Soccer: Chelsea and ManU reach FA Cup semisLONDON - Champions Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 and league leaders Manchester United overcame Middlesbrough with a Ronaldo penalty today to book their places in next month's semi-finals of the FA Cup.
United will meet Watford and Chelsea will take on Blackburn Rovers, with the final scheduled to return to the rebuilt Wembley stadium.
A magical 55th minute goal conjured against the run of play from Andriy Shevchenko and a second scorcher nine minutes later from Shaun Wright-Phillips earned Chelsea their win in Monday's quarter-final replay.
The Ukraine striker took a pass from Wright-Phillips on the right, stepped inside Steed Malbranque and sent a left foot shot into the top left of the net from 20 metres.
Seven minutes later Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba expertly chested a ball, passed from deep by Ashley Cole, to Wright-Phillips on his left and the diminutive winger belted it past Paul Robinson in the Spurs net.
Chelsea looked to be cruising until Ricardo Carvalho brought down Dimitar Berbatov in the Cheslea area in the 77th minute and Robbie Keane sent a penalty past Petr Cech.
After an uneventful first half this set up a grandstand finish with the home side pouring towards the Chelsea goal but, despite six minutes of time added on, Spurs failed to break through.
United had Middlesbrough on the backfoot from the first kick in their replay and might have scored half a dozen but for some fine goalkeeping from Mark Schwarzer.
He plucked the ball from England striker Wayne Rooney's feet and denied him twice more in the second half with Middlesbrough constantly unbalanced by Cristiano Ronaldo's jinking runs.
The tie was finally decided by a Ronaldo penalty after the Portuguese winger was brought down by Jonathan Woodgate in the 74th minute.
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