Magnificent seven complete women's lineup
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
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Zvezda-2005, Glasgow City LFC, Levante UD, Valur Reykjavík, Alma KTZH, SV Neulengbach and FC Zürich Frauen joined WFC Naftokhimik and Røa IL and the seven top seeds in the second qualifying round after the first stage concluded.
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On an exciting final day, seven teams progressed from the UEFA Women's Cup first qualifying round. WFC Naftokhimik and Røa IL had already booked a place in the second qualifying round from 9-14 October alongside the top seven seeds, including 1. FFC Frankfurt, and today Zvezda-2005, Glasgow City LFC, Levante UD, Valur Reykjavík, Alma KTZH, SV Neulengbach and FC Zürich Frauen joined them in the last stage before the knockout phase. uefa.com rounds up the Matchday 3 action, with only the group winners remaining in the competition.
Group A1
Russian debutants Zvezda had won their opening two games 8-0 and needed only a point against Hungary's 1. FC Femina to progress. But they did not have the comfortable victories of Thursday and Saturday in Lithuania, and lost Olesya Kurochkina to a red card with eight minutes left. Her team-mate Olga Sergaeva and Femina's Györgyi Sebestyén followed five minutes later but deep in injury time a Nataliya Zinchenko goal proved enough for a 1-0 Zvezda success and a place in second qualifying round Group B1 alongside Frankfurt, Glasgow and Norway's Røa. Gintra Universitetas pipped Femina to second place courtesy of a 2-2 draw against Klaksvíkar Ítróttarfelag KÍ.
Group A2
Glasgow, who were seeded fourth of the four teams in this pool on their coefficient, finished top and moved into Group B1 with an 11-0 win against FC Narta Chisinau aided by a Leanne Ross hat-trick, two goals each by Danielle Stewart and Emma Fernan plus strikes from Katharina Lindner, Ruesha Littlejohn, Jane Ross and Jane Brown. At kick-off Glasgow trailed AZ Alkmaar by three goals with Serbian hosts ŽFK Mašinac Niš a point behind after their loss to the Scottish side on Saturday and the Dutch side defeated Niš 4-1 with goals from Chantal de Ridder, Daphne Koster, Jessica Fishlock and substitute Loïs Oudemast. But Glasgow's margin of victory ensured their goal difference was five better than the Dutch champions, with who they drew 1-1 after coming from behind on Thursday. AZ coach Ed Engeles said: "If you play as well as we did today and still finish second, it is a huge blow." On their previous entry three years ago, Glasgow had lost all their games including a 7-0 defeat by Dutch representatives Saestum. Manager Peter Caulfield said: "We came here to achieve the unthinkable and we have managed to do it."
Group A3
Spain's Levante pipped 2005/06 quarter-finalists AC Sparta Praha to the last eight on goal difference after they played out a 0-0 draw. Levante had beaten Macedonian hosts ŽFK Skiponjat 9-0 and Belgium's KVK Tienen 9-2 in their opening games while Sparta had overcome those opponents 9-0 and 3-0 respectively, meaning the Czech side would have had to win again to finish top. Tienen defeated Skiponjat 8-2 for third place while Levante will now play Brøndby IF, FCR 2001 Duisburg and Naftokhimik in Group B4.
Group A4
Reduced to three teams, this group was decided on Monday and Norwegian hosts Røa beat FC NSA Sofia 6-0 to go through to Group B1 ahead of Finland's FC Honka Espoo, who they defeated 2-0 on Matchday 1. For more details click here.
Group A5
Valur were two points clear of Maccabi Holon FC before their decisive match in Trnava, and the Icelandic side stormed through 9-0 to take their mini-tournament goal tally to 23. Last season's runners-up Umeå IK, ASD CF Bardolino Verona and Alma are their Group B2 opposition. Slovakian hosts FK Slovan Duslo Šala held on for third place as they drew 0-0 with Cardiff City LFC.
Group A6
Alma led CFF Clujana on goal difference ahead of the meeting of the two teams yet to drop a point and the champions of Kazakhstan secured a 3-1 victory to eliminate their Romanian rivals in Croatia. They now take on a team that beat them 5-1 last season, Bardolino, as well as Umeå and Valur. Hosts WFC Osijek finished in third following a 1-1 draw against Glentoran Belfast United.
Group A7
Austrian hosts Neulengbach needed a draw against SU 1° Dezembro to go through ahead of the Portuguese side and Nina Burger, who already had five goals to her name in the mini-tournament, took it upon herself to add four more on 24, 59, 62 and 65 minutes to secure a 4-0 victory. Neulengbach are now in Group B3 against Arsenal LFC – to who they lost 7-0 last season – Olympique Lyonnais and Zürich. Slovenia's ŽNK KRKA already knew they could not finish top but moved ahead of 1° Dezembro on goal difference with a 9-0 win against Cypriot side Vamos Idaliou. Dragica Stipić claimed a hat-trick and there were two goals for Mimica Pavlović and Fata Salkunić plus one each by Jana Horvat and Adrijana Bogolin.
Group A8
European debutants Naftokhimik of Ukraine were already through to Group B4 and celebrated with a 2-1 win against FC Levadia Tallinn. Second place went to Polish hosts AZS Wrocław as they defeated FC PAOK 4-0.
Group A9
Another team in the competition for the first time, Zürich, progressed with a 2-0 win against Galway LFC. The Irish side led the group on goal difference at kick-off but Selina Zumbühl struck with a free-kick on five minutes and a tight game was decided 14 minutes from the end when Ramona Lendenmann was fouled in the Galway box and Vanessa Bernauer converted from the penalty spot to take Zürich through to play Arsenal, Lyon and Neulengbach. WFC Universitet Vitebsk of Belarus finished third on goal difference behind Galway thanks to a 2-1 win against hosts ŽNK SFK 2000 Sarajevo.