UNITED KINGDOM: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Manchester United and Chelsea react after Community Shield goes to penalties

Champions Manchester United beat FA Cup holders Chelsea 3-0 on penalties to lift the Community Shield on Sunday (August 5) following a 1-1 draw at the end of 90 minutes. United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was their hero after saving three penalties in the shootout leaving Wayne Rooney to score with the decisive spot kick at Wembley. Stalwart Ryan Giggs gave United a 35th minute lead with a sweetly-struck shot but Chelsea's new France winger Florent Malouda levelled with a fine solo goal just before halftime. Neither side created a clear-cut chance after the break, leaving the traditional curtain-raiser to be settled by a shootout in front of a crowd of more than 80,000. The penalty from England striker Rooney, whose team had lost that FA Cup final in May, gave United first blood in what is set to be another long battle between the two clubs for honours. After the game, Giggs said new signing Carlos Tevez will make the squad even stronger. "Well, I think it's an extra dimension really. We've got plenty of attacking options. In training mid-week he looked really good. You see towards the end of last season what ability he's got with West Ham, creating goals, scoring goals. So, the managers have got plenty of options, specially upfront," Giggs told reporters. Chelsea started with an unusual lineup because main striker Didier Drogba, captain John Terry and midfielder Claude Makelele were all sidelined, while forwards Andriy Shevchenko and Salomon Kalou were also missing. "John and Didier, we'll have to see how they are in the next couple of weeks but we have to get on with it," team captain Frank Lampard said. Terry's place in central defence went to new Israeli signing Tal Ben Haim, while the gap up front was unconvincingly filled by winger Joe Cole in a strike role. "I think we need to look forward to next Sunday. We want to perform very good this year and all the players have a desire to start the first game already," Ben Haim said after the match. Both sides needed time to find any real rhythm and it took over 20 minutes for the first chance to fall to Giggs, whose close-range effort was blocked. Left back Patrice Evra worked a neat one-two with Ronaldo before cutting the ball back in a crowded area and Giggs lashed home a rising first time shot. It was a superbly-taken goal and a comfortable United side looked good value for their lead. Chelsea levelled against the run of play when Malouda broke down the left and hooked the ball round Rio Ferdinand before steering it past Van der Sar. The frustration for United was palpable, with Rooney getting a yellow card in stoppage time for a clumsy challenge on goalkeeper Petr Cech. It remained tight after the break, with both managers looking to add bite from the substitutes' bench. It all went wrong for Chelsea in the shootout with Van der Sar saving from Pizarro, Frank Lampard and Shaun Wright-Phillips -- leaving Rooney to add to strikes from Ferdinand and Michael Carrick and wrap up victory in the shootout. While some will see the match as a preview to the league rivalry between the two clubs, Manchester United assistant coach Carlos Queiros said the victory was more important than the opponent. "It's always important to win. It doesn't matter if it's against Chelsea. At the end of the day, it's a trophy, right?" Queiros said.

ITN Source | August 6, 2007

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