Friday, October 31, 2008

MLS Playoffs: Fire and Revs Get Things Started To Scoreless Start

The 2008 Major League Soccer playoffs started last night. In the conference semifinal round, there are two-game home-and-away series with no away goals rule.

At Foxboro, Massachusettes:

The visiting Chicago Fire and New England Revolution played the opening game of their two-match Eastern Conference semifinal series to a 0-0 stalemate.

CONCACAF Champions League: Knockout Stage-Bound Santos Laguna and Eliminated Municipal Draw

Group stage play resumed Thursday in the CONCACAF Champions League:

Group D:

At Guatemala City:

Visiting Santos Laguna and CSD Municipal battled to a high-scoring 4-4 deadlock. Each team had a player score a hat trick (with each player converting two penalty kicks: The Mexican club's Augustin Herrera (10', PK-47', PK-57') and Municipal's Guilermo Ramirez (PK-38', PK-64', 90'+5).

FINAL GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Santos Laguna (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 10)
2. Puerto Rico Islanders (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 8)
3. Tauro FC (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 8)
4. CSD Municipal (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 6)

Santos Laguna and the Puerto Rico Islanders advance to the quarterfinal round.

Two more matches-both postponed from original dates due to bad weather complications-will be played in November.

November 5:

Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica) will visit CD Marathon at San Pedro Sula, Honduras in the Group A finale as Saprissa has a chance to advance to the quarterfinals with a win or draw. Marathon has already clinched a spot in the final eight.

November 26:

L.A. Firpo will visit the Houston Dynamo at Houston's Robertson Stadium with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals. The Salvadorian club needs only a draw, the Dynamo must win this Group B finale.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

CONCACAF Champions League: Islanders, Pumas Clinch Quarterfinal Berth With Draw

Wednesday marked the continuation of group stage play in the CONCACAF Champions League:

Group A:

At San Jose, Costa Rica:

Alejandro Alpizar's goal (61') proved to be all the scoring as Deportivo Saprissa defeated visiting Cruz Azul 1-0.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Deportivo Saprissa (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 10)
2. CD Marathon* (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 10)
3. Cruz Azul (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
4. DC United# (GP 6: GD: -9; PTS: 1)

*Clinched quarterfinal berth
#Eliminated

Group B:

At Mexico City:

Francisco Palencia's double (28', 54') was just part of an offensive barrage that enabled UNAM Pumas to obliterate San Francisco FC (Panama) 6-0 at home and clinch the top spot in Group B.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. UNAM Pumas** (GP: 6; GD: +11; PTS: 12)
2. L. A. Firpo (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 8)
3. Houston Dynamo (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
3. San Francisco FC# (GP: 6; GD: -9; PTS: 2)

** Won Group B and clinched quarterfinal berth

Group D:

At Panama City, Panama:

Goals from Osei Telesford (16') and Fabrice Noel (29') enabled the Puerto Rico Islanders to gain a 2-2 road draw with Tauro FC (whose goals were scored by Brunet Hay [PK-43', 77'] and gained a berth in the quarterfinal round because of head-to-head competition with the Panamanian club. The Islanders had a win and a draw in the two matches.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Santos Laguna** (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2. Puerto Rico Islanders* (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 8)
3. Tauro FC# (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 8)
4. CSD Municipal# (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 5)

**Won Group D and clinched quarterfinal berth
*Clinched quarterfinal berth
#Eliminated

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

CONCACAF Champions League: Dynamo and L.A.Firpo Draw

Group stage play resumed in the CONCACAF Champions League on Tuesday:

Group B:

At San Salvador, El Salvador:

Fernando Leguizamon's equalizer (87') enabled Club Deportivo Juan Angel Firpo to gain a 1-1 home draw with the Houston Dynamo. The two clubs play again on November 26 in Houston. The Salvadorian club would only need a draw to advance to the quarterfinals. The Dynamo would have to win that game, but they would play at home. Stuart Holden put Houston on the scoreboard at 16 minutes.

Group C:

At Cancun, Mexico:

Goals from Clemente Ovalle (13') Gabriel Pereyra (82') lifted Atlante to a 2-1 comeback win over the visiting Montreal Impact, enabling the Iron Colts to overtake the USL-1 club and win Group C due to head-to-head competition (Atlante had one win and one draw vs. Montreal). Both clubs advanced to the quarterfinals.

At Tegucigalpa, Honduras:

In a battle of eliminated clubs, Allan Dos Santos scored twice (27', 38') and Oscar Bonieck Garcia (72') and Nestor Silva (85') once apiece as CD Olimpia crushed visiting Joe Public FC 4-0.

FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Atlante (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 11)
2. Montreal Impact (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 11)
3. CD Olimpia (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 8)
4. Joe Public FC (GP: 6; GD: -12; PTS: 3)

Sunday, October 26, 2008

RATS! DC United Miss Playoff For First Time Since 2002

At Columbus, Ohio:

Brad Evans provided the only goal of the match that saw the Columbus Crew, winners of the 2008 Supporters Shield for finishing with the best record in Major League Soccer, defeat DC United 1-0 at home, knocking United out of the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

Friday, October 24, 2008

CONCACAF Champions League: Municipal Knock Off Islanders In Puerto Rico

News and notes from the CONCACAF Champions League:


Thursday's originally scheduled match in Group A between Deportivo Saprissa and CD Marathon at San Pedro Sula, Honduras was rescheduled for November 5 due to flooding in San Pedro Sula.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Cruz Azul (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 10)
2. CD Marathon (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
3. Deportivo Saprissa (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
4. DC United# (GP: 5; GD: -7; PTS: 1)

#Eliminated

One game was played Thursday night.

Group D:

At Bayamon, Puerto Rico:

Mario Acevedo's goal at 86 minutes was the lone goal of the match as Guatemala's CSD Municipal---elimated from contention for a quarterfinal berth in the tournament---knocked off the Puerto Rico Islanders 1-0 on the road.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Santos Laguna (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2. Puerto Rico Islanders (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
3. Tauro FC (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
4. CSD Municipal# (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 5)


Thursday, October 23, 2008

UEFA Cup: Group Play Commences

Group stage play in the UEFA Cup began Thursday:

Group A:

At Gelsenkirchen, Germany:

Goals from Kevin Kuryani (39') and Halil Altintop (70') helped Schalke 04 overpower visiting Paris Saint-Germain 3-1.

At Enschede, Netherlands:

Romano Denneboon's early goal (7') held up as FC Twente held off visiting Racing Santander 1-0.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Schalke (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. FC Twente (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Manchester City (GP: 0; GD: 0; PTS: 0)
4. Racing Santander (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
5. PSG (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Group B:

At Istanbul, Turkey:

Harry Kewell provided the lone goal of the match (25') as Galatasaray defeated visiting Olympiacos 1-0.

At Berlin:

Marko Pantelic knocked in the equalizer at 74 minutes as Hertha Berlin salvaged a 1-1 home draw with SL Benfica. Angel Di Maria scored for the visiting Young Eagles at 51 minutes.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Galatasaray (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Benfica (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Hertha Berlin (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Metalist (GP: 0; GD: 0; PTS: 0)
5. Olympiacos (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

Group C:

At Seville, Spain:

Ndri Romaric (15') and Renato (16') provided the quick first-round tallies as Sevilla blanked visiting VfB Stuttgart 2-0.

At Belgrade, Serbia:

Daniele Dessnana's game winner (55') lifted Sampdoria past hosts Partizan Belgrade 2-1.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Sevilla (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Sampdoria (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Standard de Liege (GP: O; GD: 0; PTS: 0)
4. Partizan Belgrade (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
5. VfB Stuttgart (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Group D:

At Udine, Italy:

Goals from Antonio Di Natale (PK-24') and Simone Pepe (86') lifted Udinese to a 2-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur.

At Zagreb, Croatia:

Thanks to goals courtesy of Marijo Mandzukic (3'), Bosko Balaban (81'), and Ivica Vrdoljak (84') enabled Dinamo Zagreb to come from behind and edge out visiting Dutch club NEC Nijmegen 3-2.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Udinese (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Dinamo Zagreb (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Spartak Moscow (GP: 0; GD: 0; PTS: 0)
4. NEC Nijmegen (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
5. Tottenham Hotspur (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Group E:

At Heerenveen, Netherlands:

AC Milan, thanks to goals from Gannaro Gattuso (23') and Filippo Inzaghi (69'), picked up a 3-1 road win over SC Heerenveen.

At Braga, Portugal:

Powered by goals from Luis Aguiar (8'), Renteria (46'), and Alan (87'), Sporting Braga smothered visiting Portsmouth 3-0.

GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Sporting Braga (GP: 1; GD: +3; PTS: 3)
2. AC Milan (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
3. VfL Wolfsburg (GP: 0; GD: 0; PTS: 0)
4. SC Heerenveen (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)
5. Portsmouth (GP: 1; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

Group F:

At Zilina, Slovakia:

First-half goals from Mladen Petric (15') and Ivica Olic (45'+1) held up as visiting Hamburg held off MSK Zilina 2-1.

At Birmingham, England:

Aston Villa, thanks to goals from Martin Laursen (8') and Gareth Barry (45'), defeated visiting Ajax of Amsterdam 2-1.

GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Hamburg (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Aston Villa (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Slavia Prague (GP: 0; GD: 0; PTS: 0)
4. Ajax Amsterdam (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
5. MSK Zilina (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

Group G:

At Copenhagen, Denmark:

Saint-Etienne, with goals from Bafetimbi Gomis (2'), Loic Perrin (37'), and Dimitri Payet (65'), defeated hosts FC Copenhagen 3-1.

