Saturday, April 30, 2011

MLS: Six Of Seven Home Teams Win; Timbers Hand RSL First League Loss

Seven games were played in Major League Soccer on Saturday.


At Chester, Pennsylvania:


Sebastien Le Toux scored the only goal of the match with his successful penalty kick at 75 minutes as the Philadelphia Union blanked the visiting San Jose Earthquakes 1-0.


At Columbus, Ohio:


Emilio Renteria's second-half double (PK-50', 59') carried the Columbus Crew to a 2-1 home win over the Vancouver Whitecaps.


At Harrison, New Jersey:


Luke Rodgers scored at 22 minutes as the New York Red Bulls defeated visiting Sporting Kansas City 1-0.


At Commerce City, Colorado:


Andre Akpan's equalizer at 49 minutes salvaged a 1-1 home draw for the Colorado Rapids in their game with the Chicago Fire, whose goal came at 43 minutes from Marco Pappa.  It was the only Saturday MLS stalemate.


At Seattle:


Brad Evans scored twice in the second half (52', PK-75') as the Seattle Sounders stretched their unbeaten streak to six games with a 3-0 smothering of visiting Toronto FC.


At Carson, California:


Nick LaBrocca (21'), Marcos Mondaini (45'), and Alejandro Moreno (56') each tallied once as Chivas USA dominated the visiting New England Revolution 3-0.


At Portland, Oregon:


Kenny Miller scored the only goal of the match in the 22nd minute as the Portland Timbers remained unbeaten and untied at home with their first-ever MLS shutout, handing Real Salt Lake their first league defeat of the season 1-0.  Troy Perkins picked up the clean sheet in a battle of ex-DC United goalkeepers.

Easy Win For Tigres To Close Regular Clausura Campaign

At San Nicolas, Mexico:


Hector Garces (4'), Lucas Lobos (46'), and Alan Pulido (89') each tallied once on Saturday night as Tigres concluded their Mexican Primera Division Clausura campaign to a rousing conclusion with a 3-0 home blanking of Atlas.

Lions Top Portimonense

At Lisbon, Portugal:


Helder Postiga (20') and Joao Pereira (43') each scored a first-half goal on Saturday as Sporting clung on to third place in the Portuguese Liga standings following their 2-1 home win over relegation-threatened Portimonense.

Citizens Knock Off Saints To Snatch Welsh Premiership Crown

At Bangor, Wales:

Craig Garside scored the only goal of the match at 68 minutes on Saturday as Bangor City defeated The New Saints 1-0 at home to win the Welsh Premier League title and a berth in the second qualifying round for next season's UEFA Champions League.  The Saints finish in second place and will compete in the second qualifying round for next season's Europa League.

More Icing On The Cake For Linfield

At Belfast, Northern Ireland:

Curtis Allen scored the game's lone goal at 81 minutes on Saturday as Linfield, having already locked up the IFA Premiership title, defeated visiting Portadown 1-0 in championship playoff action as the league season drew to a close.

Another Critical Win For Grasshoppers

At Zurich, Switzerland:

Boris Smiljanic (PK-25') and Steven Zuber (38') provided the goalpower on Saturday as Grasshoppers defeated visiting FC Lucerne 2-1 in Swiss Super League action. 

Bayern Blast Royal Blues To Climb Back Up To Third

At Munich, Germany:

Thomas Muller scored twice (13', 84') as Bayern Munich dominated visiting Schalke 04 4-1 in Saturday German Bundesliga action.  Coupled with Hannover 96's 1-0 home defeat at the hands of relegation-threatened Borussia Monchengladbach, the win moved Bayern back up to the third and final UEFA Champions League berth with two left on the league schedule.

Dons Win Tuneup For Promotion Playoffs

At Kingston upon Thames, England:

Luke Moore (7') and Brett Johnson (51') each scored a goal on Saturday as AFC Wimbledon, in their final regular-season league match,  defeated visiting Grimsby Town 2-1 in what was essentially a tune-up for their forthcoming appearance in the English Blue Square Premier Conference promotion playoffs.

It's Promotion Playoff Time For Stanley

At Accrington, England:

James Ryan's hat trick (4', 56', 66') provided all the scoring for Accrington Stanley as the hosts locked up a berth in the upcoming playoffs from promotion from England's League Two with a 3-1 home win over relegation-threatned Barnet.

Saints Close In On Promotion

At Brentford, England:

Adam Lallana (16'), David Connolly (30'), and Oscar Gobern (90'+1) each provided a goal as Southampton inched closer to automatic promotion to the League Championship with a convincing 3-0 road triumph over Brentford in Saturday play in League One in England.

