Tuesday, June 30, 2015

US Open Cup: Philly, Fire, Lions, Dynamo Advance To Quarterfinals

The Round of 16 of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup tournament commenced on Tuesday with four games.

At Chester, Pennsylvania:

Eric Ayuk Mbu (56') and Fabio Alves Macedo (a.k.a. Fabinho; 79') each scored a second-half goal as the Philadelphia Union came from behind and overtook visiting DC United 2-1.

At Orlando, Florida:

Kaka (21') and Carlos Rivas (35') each delivered a goal as Orlando City blanked the visiting Columbus Crew 2-0.

At Bridgeview, Illinois:

Mike Magee scored twice (37', 82') as the Chicago Fire ousted the last remaining USL club left in the tournament, the visiting Charlotte Independence, 3-1.

At Houston:

Mauro Manotas scored the only goal of the match in the 43rd minute as the Houston Dynamo defeated the visiting Colorado Rapids 1-0.

Copa America: Argentina Smothers Paraguay, Will Take On Chile In Final

At Concepcion, Chile:

Angel Di Maria scored twice (47', 53') as Argentina destroyed Paraguay 6-1 to advance to the final of the Copa America.

Argentina will take on host country Chile in the Copa America Final on Saturday at Santiago.

FIFA Women's World Cup: Team USA Blanks Germany, Will Play In Final

At Montreal:

Carli Lloyd (PK-69') and Kelley O'Hara (84') each scored a goal on Tuesday as the United States shut out Germany 2-0 to reach Sunday's final of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

Europa League: The Road To Basel Begins

Three games were played on Tuesday as the opening round of qualifying for the 2015-16 Europa League opened.

At Paola, Malta:

Riad Bajic scored twice (PK-4', 13') in the first quarter-hour as Zeljeznicar took control of their two-game series with Balzan after their series-opening 2-0 road triumph.

At Differdange, Luxembourg:

Shamrock Rovers held hosts Progres Niederkorn to a series-opening 0-0 stalemate.

At Skopje, Macedonia:

Mihai Rosca scored the only goal of the match in the 12th minute as Dacia Chisinau took the opening game of their series with Renova 1-0 on the road.

UEFA Champions League: The Road To Milan Begins

Three games were played on Tuesday as the opening round of qualifying for the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League commenced.

At Yerevan, Armenia:

Vardges Satumyan (45'+2) and Cesar Romero (48') each scored a goal as Pyunik defeated visiting Folgore 2-1 in the opening game of their two-match series.  Adolfo Hirsch kept the club from San Marino alive with his goal in the 71st minute.

At Gibraltar:

The opening match between Lincoln Red Imps and visiting FC Santa Coloma from Andorra ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

At Belfast, Northern Ireland:

The opening match betwee Crusaders FC and visiting Levadia Tallinn ended in a 0-0 deadlock.

Monday, June 29, 2015

Copa America: Chile Ousts Peru, Reaches Final For First Time Since 1987

At Santiago, Chile:

Eduardo Vargas scored twice (42', 64') on Monday as hosts Chile knocked off Peru 2-1 in Monday's Copa America semifinal.  

The Chileans will play the winner of Tuesday's Argentina-Paraguay contest in Saturday's final (their first since 1987, they have yet to win the title) at Santiago with the winner representing CONMEBOL in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, due to take place in Russia.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

MLS: Red Bulls, Timbers Overpower Rivals

Two games were played in Major League Soccer on Sunday.

At New York:

Bradly Wright-Phillips (46'), Chris Duvall (52'), and Matt Miazga (73') delivered the second-half goals as the New York Red Bulls defeated New York City 3-1 on the road.

At Portland, Oregon:

Fenendo Adi scored twice (74', 76') during a two-minute span as the Portland Timbers bounced back from their mid-week StubHub Center debacle and overpowered the visiting Seattle Sounders 4-1 in a Cascadia Cup clash.



