Thursday, June 30, 2011

Europa League Qualifying Starts

The opening contests of the twenty-five two-game series in the opening round of qualifying for next season's Europa League were played on Thursday.

At Yerevan, Armenia:

Irakli Kobalia scored the only goal of the match at 48 minutes as Olimpi Rustavi took game one of their two-match set with Banants 1-0 on the road.

At Baku, Azerbaijan:

Viktor Ibeyoki's equalizer at 14 minutes salvaged a game one 1-1 home draw for AZAL Baku.  Ihor Voronkov scored what might still be a precious away goal for FC Minsk with his tally at 11 minutes.

At Gargzdai, Lituania:

Vuqar Nadirov scored twice (33', 70') as FK Qarabag bagged Banga Gargzdai 4-0 on the road in their series opener.

At Tallinn, Estonia:

Krste Velkoski (15'), Borce Manevski (51'), Filip Petovski (73'), and Vlatko Grozdanovski (88') each scored a goal as Rabotnicki vitually assured themselves of advancing following their match-one 4-1 domination of FC Trans Narva on the road.

At Belgrade, Serbia:

Marko Stanojevic (PK-5', 12') and Nemanja Kojic (9', 48') each scored twice as FK Rad Belgrade ripped apart visiting SP Tre Penne 6-0 in game one of their two-match series.

At Daugavpils, Latvia:

Magnus Andersen's double (31', 40') was just part of an offensive display that saw Tromso IL demolish Daugava Daugavpils 5-0 on the road in the opening contest of their two-game set.

At Boras, Sweden:

David Elm tallied twice (24', 90'+3) as Elfsborg blasted visiting Fola Esch 4-0 in their series opener.

At Vantaa, Finland:

The opening contest between FC Honka and visiting Kalju ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

At Varazdin, Croatia:

With Nikola Safaric (4', 59') and Dejan Glavica (40', 57') each registering a double, NK Varteks Varazdin had no trouble with visiting Lusitanos of Andorra 5-1 in game one of their two-match series.

At Budapest, Hungary:

With goals courtesy of Gyorgy Jozsi (31'), Mark Otten (33'), and Felix Almeida Felipe (69'), Ferencvaros dominated visiting Ulisses 3-0 in their series opener.

At Andorra la Vella, Andorra:

Gabor Vayer scored the only goal of the match at 14 minutes as Paksi SE took the opening match of their series 1-0 on the road over UE Santa Coloma.

At Alesund, Norway:

Aalesund spotted Neath Athletic a 1-0 lead midway through the first half, then scored four unanswered goals (Lars Fuhre [35'], Magnus Olsen [37'], Fredrik Ulvestad [PK-48'], and Kjell Sellin [77']) as they smothered the visiting Welsh club 4-1 in their series opener.

At Tbilisi, Georgia:

Nika Kvekveskiri (4') and Irakli Lekvtadze (71') each tallied once as Dinamo Tbilisi defeated visiting FC Milsami Orhei 2-0 in the first match of their two-game series.

At Trnava, Slovakia:

With Koro Kone (29'), Marek Kascak (48'), and Ladislav Tomacek (81') each knocking in a goal, Spartak Trnava dominated visiting Zeta 3-0 in the series opener.

At Torshavn, Faroe Islands:

After trailing early, KR Reykjavik, with goals from Kjartan Finnbogason (22'), Gudhmundur Gunnarsson (30'), and Baldur Sigurdsson (79') overcame IF 3-1 on the road in game one.

At Reykjavik, Iceland:

A successful penalty kick at 50 minutes courtesy of Andri Olafsson provided all the game-one scoring as IBV Vestmannaeyjar topped St. Patrick's Athletic 1-0.

At Luxembourg City, Luxembourg:

Mattias Ostberg's stoppage time equalizer (90'+3) provided what could be a precious road goal for BK Hacken as the Swedish club gained a 1-1 road deadlock in game one of their series with UN Kaerjeng 97.  Stephane Da Cruz scored at 85 minutes for the hosts.

At Oswestry, England:

Barry Johnston's equalizer at 39 minutes gave Cliftonville the advantage following their 1-1 game-one road draw with The New Saints (Alex Darlington scoring at 26 minutes for the hosts).

At London:

Damien Duff (33'), Daniel Murphy (PK-61'), and Andrew Johnson (70') each scored once as Fulham overpowered visiting NSI 3-0 in the opening game of their two-match series.

At Bialystok, Poland:

With Tomasz Frankowski providing all the scoring at 80 minutes, Jagiellonia Bialystok took the opening game of their two-match set with Irtysh of Kazakhstan 1-0 at home.

At Paola, Malta:

With Xhevair Sukaj scoring the lone goal of the match at 2 minutes, Vllaznia Shkoder took the opening match of their two-game series with Birkirkara 1-0 on the road.

