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Deportivo stuns Arsenal, advances Posted: Tuesday March 12, 2002 4:46 PMUpdated: Tuesday March 12, 2002 7:36 PM LONDON (AP) -- Deportivo de La Coruna charged into the quarterfinal of the Champions League with a 2-0 victory at Arsenal on Tuesday. Just over a week after winning the Spanish Cup by beating Real Madrid at the Bernabeu stadium, Deportivo ended the Gunners' three-month unbeaten streak with first half strikes by Juan Carlos Valeron and Moroccan midfielder Nourredine Naybet. Thierry Henry had a second half penalty saved by Jose Francisco Molina who was lucky to be on the field having brought down a goalbound Fredrik Ljungberg. But Diego Tristan hit the Arsenal crossbar and Gunners goalkeeper David Seaman had to make a series of standout saves. The result means that Arsenal still has work to do in next week's game against Juventus in Turin before Arsene Wenger's team clinches a place in the last eight. Molina dived full length to finger tip away a shot from Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp shaved the crossbar with a left foot volley as Arsenal went close in the first 10 minutes. At the other end, Deportivo had strong claims for a penalty for a foul on Tristan before the Spaniards went ahead in the 30th minute. Deportivo seized possession just inside the Arsenal half and Fran put the overlapping Enrique Romero clear down the left. The midfielder pulled the ball back to Valeron who sidefooted home from 12 yards (meters). It should have been 2-0 seven minutes later when Deportivo unlocked the Gunners defense again but veteran England goalkeeper Seaman blocked a first time volley from Valeron. Two minutes later Deportivo struck again when Patrick Vieira was robbed in the other half and the ball was swiftly moved upfield. The Arsenal defense was pulled apart again and eventually Naybet's shot took a deflection past Seaman off Gunners defender Igors Stepanovs. After a long spell of Arsenal pressure, Seaman was forced to make another brilliant blocking save to foil Victor Sanchez in the 58th minute. Then Tristan curled a 19-yard (meter) free kick that hit the crossbar with the 'keeper seemingly beaten. Tempers flared after Tristan tripped Bergkamp and up to 12 players began pushing each other in an angry melee in center field before Arsenal had the chance to hit back with a goal. Seconds after entering the game, Fredrik Ljungberg charged onto a pass from Bergkamp but was upended by goalkeeper Molina as he raced towards goal. Swiss referee Urs Meier awarded the penalty but angered the Arsenal players by not ejecting the 'keeper and it became doubly unjust for the Gunners when Molina dived to his right to block Thierry Henry's spot kick. He also got up to force the follow up shot from Nwankwo Kanu round the post. A minute later Kanu forced home a corner only for Meier to rightly rule it out for backing into the 'keeper. Mathematical puzzle dominates Arsenal groupMathematics rather than the football dominated the post-match thoughts of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger after his side crashed 2-0 at home to Deportivo Coruna. Because of the tiebreak system used in the competition, Arsenal could win their final group match at eliminated Juventus next week and still go out of the competition. They could also lose that game and go through to the last eight. As it stands, Deportivo Coruna top the standings with 10 points from five matches and are definitely through to the last eight, followed by Arsenal (7), Bayer Leverkusen (7) and Juventus (4). Juventus are at home to Arsenal next Wednesday while Deportivo are at home to Leverkusen in the last matches of the group. But Wenger was perplexed by what was involved in working out whether his team could still qualify following Tuesday's setback. "If Leverkusen beat Deportivo they're through with Deportivo. If they draw and we draw, we're through," said the Frenchman. "If they win and we win, they are through. We can lose the game and go through, win it and go out. It's strange, amazing. Can you believe that?" The reason is the tiebreak system used by ruling body UEFA. If Deportivo, Arsenal and Bayer all finish with 10 points, Arsenal go out because they have the worst record in a mini-league of those teams' results. If Arsenal and Leverkusen finish equal, Arsenal go through because they have the better head-to-head against the German side. Leverkusen could either win the group or go out while Deportivo will go through either as group winners or runners-up. Juventus are definitely out. Deportivo secured their passage with goals by Juan Carlos Valeron and Nourredine Naybet against Arsenal, whose French striker Thierry Henry squandered a penalty. Wenger said: "They were sharper than us in the first half, but we had our chances and there were many turning points in the game. "If we had brought it back to 2-1 with the penalty, I think we could have got a draw, but although we lost, our attitude was brilliant in the second half and we did everything well but score." Deportivo coach Javier Irureta said: "It was a fantastic team performance, this is a very hard place to come to and win, but we deserved our victory tonight. "The first goal was a beautiful creation, but we defended so well as well," he added. "Arsenal are a fantastic team and to beat Real Madrid [in the Spanish King's Cup final] last week and now Arsenal today gives us a lot of confidence for the rest of the competition." SummaryArsenal 0 Deportivo Coruna 2 - result Champions League second stage, group D Scorers: Juan Carlos Valeron 30, Nourredine Naybet 40 Halftime: 0-2; Attendance: 35,392 Teams: Arsenal: 1-David Seaman; 22-Oleg Luzhny, 26-Igors Stepanovs, 23-Sol Campbell, 12-Lauren; 7-Robert Pires, 10-Dennis Bergkamp, 4-Patrick Vieira, 18-Gilles Grimandi (8-Fredrik Ljungberg 64); 14-Thierry Henry, 11-Sylvain Wiltord (25-Nwankwo Kanu 64) Deportivo Coruna: 1-Jose Molina; 12-Lionel Scaloni, 5-Cesar, 4-Nourredine Naybet, 3-Enrique Romero; 16-Sergio, 6-Mauro Silva, 18-Victor, 10-Fran (15-Joan Capdevila 72), 21-Juan Carlos Valeron (23-Pedro Duscher 80); 9-Diego Tristan (7-Roy Makaay 85) Referee: Urs Meier (Switzerland)
Reuters contributed to this report. |
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