|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Late mistake Own goal costs Man Utd against Valencia
Updated: Wednesday February 21, 2001 4:43 AM
MANCHESTER, England (AP) -- A late own goal by Wes Brown denied Manchester United an early place in the Champions Cup quarterfinal in a 1-1 tie with Valencia at Old Trafford on Tuesday. Alex Ferguson's team, winner of the title two seasons ago, appeared to be on course to gaining the last eight with two games to spare after Andy Cole's 12th minute strike. But last season's runner up fully deserved its point to also stay well in contention for a quarterfinal spot and Brown, having had a superb game at the heart of the home defense, stuck out a foot to meet a left wing cross from Vicente Rodriguez to divert the ball past 'keeper Fabien Barthez three minutes from the end. The result leaves United with eight points from four games and Valencia six. Kily Gonzalez almost gave Valencia a fifth minute lead when he collected a pass from Pablo Aimar but lifted his shot over the bar. Seven minutes later United became the first team to score against the Spaniards in the second round when Ryan Giggs swapped three passes with Cole, pulling the ball back for the striker to stroke the ball past 'keeper Santiago Canizares from level with the penalty spot. Aimar should have leveled the score in the 25th minute when Gaizka Mendieta put the young Argentine star clear of the United defense but he rolled his shot wide with only goalkeeper Barthez to beat. The bizarre decisions of German referee Hellmut Krug angered the home players and fans but United did itself no favors by allowing Valencia to dominate the play. The game threatened to boil over midway through the second half when David Beckham, who had a poor game for United, clattered into Kily Gonzalez having already been shown the yellow card and Ruben Baraja pushed him in the back in danger. The referee lectured the England star without taking any further action and cautioned Baraja, which means the Valencia player misses the next game at Sturm Graz. Juan Sanchez had a chance to level but his diving header went wide and Paul Scholes cleared off the line from Baraja with the United defense again caught out. But the equalizer came three minutes from the end and United will have to do more to gain the quarterfinal for the fifth season in a row.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
