Sunday, March 30, 2014

MLS: Stoppage-Time Equalizer Salvages Home Draw For Red Bulls

At Harrison, New Jersey:

Pegguy Luyindula's equalizer deep into second-half stoppage time (90'+5) enabled the New York Red Bulls to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Chivas USA in the lone Sunday Major League Soccer contest.  Erick Torres successfully converted a penalty kick for the Goats in the 25th minute.



MLS STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

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

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1. FC Dallas (GP: 4; GF: 9; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
2. Real Salt Lake (GP: 4; GF: 8; GD: +4; PTS: 8)
3. Vancouver (GP: 4; GF: 7; GD: +4; PTS: 8)
4. Seattle (GP: 4; GF: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
5. Chivas USA (GP: 4; GF: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
6. Colorado (GP: 3; GF: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
7. Portland (GP: 4; GD: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 2)
8. Los Angeles (GP: 2; GF: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
9. San Joes (GP: 3; GF: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 1)


CAF Champions League: Zamalek, ES Setif, Esperance ST, Al-Hilal of Sudan Advance To Group Stage

Four games were played on Sunday as qualifying for the group stage of the CAF Champions League came to a close.

At Rades, Tunisia:

Esperance de Tunis blanked visiting AS Real Bamako 3-0 in game two and won their two-match series 4-1 on aggregate.

At Garoua, Cameroon:

ES Setif racked up a second 1-0 victory over Coton Sport, this time on the road, and locked up a group-stage berth 2-0 on aggregate.

At Omdurman, Sudan:

A 0-0 game-two home stalemate with AC Leopards was good enough for Al-Hilal Omdurman as the Sudanese club won their series on away goals (the aggregate score was 1-1).

At Alexandria, Egypt:

Zamalek demolished visiting Nkana 5-0 in game two and took out the Zambian club by that same score on aggregate.

All eight clubs that were eliminated from the Champions League over this weekend still qualified for the playoff round of this year's CAF Confederation Cup.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

MLS: SKC, Caps, Hoops, RSL, Crew, Revs Rack Up Saturday Wins; Fire and DC Draw; Impact and Philly Draw, Too

Eight games were on the Saturday Major League Soccer schedule.

At Washington:

Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (27') and Quincy Amerikwa (82') provided the scoring as the Chicago Fire gained a 2-2 road draw with DC United.  Fabian Espindola (35') and Perry Kitchen (73') delivered the goals for the hosts, whose in-league winless streak has now reached fifteen games.

At Chester, Pennsylvania:

Marco Di Vaio's equalizer in the 80th minute lifted the Montreal Impact to a 1-1 road draw with the Philadelphia Union.  Vincent Nogueira scored for the hosts in the 35th minute.

At Commerce City, Colorado:

Dom Dwyer delivered the winning goal in second-half stoppage time (90'+2) as Sporting Kansas City came from behind to upend the Colorado Rapids 3-2 on the road.

At Vancouver, British Columbia:

Jordan Harvey (14') and Kenny Miller (PK-58') provided the scoring as the Vancouver Whitecaps held off the visiting Houston Dynamo 2-1.

At Frisco, Texas:

Mauro Diaz scored the winning goal in the 84th minute as FC Dallas, in a chippy match that saw both clubs reduced to ten men, defeated the visiting Portland Timbers 2-1.

At Sandy, Utah:

Alvaro Saborio scored twice (PK-11', 55') as Real Salt Lake dominated visiting Toronto FC 3-0.


At Seattle:

Federico Higuain (PK-59') and Justin Meram (90'+4) delivered the goals as the Columbus Crew remained perfect on the MLS season as they won the first three games of a season for the first time in their 19-year history, the latest triumph, 2-1 on the road over the Seattle Sounders.

At Santa Clara, California:

Lee Nguyen scored the winning goal in second-half stoppage time (90'+3) as the New England Revolution defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 on the road.