MLS STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1.   DC United (GP: 20; GD: +6; PTS: 35)
2.   New England (GP: 19; GD: -1; PTS: 24)
3.   Toronto FC (GP: 15; GD: +3; PTS: 23)
4.   New York Red Bulls (GP: 16; GD: +2; PTS: 23)
5.   Orlando City SC (GP: 17; GD: +1; PTS: 23)
6.   Columbus (GP: 17; GD: 0; PTS: 21)
7.   Philadelphia (GP: 19; GD: -10; PTS: 19)
8.   Montreal (GP: 14; GD: -4; PTS: 18)
9.   New York City FC (GP: 17; GD: -4; PTS: 17)
10. Chicago (GP: 15; GD: -6; PTS: 14)

NOTES: With Toronto, the New York Red Bulls, and Orlando City level on points (23), the Reds have more wins (seven, to six apiece for the Red Bulls and Lions); the Red Bulls have the superior goal differential vis-a-viv Orlando City (+2 to the Lions' +1)



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1.   Vancouver (GP: 18; GD: +5; PTS: 32)
2.   Seattle (GP: 18; GD: +6; PTS: 29)
3.   Portland (GP: 18; GD: +1; PTS: 28)
4.   Los Angeles (GP: 20; GD: +4; PTS: 28)
5.   Kansas City (GP: 16; GD: +8; PTS: 27)
6.   FC Dallas (GP: 17; GD: -2; PTS: 26)
7.   San Jose (GP: 16; GD: +3; PTS: 25)
8.   Real Salt Lake (GP: 18; GD: -5; PTS: 22)
9.   Houston (GP: 17; GD: -2; PTS: 20)
10. Colorado (GP: 17; GD: -5; PTS: 15)

NOTE: With Portland and Los Angeles level on points with 28, the Timbers have more wins (eight) than the Galaxy (seven).

CAF Champions League: Goose Eggs In Lubumbashi; Smouha Erase Two-Goal Deficit To Defeat Moghreb Tetouan

Group-stage play in the CAF Champions League continued with two games----both in Group A----on Sunday.

At Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo:

Al-Hilal of Sudan held hosts TP Mazembe to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Alexandria, Egypt:

Salah Amin (66') and Hermann Kouao (78', 79') delivered the goals as Smouha overcame a two-goal deficit and upended visiting Moghreb Tetouan 3-2.

Group A Standings:

1. Smouha (GP: 1; GD; +1; PTS: 3)
2. Al-Hilal (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
    TP Mazembe (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Moghreb Tetouan (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Copa America: Two Big PKs From Derlis Gonzalez (One In Regulation, One In The Shootout) Carry Paraguay Past Brazil

At Concepcion, Chile:

Derlis Gonzalez converted two penalty kicks on Saturday.  The first one in the 72nd minute deadlocked Paraguay's match with Brazil at 1-1 in regulation, the second one was the game winner in the penalty-kick shootout as the Paraguayans ousted the Samba Boys 4-3 in the shootout as the quarterfinal round of the Copa America came to a close.  

Paraguay will battle Argentina at Concepcion on Wednesday in a semifinal contest, with the winner to meet the Chile-Peru survivor in the final next Saturday at Santiago.

FIFA Women's World Cup: Japan, England Advance To Semifinals

The quarterfinal round of the FIFA Women's World Cup concluded on Saturday with two games contested in Canada.

At Edmonton, Alberta:

Mana Iwabuchi scored the only goal of the match in the 87th minute as Japan continued their defense of the World Cup title with their 1-0 victory over Australia.

At Vancouver, British Columbia:

Jodie Taylor (11') and Lucy Bronze (14') each scored during the first quarter-hour as England held off hosts Canada 2-1.

Japan will take on England in a Canada Day (Wednesday) semifinal at Edmonton at 4:00 PM Pacific Time with the winner advancing to next Sunday's final at Vancouver against the United States-Germany winner.

CAF Champions League: USM Alger Knock Off Defending Champs On Road In Battle Of Algerian Clubs

At Setif, Algeria:

Nacereddine Khoualed scored the winning goal in the 72nd minute on Saturday as USM Alger defeated ES Setif 2-1 on the road in CAF Champions League Group B play.

