WUHAN – Kick-off finally arrived and Inter Forever did not disappoint. The second Nerazzurri match of the Chinese tour ended with an 0-5 victory over Hubei. However, the result belies the fact that Inter Forever were made to work hard for the victory in front of a sizeable crowd; the Chinese outfit were thoroughly well-drilled throughout.
After a steady start, Suazo scored the first Nerazzurri goal after a sumptuous Djorkaeff assist. Soon after, with Hubei pushing for an equaliser, Inter countered through Suazo. Hiang, the keeper, came steaming out of his area and brought the striker down in a desperate attempt to prevent him from shooting. The referee had no choice but to give him his marching orders.
With the heat sweltering, Inter Forever were visibly tired despite their one-man advantage. Already without Figo, who suffered an abductor strain in the warm-up, Inter then lost Fresi and Galante shortly before half-time. The Nerazzurri needed their captain Toldo, who kept out everything that the Chinese side threw at his goal.
Not long into the second half, Suazo expertly sprung the offside trap to run through one-on-one with the keeper, who brought the Inter man down for a clear penalty. Kallon dispatched the spot kick to make it 2-0.
The goal seemed to break Hubei’s resistance, and the Nerazzurri scored their third through a scintillating right-footed thirty-yard effort from Ousmane Dabo. That would’ve been the end of it, but Youri Djorkaeff had other ideas.
The Frenchman completed a man of the match performance with a magnificent late brace. The 1998 World Cup winner demonstrated his immortal quality for all the Chinese Nerazzurri fans to see.
After the match, Colonnese and Francesco Toldo spoke to the press. There were sincere thanks for the exceptionally warm welcome and great support from the organisers and the club’s partners at Pirelli.
Inter Forever leave China aware that many other important trips await them. For now, it’s arrivederci to China and the Far East!