At Trondheim, Norway:

Visiting Club Brugge and Rosenborg played to a 0-0 stalemate.

GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Saint-Etienne (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Club Brugge (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Rosenborg (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Valencia (GP: 0; GD: 0; PTS: 0)
5. FC Copenhagen (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Group H:

At Moscow:

Alan Dzagoev tallied twice (9', 12') and Vagner Love added one himself (61') as CSKA Moscow dominated visiting Deportivo La Coruna 3-0)

At Nancy, France:

Second-half goals from Monsef Zerka (47'), Julien Feret (53'), and Helder (84') propelled AS Nancy to a 3-0 home blanking of Feyenoord Rotterdam.

GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. CSKA Moscow (GP: 1; GD: +3; PTS: 3)
2. AS Nancy (GP: 1; GD: +3; PTS: 3)
3. Lech Poznan (GP: 0; GD: 0; PTS: 0)
4. Deportivo La Coruna (GP: 1; GD: -3; PTS: 0)
5. Feyenoord Rotterdam (GP: 1; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

CONCACAF Champions League: Pumas Down Dynamo; L.A. Firpo Eliminate San Francisco

Two games--both in Group B--were contested Wednesday in CONCACAF Champions League group stage play.

At Houston:

Goals from Juan Carlos Cacho (PK-18'), Fernando Espinoza (30'), and Marco Antonio Palacios (70') propelled UNAM Pumas to a 3-1 road win over the Houston Dynamo.

At Panama City, Florida:

Dennis Jonathan Alas (44'), Christian Sanchez (49'), and Fernando Leguizamon (52') enabled El Salvador's Club Deportivo Luis Angel Firpo to a 3-2 win over San Francisco FC, eliminating the Panamanian club from contention for a spot in the quarterfinal round.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. UNAM Pumas (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 9)
2. L. A. Firpo (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
3. Houston Dynamo (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
4. San Francisco FC# (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 2)

#Eliminated

Group D:

At Torreon, Mexico:

A double from Christian Benitez (11', 27') helped pace Santos Laguna to a 3-0 home beatdown of Panama's Tauro FC.

UCL Group Stage-Group D: Los Rojibloncos Gain Draw With Reds; PSV Blank Marseille

Here's action from Group D in the UEFA Champions League group stage:

At Madr
id:

Simao'
s late equalizer (83', he's seen here celebrating) enabled Atletico Madrid to cancel out Robbie Keane's 14th-minute tally and gain a 1-1 home stalemate with Liverpool.

At Eindhoven, Netherlands:

Danny Koevermanns provided both goals (71', 85') as PSV Eindhoven blanked
visiting Marseille 2-0. Pictured here is PSV goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson celebrating Danny's second goal as he himself posted a shutout win.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Liverpool (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Atletico Madrid (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
3. PSV Eindhoven (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
4. Marseille (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 0)

Liverpool is listed first because they have scored one away goal in the one meeting thus far with Atletico Madrid.
Both Photos © Getty Images

UCL Group Stage-Group C: Barca Blast Basel; Lions Get 1-0 Win In Ukraine

UEFA Champions League Group Stage:

Group C:

At Donetsk, Ukraine:

Liedson scored the only goal of the match (76', he's seen here celebrating) as Sporting picked up a 1-0 road win over Shakhtar Donetsk.

At Basel, Switzerland:

Barcelona, thanks to goals from Lionel Messi (4'), Sergi Busquets (15'), Bojan Krkic (22'[, 46', he's pictured here celebrating with teammates), and Xavi Hernandez (48') brassknuckled FC Basel 5-0 on the road.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Barcelona (GP: 3; GD: +8; PTS: 9)
2. Sporting (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. Shakhtar Donetsk (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. FC Basel (GP: 3; GD: -8; PTS: 0)

Both Photos © Getty Images

UCL Group Stage-Group B: Inter Top Anorthosis; Panathinaikos Held To Home Draw By Werder

UEFA Champions League Group Stage

Group B:

At Athens, Gr
eece:

Hug
o Almeida's goal at 83 minutes (he's seen here celebrating) enabled Werder Bremen to gain a 2-2 road draw with Panathinaikos. Vangelis Mantzios provided both goals for The Greens (36', 68') and Per Mertensacker (29') scored Werder's other goal.

At Mila
n, Italy:

Adriana provided the game's lone goal (44', pictured here) as Inter Milan blanked visiting Anorthosis Famagusta FC 1-0.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Inter Milan (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Anorthosis Famagusta FC (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Werder Bremen (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Panathinaikos (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 1)

Both Photos © Getty Images

UEFA Champions League Group Stage, Matchday # 3, Continued: Bordeaux and Chelsea Pick Up 1-0 Home Wins In Group A

I have decided to take a different approach with the UEFA Champions League as Matchday #3 concluded Wednesday.