Group B Standings:

1. Al-Merreikh (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. USM Alger (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. ES Setif (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. MC El Eulma (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

MLS: Caps, SKC, Quakes Pick Up Wins On Three-Draw Saturday

Six games were contested in  Major League Soccer on Saturday.

At Toronto:

Toronto FC and visiting DC United battled to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Chester, Pennsylvania:

In a match in which both clubs finished with ten men, Eric Ayuk Mbu (8') and Maurice Edu (7') each scored once to enable the Philadelphia Union to salvage a 2-2 home draw with the Montreal Impact.  Ignacio Piatti (28') and Jack McInerney (70') each delivered a goal for the visitors.

At Foxborough, Massachusetts:

Cristian Techera (18') and Octavio Rivero (PK-31') each scored a goal as the Vancouver Whitecaps defeated the New England Revolution 2-1 on the road.

At Kansas City, Kansas:

Krisztian Nemeth (32') and Sam Cronin (OG-64') provided the scoring as Sporting Kansas City blanked the visiting Colorado Rapids 2-0.

At Sandy, Utah:

Tony Tchani (42') and Ethan Finlay (62') each scored once as the Columbus Crew overcame a pair of one-goal deficits and gained a 2-2 road draw with ten-man Real Salt Lake. Olmes Garcia (36') and Sebastian Jaime (46') provided the goals for the hosts.

At Stanford (Palo Alto), California:

Chris Wondolowski (28'), Clarence Goodson (53'), and Cordell Cato (72') each scored once as the San Jose Earthquakes cooled off the visiting Los Angeles Galaxy (who had scored 10 goals in their last two MLS games) 3-1.

Friday, June 26, 2015

MLS: Hoops Blank Dynamo In Texas Derby; Keep El Capitan Cup

At Frisco, Texas:

In the lone Friday Major League Soccer contest, which was delayed by storms and heavy rainfall for over an hour, Jermaine Taylor (OG-28') and Fabian Castillo (42') provided the scoring as FC Dallas blanked the visiting Houston Dynamo 2-0 to win the second of a scheduled three Texas Derby matches.

Copa America: Argentina Knocks Out Colombia In PK Thriller

At Vina del Mar, Chile:

After 90 scoreless regulation minutes (and no overtime), Lionel Messi, Ezequiel Garay, Ever Benega, Ezequiel Lavezzi, and (with the winning PK) Carlos Tevez converted their spot kicks as Argentina won the penalty-kick 5-4 over Colombia and advance to the semifinal round of the Copa America.

FIFA Women 's World Cup: Carli's Header Pulls Team USA Past China; Celia's Two PKs (One In Regulation, The Other In The Shootout) Help Germany Oust France

The quarterfinal round of the FIFA Women's World Cup got underway in Canada with two Friday contests.

At Montreal:

Celia Sasic successfully converted her game-tying penalty kick in the 84th minute of regulation to deadlock the match at 1-1, then, after 30 minutes of scoreless overtime, knocked in the game-winning spot kick as Germany defeated France 5-4 in the penalty-kick shootout.  France's Claire Lavogez had a chance to stretch the shootout into the sixth round, but German goalkeeper Nadine Angerer made the save to put her team into the semifinal round.

At Ottawa:

Carli Lloyd scored the only goal of the match in the 51st minute as the United States defeated China 1-0.



The US will take on Germany in a semifinal contest this coming Tuesday at Montreal at 4:00 PM Pacific Time.

CAF Champions : Al-Merreikh Blank MC El Eulma As Group-Stage Play Opens

At Omdurman, Sudan:

Group-stage play in the CAF Champions League commenced on Friday as Adel Namane (OG-6') and Bakri Al Madina (56') provided the scoring as Al-Merreikh blanked visiting MC El Eulma from Algeria 2-0 in a Group B contest.

It's Atlanta United FC

That's the official name of the Peach City's MLS expansion club, which is set to start play in 2017.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Copa America: Peru Defeats Bolivia, Will Get Chile Next

At Temuco, Chile:

Paolo Guerrero delivered a hat trick (20', 23', 74') on Thursday as Peru defeated Bolivia 3-1 to advance to the semifinal round of the Copa America.

