Thursday, February 28, 2013

Copa Libertadores

The third week of Copa Libertadores group-stage play concluded on Thursday with three games.

Group Two:

At Lima, Peru:

Renzo Sheput (29') and Carlos Lobaton (58') each scored a goal as Sporting Cristal blanked visiting Tigre 2-0.

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Pablo Velazquez (12') and Pedro Benitez (54') each delivered a goal as Club Libertad blanked visiting Palmeiras 2-0.

GROUP TWO STANDINGS:

1. Club Libertad (GP: 2; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
2. Sporting Cristal (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Palmeiras (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Tigre (GP: 2; GD: -4; PTS: 0)

Group Three:

At Sao Paulo, Brazil:

Luis Fabiano scored the winning goal in the 80th minute as Sao Paulo came from behind to top The Strongest 2-1 at home.

GROUP THREE STANDINGS:

1. Atletico Mineiro (GP: 2; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
2. The Strongest (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. Sao Paulo FC (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Arsenal de Sarandi (GP: 2; GD: -4; PTS: 0)

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Copa Libertadores: Boca Top Barcalona (not THAT one) On The Road

Group-stage play continued on Wednesday in the Copa Libertadores as four games were played.

Group One:

At Guayaquil, Ecuador:

Juan Martinez (59') and Claudio Perez (63') each scored a second-half goal as Boca Juniors held off home-standing Barcelona (NOT that one) 2-1.

GROUP ONE STANDINGS:

1. Club Nacional (Uruguay) (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
2. Toluca (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. Boca Juniors (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Barcelona (Ecuador) (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)

Group Four:

At Iquque, Chile:

Sebastian Ereros (15') and Manuel Villalobos (22') each scored once as Deportes Iquique blanked visiting Club Sport Emelec 2-0 as action in Group Four reached the midway point.

GROUP FOUR STANDINGS:

1. Velez Sarsfield (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Penarol (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. Deportes Iquique (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. Club Sport Emelec (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)

Group Five:

At Sao Paulo, Brazil:

Jose Paolo Guerrero (10') and Alexandre Pato (49') each scored a goal as Corinthians blanked visiting Millonarios 2-0.

GROUP FIVE STANDINGS:

1. Club Tijuana (GP: 2; GD: +5; PTS: 6)
2. Corinthians (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
3. Club Deportivo San Jose (GP: 2; GD: -4; PTS: 1)
4. Millonarios (GP: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

Group Eight:

At Talcahuano, Chile:

Wagner scored the winning goal in the 76th minute as Fluminense came from behind to upend hosts Huachipato 2-1.

AFC Champions League

The opening week of AFC Champions League group-stage play concluded on Wednesday with eight games.

Group C:

At Fuladshahr, Iran:

Xhevahir Sukaj scored twice (22', 80') as Sepahan dominated visiting Al-Nasr 3-0.

At Buraidah, Saudi Arabia:

Mustafa Basas (35') and Victor Simoes (90'+4) provided the scoring punch that lifted Al-Ahli to a 2-0 home win over Al-Gharafa.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Sepahan Isfahan FC (GP: 1; GD: +3; PTS: 3)
2. Al-Ahli (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
3. Al-Gharafa (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)
4. Al-Nasr (GP: 1; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

Group D:

At Al Ain, United Arab Emirates:

Omar Abdulrahman (27'), Alex Brosque (46'), and Asamoah Gyan (90') each tallied once as Al-Ain downed visiting Al-Hilal 3-1.

At Al Rayyan, Qatar:

Nilmar scored a late equalizer in the 89th minute to salvage a 3-3 home draw for Al-Rayyan against Esteghlal.  The Iranian club took a very brief lead after Javad Nekounam converted a penalty kick in the 88th minute.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Al-Ain (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Esteghlal FC (GP: 1; GD: 0: PTS: 1)
3. Al-Rayyan (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Al-Hilal (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Group G:

At Hiroshima, Japan:

Oleksandr Pyschur (46') and Fozil Musaev (86') each delivered a goal for FC Bunyodkor as the visiting Uzbekistani club blanked Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2-0.

At Pohang, South Korea:

Beijing Guoan held home-standing Pohang Steelers to a 0-0 stalemate.

GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. FC Bunyodkor (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Beijing Guoan (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Pohang Steelers (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Sanfrecce Hiroshima (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Group H:

At Gosford, Australia:

Suwon Sansung Bluewings and the home-standing Central Coast Mariners battled to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Guiyang, China:

Cleo scored the only goal of the match in first-half stoppage time (45'+1) as Kashiwa Reysol defeated Guizhou Renhe 1-0 on the road.

GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Kashiwa Reysol (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Suwon Samsung Bluewings (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Central Coast Mariners (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Guizhou Renhe (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Copa Libertadores: Club Tijuana Picks Up Lone Home Win On Four-Game Tuesday (Atletico Mineiro, Velez Sarsfield, Real Garcilaso Win On Road)

The third week of Copa Libertadores group-stage play commenced on Tuesday with four games.

Group Three:

At Sarandi, Argentina:

Bernard Anicio Caldeira Duarte delivered a hat trick (8', 54', 59') as Atletico Mineiro spanked Arsenal de Sarandi 5-2 on the road.

Group Four:

At Montevideo, Uruguay:

Lucas Pratto scored the only goal of the match in the 87th minute as Velez Sarsfield knocked off Penarol 1- on the road.

Group Five:

At Tijuana, Mexico:

Edgar Castillo (4'), Pablo Aguilar (47'), Joe Corona (49'), and Fidel Martinez (74') each scored a goal as Club Tijuana racked up the only Tuesday victory for a home team, a 4-0 fistbeating of visiting San Jose of Bolivia.

Group Six:

At Ibague, Colombia:

Yoshiro Salazar scored the only goal of the match in second-half stoppage time (90'+1) as Real Garcilaso defeated Deportes Tolima 1-0 on the road.

AFC Champions League: Group Stage Starts

Eight games were played on Tuesday as group-stage action in the AFC Champions League commenced.

Group A:

At Tabriz, Iran:

Javad Kazemian scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 60th minute as Tractor Sazi FC defeated visiting Al-Jazira 3-1.

At Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:

Omar Al-Ghamdi scored both goals (33', 39') in Al-Shabab's 2-0 home win over El Jaish from Qatar.

GROUP A STADINGS:

1. Tractor Sazi FC (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Al-Shabab (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
3. Al-Jazira (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)
4. El Jaish (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Group B:

At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:

Temurkhodja Abdukholigov scored the only goal in the 73rd minute as Pakhtakor defeated visiting Al-Ettifaq 1-0.

At Doha, Qatar:

Youssef Msakni scored the winning goal in the 33rd minute as Lekhwiya topped visiting Al-Shabab Al-Arabi from the United Arab Emirates 2-1.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Likhwiya (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. FC Pakhtakor Tashkent (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Al-Shabab Al-Arabi (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. Al-Ettifaq (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

Group E:

At Sendai, Japan:

Osmar Barba scored the equalizer in the 77th minute as Burinam United from Thailand gained a 1-1 road deadlock with Vegalta Sendai.  Ryang Yong-Gi converted a penalty kick in the 53rd minute for the hosts.

At Seoul, South Korea:

Dejan Damjanovic (9', 65') and Yun Il-Lok (33', 60') each delivered a double, each scoring once in each half, as FC Seoul delivered an old-fashioned frontier-styled fistbeating to visiting Jiangsu Sainty 5-1.

GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. FC Seoul (GP: 1; GD: +4; PTS: 3)
2. Burinam United (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Vegalta Sendai (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Jaingsu Sainty (GP: 1; GD: -4; PTS: 0)

Group F:

At Guangzhou, China:

Lucas Barrios (16'), Muriqui (65'), and Keita Suzuki (OG-90'+1) provided the scoring as Guangzhou Evergrande dominated visiting Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0.

At Nonthaburi, Thailand:

Mario Gjurovski (PK-45') and Kim Yoo-Jin (89') each scored once as Muangthong United settled for a 2-2 home draw with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.  Lee Dong-Gook (6') and Kevin Oris (78') each scored a goal for the visiting South Korean club.

GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Guangzhou Evergrande (GP: 1; GD: +3; PTS: 3)
2. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Muangthong United (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Urawa Red Diamonds (GP: 1; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

Sunday, February 24, 2013

English League Cup Final: Swans Blast Bradford City To Win First Piece Of Major Silverware

At London:

Nathan Dyer scored twice (16', 48') as Swansea City from the English Premier League demolished League Two club Bradford City 5-0 in Sunday's English League Cup final played at Wembley Stadium.  It was the most lopsided final in the tournament's history and it was the Swans' first major trophy in their 100-year footballing history.  It was the first major English trophy won by a Welsh club since Cardiff City won the FA Cup in 1927.  The victory also locked up a berth in qualifying for next season's Europa League for the Swans.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Copa Libertadores: LIbertad, Deportivo Lara, Real Garcilaso Pick Up Wins; Santa Fe and Deportes Tolima Draw In Battle of Colombian Clubs

The second week of Copa Libertadores group-stage play concluded on Thursday with four games.

Group Two:

At Victoria, Argentina:

Sergio Aquino (PK-54') and Jorge Gonzales (88') provided the scoring that carried Club Libertad to a 2-0 road win over Tigre.

GROUP TWO STANDINGS:

1. Club Libertad (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Palmeiras (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Sporting Cristal (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. Tigre (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Group Six:

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Alfredo Ramua scored the only goal of the match in the 88th minute as Real Garcilaso pulled out a late 1-0 road win over Cerro Porteno.

At Bogota, Colombia:

Jhon Valencia's equalizer in the 15th minute enabled Santa Fe to salvage a 1-1 home deadlock with Deportes Tolima in a battle of Colombian clubs.  Andres Andrade scored in the fifth minute for the visitors.

GROUP SIX STANDINGS:

1. Deportes Tolima (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
2. Real Garcilaso (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Santa Fe (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
4. Cerro Porteno (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Group Seven:

At Barquisimeto, Venezuela:

Jesus Gomez (7') and Marlon Fernandez (50') provided the scoring as Deportivo Lara defeated visiting Newell's Old Boys 2-1.

GROUP SEVEN STANDINGS:

1. Newell's Old Boys (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Club Olimpia (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Deportivo Lara (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Universidad de Chile (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 3)

Europa League: Matress Makers Dethoned; Liverpool Ousted; Magpies, Spurs, Chelsea, Inter, Lazio, Bordeaux Advance

The Round of 16 of the Europa League concluded on Thursday with sixteen games.

At Moscow:

Despite dropping a 1-0 home decision in game two of their series with Atletico Madrid, Rubin Kazan ousted the defending titleholders 2-1 on aggregate.

At Cluj-Napoca, Romania:

Fredy Guarin scored twice (22', 45'+1) as Inter Milan dominated CFR Cluj 3-0 on the road in game two and easily won their two-game series 5-0 on aggregate.

At Kharkiv, Ukraine:

Shola Ameobi's successful penalty kick in the 64th minute was not only the lone goal of game two, but the only goal of the two game series won by visiting Newcastle United as they ousted FC Metalist Kharkiv 1-0 for the game and on aggregate for the series.

At Genk, Belgium:

Arthur Boka (45') and Christian Gentner (58') each delivered a goal as VfB Stuttgart defeated KRC Genk 2-0 in game two on the road and won their series 3-1 on aggregate.

At Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine:

Fabian Schar successfully converted a penalty kick in the 81st minute as FC Basel gained a 1-1 road draw in game two, on the road, with FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and won their series 3-1 on aggregate.

At Rome:

Antonio Candreva (10') and Alvaro Gonzalez (33') each scored a goal as Lazio defeated visiting Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 in game two and eliminated the German club 5-3 on aggregate.

At Lyon, France:

Mousa Dembele scored the series-winning goal in the 90th minute as Tottenham Hotspur, who gained a 1-1 game-two road draw with Lyon, won their series 3-2 on aggregate.

At Istanbul, Turkey:

Cristian Baroni delivered the series-winning goal with his 45th-minute penalty kick as Fenerbahce defeated visiting FC BATE Borisov 1-0 in game two and by that same score on aggregate to advance to the Round of 16.

At Piraeus, Greece:

Obafemi Martins scored the only goal of the match in the ninth minute as Levante defeated Olympiacos 1-0 on the road in game two and won their two-game series with the Greek club 4-0 on aggregate.

At Liverpool, England:

Hulk scored what proved to be the series-winning goal in the 19th minute as Zenit Saint Petersburg, despite dropping a 3-1 road decision to Liverpool in game two, still ousted the Reds due to the away goals rule (the score was 3-3 on aggregate).