Forest All But Assured Of Promotion Playoff Spot

At West Bridgford, England:

In Saturday action in England's League Championship, Kris Boyd (9', 90') and Luke Chambers (25', 82') each scored twice as Nottingham Forest all but assured themselves of a berth in the playoffs for promotion to the Premier League with a 5-1 brassknuckling of Scunthorpe United, assuring the visiting Iron of relegation to League One after two years in the second division of English Soccer.

'Gers Turn Steelmen Into Rust

At Motherwell, Scotland:

Steven Naismith scored twice on Saturday (76', 90'), capping off an offensive barrage that saw Rangers tighten their hold (for the time being) on the top spot in the Scottish Premier League standings following their 5-0 road demolition of Motherwell.

Friday, April 29, 2011

MLS: Will Bruin Hat Trick Helps Make Things Unbearable For DCU

At Houston:


In the lone Friday contest in Major League Soccer, Will Bruin's hat trick (4', 40', 56') helped spark the Houston Dynamo to a 4-1 home beatdown of DC United.

Candystripes Top Bohemians In Dublin

At Dublin, Ireland:


Derry City stayed within two points of the league leaders in the League of Ireland's Premier Division standings on Friday with a 2-0 road win over Bohemians.  Daniel Lafferty (45') and James McClean (47') each tallied once for the Candystripes.

Rovers Top Galway United To Stay On Top Of Standings

At Galway, Ireland:


Karl Sheppard scored the only goal of the match at six minutes on Friday as Shamrock Rovers remained atop the League of Ireland's Premier Division standings with a 1-0 road win over struggling Galway United.

Antlers Get First Win

At Fukuoka, Japan:


Yuya Osako (59') and Daiki Iwamasa (71') provided the second-half scoring as Kashima Antlers overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit on Friday to defeat Avispa Fukuoka 2-1 on the road for their first J. League Division One win of the season.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Nutrilite Canadian Championship: Whitcaps and TFC Take Semifinal Openers On Road

The Nutrilite Canadian Championship got underway with the opening matches of the two semifinal-round series on Wednesday.


At Montreal:


Terry Dunfield scored the only goal of the match at 67 minutes as the Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS) took the opening game of their two-game semifinal series 1-0 on the road over the Montreal Impact (NASL).


At Edmonton, Alberta:


Maicon Santos scored twice (35', 61') as Toronto FC (MLS) manhandled hosts FC Edmonton (NASL) 3-0 in game one of their two-match series.


The two series will conclude at Vancouver and Toronto with the winners advancing to the two-game final, with the tournament winner moving on to the preliminary round for a group-stage berth in next season's CONCACAF Champions League.

Copa Libertadores: Flu Take Series Opener; Penarol and Internacional Draw

The last two two-game series in the Round of 16 in the Copa Libertadores got under way on Thursday.


At Montevideo, Uruguay:


Leandro Damiao's equalizer at 64 minutes lifted Internacional to a 1-1 game-one road draw with Penarol, who goal came at 36 minutes from Matias Coroju.


At Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:


de Miranda Martiniano Rafael Moura (3'), Marquinhos (71'), and Dario Conca (74') each scored a goal as Fluminense defeated visiting Club Libertad 3-1 in game one of their two-match series.

Benfica and Porto Take Europa League Semifinal Series Openers

The semifinal round of the Europa League opened with two games on Thursday.

At Lisbon, Portugal:

Oscar Cardozo (7) swings home a superb free-kick to give Benfica a 2-1 victory over Braga.

Oscar Cardozo scored the winning goal at 59 minutes (pictured here) as Benfica took the opening game of their two-match all-Portuguese series with Sporting Braga 2-1.

At Porto, Portugal:

Falcao celebrates after bringing Porto level from the penalty spot

After trailing 1-0 at halftime, FC Porto all but assured of an all-Portuguese Europa League final next month in Dublin with a 5-1 series-opening home fistbeating of Villarreal.  Radamel Falcao Garcia scored four, count 'em, four goals (PK-49', 67', 75', 90', that's him celebrating after scoring his first goal).

Both photos from Getty Images

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

STRIPED GANG KNOCK OFF RSL ON THE ROAD TO SECURE CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CROWN

At Sandy, Utah:


Humberto Suazo scored the only goal of the match (45') as Monterrey knocked off Real Salt Lake 1-0 on the road Wednesday night in game two of their two-match CONCACAF Champions League to win the series 3-2 on aggregate.  The Striped Gang will represent CONCACAF in this coming December's FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.


The defeat ended RSL's 34-match home unbeaten streak in all competitions.

Copa Libertadores:

Four games were played on Wednesday as the first week of Round of 16 play in the Copa Libertadores continued.