Group A:

At Bor
deaux, France:

Cadu's
own goal at 54 minutes allowed Bordeuax to pick up their first win of group stage play, 1-0 at home over CFR Cluj. The host players are seen here celebrating.

At London:

John
Terry's header at 77 minutes (he's seen here celebrating) lifted Chelsea to a 1-0 home win over AS Roma.


GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Chelsea (GP: 3; GD: +5; PTS: 7)
2. CFR Cluj (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. AS Roma (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Bordeaux (GP: 3; GD: -5; PTS: 3)

Both Photos © Getty Images

Gamba Osaka And Adelaide United In Finals For Asian Club Championship

The semifinal round of the AFC Champions League concluded Wednesday.

At Saitama, Japan:

Satoshi Yamaguchi (51'), Tomokazu Myojn (72'), and Yasuhito Endu (77') provided the goalpower that propelled Gamba Osaka to a 3-1 road win in game two against the Uwara Red Diamonds, thus enabling Gamba to win their two-match set, 4-2 on aggregate.

At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:

Despite losing game two on the road 1-0 (Anvarjon Soliev scoring the game's lone goal at 78 minutes), Adelaide United still reached the final as they won their two-match set with FC Bunyodkor on aggregate, 3-1.

The AFC Champions League final will be a two-match, home-and-away series, with the opening contest to be played in Osaka, Japan on November 5, and the return match in Adelaide, Australia on November 12.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage: Impact And Iron Colts Advance To Quarterfinals; Cruz Azul Blank DC United Again

Group stage play resumed Tuesday in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Group A:

At Mexico City:

Goals by Nicolas Vigneri (37') and Pablo Zeballos (88') enabled Cruz Azul to blank visiting (and nine-man) DC United 2-0.

Group B:

At Montreal:

By drawing 1-1 at home with Honduran club CD Olimpia, the Montreal Impact clinched a berth in the quarterfinal round. Roberto Brown (40') scored to put the Impact ahead 1-0 before the guests' Ramiro Bruschi (45' +1) equalized. The club from Honduras was eliminated from contention.

At Macoya, Trinidad and Tobago:

Ismael Valadez (6') and Gabriel Pereyra (55') provided the scoring that lifted Atlante to a 2-0 road win over Joe Public FC, putting the Mexican Iron Colts into the quarterfinals and eliminated the Trinidadian club from contention.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Montreal Impact* (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 11)
2. Atlante* (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 8)
3. CD Olimpia# (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
4. Joe Public FC# (GP: 5; GD: -8; PTS: 3)

*Advanced to quarterfinal round
#Eliminated

UEFA Champions League Group Stage, Matchday #3: Easy Wins For Red Devils, Gunners, and Bayern; Old Lady Top Galacticos

Group stage play resumed in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

Group E:

At Vi
llarreal, Spain:

Substitute's Joseba Llorente's second-half hat trick (67', 70', 84', he's seen here celebrating) helped Villarreal double up visiting Aalborg BK 6-3.

At Manchester, England:

Dimitar Berbatov's double (30', 51', he's seen here celebrating his first tally) and Wayne Rooney's 76th minute goal paced Manchester United to a convincing 3-0 home beatdown of Celtic.

GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Manchester United (GP: 3; GD: +6; PTS: 7)
2. Villarre
al (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
3. Celtic (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 1)
4. Aalborg BK (GP: 3; GD: -6; PTS: 1)

Group F:

At Munich, Germany:

Goals from Miroslav Klose (4'), Bastian Schweinsteiger (25'), both of whom pictured here, and ze Roberto (90') powered Bayern Munich to a 3-0 home pasting of Fiorentina.

At Bucharest,
Romania:

Doubles apiece from Karim Benzema (33', 71', he's pictured here being congratulated after scoring his fir
st goal) and Fred (69', 90'+2) led Lyon to a come-from-behind 5-3 road victory over Steaua Bucharest.

GROUP
F STANDINGS:

1. Bayern Munich (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
2. Lyon (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
3. Fiorentina (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 2)
4. Steaua Bucharest (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)

Group G:

At Istanbul, Turkey:

Goals courtesy of Emmanuel Adebayor (10'), Theo Walcott (11', he's pictured here), Abou Diaby (22'), Alexandre Song (49'), and Daniel Ramsey (90' +4) enabled visiting Arsenal to throttle Fenerbahce 5-2.

At Porto, Portugal:

Olexandr Aliyev's goal at 27 minutes was all the scoring as Dynamo Kiev picked up a 1-0 win on
the road over FC Porto. Pictured here, we see the Dragons' Cristian Rodriguez tackling Dynamo's Tiberiu Ghioane.

GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Arsenal (GP: 3; GD: +7; PTS: 7)
2. Dynamo Kiev (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. FC Porto (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
4. Fenerbahce (GP: 3; GD: -5; PTS: 1)

Group H:

At Saint Petersburg, Russia:

Fatih Tekke's 80th-minute equalizer (pictured here) enabled Zenit Saint Petersburg to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Belarus' BA
TE Borisov. Pavel Nekhaychik put the guests on the scoreboard at 52 minutes.

