POMPEY SUFFER SHOOT-OUT DEFEAT
Pompey were denied another piece of Wembley silverware, losing 3-1 on penalties after a goalless 90 minutes.
Jermain Defoe was the player to successfully convert his spot-kick with Lassana Diarra, Arnold Mvuemba and Glen Johnson all off target.
Harry Redknapp made three changes from the side that lifted the FA Cup at Wembley 85 days ago.
Defoe, who was cup-tied for that match in May, partnered summer-signing Peter Crouch up front while Papa Bouba Diop slotted into the midfield.
The three players to make way were Kanu, who has a sore thigh, John Utaka and Sulley Muntari, who completed his switch to Inter Milan last month. Linvoy Primus and Glen Little were both absent with knocks.
Diarra had the first shot of the match in only the second minute but his 30-yard thunderbolt flew straight at Rio Ferdinand on the edge of the box.
Nani then went on a dangerous run through the centre but was comfortably muscled off the ball by Sylvain Distin as he advanced on David James’ goal.
James was called into action for the first time on 10 minutes when he punched Vidic’s header over the bar after the defender met Nani’s free-kick from wide on the left.
United were looking the more dangerous side now and Carlos Tevez should have done better when he connected with Darren Fletcher’s cross, but the Argentina striker headed well wide.
Ryan Giggs was next to go close for the Premier League champions after timing his run to perfection to latch onto a through ball, but James narrowed the angle and palmed away the Welsh wizard’s angled drive.
Pompey created an excellent opportunity when Niko Kranjcar found Diop and the Senegal midfielder sent a cross into the area, but no blue shirt was there to take advantage.
The Blues were incredibly lucky not to fall behind on 35 minutes, though. Nani stole the ball off Johnson and crossed into the area towards an unmarked Fletcher.
The midfielder was left with a simple close-range finish but the ball struck his trailing leg and was eventually cleared to safety.
The impressive Nani then raced past Sol Campbell and chipped the ball over James, but Distin was on hand to head the ball behind.
At the other end, Defoe took advantage of Patrice Evra’s slip and ran through on goal, only to send a tame shot well wide of the post.
Half Time: Pompey 0 Manchester United 0
Pompey had another huge let-off just after the interval when Nemanja Vidic’s shot looped over James only to cannon back off the crossbar.
Utaka replaced Niko Kranjcar after 60 minutes and immediately looked dangerous, burning down the left before sending in a cross that drifted just over Crouch’s head.
Either side of that, James made a fine save to deny Tevez and Giggs scuffed a shot straight into the keeper’s arms.
James then made a brilliant save, flinging himself low to his right to palm away a Tevez shot that looked destined to nestle in the bottom corner of the net.
Vidic almost allowed Crouch to put Pompey ahead on 73 minutes when he dallied for far too long on the ball, but the Serb defender recovered well to block the shot.
United felt aggrieved not to have won a penalty when Hermann Hreidarsson tripped Tevez. The striker was then lucky to escape punishment when he reacted by grabbing the Iceland defender by the throat.
Frazier Campbell almost broke the deadlock just moments after coming on as a substitute but after tricking his way pasts several challenges, he blazed high over the bar on 80 minutes.
But there were to be no goals after 90 minutes and with no extra-time being played, the match went straight to a penalty shoot-out.
Diarra stepped up first for the Blues but he fired the ball high over the bar. Tevez then put United ahead, before Defoe levelled the scores.
But Mvuemba saw his shot saved by Edwin van der Sar and Johnson hit the ball over. Giggs and Michael Carrick converted their spot-kicks to win the Community Shield for United.
Campbell led his weary troops up the Wembley steps to collect their runners-up medals.
It may not have been a repeat of those celebratory scenes of 85 days ago but there were enough memories created that day to last a lifetime.
Pompey: James; Johnson, Campbell (c), Distin, Hreidarsson (Lauren 79); Diop, Diarra, Mendes (Mvuemba 76), Kranjcar (Utaka 60); Crouch, Defoe
Booked: Distin
Subs not used: Ashdown, Cranie, Traore, Sahar
Manchester United: van der Sar; Neville (c) (Brown 67), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Fletcher, O’Shea (Carrick 67), Scholes, Nani (Campbell 79); Giggs; Tevez
Booked: Vidic, Neville
Subs not used: Kuszczak, Da Silva, Evans, Possebon
Referee: Peter Walton
Attendance: 84,808