CAF Champions League: Defending Champs De-Throned By Libyan Club; TP Mazembe, CS Sfaxien, AS Vita Club Reach Group Stage, Too

The final weekend of qualifying for CAF Champions League group-stage berths commenced with four games on Saturday.

At Alexandria, Egypt:

Al-Ahly Benghazi knocked off Al-Ahly 3-2 on the road in game two of their two-match series and ousted the defending continental champs 4-2 on aggregate as the Libyan club advanced to the group stage.

At Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo:

Mbwana Samatta scored the only goal of the match in the 66th minute as TP Mazembe overturned their series-opening 2-1 road defeat from last week with a 1-0 game-two home win over Sewe Sport, and with the aggregate score at 2-2, advanced to the group stage on away goals.

At Sfax, Tunisia:

CS Sfaxien blanked visiting Horoya AC 2-0 in game two and eliminated the Guinean club 3-0 on aggregate.

At Johannesburg, South Africa:

Despite a 2-0 road defeat in game two, AS Vita Club still won their two-game series with Kaiser Chiefs 3-2 on aggregate.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Copa Libertadores

Group-stage play continued in the Copa Libertadores on Thursday as three games were contested.

Group One:

At Lima, Peru:

Goals courtesy of Deigo Chavez (OG-32'), Ernesto Cristaldo (65'), and Jair Reynoso (89') enabled The Strongest to bounce back from a two-goal deficit and gain a 3-3 road draw with already-eliminated Universitario de Deportes.  Raul Ruidiaz (28'), Christofer Gonzales (37'), and Alexi Gomez (56') each tallied once for the Peruvian club.

GROUP ONE STANDINGS:

1. x-Velez Sarsfield (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 12)
2.    Atletico Paranaense (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 9)
3.    The Strongest (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 7) 
4. z-Universitario de Deportes (GP: 5)

x-Clinched berth in knockout stage

z-Eliminated from tournament



Group Two:

At Quito Ecuador:

Junior Sornoza's successfully-converted stoppage-time penalty kick (90'+5) enabled Independiente del Valle to salvage a 1-1 home draw with San Lorenzo.  Nicolas Blandi scored in the 58th minute for the visiting Argentinian club.



Group Three:

At Lanus, Argentina:

Carlos Araujo (71') and Oscar Benitez (89') provided the scoring as Lanus blanked visiting Cerro Porteno 2-0.

GROUP THREE STANDINGS:

1. Lanus (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
2. Cerro Porteno (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
3. Deportivo Cali (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
4. O'Higgins FC (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 6)

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Copa Libertadores: Velez Sarsfield, Arsenal de Sarandi Lock Up Berth In Knockout Stage

Five games in Copa Libertadores group-stage action were played on Wednesday.

Group One:

At Curitiba, Brazil:

Augustin Allione (6'), Lucas Pratto (59'), and Hector Canteros (90'+2) each scored a goal as Velez Sarsfield locked up a berth in the knockout stage with their 3-1 road win over Atletico Paranaense.



Group Three:

At Cali, Colombia:

Nestor Camacho's stoppage-time equalizer (90'+2) enabled Deportivo Cali to salvage a 1-1 home deadlock with O'Higgins.  Yerson Opazo scored for the Chilean club in the 56th minute.



Group Six:

At Montevideo, Uruguay:

David Trezeguet scored twice in the second half (74', 90') as Newell's Old Boys doubled up home-standing Club Nacional 4-2.



Group Seven:

At Leon, Mexico:

William Ferreira scored the only goal of the match in the 69th minute as Club Bolivar knocked off Club Leon 1-0 on the road to move to the top of the Group Seven standings.



Group Eight:

At Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela:

Martin Rolle scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 64th minute as Arsenal de Sarandi locked up a berth in the knockout stage with a 3-1 road win over Deportivo Anzoategui.