At Chiapas, Mexico:


Jackson Martinez scored at 57 minutes to carry Jaguares to a 1-1 game-one home draw with Junior Barranquilla.  Luis Paez scored for the visiting Colombian club at 6 minutes with what might still be a precious away goal as far as this two-game series is concerned.


At La Plata, Argentina:


Estudiantes La Plata were held to a 0-0 home stalemate in their series opener with Paraguay's Cerro Porteno.


At Manizales, Colombia:


Wallyson (72') and Jose Ortigoza (82') provided the scoring as Cruzeiro held off hosts Once Caldas 2-1 in the opening contest of their two-match series.


At Santos, Brazil:


Paulo Henrique scored the only goal of the match at 38 minutes as Santos took game one of their two-match series 1-0 at home against Club America.

UEFA Champions League: Barca (With Leo The Lions Scoring Both Goals) Top 10-Man Real Madrid In Semifinal Opener

At Madrid:


Jose Pinto (purple) tries to pick a fight with the Real Madrid team at half-time, leading to his dismissal from the bench.


In Wednesday's opening contest of their two-game UEFA Champions League semifinal series, Barcelona, thanks to goals from Lionel Messi (76', 87'), defeated ten-man Real Madrid 2-0 on the road.  The two-match series is slated to end at Barcelona next Tuesday.  Pictured here, we see Jose Pinto (in purple) attempting to pick a fight with the Real Madrid team at halftime, leading to his dismissal from the bench.


Getty Images Photo

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

US Open Cup: Revs Knock DCU Out Of Qualifying Tournament

At Boyds, Maryland:


Kheli Dube scored twice on Tuesday (37', 47') as the New England Revolution knocked off DC United 3-2 on the road to advance to the qualification finals for a berth in the proper US Open Cup tournament.

Copa Libertadores: Universidad Catolica and Velez Sarsfield Take Series Openers

Two games were played on Tuesday as the knockout stage of the Copa Libertadores commenced, starting with the Round of 16.


At Porto Alegre, Brazil:


Lucas Pratto scored twice (28', 73') as Universidad Catolica took all three points from the opening game of their two-game series with Gremio, a 2-1 triumph on the road.


At Buenos Aires:


Augusto Fernandez scored twice early (8', 11') as Velez Sarsfield coasted to an easy 3-0 series-opening win over visiting LDU Quito.

Linfield Way Too Much For Lisburn Distillery As Blues Lock Up League Crown

At Ballyskeagh, Northern Ireland:

In Tuesday IFA Premiership championship playoff action, Michael Carvill scored twice (30', 65') as Linfield demolished hosts Lisburn Distillery to sew up the league crown and assure themselves of playing in the first round of qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League.

Potters Blast Wolves

At Stoke-on-Trent, England:

Kenwyne Jones (16'), Ryan Shawcross (45'), and Jermaine Pennant (51') each provided a goal as Stoke City delivered a 3-0 Tuesday English Premier League home beatdown to sagging Wolverhampton.

UEFA Champions League: Red Devils 90 Minutes Away From Wembley

At Gelsenkirchen, Germany:

Ryan Giggs goal best v Schalke

Ryan Giggs (67', becoming the oldest goal scorer in Champions League history, pictured here) and Wayne Rooney (69') provided the scoring as Manchester United blanked Schalke 2-0 on the road in the opening game of their two-match UEFA Champions League semifinal series on Tuesday.  The return match will take place at Manchester, England next Wednesday.

Getty Images Photo

Monday, April 25, 2011

Rosenborg In The Win Column At Last

At Trondheim, Norway:

In Monday Eliteserien action, Michael Jamtfall (2') and Rade Prica (30') provided the goalpower that carried Rosenborg to their first win of the league season, 2-0 over visiting Valerenga.

Big Win For TNS

At Oswestry, England:

In Monday Welsh Premier League action, Chris Sharp scored twice (14', 54') as The New Saints defeated visiting Llanelli 3-1.

Grasshoppers Jump Out Of Basement

At Thun, Switzerland:

Innocent Emeghara scored the only goal of the match at 20 minutes on Monday as Grasshoppers climbed from tenth to seventh in the Swiss Super League standings following their 1-0 road win over FC Thun.

Chalk Up Another Win For The Lions

At Copenhagen, Denmark:

In Monday action from the Danish SuperLiga, Claudemir (76') and Cristian Bolanos (84') each scored once in the second half as FC Copenhagen blanked visiting Silkeborg 2-0.

Dons and Rovers Battle To Scoreless Draw

At Nailsworth, England:

Monday's contest between Forest Green Rovers and visiting Accrington Stanley (who clinched second place in the English Blue Square Premier Conference) ended in a 0-0 deadlock.

