Sports: Soccer and Tennis
It was an epic night for Swedish soccer teams in the UEFA Cup.
Helsingborg, AIK, Hammarby and Häcken all made it through to the first round proper of the tournament.
Helsingborg, coached by Englishman Stuart Baxter, beat Drogheda of Ireland 3-0 Thursday night, and 4-1 on aggregate after the 1-1 draw in Ireland.
Two goals from Brazilian Wilton Figueiredo were enough for AIK of Stockholm to beat the Latvian side Metalurgs 2-0 to go through 4-3 on aggregate. AIK this week added to their growing South American contingent with the signing of Argentinian Pablo Monsalvo.
The unfancied second division side Häcken from Gothenburg beat Scotland’s Dunfermline 1-0 on the night, 2-1 on aggregate to book their place in the next phase of the Cup.
And high drama for Stockholm team Hammarby whose Uruguayan striker Sebastian Eguren scored a penalty in the last minute of the game against Norwegian side Fredrikstad. That goal made it 1-1, and 3-2 on aggregate, meaning four Swedish sides remain in the UEFA Cup.
In tennis, Swedish veteran Jonas Björkman crashed out of the US Open in New York, losing in 5 sets to British number one Andrew Murray on Thursday. At 20 years of age, Murray is fifteen years Björkman’s junior.
Better news for Sweden’s Thomas Johansson though - he’s through to the third round after a convincing victory over Chilean Nicolas Massu.
