Associated Press

London, May 6:

The UEFA Cup will have a first-time champion this year when Sporting Lisbon and CSKA Moscow play for the title on May 18.

CSKA, which beat two-time champion Parma 3-0 on Thursday in the second leg of the semi-finals to advance with a 3-0 aggregate win, will be making its first appearance in a European final.

But it will be a tough task against Sporting, which will be trying to win its first UEFA Cup title in a match that will be played at its Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, Portugal.

On Thursday, Sporting held on to edge AZ Alkmaar on away goals despite losing 3-2 in extra time.

The two-leg series ended 4-4 on aggregate.

Miguel Garcia scored the deciding goal in two minutes into injury time in the second extra period.

CSKA, which started its European campaign in the Champions League, hasn’t won an away match in this season’s UEFA Cup. The Russian team has outscored its opponents 11-0 in its last four home games, however.

No Russian club has ever won a European soccer final. Dynamo Moscow had a chance, however, losing to Rangers in the 1972 Cup Winners’ Cup final.

FC Porto, which won the tournament in 2003, is the only Portuguese team to have lifted the UEFA Cup. Sporting, however, won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1964.

In Alkmaar, Netherlands, the hosts thought they had booked a place in the final when Kew Jaliens scored in the 109th minute.

Kenneth Perez gave

AZ the lead in the sixth minute, but Liedson equalised in first-half injury time to put Sporting ahead on aggregate.

Stein Huysegems then tied the series 3-3 on aggregate in the 78th and sent the match to extra time.

In Moscow, Daniel Carvalho scored two goals and set up another for Vasiliy Berezutsky. Carvalho scored the first goal in the ninth minute after Yuri Zhirkov broke down the left flank and sent a cross which the Brazilian volleyed past Parma goalkeeper Luca Bucci.

The celebrating spectators threw a firecracker on the field which exploded near Bucci’s head. He was replaced by Sebastien Frey, Parma’s No 1 goalkeeper, nine minutes later. Bucci was later hospitalised and was expected to stay in Moscow for treatment while the team returns home to Italy. Carvalho made it 2-0 off a pass from Wagner Love in the 53rd, and Berezutsky added the third in the 59th, heading in Carvalho’s free kick from the left.