HT: MANCHESTER UNITED 1-0 PORTSMOUTH
Paul Scholes 7'.....
Welcome to the Community Shield match live from the New Wembley Stadium between League winners
Manchester United and FA Cup winners Portsmouth. Manchester United are the favourites to retain the
Community Shield by the bookies while the Portsmouth could also create a surprise. Manchester United-
3/4, Portsmouth 5/1.
TEAM NEWS
Surprising to see Manchester United to go with three up front with Dimitar Berbatov making his Manchester
United debut. While for Portsmouth Crouch and Belhadj make their debuts
Manchester United: Van Der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand(C), Vidic, Evra, Hargreaves, Scholes, Carrick,
Rooney, Tevez, Berbatov. Subs: Foster, Rafael, Nani, Anderson, Fletcher, Giggs, O'Shea
Portsmouth: James, Belhadj, Campbell(C), Distin, Hreidarsson, Diop, Hughes, Diarra, Kranjcar, Crouch,
Defoe. Subs: Ashdown, Kanu, Utaka, Johnson, Kaboul, Lauren, Mvuemba
1'-
Kick off 1st half
3'- Chance for Manchester United. Positional Error of Sol Campbell in the Portsmouth defence. Dimitar
Berbatov gets the ball, is pressured by Hermann Hreidarsson but the Bulgarian ultimately thwarted by
David James.
4'- Michael Carrick fires a free kick into the Portsmouth wall.
6'- Sol Campbell heads a firm cross by Dimitar Berbatov over his own goal to avert a very dangerous
situation.
7'-
GOALL!!! A wonderful counter attack by Manchester United. Dimitar Berbatov heads towards David
James on his own and lays the ball off to Paul Scholes before he reaches the keeper. He keeps his nerve,
jinks past the keeper and then taps the ball into the empty net.
12'- For the first time the defence of Manchester United looks a bit shaky there! Good play by Nadir
Belhadj. He leaves two opponents standing then he tries to get in a shot but only produces a fairly
harmless low drive. Edwin Van Der Sar has no trouble making a routine save.
13'- Peter Crouch shoots but the ball is not quite over the line. Referee and his assistant had a good
view of that and rightly did not award a goal there.
15'- Wes Brown follows that up well and pressurizes Herman Hreidarsson. he manages to win a throw-in
for his team.
17'- Carlos Tevez makes it easy for Herman Hreidarsson to dispossess him there. He should have simply
passes the ball.
21'- Owen Hargreaves makes a good last ditch clearance before Jermain Defor can get to the ball.
Otherwise that could have been a good chance.
23'- Papa Bouba Diop corner kick is dangerously arrowed in towards the penalty area and the ball
finally lands at the feet of Sylvain Distin who had pushed upfield following a headed clearance by
Nemanja Vidic. He instantly fires in a shot but Van Der Sar gets down to it and can parry away.
28'-
Sol Campbell fouls Carlos Tevez with a hard challenge and is the show the first yellow card of
the match.
31'-
Clear handball in the midfield by Richard Hughes. This is rightly punished with a yellow card.
32'- Dimitar Berbatov breaks free on the right and then crosses to Paul Scholes, but David James
comes off his line and safely plucks the high ball out of the air.
45+1'-
Whistle is blown to end the 1st half. Manchester United have the lead.
Thank You for following the game we will return for all the live action from the second half after a
short break.Stay Tuned to SKY SPORTS
