Thursday, April 30, 2009

Copa Libertadores: Group Stage Play Concludes

Group stage play in the Copa Libertadores concluded Thursday.

Group Two:

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Rodrigo Texeira's early goal (2') helped Deportivo Cuenca gain a 1-1 road draw with Guarani to clinch a berth in the knockout stage. The hosts were the only one of three Ecuadorian clubs to advance from the group stage.

At Buenos Aires, Argentina:

Martin Palmero's double (PK-13', 63') helped Boca Juniors clinch a knockout stage berth as the hosts overpowered (and eliminated) Deportivo Tachira 3-0.

FINAL GROUP TWO STANDINGS:

1. Boca Juniors (GP: 6; GD: +8; PTS: 15)
2. Deportivo Cuenca (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 10)
3. Deportivo Tachira (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 9)
4. Guarani (GP: 6; GD: -10; PTS: 1)

Boca Juniors and Deportivo Cuenca advanced to the knockout stage.

Group Three:

At Montevideo, Uruguay:

In a battle of Club Nacionals, Diego Arismendi (29'), Sebastian Coates (80'), and Nicolas Lodeiro (90') each tallied once as the Round-of-16-bound hosts from the Uruguayan capital overcame their Paraguayan counterparts 3-1.

At Buenos Aires, Argentina:

River Plate, already eliminated from the tournament, overpowered visiting Universidad San Martin, who already locked up a berth in the knockout stage, 3-0. Gustavo Bou (17'), Rubens Sambueza (PK-41'), and Diego Barrado (60') each tallied once for the hosts.

FINAL GROUP THREE STANDINGS:

1. Club Nacional (Uruguay) (GP: 6; GD: +9; PTS: 14)
2. Universidad San Martin (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 8)
3. River Plate (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 7)
4. Club Nacional (Paraguay) (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 4)

Club Nacional (Uruguay) and Universidad San Martin advanced to the knockout stage.

The knockout stage (Round of 16) commences next Wednesday.

Here are the matchups for the two-match sets with the opening game hosts listed first.

Gremio vs. Universidad San Martin

Boca Juniors vs. Defensor Sporting

Club Nacional (Uruguay) vs. San Luis

Sao Paolo vs. Chivas of Guadalajara

Cruzeiro vs. Universidad de Chile

Sport Recife vs. Palmeiras

Libertad vs. Estudiantes

Caracas FC vs. Deportivo Cuenca

The return matches are scheduled for May 13.

As you may note, the two Mexican clubs start their two-game sets next week on the road. Whether the current outbreak of Swine Flu was a factor is still to be seen.

Actually, the matchups are based on how the group stage survivors fared in the group stage, based on total points, then goal differential, then total goals scored, then goals scored on the road.

UPDATE:

Both Chivas of Guadalajara and San Luis will be playing their scheduled Round-of-16 home contests in Bogota, Colombia due to concerns over the Swine Flu outbreak.

UEFA Cup Semifinals Start: Shaktar Gain Road Draw In Opener; Pete Trochowski Uses Noggin To Bop Werder In Opener Of All-German Semi

The semifinal round of the UEFA Cup commenced Thursday with two contests.

At Kiev, Ukraine:

Luis Fernardinho's equalizer in 68 minutes lifted Shakhtar Donetsk to a 1-1 road draw with Dynamo Kiev in game one of the clubs' two-match semifinal series.

At Bremen, Germany:

Hamburg paid a visit on Werder Bremen in the series opener for the two clubs and knocked them off 1-0 with Piotr Trochowski scoring the game's lone goal at 28 minutes with his noggin.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Sounders And Red Bulls Capture US Open Qualifiers

Two qualifying matches for the 2009 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup were played this week.

At Tukwila, Washington:

Sabastien La Toux scored twice (PK-25', 54') as Seattle Sounders FC defeated fellow MLS club Real Salt Lake 4-1 on Tuesday.

At Santa Clara, California:

Mike Petke (2') and John Wolyniec (80') provided the goals as the New York Red Bulls knocked off the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 on the road.

Goats Draw With Everton (NOT That One) To Gain Round of 16 Berth: Thing Didn't Go Better With Colo-Colo After All As Palmeiras Eliminates Chilean Club

The final week of group stage play in the Copa Libertadores continued Wednesday.

Group One:

At Quito, Ecuador:

Helped by Andrade's double (22', 78'), Sport Recife, which already booked their ticket to the knockout rounds, defeated nine-man LDU Quito 3-2 on the road.

At Santiago, Chile:

In what was essentially a playoff for the right to join Sport Recife in the Round of 16 from Group One, Cleiton Xavier scored the only goal of the match at 87 minutes as ten-man Palmeiras knocked off hosts Colo-Colo 1-0 to reach the knockout stage.


FINAL GROUP ONE STANDINGS:

1, Sport Recife (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 13)
2. Palmeiras (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
3. Colo-Colo (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
4. LDU Quito (GP: 6; GD: -7; PTS: 4)

Two clubs from Brazil, Sport Recife and Palmeiras, advanced to the knockout stage of the Copa Libertadores.
Group Six:

At Vina del Mar, Chile:

Javier Hernandez scored at 6 minutes as Chivas of Guadalajara gained a 1-1 road draw with Everton de Vina del Mar, which clinched a berth in the knockout stage for the Mexican club. Jaime Riveros scored at 47 minutes for the hosts, but they needed another goal that would have won the game and put them into the Round of 16 instead of the Goats.

At Lanus, Argentina:

Dario Figueroa's goal at 31 minutes was enough for Caracas FC as the Venezuelan club held hosts Lanus to a 1-1 club. The visitors clinched the top spot in Group Six.

FINAL GROUP SIX STANDINGS:

1. Caracas FC (GP: 6 GD: +3; PTS: 10)
2. Chivas of Guadalajara (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
3. Everton de Vina del Mar (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 8)
4. Lanus (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 4)

Caracas FC and Chivas of Guadalajara advanced to the knockout stage.


John O'Shea Goal Gives Red Devils Advantage After First Match With Gunners

At Manchester, England:

John O'Shea scored the only goal of the match (17', he's pictured here celebrating with teammates) as Manchester United took the opening match of their two-game UEFA Champions League semifinal series with Arsenal 1-0 at home.

Photo © Getty Images

If You're Planning To Watch A Soccer Match In Mexico This Weekend....

Forget it.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Conclusion of CONCACAF Champions League Postponed

Because of concerns over the outbreak of Swine Flu in Mexico, Wednesday night's scheduled second match of the two-game final of the CONCACAF Champions League has been postponed until May 12 at Cancun, Mexico.

Atlante took the opening match against Cruz Azul last week in Mexico City 2-0.

Tuesday Copa Action; San Luis Overtake Peruvian Club For Knockout Stage Berth

The final week of group stage play in the Copa Libertadores opened on Tuesday.

Group Seven:

At Cochabamba, Bolivia:

Goals courtesy of Marco Estrada (14') and Juan Gonzalez (73') lifted Universidad de Chile into the knockout stage as the visitors defeated Club Aurora 2-1.

At Porto Alegre, Brazil:

Souza's double (12', 16') helped ignite a first-half scoring ambush as knockout-stage-bound Gremio dominated visiting Boyaca Chico FC 3-0 to eliminate the Colombian club from the tournament.

FINAL GROUP SEVEN STANDINGS:

1. Gremio (GP: 6; GD: +10; PTS: 16)
2. Universidad de Chile (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
3. Boyaca Chico FC (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS 9)
4. Club Aurora (GP: 6; GD: -12; PTS: 0)

Gremio and Universidad de Chile have advanced to the knockout stage.