At Turin, Italy:

Juventus, thanks to goals from Alessandro
Del Piero (5', he's seen here celebrating) and Amauri (49'), held off visiting Real Madrid 2-1.

GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Juventus (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
2. Real Madrid (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
3. BATE Borisov (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 2)
4. Zenit Saint Petersburg (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

All Photos © Getty Images

Saturday, October 18, 2008

It's Al Ahly vs. Cotonsport Garoua For CAF Champions League Crown

The semifinal round of the CAF Champions League concluded on Saturday.

At Cairo, Egypt:

Flavio Amado scored the only goal of the match (and the two-game series) at 26 minutes at Al Ahly defeated Nigeria's Enyimba 1-0 in game two at home, thus capturing their two-match set 1-0 on aggregate. Al Ahly will play for what would be a record-breaking sixth African club championship in the two-match home-and-away final against Cameroon's Cotonsport Garoua. They share the record with hated local rivals Zamalek.

At Garaou, Cameroon:

Cotonsport Garoua delivered a 4-0 home beatdown on Zimbabwe's Dyanmos to capture their two-match set 5-0 on aggregate. Sabastien Koua (1'), Jacques Zoua (52'), Daouda Kamilou (65'), and Baba Ousmalia (76') each scored once for the hosts. Cotonsport became the first Cameroonian club to reach the finals of Africa's premier club competition in 28 years.


Wednesday, October 15, 2008

FIFA World Cup Qualifying: El Salvador Advances; T&T Knock Off Team USA; Cuba Shock Guatemala

Qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup from the CONCACAF region resumed Wednesday.

Group A:

At Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago:

Goals from Russell Latapy (62') and Dwight Yorke (PK-79') lifted Trinidad and Tobago to a 2-1 home win over the already final qualifying round-bound United States. The Trinidians climb over Guatemala into second place in Group A.

At Havana, Cuba:

Cuba, already eliminated from contention, stunned visiting Guatemala 2-1 with goals from Jaime Colome (PK-45') and Allaini Urgelles (87'). This defeat knocked Guatemala down to third place in group three and must win next month in the United States and have Trinidad and Tobago lose Cuba at home in order to advance to the final qualifying round.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. United States** (GP: 5; GD: +9; PTS: 12)
2. Trinidad and Tobago (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 8)
3. Guatemala (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
4. Cuba# (GP: 5; GD: -10; PTS: 3)

**Won Group A and advanced to the final qualifying round
#Eliminated

Group B:

At Kingston, Jamaica:

Luton Shelton's goal (16') was the only one of the match which saw Jamaica keep their chances of advancing alive with their 1-0 home win over Honduras. The Reggae Boyz still have a chance, trailing the second-place Hondurans by two points heading into their final match next month at home against Canada.

At Edmonton, Alberta:

Vincente Matias Vuoso's equalizer at 64 minutes enabled Mexico to climb back to the top of the Group B standings as they gained a 2-2 road draw against eliminated Canada. Carlos Salcido scored the Tri-Colors' other goal at 31 minutes. Ali Gerba (12') and Tomasz Radzinski (50') scored for the Canadians.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Mexico (GP: 5; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
2. Honduras (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
3. Jamaica (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 7)
4. Canada# (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 2)

#Eliminated from contention

Group C:

At San Jose, Costa Rica:

Junior Diaz (16') and Victor Nunez (90'+2) each delivered a goal as Costa Rica, having already advanced to the final qualifying round, blanked visiting Haiti 2-0 to knock the visitors out of contention.

At San Salvador, El Salvador:

First-half goals from Rodolfo Zelaya (11') and Eliseo Quintanilla (26') helped power El Salvador to a 3-0 home thumping of Suriname, thus advancing to the final qualifying round.

GROUP C STADINGS:

1. Costa Rica** (GP: 5; GD: +15; PTS: 15)
2. El Salvador* (GP: 5; GD: +9; PTS: 10)
3. Haiti# (GP: 5; GD: -9; PTS: 2)
4. Suriname# (GP: 5; GD: -15; PTS: 1)

**Won Group C and advanced to the final qualifying round
*Advanced to the final qualifying round
#Eliminated from contention

On The MLS Expansion Front

Arthur Blank, who owns the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and the Arena Football League's Georgia Force, has filed an application for a Major League Soccer expansion franchise for Atlanta, which, should it be granted, would begin play in 2011. The city, home to the Atlanta Silverbacks of USL-1, has not had a franchise in a top-flight outdoor league since the demise of the Atlanta Chiefs of the North American Soccer League following the 1981 season.

Meanwhile, longtime Spanish and European powerhouse FC Barcelona has entered the MLS expansion sweepstakes as part of a joint effort to bring MLS back to Miami, where the Fusion (1998-2001) bellied up after four seasons of playing home games in Fort Lauderdale.

