TORONTO — Yannick Djaló scored two first-half goals and Sporting Clube de Portugal went on to defeat Juventus 2-1 in their Herbalife World Football Challenge match before 10,028 at BMO Field on Saturday night.
Alessandro Del Piero pulled one back for Juventus in the second half.
The Bianconeri had the first chance of the match just five minutes in, when Milos Krasic took a shot from out of the right side of the box was side to the left after he took a headed pass from Fabio Quagliarella.
The Italian side would pay for their inaccuracy. Sporting, who are more advanced in their preseason preparations, showed they were the sharper side throughout much of the match, beginning in the 13th minute. Yannick opened the scoring thanks to a feed from US international Oguchi Onyewu.
Onyewu, making his first start for his new club, headed the ball to Yannick who, from the center of the box, fired home a right-footed shot into the lower-right corner for the lead.
Sporting continued to press the issue after scoring, and it took Yannick 23 minutes to strike again, this time on a left-footed shot from outside the box that found the lower right corner.
Only occasionally did Juventus look dangerous, but when they did have a chance to score, they struggled to find the target.
Just before the half, Krasic served up a cross from the right flank that Claudio Marchisio headed wide of the left post from just six-yards out.
The teams substituted liberally at the half, and it resulted in Juventus finding more of the ball and more of the chances.
The Bianconeri finally put the ball in the goal about 15 minutes into the second half, but it was ruled offside.
Determined to not go away empty-handed, Juventus kept pressing as the match progressed. In the 68th minute, Elio De Silvestro burst down the left wing and let loose a shot, but his attempt went just wide of the far post.
It took a classy finish from Del Piero in the 79th minute to get Juventus on the board. The former Italian national-teamer, who entered the game at halftime to an ovation, collected a through ball from Jorge Martínez and chipped a nice shot from just outside of the box over 'keeper Marcelo Boeck and into the top left corner.
In the dying moments of the match, Boeck was forced into a nice save, tipping the ball over the crossbar to give Sporting the win.
The match was Sporting's only participation in the World Football Challenge. Juventus, on the other hand, will play Mexican sides Club America and Guadalajara on July 26 and 28, respectively.