Group Eight:

At Buenos Aires, Argentina:

Ronaille Calheira's own goal at 20 minutes did not help matters, and Alejandro Gomez added the insurance goal at 24 minutes as already-eliminated San Lorenzo stunned visiting Universitario de Deportes 2-0 to knock the Peruvian club out of the tournament.

At Luque, Paraguay:

With Jairo Patino (58') and Jose Rodolfo Reyes (90') providing the scoring, San Luis knocked off Round-of-16 bound Club Libertad 2-0 on the road to overtake Peru's Universitario and claim the second knockout stage berth from Group Eight.

FINAL GROUP EIGHT STANDINGS:

1. Club Libertad (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 12)
2. San Luis (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 8)
3. Universitario de Deportes (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 8)
4. San Lorenzo (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 6)

Club Libertad and San Luis (who had a better goal differential than Universitario de Deports) advanced to the knockout stage.
Libertad advanced to the knockout stage.

Blues Hold Barca To Scoreless Home Draw In Series Opener


At Barcelona, Spain:

Visiting Chelsea held Barcelona to a 0-0 draw in the opening match of the two clubs' semifinal series in the UEFA Champions League. Pictured here are Barca's Lionel Messi taking on the Blues' left-back Jose Bosingwa.


Photo © Getty Images

Monday, April 27, 2009

Hooliganism?! I'm Shocked! Shocked!!

Ahh, yes.

Ain't nothin' like a pitch invasion to add to the 'ome club's contined woes on an' off th' pitch.

Jurgen Canned

Looks like Bayern Munich gave Jurgen Klinsmann the boot today.

The coach of a Spanish club fighting to avoid relegation from the top flight also got pink-slipped.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

One-Goal Wins For DC United, Toronto FC

Two games were played Sunday in Major League Soccer.

At East Rutherford, New Jersey:

Goals during second-half stoppage time from Luciano Emilio (90') and Chris Pontius (90'+1) lifted DC United to a come-from-behind 3-2 road win over the New York Red Bulls.

At Toronto:

Danny Dichio scored the only goal of the match (54') as Toronto FC, playing under interim coach Chris Cummins, defeated the visiting Kansas City Wizards 1-0.

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Toronto FC (GP: 7; GD: 0; PTS: 11)
2. Chicago Fire (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 10)
3. Kansas City Wizards (GP: 7; GD: +1; PTS: 10)
4. DC United (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 9)
5. New England Revolution (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 8)
6. New York Red Bulls (GP: 7; GD: -4; PTS: 5)
7. Columbus Crew (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 4)

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Chivas USA (GP: 7; GD: +7; PTS: 16)
2. Seattle Sounders FC (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 12)
3. Real Salt Lake (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
4. Colorado Rapids (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 8)
5. Houston Dynamo (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
6. San Jose Earthquakes (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 5)
7. Los Angeles Galaxy (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
8. FC Dallas (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 4)

TFC Coach Steps Down

John Carver resigned on Saturday as head coach of Major League Soccer's Toronto FC for personal reasons.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Fire Roar Back To Gain Draw In Columbus And Keep Crew Winless

Five Major League Soccer matches were contested on Saturday.

At Columbus, Ohio:

Goals from Brian McBride (86') and Gonzalo Segares (88') enabled the Chicago Fire to erase a two-goal deficit and gain a 2-2 road draw with the Columbus Crew. The still-winless defending champs got goals in the first half from Chad Marshall (26') and Alejandro Moreno (34').

At Sandy, Utah:

Six different goal scorers----Jamison Olave (53'), Clint Mathis (56'), Yura Movsisyan (70'), Luis Escalada (81'), Andy Williams (85'), and Robbie Findley (89')----each scored once in the second half as Real Salt Lake crushed the previously unbeaten New England Revolution 6-0 at home.

At Commerce City, Colorado:

Landon Donovan's equalizer (82') lifted the Los Angleles Galaxy to a 1-1 road deadlock with the Colorado Rapids. Colin Clark scored at 60 minutes for the Rapids.

At Carson City, California:

Atiba Harris doubled (68', 89') and Alecko Eskandarian added one for good measure (90') as Chivas USA broke open a scoreless deadlock and overpowered visiting FC Dallas 3-0.

At Seattle:

Steve Zakuani (42') and Brad Evans (50') provided the goalpower as Seattle Sounders FC blanked the visiting San Jose Earthquakes 2-0.


Auckland City Blast Koloale In O-League Finals Opener

At Honiara, Solomon Islands:

Keryn Jordan's hat trick (65', 77', 85') helped sealed Auckland City's 7-2 road demolition of Koloale FC in game one of the two-match final of the Oceania Football Confederation's Champions League on Saturday.

Game two will take place next Sunday in Auckland, New Zealand.

The New Zealand club has all but punched their ticket for December's FIFA Club World Cup, which is to take place this year in the United Arab Emirates.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Deportivo Cuenca Prevent Boca From Clinching Knockout Stage Berth; River Plate Eliminated

Two games were played on Thursday in the Copa Libertadores.

Group Two:

At Cuenca, Ecuador:

Edison Preciado scored the only goal of the match (78') as Deportivo Cuenca defeated Boca Juniors 1-0, preventing the visitors from nailing down a berth in the Round of 16, while keeping themselves very much alive in the race for a knockout stage spot.

GROUP TWO STANDINGS:

1. Boca Juniors (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 12)
2. Deportivo Cuenca (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 9)
3. Deportivo Tachira (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 9)
4. Guarani# (GP: 5; GD: -10; PTS: 0)

#Eliminated from contention for knockout stage berth

Group Three:

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Fabio Escobar's double (PK-45', 79') powered already-eliminated Nacional to a 4-2 home doubling of River Plate, eliminating the Argentinian club from contention for a knockout stage berth and placing Peru's Universidad San Martin in the Round of 16.

GROUP THREE STANDINGS:

1. Nacional (Uruguay)* (GP: 5; GD: +7; PTS: 11)
2. Universidad San Martin* (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 8)
3. Nacional (Paraguay)# (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 4)
4. River Plate# (GP: 5; GD: -5; PTS: 4)

*Clinched berths in the knockout stage
#Eliminated from contention for knockout stage berth

Wizards Top Red Bulls 1-0

At Kansas City, Kansas:

In the lone Thursday Major League Soccer contest, Claudio Lopez scored the game's lone goal with his successful 3rd-minute penalty kick as the Kansas City Wizards blanked the visiting New York Red Bulls 1-0.

Saints Relegated To League One

England's Football Association on Thursday imposed a 10-point penalty on League Championship club Southhampton under the FA's insolvency rules.

This means that the Saints, who were playing in the Premiership as recently as 2005, will begin play next season in League One, or the third division of English soccer.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

DCU Blank Hoops To Begin US Open Title Defense

At Washington:

DC United, with goals from Fred (21') and Brandon Barklage (66'), began defense of their Lamar Hunt US Open Cup championship by blanking visiting FC Dallas 2-0 at home on Wednesday.

This game was in the qualification semifinals for the 2009 edition of the US Open Cup involving eight US-based Major League Soccer clubs.

Next for United in this tournament is a qualification final match against the winner of next Wednesday's New York Red Bulls-San Jose Earthquakes contest at Santa Clara, California.

Back on April 7, the Colorado Rapids, after 120 scoreless minutes, won the penalty-kick shootout 4-2 over the Los Angeles Galaxy at Carson, California. The Rapids will next play the winner of next Wednesday's tilt in Tukwila, Washington between Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders FC.

Iron Colts Capture Opener On Road

At Mexico City:

Fernando Navarro (17') and Christian Bermudez (24') provided the goalpower that lifted Atlante to a 2-0 road victory over Cruz Azul in the opening match of the two-game final of the CONCACAF Champions League.