Today was the deadline for prospective ownership groups to submit bids for expansion franchises.

Besides Atlanta and Miami, Montreal, Vancouver, St. Louis, Portland, and Ottawa have submitted applications for 2011 expansion franchises.

The new Seattle Sounders FC club is scheduled to begin play next year and the new Philadelphia franchise is set to begin play in 2010. The league is planning on adding an additional two clubs who would begin play in 2011.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Whitecaps Capture USL1 Title

At Burnaby, British Columbia:

Charles Gbeke scored twice (55', 73') to pace the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 2-1 home win over the Puerto Rico Islanders to win the 2008 Championship game of the First Division of the United Soccer Leagues. It was the Whitecaps' second USL-1 title in the last three seasons.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

FIFA World Cup Qualifying: Team USA and Costa Rica Clinch Berths In Final Qualifying Round; Reggae Boyz Stun Mexico; Canada Eliminated

Qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup from the CONCACAF region resumed on Saturday:

Group A:

At Washington:

DeMarcus Beasley scored twice (10', 30') and Landon Donovan (48'), Brian Ching (63'), Jozy Altidore (87'), and Oguchi Onyewu (90') each scored once as the United States hammered visiting Cuba 6-1 to clinch a spot in the final qualifying round.

At Guatemala City:

Visiting Trinidad and Tobago held Guatemala to a 0-0 stalemate as the two teams remained deadlocked on points for the group's second advancing berth.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. United States** (GP: 4; GD: +10; PTS: 12)
2. Guatemala (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
3. Trinidad and Tobago (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
4. Cuba (GP: 4; GD: -11; PTS: 0)

** Won Group A and clinched a berth in the final qualifying round

Group B:

At Kingston, Jamaica:

Ricardo Miller's goal at 14 minutes was the only score of the match as Jamaica kept their flickering hopes of advancing to the final qualifying round barely alive with a suprise 1-0 home win over Mexico.

At San Pedra Sula, Honduras:

Walter Martinez (9'), Carlos Costly (61'), and Hendry Thomas (90') each scored once as Honduras eliminated visiting Canada from contention for a 2010 World Cup berth with their 3-0 victory.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Honduras (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
2. Mexico (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
3. Jamaica (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 4)
4. Canada#(GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 1)

#Eliminated from contention

Group C:

At Paramaribo, Suriname:

Costa Rica, with Walter Centeno (10'), Celso Borges (41'), Armando Alonso (47'), and Alsonso Solis (78') each contributing a tally, thumped Suriname on the road 4-1 to clinch a berth in the final qualifying round.

At Port-au-Prince, Haiti:

Visiting El Salvador settled for a 0-0 deadlock with Haiti.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Costa Rica* (GP: 4; GD: +13; PTS: 12)
2. El Salvador (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 7)
3. Haiti (GP: 4; GD: -7; PTS: 2)
4. Suriname (GP: 4; GD: -12; PTS: 1)

*Clinched berth in the final qualifying round

Thursday, October 09, 2008

CONCACAF Champions League: DC United On Life Support; Pumas And L.A. Firpo Draw

CONCACAF Champions League group stage play continued Thursday night.

Group A:

At San Jose, Costa Rica:

Rod Dyachenko's equalizer (90') enabled DC United to remain barely alive in the race for a spot in the quarterfinal round as the Major League Soccer club gained a 2-2 road draw with Deportivo Saprissa. Francis Doe scored United first goal at 6 minutes. Jairo Arieta (80') and Cesar Elizondo (85') provided the late second-half scores for the hosts.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Marathon (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Cruz Azul (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
3. Deportivo Saprissa (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
4. DC United (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 1)

Group B:

At San Salvador, El Salvador:

Mexico's UNAM Pumas and Club Deportivo Juan Angel Firpo battled to a 1-1 stalemate. Mauricio Quintanilla (55') got the hosts ahead briefly, before the Pumas' Martin Bravo (55') equalized.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. UNAM Pumas (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Houston Dynamo (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. L. A. Firpo (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
4. San Francisco FC (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 2)

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage: Impact On Cusp Of Advancing; Islanders Blanked In Mexico

Group stage play continued Wednesday night in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Group C:

At Port Of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago:

Tony Donatelli's double (12', 78') enabled the Montreal Impact to overpower hosts Joe Public FC 4-1 to all but officially clinch a berth in the quarterfinals.

At Tegucigalpa, Honduras:

Wilmer Castro's late equalizer (83') enabled CD Olimpia to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Mexico's Atlante. Federico Vilar provided the Iron Colts' lone goal at 38 minutes.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Montreal Impact (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 10)
2. Atlante (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
3. CD Olimpia (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Joe Public (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 3)

Group D:

At Guatemala City:

Mario Acevedo's last minute equalizer (90'), combined with the earlier tally from Juan Carlos Plata (15'), lifted CSD Municipal to a 2-2 home draw with Tauro FC of Panama. Luis Escobar (56') and Edwin Aguilar (59') provided the scoring for the visitors.

