LONDON – Swansea marked its centenary season by collecting its first major trophy, outclassing fourth-tier club Bradford to win the League Cup final 5-0 on Sunday.
Nathan Dyer and Jonathan de Guzman scored twice, and Michu also netted at Wembley Stadium to secure the biggest victory margin ever in the final of English soccer’s second-tier knockout competition.
“After 10 years of hard work and the long journey we have been on, this is the pinnacle,” said Swansea captain Garry Monk, who has been with the club since it played in the fourth tier. “We have deserved to put a major trophy in the cabinet.”
It was the first time a Welsh club won an English cup since Cardiff claimed the 1927 F.A. Cup.
Bradford became the first fourth-tier team to reach a major final since 1962 by knocking out Premier League sides Arsenal, Aston Villa and Wigan.
But the team never looked competitive at Wembley, and its first shot on target didn’t come until the 87th minute when Gary Jones struck straight at goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin.
By then, the northern club, which has been in free-fall since exiting the Premier League in 2001, was already losing 4-0 and down to 10 men.
In league action, Manchester City revived its faint title hopes by ending a month-long wait for a Premier League win, beating Chelsea 2-0 to stay 12 points behind Manchester United.
Yaya Toure and Carlos Tevez scored second-half goals as City wore down the third-place visitors at Etihad Stadium with one of the team’s most convincing displays of the season.
“We can’t think it’s finished with 11 games to go,” City manager Roberto Mancini said. “It’s not my mentality or the mentality of the players.”
France internationals Moussa Sissoko and Yohan Cabaye capped Newcastle’s self-designated “French Day” by scoring goals in a 4-2 win over Southampton in the other league match, lifting the team clear of relegation trouble.
Beckham makes debut
Paris AP
David Beckham celebrated his Paris Saint-Germain debut by helping to create the second goal as the French leaders beat bitter rival Marseille 2-0 on Sunday.
The 37-year-old former England captain came off the bench in the 76th minute of a tight match and, in stoppage time, his clever flick with the outside of his foot released fellow substitute Jeremy Menez down the left. The subsequent cross was turned in by striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his league-leading 22nd goal of the season.
“The manager just told me to go and take the ball. There was a little bit of pressure on tonight, I enjoyed coming on,” Beckham said. “I always knew that coming here and being a part of this team, I was never going to be in the starting 11 straight off, and that’s the way I’ll probably think for a while.”
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