The series will conclude next Wednesday night on the Iron Colts' home pitch at Cancun, Mexico.

Champs Detroned

Group stage play in the Copa Libertadores continued Wednesday.

Group One:

At Recife, Brazil:

Goals from Moacir Costa da Silva (59') and Vandinho (74') powered Sport Recife to a 2-1 home win over Colo-Colo. The win by the Brazilian club locked up a Round of 16 berth and also eliminated defending champions LDU Quito from contention for a knockout stage berth out of Group One.

GROUP ONE STANDINGS:

1. Sport Recife* (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
2. Colo-Colo (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
3. Palmeiras (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
4. LDU Quito# (GP: 5; GD: -6; PTS: 4)

*Clinched knockout stage berth
#Eliminated from knockout stage contention

Group Four:

Wednesday marked the conlusion of play in Group Four.

At Montevideo, Uruguay:

Pablo Gaglianone scored the game-winning goal in second-half stoppage time (90'+4) as Defensor Sporting claimed a knockout stage berth with a 4-3 win over Independiente Medellin. This, after the visitors' Diego Cabrera euqualized earlier in stoppage time (90'+1). The loss eliminated the visiting Colombian club from the tournament. A draw would have been good enough to place the visitors in second place and the Round of 16.

At Sao Paolo, Brazil:

Sao Paolo, which already won the group, defeated visiting---and eliminated---America de Cali 2-1. Dagoberto scored both of the hosts goals (58', 67').

FINAL GROUP FOUR STANDINGS:

1. Sao Paolo (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 13)
2. Defensor Sporting (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 8)
3. Independiente Medellin (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
4. America de Cali (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 3)

Sao Paolo ad Defensor Sporting advanced to the Round of 16.

Group Five:

Action in Group Five concluded on Wednesday.

At Sucre, Bolivia:

Estudiantes clinched a spot in the knockout stage by holding hosts Universitario de Sucre to a 0-0 deadlock.

At Belo Horizonte, Brazil:

Already Round-of-16-bound Cruzeiro eliminated visiting Deportivo Quito by blanking the Ecuadorian club 2-0. Leo Fortunato (14') and Wagner Ferreira dos Santos (26') each tallied once for the hosts.

FINAL GROUP FIVE STANDINGS:

1. Cruzeiro (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 13)
2. Estudiantes (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 10)
3. Deportivo Quito (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 8)
4. Universitario de Sucre (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 2)

Cruzeiro and Estudiantes advanced to the Round of 16.


Goats: Unbeaten No More

At Toronto:


Amado Guevara's goal at 36 minutes provided all the scoring as Toronto FC handed Chivas USA their first loss of the season, 1-0 on Wednesday night at home in Major League Soccer action.

AFC Action: Pakhtakor Tashkent In Round Of 16; Al-Ahli, SAFFC Eliminated

Matchday #4 in AFC Champions League group stage action concluded Wednesday.

Group A:

At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:

Goals from Odil Ahmedov (PK-36') and Stanislav Andreev (49') locked up a knockout stage berth for Pakhtakor Tashkent as the hosts placed Saba Battery FC on the brink of elimination 2-1.

At Dubai, UAE:

Al-Hilal, thanks to tallies courtesy of Mahmood Qassim (3'), Mirel Radoi, and Yasser Al Qahtani (64'), reached the cusp of the Round of 16 with their 3-1 road win over now-eliminated Al-Ahli.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Pakhtakor Tashkent* (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
2. Al-Hilal (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
3. Saba Battery FC (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 2)
4. Al-Ahli# (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 1)

*Clinched berth in knockout stage
#Eliminated from contention for knockout stage berth

Group C:

At Tehran, Iran:

Esteghlal FC settled for a 1-1 home draw with Umm-Salal. Arash Borhani scored first for the host (44"), but Saud Ghanem equalized (71') for the second-place visitors.

At Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:

In another 1-1 stalemate, Al-Ittihad hosted Al-Jazira. Osama Al-Muwallad scored at 40 minutes, while the visiting club from the Emirates (whose teams have been struggling in this year's tounament) got the equalizer from Fernando Baiano at 71 minutes.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Al-Ittihad (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
2. Umm-Salal (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
3. Al-Jazira (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Esteghlal FC (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 2)

Group E:

At Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia:

Yoshizumi Ogawa provided the only goal of the match (56') as Nagoya Grampus racked up a 1-0 road win over Newcastle United Jets.

At Peking, China:

Oh Jang-Eun provided the game's lone score (72') as Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i defeated hosts Beijing Guoan 1-0. The win placed the South Korean club in sole posession of second place in Group E.

GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Nagoya Grampus (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
2. Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
3. Beijing Guoan (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Newcastle United Jets (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)

Group G:

At Kahima, Japan:

Shinzo Koroki's double (38', 74') was part of a big offensive display as Kashima Antlers eliminated the Singapore Armed Forces from the tournament with a 5-0 home brassknuckling.

At Suwon, South Korea:

Lee Sang-Ho (41') and Bae Ki-Jong (45') provided the scoring as Suwon Bluewings doubled up visiting Shanghai Shenhua 2-1.

GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Suwon Bluewings (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 9)
2. Kashima Antlers (GP: 4; GD: +7; PTS: 9)
3. Shanghai Shenhua (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
4. Singapore Armed Forces (GP: 4; GD: -13; PTS: 0)

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Champs On Brink Of Elimination

Group stage play in the Copa Libertadores resumed with two games on Tuesday.

Group One:

At Sao Paolo, Brazil:

Marcao (47') and Diego Souza (82') each tallied once as Palmeiras all but eliminated defending champions LDU Quito with a 2-0 home win.

Group Three:

Gonzalo Luduena's equalizer (88') enabled Universidad San Martin to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Nacional of Uruguay, who got on the scoreboard first thanks to Marcos Mondaini's score at 73 minutes. The draw was good enough for the visitors from Montevideo to clinch a spot in the Round of 16.


Japanese Clubs Advance

Group stage play in the AFC Champions League resumed Tuesday.

Group B:

At Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:

Nasser Al-Shamrani's hat trick (43', 46', 60') combined with Abdulaziz Saran's double (16', 65') to power Al-Shabab to a 5-0 home horsewhipping of Sharjah FC, eliminating the club from the Emirates from contention for a knockout-stage berth.

At Doha, Qatar:

Aroujo's hat trick (43', 45'+2, 81') was just part of an offensive barrage that carried Al-Gharafa to a 5-1 home beatdown of Persepolis FC.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Al-Shabab (GP: 4; GD: +9; PTS: 10)
2. Persepolis FC (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
3. Al-Gharafa (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
4. Sharjah FC# (GP: 4; GD: -11; PTS: 0)

#Eliminated from contention for a knockout stage berth

Group D:

At Esfahan, Iran:

Timur Kapadze scored the only goal of the match (19') as FC Bunyodkor defeated hosts Sepahan FC 1-0.

At Dubai, UAE:

Prince Tagoe played like a King as his triple (30', 54', 84') helped visiting Al-Ettifaq hammered Al-Shabab Al-Arabi 4-1.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Al-Ettifaq (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
2. FC Bunyodkor (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
3. Sepahan FC (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Al-Shabab Al-Arabi (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 3)

Group F:

At Palembang, Indonesia:

Leandro (29'), Hayato Sasaki (45'+0), and Cho Jae-Lin (75') each scored once as Gamba Osaka locked up a berth in the knockout stage with a 3-0 road win over Sriwijaya FC, eliminating the Indonesian club from contention.

At Seoul, South Korea:

Alejandro Cichero's equalizer (79') enabled Shandong Luneng to keep control of second place in Group F as they held hosts FC Seoul to a 1-1 draw. Park Yong-Ho scored the hosts' lone goal at 24 minutes.

GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Gamba Osaka* (GP: 4; GD: +13; PTS: 12)
2. Shandong Luneng (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
3. FC Seoul (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
4. Sriwijaya FC# (GP: 4; GD: -15; PTS: 0)

*Clinched berth in knockout stage
#Eliminated from contention for knockout stage berth

Group H:

At Kawasaki, Japan:

Juninho (45') and Renatinho (80') each tallied once as Kawasaki Frontale clinched a spot in the knockout stage with a 2-1 home win over Central Coast Mariners FC.

At Tianjin, China:

Pohang Steelers held hosts Tianjin Teda FC to a 0-0 stalemate.

GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Kawasaki Frontale* (GP: 4; GD: +7; PTS: 10)
2. Pohang Steelers (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. Tianjin Teda FC (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 2)
4. Central Coast Mariners (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 2)

*Clinched berth in knockout stage

Sunday, April 19, 2009

More Sunday Action From Africa

Four games were played Sunday as the opening weekend of the second round of the CAF Champions League came to a close.

At Luanda, Angola:

Bena's early double (7', 10') and Mano's 60th-minute tally powered Primeiro de Agosto to a 3-1 home win over Sudan's Al-Halil in game one of their two-match series.

At Owerri, Nigeria:

Thanks to goals from Stanley Okoro (21') and Nwana (60'), Heartland FC edged visiting Cotonsport 2-1 in game one. The visiting Camerounian club did get what might end up being a critical away goal from Ahmadou Ngomna (56').

At Lubumbashi, DRC:

Dioko Kaluyituka's successful penalty kick (20') provided the only goal of game one as TP Mazembe defeated visiting Ittihad Khemisset 1-0.

At Abdijan, Ivory Coast:

Pacome Kouassi's successful penalty kick at 49 minutes provided all the scoring in game one as ASEC Mimosas blanked visiting Monomotapa United FC 1-0.

Texas Two-Step: Dynamo And Hoops Gain First Wins

Two games Sunday in Major League Soccer.

At Houston:

Brian Ching scored the game's only goal (20') and goalkeeper Pat Onstad make a spectacular save on Conor Casey's penalty kick (83') as the Houston Dynamo delivered their first win of the season, 1-0 over the Colorado Rapids.

At Frisco, Texas:

Kenny Cooper's double (44', PK-84') lifted FC Dallas to their first win of the season, defeating visiting Toronto FC 3-2.

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Chicago Fire (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2. New England Revolution (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 8)
3. Kansas City Wizards (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
4. DC United (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
5. Toronto FC (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 5)
6. New York Red Bulls (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 5)
7. Columbus Crew (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 3)

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Chivas USA (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 13)
2. Seattle Sounders FC (GP: 5; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
3. Colorado Rapids (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
4. Real Salt Lake (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
5. Houston Dynamo (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
6. San Jose Earthquakes (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 5)
7. FC Dallas (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 4)
8. Los Angeles Galaxy (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 3)

FA Cup: Toffees Stun Red Devils In PK Shootout

At London:

After 120 scoreless minutes, Everton won the penalty-kick shootout 4-2 over Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on Sunday to reach the May 30 final of the FA Cup. Leighton Baines, Phil Neville, James Vaughan, and Phil Jagielka each successfully converted his penalty kick for the Toffees.

The Toffees will battle Chelsea on May 30 in the final at Wembley.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Saturday CAF Champions League Action

A rundown of the Saturday contests in the CAF Champions League as more two-match sets got underway.

At Kaduna, Nigeria:

Al-Ahly, thanks to Hany El-Agazy's equalizer at 75 minutes, came from behind to gain a 1-1 road draw in game one of their two-match series with Kano Pillars FC.

At Tripoli, Libya:

Al-Ahly Tripoli were held to a 0-0 home draw in game one against Tunisia's Etoile Sportive du Sahel.

At Burmako, Mali:

Zambia's ZESCO United held hosts Djoliba AC to a 0-0 draw.

Red Bulls Blank RSL; Wizards Roar Back To Gain Home Draw; Galaxy Gain Draw In Oakland; Goats Blank Sounders

Four contests populated Saturday's Major League Soccer schedule.

At East Rutherford, New Jersey:

The New York Red Bulls rang up their first win of the season as they blanked visiting Real Salt Lake 2-0. Macoumba Kandji (2') and Juan Pablo Angel (57') provided the Red Bulls with their first non-own goals of the season.

At Bridgeview, Illinois:

Josh Wolfe's late double (78', 89') lifted the Kansas City Wizards to a 2-2 road draw with the Chicago Fire, canceling out the Fire's Brian McBride's own double (12', 20')

At Oakland, California:

A late goal from Bryan Jordan (76')enabled the Los Angeles Galaxy to gain a 1-1 road stalemate with the San Jose Earthquakes. Pablo Campos scored in the 5th minute for the Quakes who were playing a home game away from their temporary home.

At Carson, California:

Chivas USA remained undefeated as they blanked visiting Seattle Sounders FC 2-0. Seattle's James Riley scored an own goal at 32, and the Goats' own Chukwudi Chijindu added another at 84 minutes.

Wolves Win Promotion Back To Premiership; Addicks Relegated To League One

At Wolverhampton, England:

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake scored the game's only goal at 46 minutes to lift Wolverhampton Wanderers to a 1-0 home win Saturday over Queens Park Rangers to seal automatic promotion from the Football League Championship to the English Premier League after a five-year absence.

Meanwhile, at London:

Goals from Dudley Campbell (PK-67') and Lee Hughes (90') lifted Blackpool to a 2-2 road draw with Charlton Athletic, ensuring the Addicks (who played in the Premiership as recently as 2007) of relegation down to League One.

Didier Drogba Goal Propels Chelsea To FA Cup Final

At London:

Didier Drogba scored the game-winning goal at 84 minutes, to lead Chelsea to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over local rivals Arsenal in the Saturday FA Cup semifinal match at Wembley Stadium. His goal followed the 33rd-minute equalizer from Florent Malouda. The Gunners' goal came from Theo Walcott at 18 minutes.

The Blues will face the winner of Sunday's Manchester United-Everton match, which will also be played at Wembey, which in turn will host the May 30 final.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Ben Olsen Header Gains Home Draw For DCU

At Washington:

In the lone Friday Major League Soccer contest, Ben Olsen's header (90'+1) enabled DC United to gain a 1-1 home draw with the New England Revolution.  Shalrie Joseph scored at 50 minutes for the Revs.

If You Ain't Cheatin', You Ain't Tryin'

Apparently, this bunch tried too much and got caught.


And it's not just Macedonia that's embroiled in allegations of match-fixing.

Ugandan Club Takes Series Opener

The second round proper of the CAF Champions League opened Friday with one match.

At Kampala, Uganda:

Endurance Idahor scored the only goal of the match at 54 minutes as Sudan's Al-Merreikh knocked off Kampala City Council 1-0 on the road in the opening contest of the clubs' two-game series.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Group stage action in the Copa Libertadores continued Thursday.

Group Two:

At San Cristobal, Venezuela:

Yhonatan Del Valle (68') and Marlon Fernandez (75') each provided a tally as Deportivo Tachira came from behind to defeat visiting Guarani 2-1 and eliminate the Paraguayan club from contention for a knockout stage berth.

Group Four:

At Cali, Colombia:

Defensor Sporting held hosts America de Cali to a 0-0 draw, eliminating them from knockout stage contention while keeping their own advancement hopes alive.