GROUP EIGHT STANDINGS:

1. x-Santos Laguna (GP: 5; GD: +9; PTS: 13)
2. x-Arsenal de Sarandi (GP: 5; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
3. z-Penarol (GP: 5; GD: -5; PTS: 4)
4. z-Deportivo Anzoategui (GP: 5; GD: -8; PTS: 2)

x-Clinched berth in the knockout stage

z-Eliminated from tournament 

CFU Club Championship

The opening round of this year's CFU Club Championship started last Friday and concluded this past Tuesday.

Group One, with all games at Bayamon, Puerto Rico:

Friday:

In the opening contest, USR Sainte-Rose from Guadeloupe held Centro Dominguito from Curacao to a 0-0 stalemate.

In the second match, Yoximar Granado scored twice (PK-28', 61') as Puerto Rico Bayamon FC demolished Bodden Town FC from the Cayman Islands 5-0.

Sunday:

In the opening contest, Ronaldo Barbosa scored the only goal of the match in the 82nd minute as USR Sainte-Rose defeated Bodden Town 1-0.

In game two, Centro Dominguito once again battled to a 0-0 deadlock, this time against Puerto Rico Bayamon.

Tuesday:

In the opening match, Centro Dominguito doubled-up Bodden Town 4-2.

In the group finale, Puerto Rico Bayamon FC battled USR Sainte-Ross to a 1-1 draw.

FINAL GROUP ONE STANDINGS:

1. Puerto Rico Bayamon FC (GP: 3; GD: +5; PTS: 5)
2. USA Sainte-Rose (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Centro Dominguito (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
4. Bodden Town FC (GP: 3; GD: -8; PTS: 0)



Group Two, with all games played at Saint-Louis du Nord, Haiti:

Friday:

In the opening contest, Chedlin Francoeur (44'), Romario Campbell (83'), Juvaune Benjamin (84'), and Damarley Samuels (90') each tallied once as Waterhouse FC from Jamaica crushed Inter Moengotapoe from Suriname 4-0.

In game two, Keyon Edwards (29'), Nuru Abdullah Muhammad (38'), and Tyrone Charles (84') delivered the goals as Caledonia AIA from Trinidad and Tobago dominated Haiti's AS Mirebalais  3-0.

Sunday:

In the opening match, Nuru Abdullah Muhammad (61') and Tyrone Charles (72') each scored once as Caledonia AIA secured a 2-2 draw with Inter Moengotapoe.  Anduelo Kwasie (76') each tallied once for the club from Suriname.

In the second contest, Kenroy Howell scored the winning goal in the 49th minute as Waterhouse defeated Mirebalais 2-1.

Tuesday:

In game one, Waterhouse demolished Caledonia AIA 4-0.

In the group finale, Mirebalais defeated Inter Moengotapoe 2-1.

FINAL GROUP TWO STANDINGS:

1. Waterhouse FC (GP: 3; GD: +9; PTS: 9)
2. Caledonia AIA (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
3. AS Mirebalais (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
4. Inter Moengotapoe (GP: 3; GD: -5; PTS: 1)



Group Three, with all games played at Harbour View, Jamaica:

Friday:

Alpha United from Guyana, with goals from Andrew Murray (20') and Kithson Bain (48'), defeated Defence Force FC from Trinidad and Tobago 2-0.

Sunday:

Kithson Bain scored the only goal of Alpha United's 1-0 win over Jamaica's Harbour View in the 24th minute.

Tuesday:

Defence Force FC blanked host club Harbour View 2-0.

FINAL GROUP THREE STANDINGS:

1. Alpha United (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Defence Force FC (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. Harbour View (GP: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

SV Notch from Suriname withdrew.

The three group winners will join Valencia FC from Haiti in the final round (which starts on April 18 with two semifinal games) with both clubs playing in the final and the winner of the third-place playoff (both games set for April 20) qualifying for next season's CONCACAF Champions League.

 

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Copa Libertadores: Tuesday Wins For Zamora FC, Santos Laguna (Who Lock Up Berth In Knockout Stage)

Two games were contested on Tuesday in Copa Libertadores group-stage action.

