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Dutch giants eliminated from Champions hunt
Middlesbrough stuns Chelsea with injury time winner
Aug. 24, 2006. 01:00 AM
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Four-time European champion Ajax was ousted from European Champions League qualifying yesterday, losing 2-0 at home to FC Copenhagen.
Ajax had a 2-1 lead heading into the second leg of its third-round qualifying match at its Amsterdam Arena, but fell behind when Michael Silberbauer scored in the 59th minute.
That tied the aggregate score and Copenhagen went ahead when Ajax defender Thomas Vermaelen put the ball in his own net in the 77th minute.
The result sends Copenhagen to the lucrative group stage of the Champions League at the expense of Ajax, which won the European Cup from 1971-73 and in 1995.
Arsenal, which lost to Barcelona in last season's final, also advanced to the group stage with a late goal that gave it a 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb — the club's first victory at its new stadium.
The Gunners advanced on a 4-1 aggregate score and reached the group stage for the ninth year in a row.
Lille, Spartak Moscow, Galatasaray, Dynamo Kiev, Steaua Bucharest, CSKA Moscow, Levski Sofia, Shakhtar Donetsk and AEK Athens also advanced to the group stage after their second-leg, third qualifying-round matches.
They joined former winners AC Milan, Liverpool, Benfica and Hamburg, who advanced on Tuesday, along with Valencia.
Arsenal started a second-choice team, with Thierry Henry on the bench and goalkeeper Jens Lehmann not even dressed. Disgruntled defender Ashley Cole — seeking a move to Chelsea, also wasn't dressed, nor was Jose Antonio Reyes, a target for Real Madrid.
Arsenal had numerous chances, and were steadied by the arrival of Henry in the 65th minute. Fredrik Ljungberg headed a cross from Robin van Persie in the 77th minute for the equalizer.
Henry helped set up the winner, crossing to substitute Theo Walcott, who sent the ball to Mathieu Flamini to score in injury time.
"We were an inexperienced side and we won," Ljungburg said. "Maybe we didn't start as sharp as we could, but we were playing on a big pitch and need patience compared to Highbury."
ENGLAND: Middlesbrough scored twice in the final 10 minutes and rallied to beat Chelsea 2-1 yesterday, leaving Manchester United alone atop the English Premier League standings.
Two-time defending champion Chelsea led on a 16th-minute goal from Andriy Shevchenko before Emanuel Pogatetz equalized and substitute Mark Viduka scored in injury time to win it for Middlesbrough.
Manchester United moved ahead with a 3-0 win at Charlton. In other matches, it was Aston Villa 2 Reading 1, Blackburn 1 Everton 1, Fulham 1 Bolton 1, and Manchester City 0 Portsmouth 0.
Shevchenko scored against the run of play, converting a cross from Wayne Bridge. He also had a free kick palmed away by 'Boro goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer in the first half.
Chelsea midfielder Arjen Robben was injured during the warmup and replaced by new acquisition Salomon Kalou, who missed a scoring chance just before halftime.
Pogatetz headed in Fabio Rochemback's free kick in the 80th minute and Viduka scored from close range past goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini to give manager Gareth Southgate his first win as a manager in the Premier League.
Southgate, 35, retired as a player after last season.
At Charlton, Darren Fletcher gave Manchester United the lead in the 49th minute. Louis Saha scored the second in the 80th, and substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made it 3-0 in injury time.
United played without Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes, both starting their three-match suspensions for being sent off in pre-season games at a tournament in the Netherlands.
ITALY: Alessandro Del Piero scored the go-ahead goal 15 seconds after entering his first official game since the World Cup, giving Juventus a 2-1 win over Cesena in the second round of the Italian Cup.
Cesena went ahead on Federico Balzaretti's own goal 23 minutes in, but newly signed forward Valeri Bojinov tied the score in the 45th. Del Piero put Juventus ahead in the 74th off a rebound of David Trezeguet's header following Pavel Nedved's corner kick.
While the top clubs have byes, Juventus was forced to play the opening rounds as a result of its demotion to Serie B in the Italian match-fixing scandal.