GROUP FOUR STANDINGS:

1. Sao Paolo* (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 10)
2. Independiente Medellin (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
3. Defensor Sporting (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
4. America de Cali# (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 3)

*Advanced to the knockout stage
#Eliminated from contention for a knockout stage berth

Group Seven:

At Tunja, Colombia:

Boyaca Chico moved into second place in Group Seven with a 2-1 home win over eliminated Aurora. Miguel Caneo (PK-48') and Marcos Perez (69') provided the scoring for the hosts.

GROUP SEVEN STANDINGS:

1. Gremio** (GP: 5; GD: +7; PTS: 13)
2. Boyaca Chico FC (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
3. Universidad de Chile (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
4. Club Aurora# (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 11)

**Won Group Seven and advanced to the knockout stage
#Eliminated from contention for a knockout stage berth

We Now Know It Will Be A German Team Versus A Ukrainian Team In The UEFA Cup Final

The UEFA Cup's quarterfinal round concluded Thursday with the second match in each of the four series.

At Kiev, Ukraine:

After a scoreless draw in Paris last week, Dynamo Kiev displayed all the goalpower as they defeated visiting PSG 3-0 in game two to take the two-game set by that same score on aggregate. Ismael Bangoura (4') and Ognjen Vukojevic (61') tallied for the club from the Ukrainian capital.

At Marseille, France:

With goals from Fernandinho (30') and Luis Adriano (90'+3), Shakhtar Donetsk racked up a 2-1 road win in game two to wrap up their two-match series with Marseille 4-1 on aggregate.

At Udine, Italy:

Diego's double (28', 60') helped Werder Bremen gain a 3-3 road deadlock with Udinese in game two, enabling the German club to win their two-game series 6-4 on aggregate.

At Manchester, England:

Jose Paolo Guerrero provided the key goal at 12 minutes as Hamburg, despite dropping a 2-1 road decision to Manchester City, still won their two-match set with the Citizens 4-3 on aggregate.

The semifinal round will begin on April 30, with Werder Bremen hosting Hamburg and Dynamo Kiev hosting Shakhtar Donetsk in the opening games of their respective two-match series.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Wednesday Copa Action

Wednesday saw the continuation of Copa Libertadores group stage play.

Group One:

At Sao Paolo, Brazil:

Wilson Rodrigues Fonseca's equalizer at 45 minutes lifted Sport Recife to a 1-1 road draw with Palmeiras. Keirrison de Souza Carneiro's penalty kick at 15 minutes provided the lone score for The Big Green.

GROUP ONE STANDINGS:

1. Colo-Colo (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
2. Sport Recife (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
3. Palmeiras (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
4. LDU Quito (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 4)

Group Four:

At Medellin, Colombia:

Diego Aroldo Cabrera (15') and Rafael Castillo (26') provided the scoring that enabled Independiente Medellin to hold off knockout-stage-bound Sao Paolo 2-1.

Group Seven:

At Santiago, Chile:

With goals from Leo (31') and Maxi Lopez (65'), Gremio locked up a knockout stage berth (and first place in Group Seven) with a 2-0 road win at the expense of Universidad de Chile.

Gunners And Red Devils Gain Semifinal Berths

The quarterfinal round of the UEFA Champions League concluded Wednesday.

At London:

Goals from Theo Walcott (10', he's pictured here being congratulated by teammates), Emmanuel Adebayor
(60'), and Robin van Persie (PK-69') ignited Arsenal to an overpowering 3-0 home win over Villarreal in game two of their two-match series, which saw the Gunners win 4-1 on aggregate.

At Porto, Portugal:

Cristiano Ronaldo provided the lone goal (7', he's pictured here celebrating) of game two as Manchester United defeated hosts FC Porto 1-0 and won the two-match set 3-2 on aggregate.


Both Photos © Getty Images



The Champions League's semifinal round will get started week after next with Barcelona hosting Chelsea on April 28 and Manchester United hosting Arsenal on April 29 in game one of their respective two-game sets.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Critical Win For Deportivo Quito; Caracas FC Top Everton; Lanus Eliminated

Group stage play in the Copa Libertadores resumed Tuesday.

Group Five:

At Quito, Ecuador:

Deportivo Quito remained alive in the race for one of the two berths in the knockout stage from Group Five following their 3-1 home win over eliminated Universitario de Sucre. Luis Saritama scored twice (11', PK-60') and Leider Preciado once (PK-41') for the hosts.

GROUP FIVE STANDINGS:

1. Cruzeiro (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
2. Estudiantes (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 9)
3. Deportivo Quito (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 8)
4. Universitario de Sucre# (GP: 5; GD: -6; PTS: 1)

#Eliminated from contention for knockout stage berths.

Group Six:

At Caracas, Venezuela:

Dario Damian Figueroa's successful penalty kick (61') was the only score of the match as Caracas FC blanked visiting Everton de Vina del Mar 1-0.

At Guadalajara, Mexico:

Chivas of Guadalajara were held to a 0-0 home draw by Lanus, who were still eliminated from contention for a spot in the knockout stage.



GROUP SIX STANDINGS:

1. Caracas FC (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2. Chivas de Guadalajara (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS; 8)
3. Everton de Vina del Mar (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 7)
4. Lanus# (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 3)

#Elimination from contention for a spot in the knockout stage.


Chelsea And Barca Advance To Semis

The quarterfinal round of the UEFA Champions League resumed Tuesday.

At London:

Second-half goals from Didier Drogba (51'), Alex (57', seen here celebrating his sc
ore with Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack), and Frank Lampard (76', 89') enabled Chelsea to withstand a furious Liverpool rally and gain a 4-4 home draw in the second match of the clubs' two-game series, which the Blues won 7-5 on aggregate.

At Munich, Germany:

Seydou Keita's goal (73') enabled Barcelona to gain a
game-two 1-1 road draw with Bayern Munich, more than good enough for the Spanish giants to win their two-match set 5-1 on aggregate. Pictured here, Bayern's Hans Jorg Butt dives to clear a Barca attack.

Both Photos © Getty Images

Monday, April 13, 2009

Luton Town As A Football League Club, R. I. P.

You might say that Luton Town was smoked out of England's Football League on Monday as they were held to a 0-0 draw by visiting Chesterfield in League Two play, while Grimsby blanked Notts County 2-0.

Thus ends the Hatters' 89-year run in the Football League. They were in the top flight as recently as 1992.

They will play next season in the Blue Square Premier, formerly known as the Nationwide Conference.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Red Bulls, Dynamo, Hoops, Crew Still Winless; LA Derby Scoreless; Sounders Finally Lose One

Seven games were contested Saturday in Major League Soccer.

At Columbus, Ohio:

Conor Casey's goal (82') enabled the Colorado Rapids to gain a 1-1 road draw with the Columbus Crew. Guillermo Barros Schelotto scored at 41 minutes for the still-winless defending champs.

At Toronto:

Pablo Ricchetti's equalizer (88') enabled FC Dallas to gain their first point of the season, as the Hoops gained a 1-1 road draw with Toronto FC. Dwayne De Rosario scored at 17 minutes for the hosts.

At Santa Clara, California:

Chris Rolfe's late score (85') lifted the Chicago Fire to a 3-3 road deadlock with the San Jose Earthquakes.

At Sandy, Utah:

Goals from Jamison Olave (40') and Javier Morales (80') permitted Real Salt Lake to come from behind and defeat visiting DC United 2-1.

At Houston:

The New York Red Bulls and Houston Dynamo, two clubs struggling in the early stages of this season, battled to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Carson, California:

In the latest installment of the Los Angeles Derby (designated a Galaxy) home game, Chivas USA and the Los Angeles Galaxy battled to a 0-0 deadlock.

At Seattle:

Davy Arnaud scored the only goal of the match (80') as the visiting Kansas City Wizards handed the Seattle Sounders their first-ever defeat 1-0.

