Sports / Soccer |
Man United holds Chelsea to tie(AP)Updated: 2007-05-10 08:52 LONDON - Manager Jose Mourinho was ordered from the bench 10 minutes from the end of Chelsea's 0-0 tie with Manchester United on Wednesday in the Premier League. Having been forced to listen to Red Devils fans taunt him over their league title, Mourinho had to watch the last few minutes among the crowd after referee Graham Poll told him to leave for overreacting to a United foul. From his seat behind the bench, he then saw his players waste late chances. Before the game, Chelsea players stood in two lines in tribute to the Red Devils' league title, applauding United as it took the field. The two clubs will also meet in the FA Cup final at Wembley on May 19. With nothing at stake Wednesday in terms of the league championship, Mourinho and Alex Ferguson rested several key players. With such players as leading scorer Didier Drogba, Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack missing because of injury, Chelsea left out goalkeeper Petr Cech and Frank Lampard. United rested Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs, and had Wayne Rooney, Edwin van der Sar, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes on the bench. Rooney and Carrick appeared in the second half. China striker Dong Fangzhuo made his first competitive start for Manchester United but did little to impress his fans. He was replaced by Rooney with 17 minutes to go. Late in the game, United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak made two one-handed diving saves to keep out shots by Salomon Kalou and Lassana Diarra. But he scared his own teammates when he dropped a cross from Joe Cole under no pressure four minutes from the end and was thankful to see a follow up shot fly wide. When the Poland goalkeeper missed another corner in the final minute, Wayne Bridge's low shot was kicked off the line. ___ ROME (AP) — AS Roma beat two-time defending champion Inter Milan 6-2 in the first leg of the Italian Cup final. Christian Panucci scored two goals and Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi, Simone Perrotta and Amantino Mancini added the others. Hernan Crespo scored both of Inter's goals. "We're all happy this evening but it's only the first leg," Roma coach Luciano Spalletti said. "As often happens when we score so many, we also concede goals." The second leg of the home-and-home, total goals series is May 17. Roma, which lost to Inter in the last two finals, is bidding to win its first Italian Cup title since 1991. ___ SEVILLE, Spain (AP) — Sevilla reached the Copa del Rey final for the first time in 45 years with a 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna. Sergio Duda and Javier Chevanton scored in the first half of the second leg of the semifinals at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium to send Sevilla through 5-0 on total goals in the home-and-home, total-goals series. Sevilla, which has also reached the UEFA Cup final, will play FC Barcelona or Getafe in the final at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on June 23. Barcelona leads Getafe 5-2 ahead of Thursday's second leg. Sevilla has won the Copa del Rey three times, last in 1948. ___ AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — SC Heerenveen beat Ajax 1-0 in the Dutch league playoffs, which decide who gets to join champion PSV Eindhoven in next season's Champions League. Lasse Nilsson scored the only goal in the 18th minute. AZ Alkmaar was held to a 1-1 tie by FC Twente in the other playoff. Simon Cziommer gave AZ the lead in the 13th, but Kennedy Bakircioglu tied the score in the second half. The teams that win the home-and-home, total-goals series will face each other for a spot in the Champions League. The others will play in the UEFA Cup. ___ PARIS (AP) — Eight-time French champion Nantes was relegated to the second division despite beating Bordeaux 1-0, ending 44 seasons in France's top league. Sedan also dropped down after losing at Lille 2-1. French champion Lyon beat Lens 3-0 on goals from Sidney Govou, Juninho and Alou Diarra. Lyon, which has won six straight titles, has 78 points from 38 games — 20 points ahead of second-place Marseille, which beat visiting Nancy 2-1. |
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