At Skopje, Macedonia:

Boban Jancevski (PK-14') and Maurem Bajrami (87') each scored a goal as Renova took match one with Glentoran 2-1 at home.  Colin Nixon scored what might still be an important away goal for the Northern Irish club in first-half stoppage time (45'+3).

At Koper, Slovenia:

A stoppage time tally from Zhambyl Kukeyev (90'+3) provided a potentially precious road goal for Shakhter Karagandy as the visiting club from Kazakhstan gained a 1-1 game-one draw with FC Koper.  Davor Bubanja scored for the hosts at 84 minutes.

At Siroki Brijeg, Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Nothing but goose eggs as the opening match between NK Siroki Brijeg and visiting NK Olimpia Ljubljana ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

At Podgorica, Montenegro:

Artan Sakaj scored twice (23', PK-65') as Flamurtari Vlore took the opening contest of their series with Buducnost Podgorica 3-1 on the road.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Santos Drop 2-1 Decision On The Road

At Florianopolis, Brazil:


In Wednesday Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A action, Aloisio scored twice (4', 31') as Figueirense FC defeated visiting Santos 2-1.

MLS: TFC Avenge Opening Day Loss To Whitecaps

At Toronto:


Nick Soolsma converted his penalty kick in the 54th minute for the only goal of the match as Toronto FC defeated the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 in the lone Wednesday Major League Soccer contest.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

US Open Cup: MLS Take Seven of Eight; Richmond Lone Non Top-Flight Club Left

The US Open Cup's Round of 16 took place with eight games on Tuesday.


At Harrison, New Jersey:


Corey Hertzog (58') and John Rooney (65') each scored once in the second half as the New York Red Bulls came from behind to down visiting FC New York (USL Pro) 2-1.


At Rochester, New York:


Diego Chaves scored the only goal of the match at 37 minutes as the Chicago Fire defeated the Rochester Rhinos (USL Pro) 1-0 on the road.


At Columbus, Ohio:


Nozomi Hiroyama (22') and Matthew Delicate (85') provided the scoring as the Richmond Kickers (USL Pro) knocked off the Columbus Crew on the road, 2-1.  After the conclusion of Tuesday's contests, the Kickers became the only remaining non-MLS club left in the tournament.


At Sandy, Utah:


Real Salt Lake, thanks to goals from Tony Beltran (41') and Jean Alexandre (44'), defeated the visiting Wilmington Hammerheads (USL Pro) 2-0.


At Frisco, Texas:


Milton Rodriguez scored the winning goal at the death (90'+5) as FC Dallas survived a scare from visiting Orlando City (USL Pro) 3-2.


At Kansas City, Kansas:


Goals from Teal Bunbury (3'), Milos Stojcev (58'), and Kei Kamara (59') helped Sporting Kansas City overpower the visiting Chicago Fire Premier (PDL) 3-0.


At Fullerton, California:


After a scoreless first half, Omar Gonzalez (75') and Mike Magee (81') each provided a second-half tally as the Los Angeles Galaxy came from behind to defeat the Los Angeles Blues (USL Pro) 2-1.


At Tukwila, Washington:


Michael Fucito scored twice (39', 62') as the Seattle Sounders held off the Kitsap Pumas (PDL) 2-1.


Four game are scheduled to make up the quarterfinal round on July 12 as the Chicago Fire host the New York Red Bulls, the Richmond Kickers visiting Sporting Kansas City, Real Salt Lake travel to FC Dallas, and the Seattle Sounders host the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Women's World Cup: Strong Start For Team USA

At Dresden, Germany:


Lauren Cheney (54') and Rachel Buehler (76') each scored once in the second half as the United States blanked North Korea 2-0 in their opening Group C contest at the FIFA Women's World Cup on Tuesday.

Road To Munich Begins: Series-Opening Road Wins For F91 Dudelange and Valletta

The opening games of two two-game series were played on Tuesday as the opening qualifying round for next season's UEFA Champions League commenced.


At Andorra la Vella, Andorra:


Jean-Sebastien Legros (57') and Jean-Philippe Caillet (79') each notched a second-half goal as F91 Dudelange took the opening contest of their series with FC Santa Coloma 2-0 on the road.


At Serraville, San Marino:


Denni Rocha dos Santos (43'), Alfred Effiong (50'), and Gilbert Agius (PK-70') each tallied once as Valletta dominated Tre Fiori 3-0 on the road in match one of their two-game set. 

Monday, June 27, 2011

Don't Forget, Friends and Neighbors...

The Road to Munich starts on Tuesday with two games to open the first round of qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

MLS: Chalk Up Another Home Draw For Chicago; Sounders and Crew Win At Home

Three games were played on Sunday in Major League Soccer.