MLS STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:
1. Chicago Fire (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
2. New England Revolution (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
3. Kansas City Wizards (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
4. DC United (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
5. Toronto FC (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
6. Columbus Crew (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 3)
7. New York Red Bulls (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 2)

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Chivas USA (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
2. Seattle Sounders FC (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
3. Colorado Rapids (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
4. Real Salt Lake (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
5. San Jose Earthquakes (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
6. Los Angeles Galaxy (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 2)
7. Houston Dynamo (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 2)
8. FC Dallas (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 1)

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Sao Paolo Locks Up Berth In Round of 16; Boca One Point Away From Advancing

Group stage play in the Copa Libertadores continued Thursday.

Group One:

At Quito, Ecuador:

Claudio Bieler's own goal (90'+1) enabled Colo-Colo to gain a 1-1 road draw against LDU Quito. Jairo Campos scored at 48 minutes for the defending continental club champs.

Group Two:

At Buenos Aires, Argentina:

Fueled by goals from Martin Palermo (34') and Rodirigo Palacio (36'), Boca Juniors blanked visiting Guarani 2-0, placing the hosts within one point of clinching a spot in the knockout stage of the tournament, while all but officially eliminating the Paraguayan club from contention.

GROUP TWO STANDINGS:

1. Boca Juniors (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 12)
2. Deportivo Cuenca (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
3. Deportivo Tachira (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
4. Guarani (GP: 4; GD: -9; PTS: 0)

Group Four:

At Sao Paolo, Brazil:

Humberlito Borges Teixeira's double (71', 75') clinched a berth in the knockout stage for Sao Paolo as they blanked Defensor Sporting 2-1 at home.

GROUP FOUR STANDINGS:

1. Sao Paolo* (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
2. Independiente Medellin (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. Defensor Sporting (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
4. America de Cali (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 2)

*Clinched berth in knockout stage

3-1 Home Wins For German Clubs As UEFA Cup Quarterfinals Begin

The quarterfinal round of the UEFA Cup commenced Thursday.

At Donetsk, Ukraine:

Goals from Tomas Hubschman (39') and Jadson (65') paced Shakhtar Donetsk to a 2-0 series-opening home win over Marseille.

At Paris:

Dynamo Kiev held Paris Saint-Germain to a 0-0 draw on the road in game one of the two clubs' two-match set.

At Hamburg, Germany:

Piotr Trochowski had a hand in all three Hamburg goals, scoring one himself (PK-63') and assisting the other two scores----Joris Mathijsen (9') and Paolo Guerrero (79')---as HSV overtook visiting Manchester City 3-1 in game one.

At Bremen, Germany:

Diego's double (34', 67') paced Werder Bremen to a 3-1 series-opening home win over Udinese.

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Iron Colts Punch Ticket To Finals

The semifinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League concluded Wednesday night.

At Cancun, Mexico:

Goals from Luis Rey (41'), Giancarlo Maldonado (73') and Rafael Marquez (PK-90'+4) enabled Atlante to defeat visiting Santos Laguna 3-1 in game two of their two-match set and win the series 4-3 on aggregate.

The Iron Colts will next face fellow Mexican club Cruz Azul in the two-match final, which will begin week after next on Azul's home pitch in Mexico City, with the second contest the following week in Cancun.

Stick A Fork In San Lorenzo--They're Done

Group stage play in the Copa Libertadores continued Wednesday.

Group One:

At Recife, Brazil:

Thanks to goals from Keirrison (24') and Diego Sousa (73'), Palmeiras defeated hosts Sport Recife 2-0.

GROUP ONE STANDINGS:

1. Colo-Colo (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
2. Sport Recife (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. Palmeiras (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. LDU Quito (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 3)

Group Five:

At La Plata, Argentina:

Christian Sanchez' double (73', 77') helped Estudiantes deliver a 4-0 home beatdown of Cruzeiro.

Group Seven:

At Santiago, Chile:

Emilio Hernandez (21'), Juan Olivera (48'), and Nelson Cuevas (90'+1) each contributed a goal to Universitario de Chile's 3-0 home domination of Boyaca Chico FC.

GROUP SEVEN STANDINGS:

1. Gremio (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 10)
2. Universitario de Chile (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
3. Boyaca Chico FC (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
4. Club Aurora# (GP: 4; GD: -10; PTS: 0)

#Eliminated from contention

Group Eight:

At San Luis Potosi, Mexico:

Jesus Palacios (44') and Jose Reyes (68') provided the goals that lifted San Luis to a 2-0 home victory over San Lorenzo, eliminating the Argentinian club from the tournament while keeping their very slim hopes of advancing to the knockout stage alive.

GROUP EIGHT STANDINGS:

1. Club Libertad** (GP: 5; GD: +4; PTS: 12)
2. Universitario (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 8)
3. San Luis (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
4. San Lorenzo# (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 3)

**Won Group Eight and clinched a berth in the knockout stage.
#Eliminated from contention.

Blues Blast Reds In Liverpool; Barca Bury Bayern

The two other quarterfinal series in the UEFA Champions League got under way Wednesday.

At Liverpoo
l:

Branislav Ivanovic doubled (39', 62', he's seen celebrating with teammates following his first goal) and Didier Drogba added one (67') as Chelsea opened up their two
-match set with Liverpool in style with a 3-1 road win.

At Barcelona:

Barcelona were the
only home club to win their series opener as they thrashed visiting Bayern Munich 4-0. Lionel Messi doubled (9', 38', he's shown here celebrating his second score), while Samuel Eto'o (12') and Thierry Henry (43') each contributed a tally.

Both Photos © Getty Images

AFC Champions Group Stage: MatchDay #3, Continued

AFC Champions League Match Day #3 concluded Wednesday:

Group B

At Sharjah, United Arab Emirates:

Goals from Nasser Al Shamrani (PK-21'), Abdoh Autef (42'), and Marcelo Camacho (49') paced Al-Shabab to a 3-1 road win over Sharjah FC.

At Tehran, Iran:

Persepolis FC, fueled by tallies from Maziar Zare (PK-36'), Ibrahima Toure (45'), and Alireza Nikbakht (48'), dominated visiting Al-Gharafa 3-1.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Persepolis FC (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
2. Al-Shabab (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
3. Al-Gharafa (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. Sharjah FC (GP: 3; GD: -6; PTS: 0)

Group D:

At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:

Goals from Shavkat Salomov (25') and Bakhtiyor Ashurmatov (74') enabled FC Bunyodkor to salvage a 2-2 home deadlock with Sepahan FC. The Iranian club got goals from Hadi Aghili (45'+2) and Emad Mohammed (61').

At Damman, Saudi Arabia:

Al-Ettifaq dominated visiting Al-Shabab Al-Arabi 4-1. Prince Taqoe (7', 82') and Saleh Bashir (16', 68') each doubled for the hosts.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Al-Ettifaq (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Sepahan FC (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. FC Bunyodkor (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
4. Al-Shabab Al-Arabi (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)

Group F:

At Suita, Japan:

Leandro's double (39', 43') was just part of an offensive barage that paced Gamba Osaka to a 5-0 frontier-styled fistbeating of hapless guests Sriwijaya FC.

At Jinan, China:

Lu Zheng (54') and Han Peng (72') each scored once as Shandong Luneng blanked visiting FC Seoul 2-0.

GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Gamba Osaka (GP: 3; GD: +10; PTS: 9)
2. Shandong Luneng (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
3. FC Seoul (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. Sriwijaya FC (GP: 3; GD: -12; PTS: 0)

Group H:

At Gosford, New South Wales, Australia:

Chong Tese (7'), Hiroyuki Taniguchi (21'), Juninho (36'), Kengo Naknmura (48'), and Renatinho (69') each contributed a goal as Kawasaki Frontale let the good times roll in their 5-0 road demolition of the Central Coast Mariners.