Stanley and Shrews Go Scoreless In Battle Of Promotion Hopefuls

At Shrewsbury, England:

In action from League Two, Accrington Stanley (currently in fifth place) and hosts Shrewsbury Town (who dropped to fourth) battled to a 0-0 stalemate.

Saints Continue Run Toward Promotion

At Southampton, England:

Richard Lambert (PK-50') and Jose Fonte (82') provided the scoring in the second half as promotion-chasing Southampton defeated visiting Hartlepool United 2-0 in Monday English League Two action.  The Saints remain in second place in the league standings.

Forest Help Playoff Chances

At Bristol, England:

Kris Boyd scored twice (4', PK-43') and Luke Chambers scored the game winner (72') as Nottingham Forest helped their chances of grabbing a promotion playoff spot with a 3-2 Monday English League Championship road win over Bristol City.  Forest currently sit in sixth place in the league standings---the final promotion playoff berth, by two points over Millwall and Burnley.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

CAF Champions League: Al-Hilal 90 Minutes From Group Stage

At Omdurman, Sudan:


Edward Sadomba scored the only goal of the match on Sunday at 73 minutes as Al-Hilal blanked visiting Club Africain 1-0 in the opening game of their two-match series with a berth in the group stage of the CAF Champions League at stake.

Road Win For Boca

At Buenos Aires:


Cristian Chavez (18'), Nicolas Colazo (45'), and Martin Palermo (82') provided the goals that carried Boca Juniors to an impressive 3-0 road win over Huracan in Sunday Argentinian Primera Division action.

A Welcome Goal From Georgie Helps Monaco Top Rennes To Climb Up To 15th Place

At Fontvieille, Monaco:


Georgie Welcome scored the game's lone goal at 73 minutes on Sunday as AS Monaco climbed up to 15th place in the Ligue 1 standings following their 1-0 home win over UEFA Champions League-chasing Rennes.

A Welcome Goal From Georgie Helps Monaco Top Rennes To Climb Up To 15th Place

At Fontvieille, Monaco:


Georgie Welcome scored the game's lone goal at 73 minutes on Sunday as AS Monaco climbed up to 15th place in the Ligue 1 standings following their 1-0 home win over UEFA Champions League-chasing Rennes.

Parakeets' European Hopes Further Damaged

At Gijon, Spain:


Nacho Novo's goal at 71 minutes carried Sporting Gijon to a 1-0 Spanish Primera Division Sunday victory over Espanyol. The loss all but extinguished the Parakeets' chances of European play while victorious Sporting helped their chances of avoiding relegation. 

Tigres Clinch Group One Clausura Title

At Morelia, Mexico:


In Sunday action from Mexico's top flight, Lucas Lobos (14'), Alan Pulido (83'), and Alberto Acosta (88') each tallied a goal as Tigres locked up the Group One Clausura title with a 3-0 road win over Morelia.

More Misery For Djurgarden

At Stockholm, Sweden:


Christopher Telo scored twice on Sunday (52', 65') as IFK Norrkoping moved atop the Allsvenskan standings following their 3-1 road win at the expense of struggling Djurgarden.

Road Win For Anderlecht

At Lokeren, Belgium:


Matias Suarez (29') and Romelo Lukaku (61') provided the scoring punch that carried RSC Anderlecht to a 2-1 road win in Sunday Belgian Julier League championship playoff action over Lokeren.



Ajax Plug Struggling Excelsior

At Amsterdam, Netherlands:


Lorenzo Ebicilio scored twice (13', 78') on Sunday as Ajax Amsterdam climbed up to second place in the Dutch Eredivisie standings following their 4-1 beat down of visiting---and relegation-threatened---Excelsior.  The win place Ajax one point in back of league-leading FC Twente with two games remaining in the season.

Scoreless Old Firm Derby

At Glasgow, Scotland:


Rangers and visiting Celtic battled to a 0-0 stalemate in Sunday's latest edition of the Old Firm Derby.  'Gers goalkeeper Allan McGregor saved Georgios Samaras' penalty kick at 83 minutes to preserve the hosts one-point lead over the Bhoys in the Scottish Premier League standings.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

MLS: Comeback Wins For Goats, Hoops; Revs Also Win; Galaxy Too Much For Timbers

Six games were played in Major League Soccer on Saturday.


At Santa Clara, California:


Alejandro Moreno (45') and Mariano Trujillo (85') provided the scoring as Chivas USA came from behind on the road to defeat the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 for their first win of the season.


At Vancouver, British Columbia:


George John (53') and Eric Avila (82') each provided a tally in the second half as FC Dallas came from behind to overtake the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on the road.