The Incas will take on Chile in a semifinal contest on Monday with the winner to advance to the final.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Copa America: La Roja Knock Off Uruguay To Advance To Semifinals

At Santiago, Chile:

Mauricio Isla scored the only goal of the match in the 80th minute as host nation Chile ousted defending champions Uruguay 1-0 on Wednesday in the opening contest of the Copa America's quarterfinal round.

MLS: Philly, Red Bulls, Crew, Lions, Reds, DC, Galaxy Gather Wednesday Wins

Seven games were played in Major League Soccer on Wednesday.

At Chester, Pennsylvania:

C.J. Sapong scored the only goal of the match in the 69th minute as the Philadelphia Union defeated the visiting---and shorthanded---Seattle Sounders 1-0.

At Harrison, New Jersey:

Mike Grella's goal in the fourth minute was all the scoring as the New York Red Bulls defeated visiting Real Salt Lake 1-0.

At Columbus, Ohio:

Kei Kamara scored twice (4', 50') as the Columbus Crew surrendered a very early goal but bounced back to top the visiting New England Revolution 1-0.

At Orlando, Florida:

Cyle Larin (62') and Kaka (65') delivered the scoring in Orlando City's 2-0 home blanking of the Colorado Rapids.

At Toronto:

Michael Bradley (27'), Jozy Altidore (56'), and Sebastian Giovinco (PK-82') each scored a goal as Toronto FC defeated the visiting Montreal Impact 3-1.

At Bridgeview, Illinois:

Conor Doyle scored the only game of DC United's 1-0 road win over the Chicago Fire in the 73rd minute.

At Carson, California:

With five different goal scorers----Sebastian Lletget (13'), Robbie Keane (PK-18'; he had two assists), Robbie Rogers (33'), Juninho (72'), and Jose Villarreal (88')----each tallying once, the Los Angeles Galaxy punctured the Portland Timbers' four-game MLS winning streak (five in all competitions) by destroying the ten-man visitors 5-0.



MLS STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1.   DC United (GP: 19; GD: +6; PTS: 34)
2.   New England (GP: 18; GD: 0; PTS: 24)
3.   Orlando City SC (GP: 17; GD: +1; PTS: 23)
4.   Toronto FC (GP: 14; GD: +3; PTS: 22)
5.   Columbus (GP: 16; GD: 0; PTS: 20)
6.   New York Red Bulls (GP: 15; GD: 0; PTS: 20)
7.   Philadelphia (GP: 18; GD: -10; PTS: 18)
8.   Montreal (GP: 13; GD: -4; PTS: 17)
9.   New York City FC (GP: 16; GD: -2; PTS: 17)
10. Chicago (GP: 15; GD: -6; PTS: 14)

NOTES:  With Columbus and the New York Red Bulls level on points (20), wins (five), and goal differential (0), the Crew have scored more goals than the Red Bulls (23-19);  with Montreal and New York City level on points (17), the Impact have more wins (four to three).



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1.   Seattle (GP: 17; GD: +9; PTS: 29)
2.   Vancouver (GP: 17; GD: +4; PTS: 29)
3.   Los Angeles (GP: 19; GD: +6; PTS: 28)
4.   Portland (GP: 17; GD: -2; PTS: 25)
5.   Kansas City (GP: 15; GD: +6; PTS: 24)
6.   FC Dallas (GP: 23; GD: -4; PTS: 23)
7.   San Jose (GP: 15; GD: +1; PTS: 22)
8.   Real Salt Lake (GP: 17; GD: -5; PTS: 21)
9.   Houston (GP: 16; GD: 0; PTS: 20)
10. Colorado (GP: 16; GD: -3; PTS: 15)

NOTE: With Seattle and Vancouver level on points (29) and wins (nine), the Sounders have the superior goal differential (+9 to the Whitecaps' +4).

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

FIFA Women's World Cup: Japan Takes Out Netherlands, Will Get Australia Next

At Vancouver, British Columbia:

In the lone Tuesday FIFA Women's World Cup contest (as Round-of-16 play concluded), Mizuho Sakaguchi scored the winning goal in the 78th minute as Japan held off the Netherlands 2-1.

