Injury-hit Borussia Dortmund beat Brazil's Cruzeiro 2-0 in Tokyo yesterday to win the Inter-Continental Cup for the first time. The Germans, who arrived here only three days ago, led the Belo Horizonte side 1-0 at half-time after veteran midfielder Michael Zorc scored in the 34th minute.
Heiko Herrlich, who scored in Dortmund's 4-1 win over Turkey's Galatasaray at home last Thursday in the European Champions' League, fired home in the 85th minute to ensure the victory at the National Stadium.
Dortmund, with six leading players sidelined by injuries, are the second German team to lift the world club title after Bayern Munich, in 1976, also overcame Cruzeiro.
"To tell you the truth, I knew little about Cruzerio," Dortmund's Italian coach Nevio Scala said afterwards. "I tried to get the team play their kind of game."
German playmaker Andreas Moeller said: "We came with a calm frame of mind. And the first goal came on one of few chances." he said.
Dortmund squandered three free-kicks, two by Moeller, while Cruzeiro struggled to push long passes through on a wet pitch after an evening shower at the floodlit National Stadium.
But Moeller set up the opening goal when he sent a free kick to Stephane Chapuisat down the left. The Swiss international lobbed the ball into the area and 35-yearold Zorc scored with his left foot.
Dortmund stepped up the pressure with Moeller's header going wide and Chapuisat shooting straight into Cruizero 'keeper Dida from an acute angle.
Cruzeiro came charged back with Bebeto, one of one of the heroes of Brazil's 1994 World Cup victory, showing the way.
But the 33-year-old international, here on a rental contract after failing to find a new club after parting with Vitoria, failed with a 30-yard free-kick in the 60th minute.
Cruzeiro defender Victor was sent off in the 67th minute when he received his second yellow card for tripping. Herrlich then scored the insurance goal.
Dortmund beat Juventus of Italy, the 1996 world club champions, 3-1 for their first European Champions' League title at Munich last May.
"We played the way we planned in the first half to control the game. We missed a few scoring chances," Cruzeiro head coach Nilsinho said. "But Dortmund tightened up their defence later to break up our passes."
