Winners
EDDIE JOHNSON's goal in the last minute of the first half was enough to give the UNITED STATES a 1-0 victory over Honduras Saturday in an international friendly at University Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M. Johnson has now scored seven goals in six career games since making his debut back on Oct. 9, 2004. The win extended the U.S. unbeaten run to a record 16 games.
CLAUDIO REYNA scored his first goal for Manchester City in 17 months, striking on a half-volley off a chip by Robbie Fowler, but the Citizens fell to Tottenham, 2-1. The game was only the second start for Reyna, playing on the right side of midfield, since returning from a groin injury. Reyna's only other league goal for City was in a 6-2 win over Bolton on Oct. 8, 2003.
PSV spoiled Danny Blind's debut as Ajax coach, beating the defending Dutch champions, 4-0. PSV leads second-place AZ by seven points and Ajax in third by 14. American DaMarcus Beasley came on in the 72nd minute, making his first appearance at the Amsterdam Arena.
TIM HOWARD came up big for Manchester United, preserving its 1-0 win over Fulham with a kick save on a late shot by Andy Cole. The only other of the five eligible Americans to play in the game was Carlos Bocanegra, who started for Fulham. After the game, United manager Alex Ferguson was, according to the tabloid Sunday People, set to fly to the United States to try to convince D.C. United teen star Freddy Adu to join (Man.) United.
Americans KASEY KELLER and STEVE CHERUNDOLO faced off for the first time, and both got good marks in Hannover's 2-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach. Cherundolo's grade of 3 (on Kicker's scale of 1-high to 6-low) was tied for the second-highest among Hannover's starters. Keller was one of three Gladbach starters to get a 3.5, the highest mark for the visitors.
Losers
For the second straight game, LANDON DONOVAN did not get playing time for Bayer Leverkusen, which defeated Kaiserslautern, 2-0, to move into a tie for sixth place.
Real Madrid striker RONALDO threw a plastic water battle into the crowd after being abused by Real fans as he was being substituted late in its 1-0 win over Malaga. The Brazilian star later said, "When I got close to the bench two young boys shouted racist insults against me and my mother. I reacted in the wrong way, but the insults were very bad … It was nothing, really."
Club America all but ended UNAM's bid to win a third straight Mexican tournament, beating Pumas, 3-2, at UNAM in their Mexico City derby. The loss left UNAM in fifth place in Group A, nine points out of first place. UNAM won the 2004 Torneo Apertura and 2004 Torneo Clausura.