At Bordeaux, France:

Cheick Diabate scored the series-winning goal in the 41st minute as Bordeaux blanked visiting Dynamo Kiev 1-0 in game two and won their series with the Ukrainian club 2-1 on aggregate.

At Lisbon, Portugal:

Ola John (60') and Nemanja Matic (77') each tallied once as SL Benfica downed visiting Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 in game two and won their two-game series 3-1 on aggregate.

At Bucharest, Romania:

With Iasmin Latovlevici (38') and Vlad Chiriches (76') each scoring a goal 38 minutes apart, Steaua Bucharest took game two of their series with Ajax Amsterdam 2-0, deadlocking the series at 2-2 on aggregate and forcing what would be two scoreless 15-minute overtime periods.  Raul Rusescu, Stefan Nikolic, Lucian Filip, and the aforementioned Iasmin Latovlevici all converted their spot kicks as the hosts own the penalty-kick shootout 4-2 to advance to the Round of 16, and an encounter with Chelsea.

At Hanover, Germany:


Lacina Traore scored an insurance goal in second-half stoppage time (90'+8) as FC Anzhi Makhachkala gained a 1-1 road draw with Hannover 96 in game two and won their two-match series 4-2 on aggregate.

At London:

Eden Hazard scored the series-winning goal in second-half stoppage time (90'+1) as Chelsea gained a 1-1 game-two home draw with Sparta Prague and eliminated the Czech club 2-1 on aggregate.

At Plzen, Czech Republic:

Jan Kovarik (51') and Stanislav Tecl (74') each scored once as FC Viktoria Plzen defeated visiting Napoli 2-0 in game won the handily defeated their Italian guests 5-0 on aggregate for their two-match series.

Here are the matchups for the Europa League's Round of 16, with the opening contests to take place on March 7 and the return matches the following Thursday (March 14).  The hosts of the respective two-match series' opening contests are listed first:

FC Viktoria Plzen vs. Fenerbahce

SL Benfica vs. Bordeaux

FC Anzhi Makhachkala vs. Newcastle United

VfB Stuttgart vs. Lazio

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Inter Milan

Levante vs. Rubin Kazan

Basel vs. Zenit Saint Petersburg

Steaua Bucharest vs. Chelsea

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Copa Libertadores: Velez Sarsfield, Gremio, and Caracas FC Gain Wins; Corinthians Settle For Road Draw In Bolivia

Four games were played in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores on Wednesday.

Group Four:

At Buenos Aires:

Federico Insua (25'), Ezequiel Rescaldani (35'), and Fernando Gago (69') each scored a goal as Velez Sarsfield dominated Deportes Iquique 3-0 at home.

GROUP FOUR STANDINGS:

1. Penarol (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
2. Velez Sarsfield (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
3. Club Sport Emelec (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Deportes Iquique (GP: 1; GD: -4; PTS: 0)

Group Five:

At Oruro, Bolivia:

Carlos Saucedo's equalizer in the 61st minute enabled Club Deportivo San Jose to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Corinthians.  Jose Guerrero scored for the defending champs in the 6th minute.

GROUP FIVE STANDINGS:

1. Club Tijuana (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Corinthians (GP: 1; GD; 0; PTS: 1)
3. Club Deportivo San Jose (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Millonarios (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

Group Eight:

At Talcahuano, Chile:

Louis Pena scored twice (45'+1, 54') as Caracas FC defeated Huachipato 3-1 on the road.

At Rio de Janeiro:

Hernan Barcos (33'), Andre Santos (55'), and Eduardo Vargas (69') each delivered a goal as Gremio dominated fellow Brazilian club Fluminense 3-0 on the road.

GROUP EIGHT STANDINGS:

1. Gremio (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Caracas FC (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Huachipato (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Fluminense (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 3)


UEFA Champions League: Royal Blues Gain Game-One Road Draw With Galatasaray; Rossoneri Blank Leo The Lion, Barca

The final two-game series from the UEFA Champions League's Round-of-16 commenced on Wednesday.

At Istanbul, Turkey:



Jermaine Jones' equalizer in the 45th minute(that's him here celebrating) lifted Schalke to a 1-1 game-one road draw with Galatasaray.  Burak Yilmaz scored in the 12th minute for the hosts.

