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Electronic Telegraph
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United beaten in penalty shoot-out
By Charles Carrick in Milan
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Inter Milan 1 Man Utd 1 (Inter win 4-1 on pens) RONALDO, who has replaced Alan Shearer as the world's most expensive player, made his long-awaited debut as Inter Milan beat Manchester United in a penalty shoot-out at the San Siro last night. Inter, who lost the UEFA Cup final on penalties, kept the trophy they won last season after Jordi Cruyff and Nicky Butt both missed the penalties for United, and French midfielder Benoit Cauet drove home the winner. It was, nevertheless, an encouraging performance by Alex Ferguson's men who had been comprehensively beaten 3-0 in the equivalent match last season. Butt had given United a 15th minute lead, but an own goal by substitute Gary Neville, who headed in Cauet's cross in the 70th minute sent the friendly into a shootout. The 20-year-old Brazilian, whose world record £18 million transfer wrangle with Barcelona should be settled next week, was given a rousing welcome by the San Siro crowd but he played only 17 minutes before being substituted. The biggest applause, and a standing ovation, came eight minutes from time when Nigerian Nwankwo Kanu, who had heart surgery in the United States last November and was never expected to play again, came on as a substitute. Inter took the early initiative, but defender Javier Zanetti needed to stop Paul Scholes' through ball from finding Ryan Giggs after five minutes and Teddy Sheringham sent a free-kick over the bar five minutes later. United had the first real chance when a deft flick from Ole Solskjaer was met with a diving header from Sheringham, which Inter goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca scrambled away. The English side gained in confidence, with Sheringham fitting in with remarkable ease and Scholes finding plenty space on the right and Butt broke the deadlock in the 15th minute, collecting a fine through ball from Scholes, winning a tackle and driving the ball home from 15 yards. Two minutes later, Ronaldo made his exit, being replaced by Chilean Ivan Zamorano, but United kept up the pressure, with Sheringham feeding the ball through to Solskjaer for an angled close-range short which Pagliuca blocked but could not hold, while Peter Schmeichel could do no better seconds later with a rasping 20-yard drive from Inter's Diego Simeone. May limped off after 23 minutes and was replaced by Gary Neville but United enjoyed plenty of possession in midfield. Inter's best move came five minutes from half-time Youri Djorkaeff's deft touch found Massimo Tarantino on the left flank, but Schmeichel smothered the Italian's menacing low cross. And Schmeichel was just as glad to stop Zanetti's low drive from outside the area just a minute before the half-time whistle as Inter closed the first-half on top. |
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Soccer-Ronaldo makes brief Inter debut By Gideon Long MILAN, July 27 (Reuter) - Brazilian striker Ronaldo played his first 17 minutes of Italian soccer on Sunday but his new side Internazionale had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to English champions Manchester United. Ronaldo, who arrived in Inter this week after his much- publicised world record move from Barcelona, was given a rapturous reception by a 50,000-strong crowd as he ran out at the San Siro for an otherwise low-key friendly. He forced a corner with his first touch but, that apart, was subdued by United defenders Denis Irwin and Ronny Johnsen. After 17 minutes, with Inter 1-0 down thanks to a fine strike by United forward Nicky Butt, the world Footballer of the Year was replaced by Chilean striker Ivan Zamorano. Inter president Massimo Moratti said afterwards he was satisfied with the Brazilian's first performance but added that Ronaldo was not yet in peak condition. "He frightens players when he runs at them but he still has some work to do on his fitness," Moratti said. Inter's other star debutant was Nigerian Nwankwo Kanu, who signed from Ajax Amsterdam a year ago but missed the whole of last season after he was diagnosed as having congenital heart disease. The 20-year-old, who was told who could die if he continued to play football and underwent a major operation last year to correct the disorder, came on to thunderous applause with nine minutes left. "Kanu had a quiet match for the little time he was on but I think he's an exceptional player," Moratti said. "Given time, I think he'll settle in and be a great forward." Debuts aside, Sunday's match was a disjointed affair, thanks in large part to the constant substitutions. Fifteen were made in all, and goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca was the only Inter player to see out the full 90 minutes. "I saw lots of good things from individual players but we still have a lot to do to build a fluid team," Inter coach Luigi Simoni said. Butt put United ahead after latching onto a superb pass from Paul Scholes and the English champions thoroughly deserved their halftime lead. They appeared to be heading for victory when, with 20 minutes left, England defender Gary Neville headed a seemingly harmless cross past his own goalkeeper and into the United net. Inter won a penalty competition after the match 4-1 to claim a trophy based on the result of this one match. The two sides meet again in a second friendly at United's Old Trafford on Wednesday. Internazionale Milan 1 Gary Neville o.g. 70 Manchester United 1 Nicky Butt 14 Inter won a penalty competition after the match 4-1 to win a trophy based on the result of this match only. The two sides meet for a second leg in Manchester on Wednesday. Attendance: 49,718 Teams: Internazionale: 1-Gianluca Pagliuca, 4-Javier Zanetti (18-Nicola Berti 60), 24-Luigi Sartor (2-Giuseppe Bergomi 45), 7-Salvatore Fresi (5-Fabio Galante 45), 19-Massimo Paganin (16-Taribo West 45), 3-Massimo Tarantino (15-Benoit Cauet 45), 14-Diego Simeone (21-Luca Mezzano 81), 13-Ze Elias (17-Francesco Moriero 60), 6-Youri Djorkaeff (20-Alvaro Recoba 60), 10-Ronaldo (9-Ivan Zamorano 17, 11-Nwankwo Kanu 81), 23-Maurizio Ganz (8-Aron Winter 60). Manchester United: 1-Peter Schmeichel, 2-Denis Irwin (16-Brian McClair 71), 3-Phillip Neville, 6-Roy Keane, 4-David May (17-Gary Neville 23), 5-Ronny Johnsen, 7-Paul Scholes, 8-Nicky Butt, 9-Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (12-Andy Cole 65), 11-Ryan Giggs (14-Jordi Cruyff 65), 10-Teddy Sheringham. |
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