At Toronto:


Emilio Renteria's header in the 49th minute carried the Columbus Crew to a 1-1 road draw with Toronto FC.  Tony Tchani scored at 41 minutes for the hosts.


At Foxborough, Massachusetts:


Rajko Lekic scored the winning goal  in the 83rd minute as the New England Revolution came from behind to top visiting Sporting Kansas City 3-2.


At Bridgeview, Illinois:


Bobby Boswell's equalizer at 83 minutes carried the Houston Dynamo to a 1-1 road draw with the Chicago Fire.  Diego Chaves scored for the hosts at 17 minutes.


At Carson, California:


Landon Donovan had a hand in all three goals, assisting on Chad Barrett's tally in the fourth minute while scoring two himself (PK-8', 67') as the Los Angeles Galaxy manhandled the visiting Portland Timbers 3-0.


MLS STANDINGS:


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


1. New York (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 11)
2. Philadelphia (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
3. Houston (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 9)
4. Columbus (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 9)
5. New England (GP: 7; GD: -1; PTS: 9)
6. DC United (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 7)
7. Toronto FC (GP: 7; GD: -3; PTS: 7)
8. Chicago (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 5)
9. Kansas City (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 4)


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


1. Los Angeles (GP: 8; GD: +3; PTS: 15)
2. Real Salt Lake (GP: 4; GD: +7; PTS: 12)
3. Colorado (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 9)
4. Seattle (GP: 7; GD: 0; PTS: 9)
5. FC Dallas (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
6. Portland (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 7)
7. Vancouver (GP: 7; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
8. Chivas USA (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
9. San Jose (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 5)

Robinho Draws Rossoneri Closer To Serie A Crown

At Brescia, Italy:


Robinho scored the only goal of the match at 82 minutes on Saturday as AC Milan defeated relegation-threatened Brescia 1-0 in Serie A action.  The win placed the Rossoneri  eight points up on Inter Milan with four games left in the league season, while the loss left the hosts five points adrift from safety.

Blues All But Crowned League Champs

At Belfast, Northern Ireland:


Peter Thompson scored the only goal of the match at 56 minutes on Saturday as Linfield all but locked up the IFA Premiership title with a 1-0 home win over Cliftonville in championship playoff action.  The Blues need only one point from their two remaining games to claim the league crown and a berth in the opening round of qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League.

Bulls Fall At Home

At Wals-Siezenheim, Austria:


Julius Perstaller scored twice (9', 55') and Carlos Merino added the game winner (62') on Saturday as FC Wacker Tirol came from behind to knock off hosts FC Red Bull Salzburg 3-2 in Austrian Bundesliga action.

CAF Champions League: Round of 16 Action Commences

The second round proper of the CAF Champions League got under way on Saturday with four games.


At Luanda, Angola:


Zinedine Bensalem's stoppage-time equalizer (90'+3) carried MC Alger to a 1-1 road draw in the opening match of their two-game series with Inter Luanda.  Pedro Henriques scored at 9 minutes for the hosts.


At Ndola, Zambia:


ZESCO United battled visiting Al-Ahly to a 0-0 deadlock in the opening match of their two-game series.


At Tunis, Tunisia:


Oussama Darragi scored twice (14', PK-32') as Esperance ST demolished visiting ASC Diaraf 5-0 in the opening match of their two-game series.


At Casablanca, Morocco:


Mustapha Allaoui scored the game's lone goal at 16 minutes as Wydad Casablanca blanked visiting TP Mazembe 1-0 in their series opener.

None Too Triumphant Return To J.League Action For Antlers

At Kashima, Japan:


Saturday marked the return of action from the J.League after a month-long postponement in the wake of the massive earthquake and tsunami that took place in Japan.


Shohei Ogura (3'), Yuzo Kurihaha (76') and Daiki Iwarnasa (OG-90') provided the scoring for Yokohama F. Marinos as the guests dominated Kashima Antlers 3-0.

Super Mario's Late Equalizer Salvages Road Point For Bayern

At Frankfurt, Germany:


Mario Gomez successfully converted a penalty kick in the 89th minute on Saturday as Bayern Munich gained a 1-1 road draw in German Bundesliga action against relegation-threatened Eintracht Frankfurt, whose score came from Sebastian Rode at 53 minutes.

Stanley Blank Visiting Bantams To Climb To Fifth

At Accrington, England:


Luke Joyce (9'), Andrew Procter (16'), and Sean McConville (45') provided the scoring as Accrington Stanley climbed up to fifth place in the English League Two standings following their 3-0 Saturday beatdown of visiting Bradford.

