By CALEB SONNELAND
Welsh side Swansea City booked its place at Wembley after a frantic ending to its 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest in a League Championship playoff semifinal at Liberty Stadium.
The two sides entered the second leg of their tie knotted at 0-0 on aggregate and were clashing for a chance to play in the league's promotion final against either Cardiff City or Reading.
All looked lost for Forest, however, after ending the first half 2-0 down following goals from Leon Britton and Stephen Dobbie.
Despite some second-half action from both teams, neither was able to find the back of the net until Forest manager introduced striker Robert Earnshaw, a former player for Swansea's rival, Cardiff.
Dramatic scenes unfolded in stoppage time, as Earnshaw lashed a shot off the far post (one of three for Forest in the match) and Lewis McGugan played several threatening balls into the area, but nothing came to fruition.
In a last-ditch effort to find an equalizer, Nottingham keeper Lee Camp ran the length of the field to join the fray for a corner kick; however, Swansea cleared the ball to Darren Pratley who, with Camp charging back to his own net, scored from about the center line to finish off Forest and send Swansea to the playoff final at Wembley.
U.S. international striker Robbie Findley was not on the matchday roster for Forest and his hopes of playing in the Premier League next season ended with the loss.
Here are some other stories from around the soccer world:
FRIEDEL ATTRACTING PREMIER LEAGUE INTEREST
American goalkeeper Brad Friedel could be preparing for his final match with Aston Villa, as the 39-year-old has yet to accept a fresh contract offered by the EPL side and has a throng of other top-flight suitors.
Out of contract this summer, Friedel has reportedly attracted the interest of fellow Premier League clubs West Brom, Tottenham and Liverpool. The Reds are said to be leading the race to sign the him, according to Sky Sports.
Despite Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina declaring his desire to stay with the club, the Merseysiders are reportedly keen on picking up Friedel to bolster their squad.
USWNT'S TARPLEY OUT OF WOMEN'S WORLD CUP
Lindsay Tarpley has been ruled out of this summer's Women's World Cup after tearing her ACL in an international friendly with Japan in Columbus, Ohio.
Expected to play a significant role for the team, Tarpley will now have to begin her rehabilitation while the rest of her team continues on without the skillful midfielder. Tarpley had previously been a part of the last two gold-medal U.S. Olympic squads as well as the 2007 Women's World Cup team.
Tarpley, 27, has netted 32 goals in 125 appearances for the national team, and replacing her could be a big issue for head coach Pia Sundhage.
BEASLEY EYING MLS RETURN?
U.S. international midfielder DaMarcus Beasley could be sizing up a return to MLS after struggling to make an impact in the Bundesliga with German outfit Hannover 96, only making four appearances this season.
His agent, Lyle Yorks, has confirmed that Beasley is weighing up his options over the summer, one of which could be a return to the MLS, where he initially made a name for himself with the Chicago Fire.
If Beasley were to return to MLS, Chivas USA would have the first crack at his rights. The Goats and the Philadelphia Union sit respectively atop the league's allocation order after both passed on fellow U.S. international Benny Feilhaber.
A return home, however, isn't his only option, as Yorks also said that there is interest from the Dutch Eredivisie, where Beasley spent a solid couple of years with PSV Eindhoven.
---------------------
What did you think of the Swansea/Nottingham Forest game? Who do you see Swansea facing at Wembley? Think Liverpool is a good fit for Friedel? What do you think of the USWNT's chances without Tarpley? Should Beasley leave Europe for MLS?
Share your thoughts below.