MATCH-UPS FOR THE QUARTERFINAL ROUND, WITH ALL TIMES PACIFIC:

Friday:

At Montreal:

Germany vs. France, 1:00 PM

At Ottawa:

China vs. United States, 4:30 PM



Saturday:

At Edmonton, Alberta:

Australia vs. Japan, 1:00 PM

At Vancouver, British Columbia:

England vs. Canada, 4:30 PM


Monday, June 22, 2015

FIFA Women's World Cup: Team USA, England Advance To Quarterfinals

Action in the Round of 16 in the FIFA Women's World Cup continued with two more Monday matches contested on Canadian soil.

At Ottawa:

Steph Houghton (61') and Lucy Bronze (76') each scored a goal in the second half as England came from behind to defeat Norway 2-1.

At Edmonton, Alberta:

Goals from Alex Morgan (53') and Carli Lloyd (PK-66') carried the United States to a 2-0 shutout win over 10-woman Colombia.

Europa League Draw

The draw for the first two rounds of qualifying for the 2015-16 Europa League took place on Monday at Nyon Switzerland.

First qualifying round, with the opening games set to be played on July 2 and the return matches set for July 9.  Game-one hosts are listed first:

Vikingur Reykjavik (Iceland) vs. Koper (Slovenia)

FC Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova) vs. Odd BK (Norway)

Kukesi (Albania) vs. Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino (Belarus)

Alashkert (Armenia) vs. St. Johnstone FC (Scotland)

Jelgava (Latvia) vs. PFC Litex Lovech (Bulgaria)

Newtown AFC (Wales) vs. Valletta (Malta)

Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia) vs. Gabala (Azerbaijan)

Renova (Macedonia) vs. Dacia Chisinau (Moldova)

Olimpic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) vs. Spartak Trnava (Slovakia)

FC Lusitanos (Andorra) vs. West Ham United (England)

Glenavon FC (Northern Ireland) vs. Shakhtyor Soligorsk (Belarus)

Differdange (Luxembourg) vs. Bala Town (Wales)

Shkendija (Macedonia) vs. Aberdeen FC (Scotland)

Vikingur Gota (Faroe Islands) vs. Rosenborg BK (Norway)

SJK (Finland) vs. FH Hafnarfjordur (Iceland)

NSI Runavik (Faroe Islands) vs. Linfield FC (Northern Ireland)

Brondby (Denmark) vs. AC Juvenes/Dogana (San Marino)

MTK Budapest (Hungary) vs. Vojvodina (Serbia)

Skonto (Latvia) vs. St. Patrick's Athletic (Republic of Ireland)

Lahti (Finland) vs. Elfsborg (Sweden)

FK Atlantas (Lithuania) vs. Beroe Stara Zagora (Bulgaria)

Debreceni VSC (Hungary) vs. Sutjeska Niksic (Montenegro)

Ordabasy (Kazakhstan) vs. Beitar Jerusalem (Israel)

Balzan (Malta) vs. Zeljeznicar (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Sillamae Kalev (Estonia) vs. Hajduk Split (Croatia)

Spartaks Jurmala (Latvia) vs. Buducnost Podgorica (Montenegro)

Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) vs. Kairat (Kazakhstan)

Flora Tallinn (Estonia) vs. Rabotnicki (Macedonia)

Sant Julia (Andorra) vs. Randers (Denmark)

Saxon (Moldova) vs. Apollon Limassol (Cyprus)

Progres Niederkorn (Luxembourg) vs. Shamrock Rovers (Republic of Ireland)

Aktobe (Kazakhstan) vs. Nomme Kalu (Estonia)

Dinamo Batumi (Georgia) vs. Omonia (Cyprus)

Kruoja Pakruojis (Lithuania) vs. Jagiellonia Bialystok (Poland)

Shirak (Armenia) vs. Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Cork City (Republic of Ireland) vs. KR Reykjavik (Iceland)

Go Ahead Eagles (Netherlands) vs. Ferencvaros (Hungary)

Trakai (Lithuania) vs. HB (Faroe Islands)

Laci (Albania) vs. Inter Baku (Azerbaijan)

VPS (Finland) vs. AIK (Sweden)

