Wednesday, December 26, 2012

New Name

I've decided to streamline the name of this blog to "Ye Soccer Post" as of today after 6 1/2 years.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A very Merry Christmas from all of us at Soccer or Association Football---soon to be renamed!

Monday, December 17, 2012

CORINTHIANS KNOCK OFF CHELSEA TO CAPTURE FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP TITLE

At Yokohama, Japan:

Jose Paolo Guerrero scored the only goal of the match in the 68th minute on Sunday as Corinthians defeated Chelsea 1-0 to win the FIFA Club World Cup championship.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Focus Shift

After having had this blog grow a bit too large, I have decided to shift attention to such club competitions as Sunday's FIFA World Cup final in Yokohama, Japan between Chelsea and Corinthians as well as goings on in Major League Soccer while some soccer stuff may show up on my main weblog, Bob's House.

Monday, December 10, 2012

The Weekend In A Nutshell

Action from this past weekend involving clubs followed on this blog.

FRIDAY:

Spain:

At Barcelona:

Alvaro Negredo scored a late equalizer in stoppage time (90'+1) as Sevilla gained a 2-2 road draw with Espanyol in Spanish Primera Division action.

Poland:

At Wroclaw:

Tomasz Jodlowiec scored the only goal of the match in the 56th minute as Slask Wroclaw knocked off Polish Ekstraklasa-leading Legia Warsaw 1-0 at home.

South Africa:

At Cape Town:

In South African Premier Soccer League action, Toriq Losper scored the only goal of the match in the 86th minute as Ajax Cape Town downed visiting Maritzburg United 1-0.

Turkey:

At Istanbul:

Necati Ates (PK-82') and Atdhe Nuhiu (90') provided the scoring as Eskisehirspor erased a two-goal deficit and gained a 2-2 Turkish Super League road draw with Besiktas.

SATURDAY:

England:

At Wolverhampton:

Marlon King's own goal in the 34th minute proved decisive as Wolverhampton won their second straight League Championship match, 1-0 at home over West Midlands rivals Birmingham City.

At Carlisle:

Nick Blackman scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 34th minute as Sheffield United defeated Carlisle United 3-1 on the road in League One action.

At Cambridge:

Tom Shaw got the scoring started in the 15th minute as Cambridge United dominated visiting Gateshead 3-0 in Conference National action.

FIFA Club World Cup: Al-Ahly, Monterrey Reach Semifinals

The FIFA Club World Cup commenced in Japan on Thursday and here's a recap of the weekend's games.

At Yokohama:

Toshihiro Aoyama scored the only goal of the match in the 66th minute on Thursday as J.League champs Sanfrecce Hiroshima blanked Oceanic club champions Auckland City 1-0.

At Toyota:

Cesar Delgado scored twice in the second half (77', 84') as CONCACAF club champions Monterrey from Mexico held off South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai (Asian champions) 3-1 to advance to the semfinal round on Saturday.

At Toyota:

In Sunday action, Mohamed Abo Trika scored the winning goal as African powerhouses Al-Ahly of Egypt defeated Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2-1 to advance to the semifinal round.

On  Wednesday, Al-Ahly will take on Copa Libertdores winners Corinthians at Toyota while Monterrey will take on UEFA Champions League titleholders Chelsea on Thursday in Yokohama.

Saturday, December 08, 2012

Europa League: Group Stage Play Concludes

Group-stage play in the Europa League concluded this week.  All the action summarized took place on Thursday unless otherwise noted.

Group A:

At Bern, Switzerland:

Moreno Costanzo scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 52nd minute as BSC Young Boys defeated visiting FC Anzhi Makhachkala 3-1. Despite the win, Young Boys, due to inferior head-to-head record with Liverpool and FC Anzhi, were still eliminated.

At Udine, Italy:

Jordan Henderson scored the only goal of the match as Liverpool won the Group A crown with a 1-0 road win over Udinese.

FINAL GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Liverpool (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
2. FC Anzhi Makhachkala (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
3. BSC Young Boys (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 10)
4. Udinese (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 4)

Liverpool and FC Anzhi Makhachkala (thanks to their better head-to-had record vis-a-viv BSC Young Boys) advanced to the knockout stage of the Europa League.

Group B:

At Tel Aviv, Israel:

Victor Merey (56') and Hanan Maman (80') each scored a goal as Hapoel Tel Aviv concluded their European adventure with a 2-0 home win over Academica de Coimbra.