At Bridgeview, Illinois:


Marco Pappa's 58th-minute equalizer carried the Chicago Fire to a 1-1 home draw with the New York Red Bulls.  The draw stretched Chicago's unbeaten string to seven games (six of them draws).  Joel Lindpere scored at 40 minutes for the visiting Red Bulls.


At Seattle:


Tysol Wahl (33') and Alvaro Fernandez (39') provided the scoring as the Seattle Sounders came from behind to overtake the visiting New England Revolution 2-1.


At Columbus, Ohio:


Andres Mendoza scored twice (18', 48') as the Columbus Crew overcame an early one-goal deficit and ended up dominating the visiting Colorado Rapids 4-1.


MLS STANDINGS:


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


1. Philadelphia (GP: 16; GD: +5; PTS: 26)
2. New York (GP: 17; GD: +6; PTS: 24)
3. Columbus (GP: 16; GD: +3; PTS: 24)
4. Houston (GP: 17; GD: -1; PTS: 19)
5. DC United (GP: 15; GD: -6; PTS: 18)
6. Kansas City (GP: 15; GD: -2; PTS: 17)
7. Chicago (GP: 17; GD: -3; PTS: 17)
8. New England (GP: 17; GD: -8; PTS: 15)
9. Toronto FC (GP: 18; GD: -13; PTS: 15)


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


1. Los Angeles (GP: 19; GD: +10; PTS: 35)
2. Seattle (GP: 19; GD: +7; PTS: 31)
3. FC Dallas (GP: 17; GD: +7; PTS: 31)
4. Real Salt Lake (GP: 15; GD: +9; PTS: 26)
5. Colorado (GP: 17; GD: -2; PTS: 22)
6. San Jose (GP: 15; GD: +3; PTS: 20)
7. Portland (GP: 15; GD: -8; PTS: 18)
8. Chivas USA (GP: 16; GD: -1; PTS: 17)
9. Vancouver (GP: 17; GD: -6; PTS: 14)

Goose Eggs For Rosenborg and Viking

At Stavanger, Norway:


In Sunday action from the Eliteserien, Rosenborg held hosts Viking to a 0-0 stalemate.

Continued Improvement For Djurgarden

At Stockholm, Sweden:


In Sunday Allsvenskan action, Daniel Sjolund provided the only goal of the match at 79 minutes as Djurgarden defeated visiting Hacken 1-0.

END OF AN ERA: RIVER PLATE RELEGATED

At Buenos Aires:


After dropping Wednesday night's opening match 2-0 on the road against second-division club Belgrano, River Plate were held to a 1-1 home draw in game two of their promotion/relegation playoff series on Sunday (thus losing the two-game series 3-1 on aggregate) and were relegated from the Argentinian top flight for the first time in their 110 year history.  Guillermo Farre's equalizer at 62 minutes of the second contest was good enough to send the Cordoba-based club to the Premira Division for the first time since 2007.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

EL TRI ERASE TWO-GOAL DEFICIT TO OVERTAKE TEAM USA FOR SIXTH CONCACAF GOLD CUP CROWN

At Pasadena, California:





Pablo Barrera (that's him celebrating) scored twice (28', 49') while Andres Guardado (35') and Giovani Dos Santos (76') added a goal apiece as Mexico came from two goals down to overtake the United States 4-2 Saturday night and win their sixth CONCACAF Gold Cup championship, retaining the title they won two years ago.  Michael Bradley (8') and Landon Donovan (23') each provided a goal for Team USA.  El Tri will take part in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, which will take place in Brazil.

MLS: RSL, SKC, Philly, Hoops Post Wins

Six games were contested in Major League Soccer on Saturday.


At Santa Clara, California:


After starter Donovan Ricketts left the game with an arm injury, forward Mike Magee played the final 47 minutes in goal for the Los Angeles Galaxy as the visitors managed to hold the home standing San Jose Earthquakes to a 0-0 stalemate.


At Chester, Pennsylvania:


Veljko Paunovic (48'), Carlos Ruiz (68'), and Danny Mwanga (82') each tallied once as the Philadelphia Union defeated visiting Chivas USA 3-2.


At Kansas City, Kansas:


Omar Bravo (PK-33') and Julio Santos Correa (40') each delivered a goal for Sporting Kansas City as the hosts stretched their unbeaten run to seven games following their 2-1 comeback win over the Vancouver Whitecaps.


At Sandy, Utah:


Alvaro Saborio scored twice (41', 59') as Real Salt Lake ended their four-match winless streak with a 3-1  road win over Toronto FC.


At Frisco, Texas:


Zach Loyd (34'), George John (39'), Brek Shea (59'), and Ruben Luna (88') each scored once as FC Dallas horsewhipped the visiting Portland Timbers 4-0, stretching the visitors' winless streak to five games and keeping the Timbers winless on the road in their inaugural MLS season.


