Rangers and Sporting completed the UEFA Cup quarterfinal lineup on Thursday, the Scottish league leaders knocking out Werder Bremen while the Lisbon side ended the run of Bolton Wanderers. Werder, bidding to become the third German side into the last eight after Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen qualified on Wednesday, could only win 1-0 at the Weserstadion and went out 2-1 on aggregate. Sporting, beaten finalists in 2005, edged a weakened Bolton side 1-0 at home to secure the tie 2-1. Bundesliga title challenger Werder forced 18 corners against Rangers, peppered its opponents' goal from all angles but found visiting keeper Allan McGregor in inspired form. He pulled off a string of fine saves in both halves to keep the German side at bay. He was finally beaten just before the hour when Brazilian Diego struck with a sweet left-footed shot on the half volley. But with the clock ticking down McGregor saved his best to last, getting the faintest of touches to push Boubacar Sanogo's close-range shot up onto the crossbar when the Ivorian seemed destined to send the game into extra time. “It's massive for the club. We dug in and got the result when we needed it,” McGregor told BBC Scotland. “Werder Bremen must have been one of the (competition) favourites. We have put them out... now we have to take it one game at a time.” Defeat capped a miserable few days for Werder, who was thumped 6-3 by VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Bolton manager Gary Megson made his side's priority this season quite clear by leaving a host of regulars at home to rest before it resumes its Premier League relegation battle this weekend. Sporting, in poor form itself having slipped to fifth place in its championship - 20 points behind leader Porto - won a low-key clash when Bruno Pereirinha struck five minutes from time.2010 Cup official resigns A top South African official responsible for co-ordinating government responsibilities toward hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup has resigned, a statement said Thursday. Joe Phaahla, director-general of a government unit that oversees security, health, environmental and infrastructural preparations for the football extravaganza, will leave his post six months early on March 31, the South African government said. __