UCD (Republic of Ireland) vs. F91 Dudelange (Luxembourg)

Domzale (Slovenia) vs. Cukaricki (Serbia)

Glentoran FC (Northern Ireland) vs. Zilina (Slovakia)

Partizani Tirana (Albania) vs. Stromgodset (Norway)

Mladost Podgorica (Montenegro) vs. Neftchi Baku (Azerbaijan)

Celje (Slovenia) vs. Slask Wroclaw (Poland)

La Florita (San Marino) vs. FC Vaduz (Liechtenstein)

Birkirkara (Malta) vs. Ulisses (Armenia)

Airbus UK Broughton (Wales) vs. Lokomotiva (Croatia)

Botosani (Romania) vs. Spartaki Tskhinvali (Georgia)

College Europa (Gibraltar) vs. FC Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)



Second Qualifying Round, with the opening games set for July 16 and the return matches set for July 23 (game-one hosts are listed first):

Kukesi-Torpedo-BelAZ winner vs. Mladost-Neftchi winner

Airbus UK-Lokomotiva winner vs. PAOK FC (Greece)

College Europa-Slovan Bratislava winner vs. UCD-Dudelange winner

Go Ahead Eagles-Ferencvaros winner vs. Balzan-Zeljeznicar winner

La Fiorita-Vaduz winner vs. Aktobe-Nomme Kalju winner

Atlantas-Beroe Stara Zagora winner vs. Brondby-Juvenes/Dogana winner

Cork City-KR winner vs. Vikingur Gota-Rosenborg winner

VPS-AIK winner vs. Shirak Zrinjski Mostar winner

Legia Warsaw (Poland) vs. Botosani-Spartaki Tskhinvali winner

Renova-Dacia Chisinau winner vs. Glentoran-Zilina winner

Progres Niederkorn-Shamrock Rovers winner vs. Sheriff-Odd winner

Hopoel Be'er Sheva (Israel) vs. FC Thun (Switzerland)

Red Star Belgrade-Kairat winner vs. Alashkert-St. Johnstone winner

MTK-Vojvodina winner vs. Spartaks Jurmala-Buducnost winner

Kruoja Pakruojis-Jagiellonia Bialystok winner vs. Dinamo Batumi-Omonia winner

Jelgava-Litex Lovech winner vs. Flora Tallinn-Rabotnicki winner

Domzale-Cukaricki winner vs. Dinamo Tbilisi-Gabala winner

Glenavon-Shakhtyor Soligorsk winner vs. Wolfsberger AC (Austria)

Trabzonspor (Turkey) vs. Differdange-Bala Town winner

Charleroi (Belgium) vs. Ordabasy-Beitar Jersalem

Sant Julia-Randers winner vs. Lahti-Elfsborg winner

Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic) vs. Partizani Tirana-Stromgodset

Cherno More Varna (Bulgaria) vs. Dinamo Minsk (Belarus)

Rijeka (Croatia) vs. Shkendija-Aberdeen

Lusitanos-West Ham winner vs. Birkirkara-Ulisses winner

Saxan-Apollon Limassol winner vs. Trakai-HB winner

Vikingur-Koper winner vs. Sillamae Kalev-Hajduk Split winner

SJK-FH winner vs. Laci-Inter Baku winner

Inverness Caledonia Thistle (Scotland) vs. Astra Giurgiu (Romania)

Olimpic-Spartak Trnava winner vs. NSI-Linfield winner

FC Copenhagen (Denmark) vs. Newtown-Valletta winner

Celje-Slask Wroclaw winner vs. IFK Gothenburg (Sweden)

Skonto-St. Patrick's Athletic winner vs. Debrecen-Sutjeska Niksic winner

UEFA Champions League Draw

The draw for the first two rounds of qualifying for the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League took place on Monday at Nyon, Switzerland.

