Friedel turned away 12 shots as Rovers finished the match with 10 men.

``We were under pressure, but collectively as a team we did an outstanding job defensively,'' Friedel said on Blackburn's Web site. ``The goalkeeper was a little bit busy today, but that is going to happen when you go and play one of the best clubs in the world.''

Friedel nearly did not play against the Gunners after injuring a knee before the match.

``His cartilage popped out in warm-ups,'' Blackburn Coach GRAEME SOUNESS said. ``He managed to sort it out and play on, and he was excellent. We've known about Brad for a long time. We think he's the best goalkeeper in the country. But he's going to have to have an operation now, whenever we can find the right time.''

The next test for Friedel and Rovers will come Thursday when they play Celtic in Glasgow in the first leg of a second-round UEFA Cup match.

Everton, the team that ended Arsenal's 30-game Premier League streak without a loss, hopes to sign WAYNE ROONEY, its 17-year-old wunderkind, early next month. Rooney, who scored the winner against Arsenal and became the club's youngest scorer since TOMMY LAWTON 65 years ago, is an apprentice and earns $124 a week.

Corner Kicks

Only the most optimistic landscaper believes the grass field at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., will need to be watered in the spring. An official decision to replace the tray system (the contract expires on Dec. 31) with artificial turf will not be made until after the N.F.L. season. Unofficially, it will probably be replaced with FieldTurf or RealGrass. It costs the New Jersey Sports Authority up to $800,000 a year to maintain the current field, which is in abysmal condition. A new artificial surface would cost up to $750,000 to install. Do the math. The ultimate decision will be left to the stadium's tenants, and that does not mean the MetroStars. ... BOB BRADLEY, the new MetroStars coach, will oversee his first practice Thursday.

Chicago Fire defender CARLOS BOCANEGRA has arrived in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, for a two-week trial at Feyenoord. According to the club's Web site, Bocanegra, 23, will train with the second team and could be a transfer target because Feyenoord's starting left side defender, RAMON VAN HAAREN, is out for a month with a muscle tear in his upper left leg.

Herkimer (N.Y.) County Community College advanced to its 13th straight National Junior College Athletic Association championship with victories (2-0 versus Hudson Valley, and 4-0 over North Country) last weekend. The national tournament, which will be played Nov. 9-10 at Nassau Community College in Garden City, N.Y., has been won by Herkimer in two of the last three years. Herkimer is still working on an incredible 114-game home winning streak. ... In Division I, St. John's (11-1-4) has regained the top ranking in the nation in the coaches' poll.