Long road

Juve wins PK shootout to capture Super Cup title

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (Ticker) -- Juventus exacted revenge Sunday, defeating AC Milan 5-3 in a penalty kick shootout to win the Italian Super Cup before 54,128 at Giants Stadium.

The victory came two months after AC Milan used penalty kicks to defeat Juventus and capture the Champions League title in England.

Sunday's match, which pitted the Serie A champion and Italian Cup winner, was tied 1-1 after two overtimes.

"It was beautiful action," Juventus coach Marcelo Lippi said. "It is not revenge. This is another year. Last season is finished."

All five Juventus players converted their penalty kicks, with defender Ciro Ferrara netting the winner. Marco Di Vaio scored first and was followed by French striker David Trezeguet, whose shot grazed the crossbar, Alessandro Birindelli and Mauro Camoranesi.

"You saw a good Juventus," Lippi said. "The team played disciplined, organized. I was pleased with the performance."

Andrea Pirlo and Serginho converted for Milan, but Gianluigi Buffon stopped substitute Christian Brocchi's shot up the middle before Alessandro Nesta scored.

Juventus midfielder Gianluca Zambrotta nearly broke up a scoreless game in the fifth minute of the first overtime, blasting a shot from the edge of the box following a corner kick. But the ball grazed the crossbar and bounced off the goal line.

In the final minute of the period, Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi headed straight to Buffon, who blocked the ball for a corner kick. A Milan player was pulled down in the box during a scramble and referee Pierluigi Collina signaled a penalty kick.

Andrea Pirlo converted with a soft, high chip over a diving Buffon, who guessed correctly to his left side.

Asked if he thought the match was over after the goal was scored, Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said, "No. Even though there was little time left, we didn't help out, we stood around paralyzed."

To the surprise of many, Juventus equalized immediately, pushing a long ball from midfield to the penalty area. Goalkeeper Christian Abbiati stopped a header by defender Nicola Legrettalie, but an unmarked David Trezeguet tapped the ball in the net.

"With 20 seconds to go, you never know what is going to happen," an exhausted Lippi said. "I hoped, I was optimistic. Good cross by [Pavel] Nedved and goal by Trezeguet.

"I'm tired but satisfied. Besides, I'm always this way [with the media]."

In the closing minutes of the second overtime, Inzaghi netted but was deemed offside, which forced the match to be decided on penalty kicks.

Milan had the better initiative at the start of the second half as Filippo Inzaghi fired an accurate shot that Buffon directed over the net.

Portuguese international Rui Costa attempted a powerful shot from 22 yards in the 65th minute that Buffon again blocked. Inzaghi sailed the ensuing corner kick high as the ball fell atop the netting.

With three minutes left in regulation, Brocchi finished a solo run down the the middle with a solid left-footer from outside the area. Buffon stretched to deflect the ball wide.

Minutes earlier, Nedved's shot from the left side rolled in front of the goal and wide of the far post.

Milan nearly got the winner in the final minute of regulation when Andrea Pirlo chipped a free kick over the wall to Inzaghi, who turned but hit the outside of the net.

Both teams had scoring chances in the first half.

Trezeguet had opportunities for Juventus in the 16th and 33rd minutes, both close-range headers that were stopped by Abbiati.

Inzaghi was in good position on a right side cross by front-line partner Shevchenko but directed his header wide from six yards.

Buffon was tested from long range by Rui Costa in the 11th minute and a solid free kick by Pirlo with 10 minutes left before halftime.

Fabrizio Miccoli also tried his luck with a low 30-yard free kick for Juve in the 14th minute but just missed the left post.

The attendance was the fourth-largest in the 16-year history of the Super Cup, which Juventus won for the second straight year.

Milan has won the Super Cup four times, including each year from 1992-94.

"Every Cup is important, we wanted to win it," Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf said. "This rivalry, it's always been there. Within a month, we play the Super Cup of Europe. I would like to come to America again to see the country. We didn't have time now, we trained."

This was the first Super Cup held in the United States since AC Milan blanked Torino 1-0 in 1993 at RFK Stadium in Washington. Last year in Tripoli, Libya, Juventus posted a 2-1 triumph over Parma.

Juventus 1, AC Milan 1

 

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