At Plzen, Czech Republic:

Vaclav Prochazka scored the only goal on the 26th minute as FC Viktoria Plzen won the Group B title by defeating fellow Round-of-32 qualifiers (and defending titleholders) Atletico Madrid 1-0.

FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. FC Victoria Plzen (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 13)
2. Atletico Madrid (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 12)
3. Academica de Coimbra (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 5)
4. Hapoel Tel Aviv FC (GP: 6; GD: -7; PTS: 4)

Group C:

At Nicosia, Cyprus:

Orlando Sa (41'), Edmar (79'), and Chris Dickson (82') each scored a goal as AEL Limassol dominated visiting Marseille 3-0 in the tournament finale for both clubs.

at Istanbul, Turkey:

Tolga Cigerci (23'), Mike Hanke (PK-28'), and Luuk de Jong (79') each scored a goal as Borussia Monchengladbach dominated group winners Fenerbahce 3-0 on the road as both clubs advanced to the knockout stage.

FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Fenerbahce (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 13)
2. Borussia Monchengladbach (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 11)
3. Marseille (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 5)
4. AEL Limassol (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 4)

Group D:

At Funchal, Portugal:

Heldon scored the winning goal in the 87th minute as CS Maritimo defeated visiting Club Brugge 2-1.

At Bordeaux, France:

In a battle of the two knockout-stage qualifiers from Group D, Cheick Diabate scored both goals (29', 73') as Bordeaux defeated visiting Newcastle United to lay cliam to the group title.

FINAL GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Bordeaux (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 13)
2. Newcastle United (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 9)
3. CS Maritimo (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
4. Club Brugge (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 4)

Bordeaux and Newcastle United advanced to the Europa League's knockout stage.

Group E:

At Stuttgart, Germany:

Davy Angan scored the only goal of the match in first-half stoppage time (45'+1) as Molde FK, already eliminated from the tournament, showed plenty of heart in their 1-0 road win over VfB Stuttgart.

At Copenhagen, Denmark:

Igor Vetokele's equalizer in the 87th minute carried FC Copenhagen to a 1-1 home draw with Steaua Bucharest.  Rual Rusescu scored at 72 minutes for the visiting Romanian club.  The host Lions needed a win to advance to the knockout stage.

FINAL GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Steaua Bucharest (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 11)
2. VfB Stuttgart (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
3. FC Copenhagen (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 8)
4. Molde FK (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 6)

Steaua Bucharest and VfB Stuttgart (with a win and a draw versus FC Copenhagen) advanced to the Europa League's knockout stage.

Group F:

At Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine:

Roman Zozulya scored twice (59', 82') as FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk hammered visiting AIK 4-0.

At Naples, Italy:

Tim Matavz delivered a natural hat trick (30', 41', 60') as PSV Eindhoven downed homestanding Napoli 3-1.

FINAL GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (GP: 6; GD: +8; PTS: 15)
2. Napoli (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 9)
3. PSV Eindhoven (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
4. AIK Solna (GP: 6; GD: -9; PTS: 4)

Group G:

At Genk, Belgium:

In a battle of Group G's two knockout-stage-qualified clubs, FC Basel held hosts KRC Genk to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Lisbon:

In the lone Friday Europa League contest, Valentin Viola scored the winning goal in the 82nd minute as
Sporting CP defeated visiting Videoton 2-1.


FINAL GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. KRC Genk(GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 12)
2. FC Basel (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
3. Videoton FC (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
4. Sporting CP (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 5)

KRC Genk and FC Basel advanced to the Europa League's knockout stage.

Group H:

At Milan, Italy:

Nicolas Canales scored the winning goal in the 89th minute as Neftchi Baku knocked off Inter Milan 2-1 on the road

At Belgrade, Serbia:

Jose Rondon's 59th-minute equalizer lifted Rubin Kazan to a 1-1 road draw with Partizan Belgrade.  Sasa Markovic scored for the already-eliminated Serbian club in the 53rd minute.

FINAL GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. FC Rubin Kazan (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 14)
2. Inter Milan (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 11)
3. Partizan Belgrade (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 3)
4. Neftchi Baku PFC (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 3)

FC Rubin Kazan and Inter Milan advanced to the Europa League's knockout stage.
Group I:

At Lyon, France:

Mouhamadou-Naby Sarr (15') and Yassine Benzia (58') each delivered a goal as Lyon blanked visiting Ironi Kiryat Shmona 2-0.

At Bilbao, Spain:

Sparta Prague, who, like Lyon, will play in the Europa League's knockout stage, battle hosts Athletic Bilboa, who, like Ironi Kiryat Shmona, will not, to a 0-0 stalemate.

FINAL GROUP I STANDINGS:

1. Lyon (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 16)
2. Sparta Prague (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
3. Athletic Bilbao (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 5)
4. Ironi Kiryat Shmona FC (GP: 6; GD: -7; PTS: 2)

Group J:

At Maribor, Slovenia:

Sergio Floccari scored twice (38', 51') as Lazio dominated NK Maribor 4-1 on the road.

At London:

Orestis Karnezis' own goal in the 76th minute proved fatal to any hope Panathinaikos had of advancing to the Round of 32 as Tottenham Hotspur clinched second plae in the Group J with their 3-1 home win over the Shamrock.

FINAL GROUP J STANDINGS:

1. Lazio (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 12)
2. Tottenham Hotspur (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
3. Panathinaikos (GP: 6; GD: -7; PTS: 5)
4. NK Maribor (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 3)

Lazio and Tottenham Hotspur advanced to the knockout stage of the Europa League.

Group K:

At Vienna, Austria:

Deni Alar scored the only goal of the match in the 13th minute as Rapid Vienna defeated knockout-stage-bound FC Metalist Kharkiv 1-0 at home.

At Leverkusen, Germany:

Julian Riedel scored the only goal of the match in the 65th minute as Bayer Leverkusen, who already locked up a berth in the Round of 32, blanked visiting Rosenborg 1-0.

FINAL GROUP K STANDINGS:

1. FC Metalist Kharkiv (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 13)
2. Bayer Leverkusen (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 13)
3. Rosenborg BK (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 6)
4. Rapid Vienna (GP: 6; GD: -10; PTS: 3)

FC Metalist Kharkiv and Bayer Leverkusen advanced to the Europa League's knockout stage.  With a win and a draw against the German club, Metalist won Group K.

Group L:

At Valencia, Spain:

Vicente Iborra's equalizer (90'+4) enabled Valencia to gain a 2-2 home draw with Hannover 96 as both clubs are heading for the knockout stage.

At Enschede, Netherlands:

Alejandro Bejoya scored the winning goal in the 21st minute as Helsingborg held off hosts FC Twente 3-1. 

FINAL GROUP L STANDINGS:

1. Hannover 96 (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 12)
2. Levante (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 11)
3. Helsingborgs IF (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 4)
4. FC Twente (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 4)

Hannover 96 and Levante advanced to the Europa League's knockout stage.

Thursday, December 06, 2012

Late Goal Wins Key Match For Millonarios

At Ibague, Colombia:

Jose Harrison Otalvaro scored the winning goal in the 90th minute as Millonarios kept their Colombian Primera A Clausura playoff finals hopes alive with a 2-1 Wednesday Group A road win over Deportes Tolima.

UEFA Champions League, Group H: Galatasaray Join Red Devils In Knockout Stage

Two games were played in Group H of the UEFA Champions League as group-stage action concluded on Wednesday.

At Manchester, England:



Luis Alberto scored the only goal of the 56th minute as CFR Cluj knocked off Manchester United 1-0 on the road.  Despite the win, the visiting Romanian club failed to advanced to the Champions League's knockout stage because of one loss and one draw in the two games against Galatasaray and will play in the Round of 32 of the Europa League.  The Red Devils lost their last two games after clinching the Group H title.  Here is the Transylvanian club's Gabriel Muresan celebrating with teammates after the game.

Getty Images photo

At Braga, Portugal:



Aydin Yilmaz (that's him after the game) scored the winning goal in the 78th minute as Galatasaray defeated Sporting Braga 2-1 to win a berth in the knockout stage of the Champions League.

AFP/Getty Images photo

FINAL GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Manchester United (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 12)
2. Galatasaray (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 10)
3. CFR Cluj (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
4. Sporting Braga (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 3)

Manchester United and Galatasaray advanced to the knockout stage of the Champions League while Sporting Braga moved on to the Europa League's Round of 32.

UEFA Champions League, Group G: Bhoys Join Barca In Knockout Stage

Two games were played on Wednesday as action from Group G of the UEFA Champions League came to a close.

At Barcelona:



Barcelona (with a frustrated Lionel Messi shown here) were held to a 0-0 home draw by SL Benfica.  Despite the draw, with Celtic's win over Spartak Moscow, the Eagles had to settle for a group-stage berth in the Europa League while the Catalans won Group G.

AFP/Getty Images photo

At Glasgow, Scotland:



Kris Commons scored the winning goal in the 81st minute on his successful penalty kick as Celtic locked up a berth in the Champions League's knockout stage with their 2-1 home win over Spartak Moscow.  Shown here are Gary Hooper (left), after he had scored the Bhoys' first goal in the 21st minute, celebrating with teammates Scott Brown and Kris Commons.

Getty Images photo

FINAL GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Barcelona (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 13)
2. Celtic (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 10)
3. SL Benfica (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 8)
4. Spartak Moscow (GP: 6; GD: -7; PTS: 3)

Barcelona and Celtic locked up Champions League knockout-stage berths while SL Benfica qualified for the knockout stage of the Europa League.

UEFA Champions League, Group F: Wins For Knockout-Stage Bound Bayern and Valencia; FC BATE To Europa League; Mastiffs Out Of Europe

Two games were played in Group F as UEFA Champions League group-stage action concluded.

At Villeneuve d'Ascq, France:




Jonas, with his successful penalty kick in the 36th minute (shown here), provided the only score in Round-of-16-bound Valencia's 1-0 road win over Lille, who saw their European campaign come to an end.


At Munich, Germany:




Thomas Muller (that's him here)scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 54th  minute as Bayern Munich won Group F after spanking Europa League-bound visiting FC BATE Borisov 4-1.

Getty Images photos

FINAL GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Bayern Munich (GP: 6; GD: +8; PTS: 13)
2. Valencia (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 13)
3. FC BATE Borisov (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 6)
4. LOSC Lille Metropole (GP:6; GD: -9; PTS: 3)

Bayern Munich and Valencia advanced to the Champions League's knockout stage while FC BATE Borisov qualified for the knockout stage of the Europa League.

UEFA Champions League, Group E: Juve Top Shakhtar To Win Group; Chelsea Dethroned Despite Fistbeating Of Not-So-Wild Tigers

Group-stage play in the UEFA Champions League concluded on Wednesday with eight games being played, two of them in Group E.

At Donetsk, Ukraine:



Oleksandr Kucher's own goal in the 56th minute proved costly for Shakhtar Donetsk as Juventus won the Group E title on the road 1-0 in this battle of the group's two already-knockout-stage-bound clubs.  Here, we see Andrea Barzagli (right) and joyous teammates celebrating their group-clinching victory.

AFP/Getty Images photo

At London:



Fernando Torres scored twice (45'+2, 56', that's him celebrating after his first goal) as Chelsea destroyed visiting FC Nordsjaelland 6-1.  Despite the win, the Blues, due to losing a tiebreaker to Shakhtar Donetsk (fewer away goals in the two games between the clubs), will settle for Europa League knockout-stage play as a new Champions League winner will be decided this coming May.

Getty Images photo

FINAL GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Juventus (GP: 6; GD: +8; PTS: 12)
2. Shakhtar Donetsk (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
3. Chelsea (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 10)
4. FC Nordsjaelland (GP: 6; GD: -18; PTS: 1)

Juventus and Shakhtar Donetsk advanced to the group stage of the Champions League while Chelsea, dethroned as European champs, will play in the group stage of the Europa League.

Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Ajax Cape Town Dominated In Johannesburg

At Johannesburg, South Africa:

Bernard Parker (36'), Siboniso Gaxa (66'), and Siphiwe Tshabalala (76') each scored a goal on Tuesday as South African Premier League-leading Kaiser Chiefs ran over visiting Ajax Cape Town 3-0.

You The Man, Tom: Hat Trick Stretch U's League Unbeaten Run To Three

At Northfleet, England:

Tom Elliot delivered a hat trick (1', 64', 76') as Cambridge United, who trailed 2-1 early in the second half, scored three unanswered goals en route to a 4-2 Tuesday English Conference National win over struggling Ebbsfleet United.  The win stretched the U's unbeaten runs to three in league play and four in all competitions. 

UEFA Champions League, Group D: Dortmund Clinch Top Spot Ahead Of Galacticos; Europa League Berth For Ajax; Citizens Crash Out Of Europe

Two games were played on Tuesday as Group D action in the UEFA Champions League came to a conclusion.

At Dortmund, Germany:

Dortmund defeat ends City's European season

Julian Schieber scored the only goal in the 57th minute as Borussia Dortmund locked up top spot in Group D with a 1-0 home win over Manchester City, knocking the Citizens out of European competition.  We see happy Dortmund players here celebrating.

Getty Images photo

At Madrid:

Real Madrid's Kaka fights for the ball with Ajax Amsterdam's Christian Poulsen during their Champions League Group D match

Jose Callejon scored twice (28', 88') as Champions League knockout-stage-bound Real Madrid dominated visiting Ajax Amsterdam 4-1.  Despite the defeat, the Dutch club will be playing in the knockout stage of the Europa League.  It was the sixth victory for Los Galacticos over Ajax in Champions League play in the last three years.  That's Real's Kaka fighting Ajax's Christian Poulsen for the ball.

Photo from Yahoo-Eurosport website

FINAL GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Borussia Dortmund (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 14)
2. Real Madrid (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 11)
3. Ajax Amsterdam (GP: 6; GD: -8; PTS: 4)
4. Manchester City (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 3)

Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid advanced to the Champions League's knockout stage while Ajax Amsterdam will play in the Europa League Round of 32.

UEFA Champions League, Group C: Zenit Top Rossoneri To Reach Europa League Knockout Rounds, End Anderlecht's European Campaign

Two games were played on Tuesday as Group C action in the UEFA Champions League came to a close.

At Malaga, Spain:

Malaga's Sergio Duda (R) fights for the ball with Anderlecht's Guillaume Gillet (L) during their Champions League Group C soccer match at La Rosaleda stadium in Malaga,

Sergio Duda scored twice (45', 61', that's him battling Anderlecht's Guillaume Gillet for the ball) as knockout-stage-bound Malaga gained a 2-2 home draw with RSC Anderlecht. Milan Jovanovic (50') and Dieumerci Mbokani (89') each scored once for the visiting Belgian club, now eliminated from European competition. 

At Milan, Italy:

AC Milan's Colombian defender Cristian Zapata (L) fights for the ball with FC Zenith's Brazilian forward Hulk (C) during the Champions league match between AC Milan and Zenith St Petersburg

Danny scored the only goal of the match in the 35th minute as Zenit Saint Petersburg locked up a Europa League knockout-stage berth with their 1-0 road win over Champions League Round-of-16-bound AC Milan.  That's the Rossoneri's Cristian Zapata (left) battling Zenit's Hulk for the ball.

Photos from Yahoo-Eurosport website

FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Malaga (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 12)
2. AC Milan (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 8)
3. Zenit Saint Petersburg (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 7)
4. RSC Anderlecht (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 5)

Malaga and AC Milan advanced to the Champions League knockout stage while Zenit Saint Petersburg qualified for the knockout stage of the Europa League.

UEFA Champions League, Group B: Royal Blues Claim Top Spot As Gunners Stumble Against Legend

Two games were played on Tuesday as Group B play in the UEFA Champions League concluded.

At Montpellier, France:

Montpellier's Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (L) challenges Schalke 04's Ciprian Marica during their Champions League  match at Stade de la Mosson stadium in Montpellier

Benedikt Howedes scored in the 56th minute as FC Schalke gained a 1-1 draw on the road against Montpellier and clinched top spot in Group B, thanks to Arsenal's defeat against Olympiacos. Emanuel Herrera scored in the 59th minute for the French club, who now exit European competition.  Here, we see Montpellier's Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (left) challenging the Royal Blues' Ciprian Marica for the ball.

Photo from Yahoo-Eurosport website

At Piraeus, Greece:

Arsenal miss top spot with defeat at Olympiacos

Konstantinos Mitroglou scored the winning goal in the 73rd minute as Olympiacos knocked off visiting Arsenal 2-1 to deny the Gunners (who already clinched a Round-of-16 berth) top spot in Group B.  The Legend will play in the knockout stage of the Europa League.  Giannis Maniatis, who equalized for Olympiacos in the 64th minute, is shown here celebrating after scoring.

AFP/Getty Images photo

FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. FC Schalke 04 (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 12)
2. Arsenal (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
3. Olympiacos (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 9)
4. Montpellier (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 2)

Schalke and Arsenal advanced to the Champions League's knockout stage while Olympiacos qualified for the knockout stage of the Europa League.

UEFA Champions League, Group A: PSG Top Dragons To Win Group

The final match day of UEFA Champions League action began on Tuesday with eight games, two of them in Group A, being contested.

At Zagreb, Croatia:

Lukman Haruna (L) of Dynamo Kyiv challenges Sammir of Dinamo Zagreb during their Champions League Group A match at Maksimir stadium in Zagre

Ivan Krstanovic delivered the equalizer with his stoppage-time penalty kick (90'+5) as Dinamo Zagreb earned their only point in group-stage play with a 1-1 home draw with Dynamo Kiev.  Andriy Yarmolenko had scored (45'+1) for the visiting Ukrainian club, who will move on to the group stage of the Europa League.  Here we see Dynamo Kiev's Lukman Haruna (left) battle Dinamo Zagreb's Sammir for the ball.

Photo from Yahoo-Eurosport website

At Paris:

Lavezzi sinks Porto to put PSG top

Ezequiel Lavezzi (that's him being celebrating)scored the winning goal in the 61st minute as Paris Saint-Germain captured the Group A title with a 2-1 home win over fellow knockout-stage qualifiers FC Porto.

AFP/Getty Images photo

FINAL GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Paris Saint-Germain (GP: 6; GD: +11; PTS: 15)
2. FC Porto (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 13)
3. Dynamo Kiev (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 5)
4. Dinamo Zagreb (GP: 6; GD: -13; PTS: 1)

Paris Saint-Germain and FC Porto advanced to the knockout stage of the  Champions League while Dynamo Kiev qualified for the Europa League's knockout stage.

Monday, December 03, 2012

Wild Montevideo Derby

At Montevideo, Uruguay:

Miguel Agustin Gutierrez (38', 62') and Liber Quinones (67', 77') each scored twice as Racing Club de Montevideo still blew a two-goal lead and had to settle for a 4-4 Sunday Uruguayan Primera Division road draw with Liverpool (NOT that one).  Rodrigo Aguirre  (31'), William Ferreira (71'), Paulo Pezzolano (PK-88'), and Max Rauhofer (90') each scored once for the hosts. 

Home Win For Club Africain

At Tunis, Tunisia:

Mourad Hedhli scored the winning goal in the 51st minute as Club Africain held off visiting Marsa 2-1 in Sunday Tunisian Ligue 1 (Group A) action.

League-Leading Grasshoppers Back On Winning Track

At Zurich, Switzerland:

Izet Hajrovic delivered the only goal of the match with his successful penalty kick in the 21st minute on Sunday as Swiss Super League-leading Grasshoppers defeated local rivals FC Zurich 1-0 at home.

Yellow Sub Beaten On Road

At Elche, Spain:

Coro scored the only goal of the match in the 71st minute on Sunday as Spanish Segunda Division-leading Elche defeated visiting fellow promotion candidates Villarreal 1-0.

Easy Win For Table-Topping Legia

At Warsaw, Poland:

Jakub Kosecki scored twice (29', 63') as Polish Ekstraklasa-leading Legia Warsaw dominated visiting Ruch Chorzow 3-0 on Sunday.

Sheriff Grab Tiraspol Derby

At Tiraspol, Moldova:

Marko Stanojevic (19') and Alexandr Pascenco (34') provided the scoring that carried league-leading FC Sheriff to a 2-0 Sunday home Moldovan National Division victory over local rivals FC Tiraspol.

Home Win For Metalurg

At Skopje, Macedonia:

FK Metalurg found themselves in third place, two points behind Macedonian First League-leading Vardar, following their 2-1 Sunday home win over struggling Rabotnicki.

FC Seoul Claim Season Finale

At Seoul, South Korea:

Dejan Damjanovic (43') and Jo-Gook Jung (58') each scored once as FC Seoul concluded their K-League Championship-round campaign with a 2-1 come-from-behind Sunday home win over Busan I'Park.

FC Seoul, who finished atop the overall league standings, will be joined in the group stage for next year's AFC Champions League by Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Pohang Steelers, and Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

Gwangju FC were relegated to the K-League's second division.

Greens Dominate Haifa Derby On Road

At Haifa, Israel:

Eyal Golasa (59'), Wiyam Amasha (74'), and Hen Ezra (76') each delivered a second-half goal as Maccabi Haifa dominated a scoreless stalemate and ended up dominating Hapoel Haifa 3-0 on the road in Sunday Israeli Premier League action.

Road Win For The Shamrock

At Athens:

Antonios Petropoulos (24') and Loukas Vyntra (28') each scored a first-half goal as Panathinaikos held off home-standing Panionios 2-1 in Sunday Greek Super League action.

Impressive Show From League-Leading Dinamo Tbilisi

At Tbilisi, Georgia:

Xisco Munoz delivered a Sunday hat trick (7', 36', 56') as Georgian Umaglesi Liga-leading Dinamo Tbilisi manhandled visiting Chikhura 5-2.

Home Win For League-Leading Lions

At Copenhagen, Denmark:

Andreas Cornelius (11') and Ragnar Sigurdsson (25') provided the scoring as Danish Super League-leading FC Copenhagen shut out visiting Randers 2-0 in Sunday action.

You The Man, Wilberto: Millonarios Still Hopeful Of Advancing To Final

At Bogota, Colombia:

Wilberto Cosme scored the only goal of the match in the 42nd minute on Sunday as Millonarios kept their hopes of finishing atop the Colombian Primera A Clausura playoff Group A standings following their 1-0 home win over Deportivo Pasto.

Colo Colo Knocked Out In Semis Of Clausura Playoffs

At Santiago, Chile:

Braulio Leal (77') and Rodolfo Madrid (83') provided the scoring on Sunday as Union Espanola blanked Colo Colo 2-0 on the road in the second game of what for them would be their triumphant Chilean Primera Division Clausura playoff semifinal series as they won the two-match set 5-1 on aggregate.

Goose Eggs For Sky Blues And Heart

At Sydney, Australia:

The Sunday Hyundai A-League match between two struggling clubs, Sydney FC and the visiting Melbourne Heart, played to a 0-0 stalemate.

Home Win For Tirana

At Tirana, Albania:

Gilman Lika scored the winning goal in the 75th minute on Sunday as KF Tirana came from behind to upend visiting Laci 2-1 in Albanian Super League action.

Goose Eggs For Grenada And Parakeets

At Grenada, Spain:

The Sunday Spanish Primera Division contest between Grenada and visiting Espanyol ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

CLUB TIJUANA LAY CLAIM TO LIGA MX APERTURA TITLE

At Toluca de Lerdo, Mexico:

Richard Ruiz (70') and Dubier Riascos (71') each scored a goal a minute apart in the second half on Sunday as Club Tijuana defeated Toluca 2-0 on the road in game two of Mexico's Liga MX Apertura playoff final and won their two-game series 4-1 on aggregate.

Arsenal---Not That One---Top Boca Juniors At Home (NOT In London)

At Avellaneda, Argentina:

Emilio Zelaya scored the only goal of the match in the 47th minute on Sunday as Arsenal de Sarandi shut out visiting Boca Juniors 1-0 in Argentinian Primera Division action.

Sunday, December 02, 2012

Road Win For TNS

At Bangor, Wales:

Chris Jones scored the only goal of the match in the 13th minute on Saturday as The New Saints defeated Welsh Premier League-leading Bangor City 1-0 on the road and have now moved level on points for the top of the league standings.

Road Win For Metalist

At Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine:

Cleiton Xavier scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 51st minute on Saturday as FC Metalist Kharkiv defeated Metalurh Zaporizhya 3-1 in Ukrainian Premier League action.

Road Win For The Black Eagles

At Ordu, Turkey:

Ibrahim Toraman (34') and Oguzhan Ozyakup (54') provided the scoring that carried Besiktas to a 2-1 Saturday Turkish Super League road win over Orduspor.

Road Draw For The Roses

At Ljubljana, Slovenia:

Kris Jogan (3') and Matija Sirok (68') each scored once on Saturday as ND Gorica gained a 2-2 1.SNL road draw with Olimpija Ljubljana.  Filip Valencic (50') and Aris Zarifovic (55') each scored once for the hosts.

Road Draw For Sky Blues

At Ruzomberok, Slovakia:

Goals from Mulumba Mukendi (4') and Lukas Bielak (76') carried MFK Ruzomberok to a 2-2 Saturday Slovak Super League home draw with league-leading Slovan Bratislava.  Lester Peltier (31') and Filip Hlohovsky (70') scored the Sky Blues' goals.

Chalk Up Another Win For OFK Belgrade

At Belgrade, Serbia:

Petar Grbic (19') and Dragan Bogavac (53') provided the scoring that propelled OFK Belgrade to their fourth straight Serbian Super League victory on Saturday, 2-0 on the road over BSK Borca.