Photo by ISIPhotos.com
By RYAN TOLMICH
In what was most likely his last game on home soil, Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Brad Friedel emerged victorious.
The American goalkeeper played 78 minutes and kept a clean sheet in club’s last stateside friendly, as Spurs knocked off the Chicago Fire 2-0.
It took just five minutes for Friedel’s Spurs to grab the lead, as the visitors took advantage of a Jeff Larentowicz turnover to bag an early goal. Larentowicz, who was playing in an unfamiliar centerback position, has his pocket picked by Spurs midfielder Lewis Holtby, who set up Harry Kane for the opener.
Spurs struggled to find a second, despite testing Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson throughout the first half.
It took until late in the second half, as Aaron Lennon doubled the lead in the 84th, combining with fellow substitute Roberto Soldado to open the Fire defense. Soldado played a through ball that found the speedy Lennon, who dribbled around defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, rounded the goalkeeper and calmly placed the ball in the net to end the night’s scoring.
Here are more friendly results from around the United States:
VILLA EDGE DYNAMO WITH LATE FIRST HALF GOAL
One proved to be enough for Aston Villa to remain undefeated on their tour of Texas.
Villa picked up their second win in as many Lone Star State appearances by knocking off the Houston Dynamo 1-0 from a Joe Bennett header late in the first half.
The Premier League side, who previously defeated FC Dallas 2-0, got their goal in the 41st minute on a sequence started by a Charles N’Zogbia corner. N’Zogbia’s intial ball went soaring over the box before being collected by Villa winger Andreas Weimann. Weimann’s cross proved to be much better, as the ball found Bennett, who headed home from the left side.
Recently acquired DaMarcus Beasley was an unused substitute for the Dynamo.
DEMBELE HAT-TRICK LIFTS FULHAM OVER D.C. UNITED
Fulham’s trip to their owner’s newly renovated stadium proved to be a successful one, as the club picked up a win at the home of owner Shahid Khan’s Jacksonville Jaguars, EverBank Field.
The Championship side knocked off D.C. United 3-0 behind a Moussa Dembele hat-trick, as Dembele netted in the 22nd, 44th and 72nd minutes.
The Frenchman’s opening two tally came via United turnovers, as the Fulham forward took advantage of United’s inability to clear their lines. Dembele completed his hat-trick late when given acres of space by the opposing defense, netting both his and the team’s third and final goal of the day.
ROMA COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AGAINST MANCHESTER UNITED
After being down 3-0 through 75 minutes to Manchester United, Roma nearly erased the deficit with late goals from Miralem Pjanic and Francesco Totti. However, it was not enough for the Italian side, as United held on to bring home a 3-2 victory in their first game of the International Champions Cup.
Wayne Rooney’s first-half brace sandwiched a Juan Mata finish for United, with one of the Englishman’s coming via penalty and the other coming on an outside-the-box curler.
Roma’s response started in the 75th, when Pjanic unleashed a long-distance strike from his own half that soared over an out-of-position Ben Amos. Totti added a penalty in the 89th, but the Italian side failed to muster another goal to complete the comeback.
INTER TOP REAL MADRID ON PENALTIES
Inter Milan beat Real Madrid on penalty kicks Saturday in Berkeley, Calif. for each side’s opening match of the International Champions Cup. See SBI’s match report here.
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What do you think of the results? Which sides stood out to you during Saturday’s action?
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