Group Four:

At Barinas, Venezuela:

Juan Manuel Falcon (57') and Jhon Murillo (64') each scored a second-half goal seven minutes apart as Zamora FC defeated visiting Club Nacional of Paraguay 2-0.



Group Eight:

At Torreon, Mexico:

Carlos Quintero scored twice (9', 78') minutes as Santos Laguna dominated visiting Penarol 4-1 to clinch a berth in the knockout stage.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

MLS: Sounders Blank Impact In Montreal; Red Bulls And Fire Draw In Suburban Chicago

Two games in Major League Soccer were contested on Sunday.

At Bridgeview, Illinois:

Dax McCarty's equalizer in the 21st minute lifted the New York Red Bulls to a 1-1 road draw with the Chicago Fire.  Jeff Larentowicz scored in the sixth minute for the hosts.

At Montreal:

In a match that was postponed from Saturday due to wintry conditions, goals courtesy of Troy Perkins (OG-8') and Obafemi Martins (58') carried the Seattle Sounders to a 2-0 road win over the Montreal Impact.

MLS STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

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



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

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

CAF Champions League

The opening weekend of the second round of qualifying for CAF Champions League group-stage berths concluded on Sunday with five games.

At Abidjan, Ivory Coast:

Sewe Sport took the opening match of their two-game series with TP Mazembe 2-1 at home.

At Conakry, Guinea:

Fakhreddine Ben Youssef scored the only goal of the match in the 64th minute as CS Sfaxien took the opening match of their series with Horoya AC 2-1 on the road.

At Setif, Algeria:

El Hadi Belameiri scored the only goal of the match in the 45th minute as ES Setif took their series opener with Coton Sport 1-0 at home.

At Dolise, Republic of the Congo:

Mudather El Tahir scored in the 22nd minute to lift Al-Hilal Omdurman to a series opening 1-1 road draw with AC Leopards.

At Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo:

AS Vita Club dominated the opening match of their series with South Africa's Kaiser Chiefs 3-0 at home.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

MLS: Reds, Rapids, Crew, Hoops, SKC Rack Up Saturday Home Wins; Goose Eggs In Foxborough; 1-1 Draw Between RSL And Galaxy

Seven games were played on Saturday in Major League Soccer, and the regular game officials returned to work following their lockout.

At Foxborough, Massachusetts:

The Vancouver Whitecaps held the home-standing New England Revolution to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Sandy, Utah:

Robbie Keane's equalizer in the 34th minute lifted the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 1-1 road draw with Real Salt Lake.  Alvaro Saborino scored for the hosts in the 19th minute.

At Toronto:

Jermaine Defoe scored the only goal of the match in the 60th minute as Toronto FC blanked visiting DC United 1-0.

At Commerce City, Colorado:

Vicente Sanchez (PK-73') and Deshorn Brown (75') each scored a goal as the Colorado Rapids blanked the visiting Portland Timbers 2-0 in a contest which saw both clubs finish the match with ten men.

At Columbus, Ohio:

Bernardo Anor scored twice in the first half (24', 45'+2) as the Columbus Crew held off the visiting Philadelphia Union 2-1.

At Frisco, Texas:

Fabian Castillo (71'), Je-Vaughn Watson (78'), and Michel (86') each scored a goal as FC Dallas, despite finishing the game with ten men, held off visiting Chivas USA 3-1.

At Kansas City, Kansas:

Dom Dwyer's successful penalty kick in the 57th minute carried Sporting Kansas City to a 1-0 home win over the San Jose Earthquakes in a battle of clubs eliminated this past week from the CONCACAF Champions League.

CAF Champions League

Two games were played on Saturday as the opening weekend of the second round of qualifying for the CAF Champions League's group stage continued.

At Bamako, Mali:

Esperance ST gained a series-opening 1-1 draw on the road with AS Real Bamako. 