At Milan, Italy:



Kevin Prince Boateng (57') and Sulley Muntari (81', that's him celebrating) provided the scoring as AC Milan blanked visiting Barcelona 2-0 in the opening match of their two-game series.

Photos from ESPN FC website

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Copa Libertadores: Millonarios Fall At Home

The second week of group-stage play in the Copa Libertadores commenced on Tuesday with four games.

Group One:

At Toluca, Mexico:

Vicente Sanchez scored twice (47', 55') and Ivan Alonso scored the winning goal in the 57th minute as Club Nacional made the trek from Uruguay, came from behind, and defeated Toluca 3-2.

Group Four:

At Montevideo, Uruguay:

Juan Olivera scored the only goal of the match in the 68th minute as Penarol defeated visiting Club Sport Emelec 1-0.

Group Five:

At Bogota, Colombia:

Richard Ruiz scored the only goal of the match in the 62nd minute as Club Tijuana knocked off Millonarios 1-0 on the road.

Group Seven:

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Juan Salgueiro (2'), Richard Ortiz (9'), and Salustiano Candia (48') each delivered a goal as Club Olimpia dominated visiting Universidad de Chile 3-0.

UEFA Champions League: Gunners Outgunned At Home; Dragons Blank Malaga At Home

Two more two-game series from the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League go under way on Tuesday.

At London:

2013Bayern Munich's Toni Kroos (R) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Arsenal during their Champions League soccer match at the Emirates Stadium in London February 19, 2013

Toni Kroos (7'), Thomas Muller (21'), and Mario Mandzukic (77', that's him celebrating after scoring) each scored a goal on the road as Bayern Munich defeated Arsenal 3-1 in the opening match of their two-game series.

At Porto, Portugal:

2013Porto's Jackson Martinez (L) battles for the ball with Malaga's Jeremy Toulalan during their Champions League soccer match in Porto, February 19, 2013

Joao Moutinho scored the only goal of the match in the 56th minute as FC Porto defeated visiting Malaga 1-0 in match one of their two-game series.  Here, we see the Dragons' Jackson Martinez battling the guests' Jeremy Toulalan for the ball.

Photos from Yahoo-Eurosport website.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Enugu Rangers To CAF Champions League First Round Proper

Enugu Rangers of Nigeria have advanced to the first round proper of the CAF Champions League due to the withdrawal of their preliminary-round opponent, Sporting Clube de Principe (from Sao Tome and Principe).

Sunday, February 17, 2013

CAF Champions League: Preliminary Round Begins

This past weekend marked the opening of the CAF Champions League's preliminary round with the opening match of each of 24 two-game series taking place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Friday's games:

At Chake-Chake, Zanzibar:

Saint George SA of Ethiopia has gained a decided advantage in the series with Jamhuri FC following their impressive 3-0 road victory in game one.

At Bizerte, Tunisia:

Younes Al Shibani's equalizer in the 61st minute gained a 1-1 game-one road draw for Al-Ittihad of Libya in their series with CA Bizertin.  Ahmed Harrane scored in the 49th minute for the hosts.

At Kigali, Rwanda:

Amiss Tambwe scored the winning goal in the 64th minute as Vital'O of Burundi gained a 2-1 game-one win on the road over APR FC.

At Douala, Cameroon:

Vincent Manga (60') and Dinnyuy Kongnyuy (72') provided the scoring as Union Douala took game one 2-1 at home over the Liberian Ship Corporate Registry Football Club (LISCR).  Dominic Jarteh kept the Liberian club in the series with his away goal in the 52nd minute.

At Cotonou, Benin:

Ilias Tiendrebeogo's stoppage time equalizer (90'+3) lifted ASFA Yennenga to a game one 1-1 road draw with ASPAC FC.  Moukaila Bouraima converted a penalty kick for the hosts in the 62nd minute.

At Bejaia, Algeria:

Amine Megateli (8'), Billel Mebarki (48'), and Mohamed Derrag (78') each scored a goal as JSM Bejaia dominated visiting Olympic FC of Niger 3-0 in their series opener.

At Rabat, Morocco:

Murad Batna's stoppage time penalty kick (90'+4) carried FUS Rabat to a 1-0 game-one home win over Real de Banjul from The Gambia.

Saturday's games:

At Harare, Zimbabwe:

Tawanda Muparati (22'), Boban Ziruntusa (61'), and Patson Jaure (73') each tallied once as Dynamos FC dominated the visiting Lesotho Correctional Services 3-0 in their series opener.

