Juventus prevailed on Wednesday in a penalty shootout by 3-5 to the Stars of the United States Soccer Professional League (MLS) in the annual exhibition game played this time in Atlanta and in which time a tie was given to a goal.
At 21 minutes the Italian champion went ahead in the fourteenth edition that brings together the best values of the MLS through striker Andrea Favilli.
The team of the Stars matched five minutes later through the young Venezuelan striker Josef Martinez of Atlanta United.
Argentine coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino of Atlanta United, who led the All-Star team, started a rotation in his eleven to make room for the 26 selected players.
They played twelve Latin Americans, including six that made headlines, led by Martinez, leading scorer of the MLS with 24 goals and the favorite of local fans.
The coach of Juventus, Massimiliano Allegri, on reaching the break also introduced eight changes and completed two more from minute 65.
The offensive football generated resulted in 17 shots on goal for the Italian champion and 16 of the MLS Stars.
In the penalty shoot-out the Italian champion got all five shots through Nicolo Fagioli, Stefano Beltrame, Grigoris Kastanos, Leandro Fernandes and Mattia De Sciglio.
By the local they marked Graham Zusi, Yoshimar Yotún and Diego Valeri. Englishman Bradley Wright-Phillips failed so it was no longer necessary for him to throw his teammate in the fifth after Sciglio had scored.
The game was seen in the grandstands of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta by 72,317 spectators, a mark for the stage, which is also the field of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL).
The record of attendance surpassed that of the Reliant Stadium of Houston that in the edition of this match in 2010 with Manchester United gathered 70,728 people.
– Data sheet:
1. MLS stars: Brad Guzan (m.46, Zack Steffen); Michael Murillo (m.55, Grahan Zusi), Aaron Long (m.62, Michael Parkhurst), Laurent Ciman (m.46, Matt Hedges), Francisco Calvo (m.32, Alphonso Davies, m.63, Yoshimar Yotun) ; Tyler Adams (m.32, Jonathan dos Santos, m.62, Wilfried Zahibo), Alexander Ring (m.46, Ilie Sánchez); Carlos Vela (m.46, Alberth Elis), Miguel Almirón (m.46, Diego Valeri), Ignacio Piatti (m.32, Ezequiel Barco, Darwin Quintero); and Josef Martínez (m.32, Sebastián Giovinco, m.62, Bradley Wright-Phillips).
Coach: Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino.
1. Juventus: Wojciech Szczesny (m.46, Mattia Perin); João Cancelo (m.74, Alessandro Di Pardo), Daniele Rugani, Andrea Barzagli (m.46, Medhi Benatia), Alex Sandro (m.46, Mattia De Sciglio); Sami Khedira (m.46, Nicolo Fagioli), Miralem Pjanic (m.46, Leandro Fernandes), Emre Can (m.46, Grigoris Kastanos); Federico Bernardeschi (m.46, Luca Clemenza), Andrea Favilli (m.46, Stefano Beltrame) and Matheus Pereira (m.65, Pietro Beruatto).
Coach: Massimiliano Allegri.
Goals: 0-1, m.21: Andrea Favilli. 1-1, m.26: Josef Martínez.
Referee: The American Pole Robert Sibiga who showed yellow card to Alex Sandro and Leandro Fernandes.
Incidents: Fourteenth edition of the MLS All-Star Game played at the Mercedes-Benz in Atlanta before 72,317 spectators.