At Kitwe, Zambia:

The opening match between Nkana FC and visiting Zamalek ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Friday, March 21, 2014

CAF Champions League: Defending Champs Drop Series Opener On Road

At Tunis, Tunisia:

Edward Sadomba scored the only goal of the match in the 68th minute on Friday as Al-Ahly Benghazi (playing the game in Tunisia instead of Libya due to security concerns in the latter country) defeated defending champions Al-Ahly of Egypt 1-0 in the opening game of a two-game series as the second qualifying round of the CAF Champions League commenced.

Europa League Draw For Quarterfinal Round

The draw for the quarterfinal round of the Europa League took place at Nyon, Switzerland on Friday.

Thursday, April 3:

SL Benfica at AZ Alkmaar

Juventus at Lyon

Valencia at FC Basel

Sevilla at FC Porto



Thursday, April 10:

AZ Alkmaar at SL Benfica

Lyon at Juventus

FC Basel at Valencia

FC Porto at Sevilla

UEFA Champions League Draw For Quarterfinal Round

The draw for the quarterfinal round of the UEFA Champions League took place on Friday at Nyon, Switzerland.

Tuesday April 1:

Atletico Madrid at Barcelona

Bayern Munich at Manchester United

Wednesday April 2:

Borussia Dortmund at Real Madrid

Chelsea at Paris Saint-Germain



Tuesday, April 8:

Real Madrid at Borussia Dortmund

Paris Saint-Germain at Chelsea

Wednesdy, April 9:

Barcelona at Atletico Madrid

Manchester United at Bayern Munich

Thursday, March 20, 2014

CONCACAF Champions League: Alajuelense Advance To Semfinals

At Panama City, Panama:

Jerry Palacios (6') and Jonathan McDonald (58') each tallied once on Thursday as LD Alaquelense blanked Arabe Unido 2-0 on the road in the second game of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal-round series and won the two-match set by that same score on aggregate.

Match-ups for the semifinal round, with the game-one hosts listed first:

LD Alajuelense (Costa Rica) vs. Toluca (Mexico)

Club Tijuana (Mexico) vs. Cruz Azul (Mexico)

The opening games would take place during the period of April 1-3, with the return contests to take place April 8-10.

Copa Libertadores

Five games were played in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores on Thursday.

Group One:

At Curitiba, Brazil:

With goals from Dalton Moreira Neto (OG-10'), Felipe de Oliveira Silva (61'), and Ederson Alves Ribeiro Silva (84'), Atletico Paranaense dominated visiting Universitario de Deportes 3-0 as the Peruvian club have been eliminated from the tournament.

GROUP ONE STANDINGS:

1.    Atletico Paranaense (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2.    Velez Sarsfield (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
3.    The Strongest (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
4. z-Universitario de Deportes (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 0)

z-Eliminated from tournament



Group Two:

At Independencia, Chile:

Gustavo Canales scored the only goal of the match in the 66th minute as Union Espanola defeated visiting San Lorenzo 1-0.

GROUP TWO STANDINGS:

1. Botafogo (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
2. Union Espanola (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. Independiene del Valle (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
4. San Lorenzo (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)



Group Three:

At Lanus, Argentina:

Jorge Pereyra Diaz (2') and Maximiliano Velazquez (4') each delivered a goal two minutes apart in the first five minutes of Lanus' 2-0 home win over Deportivo Cali.

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Julio Dos Santos delivered the winning goal in the ninth minute with his successful penalty kick as Cerro Porteno held off visiting O'Higgins 2-1.

GROUP THREE STANDINGS:

1. Cerro Porteno (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
2. Deportivo Cali (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
3. O'Higgins FC  (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
4. Lanus (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)



Group Five:

At Belo Horizone, Brazil:

Felipe Gedoz (65') and Emilio Zeballos (90'+3) provided the scoring as Defensor Sporting erased a two-goal deficit and gained a 2-2 road draw with Cruzeiro.  Everton Ribeiro (45'+4) and Julio Baptista (62') provided the scoring for the hosts.

GROUP FIVE STANDINGS:

1. Universidad de Chile (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 9)
2. Defensor Sporting (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
3. Cruzeiro (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
4. Real Garcilaso (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 3)

Europa League

Eight games were played on Thursday as the Europa League's Round of 16 came to a close.

