Berahino Stoked to end goal drought
LONDON — Saido Berahino, once one of the hottest young strikers in English soccer, ended a 2½-year goal drought Tuesday to help second-tier Stoke into the third round of the Carabao Cup at the expense of Premier League side Huddersfield.
The 25-year-old Berahino scored the opening goal in a 2-0 win as he tries to revive a stalled career.
He was called up for England in 2014 after showing prolific form for West Bromwich Albion, marking a remarkable rise for someone who fled war-torn Burundi at age 10 after learning to play soccer by using balls made from plastic bags and rolled-up socks.
But he quickly lost his way, was sold to Stoke and rarely featured as the team was relegated.
Huddersfield, which has collected just one point from its opening three league games, ended up exiting the competition in farcical fashion with Juninho Bacuna scoring an own-goal from about 40 metres out after volleying the ball over his own goalkeeper.
Brighton lost 1-0 to fellow Premier League team Southampton, while Cardiff was another topflight team to go out after losing 3-1 at home to Norwich.
West Ham picked up its first win under new manager Manuel Pellegrini, beating 10-man AFC Wimbledon 3-1. Leicester was the biggest winner of the night by thrashing third-tier Fleetwood 4-0. Bournemouth eased to a 3-0 victory against fourth-tier MK Dons to continue its impressive start to the season after collecting seven points from a possible nine in the Premier League.
Wolverhampton Wanderers, Crystal Palace and Fulham also beat lower-league opposition to advance.