At Washington:


Brian Ching's equalizer in the 89th minute carried the Houston Dynamo to a 2-2 road draw with DC United.  Brad Davis' penalty kick (41') provided the other Houston goal.  The hosts goals came from Chris Pontius (31') and Charlie Davies (73').



Antlers Blow Two-Goal Lead And Drop Two Points At Home

At Kashima, Japan:


Yusuke Tanaka (70') and Yu Kobayashi (90') each provided a second-half goal on Saturday as Kawasaki Frontale came back from a two-goal deficit to gain a 2-2 road deadlock with Kashima Antlers in J.League action.  Yuzo Tashiro (31') and Koji Nakata (45') each tallied once in the first half for the Antlers.

Friday, June 24, 2011

2-2 Draw For UCD And Candystripes

At Dublin, Ireland:


In Friday League of Ireland Premier Division action, UCD Ireland settled for a 2-2 home draw with Derry City.  Dean Marshall (45') and Graham Rusk (67') each tallied once for UCD while the visiting Candystripes got goals courtesy of Daniel Lafferty (67') and Stewart Greacen (84').

In Battle Of Rovers, Sligo Knock Off Shamrock (And Knock Them Off League Lead)

At Sligo, Ireland:


Gavin Peers (38') and Owen Doyle (90'+1) provided the scoring that carried Sligo Rovers to a 2-0 home win over Shamrock Rovers, which, combined with St. Patrick's 1-0 home win over Bray Wanderers, knocked the visitors out of the top of the League of Ireland's Premier Division standings.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

MLS: Roger The Dodger Helps Sounders Top Red Bulls In Front Of 46,505

At Seattle:


In the lone Major League Soccer contest to be played on Thursday, Roger Levesque scored twice in the second half (68', 78') as the Seattle Sounders defeated the visiting New York Red Bulls in front of 46,505 fans in their first home game since what had been Qwest Field was renamed CenturyLink Field.

Comeback Win On The Road For Djurgarden

At Orebro, Sweden:

Joona Toivio (34') and Kasper Hamalainen (51') each delivered a goal on Thursday as Djurgarden came from behing to defeat Orebro 2-1 in Allsvenskan action.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

MLS: Nothin' But Goose Eggs

Two Major League Soccer games were played on Wednesday.


At Chester, Pennsylvania:


Sporting Kansas City stretched their unbeaten run to six games by holding the Philadelphia Union to a 0-0 home stalemate.


At Bridgeview, Illinois:


The Chicago Fire extended their unbeaten streak to six games as well after battling visiting Real Salt Lake to a 0-0 deadlock.

CONCACAF Gold Cup: It's Team USA vs. Mexico In Final

At Houston:


The semifinal round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup took place on Wednesday with two games.


In the opener, Clint Dempsey scored the only goal of the match at 76 minutes as the United States avenged their group-stage defeat at the hands of Panama by blanking the Panamanians 1-0.


In the nightcap, Jesus De Nigris (92') and Javier Chicharito Hernadez (98') provided the scoring in overtime as Mexico defeated Honduras 2-0.


The US will take on Mexico in Saturday's Gold Cup final to take place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.  The winner will play in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, to take place in Brazil.

SANTOS TOP PENAROL TO WIN FIRST COPA LIBERTADORES TITLE SINCE '63

At Sao Paulo, Brazil:


Neymar (46') and Danilo (68') provided the second-half scoring on Wednesday night as Santos defeated visiting Penarol 2-1 in game two of the Copa Libertadores Final and won their third South American club championship (their first since 1963) four points to one.  Santos will play in this coming December's FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.

US Open Cup: FC New York, Rochester, Richmond, Wilmington, Orlando City Amongst Those Advancing To Round of 16

The second round proper of the US Open Cup took place with seven games on Tuesday and one game on Wednesday.


Tuesday games:


At Queens, New York:


After 120 scoreless minutes, FC New York (USL Pro) took the penalty kick shootout 6-5 over the New York Pancyprian-Freedoms to advance to the Round of 16, and a date next Tuesday in Harrison, New Jersey against the New York Red Bulls.  The Pancyprian-Freedoms were the last USASA club left in the competition.


At Harrisburg, Pennsylvania:


In a battle of USL Pro clubs, Tony Donatelli's penalty kick at 88 minutes proved to be all the scoring as the visiting Rochester Rhinos knocked off the Harrisburg City Islanders 1-0.  Goalkeeper Neal Kitson made seven saves for the guests. Next Tuesday, the Rhinos will host the Chicago Fire.


At Richmond, Virginia:


David Bulow (17', 41') and Matthew Delicate (52', 81') each scored twice as the Richmond Kickers dominated the visiting Pittsburgh Riverhounds 4-1 in another battle of USL Pro clubs.  An appointment with the Columbus Crew on the road is on the Kickers' docket for next Tuesday.


