WINNER & LOSERS: Barca wins round 1; big bill for Maradona
- by Soccer America , Feb 24, 2005
BARCELONA recovered from an early own goal to down Chelsea, 2-1, in the marquee match of the European Champions League round of 16, first leg games with goals by Maxi Lopez and Samuel Eto'o. Barcelona has lost only once at home to English opposition, to Liverpool in a 1976 UEFA Cup semifinal.
PSV EINDHOVEN, for whom American DaMarcus Beasley entered as a 52nd-minute sub, downed Monaco, last year's runner-up, 1-0, in the first leg of its round of 16 game.
French club LYON thumped German champion Werder Bremen, 3-0, in Bremen. Brazilian Juninho Pernambucano scored the third on a searing free kick from 33 yards out that appeared headed straight toward keeper Andreas Reinke before veering into the top left corner.
America defender JAY DeMERIT scored his second goal of the season for English second-tier club Watford in a 2-1 win over standings leader Ipswich, for which American Daniel Karbassiyoon was an unused sub.
LOSERS:
MANCHESTER UNITED goalkeepers continued their blunder rotation as ROY CARROLL, currently the preferred pick to American Tim Howard, let a low shot that came straight to him rebound to Hernan Crespo, who then scored AC Milan's winner in Wednesday's Champions League clash. Howard, whose last howler came in his last appearance, a League Cup loss to Chelsea, had blundered in Champions League games this season (vs. Lyon) and last season (vs. Porto). Carroll, who let a harmless long shot past him in Man U's second game against Lyon this season, also fell victim to the famous 45-yard lob by Tottenham's Perdo Mendes that he scooped out of the net without officials noticing.
Three of four English Premier League teams lost their first-leg round of 16 Champions League game, including ARSENAL, which was thumped, 3-1, by Bayern Munich.
Landon Donovan came on a 69th minute sub in BAYER LEVERKUSEN's 3-1 loss at Liverpool. He and fellow sub Franca, who scored Leverkusen's goal, were credited with rejuvenating their struggling team.
PRESTON NORTH END's 10-game unbeaten streak in the English second-tier league came to an end with a 2-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Wednesday. American Eddie Lewis made his 31st league appearance of the season for Preston.
The Italian Supreme Court has ruled that DIEGO MARADONA must pay $40 million in back taxes and interest from his five-year stint with Napoli in the 1980s.
The push to get big Premier League clubs behind ENGLISH WOMEN'S SOCCER suffered a blow when Manchester United announced that it is folding its women's team. It plans to continue its training program for girls up to the age of 16.
