Monday, February 23, 2009
ROME (AP) -- Napoli beat Serie A champion Juventus 2-0 in the Italian Cup final Sunday for its first major trophy in 22 years.
This was the first defeat for Juventus in all competitions this season, having won 26 and drawn 16. Napoli last captured a trophy in 1990, when it won Serie A. It last won the Cup in 1987.
In Alessandro Del Piero's last game for Juventus, Edinson Cavani opened the scoring with a penalty kick shortly before the 60th minute after Ezequiel Lavezzi had been brought down by Marco Storari. The Juventus goalkeeper was lucky to escape a red card. Marek Hamsik sealed the result with seven minutes left.
Also, Torino will be back in Serie A next season following an absence of three years after beating Modena 2-0. Pescara will join Torino in the top tier after a 19-year wait following a 3-1 win at Sampdoria.
Montpellier wins French title for first time
PARIS (AP) -- Montpellier won the French league title for the first time after beating Auxerre 2-1 away on Sunday in a chaotic match which saw the players twice leave the field after crowd disturbances.
John Utaka scored in each half as Montpellier finished three points ahead of rival Paris Saint-Germain.
PSG piled on the pressure by winning 2-1 at Lorient, with the game at already-relegated Auxerre lagging behind after the match had been interrupted for the first time, just two minutes into the second half.
Montpellier fans were then left with an agonizing wait with the score at 1-1 as referee Said Ennjimi took the players off for a second time when Auxerre fans threw flares onto the field.
Riot police had to remove Auxerre supporters behind one of the goals before the match could resume. Utaka then scored his second goal in the 76th minute.
Academica wins Portuguese Cup
LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- Academica won its second Portuguese Cup by beating Sporting Lisbon 1-0 on a third-minute header by Mario "Marinho" Correia.
Academica hadn't won the cup since the 1938-39 season when it was first played. It had lost three finals since. The team just escaped relegation from the first division this season. Sporting finished fourth.
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