At Torreon, Mexico:

Oribe Peralta (29'), Andony Hernandez (54'), and Augustin Herrera (69') each tallied once to power Santos Laguna to a convincing 3-0 home beatdown of the Puerto Rico Islanders.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Puerto Rico Islanders (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
2. Tauro FC (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
3. Santos Laguna (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
4. CSD Municipal (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 2)

UEFA Cup Group Stage Draw

Here's a recap of Tuesday's draw for the 2008-09 UEFA Cup Group Stage.

Here is what the eight groups look like:

Group A:

Schalke 04 (Germany)
Paris Saint Germain (France)
Manchester City (England)
Racing Santander (Spain)
FC Twente (Netherlands)

Group B:

SL Benfica (Portugal)
Olympiacos (Greece)
Galatasaray (Turkey)
Hertha BSC Berlin (Germany)
Metalist Khariv (Ukraine)

Group C:

Sevilla (Spain)
VfB Stuttgart (Germany)
Samporia (Italy)
Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)
Standard Liege (Belgium)

Group D:

Tottenham Hotspur (England)
Spartak Moscow (Russia)
Udinese (Italy)
Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)
NEC Nijmegen (Netherlands)

Group E:

AC Milan (Italy)
SC Heerenveen (Netherlands)
Sporting Braga (Portugal)
Portsmouth (England)
VfL Wolfsburg (Germany)

Group F:

Hamburg (Germany)
Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)
Aston Villa (England)
MSK Zilina (Slovakia)

Group G:

Valencia (Spain)
Club Brugge (Belgium)
Rosenborg (Norway)
FC Copenhagen (Denmark)
Saint-Etienne (France)

Group F:
CSKA Moscow (Russia)
Deportivo La Coruna (Spain)
Feyenoord (Netherlands)
AS Nancy (France)
Lech Poznan (Poland)

Each team will play each of the other four teams in its group once. The top three finishing teams in each group will advance to the knockout stage, where they will be joined by the eight third-place group finishers from the UEFA Champions League.

Group stage play begins on Thursday, October 23.

AFC Champions League Semis: Easy Game One Win For Adelaide United; Deadlock In Japan

The semifinal round of the 2008 AFC Champions League opened Wednesday with the first match of the two-game total-goals series:

At Osaka, Japan:

Yasuhito Endo's successful penalty kick at 81 minutes enabled Gamba Osaka to salvage a 1-1 home draw with the Uwara Red Diamonds in the two-match series opener for both clubs. Hajime Hosogai put the visiting Reds on the scoreboard in the 21st minute with his goal.

At Adelaide, Australia:

Goals courtesy of Diego Walsh (57'), Fabian Barbiero (76'), and Cristiano dos Santos Rodrigues (PK-89') enabled Adelaide United to bust open a game that was scoreless at halftime and belt visiting FC Bunyodkor (Uzbekistan) 3-0 in game one of their two-match series.

Both series are scheduled to resume on October 22.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage: D-Ro Comes Through For Dynamo; Deadlock In Mexico City Between Cruz Azul And Marathon

Group stage play in the CONCACAF Champions League resumed Tuesday.

Group A:

At Mexico City:

Erick Norales' equalizer at 86 minutes lifted CD Marathon (Honduras) to a 1-1 road deadlock with Cruz Azul. Javier Orozco scored at 12 minutes for the hosts.

Group B:

At Houston:

Dwayne De Rosario's game winner at 87 minutes lifted the Houston Dynamo to a 2-1 home win over Panama's San Francisco FC. Chris Wondolowski scored at 13 minutes for Houton. Temistocles Perez equalized at 47 minutes for the hosts, but DeRo pulled through for the Dynamo.

Sunday, October 05, 2008

CAF Champions League Semifinal Round: Visitors From Cameroon Take Opener; Scoreless In Nigeria

The semifinal round in the CAF Champions League commence on Sunday:

At Harare, Zimbabwe:

Daouda Kamilou scored the only goal of game one at 32 minutes to lift Cotonsport Garoua of Cameroon to a 1-0 road win over Dynamos in the opening match of the two clubs' home-and-away two-match series.

At Aba, Nigeria:

The opening match of the other semifinal series between visiting Al Ahly of Egypt and homestanding Enyimba ended in a 0-0 stalemate.




