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Claudio Ranger

Reyna strikes Rangers' winner on opening day

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Posted: Saturday July 31, 1999 01:58 PM

Rangers' Rod Wallace drives the ball up the pitch during his Scottish Premier League match. AP

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) -- Claudio Reyna fired the winner for his first goal in Glasgow Rangers colors on Saturday as his team started its defense of the Scottish Premier League title with an unconvincing 2-1 victory over Kilmarnock at Ibrox.

The American international midfielder collected a pass from German midfielder Joerg Albertz and fired powerfully home with an angled 20-yard shot in the 68th minute, three minutes after Kilmarnock had threatened an upset by equalizing.

In other Premier League games, Hearts scored a 4-1 win at St\. Johnstone, Hibernian and Motherwell tied 2-2 and Dundee United edged neighbor Dundee 2-1. Celtic, expected once again to be Rangers' biggest rival, visits Aberdeen on Sunday.

Before 48,000 fans, Rangers was forced to play without one of its new signings, Dutch striker Michael Mols, who netted twice in a 4-1 Champions Cup qualifying round victory over FC Haka in Finland but was sidelined this time through injury.

And the defending titlist looked unimpressive in the opening half hour until it took the lead six minutes before halftime through Rod Wallace.

Dutch midfielder Giovanni Van Bronckhorst slipped a well-timed diagonal pass to the Englishman from the halfway line, and the former Leeds striker ran on to stroke it past hesitant Kilmarnock 'keeper Colin Meldrum.

Rangers failed to build on that and the visitor leveled in the 65th minute. The unmarked Ally Mitchell turned the ball home from close range in the 65th minute from Gary Hay's cross.

The home fans began to jeer their players until Reyna had them roaring again with his well-taken strike three minutes later after a slick interpassing move.

Rangers coach Dick Advocaat was not happy with his team's performance.

"It wasn't only the defense I'm not happy with. I thought Claudio did very well, the others were not in their best form," said Advocaat. "The most important thing if you play badly is to still get the three points and we did that. But the way we played was not impressive and we have to improve on that."

Reyna -- allowed to skip the Confederations Cup in Mexico for club duty -- said he was pleased with his performance.

"It's nice to get a goal in the first game, it was about time as that's my first since I got here," said Reyna. "I'm feeling fit. Pre-season's been good, and I had a week training with the U.S. side and a [1-0 win] against Argentina, so that helped keep my body in condition."

Hearts raced into a 4-0 lead over St. Johnstone in Perth with strikes by Gary McSwegan, Thomas Flogel, a Darren Dods own goal and Colin Cameron before John McQuillan replied seven minutes from the end.

At Tannadice, lanky Portuguese striker Joaquim Ferraz marked his debut with the winner five minutes from the end for Dundee United after the visitor's Willie Falconer had canceled out an early strike by Swedish signing Magnus Skoldmark.

German striker Dirk Lehmann twice gave Hibernian the lead at Easter Road but veteran Pat Nevin pulled one back for Motherwell and Steven Nicholas netted an equalizer seconds from the end.

 

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