At Wilmington, North Carolina:


Andriy Budnyi (63') and Chris Banks (78') each scored a goal in the second half as the Wilmington Hammerheads erased a two-goal deficit in regulation, then won in overtime as Luke Mulholland scored the game winner (103') as the Hammerheads came back to defeat the Charlotte Eagles 3-2 in another matchup of USL Pro clubs.  Wilmington will travel to Sandy, Utah for a Round of 16 contest against Real Salt Lake next Tuesday.


At Charleston, South Carolina:


In still another battle of USL Pro clubs, Rob Valentino scored the only goal of the match at 39 minutes as Orlando City knocked off the Charleston Battery 1-0 on the road.  It's a trip to Frisco, Texas for a meeting with FC Dallas next Tuesday for the central Florida club.


At Bremerton, Washington:


In a battle of clubs from the USL Premier Development League, Robbie Christner scored twice (43', 88') as the Kitsap Pumas defeated visiting Real Colorado Foxes 3-1.  The Pumas will head to Tukwila, Washington to face the Seattle Sounders next Tuesday.


At Ventura, California:


Israel Sesay scored the game's lone goal at 45 minutes as the Los Angeles Blues (USL Pro) defeated the Ventura County Fusion (PDL) 1-0 on the road.  Next Tuesday, the Blues will take on the Los Angeles Galaxy at Fullerton, California.


Wednesday game:


At Madison, Wisconsin:


In a contest postponed from Tuesday, Andrew Ribeiro (66') and Thierry Zahui (68') each scored a second-half goal two minutes apart as the Chicago Fire Premier (PDL) blanked the Madison 56ers (last remaining NPSL club in the tournament) 2-0 on the road.  Chicago will travel to Kansas City, Kansas for a Tuesday date next week with Sporting Kansas City.

Another Win For Antlers

At Kobe, Japan:


Yuzo Tashiro scored the only goal of the match at 37 minutes on Wednesday as Kashima Antlers knocked off hosts Vissel Kobe 1-0 in J.League action.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Rovers Erase Two-Goal Home Deficit To Gain Draw With Dundalk

At Dublin, Ireland:


Chris Turner (79') and Billy Dennehy (90'+2) provided the late scoring on Tuesday as Shamrock Rovers came back from a two-goal deficit at home to gain a 2-2 draw with Dundalk.  Mark Griffin scored both of the visitors' goals (23', 60')

Scoreless In Londonderry

At Derry (Londonderry), Northern Ireland:


The Tuesday League of Ireland Premier Division contest between Derry City and visiting Sligo Rovers ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Lyon Coach Canned

Prior to this guy becoming Lyon's coach three years ago, they had won eight straight Ligue 1 titles.  In his three years in charge----no silverware.

Hmmm, I Wonder If Louis B. Mayer Will Replace Him

Jack Warner, facing charges of corruption, has stepped down as FIFA vice president as well as head of CONCACAF.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Easy Win For Djurgarden

At Stockholm, Sweden:

In Monday Allsvenskan action, Christer Youssef (13'), Joona Toivio (PK-69'), and Petter Gustafsson (74') each tallied once as Djurgarden smothered visiting Syrianska FC 3-0.

Europa League Draw: Cottagers To Take On Faroese Club

The draw for the first two qualifying rounds for next season's Europa League took place on Monday at Nyon, Switzerland.

First qualifying round:

Opening matches in the respective two-game series will take place on June 30 with the return contests taking place on July 7.  The match-one hosts are listed first:

KR Reykjavik (Iceland) vs. IF Fuglafjordur (Faroe Islands)

FC Daugava (Latvia) vs. Tromso (Norway)

IF Elfsborg (Sweden) vs. CS Fola Esch (Luxembourg)

The New Saints (Wales) vs. Cliftonville (Northern Ireland)

FC Honka (Finland) vs. Nomme Kalju (Estonia)

Fulham (England) vs. NSI Runavik (Faroe Islands)

IBV Vestmannaeyjar (Iceland) vs. St. Patrick's (Ireland)

BK Hacken (Sweden) vs. UN 97 Kaerjeng (Luxembourg)

Aalesund (Norway) vs. Neath (Wales)

Renova (Macedonia) vs. Glentoran (Northern Ireland)

Koper (Slovenia) vs. Shakhter Karagandy (Kazakhstan)

FC Banga (Lithuania) vs. Karabakh Azersun (a.k.a. FC Qarabag; Azerbaijan)

Paks (Hungary) vs. UE Santa Coloma (Andorra)

Rabotnicki Kometal (Macedonia) vs. Trans Narva (Estonia)

Rad Belgrade (Serbia) vs. Tre Penne (San Marino)