First Qualifying Round, with the opening games to be played on June 30 or July 1, with the return matches to be played on July 7 or 8 (game-one hosts listed first):

Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) vs. FC Santa Coloma (Andorra)

Crusaders FC (Northern Ireland) vs. Levadia Tallinn (Estonia)

FC Pyunik (Armenia) vs. Folgore (San Marino)

B36 Torshavn (Faroe Islands) vs. The New Saints (Wales)



Second Qualifying Round, with the opening contests to take place on July 14 or 15 and the return games set to be played on July 21 or 22.  Game-one hosts are listed first:

Hibernians (Malta) vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)

APOEL FC (Cyprus) vs. Vardar (Macedonia)

Qarabag (Azerbaijan) vs. Rudar Pljevija (Montenegro)

FC Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) vs. Lech Poznan (Poland)

NK Maribor (Slovenia) vs. Astana (Kazakhstan)

FC BATE Borisov (Belarus) vs. Dundalk FC (Republic of Ireland)

HJK Helsinki (Finland) vs. FK Ventspils (Latvia)

FC Midtjylland (Denmark) vs. Lincoln Red Imps-Santa Coloma winner

Molde FK (Norway) vs. Pyunik-Folgore winner

Malmo FF (Sweden) vs. Zalgiris Vilnius (Lithuania)

Celtic FC (Scotland) vs. Stjarman (Iceland)

Trencin (Slovakia) vs. Steaua Bucharest (Romania)

Partizan Belgrade (Serbia) vs. Dila Gori (Georgia)

Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria) vs. Milsami Orhei (Moldova)

Fola Esch (Luxembourg) vs. Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)

Skenderbeu Korce (Albania) vs. Crusaders-Levadia winner

B36-TNS winner vs. Videoton (Hungary)

Sunday, June 21, 2015

MLS: DCU, RSL Gather Father's Day Wins

Two games were played in Major League Soccer on Sunday.

At Washington:

Chris Rolfe scored twice (70', PK-81') in the second half as DC United came from behind to defeat the visiting New England Revolution 2-1.

At Sandy, Utah:

Olmes Garcia scored the winning goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time as Real Salt Lake knocked off visiting Sporting Kansas City 2-1.



MLS STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1.   DC United (GP: 18; GD: +5; PTS: 31)
2.   New England (GP: 17; GD: +1; PTS: 24)
3.   Orlando City SC (GP: 16; GD: -1; PTS: 20)
4.   Toronto FC (GP: 13; GD: +1; PTS: 19)
5.   Montreal (GP: 12; GD: -2; PTS: 17)
6.   Columbus (GP: 15; GD: -1; PTS: 17)
7.   New York Red Bulls(GP: 14; GD: -1; PTS: 17)
8.   New York City FC (GP: 16; GD: -2; PTS: 17)
9.   Philadelphia (GP: 17; GD: -11; PTS: 15)
10. Chicago (GP: 14; GD: -5; PTS: 14)

NOTES: With Montreal, Columbus, and both New York clubs level on points (17), the Impact have more wins (five) than the Crew, Red Bulls, and Citizens (four each); Columbus, the New York Red Bulls, and New York City level on points (17) and wins), the Crew and the Red Bulls are level on goal differential (-1), superior to NYCFC's -2; Columbus has scored more goals than the New York Red Bulls (21-18).



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1.   Seattle (GP: 16; GD: +10; PTS: 29)
2.   Vancouver (GP: 17; GD: +4; PTS: 29)
3.   Portland (GP: 16; GD: +3; PTS: 25)
4.   Los Angeles (GP: 18; GD: +1; PTS: 25)
5.   Kansas City (GP: 15; GD: +6; PTS: 24)
6.   FC Dallas (GP: 16; GD: -4; PTS: 23)
7.   San Jose (GP: 15; GD: +1; PTS: 22)
8.   Real Salt Lake (GP: 16; GD: -4; PTS: 21)
9.   Houston (GP: 16; GD: 0; PTS: 20)
10. Colorado (GP: 15; GD: -1; PTS: 15)

NOTES:  With Seattle and Vancouver level on points (29) and wins (nine), the Sounders have the superior goal differential (+10 to the Whitecaps' +4); with Portland and Los Angeles level on points (25), the Timbers have more wins (seven) than the Galaxy (six). 