At Pohang, South Korea:

Hwang Jin-Sung scored the only goal of the match (68') as the Pohang Steelers topped visiting Tianjin Teda FC 1-0.

GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Kawasaki Frontale (GP: 3; GD: +6; PTS: 7)
2. Pohang Steelers (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Central Coast Mariners (GP: 3; GD: -5; PTS: 2)
4. Tianjin Teda FC (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Cruz Azul Win Shootout With Islanders

Action in the semifinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League resumed Tuesday.

At Mexico City:

Successful penalty kicks from Pablo Zeballos, Edgar Andrade, Gerardo Torrado, and Javier Orozco enabled Cruz Azul to win the penalty-kick shootout with the visiting Puerto Rico Islanders 4-2. This after the Mexican club won the second match of their two-match set 2-0 in regulation time (with goals from Pablo Zeballos at 44 minutes and Javier Orozco at 84 minutes) to deadlock the series 2-2 on aggregate. In overtime, the Islanders' Sandy Gbandi scored in the 92nd minute, only to see Cruz Azul's Cesar Villaluz equalize at 99 minutes, setting up the shootout, won by the Mexican club.

This sets up an all-Mexican Champions League final, with Cruz Azul set to face the winner of the Atlante-Santos Laguna series, with Santos leading 2-1 on aggregate. The Iron Colts will host the second match at Cancun on Wednesday night.

Copa Group Stage Play Resumes

Four games were played on Tuesday as group stage play in the Copa Libertadores resumed.

Group Three:

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Marcos Melgarejo's 90th-minute equalizer enabled Club Nacional to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Universidad San Martin de Porres, keeping the Paraguayan club on life support in the tournament. Martin Arzuaga scored in the 41st minute for the Peruvian club.

At Buenos Aires, Argentina:

Uruguay's Club Nacional held hosts River Plate to a 0-0 stalemate.

GROUP THREE STANDINGS:

1. Club Nacional (Uruguay) (GP: 4; GD: +7; PTS: 10)
2. Universidad San Martin (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
3. River Plate (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 4)
4. Club Nacional (Paraguay) (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 1)

Group Seven:

At Porto Alegre, Brazil:

Goals through the courtesy of Rafael Marques (31'), Maximiliano Lopez (63'), and Rever (81') powered Gremio to a 3-0 home beatdown of Club Aurora. The loss all but officially eliminated the winless and pointless Bolivian club from the tournament.

Group Eight:

At Lima, Peru:

Universitario de Deportes all but sealed a berth in the knockout stage with a 2-1 home win over already-knockout-stage-bound Club Libertad. Ronaille Calheira (28') and Piero Alva (61') provided the goals for Los Cremos.


Crucial Away Goals For Gunners And Dragons

The quarterfinal round of the UEFA Champions League commenced Tuesday.

At Villarreal, Spain:

Emmanuel Adebayor's equalizer (66', he's pictured here celebrating afterwards) enabled Arsenal to gain a 1-1 road draw in the opening match of their two-game series with Villarreal. Marcos Senna scored at 10 minutes for the Yellow Submarine.

At Manchester, England:

Cristian Rodriguez (4') and Mariano (89', here pictured, beating Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar) provided the goalpower that enabled FC Porto to gain a 2-2 road draw against defending champions Manchester United. Wayne Rooney (15') and Carlos Tevez (85') scored for the Red Devils.

Both Photos © Getty Images

More Club Action From Asia

Matchday #3 of group stage play in the AFC Champions League commenced Tuesday.

Group A:

At Qom, Iran:

Pakhtakor Tashkent blanked Saba Battery 2-0 on the road, thanks to goals from Zaynitdin Tadjiev (56') and Farhod Tadjiev (64').

At Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:

Al-Hilal, with goals from Yasser Saeed Alqahtani (32') and Mirel Radoi (90'+3), doubled up on visiting Emirates club Al-Ahli 2-1.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Pakhtakor Tashkent (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Al-Hilal (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Saba Battery FC (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: -2)
4. Al-Ahli (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

Group C:

At Doha, Qatar:

Fabio Cesar Montezine scored the game's lone goal (67') as Umm-Salal picked up a 1-0 home win over Esteghlal FC of Iran.

At Dubai, United Arab Emirates:

Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad held hosts Al-Jazira to a 0-0 draw.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Al Ittihad (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Umm-Salal (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Al-Jazira (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 2)
4. Esteghlal FC (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

Group E:

At Nagoya, Japan:

Keiji Tamada's equalizer at 63 minutes enabled Nagoya Grampus to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Newcastle United Jets. Tarek Elrich scored at 7 minutes for the Australian club.

At Ulsan, South Korea:

Oh Jang-Eun scored the only goal of the match (69') as Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i blanked visiting Beijing Guoan 1-0.

GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Nagoya Grampus (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
2. Beijing Guoan (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Newcastle United Jets (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)

Group G:

At Singapore:

Goals from Masashi Motoyama (22'), Atsuto Uchida (42'), and Yuya Osako (48') helped paced Kashima Antlers to a 4-1 road beatdown of Singapore Armed Forces FC, placing the Singaporean club on the cusp of elimination.

At Shanghai, China:

Yanko Valkanov (18') and Vyacheslav Hleb (75') provided the scoring as Shanghai Shenhua defeated visiting Suwon Bluewings 2-1.

GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Suwon Bluewings (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
2. Kashima Antlers (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
3. Shanghai Shenhua (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
4. Singapore Armed Forces (GP: 3; GD: -8; PTS: 0)

Monday, April 06, 2009

Angolan Club Advances As CAF First Round Concludes

The first round proper of the CAF Champions League concluded Monday.

At Yaounde, Cameroon:

After scoring in the 34th minute of game two, winning that match 1-0 to level the two-game set 1-1 on aggregate, and following a scoreless 30 minutes of overtime, Angola's Club Desportivo Primeiro de Agosto won the penalty-kick shootout 5-4 to eliminate Canon Yaounde and advance to the round of 16.

Here are the matchups for the Round of 16, with the club hosting the opening match of the respective two-match sets listed first:

Clube Desportivo Primeiro de Agosta (Angola) vs. Al-Hilal Omdurman (Sudan)

Kano Pillars FC (Nigeria) vs. Al-Ahly (Egypt)

Djoliba AC (Mali) vs. ZESCO United FC (Zambia)

Kampala City Council (Uganda) vs. Al-Merreikh (Sudan)

Heartland FC (Nigeria) vs. Cotonsport (Cameroun)

TP Mazembe (Democratic Republic of Congo) vs. Ittihad Khemisset (Morocco)

ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast) vs. Monomotapa United FC (Zimbabwe)

Al Ahly Tripoli (Libya) vs. Etoile Sportive du Sahel (Tunisia)

The opening matches are scheduled to be played on April 17-19 with the return contests on May 1-3. The winners would advance to the group stage.

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Wizards And Fire Collect Shutout Home Wins; Goats Double Crew

Three games were played on Sunday in Major League Soccer.

At Kansas City, Kansas:

Goals from Aaron Hohlbein (28') and Claudio Lopez (78') paced the Kansas City Wizards to a 2-0 home win over the San Jose Earthquakes.

At Bridgeview, Illinois:

Marco Pappa provided the only goal (33') of the Chicago Fire's 1-0 home win over the New York Red Bulls.

At Carson, California:

Goals from Atiba Harris (25') and Eduardo Lillingston (50') powered Chivas USA to a 2-1 home triumph over the Columbus Crew.