Buducnost Podgorica (Montenegro) vs. Flaumurtari (Albania)

Uliss Yerevan (Armenia) vs. Ferencvaros (Hungary)

Jagiellonia Bialystok (Poland) vs. Irtysh (Kazakhstan)

Minsk (Belarus) vs. AZAL (Azerbaijan)

Dinamo Tblisi (Georgia) vs. FC Milsami (Moldova)

FC Spartak Trnava (Slovakia) vs. FK Zeta (Montenegro)

Varazdin (Croatia) vs. Lusitanos (Andorra)

Banants Yerevan (Armenia) vs. Olimpi Rustavi (Georgia)

Birkirkara FC (Malta) vs. Vllaznia Shkoder (Albania)

Siroki Brijeg (Bosnia and Herzegovina) vs. Olimpia Ljubljana (Slovenia)

Second qualifying round:

The opening contests of the respective two-game series are scheduled to take place on July 14 with the return matches to take place on July 21.  The hosts of the opening games are listed first:

Banants Yerevan-Olimpi Rustavi winner vs. Jagiellonia Bialystok-Irytsh winner

FK Suduva (Lithuania) vs. IF Elfsborg-CS Fola Esch winner

Metalurg Skopje (Macedonia) vs. Lokomotiv Sofia (Bulgaria)

UE Sant Julia (Andorra ) vs. Bnei Yehuda (Israel)

Zeljeznicar Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) vs. FC Sheriff (Moldova)

KuPS Kuopio (Finland) vs. Gaz Metan Medias (Romania)

Minsk/AZAL winner vs. Gaziantespor (Turkey)

FC Iskra-Stal (Moldova) vs. Varazdin-Lusitanos winner

FC Tauras (Lithuania) vs. ADO Den Haag (Netherlands)

Renova-Glentoran winner vs. Vorskla Poltava (Ukraine)

AC Juvenes/Dogana (San Marino) vs. Rabotnicki Kometal-Trans Narva winner

Orebro SK (Sweden) vs. FK Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Crusaders FC (Northern Ireland) vs. Fulham-NSI Runavik winner

Llanelli (Wales) vs. Dinamo Tblisi-FC Milsami winner

Floriana (Malta) vs. AEK Larnaca (Cyprus)

Shakhter (a.k.a Shakhtsyor Salihorsk; Belarus) vs. FK Ventspils (Latvia)

Buducnost Podgorica-Flaumurtari winner vs. Jablonec (Czech Republic)

KR Reykjavik-IF Fuglafjordur winner vs. MSK Zilina (Slovakia)

Mika Ashtarak (Armenia) vs. Valerenga (Norway)

Siroki Brijeg-Olimpia Ljubljana winner vs. Bohemians (Ireland)

Domzale (Slovenia) vs. RNK Split (Croatia)

FC 03 Differdange (Luxembourg) vs. Levadia Tallinn (Estonia)

SK Tirana (Albania) vs. FC Spartak Trnava-Zeta winner

Uliss Yerevan-Ferencvaros winner vs. Aalesund-Neath winner

SK Liepajas Metalurgs (Latvia) vs. FC Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)

Rad Belgrade-Tre Penne winner vs. Olympiacos Volou (Greece)

TNS-Cliftonville winner vs. FC Midtjylland (Denmark)

Kesckemeti TE (Hungary) vs. FC Aktobe (Kazakhstan)

BK Hacken-UN 97 Kaerjeng winner vs. FC Honka-Nomme Kalju winner

FC Gagra (Georgia) vs. Anorthosis Famagusta FC (Cyprus)

FC Vaduz (Liechtenstein) vs. Vojvodina (Serbia)

Rudar Pljevlja (Montenegro) vs. Austria Vienna (Austria)

Slask Wroclaw (Poland) vs. Dundee United (Scotland)

Koper-Skakhter Karaganda winner vs. IBV Vestmannaeyjar-St. Patrick's winner

EB/Streymur (Faroe Islands) vs. FC Banga-Karabakh Azersun winner

FH Hafnarfjordur (Iceland) vs. CD Nacional (Portugal)

Paks-UE Santa Coloma winner vs. FC Daugava-Tromso winner

TPS (Finland) vs. KVC Westerlo (Belgium)

Khazar Lenkoran (Azerbaijan) vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)

Birkirkara-Vllaznia Shkoder winner vs. FC Thun (Switzerland)

Champions League Draw: Tough Matchup For Linfield

The draw for the first two qualifying rounds for next season's UEFA Champions League took place on Monday in Nyon, Switzerland.

First qualifying round, with the opening contests to take place on June 28/29 and the return matches taking place on July 5/6.   The hosts for the opening games are listed first:

Tre Fiori (San Marino) vs. Valletta (Malta)

Santa Coloma (Andorra) vs. F91 Dudelange (Luxembourg)

Second qualifying round, with the opening games of the respective two-match series to take place on July 12/13 and the return matches to take place on July 19/20.  The hosts of the opening contests are listed first:

Maccabi Haifa (Israel) vs. Borac (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Mogren (Montenegro) vs. Litex Lovech (Bulgaria)

Maribor (Slovenia) vs. Santa Coloma-F91 Dudelange winner

Skenderbeu Korce (Albania) vs. APOEL (Cyprus)

Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) vs. Tobol Kostanay (Kazakhstan)

SK Sturm Graz (Austria) vs. Videoton FC (Hungary)

FC Zestafoni (Georgia) vs. FC Dacia (Moldova)

Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) vs. Neftci (Azerbaijan)

Partizan Belgrade (Serbia) vs. Shkendija Tetovo (Macedonia)

Tre Fiori-Valletta winner vs. FK Ekranas (Lithuania)

Malmo FF (Sweden) vs. HB Torshavn (Faroe Islands)

Shamrock Rovers (Ireland) vs. Flora Tallinn (Estonia)

Rosenborg (Norway) vs. Breidablik (Iceland)

HJK Helsinki (Finland) vs. Bangor City (Wales)

Skonto FC (Latvia) vs. Wisla Krakow (Poland)

Linfield (Northern Ireland) vs. BATE Borisov (Belarus)

Pyunik FC (Armenia) vs. Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic)

Sunday, June 19, 2011

MLS: Timbers Blow Two-Goal Lead To Drop Points At Home

At Portland, Oregon:


In the lone Sunday Major League Soccer contest, late goals from Thierry Henry (72') and Dwayne De Rosario (PK-90'+5) enabled the New York Red Bulls (who were reduced to ten men) to come back from two goals down to gain a 3-3 road draw with the Portland Timbers.  The Red Bulls also got a goal from Austin Da Luz (4').  The Timbers got goals from Jack Jewsbury (47', he failed on a penalty kick at 77 minutes), Kevin Goldwaite (49') and Stephen Keel (OG-67').


MLS STANDINGS:


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


1. New York (GP: 15; GD: +8; PTS: 23)
2. Philadelphia (GP: 14; GD: +4; PTS: 22)
3. Columbus (GP: 15; GD: 0; PTS: 21)
4. Houston (GP: 16; GD: -1; PTS: 18)
5. DC United (GP: 14; GD: -6; PTS: 17)
6. Chicago (GP: 15; GD: -3; PTS: 15)
7. New England (GP: 16; GD: -7; PTS: 15)
8. Toronto FC (GP: 17; GD: -11; PTS: 15)
9. Kansas City (GP: 13; GD: -3; PTS: 13)


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


1. Los Angeles (GP: 18; GD: +10; PTS: 34)
2. FC Dallas (GP: 16; GD: +3; PTS: 28)
3. Seattle (GP: 17; GD: +4; PTS: 25)
4. Real Salt Lake (GP: 13; GD: +7; PTS: 22)
5. Colorado (GP: 16; GD: +1; PTS: 22)
6. San Jose (GP: 14; GD: +3; PTS: 19)
7. Portland (GP: 14; GD: -4; PTS: 18)
8. Chivas USA (GP: 15; GD: 0; PTS: 17)
9. Vancouver (GP: 16; GD: -5; PTS: 14) 

CONCACAF Gold Cup: Team USA To Get Another Shot At Panama In Semis

At Washington:


The quarterfinal round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup concluded with two games played on Sunday.


In the opener, Jermaine Jones (49') and Clint Dempsey (80') provided the scoring that carried the United States to a 2-0 win over Jamaica.


In the nightcap, Luis Tejada's 89th-minute equalizer forced the match to go into what turned out to be 30 scoreless minutes of overtime.  In the ensuing penalty-kick shootout, Nelson Barahona, Luis Renteria, Anibal Godoy, Amilcar Henriquez Espinoza, and, yes, Luis Tejeda, all converted their spot kicks as Panama defeated El Salvador 5-4 in the shootout.


On Wednesday, the United States will take another crack at Panama (the team that handed the Americans their first-ever CONCACAF Gold Cup group-stage defeat) at Houston's Reliant Stadium in the semifinal round.  The winner will take on the Mexico-Honduras winner in the final to be played next Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

3-1 Home Win For Rosenborg

At Trondheim, Norway:


In Sunday Eliteserien action, goals from Daniel Fredheim Holm (5'), Serigne Kara Mbodji (OG-89') and Per Skjelbred (90'+3) carried Rosenborg to a 3-1 home win over Tromso, preventing the visitors from moving to the top of the league standings.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

MLS: Whitecaps End Winless Streak; Sounders, Galaxy, Crew, Hoops Also Win

Seven games were played in Major League Soccer on Saturday.