Thursday, October 02, 2008

CONCACAF Champions League: Rough Night For Mexican Clubs

The halfway point of Group Stage play for everyone except the Houston Dynamo and L. A. Firpo was reached Thursday in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Group C:

At Cancun, Mexico:

Roen Nelson's goal (55') proved to be all the scoring as Joe Public FC (Trinidad and Tobago) picked up their first points of group stage play by defeating Atlante 1-0 on the road.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Montreal Impact (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Atlante (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. Olimpia (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Joe Public FC (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)

Group D:

At Panama City, Panama:

Tauro FC blanked visiting Mexican club Santos Laguna 2-0. Brunet Hay (43') and Rolando Rojas (57') provided the scoring.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Puerto Rico Islanders (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Tauro FC (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
3. Santos Laguna (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
4. CSD Municipal (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

UEFA Cup: First Round Concludes

Thursday marked the conclusion of the first round of the 2008-09 UEFA Cup.


CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage: Still No Points Or Goals For DC United; Impact Rack Up Another Win; Islanders Settle For Road Draw

Group stage play in the CONCACAF Champions League resumed Wednesday:

Group A:

At Washington:

Pablo Zeballos scored the only goal of the match at 56 minutes as Cruz Azul (Mexico) blanked DC United 1-0 on the road.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Marathon (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Cruz Azul (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
3. Deportivo Saprissa (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. DC United (GP: 3; GD: -5; PTS: 0)

Group B:

Usulutan, El Salvador

Ramon Patricio Avila notched the game's lone goal at 90 minutes to lift Club Deportivo Luis Angel Firpo to a 1-0 home win over San Francisco FC of Panama.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. UNAM Pumas (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 5)
2. L. A. Firpo (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
3. Houston Dynamo (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
4. San Francisco FC (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 2)

Group C:

At Tegucigalpa, Honduras:

Roberto Brown's double (2', PK-72') enabled the Montreal Impact to pick up a 2-1 road victory over Club Deportivo Olimpia.

Group D:

Juan Carlos Plata's late equalizer (90'+1) enabled CSD Municipal to salvage a 2-2 home draw with the Puerto Rico Islanders. Fabrice Noel (10') and Sandi Gbandi (90') scored for the Islanders.

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

UEFA Champions League Group Stage, Matchday #2, Continued: Scoreless In Transylvania; Steven Gerrard Nets #100 For Reds

Matchday #2 concluded Wednesday in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League:

Group A:

At Cluj-Napoca, Romania:

CFR Cluj earned a share of the points with their 0-0 home deadlock with last season's runners-up Chelsea. Pictured here is the Transylvanian club's Yssour Kone battling the Blues' John Terry for the ball.

At Bordeaux, France:

After falling behind 1-0 at halftime, AS Roma erupted for three goals to beat homestanding Bordeaux 3-1. Mirko Vucinic (64') and Julio Baptista (71', 83'; he's seen here celebrating with teammates) provided the second half tallies for the Wolves.

GROUP A
STANDINGS:
1. Chelsea (GP: 2; GD: +4; PTS: 4)

2. CFR Cluj (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. AS Roma (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
4. Bordeaux
(GP: 2; GD: -6; PTS: 0)

Group B:


At Nicosia, Cyprus:

In th
e first-ever UEFA Champions League group stage match played in Cyprus (on the 48th anniversary of the country's independence, no less), goals from Sinisa Dobrasinovic (15', seen here celebrating with teammate Vincent Laban) and Hawar Taher (78') helped lift Anorthosis Famagusta FC to a 3-1 win over visiting Panathinaikos.

At Milan, Italy:

Claudio Pizarro's equalizer at 62 minutes (he's seen being congratulated by teammates) enabled Werder Bremen to gain a 1-1 road stalemate with Inter Milan. Maicon scored at 13 minutes for the Nerozzurri.

GROUP B STANDINGS:


1. Inter Milan (GP: 2; GD: +2; P
TS: 4)
2. Anorthosis Famagusta FC (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
3. Werder Bremen (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
4. Panathinaikos (GP: 2; GD: -4; PTS: 0)

Group C:

At Lisbon:

Sporting blanked visiting FC Basel 2-0 as Leandro Romagnoli (55', seen here celebrating) and Derlei (86') provided the scoring for the Lions.

At Donetsk, Ukraine:

Two late second-half goals from Lionel
Messi (87', 90'+4) enabled Bacelona to come from behind and nip Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 on the road. Here's the happy Barca goalscorer celebrating.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Barcelona (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Sporting (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. Shakht
ar Donetsk (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. FC Basel (GP: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

Group D:


At Liverpool, England:

Liverpool overpowered visiting PSV Eindhoven 3-1. Dirk Kuyt (4'), Robbie Keane (34', his
first goal for the Reds), and Steven Gerard (76', his 100th career tally with Liverpool; he's pictured here celebrating) provided the scoring.

At Madrid:

Sergio Aguero (4', he's the one seen here celebrating) and Raul Garcia (22') provided the first-half scoring as Atletico Madrid doubled up visiting Marseille 2-1.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Atletico Madrid (GP: 2; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
2. Liverpool (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
3. Marseille (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 0)
4. PSV Eindhoven (GP: 2; GD: -5; PTS: 0)

All Photos © Getty Images