SPORTS

Hosts Ajax Amsterdam beat Inter Milan 3-0

By Theo Ruizenaar
August 04, 2003 11:40 IST

Hosts Ajax Amsterdam beat Inter Milan 3-0 on Sunday to win the Amsterdam tournament for the third consecutive year.

Steven Pienaar, Rafael van der Vaart and Wamberto hit Ajax's goals in an impressive performance by Ronald Koeman's side.

Earlier, Liverpool had England midfielder Steven Gerrard and striker Neil Mellor sent off in a 2-1 defeat by Turkey's Galatasaray.

Ajax, who drew 0-0 with Liverpool on Friday, went ahead four minutes into the second half when Van der Vaart fed Pienaar and the South African fired past Francesco Toldo.

Seven minutes later Van der Vaart increased the lead. Ajax's 20-year-old captain gave Toldo no chance after Pienaar knocked back a cross from substitute Jari Litmanen.

Former Ajax winger Andy van der Meyde, who signed for Inter earlier this month, went close to pulling a goal back but fired narrowly over from a good position.

Wamberto put the gloss on the win when he was unselfishly set up by Van der Vaart to net a third in stoppage time.

Ajax were deemed winners of the tournament with rules giving three points for a win, one for a draw and a point for every goal scored.

Galatasaray secured victory over Liverpool with two well-taken goals as the English Premier League side finished the game with nine men, Mellor and Gerrard dismissed in the last five minutes of a bad-tempered game.

Mellor was handed a straight red card for clattering into Gabriel Tamas, while Gerrard followed 60 seconds later for dissent.

Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier said he did not expect either player to be banned because the match was a friendly.

"The only good thing about tonight is that the red cards won't have any consequences," Houllier said.

"We didn't play so well and showed rather tired in this phase of the pre-season."

Brazilian midfielder Joao Batista had fired the Turkish side on 21 minutes ahead before England striker Emile Heskey equalised with a header on 36. Cesar Prates thumped home the winner six minutes before halftime with a superb free kick.

Theo Ruizenaar
Source: REUTERS
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