Lewis shines again, leading North End past Sheffield.

Americans Abroad

Keller provides heroics, but Spurs still suffer fatal 2-0 loss to Manchester City.

By Robert Wagman (in Washington, D.C.)
and Gary Davidson (in Washington, D.C.)
SoccerTimes

(Monday, April 21, 2003) -- United States goalkeeper Kasey Keller did his part, but Tottenham Hotspur's hopes of European competition next season were effectively ended Friday when manager Kevin Keegan's underperforming Manchester City teed off on Tottenham Hotspur by a 2-0 count before 36,065 who saw visiting City win at White Hart Lane for the first time since the Premier League was formed 10 years ago.

It was a busy bank holiday weekend in England. That meant a full slate of matches on Friday and Saturday, Easter Sunday off, with most clubs back in action today or tomorrow.

Keller was betrayed by an AWOL defense against Manchester City, ending Spurs' hopes of getting into next season's UEFA Cup. Man. City came out flying and twice in the first 90 seconds, Keller was required to charge out and cut down angles to force shots high or wide.

Before two minutes had been completed, there was nothing Keller could do when an unmarked David Sommeil ran onto a corner kick and headed it sharply into the net for a 1-0 lead.

In the 18th minute, Keller kept Spurs close with a sensational save on Shaun Wright-Phillips who lost two defenders on a cut inside and hit a fine shot to the far top corner. Keller tipped it over the crossbar. But two minutes later, the defense let him down again.

First, Nicolas Anelka triggered a hard shot which Keller blocked, but Tottenham defender Goran Bunjevcevic, in trying to clear the loose ball, handed it to young City striker Joey Barton who swept it into the goal. Keller managed to get a couple of fingers on the ball, but Man. City led 2-0.

In the second half, the Spurs defense tightened and Keller made another couple of good saves, but the damage was done.

Spurs did better today, beating West Bromwich Albion 3-2 in a back-and-forth match. West Brom went ahead 1-0 in the 23rd minute on an unstoppable header from big Daniele Dichio who rose over two defenders to head in Jason Koumas' superb right-wing cross past a helpless Keller.

On the hour, Keller made a superb save on a point-blank drive from Jason Roberts, but moments later, he was caught flatfooted on a twisting and all but unstoppable 20-yard free-kick by Neil Clement to put West Brom up 2-0.

Robbie Keane reduced the Spurs deficit to 2-1 moments before halftime, with Teddie Sheringham tying the game in the 62nd minute and Keane winning it in the 84th.

Spurs (14-13-8, 50 points) stands eighth with three matches remaining. Three points and one position ahead of Spurs are Blackburn Rovers (14-10-11) who also are all but mathematically eliminated from playing in Europe next season.

On Saturday, not even American Brad Friedel's stingy goalkeeping could stop league-leading Manchester United (22-5-8, 74), a superior side that posted a 3-1 triumph and move into first place.

Friedel did well to deny attempts by Ryan Giggs, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Paul Scholes and Ruud van Nistelrooy, but he ran out of fingers to plug the leaks in his defense. An unmarked van Nistelrooy opened the scoring by blasting a header off David Beckham's cross past Friedel to make it 1-0 in the 18th minute.

Four minutes later, Rovers shocked the home side by tying the match at 1-1 on a goal by Henning Berg. The tally seemed only to strengthen Man. U.'s resolve and Scholes provided the difference with goals in the 41st minute, after Friedel made a wonderful save on van Nistelrooy, and in the 60th minute.

Today, Friedel registered his 13th clean sheet, but Rovers only managed a point at home with a 0-0 draw with Bolton Wanderers. It was not a busy afternoon for Friedel who stopped good shots from Bernard Mendy and Jay Jay Okocha, in a match Rovers probably should have won.

U.S. striker Jovan Kirovski did not dress for Birmingham City when it defeated Charlton Athletic 3-0 today or Southampton 3-2 today. Kirovski was been spending his time with the reserve team ever since French international Christophe Dugarry arrived on the scene during the winter break.

Dugarry scored twice today against Southampton, but Kirovski has played well with the reserves, scoring goals in the 63rd and 88th minutes in a 3-0 midweek decision over the Blackburn reserves.

Robert Wagman is a SoccerTimes senior correspondent and can be e-mailed at bobwagman@soccertimes.com. Gary Davidson is a SoccerTimes managing editor and can be e-mailed at editor@soccertimes.com.