Dutch giants eliminated from Champions hunt
Middlesbrough stuns Chelsea with injury time winner
Aug. 24, 2006. 01:00 AM
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Four-time European champion Ajax was ousted from European Champions League qualifying yesterday, losing 2-0 at home to FC Copenhagen.
Ajax had a 2-1 lead heading into the second leg of its third-round qualifying match at its Amsterdam Arena, but fell behind when Michael Silberbauer scored in the 59th minute.
That tied the aggregate score and Copenhagen went ahead when Ajax defender Thomas Vermaelen put the ball in his own net in the 77th minute.
The result sends Copenhagen to the lucrative group stage of the Champions League at the expense of Ajax, which won the European Cup from 1971-73 and in 1995.
Arsenal, which lost to Barcelona in last season's final, also advanced to the group stage with a late goal that gave it a 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb — the club's first victory at its new stadium.
The Gunners advanced on a 4-1 aggregate score and reached the group stage for the ninth year in a row.
Lille, Spartak Moscow, Galatasaray, Dynamo Kiev, Steaua Bucharest, CSKA Moscow, Levski Sofia, Shakhtar Donetsk and AEK Athens also advanced to the group stage after their second-leg, third qualifying-round matches.
They joined former winners AC Milan, Liverpool, Benfica and Hamburg, who advanced on Tuesday, along with Valencia.
Arsenal started a second-choice team, with Thierry Henry on the bench and goalkeeper Jens Lehmann not even dressed. Disgruntled defender Ashley Cole — seeking a move to Chelsea, also wasn't dressed, nor was Jose Antonio Reyes, a target for Real Madrid.
Arsenal had numerous chances, and were steadied by the arrival of Henry in the 65th minute. Fredrik Ljungberg headed a cross from Robin van Persie in the 77th minute for the equalizer.
Henry helped set up the winner, crossing to substitute Theo Walcott, who sent the ball to Mathieu Flamini to score in injury time.
"We were an inexperienced side and we won," Ljungburg said. "Maybe we didn't start as sharp as we could, but we were playing on a big pitch and need patience compared to Highbury."
ENGLAND: Middlesbrough scored twice in the final 10 minutes and rallied to beat Chelsea 2-1 yesterday, leaving Manchester United alone atop the English Premier League standings.
Two-time defending champion Chelsea led on a 16th-minute goal from Andriy Shevchenko before Emanuel Pogatetz equalized and substitute Mark Viduka scored in injury time to win it for Middlesbrough.
Manchester United moved ahead with a 3-0 win at Charlton. In other matches, it was Aston Villa 2 Reading 1, Blackburn 1 Everton 1, Fulham 1 Bolton 1, and Manchester City 0 Portsmouth 0.
Shevchenko scored against the run of play, converting a cross from Wayne Bridge. He also had a free kick palmed away by 'Boro goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer in the first half.
Chelsea midfielder Arjen Robben was injured during the warmup and replaced by new acquisition Salomon Kalou, who missed a scoring chance just before halftime.
Pogatetz headed in Fabio Rochemback's free kick in the 80th minute and Viduka scored from close range past goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini to give manager Gareth Southgate his first win as a manager in the Premier League.
Southgate, 35, retired as a player after last season.
At Charlton, Darren Fletcher gave Manchester United the lead in the 49th minute. Louis Saha scored the second in the 80th, and substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made it 3-0 in injury time.
United played without Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes, both starting their three-match suspensions for being sent off in pre-season games at a tournament in the Netherlands.
ITALY: Alessandro Del Piero scored the go-ahead goal 15 seconds after entering his first official game since the World Cup, giving Juventus a 2-1 win over Cesena in the second round of the Italian Cup.
Cesena went ahead on Federico Balzaretti's own goal 23 minutes in, but newly signed forward Valeri Bojinov tied the score in the 45th. Del Piero put Juventus ahead in the 74th off a rebound of David Trezeguet's header following Pavel Nedved's corner kick.
While the top clubs have byes, Juventus was forced to play the opening rounds as a result of its demotion to Serie B in the Italian match-fixing scandal.