerseys go, we sold out of one style, received more in stock and we have customers asking to put an item on hold,” said Les Ramirez, manager of Chicago Soccer’s main store on Western Avenue in Clarendon Hills. “Our sales are a lot better when it comes to the jerseys.”

At its Old Orchard location, Chicago Soccer said it sold out of 200 game tickets within a month and Manchester United jerseys were a hot commodity.

“Of this season’s jersey we only have a couple left and it’s sold really well,” said Deedee Fnu, manager at the mall store. “We’re getting sales of a lot of names and numbers on the back for players like [Wayne] Rooney.”

The match was broadcast on ESPN2 and many people who didn’t score tickets to the game told Skokie Patch they planned to watch the broadcast. A spokesman for Curragh’s Irish Pub in Skokie said the restaurant expected a good crowd to show up on Saturday afternoon.