Saints Knock Off League Champs

At Brighton, England:


Thanks to late heroics created by goals from David Connolly (84') and Jose Forte (89'), Southampton helped their chances of gaining automatic promotion from England's League One with a 2-1 come-from-behind road win on Saturday over Brighton.  The Seagulls have already clinched the league crown and will play in the League Championship next season. 

Wolves Held To 1-1 Home Draw

At Wolverhampton, England:


Andrew Johnson's goal at 80 minutes lifted Fulham to a 1-1 road draw with Wolverhampton in Saturday English Premier League action.  Steven Fletcher scored for relegation-threatened Wolves at 22 minutes.

Friday, April 22, 2011

MLS: Bittersweet Road Win For Sounders

At Commerce City, Colorado:


Fredy Montero scored the only goal of the match at 19 minutes as the Seattle Sounders stretched their unbeaten streak to five games with a 1-0 road win over the Colorado Rapids in the only Friday Major League Soccer contest.  The victory was a costly one for the Sounders, as midfielder Steve Zakuani suffered a lower right leg injury in the third minute as Rapids midfielder Brian Mullan was given a straight red card, leaving Colorado with only ten men for the rest of the game.

Rovers Too Much For UCD

At Dublin, Ireland:


Karl Sheppard (69'), Ronan Finn (72'), and Billy Dennehy (82') provided the second-half goalpower as Shamrock Rovers defeated visiting UCD Dublin 3-1 in Friday play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland.

Derry City Battle St. Patrick's To A 1-1 Draw

At Derry (Londonderry), Northern Ireland:


Danny North scored at 79 minutes to carry St. Patrick's to a 1-1 road draw with Derry City in Friday League of Ireland Premier Division action.  James McClean scored at 71 minutes for the Candystripes.

Saints Fall At Home

At Oswestry, England:


Paul Fowler (76'), Matthew Rees (78'), and Craig Hughes (85') each scored once as Neath knocked off The New Saints 3-2 on the road in Friday Welsh Premier League action.

Dons Top Mansfield Town In Preparation For Promotion Playoffs

At Kingston upon Thames, England:


Jamie Stuart (68') and Christian Jolley (86') each scored once on Friday as AFC Wimbledon, bound for the promotion playoffs, defeated visiting Mansfield Town 2-1 in English Blue Square Premier Conference action.

Goalkeeping Error Helps Forest Move Into Promotion Playoff Position

At West Bridgford, England:


A fumble from goalkeeper Chris Weale enabled Paul McKenna to score the winning goal at 84 minutes as Nottingham Forest defeated visiting Leicester City 3-2 in Friday English League Championship action.  The win moved Forest up to seventh place in the league standings----the final promotion playoff berth.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Thierry Henry Double Helps Red Bulls Thrash DC United

At Washington:


In Thursday's one Major League Soccer contest, Thierry Henry scored twice in the first half (11', 37') as the New York Red Bulls coasted to an easy 4-0 road beat down of DC United.

Lions Chalk Up Another Win

At Lyngby, Denmark:

Cristian Bolanos (25') and Dame N'Doye (86') provided the tallies that carried FC Copenhagen (who have won the league title and a berth in the third qualifying round---Champions Group---for next season's UEFA Champions League) past visiting Lyngby BK 2-1 on the road in Thursday Danish SuperLiga action.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Copa Libertadores: Fluminense, Cerro Porteno, and Santos Advance As Group Stage Play Ends

Group stage action in the Copa Libertadores concluded with four games played on Wednesday.


Group Three:


At Montevideo, Uruguay:


A 0-0 draw on the road against Club Nacional was good enough for Club America as the Mexican club qualified for the Round of 16.


At Buenos Aires:


Fred scored twice (40', PK-88') as Fluminense doubled up on Argentinos Juniors 4-2 on the road to clinch a berth in the knockout stage.


FINAL GROUP THREE STANDINGS:


1.  Club America (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 10)
2. Fluminense (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 8)
3. Club Nacional (Uruguay) (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 8)
4. Argentinos Juniors (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 7)


Club America and Fluminense advanced to the knockout stage.


Group Five:


At Santiago, Chile:


Jonathan Fabbro scored twice (42', 87') as Cerro Porteno clinched a berth in the knockout stage with a 3-2 road win over Colo-Colo.


At Santos, Brazil:


Neymar (4'), Jonathan Cicero Moreira (13'), and Danilo Luiz da Silva (72') each delivered a goal as Santos laid claim to a berth in the Round of 16 with a 3-1 home win over Deportivo Tachira.


FINAL GROUP FIVE STANDINGS:


1. Cerro Porteno (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 11)
2. Santos FC (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 11)
3. Colo-Colo (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 9)
4. Deportivo Tachira (GP: 6; GD: -7; PTS: 2)


Cerro Porteno and Santos advanced to the knockout stage.

