THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — For Fiorentina’s Stevan Jovetic, scoring the winning goal against a soccer giant was the perfect finish to his season.
The 20-year-old rocketed home a 25-yard strike in the 17th minute as Fiorentina defeated Juventus 1-0 in a soccer friendly between Italian Serie A sides Tuesday.
"It was a long flight, 10 hours, from Italy to Canada, but you can’t not be motivated against Juventus," said Jovetic. "I received the ball, moved it to the right, took a shot and it went in."
Both teams fielded sides featuring few of their regular starters. Only forwards Diego, Amauri and Allesandro Del Piero started as many as 18 games for Juventus in the just-completed Italian season.
Jovetic, Marco Marchionni and goaltender Sebastien Frey were the only regulars to start for Fiorentina in front of a largely pro-Juventus crowd of 21,122 at Rogers Centre.
Despite clear skies and warm weather, the roof on Toronto’s cavernous retractable-roof stadium remained closed throughout the evening. Silvio D’Addario, vice-president of events for Rogers Centre, said there was a glitch in the computer software that controls the opening and closing of the roof.
Fiorentina had the game’s first good scoring chance when Babacar Khovha shot high and wide from well out in the third minute.
Juventus’s first clear opportunity came in the 10th minute when Diego worked a short cross to an uncovered Amauri near the goal-line, but the sprawling striker was unable to connect.
Five minutes later, Fiorentina’s Marchionni stepped into a good low drive that went wide on the near side.
Two minutes after giving his side the lead, Jovetic neatly snagged a difficult ball on the edge of the Juventus penalty area and laid it on nicely for a charging Francesco DiTacchio, but the Fiorentina striker’s shot was deflected wide. On the ensuing corner kick, Fiorentina’s Cesare Natali forced a fine point-blank save from Juventus goalkeeper Alexander Manninger.
Del Piero, who received the largest cheer before the match, fired well over the crossbar right on the stroke of halftime.
"Natural grass is a lot better than synthetic surfaces," Del Piero said after the match, sharply criticizing the playing conditions at Rogers Centre. "But the atmosphere was great, and I am happy the fans were so enthusiastic."
There were very few scoring chances in the second half. Amauri of Juventus was dispossessed trying to weave through the Fiorentina defence in the 54th minute. A moment later, DiTacchio fired just high and wide at the other end.
In the 78th minute, the fans began chanting loudly for Juventus striker David Trezeguet to enter the game, but the legendary French international remained on the Juventus bench.
Yago Falque Silva of Juventus fired a dangerous free kick just wide from the right side in the 83rd minute. A moment later, teammate Michele Paolucci came up short in another wide-open attempt to tie the match.