At Ramenskoye, Russia:

A 0-0 draw on the road against FC Anzhi Makhachkala in game two was good enough for AZ Alkmaar as the Dutch club won their two-game series 1-0 on aggregate.

At Valencia, Spain:

Francisco Paco Alcacer scored the only goal of the match in the 59th minute as Valencia defeated visiting Ludogorets Razgrad in game two 1-0 and ousted the Bulgarian club 4-0 on aggregate.

At Plzen, Czech Republic:

Despite dropping a 2-1 game-two decision on the road against FC Viktoria Plzen, Lyon still won their two-match series 5-3 on aggregate.

At Lisbon, Portugal:

Ezequiel Garay (34') and Rodrigo Lima (PK-90'+5) provided the scoring for SL Benfica as the Eagles gained a 2-2 game-two home draw with Tottenham Hotspur and eliminated Spurs 5-3 on aggregate.

At Florence, Italy:

Andrea Pirlo scored the only goal of the match in the 71st minute as Juventus defeated Fiorentina 1-0 on the road in game two and ousted their fellow Serie A rivals 2-1 on aggregate.

At Naples, Italy:

Nabil Ghilas (69') and Ricardo Quaresma (76') provided the scoring as FC Porto gained a 2-2 game-two road draw with Napoli and ousted the Italian club 3-2 on aggregate.

At Seville, Spain:

Jose Antonio Reyes (20') and Carlos Bacca (75') each scored a goal as Sevilla recovered from last week's home defeat to blank local rivals Real Betis 2-0 in regulation of game two, deadlocking the series at 2-2 on aggregate, then, after 30 minutes of scoreless overtime, with Ivan Rakitic delivering the winning spot kick, won the penalty kick shootout 4-3.

At Wals-Siezenheim, Austria:

Marco Streller (51') and Gaston Sauro (60') each scored a goal in the second half as FC Basel defeated home-standing FC Red Bull Salzburg 2-1, both in game two and on aggregate for the two-match series.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Copa Libertadores

Group-stage play in the Copa Libertadores continued on Wednesday with five games.

Group Four:

At Belo Horizone, Brazil:

Marcos Riveros delivered the equalizer in the 36th minute as Paraguay's Club Nacional gained a 1-1 road draw with Atletico Mineiro.  Ronaldinho converted his penalty kick for the defending champions in the 19th minute.

GROUP FOUR STANDINGS:

1. Atletico Mineiro (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 8)
2. Club Nacional (Paraguay) (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
3. Independiente Santa Fe (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Zamora FC (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)



Group Six:

At Rosario, Argentina:

Rhodolfo's stoppage-time equalizer (90'+1) lifted Gremio to a 1-1 road draw with Newell's Old Boys.  Maxi Rodriguez scored for the hosts in the 78th minute.

GROUP SIX STANDINGS:

1.    Gremio (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 8)
2.    Atletico Nacional (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
3.    Newell's Old Boys (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 5)
4. z-Club Nacional (Uruguay) (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 1)

z-Eliminated from tournament



Group Seven:

At Leon, Mexico:

Matias Britos (19') Jose Juan Vazquez (PK-81'), and Carlos Alberto Pena (85') each scored a goal as Club Leon dominated visiting Club Sport Emelec 3-0.

At La Paz, Bolivia:

Juan Carlos Arce converted a penalty kick in the fourth minute as Club Bolivar defeated visiting Flamengo 1-0.

GROUP SEVEN STANDINGS:

1. Club Leon (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Club Sport Emelec (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 6)
3. Club Bolivar (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
4. Flamengo (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)



Group Eight:

At Montevideo, Uruguay:

Jonathan Javier Rodriguez scored the winning goal in the 81st minute as Penarol defeated visiting Arsenal de Sarandi 2-1.