At Lusaka, Zambia:

Maunga Kabuki (4'), Roderick Kabwe (33'), and Henry Banda (54') each delivered a goal as Zanaco FC downed visiting Mbabane Swallows 3-2 in game one of their two-match series, a series in which the club from Swaziland still has a chance, thanks to goals courtesy of Sabelo Ndzinisa (48'), and Tony Tsabedze (72').

At Kano, Nigeria:

Ibrahim Nafiu scored twice (60', 89') as Kano Pillars swatted visiting Olympic Real of the Central African Republic 5-1 in their series opener.

At Maputo, Mozambique:

Jerome Ramatlhakwane scored the lone goal of the match in second-half stoppage time (90'+4) as Mochudi Centre Chiefs will head back to Botswana with a one-goal advantage following their 1-0 road win over CD Maxaquene.

At Victoria, Seychelles:

David Ochieng scored twice (30', 85') as Tusker FC of Kenya scored an impressive 4-1 game-one road victory over St Michel United FC.

At Luanda, Angola:

Mingo Bile scored what proved to be the game winner in the 33rd minute as Primeiro de Agosto doubled up visiting AS Adema from Madagascar 4-2 in their series opener.

At Johannesburg, South Africa:

Takesure Chinyama delivered a quadruple (33', 52', 66', 71') as Orlando Pirates spanked visiting Djabal Club from Comoros 5-0 in the opening match of their two-game series.

At Tetouan, Morocco:

Abdoulaye Diallo's own goal in the 29th minute proved decisive as Moghreb Tetouan defeated visiting Casa Sport (Senegal) 1-0 in match one of their two-game series.

Sunday's games:

At Dar es Salaam, Tanzania:

Joao Martins scored the only goal of the match in the 24th minute as Recreativo do Libolo from Angola grabbed a 1-0 game-one road win over Simba Sports Club.

At Garoua, Cameroon:

The opening match between Coton Sport and visiting  Uganda Revenue Authority SC ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

At Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo:

Tady Etekiama scored twice in the first half (6', PK-21') as AS Vita Club dominated visiting Dynamic Togolais 3-0 in their series opener.

At Alexandria, Egypt:

Ahmed Gaafar (15', 45'+3), Mohamed Ibrahim (28', 83'), and Abdoulaye Cisse (76', 88') each scored twice as Zamalek FC dismantled visiting Gazelle FC of Chad 7-0 in the opening match of their two-game opener.

At Conakry, Guinea:

The opening match between Horoya AC and visiting Sewe Sports from Ivory Coast ended in a 0-0 deadlock.

At Abidjan, Ivory Coast:

A five-goal performance from Mamadou Nanga carried AFAD Djekanou to a 5-1 game-one home beat-down of Diamond Stars FC from Sierra Leone.

At Kumasi, Ghana:

Seven different goal scorers, beginning with Kofi Boakye in the 11th minute, each tallied once as Asante Kotoko destroyed visiting Sony de Ela Nguema (Equatorial Guinea) 7-0 in their series opener.

At Dolisie, Republic of the Congo:

AC Leopards defeated visiting CF Mounana of Gabon 2-0 in their series opener.

At Enugu, Nigeria:

Enugu Rangers were awarded a 3-0 walkover game-one home decision over Sporting Clube do Principe (Sao Tome and Principe).

Friday, February 15, 2013

Copa Libertadores:

The opening week of Copa Libertadores group-stage play concluded on Thursday with five games.

Group Two:

At Sao Paulo, Brazil:

Patrick Vieira scored the winning goal in the 69th minute as Palmeiras defeated visiting Sporting Cristal of Peru 2-1.

Group Three:

At La Paz, Bolivia:

Luis Melgar scored the winning goal in the 84th minute as The Strongest defeated visiting Arsenal de Sarandi 2-1.

GROUP THREE STANDINGS:

1. Atletico Mineiro (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. The Strongest (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Arsenal de Sarandi (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. Sao Paulo FC (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

Group Six:

At Ibague, Colombia:

David Silva scored the game winner in the 59th minute as Deportes Tolima held off visiting Cerro Porteno of Paraguay 2-1.