CONCACAF Champions League Final: RSL Gain 2-2 Draw In Monterrey In Series Opener

At Monterrey, Mexico:


Nat Borchers (34') and Javier Morales (88') each tallied what might turn out to be a precious away goal on Wednesday night as Real Salt Lake gained a series-opening 2-2 road draw in the opening match of the two-game CONCACAF Champions League final against Monterrey.  Jesus De Nigris (17') and Humberto Suazo (PK-62') each tallied once for the Striped Gang.  The return match will be played next Wednesday night at Sandy, Utah.

Gent and Anderlecht Battle To 1-1 Stalemate

At Ghent, Belgium:

Roland Juhasz delivered the equalizer at 37 minutes on Wednesday, lifting RSC Anderlecht to a 1-1 road draw with KAA Gent in Belgian Juliper League championship playoff action.  Tim Smolders scored for the hosts at 12 minutes.

St. Gallen Knock Off Grasshoppers At Zurich

At Zurich, Switzerland:

In a battle of relegation-threatened clubs, Nico Abegglen (42'), Ezequiel Scarione (64'), and Fabian Frei (78') each tallied once as last-place FC St. Gallen knocked off ninth-place Grasshoppers 3-1 on the road in Wednesday Swiss Super League action.

Easy Win For Bhoys

At Kilmarnock, Scotland:

In the lone Wednesday Scottish Premier League contest, Kris Commons scored twice (4', 34') as Celtic belted hosts Kilmarnock to climb back within one point of league-leading Rangers.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Overtime Goal Helps Galacticos Cop King's Cup

At Valencia, Spain:

Cristiano Ronaldo's overtime goal at 103 minutes lifted Real Madrid to a 1-0 victory over arch-rivals Barcelona in the championship match of the Copa Del Rey on Wednesday.  It was the 18th such title for Los Galacticos.  This was the second of four contests between the two club scheduled over an 18-day period.  They still have their two contests in UEFA Champions League semifinal round action over the next two weeks.

AFC Champions League: Al-Jazira and Arema Eliminated

Match Day #4 in AFC Champions League group stage play concluded with eight Wednesday contests.

Group A:

At Doha, Qatar:

Amara Diane scored the only goal of the match at 19 minutes as Al-Gharafa defeated visiting Sepahan 1-0.

At Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:

Yasser Al-Qahtani scored twice (56', 65'), while Mirel Radoi scored the winning goal with his successful penalty kick at 77 minutes as visiting Al-Hilal eliminated Al-Jazira from the tournament with a 3-2 road win.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Sepahan Esfahan FC (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
2. Al-Hilal (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
3. Al-Gharafa (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
4. Al-Jazira# (GP: 4; GD: -7; PTS: 1)

#Eliminated

Group C:

At Tehran, Iran:

Anvar Rajabov (60'), Hayrulla Karimov (PK-71'), and Viktor Karpenko (90'+5) each scored once as FC Bunyodkor defeated Persepolis 3-1 on the road.

At Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:

Al-Wahda held hosts Al-Ittihad to a 0-0 stalemate.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Al-Ittihad* (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 10)
2. FC Bunyodkor (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Al-Wahda FC (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
4. Persepolis FC (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 2)

*Clinched berth in knockout stage

Group E:

At Melbourne, Australia:

Carlos Hernandez (44') and Kevin Muscat (45'+1) provided the scoring shortly before halftime as Melbourne Victory held off visiting Tianjin Teda 2-1.

At Suita, Japan:

Adriano scored twice (26', 48') as Gamba Osaka defeated visiting Jeju United 2-1.

GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Tianjin Teda FC (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
2. Gamba Osaka (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
3. Jeju United FC (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
4. Melbourne Victory (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 4)

Group G:

At Jinan, China:

Five different goal scorers----Deng Zhouxiang (25'), Obina (44'), Han Peng (71'), Mirakhmadjon Muzaffar (81'), and Wang Yongpo (90'+2)----each scored once as Shandong Luneng eliminated Arema from the tournament by demolishing the visiting Indonesian club 5-0.

At Jeonju, South Korea:

Lee Dong-Gook provided all the scoring (77') as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors blanked visiting Cerezo Osaka 1-0.

GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 9)
2. Shandong Luneng (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 7)
3. Cerezo Osaka (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
4. Arema FC# (GP: 4; GD: -10; PTS: 1)

#Eliminated

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Copa Libertadores: Final Week Of Group Stage Play Begins

Four games were played on Tuesday to open the final week of Copa Libertadores Group Stage play.


