America downs Inter in football friendly

July 20, 2009

Oscar Rojas scored the shootout winner as Mexico’s Club America defeated Inter Milan of Italy 5-4 on penalties Sunday in a friendly club match.

The teams had finished regular time 1-1. Ivan Ramiro Cordoba scored a goal in the 60th minute for Inter to knot the score after Club America took the lead in the 51st minute through Juan Carlos Silva.

The match was part of the World Football Challenge, a series of friendlies featuring England’s Chelsea, Italy’s AC Milan and Inter Milan and Club America.

The next match in the series is at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, where Chelsea will play Inter. Club America faces AC Milan Wednesday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, then on Friday Chelsea and AC Milan play in Baltimore.

“I’m very happy because scoring a goal against such a big team is very exciting,” Silva said, although the Italian champions weren’t fielding their best.

Inter’s Julio Cesar wasn’t with the team Sunday, and his backup Francesco Toldo wasn’t available to play, leaving 19-year-old Vid Belec in goal.

Two of Inter Milan’s biggest stars, Argentinian defender Javier Zanetti and Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic were not in the starting lineup. Ibrahimovic entered the game early in the second half, while Club America was missing star goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.

“We’re very happy with the way the game went,” Inter coach Jose Mourinho said. “We’re very happy no one got injured.”

The players weren’t even aware that the challenge called for shootouts, and started exchanging jerseys at the end of regular time.

STANFORD, California (AFP)

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