GROUP SIX STANDINGS:

1. Deportes Tolima (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Independiente Santa Fe (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Real Garcilaso (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Cerro Porteno (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

Group Seven:

At Rosario, Argentina:

Goals from Ignacio Scocco (PK-70'), Horacio Orzan (76'), and Maxi Rodriguez (90') lifted Newell's Old Boys to a 3-1 home win over Paraguay's Club Olimpia.

GROUP SEVEN STANDINGS:

1. Newell's Old Boys (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Univesidad de Chile (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
3. Club Olimpia (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)
4. Deportivo Lara (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Group Eight:

At Porto Alegre, Brazil:

Barian Rodriguez scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 51st minute as CD Huachipato defeated Gremio 2-1 on the road.

GROUP EIGHT STANDINGS:

1. CD Huachipato (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Fluminense (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Gremio (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. Caracas FC (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Europa League: Knockout Stage Begins

The knockout stage of the Europa League got under way on Thursday with 16 games, each opening up a Round-of-32 two-match series.

At Saint Petersburg, Russia:

Hulk (69') and Sergei Semak (72') each scored a goal three minutes apart as Zenit Saint Petersburg took the opening match of their two-game series with Liverpool, 2-0 at home.

At Moscow:

Samuel Eto'o (34'), Odil Ahmedov (48'), and Mbark Boussoufa (64') each scored a goal as FC Anzhi Makhachkala got the measure of visiting Hannover 96 3-1 in their series opener.

At Grodno, Belarus:

Fenerbahce gained a 0-0 road draw in their series opener with FC BATE Borisov.

At Valencia, Spain:

Pedro Rios (10'), Jose Barkero (PK-40'), and Obafemi Martins (56') each tallied once as Levante dominated visiting Olympiacos 3-0 in the opening game of their two-contest series.

At Kiev, Ukraine:

Ludovic Obraniak's equalizer in the 23rd minute carried Bordeaux to a 1-1 game-one road draw with Dynamo Kiev.  Lukman Haruna scored at 20 minutes for the hosts.

At Leverkusen, Germany:

Oscar Cardozo's goal in the 61st minute carried SL Benfica to a 1-0 game-one road win over Bayer Leverkusen.

At Amsterdam, Netherlands:

Toby Alderweireld (28') and Ricardo Van Rhijn (48') each delivered a goal for Ajax Amsterdam as the hosts blanked Steaua Bucharest 2-0 in the opening match of their two-game series.

At Prague, Czech Republic:

Oscar scored the only goal in the 82nd minute of Chelsea's 1-0 game-one road win over Sparta Prague.

At Naples, Italy:

Vladimir Darida (28'), Frantisek Rajtoral (79'), and Stanislav Tecl (90') each scored a goal as FC Viktoria Plzen dominated Napoli 3-0 on the road in game one of their two-match series.

At Milan, Italy:

Rodrigo Palacio scored both goals (20', 87') of Inter Milan's game-one 2-0 home blanking of CFR Cluj.

At Newcastle upon Tyne, England:

FC Metalist Kharkiv held homestanding Newcastle United to a game-one 0-0 stalemate.

At Stuttgart, Germany:

Glynor Plet's late equalizer (90'+1) lifted KRC Genk to a series-opening 1-1 road draw with VfB Stuttgart.  Christian Gentner scored for the hosts in the 42nd minute.

At Madrid:

Gokdeniz Karadeniz (6') and Pablo Orbdaiz (90'+5) delivered the scoring that staked Rubin Kazan to a series-opening 2-0 road win over Atletico Madrid.

At Basel, Switzerland:

Valentin Stocker (23') and Marco Streller (67') provided the scoring as FC Basel blanked visiting FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 2-0 in game one of their two-match series.

At Monchengladbach, Germany:

Libor Kozak scored twice (64', 90'+4) as Lazio came back to gain a 3-3 road draw in their series opener with Borussia Monchengladbach.  The Foals got successful penalty kicks courtesy of Martin Stanzl (17') and Thorben Marx (84') while Juan Arango scored the go-ahead goal in the 88th minute, before Libor Kozak's equalizer in stoppage-time gave the Young Eagles their third away goal.

At London:

Gareth Bale scored twice (45', 90'+3) as Tottenham Hotspur to game one of their two-match series with Lyon 2-1.  Samuel Umtiti kept the French club alive in the series with his 55th-minute tally.