Brian Branch Price / AP

AC Milan's Andriy Shevchenko, center, reacts after scoring the tying goal late in the second half against Manchester United Saturday. Shevchenko free kick gave Milan the 9-8 victory.

updated 11:58 a.m. ET Aug. 1, 2004

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Andriy Shevchenko deflected in a free kick in the 90th minute and AC Milan beat Manchester United 9-8 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie Saturday, sending the English FA Cup champion home from its three-game U.S. exhibition tour without a victory.

The late equalizer frustrated Manchester United, which lost to Bayern Munich on penalty kicks July 25 in Chicago following a 0-0 tie and lost to Glasgow Celtic 2-1 in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

United goalkeeper Tim Howard sent the final penalty attempt off the left post, giving the Italian League champions the victory.

Shevchenko’s goal set up the penalty finish, redirecting Kaka’s free kick from just outside the left side of the penalty area at the 6-yard box.

The game was the first of two in the United States for AC Milan, which plays Chelsea on Monday in Philadelphia before returning to Italy.

Milan then faces Lazio in Tripoli, Libya, in the Italian Super Cup on Aug. 21 before beginning the Italian League season on Sept. 12.

Paul Scholes, who arrived Thursday to bolster a Manchester United roster that was still without several of its most notable players, gave United the lead in the 33rd minute.

Alessandro Nesta tried to knock down David Bellion’s cross into the penalty area, but instead side-footed the ball into the middle, where Scholes ran onto it and beat goalkeeper Dida from near the penalty spot.

Manchester United next plays a week from Sunday in the Community Shield against Premier League champion Arsenal before beginning its Champions League qualifying campaign against either MSK Zilino or Dinamo Bucharest Aug. 10-11. It opens its league season Aug. 15 against Chelsea.

On a humid, 84-degree day, both sides played sloppily, sending wayward passes and poorly finishing the handful of quality chances they created.

Ryan Giggs hesitated when a deflected ball came to his feet in the penalty area in the 44th, and Hernan Crespo failed on Milan’s best opportunity before Shevchenko’s goal in the 70th, when Cafu played a short cross but Crespo’s touch only slowed the ball for Howard to cover.

Unlike United, Milan began with a regular starting 11, but both sides substituted freely in the second half.

The game drew an announced crowd of 74,511 to Giants Stadium, about 4,500 fewer than Manchester United’s appearance last year when it played Juventus. United averaged 62,682 for its three games, down from the 67,885 it attracted lasted year on its U.S. tour.

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