Despite losing, Middlesbrough and Rapid Bucharest advanced to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup on Wednesday.
Middlesbrough lost at AS Roma 2-1, but advanced on away goals after the two-leg series ended 2-2 on aggregate. Rapid lost 3-1 at Hamburg but also advanced on away goals after the series finished level at 3-3. Sevilla also reached the last eight on Wednesday, beating Lille 2-0 to advance on a 2-1 aggregate score.
The five other second-leg matches were scheduled for yesterday: Schalke vs. Palermo, Real Betis vs. Steaua Bucharest, Strasbourg vs. FC Basel, Zenit St. Petersburg vs. Marseille, and Levski Sofia vs. Udinese.
PHOTO: AFP
The quarterfinal draw is today.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink put Middlesbrough ahead in the 32nd minute, beating France defender Philippe Mexes to a cross from midfielder Stewart Downing. It was Hasselbaink's 21st goal in 45 European matches.
Midfielder Amantino Mancini then scored twice for Roma, which played without injured captain Francesco Totti and most of the rest of its attack.
In the 43rd, Mancini was set up by Rodrigo Taddei and equalized with a shot from outside the goalbox. Ray Parlour was called for a foul inside the area on Roma's Stefano Okaka, and Mancini converted the penalty in the 66th.
Roma has not won a title in 22 seasons of European play. The club's highlights remain two runner-up finishes -- losing to Liverpool on penalties in the 1984 European Cup final and to Inter Milan in the 1991 UEFA Cup final.
On Tuesday, 13 Middlesbrough fans and two Italian policemen were injured -- some with knife wounds -- in a fight.
Scuffles broke out between Italian and English fans in Campo de Fiori, a square in downtown Rome popular with tourists and locals. One British man was hospitalized with knife wounds to his back, chest and thigh.
In Hamburg, Sergej Barbarez scored one goal and set up the other two for the German side, which is in second place in the Bundesliga. But Barbarez headed wide late in injury time to waste his team's best chance of overcoming the deficit.
Frederic Kanoute and Luis Fabiano scored first-half goals for Sevilla, which advanced to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup for the first time.
The Spanish team, playing without injured goalkeeper Antonio Notario and midfielder Enzo Maresca, almost scored in the 13th minute when Kanoute's shot hit the crossbar.
Kanoute then scored the first goal in the 29th minute, three minutes after midfielder Mathieu Bodmer was ejected for hitting Sevilla defender Javi Navarro in the face. Luis Fabiano scored the second after Kanoute headed down a cross from Adriano Correia before halftime.
Sevilla also finished with 10 men. Jesus Navas was sent off for hitting midfielder Jean Makoun in the 71st minute.
Robbie Fowler scored his first goal in nine games since his return to Liverpool, helping the Reds beat Fulham 5-1 in the English Premier League on Wednesday.
Elsewhere, West Ham beat Bolton 2-1 in an FA Cup fifth-round replay to set up a quarterfinal with Manchester City.
In next week's other quarterfinals, Chelsea hosts Newcastle, Liverpool goes to Birmingham and Middlesbrough visits Charlton.
Fowler had 120 goals in 236 appearances in his first nine-year spell with Liverpool. His 16th-minute header spurred Fernando Morientes and Peter Crouch to score their first league goals of the year.
Fulham midfielder Michael Brown turned the ball into his own net and Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock added a fifth. Collins John's reply for Fulham was a first-half equalizer before Liverpool took control.
The victory moved Liverpool within two points of second-place Manchester United, while Fulham stayed two places above the relegation zone.
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez dismissed speculation that he had signed a new deal with Liverpool but said talks were ongoing. He was two years into a five-year contract.
"We are talking about the future," he said. "I have three years left on my contract here, so there is no hurry, I have not signed anything."
Four days after Bolton beat West Ham 4-1 in Premier League action, the Hammers knocked the Wanderers out of the Cup with the help of a crazy own-goal.
Marlon Harewood broke down the right and there seemed no real danger when his low cross came to Nicky Hunt. The Bolton defender could have left goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen to deal with the cross, but he decided to concede a corner only for the ball to bounce off the keeper and into an empty net.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely