Saturday, March 31, 2012

MLS: Red Bulls (Thierry Henry Hat Trick), Crew, RSL, Quakes, Revs Pick Up Wins; Goose Eggs For Whitecaps and Philly

Six games made up the Saturday Major League Soccer schedule.


At Toronto:


Bernardo Anor scored the only goal of the match in the 56th minute as the Columbus Crew blanked Toronto FC 1-0 on the road.


At Harrison, New Jersey:


Theirry Henry delivered his first career MLS hat trick (28', 55', 88') as the New York Red Bulls overcame a 2-1 deficit to overpower the visiting Montreal Impact 5-2.


At Chester, Pennsylvania:


The Vancouver Whitecaps remained unbeaten and unscored upon thanks to their 0-0 road stalemate with the Philadelphia Union.


At Portland, Oregon:


With Alvaro Saborio (PK-39'), Jonny Steele (89') and Kyle Beckerman (90'+3) providing the goals, Real Salt Lake came back from a late 2-1 deficit on the road and upended the Portland Timbers 3-2, despite a double from the Timbers' Darlington Nagbe (48', 65').


At Seattle:


Chris Wondolowski's successful penalty kick in the 24th minute provided all the scoring as the San Jose Earthquakes knocked off the Seattle Sounders 1-0 on the Road.


At Carson, California:


Kelyn Rowe (10'), Chris Tierney (13'), and Saer Sene (65') each tallied once in the New England Revolution's 3-1 road win over the Los Angelels Galaxy.

Tigres Move To Top Of Table

At San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico:


Elias Hernandez (14'), Edno Roberto Cunha (58'), Lucas Lobos (68'), and Damian Alvarez (74') each contributed a goal on Saturday as Tigres moved to the top of the Mexican Primera Division (Clausura) standings with their 4-1 home beatdown of Morelia.

Heartbreaking Defeat For PSG

At Tomblaine, France:


Yohan Mollo scored the winning goal in the 89th minute as AS Nancy knocked off visiting Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in Saturday French Ligue 1 action.

Tough Day For Racing Club In Montevideo Derby

At Montevideo, Uruguay:

Richard Mercado scored twice in the waning moments of the first half (43', 45') as Montevideo Wanderers dominated visiting Racing Club de Montevideo 3-0 in Saturday action from Uruguay's Primera Division.

Another Setback For Grasshoppers

At Zurich, Switzerland:

Vilmos Vanczak (45') and Arnaud Buhler (49') each scored once as FC Sion defeated Grasshoppers 2-0 on the road in Saturday Swiss Super League action.

Losing Start Of Season For Djurgarden

At Boras, Sweden:

Anders Svensson scored twice in the first half (24', 45') as Elfsborg held off visiting Djurgarden 2-1 on Saturday in the Swedish Allsvenskan season opener for both clubs.

1-1 Home Draw For The Roses

At Nova Gorica, Slovenia:

Goran Galesic converted a penalty kick in the 20th minute, enabling ND Gorica to salvage a 1-1 Saturday 1.SNL home draw with last-place and relegation-thretened Triglav.  Dejan Burgar scored in the third minute for the visitors.

1-1 Road Draw For OFK Belgrade

At Subotica, Serbia:

Vidak Bratic scored in the 54th minute on Saturday to lift Spartak Subotica to a 1-1 Serbian Super Liga home draw with OFK Belgrade, whose tally came courtesy of Augusto Batioja in the fourth minute.

Liepajas Metalurgs Still Perfect In League Play

At Liepaja, Latvia:

Ritus Krjauklis (49') and Jurgis Kalns (89') each scored a goal on Saturday as Liepajas Metalurgs blanked visiting FC Jurmala 2-0 in Latvian Virsliga action.

Six Different Goal Scorers, Count 'Em, Six, In Dinamo Zagreb's Demolition Of Lokomotiva

At Zagreb, Croatia:

Domagaj Vida (17'), Sammir (32'), Fatos Baciraj (37'), Ivan Tomecak (44'), Milan Badelj (77'), and Mehmed Alispahic (84') each scored a goal on Saturday as 1.HNL-leading Dinamo Zagreb destroyed visiting local rivals Lokomotiva 6-0. 

OFC Champions League: Group A Title Still Up In The Air

Three games in group-stage action in the OFC Champions League were played on Saturday.

Group A:

Ross McKenzie (68'), Ross Haviland (73'), Allan Pearce (82'), and Sean Lovemore (87') each scored a goal as Waitakere United remained alive for the Group A berth in the forthcoming two-match final with their 4-0 blowout of visiting AS Mont-Dore.

Group B:

At Port Vila, Vanuatu:

Kensi Tangis scored the only goal of the match in the 60th minute as Amicale knocked off Group B winners Auckland City 1-0 at home.

At Lawson, Solomon Islands:

Maciu Dunadamu (45') and Kema Jack (75') each tallied once as Hekari United defeated Koloale 2-1.

FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Auckland City (GP: 6; GD: +9; PTS: 13)
2. Hekari United (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 11)
3. Amicale FC (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
4. Koloale FC Honiara (GP: 6; GD: -11; PTS: 3)

Auckland City won the Group B title and will play in the OFC Champions League two-match final which begins on May 6.

Bayern Keep Pressure On Dortmund With Road Win Over Slumping Nuremberg

At Nuremberg, Germany:

Arjen Robben scored the only goal of the match in the 69th minute on Saturday as Bayern Munich moved within three points of German Bundesliga-leading Borussia Dortmund following their 1-0 road win over sagging FC Nuremberg.

Elephants Gain 1-1 Home Draw With Rossoneri

At Catania, Italy:

Nicolas Spolli's 57th-minute equalizer lifted Catania to a 1-1 Saturday Italian Serie A home draw with league-leading AC Milan.  Robinho scored in the 34th minute for the Rossoneri.

Championship Group-Opening 1-1 Home Draw For Anorthosis

At Larnaca, Cyprus:

Dede's early equalizer (18') lifted AEL Limassol to a 1-1 Saturday road draw with Anorthosis in the Cypriot First Division's Championship-Group opener for both clubs.  David Kvirkelia scored for the hosts in the 4th minute.

Late Goal Helps Tighten 'Gers Hold On Second Place

At Motherwell, Scotland:

Lee McCulloch scored the winning goal in the 89th minute as Rangers opened up a six-point on Motherwell for the second and final Champions League qualifying berth (and prevented Celtic from locking up the Scottish Premier League crown in the process) with a 2-1 road win over the Steelmen.

Late Goal Salvages Road Draw With U's For Dragons

At Cambridge, England:

Robert Ogleby's stoppage-time equalizer (90'+4) lifted Wrexham to a 1-1 Saturday English Conference National draw with Cambridge United.  Tom Shaw scored for the U's in the 48th minute.  The Dragons are currently sitting in second place, eight points behind league-leading Fleetwood Town.

Late Goal Nets Three Points For Stanley

At Accrington, England:

Will Hatfield scored the winning goal in the 79th minute as Accrington Stanley defeated visiting AFC Wimbledon 2-1 in Saturday English League Two action.

Blades Continue Push For Promotion With Road Win

At Hartlepool, England:

Ched Evans' successful penalty kick in the 79th minute proved to be all the scoring as Sheffield United stayed in the English League One automatic promotion places following their 1-0 Saturday road win over ten-man Hartlepool United.

Lopsided Road Win Draws Forest Further Away From Drop Zone

At London:

Radoslaw Majewski delivered a natural hat trick (53', 72', 82') as Nottingham Forest broke open what had been a scoreless deadlock into a 3-0 Saturday road victory over Crystal Palace to lift them further away from the English League Championship relegation zone (three places and six points).

Ho-Hum: Another Defeat For Wolves

At Wolverhampton, England:


Second-half goals from Martin Petrov (PK-63'), Marcos Alonso (80'), and Kevin Davies (83') carried Bolton to a 3-2 Saturday English Premier League road win over basement-occupying Wolverhampton.  The defeat--their fifth in a row--leaves Wolves six points adrift from safety with seven league games remaining.

Hyundai A-League Playoffs: Brisbane Roar Halfway To Return To Grand Final

At Brisbane, Australia:


Henrique Silva (9') and Eric Paartalu (86') provided the scoring on Saturday as the Brisbane Roar took the opening game of their two-match Hyundai A-League playoff series with the visiting Central Coast Mariners 2-0 placing the defending champions 90 minutes away from a return to the Grand Final.  The two teams will face each other again next Sunday on the Mariners' pitch as Gosford, New South Wales.

FC Tokyo: Unbeaten No More

At Chofu, Japan:


Hisato Sato scored the only goal of the match in the 58th minute as Sanfrecce Hiroshima defeated previously unbeaten and untied FC Tokyo on the road 1-0 in Saturday J.League action.



Torino Knocked Off At Empoli

At Empoli, Italy:


Massimo Maccarone scored the only goal of the match in the 24th minute on Saturday as Empoli garnered three potentially precious points in their fight to avoid relegation from Italy's Serie B with a 1-0 home win over league-leading Torino.

1860 Munich Suffer Blow To Promotion Hopes

At Munich, Germany:


Freddy Borg scored the only goal of the match in the 80th minute on Saturday as relegation-threatened Hansa Rostock knocked off TSV 1860 Munich 1-0 on the road in German second-division action, delivering a blow to the hosts' chances of promotion to the top flight.

Cactus Handed First Defeat

Tallinn, Estonia:


Marten Pajunurm scored the only goal of the match in the 48th minute as Kuressaare handed home-standing FC Flora their first Estonian Meistriliiga defeat of the season, 1-0 on Saturday.

Friday, March 30, 2012

MLS: Maicon Makin' Trouble For Ex-Mates As DCU Smother Hoops For First Win

At Washington:


Maicon Santos haunted his former teammates in the lone Friday Major League Soccer contest as his double (28', 73') helped DC United defeat visiting FC Dallas 4-1 for their win of the season.

Nine-Man Legia Gain Road Draw

At Krakow, Poland:


Despite ending the match with only nine men, Polish Ekstraklasa-leading Legia Warsaw still held home-standing Wisla Krakow to a 0-0 stalemate.

Late Goal Forces Cork City To Settle For Home Draw

At Cork, Ireland:


Jason Byrne's 74th-minute equalizer carried Bray Wanderers to a 1-1 Friday League of Ireland Premier Division road draw with Cork City.  Tadhg Purcell scored in the 3rd minute for the Leesiders.

Road Win Keeps Monaco In Form---And Out Of Drop Zone

At Le Mans, France:

Ibrahima Toure scored the only goal of the match in the 49th minute on Friday as AS Monaco continued their recent solid French Ligue 2 form by defeating Le Mans 1-0 on the road to improve their prospects of avoiding relegation to the third-level Championnat National.

A-League Playoffs: Sky Blues Eliminated After Wild Game At Wellington

At Wellington, New Zealand:

Tim Brown (47'), Ben Sigmund (79'), and Paul Ifill (PK-86') each delivered a goal as the Wellington Phoenix held off visiting Sydney FC 3-2 on Friday in the opening match of what is called the Hyundai A-League Finals, which I prefer to call the playoffs.  The Sky Blues' season came to an end despite a double from Joel Chianese (80', 83') as the visitors mounted a furious comeback attempt and actually deadlocked the match before Paul Ifill's spot kick delivered the Phoenix into the second round and an encounter set for next weekend with the winner of the Perth Glory-Melbourne Heart contest (which takes place this coming Sunday). 

CFU Club Championship: Thursday Win Clinches Group One Title and Second-Round Berth For George Town

At George Town, Cayman Islands:

Fabian Malcolm (5') and Limberg Cuevas-Ebanks (87') provided the scoring on Thursday as George Town defeated fellow Cayman Islands club Elite SC 2-1 to capture the Group One title and a berth in the second round of the CFU Club Championship.  The losing club can still qualify by finishing with the best second-place record.

FINAL GROUP ONE STANDINGS:

1. x-George Town (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
2. Elite SC (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. z-North Village Rams (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)

x-Clinch berth in the second round and a place in Group Four (alongside the Puerto Rico Islanders, Caledonia AIA, and the best runner-up).  Action from Group Four will take place from May 1 to May 6 at Bayemon, Puerto Rico.

z-Eliminated from tournament.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Copa Libertadores: Fluminense Lock Up Berth In Knockout Stage; Boca Over Arsenal In All-Argentinian Clash

Two games were played in Copa Libertadores group-stage action on Thursday, both played in Group Four.


At Buenos Aires:


Pablo Ledesma (49') and Juan Mino (88') each scored once as Boca Juniors tightened their hold on second place in Group Four after blanking visiting Arsenal de Sarandi 2-0.


At Barinas, Venezuela:


Rafael Sobis scored the only goal of the match in the 78th minute as Fluminense clinched a berth in the knockout stage by placing home-standing Zamora FC on the brink of elimination 1-0.


GROUP FOUR STANDINGS:


1. x-Fluminense (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 12)
2. Boca Juniors (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
3. Arsenal de Sarandi (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Zamora FC (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 1)


x-Clinched berth in knockout stage

Road Win For Club Africain

At Beja, Tunisia:


Ezechiel N'Douassel scored the lone goal of the match in the 29th minute as Club Africain defeated struggling Olympique Beja 1-0 on the road in Thursday Tunisian Ligue 1 action.

Dinamo Tbilisi Held To Scoreless Home Draw

At Tbilisi, Georgia:


The Thursday Georgian Umaglesi Liga (Championship Round) contest between Dinamo Tbilisi and visiting Dila Gori ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Europa League: Series-Opening Wins For Atletico, Athletic Bilbao, AZ, Sporting CP

The quarterfinal round of the Europa League commenced with the opening contest of each of the four two-game series on Thursday.


At Madrid:


Falcao


Eduardo Salvia scored the winning goal in the 89th minute as Atletico Madrid topped visiting Hannover 96 2-1 in game one of their two-match set.  Mame Biram Diouf kept the German club alive in the series with might still prove to a be precious away goal in the 37 minute.  Here, we see Falcao heading home the home-standing Mattress Makers' first goal in the 9th minute.


At Alkmaar, Netherlands:


Brett Holman


Maarten Martens scored the game winner at 78 minutes as AZ Alkmaar topped visiting Valencia 2-1 in game one.  The visiting Orange stayed in the series thanks to Mehmet Topal's goal in the 51st minute. Brett Holman, who scored AZ's first goal in the 45th minute, is shown here celebrating.


At Gelsenkirchen, Germany:


Fernando Llorente

Fernando Llorente scored twice (19' [shown here], 73') as Athletic Bilbao doubled up Schalke 04 on the road in game one 4-2.


At Lisbon, Portugal:


Marat Izmailov


Marat Izmailov (51', shown here) and Emiliano Insua (63') each notched a tally in Sporting CP's 2-1 series opening win over FC Metalist Kharkiv.  However, a stoppage-time penalty kick from Cleiton Xavier (90'+1) put the Ukrainian club back in the series.


Getty Images photos

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

CONCACAF Champions League: TFC and Santos Laguna Battle To Game-One Draw; Striped Gang Too Much For Pumas

The semifinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League commenced with two games played on Wednesday.


At Toronto:


Miguel Aceval's equalizer in the 36th minute enabled Toronto FC to salvage a 1-1 game-one home draw with Santos Laguna.  Herculez Gomes scored for the visiting Mexican club in the 30th minute.


At Monterrey, Mexico:


Jesus De Nigris scored twice in the second half (59', 71') as defending champions Monterrey dominated visiting UNAM Pumas 3-0 in their series opener.

Copa Libertadores: Wild Win For Olimpia; Home Wins For Universidad Catolica, Defensor Sportins

Group-stage action in the Copa Libertadores continued on Wednesday with three contests.


Group Two:


At Asuncion, Paraguay:


Eduardo Aranda scored the winning goal in the 80th minute as Club Olimpia defeated visiting Flamengo 3-2.


GROUP TWO STANDINGS:


1. Club Olimpia (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
2. Lanus (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
3. Flamengo (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
4. Club Sport Emelec (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 3)


Group Three:


At Santiago, Chile:


Daud Gazale scored the winning goal in the 87th minute as Universidad Catolica kept their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage very much alive following their 2-1 home win over Union Espanola.


GROUP THREE STANDINGS:


1. Union Espanola (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Club Bolivar (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
3. Universidad Catolica (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS:6)
4. Junior de Barranquilla (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 1)


Group Seven:


Nicolas Olivera scored the only goal of the match in the 70th minute as Defensor Sporting defeated visiting Chivas de Guadalajara 1-0.


GROUP SEVEN STANDINGS:


1. Velez Sarsfield (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
2. Defensor Sporting (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
3. Deportivo Quito (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Chivas de Guadalajara (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 4)

Scoreless Wednesday In Skopje

At Skopje, Macedonia:


The Wednesday Macedonian First League contest between FK Metalurg and visiting Skendija 79 ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Ajax Cape Town Doubled Up At Home

At Cape Town, South Africa:


Goodman Dlamini scored twice (34', 82') on Wednesday as AmaZulu defeated Ajax Cape Town 4-2 on the road in South African Premier Soccer League action.

Blades Carve Up Struggling Spireites

At Sheffield, England:

Ched Evans' natural second-half hat trick (PK-49', 60', 62') broke open a match that had been deadlocked at 1-1 at halftime as Sheffield United found themselves in second place in the English League One standings following their 4-1 Wednesday home fist-beating of basement-residing Chesterfield.

UEFA Champions League: Scoreless In Milan; Bayern In Control After 2-0 Road Win In Series Opener

The quarterfinal round of the UEFA Champions League continued with two games on Wednesday.

At Marseilles, France:

Arjen Robben celebrates after doubling Bayern's advantage at Marseille

Mario Gomez (44') and Arjen Robben (69', that's him here celerating) each delivered a goal as Bayern Munich took control of their two-match series with Marseille following their game-one 2-0 road win.



At Milan, Italy:

Alexis Sanchez goes down under the challenge of Christian Abbiati

The opening contest of the two-game series between AC Milan and visiting defending champions Barcelona ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Here, we see Barca's Alexis Sanchez doing down under the challenge of Rossoneri goalkeeper Christian Abbiati.

Getty Images photos

CFU Club Championship: Elite Top North Village Rams

At George Town, Cayman Islands:


Mario Carter scored twice on Tuesday (13', 66') as Elite SC defeated the North Village Rams 2-1 in Group One action in the CFU Club Championship.


GROUP ONE STANDINGS:


1. Elite SC (Cayman Islands) (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. George Town SC (Cayman Islands) (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. North Village Rams (Bermuda) (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Copa Libertadores: Penarol Eliminated

Three games were played on Tuesday as group-stage action in the Copa Libertadores resumed.


Group Five:


At Montevideo, Uruguay:


Tabare Viudez scored the only goal of the match in the 68th minute Club Nacional remained alive for a berth in the knockout stage with their 1-0 home win over Alianza Lima.


GROUP FIVE:


1. Club Libertad (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
2. Vasco da Gama (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
3. Club Nacional (Uruguay) (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
4. Alianza Lima (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 3)


Group Six:


At San Cristobal, Venezuela:


The match between Deportivo Tachira and visiting Club Nacional (Paraguay) ended in a 0-0 stalemate.


GROUP SIX STANDINGS:


1. Corinthians (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
2. Cruz Azul (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
3. Club Nacional (Paraguay) (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 5)
4. Deportivo Tachira (GP:4; GD: -5; PTS: 2)


Group Eight:


At Santiago, Chile:


Matias Rodriguez scored twice (2', 90'+1) as Universidad de Chile climbed up to second place in the Group Eight with a 2-1 home win over Penarol, eliminating the Uruguayan club from the tournament in the process.


GROUP EIGHT STANDINGS:


1. Atletico Nacional (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 8)
2. Universidad de Chile (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
3. Godoy Cruz (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 5)
4. z-Penarol (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 1)


z-Eliminated from tournament

Easy Win For The Dee Keeps Ross County From Clinching Scottish First Division Crown

At Dundee, Scotland:

In the lone Tuesday Scottish First Division contest, Jamie McCluskey (20'), Steven Milne (62'), Jake Hyde (90'), and Ryan Conroy (90') each delivered a goal as Dundee found themselves in second place following their 4-1 home triumph at the expense of relegation-threatened Ayr United.  The Dark Blues' victory prevented league-leading Ross County from locking up the league title and promotion to the Scottish Premier League.

Stanley Blanked By The Yellows

At Accrington, England:

Asa Hall scored both goals (41', 72') as Oxford United helped their promotion-playoff prospects following their 2-0 Tuesday English League Two road win over Accrington Stanley.

Goose Eggs For Foxes and Reds

At Leicester, England:

The Tuesday English League Championship contest between Leicester City and visiting Nottingham Forest ended in a 0-0 stalemate.  The draw left the visiting Reds five points above the relegation zone while damaging the Foxes' fading hopes of grabbing a promotion-playoff berth.

FA Cup: Spurs, Toffees Reach Semifinals

Two games were played in the quarterfinal round of England's FA Cup on Tuesday.

At London:

In a replay of the match that was suspended at 41 minutes on March 17 after Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba suffered cardiac arrest (he's continuing to make progress at a London hospital), Ryan Nelson (73'), Gareth Bale (77'), and Louis Saha (90'+4) each scored a goal as Tottenham Hotspur defeated the visiting Trotters 3-1 to advance to a Wembley Stadium semifinal match on April 15 against Chelsea.

At Sunderland, England:

Goals from Nikica Jelavic (23') and David Vaughan (OG-56') carried Everton to a 2-0 quarterfinal-round-replay road win over Sunderland, sending the Toffees into an April 14 Wembley Stadium Merseyside Derby semifinal match with Liverpool.

UEFA Champions League: Series-Opening Road Wins For Galacticos and Chelsea

The quarterfinal round of the UEFA Champions League commenced with two games played on Tuesday.

At Nicosia, Cyprus:

Karim Benzema is congratulated after finally breaking the deadlock in the 74th minute

Karim Benzema scored twice (74'[he's seen here celebrating with teammates], 90') as Real Madrid, after having been kept off the scoreboard for 73 minutes, ended up winning on the road, pulling away from APOEL FC 3-0 in the opening game of their two-match series.


At Lisbon, Portugal:

Salamon Kalou slides in a vital away goal for Chelsea

Salomon Kalou (shown here) scored the only goal of the match in the 75th minute as Chelsea took the opening contest of their two-game series with SL Benfica 1-0 on the road.



Getty Images photos

Monday, March 26, 2012

Black Eagles Settle For 2-2 Road Draw In Istanbul Derby

At Istanbul, Turkey:

Goals courtesy of Efe Inanc (6') and Edin Visca (70') carried Istanbul BB to a 2-2 Monday Turkish Super Lig home draw with Besiktas.  Manuel Fernandes (36') and Mustafa Pektemek (49') provided the goalpower for the Black Eagles.

CFU Club Championship: Scoreless Start In George Town

At George Town, Cayman Islands:


The Caribbean Football Union's Club Championship got underway on Sunday with one game in Group One, as George Town SC were held to a 0-0 stalemate by the visiting North Village Rams from Bermuda.


GROUP ONE STANDINGS:


1. George Town (Cayman Islands) (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
2. North Village Rams (Bermuda) (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Elite SC (Cayman Islands) (GP: 0; GD: 0; PTS: 0)


All games in this group, taking place through this coming Thursday, are being played at George Town, Cayman Islands with Elite SC as the host club.


Group Two, with games set to be played between April 15 and 22 in Guyana, with Alpha United as the host club.


Milerock FC (Guyana)
Inter Moengotapoe (Suriname)
Hubentut Fortuna (Curacao)
Alpha United FC (Guyana)


Group Three, with games taking place in Haiti from April 15 to 22, will be hosted by a club to be determined.


The top two teams from Haiti are to be joined by Centro Barber (Curacao) and Bayamon FC from Puerto Rico.


The three group winners and the second-placed club with the best record would advance to the second round.


Group Four, with games to be played between May 1 and 4, will be played in Puerto Rico with the Puerto Rico Islanders as the host club.


Puerto Rico Islanders 
Caledonia AIA (Trinidad and Tobago)
Group One Winner
Best Runner-Up


Group Five, with games scheduled to be played from May 1 to 6, will take place in Trinidad and Tobago with the W Connection as the host club.


W Connection (Trinidad and Tobago)
Antigua Barracuda FC (Antigua and Barbuda)
Group Two Winner
Group Three Winner


The top two teams in Groups Four and Five advance to the final round.


Games in the Final Round scheduled to be played from May 23 to 27 at a venue to be announced.  The top three teams in the final group would advance to the group stage of the 2012-13 CONCACAF Champions League.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

MLS: Home Wins For Red Bulls and SKC

Two games were played in Major League Soccer on Sunday.


At Harrison, New Jersey:


Thierry Henry (3', 53') and Kenny Cooper (6', 89') each scored twice as the New York Red Bulls picked up their first win of the season, 4-1 over the visiting Colorado Rapids.


At Kansas City, Kansas:


Kei Kamara (who had failed on a penalty kick at 51 minutes) recovered to score the winning goal in the 88th minute as Sporting Kansas City came from behind to defeat visiting FC Dallas 2-1.


MLS STANDINGS:


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


1. Kansas City (GP: 3; GD: +5; PTS: 9)
2. Houston (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Chicago (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
4. New York (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
5. Columbus (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
6. New England (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
7. DC United (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)
8. Montreal (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 1)
9. Philadelphia (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 0)
10. Toronto FC (GP: 2; GD: -5; PTS: 0)


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


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

Lanus Come Back From Two-Goal Deficit To Gain Road Draw With Boca

At Buenos Aires:


Mariano Pavone (42') and Paolo Goltz (54') provided the tallies that lifted Lanus from a two-goal deficit and enabled the guests to gain a 2-2 Sunday Argentinian Primera Division draw with Boca Juniors.  Pablo Mouche (39') and Juan Roman Riquelme (41') provided the scoring for the hosts.

Red-Hot Ajax Win To Keep Pace With AZ

At Amsterdam, Netherlands:


Ajax Amsterdam, thanks to goals courtesy of Ismail Aissati (56') and Siem De Jong (PK-63), defeated visiting PSV Eindhoven 2-0 in Sunday Dutch Eredivisie action as the hosts find themselves in second place, one point in back of league-leading AZ Alkmaar with seven games remaining. 



Late Goal Salvages Home Draw For PSG

At Paris:


Guillaume Hoarau's equalizer in the 81st minute enabled Paris Saint-Germain to salvage a 1-1 Sunday French Ligue 1 home draw with Bordeaux.  Cheick Diabate scored in the 77th minute for the visitors.  PSG now sit one point behind table-topping Montpellier in second place in the league standings.

So That's Where Ruud Is Nowadays: Malaga Knock Off Parakeets In Barcelona

At Barcelona:


Ruud van Nistelrooy (76') and Martin Demichelis (78') provided goals two minutes apart in the second half as Malaga came from behind to overtake Espanyol 2-1 on the road in Sunday Spanish Primera Division action.

Red Dogs Fall At Home, Blow Chance To Reclaim Top Spot In Liga I Standings

At Bucharest, Romania:


Yero Bello scored the only goal of the match in the 56th minute as Vaslui climbed to third place in Romania's Liga I following their 1-0 road win over Dinamo Bucharest, preventing the second-place Red Dogs from reclaiming top spot in the standings from CFR Cluj.

3-1 Season-Opening Home Win For Trond Kids

At Trondheim, Norway:


Steffen Iversen (9'), Jim Larsen (54'), and Rade Prica (81') each scored a goal on Sunday as Rosenborg got their Eliteserien season to a winning start, 3-1 over visiting Brann.

Tigres Scratch Their Way Past Pumas In Mexico City

At Mexico City:


Emmanuel Cerda (36') and Lucas Lobos (77') each provided a goal on Sunday as Tigres blanked UNAM Pumas 2-0 on the road in Mexican Primera Division action as the visitors find themselves in third place in the Clausura standings, one point in back of Santos Laguna and Morelia.

Home Defeat For Colo Colo

At Santiago, Chile:


David Llanos scored the only goal of the match in the 50th minute on Sunday as Palestino downed home-standing Colo Colo 1-0 in Chilean Primera division action.

CAF Champions League: Al-Ahly In Scoreless Contest In Ethiopia; Series-Opening Wins For Recreativo do Libolo, Dolphins FC, Berekum Chelsea, Zamalek

Six games were played on Sunday as the opening round of the CAF Champions League continued.


At Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:


The opening match of the two-game series between Ethiopian Coffee and visiting Al-Ahly ended in a 0-0 stalemate.


At Calulo, Angola:


Maeco Rasca Antoio (33'), Adawa Mokanga (79'), Dario de Sousa Borges Cardoso (81'), and Chico Caputo (90'+3) each scored a goal as Recreativo do Libodo dominated visiting Sunshine Stars in game one of their two-match set 4-1.


At Port Harcourt, Nigeria:


Owusu Addai scored the winning goal in the 87th minute as Dolphins FC took the opening match of their two-game series 2-1 over Cotonsport.  Jacques Haman scored in the 19th minute to keep the visiting club from Cameroon in the series.


At Berekum, Ghana:


Solomon Asante (33', PK-55') and Emmanuel Clottey (46', 88') each scored twice as Berekum Chelsea ripped apart visiting Raja Casablanca 5-0 in the clubs' series opener.


At Cairo:


Razak Omotoyossi's goal in the opening minute held up as Zamalek took game one 1-0 at home over Africa Sports from Ivory Coast.


At Conakry, Guinea:


Horoya AC salvaged a 1-1 game-one home draw with Magheb de Fes.  Hamza Hajji scored in the 2nd minute for the visiting Moroccan club.  The hosts came up with the equalizer in the 36th minute.

Grasshoppers Fall At Lucerne

At Lucerne, Switzerland:


Xavier Hochstrasser scored the only goal of the match in the 25th minute as FC Lucerne defeated visiting Grasshoppers 1-0 in Sunday Swiss Super League action.

Home Win Over Metalurg Puts Vardar 10 Points Atop Standings

At Skopje:


Macedonian First League-leading Vardar opened up a ten-point lead atop the league standings over FK Metalurg following their 1-0 Sunday home win over their local rivals.

Comeback Home Win For FC Seoul

At Seoul, South Korea:


Dae-Sung Ha (28') and Mauricio Molina (89') each scored once on Sunday as FC Seoul climbed to the top of the K-League standings following their come-from-behind 2-1 win over visiting Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Goose Eggs In Gomel

At Gomel, Belarus:


The Belarussian Premier League regular-season opener between Gomel and visiting Dinamo Minsk ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

1-1 Draw At Kutaisi

At Kutaisi, Georgia:


The Sunday Umaglesi Liga contest between Torpedo and visiting Dinamo Tbilisi ended in a 1-1 deadlock.

Lions Settle For Scoreless Draw At Silkeborg; League Lead Over Nordsjaelland Down To Three Points

At Silkeborg, Denmark:


FC Copenhagen battled Silkeborg to a 0-0 road stalemate in Sunday Danish SuperLiga action.  The Lions now lead second-place Nordsjaelland by three points atop the league standings.

Late Goal Costs Anorthosis Two Points In Regular-Season Finale

At Limassol, Cyprus:


Joao Paulo's late equalizer (90'+2) carried Apollon to a 1-1 home draw with Anorthosis on Sunday as the Cypriot First Division regular season drew to a close.  Jan Rezek scored in the 25th minute for the Fighters, who finish fourth in the league standings and will play in the Championship Group with the three clubs that finished ahead of them, namely AEL Limassol, Omonia Nicosia, and defending champs APOEL FC.  The winner there would compete in the second qualifying round for next season's Champions League, the second and third-place clubs, the Europa League's second qualifying round.