GROUP EIGHT STANDINGS:

1. Santos Laguna (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 10)
2. Arsenal de Sarandi (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
3. Penarol (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
4. Deportivo Anzoategui (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 2)

CONCACAF Champions League: No MLS Clubs Left

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

At Toluca, Mexico:

After a 1-1 regulation draw in game two, which deadlocked the two-games series at 2-2 on aggregate, followed by 30 minutes of scoreless overtime, Wilson Mathias converted the winning spot kick as Toluca defeated the visiting San Jose Earthquakes 5-4 in the penalty-kick shootout which lasted six rounds.  The Quakes' Shea Salinas had a chance to send the shootout into a seventh round, but his spot kick bounced off the crossbar.

At Mexico City:

Mariano Pavone delivered a hat trick (2', 24', 55') as Cruz Azul overturned their series-opening defeat and defeated visiting Sporting Kansas City 5-1 in game two and won their series 5-2 on aggregate.

UEFA Champions League: Rockin' Robin Delivers Comeback Win For Red Devils; Dortmund Also Head For Quarterfinals Despite Game-Two Home Defeat

The UEFA Champions League's Round of 16 concluded on Wednesday with two games.

At Manchester, England:

Robin Van Persie delivered a hat trick (PK-25', 45'+1, 52') as Manchester United overturned their 2-0 game-one road defeat with a stunning 3-0 game-two home victory over Olympiacos and dispatched the Greek club 3-2 on aggregate and advanced to the quarterfinal round.

At Dortmund, Germany:

Despite dropping a 2-1 game-two home decision to Zenit Saint Petersburg, Borussia Dortmund still won their two-game series 5-4 on aggregate.  Sebastian Kell scored for last year's Champions League runners-up in the 38th minute.  Hulk (shown here celebrating) scored in the 16th minute for the now-eliminated Russian club.

Photos from ESPN FC website

AFC Champions League

Group-stage play in the AFC Champions League reached the midway point on Wednesday with eight games.

Group B:

At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:

Vokhid Shodiev's equalizer in the 90th minute lifted Bunyodkor to a 1-1 home draw with Foolad.  Abdullah Karami scored in the 74th minute for the Iranian club.

At Al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia:

El Jaish held hosts Al-Fateh to a 0-0 stalemate.

GROUP B STANDINGS:



Group D:

At Fuladshahr, Iran:

Ismeel Al Hamadi scored the winning goal deep into second-half stoppage time (90'+5) as Al-Ahli knocked off hosts Sepahan 2-1.

At Doha, Qatar:

Talal Al Bloushi (26') and Nadir Belhadj (66') provided the scoring as Al-Sadd salvaged a 2-2 home draw with Al-Hilal.  Thiago Neves scored both of the Saudi Arabian club's goals (45'+1, 56').

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Al-Sadd (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
2. Al-Ahli (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Sepahan Esfahan FC (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Al-Hilal (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 2)



Group F:

At Hiroshima, Japan:

Tsukasa Shiotani scored the winning goal in the 78th minute as Sanfrecce Hiroshima knocked off visiting Seoul FC 2-1.

At Beijing, China:

Peter Utaka scored the game winner in the 63rd minute as Beijing Guoan held off the visiting Central Coast Mariners 2-1.

GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Beijing Guoan (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
2. Sanfrecce Hiroshima (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. FC Seoul (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
4. Central Coast Mariners (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)

NOTE:  Since Sanfrecce Hiroshima has won the one match played thus far between them and FC Seoul, the Japanese club has, for the time being, the tie-breaker on the South Korean club.



Group H:

At Sydney, Australia:

Labinot Haliti's goal in the third period held up as the Western Sydney Wanderers defeated visiting Kawasaki Frontale 1-0.

At Ulsan, South Korea:

Yang Hao's 87th-minute equalizer carried Guizhou Renhe to a 1-1 road draw with Ulsan Hyundai.  Rafinha converted a penalty kick for the hosts in the 57th minute.

GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Ulsan Hyundai (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
2. Western Sydney Wanderers FC (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Kawasaki Frontale (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. Guizhou Renhe FC (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)