Share

Rousing welcome for Terry

New York - Former England captain John Terry received a rousing reception at his first match since his acquittal on racism charges on Sunday as European champions Chelsea played to a 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain.

The friendly match between two of the world's richest clubs was played at new Yankee Stadium, the $1.5 billion ballpark that opened in 2009 as the new home of the storied Major League Baseball Club the New York Yankees.

Both clubs received goals from Brazilians, Chelsea forward Lucas Piazon converting a cross by another Brazilian, Ramires, for the equaliser in the 82nd minute.

Nene had scored a goal off a rebound in the box after 30 minutes to give the lead to a PSG side that dominated the first half.

Terry, captain Premier League giants Chelsea, was given a standing ovation by overwhelmingly pro-Chelsea crowd of 38 000 when he entered the match in the 63rd minute.

Terry was found not guilty of racially abusing rival player Anton Ferdinand at the end of a five-day trial at Westminster Magistrates Court in London on July 13.

In another sub-plot, Carlo Ancelotti, who took over as manager of French club PSG in January, was facing the club that sacked him in May of 2011.

PSG delivered an energetic first half with a line up that included four pure attackers: Ezequiel Lavezzi, Nene, Kevin Gameiro and Javier Pastore.

In the third minute, a long pass from the right flank found Lavezzi wide open in the box. Chelsea keeper Petr Cech was forced to come off his line to thwart the Argentinian's effort.

Nene combined with Lavezzi for a high shot in the 19th and with his captain, right back Christophe Jallet, who mis-fired eight minutes later.

Nene's outstanding work was rewarded with his goal in the 30th minute. Pastore brought the ball down the left side, eluding three players before firing a shot that bounced off the post and to Nene, who fired into the back of the net from close range.

However, PSG lost their momentum after making eight substitutions to start the second half.

Wholesale second-half substitutions helped Chelsea, however, paying off with the 82nd minute goal from Piazon, who collected a cross from Ramires and slotted the ball inside the left post.

Chelsea continue their North American tour in Philadelphia on Wednesday when they take on the Major League Soccer All-Stars in the US league's annual All Star Game exhibition.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
loading... Live
Dolphins 145/5
Warriors RSA 161/4
loading... Live
Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Manchester City 1
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
64% - 443 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
36% - 246 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE