| Match Pictures | Matches: 2000 – 2001 | 2000-2001 Pictures |
Trivia
- The winter shutdown meant that Celtic could take their players off to the Florida sunshine to relax and get a couple of friendly matches plated.
Review
The signs looked ominous early on as American keeper Troy Perkins had to save a fierce effort from Johnson.
But it took just seven minutes for the striker to find the back of the net when he fired home a left-foot shot from Alan Thompson's quickly-taken free kick.
Celtic defender Ramon Vega and Johnson again both went close to netting again soon after their opener but the Celtic were threatening to run riot.
Johnson made amends for his earlier wastefulness in the 21st minute when he emphatically fired home Didier Agathe's right-wing cross.
The Americans stunned Celtic and pulled a goal back when Jonathon Alva-Calvera unleashed an unstoppable drive past Jonathan Gould.
But Celtic continued to press forward in search of goals. Sutton was unlucky to see his header – from Thompson's corner – come back off the crossbar, and Johnson blazed the rebound wide.
Celtic reclaimed the two-goal advantage in the 33rd minute when Jackie McNamara crossed for Sutton to coolly fire home at the near post.
O'Neill made changes to his side at the break, including the withdrawal of Johnson, but it was still one-way traffic.
And it took just three minutes for Lubo Moravcik to get in on the act with a cool finish past Perkins from a tight angle, which went in despite the desperate attempts of an American defender on the line.Moravcik, also grabbed his second of the night in the 70th minute when he took a pass from Henrik Larsson in his stride before slotting home.
Teams
University of South Florida Bulls:-
Perkins, Strump, Cowherd, Ortega, Alva-Cavero, Salgado, Valencia, Martina, Krauss, Cudgeon, Ambush.
Goal:- Alva-Calvera 27.
Celtic:-
Gould (kharine 45), McNamara (Healy 45), Mjallby (Boyd 45), Vega (Tebily 45), Crainey (Mahe 45), Agathe (Thompson 72), Lambert (Petrov 45), Thompson (Lennon 45), Petta (Smith 45), Sutton (Larsson 45), Johnson (Moravcik 45).
Goals:- Johnson 7, 20, Sutton 32, Moravcik 49, 68.
Att:- A small group of locals.
Ref:
Articles
Pictures
CELTIC REPORTS 2000-2001
Picture Tommy Johnson – posted two-goal reminder.
O'NEILL ANXIOUS TO KEEP BHOYS TOGETHER
By Chris Roberts, PA Sport, Florida
Celtic boss Martin O'Neill is determined to keep hold of the majority of his table-topping squad even though many of his players are nearing the end of their contracts.
O'Neill, currently engaged in a possible swap deal with Bradford that would see Tommy Johnson – one of his players out of contract at the end of the season – heading south and Stan Collymore going in the opposite direction, is anxious his winning formula must not be allowed to disintegrate.
Speaking after his team's 5-1 drubbing of the University of South Florida in Tampa on their mid-season United States tour on Wednesday night, O'Neill had new contract negotiations in mind for his squad.
He said: "I think we will do something before the season starts again but I have not done anything yet.
"We have a number of players who are at the end of their contracts and even some who have a little bit longer to go. It is my plan to sit down and discuss what the future holds.
"But I want to do exactly that and keep these players together and give those players at the end of their deals new contracts. I hope to keep some of the others for a little bit longer."
While two Lubo Moravcik goals, two from Johnson and one from Chris Sutton gave O'Neill's men a comfortable work-out win, the Celtic manager's decision to play Johan Mjallby may have backfired.
The Swedish international has been playing through the pain barrier with a groin strain since the start of the season.
Recently the injury has cleared and it seemed that relaxation over the winter break instead of an operation would cure the problem.
But while Paul Lambert got 45 minutes under his belt after suffering a stress fracture of the ankle in November, Mjallby's injury has returned.
O'Neill said: "Paul Lambert did very well to come through his first football since the operation. It's good to see him back playing again and fit, which is a big boost for the whole squad.
"Everyone else appears to be fine and came through all right apart from Johan Mjallby, who had a wee bit of a problem again with his groin. It's a bit disconcerting for us that this problem has come back now."
Mjallby now looks set to miss tomorrow's friendly against Major League Soccer side Tampa Bay Mutiny, but the rest of the squad are expected to figure at some stage.
O'Neill used 21 players last night but has warned his side to expect a much tougher test tomorrow.
"I expect a very difficult match for a start. But these are ideal preparations for us and for the restart of our own season," he said.
"I expect the game to be difficult and I expect the opposition to be pretty strong, but we will try and play as strongly ourselves.
"The weather has been excellent, the preparation has been great and this sort of trip is something we would love to think we could continue on a more long-term basis.
"I was very pleased indeed with the way it went against the university. This has been the first real get-together since breaking up on January 2, so from every angle I'm delighted."
University of South Florida v Celtic
By Chris Roberts, PA Sport, Tampa
Celtic threatened to run riot with a bag full of goals against their American opponents in Tampa, racing into a 3-1 half-time lead with two strikes from Tommy Johnson and one from Chris Sutton.
The signs looked ominous early on as American keeper Troy Perkins had to save a fierce effort from Johnson, who has been mentioned in a possible swop deal with Bradford's out-of-favour striker Stan Collymore.
But it took just seven minutes for the striker to find the back of the net when he fired home a left-foot shot from Alan Thompson's quickly-taken free kick.
Celtic defender Ramon Vega and Johnson again both went close to netting again soon after their opener but the Parkhead outfit were threatening to run riot.
But Johnson made amends for his earlier wastefulness in the 21st minute when he emphatically fired home Didier Agathe's right-wing cross.
The striker should have sealed a hat-trick a minute later – which would have killed the game off – but he somehow fired wide from Sutton's through ball.
The former Aston Villa man paid the price for his missed chances in the 27th minute when the Americans stunned Celtic to pull a goal back when Jonathon Alva-Calvera unleashed an unstoppable drive past Jonathan Gould.
But the Scottish Premier League leaders continued to press forward in search of goals. Sutton was unlucky to see his header – from Thompson's corner – come back off the crossbar, and Johnson blazed the rebound wide.
Celtic reclaimed the two-goal advantage in the 33rd minute when Jackie McNamara crossed for Sutton to coolly fire home at the near post.
HT University of South Florida 1 Celtic 3
O'Neill made changes to his side at the break, including the withdrawal of Johnson, but it was still one-way traffic.
And it took just three minutes for Lubo Moravcik to get in on the act with a cool finish past Perkins from a tight angle, which went in despite the desperate attempts of an American defender on the line.
Moravcik, like Johnson, also grabbed his second of the night in the 70th minute when he took a pass from Henrik Larsson in his stride before slotting home.