Group One:


At Asuncion, Paraguay:


Thanks to goals from Jorge Gonzalez (10') and Nicolas Pavlovich (16'), Club Libertad blanked visiting San Luis 2-0.


At Lima, Peru:


Wason Renteria (16') and Matias Mirabaje (76') each delivered a goal as Once Caldas jumped Univsidad San Martin for the second knockout-stage berth from Group A with their 2-0 road win over the Peruvian club.


FINAL GROUP ONE STANDINGS:


1. Club Libertad (GP: 6; GD: +8; PTS: 14)
2. Once Caldas (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
3. Universidad San Martin (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 6)
4. San Luis (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 5)


Club Libertad and Once Caldas advanced to the knockout stage.


Group Six:


At Cochabamba, Bolivia:


Fabio Mineiro (76') and Nicky Torres (81') each scored a goal as Club Jorge Wilstermann came from behind to pick up their only win of the group stage, a 2-1 home win over Jaguares.   Despite the defeat, the visiting Mexican club still qualified for the knockout stage.


At Porto Alegre, Brazil:


Rafael Sobis (51') and Leandro Damiao (84') each tallied a goal as Internacional defeated visiting Club Sport Emelec 2-0, eliminating the Colombian club from the tournament.


FINAL GROUP SIX STANDINGS:


1. Internacional (GP: 6; GD: +11; PTS: 13)
2. Jaguares (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 9)
3. Club Sport Emelec (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 8)
4. Club Jorge Wilstermann (GP: 6; GD: -8; PTS: 4)


Internacional and Jaguares advanced to the knockout stage.

Chalk Up Another Loss For "The Pride of Stockholm"

At Gothenburg, Sweden:

In Tuesday Allsvenskan action, Eric Bassombeng (45') and Mervan Celik (62') each tallied once as GAIS came from behind to overtake visiting Djurgarden 2-1.

Blues Hold Off Visiting Glentoran

At Belfast, Northern Ireland:

In Tuesday IFA Premiership championship playoff action, Philip Lowry scored twice (3', 55') and Chris Casement added the winning goal (80') as Linfield held off visiting Glentoran 3-2.

Rangers Bloody-Up Eight-Man Dundee United

At Dundee, Scotland:

In the lone Tuesday Scottish Premier League contest, Steven Whittaker converted on two of his three penalty kicks (22', 60') as Rangers demolished eight-man Dundee United 4-0 on the road to open up their lead atop the SPL standings to four points over Celtic.

AFC Champions League: Second Half of Group Stage Play Begins

The second half of group stage action in the AFC Champions League commenced on Tuesday.


Group B:


At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:


Stanislav Andreev (28') and Egor Krimets (88') provided the scoring that lifted Pakhtakor Tashkent to a 2-0 home victory over Esteghlal.


At Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:

Hussein Sulaimani's late equalizer (75') salvaged a 1-1 home draw for Al-Nassr in their match with Al-Sadd, whose goal came from  Majdi Siddiq at 37 minutes.
 GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Al-Sadd (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 8)
2. Al-Nassr (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
3. Esteghlal Tehran FC (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Pakhtakor Tashkent (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)Group D:


At Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates:


Hadj Bougueche scored twice (27', 41') as Emirates Club defeated visiting Al-Shabab 2-1 and took over second place in Group D.

At Isfahan, Iran:

Esmaeil Farhadi scored the lone goal of the match (21') as Zob Ahan blanked visiting Al-Rayyan 1-0.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Zob Ahan Isfahan FC (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
2. Emirates Club (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
3. Al-Shabab (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
4. Al-Rayyan (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 1)

Group F:

At Seoul, South Korea:

Mu Kanazaki (26') and Kensuke Nagai (81') each scored once as Nagoya Grampus knocked off FC Seoul 2-0 on the road.

At Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates:

Omar Abdulrahman's 60th-minute goal provided all the scoring as Al-Ain defeated Hangzhou Greentown 1-0 at home.

GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Nagoya Grampus (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
2. FC Seoul (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
3. Al-Ain (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 4)
4. Hangzhou Greentown (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)

Group H:

At Tokyo:

In a match that was moved from Kashima due to last months earthquake and tsunami, Yuzo Tashiro's equalizer at 55 minutes enabled Kahima Antlers to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Suwon Samsung Bluewings (Yeom Ki-Hun scoring for the visitors at 48 minutes).

At Shanghai, China:

Bruno Cazarine scored twice (45'+1, 59') and Mark Bridge added the game winner (90'+3) as Sydney FC came from behind to defeat Shanghai Shenhua 3-2 on the road.

GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Suwon Samsung Bluewings (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
2. Kashima Antlers (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
3. Sydney FC (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 5)
4. Shanghai Shenhua (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 2)