Arsenal Clinches Title With a Tie
Unbeaten Arsenal clinched the English Premier League title Sunday, its second in three years, by tying cross-town rival Tottenham, 2-2, at London.
French stars Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires gave Arsenal a 2-0 lead, and Jamie Redknapp and Robbie Keane scored for the Spurs. It was Arsenal’s 13th league title.
FC Porto clinched its second consecutive Portuguese title Saturday without playing, then beat Alverca, 1-0, Sunday at its new 52,000-seat Stadium of the Dragon, one of the 2004 European Championship venues.
In Spain, Xavi Hernandez scored the winning goal in the 86th minute and FC Barcelona rallied to defeat Real Madrid, 2-1, in Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, and first-place Valencia tied host Athletic de Bilbao, 1-1.
Defending European champion AC Milan’s lead in Italy was cut to six points after it tied host Udinese, 0-0, and AS Roma beat Empoli, 3-0, at Palermo.
A 26-year-old man fell to his death from the highest tier of Milan’s San Siro Stadium, about 75 feet, at the end of the 0-0 tie between Internazionale and Lazio, police said.
Werder Bremen tied Bochum, 0-0, and its German Bundesliga lead over Bayern Munich was cut to six points. Bayern beat city rival 1860 Munich, 1-0, on a 50th-minute goal by Roque Santa Cruz to pass Stuttgart for second place.
Anderlecht clinched its 27th Belgian league title despite a 1-1 tie at Lierse, because FC Brugge only managed a 1-1 tie against Excelsior Mouscron.
Lyon increased its lead in France by defeating Rennes, 3-0, and Monaco lost to Nantes, 1-0.
Latin American Roundup
The Jaguares of Chiapas held on to first place in the Mexican league and qualified for the postseason despite a 0-0 draw with Irapuato.
Boca Juniors battled to a 2-2 draw against Estudiantes at Buenos Aires, and the defending champion kept sole possession of first place in the Argentine league.
Colombian midfielder Freddy Rincon scored the winning goal in injury time and Corinthians defeated Paysandu, 2-1, at Sao Paulo for its first victory this season in the Brazilian league.
Quick Passes
Clint Dempsey of New England (0-2-1) and Amado Guevara of the MetroStars (2-0-1) traded first-half goals two minutes apart, and the teams tied, 1-1, in front of 8,129 in a Major League Soccer game at East Rutherford, N.J.
Szabolcs Huszti scored twice, including a penalty in injury time, to lead Hungary over Japan, 3-2, in a friendly at Zalaegerszeg, Hungary.
Former great Diego Maradona, 43, was removed from a respirator for the second time in three days as he battles serious heart and lung problems. Doctors said Maradona’s condition had stabilized. Maradona is in the critical care unit of a private hospital in Buenos Aires, where he was admitted April 18.