MLS STANDINGS:

Eastern Confernece:

1. Chicago Fire (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. New England Revolution (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
3. DC United (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
4. Toronto FC (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
5. Kansas City Wizards (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
6. Columbus Crew (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 2)
7. New York Red Bulls (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 1)


Western Conference:

1. Seattle Sounders FC (GP: 3; GD: +7; PTS: 9)
2. Chivas USA (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
3. Colorado Rapids (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
4. Real Salt Lake (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
5. San Jose Earthquakes (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
6. Los Angeles Galaxy (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
7. Houston Dynamo (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)
8. FC Dallas (GP: 3; GD: -5; PTS: 0)

More First Round Action

The first round of the CAF Champions League continued Sunday.

At Harare, Zimbabwe:

Goals courtesy of Mtulisi Maphosa (14') and Charles Chiutsa (39') lifted Monomotapa United FC to a 2-1 home win over South Africa's Ajax Cape Town in game two of their two-match set and win the series on the away goals rule even with the score on aggregate deadlocked at 4-4.

At Le Tampon, Reunion:

Despite dropping a 2-1 road decision in game two, Sudan's Al-Hilal Omdurman still took their two-match set with US Stade Tamponnaise 4-3 on aggregate. Haitham Mustafa scored the series winner (58') for the Blue Wave.

At Bamako, Mali:

Despite dropping game two 1-0 at home to Tunisia's Club Africain, Djoliba FC still advanced to the second round due to the away goals rule, 2-2 on aggregate.

At Khemisset, Morocco:

Ittihad Khemisset overturned their 3-1 road defeat from game one by winning game two at home 2-0 and, because of the away goals rule, took their two-match set with Ghana's Asante Kotoko. Said Ait Bahi (46') and Rahhal El Khaddouri (81') eached tallied once for the Moroccan club.

At Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso:

Mangoua Kesse's goal at 52 minutes was the only goal of game two as ASEC Mimosas defeated Etoile Filante Ouagadougou 1-0 on the road and the series 2-1 on aggregate. The Ivoronian club advanced to the second round.




Saturday, April 04, 2009

Auckland City Capture Local Derby To Lock Up Berth In O-League Final

Group stage play concluded Sunday in the Oceania Champions League.

At Henderson, New Zealand:

Thanks to goals from Matt Friel (68'), Keryn Jordan (75'), Adam McGeorge (79'), Auckland City FC defeated Waitakere United 3-1 on the road to win Group A and earned a berth in the two-match final of the O-League.

FINAL GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Auckland City FC* (GP: 4; GD: +11; PTS: 10)
2. Waitakere United FC (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
3. Port Vila Sharks (GP: 4; GD: -13; PTS: 0)

*Won Group A and a berth in the OFC Champions League final two-match series.

The final between Auckland City and Koloale FC from the Solomon Islands will begin on April 18 in Auckland with the return match on May 2 in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

The winner will qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup which will take place this December in the United Arab Emirates.

This Is An Expansion Team? Sounders Win Again; Revs, DC , Rapids Also Win

Four games in Major League Soccer were contested on Sunday.

At Toronto:

Thanks to goals from Freddie Ljungberg (15') and Steve Zakuani (45'), Seattle Sounders FC continued their perfect start to their inaugural season, as they racked up a 2-0 home win over Toronto FC. Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller notched his third straight shoutout win.

At Foxborough, Massachusetts:

Goals from Sainey Nyassi (56') and Steve Ralston (PK-80') lifted the New England Revolution to a come-from-behind 2-1 home win over FC Dallas .

At Washington:

Luciano Emilio provided the only goal of the match (47') as DC United picked up their first win of the season, 1-0 at home over the Houston Dynamo.

At Carson, California:
The Colorado Rapids defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 on the road. thanks to Conor Casey's hat trick (1', 50', 84'), including one at 17 seconds, the second-fastest goal in MLS history.

Al-Ahly Advance To Second Round

First-round action continued Saturday in the CAF Champions League.

At Dar es Salaam, Tanzania:

Flavio Amado scored the only goal of the match (6') as defending champions Al-Ahly defeated Young Africans 1-0 on the road in game two of their two-match set. The Egyptian powerhouse took the two-match set 4-0 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.

At Atteridgeville, South Africa:

Kampala City Council of Uganda gained a 1-1 road draw in game two with Supersport United FC, thus enabling the Ugandan club to win their two-match set 3-2 on aggregate. Anthony Bongole scored what proved to be the series-winning goal at 79 minutes.

At Luanda, Angola:

Goals from Mputu Mabo and Alain Dioko lifted TP Mazembe (DRC) to a 2-1 road win in game two over Atletico Petroleos Luanda, enabling the Congolese club to win their two-match set on aggregate, 5-1.



At Rabat, Morocco:

Signs Chibambo's goal at 67 minutes enabled Nigeria's Heartland FC to gain a 1-1 road draw in game two with FAR Rabat and win their two-game series 4-2 on aggregate.

At Tripoli, Libya:

Omar Daoud scored the game's lone goal (39') as Al-Ahly Tripoli took game two at home 1-0 and won their two-match set with Algeria's JS Kabylie 3-1 on aggregate.

At Omdurman, Sudan:

Endurance Idahor's double (11', 27') helped Al-Merreikh overpower Libya's Al-Ittihad Tripoli 3-0 at home in game two and win their two-game series 4-1 on aggregate.

At Kaduna, Nigeria:

Nigeria's Kano Pillars FC, even despite being held to a 0-0 home draw in game two, still advanced to the second round as they took their two-match set with Senegal's AS Douanes 1-1, thanks to the away-goals rule.

At Moanda, Gabon:

Cotonsport (Cameroun) won game two 3-2 on the road and won their two-match set with AS Magnasport 5-3 on aggregate.

At Ndola, Zambia:

Maybin Mwaba (PK-59') and Enoch Sakala (69') provided the goalpower that lifted ZESCO United FC to a 2-0 home win in game two and a 2-0 on aggregate series win over Africa Sports from the Ivory Coast.



Friday, April 03, 2009

Tunisian Club Advances

One game was played Friday in the CAF Champions League, Africa's top club competition.

At Chlef, Algeria:

A 0-0 road draw versus ASO Chlef enabled Tunisia's Etoile Sportive du Sahel to win their two-match series 2-1 on aggregate.

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Robbie Findley Hat Trick Powers RSL Past Crew

At Sandy, Utah:

In the Thursday night Major League Soccer match, Robbie Findley's hat trick (2', 29', 62') helped Real Salt Lake smother the visiting Columbus Crew 4-1.

Sven Canned

It was a stormy 16-month reign. The final blow was losing that game last night in Honduras.

Sven Canned

You'd figure it would happen after the Mexican national team lost last night in Honduras.

Sven Canned

Well, I guess it finally became a foregone conclusion after Wednesday's 3-1 loss to Honduras.

Jozy Makes Things Rosy For Team USA; Mexico Didn't Help Sven's Cause; Costa Rica Blank El Salvador

Three games were played Wednesday night in CONCACAF zone qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

At Nashville, Tennessee:

Jozy Altidore's hat trick (13', 71', 78') powered the United States to a 3-0 home beatdown of Trinidad and Tobago.

At San Pedro Sula, Honduras:

Carlos Costly's double (17', 79') helped pace Honduras to a 3-1 home win over Mexico and their embattled coach Sven-Goran Erikkson.

At San Jose, Costa Rica:

Walter Centeno's goal at 68 minutes was the game's lone tally as Costa Rica defeated visiting El Salvador 1-0.


STANDINGS:

1. United States (GP: 3; GD: +5; PTS: 7)
2. Costa Rica (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. Honduras (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Mexico (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
5. El Salvador (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 2)
6. Trinidad and Tobago (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 2)