At Toronto:


Fredy Montero scored the only goal of the match at 90 minutes as the Seattle Sounders blanked home standing Toronto FC 1-0.


At Foxborough, Massachusetts:


Rajko Lekic's equalizer (47') enabled the New England Revolution to salvage a 1-1 home draw with the Chicago Fire.  Dominic Oduro scored at 31 minutes for the visitors.


At Houston:


With Andres Mendoza (40') and Bernardo Anor (78') providing the scoring, the Columbus Crew went on the road and blanked the Houston Dynamo 2-0.


At Commerce City, Colorado:


The Los Angeles Galaxy, with goals provided by Vitor
Juninho Junior (42') and Chad Barrett (80'), defeated the Colorado Rapids 3-1 on the road.


At Sandy, Utah:


Charlie Davies' successful penalty kick at 84 minutes lifted DC United to a 1-1 road stalemate with Real Salt Lake.  Fabian Espindola provided his own penalty kick for RSL at 37 minutes.


At Vancouver, British Columbia:


Alain Rochat scored the only goal of the match at 12 minutes as the Vancouver Whitecaps garnered their first MLS victory since their March 19 season opener, 1-0 at home over the Philadelphia Union.  The win ended the Whitecaps' MLS-record 14-match winless streak.


At Carson, California:


With Brek Shea (22') and Jackson Gonclaves (85') providing the scoring, FC Dallas knocked off Chivas USA on the road, 2-1.

Boca Erase Two-Goal Deficit To Gain Road Draw In Season Finale

At La Plata, Argentina:


After Claudio Graf (8') and Guillermo Barros Schelotto (PK-12', remember him, Columbus Crew fans?) each tallied once in the first half to stake Gimnasia La Plata to an early 2-0 lead, Christian Cellay scored twice (32', 90') to lift Boca Juniors to a 2-2 road deadlock on Saturday in the Argentinian Primera Division (both Clausura and overall) season finale for both clubs.

CONCACAF Gold Cup: Chicarito Helps Lead Mexico Into Semis; Honduras Wins PK Shootout To Advance

At East Rutherford, New Jersey:


The quarterfinal round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup commenced with two games on Saturday.


In the opener, after a 1-1 deadlock through 120 minutes, Carlo Costly, Victor Bernardez, Wilson Pilacios, and Jerry Bengston (who scored at 49 minutes in regulation time) all converted their penalty kicks as Honduras won the shootout 4-2 over Costa Rica to advance to the semifinal round.


In the nightcap, Javier Hernandez scored the winning goal in the 66th minute as Mexico came from behind to topple Guatemala 2-1.


Mexico and Honduras will face each other in a semifinal match to be played at Houston's Reliant Stadium this coming Wednesday.

Antlers Back On Winning Track

At Kashima, Japan:

In Saturday J.League action, Shinzo Koroki (6') and Yuzo Tashiro (64') each delivered a goal as Kashima Antlers picked up their second win in their last three starts, 2-0 at home over Jubilo Iwata.

Friday, June 17, 2011

MLS: C.J.'s Goal Carries SKC To First Win At New Facility

At Kansas City, Kansas:


C. J. Sapong scored the only goal of the match at 30 minutes as Sporting Kansas City defeated the visiting San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 for their first victory in their new facility in the lone Friday Major League Soccer contest.

Smashing Win For Shamrock Rovers

At Dublin, Ireland:


In Friday action from the Premier Division of the League of Ireland, four goal scorers---Stephen Rice (16'), Gary McCabe (48'), Donel Branagan (66'), and Billy Dennehy (90')---each tallied once as league-leading Shamrock Rovers demolished visiting basement-occupying Galway United 4-0.

Dominating Win For Candystripes

At Derry (Londonderry), Northern Ireland:


In Friday action from the League of Ireland's Premier Division, Eamon Zayed scored twice (44', 80') as Derry City dominated visiting Bohemians 3-0.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

A Return To Wembley....................

In 2013.

Convincing Road Win For Rosenborg

At Alesund, Norway:

In Thursday Eliteserien action, Morten Moldskred scored twice (45', 67') as Rosenborg held off hosts Alesund 3-1.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Scoreless Start To Copa Libertadores Final

At Montevideo, Uruguay:


Wednesday opening match of the two-game Copa Libertaores final between hosts Penarol and Santos ended in a 0-0 deadlock.

MLS: Scoreless In Foxborough

At Foxborough, Massachusetts:


The New England Revolution were held to a 0-0 home stalemate by Toronto FC in the lone Wednesday Major League Soccer contest.

Home Setback For the Antlers

At Kashima, Japan:


In Wednesday J.League action, Mike Havenaar scored the only goal of the match at the death (90') as Vantforet Kofu knocked off Kashima Antlers 1-0 on the road.