Not So Loopy Velez: Hosts Hold Sarajevo To Scoreless Stalemate

At Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina:


FK Sarajevo battled home-standing Velez to a 0-0 Sunday Bosnian Premier Liga deadlock.

Old Firm Derby: 'Gers Hold Off Bhoys, Prevent Celtic From Clinching SPL Crown In Their House

At Glasgow, Scotland:


Goals from Sone Aluko (11'), Andy Little (72'), and Lee Wallace (77') enabled ten-man Rangers to hold off nine-man Celtic 3-2 at home in Sunday's renewal of the Old Firm Derby, preventing their arch-rivals from locking up the Scottish Premier League championship on their pitch and preventing themselves from suffering an unprecedented fourth straight home defeat.

Sky Blues Hold Off Jets To Claim Playoff Berth

At Sydney, Australia:


Joel Chianese scored twice in the first half (30', 33') as Sydney FC held off the visiting Newcastle Jets 3-2 on Sunday in the Hyundai A-League regular-season finale for both clubs.  The victory sealed the final available playoff (or finals) berth for the Sky Blues.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

MLS: Quakes, Crew, Revs, Fire, Goats Pick Up Wins; Goose Eggs In Vancouver

Saturday saw six matches contested in Major League Soccer.


At Toronto:


Chris Wondolowski scored twice (9', 68') as the San Jose Earthquakes dominated Toronto FC 3-0 on the road.


At Columbus, Ohio:


Milovan Mirosevic (PK-30') and Olman Vargas (66') provided the scoring that propelled the Columbus Crew to a 2-0 home win over the ten-man Montreal Impact.


At Foxborough, Massachusetts:


Saer Sene's first MLS goal, scored roughly 30 seconds into the contest, stood up as the New England Revolution held off the visiting Portland Timbers 1-0.


At Bridgeview, Illinois:


Dominic Oduro scored the only goal of the match in the 28th minute as the Chicago Fire blanked the visiting Philadelphia Union 1-0.


At Sandy, Utah:


Casey Townsend scored the game's lone goal in the 72nd minute as Chivas USA knocked off Real Salt Lake 1-0 on the road.


At Vancouver, British Columbia:


The match between the Vancouver Whitecaps and visiting DC United ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Millonarios Rally, Even With Humberto's Hat Trick, Could Not Overcome 4-0 Deficit Against Santa Fe

At Bogota, Colombia:


Jonathan Copete scored twice (24', 40') as Independiente Santa Fe raced out to a 4-0 lead, then held on to defeat hosts Millonarios 4-3 in Saturday Colombian Primera A action despite a natural hat trick from the hosts' Humberto Osorio (16', 68', 78')

Road Defeat For Sporting Club In Montevideo Derby

At Montevideo, Uruguay:


In Friday Uruguayan Primera Division action, Marcelo Zalayeta (30'), Nicolas Freitas (49'), Luis Aguiar (70'), and Rodrigo Mora (76') each delivered a goal as Penarol doubled up visiting local rivals Racing Club de Montevideo 4-2.

Early Goal Sinks Roses

At Velenje, Slovenia:


Petar Stojnic scored the only goal of the match in the third minute as NK Rudar defeated visiting ND Gorica 1-0 in Saturday Slovenian top-flight action.

Home Win For OFK Belgrade

At Belgrade, Serbia:


Amer Osmanagic scored the game's lone goal in the 64th minute as OFK Belgrade knocked off visiting Vojvodina 1-0 in Saturday Serbian Super Liga action.

Diego's PK Carries The Lions

At Lisbon, Portugal:


Diego Capel Trinidad's penalty kick in the 15th minute provided all the scoring in Sporting CP's 1-0 Saturday Portuguese Primeira Liga home win over basement-occupying Feirense.

Home Draw For Legia

At Warsaw, Poland:


Michal Zewlakow scored the game-tying goal in the 59th minute on Saturday as GKS Belchatow gained a 1-1 Ekstraklasa road draw with league-leading Legia Warsaw.  Rafal Wolski scored for the hosts at 38 minutes.

Easy Road Finale For Blues As Regular Season Concludes

At Ballyskeagh, Northern Ireland:


Michael Carvill (12'), Peter Thompson (65'), and Daryl Fordyce (83') each scored a goal as Linfield wrapped up regular-season play in the IFA Premiership with a 3-0 road domination of Lisburn Distillery on Saturday.  The Blues finished atop the league standings.  They will be playing in the Championship Round with one game against each of the other clubs who finished at the top of the standings (Portadown, Cliftonville, Coleraine, Crusaders FC, and Glentoran).  Whoever finishes atop the group will take part in the opening qualifying round for next season's UEFA Champions League.