Women's World Cup: Australia (Who Knock Off Brazil), France, Canada Advance To Quarterfinals

Three games were played on Sunday as the FIFA Women's World Cup's Round of 16 continued in Canada.

At Moncton, New Brunswick:

Kyah Simon scored the only goal of the match in the 80th minute as Australia knocked off Brazil 1-0.

At Montreal:

Marie-Laure Delie scored twice (4', 48') as France dominated South Korea 3-0.

At Vancouver, British Columbia:

Josee Belanger scored the only goal of the match in the 52nd minute as host nation Canada defeated Switzerland 1-0.

Copa America: Peru and Colombia Join Brazil In Quarterfinals As Group-Stage Plays Ends

Two games were played in Chile on Sunday in Group C as group-stage action in the Copa Libertdores concluded.

At Temuco:

A 0-0 stalemate between Peru and Colombia sent both teams to the quarterfinal round.

At Santiago:

Roberto Firmino scored the winning goal in the 52nd minute as Brazil held off Venezuela 2-1 and won the Group C title.

Final Group C Standings:

1. Brazil (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
2. Peru (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. Colombia (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Venezuela (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)

Brazil, Peru, and Colombia (as one of the two best third-placed group finishers) advanced to the quarterfinal round.



Here are the matchups for the quarterfinal round, with all games contested in Chile:

Wednesday @ Santiago:

Chile vs. Uruguay

Thursday @ Temuco:

Bolivia vs. Peru

Friday @ Vina del Mar:

Argentina vs. Colombia

Saturday @ Concepcion:

Brazil vs. Paraguay

FIFA Women's World Cup: Germany, China Advance to Quarterfinals

The knockout stage of the FIFA Women's World Cup commenced on Saturday in Canada with two games.

At Ottawa:

Celia Sasic scored twice (PK-36', 78') as Germany dominated Canada 4-1.

At Edmonton, Alberta:

Shanshan Wang scored the only goal in the 12th minute as Canada defeated Cameroon 1-0.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Copa America: Uruguay Gains Draw With Paraguay, Advances To Quarterfinals Along With Paraguay, Argentina

Action in Group B of the Copa America concluded on Saturday with two games contested in Chile.

At La Serena:

Lucas Barrios equalized in the 45th minute to lift Paraguay to a 1-1 draw with Uruguay.  Jose Gimenez scored in the 29th minute for the Sky Blue One, who will be joining Paraguay (and Argentina) in the quarterfinal round.

At Vina del Mar:

Gonzalo Higuain scored the only goal of the match in the 10th minute as Argentina defeated Jamaica 1-0 and clinched first place in Group B.

Final Group B Standings:

1. Argentina (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
2. Paraguay (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Uruguay (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Jamaica (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay (as one of the top two third-placed group finishers) advanced to the quarterfinal round.

MLS: Quakes, Caps, NYCFC, Impact, Galaxy, Timbers Grab Saturday Wins

Six games were played in  Major League Soccer on Saturday.

At Seattle:

Sanna Nyassi (28') and Matias Perez Garcia (73') delivered the goals as the San Jose Earthquakes knocked off the Seattle Sounders 2-0 on the road.

At Harrison, New Jersey:

David Ousted saved two Bradley Wright-Phillips penalty kicks while Kekuta Manneh (15') and Kianze Froese (77') each scored once as the Vancouver Whitecaps defeated the home-standing New York Red Bulls 2-1.

At Toronto:

David Villa (PK-8', 58') provided both goals in New York City's 2-0 road win over Toronto FC.

At Montreal:

Danny Toia (36') and Dominic Oduro (90'+3) delivered the goals in the Montreal Impact's 2-0 home blanking of Orlando City.

At Carson, California:

Five different goal scorers each tallied once, with Juninho scoring the ultimate game winner in the 35th minute as the Los Angeles Galaxy ran roughshod over the visiting Philadelphia Union 5-1.

At Portland, Oregon:

Maximiliano Urruti (34') and Gaston Fernandez (PK-61') each scored a goal as the Portland Timbers stretched their MLS-era winning streak to four league games (five in all competitions) with a 2-0 home blanking of the Houston Dynamo.  Goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey registered his seventh shutout of the season.