Guingamp upsets Rennes 2-1 in French Cup final

PARIS (AP) -- Guingamp won its first title in club history when it rallied past Rennes 2-1 in the French Cup final and became the first champion from the second division in 50 years on Saturday.

Le Havre was the last second-division club to win the cup in 1959, and Guingamp coach Victor Zvunka gave his team a late reminder in the dressing room before the match at Stade de France.

"After the tactical discussions, I wrote on the board: '50 years, win the cup and you make history,''' Zvunka said.

But he admitted to being worried after Rennes scored first in the 69th minute, when defender Carlos Bocanegra headed in a free kick by Bruno Cheyrou.

Guingamp, however, equalized three minutes later as Eduardo pounced on a poor clearance from Rennes defender Petter Hansson to shoot past goalkeeper Nicolas Douchez.

"When they scored I was afraid,'' Zvunka said. "I feared we might be obliged to run after the lead but we equalized quickly, and that allowed us to win the match.''

But Rennes coach Guy Lacombe was frustrated.

Guingamp's equalizer was "hardly explainable,'' he said. "It's a mistake, a bit stupid. These things happen even though they shouldn't in a final. When we gave away the goal it hit my players hard on the head.''

Eduardo scored the winner in the 82nd, collecting a pass from Lionel Mathis to fire in a low shot from 10 meters (yards).

Afterward, Zvunka admitted he and his staff used the Brazilian striker carefully to maximize his talents.

"In the last matches, and especially in the French Cup, he was extraordinarily efficient,'' Zvunka said.

"He's fast, good technically and he's a super teammate. He had the tendency to suffer minor injuries so we were cautious with him this season. We pulled him out in the middle of matches to protect him.''

Rennes hit the bar twice before the opener. Midfielder Jerome Leroy first struck the frame in the 40th with a half volley from 23 meters (yards), and forward Moussa Sow did the same with a shot from closer after beating the offside trap in the 52nd to collect a backheel pass from Leroy.

"We hit the woodwork twice, we had several chances,'' Lacombe lamented. "Playing sports you need luck, and we didn't have any tonight.''

Guingamp was in 13th place in the second division, while Rennes was seventh in the French top tier and still chasing a European spot.

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