Monday, February 29, 2016

CFU Club Championship

Group-stage play in the CFU Club Championship commenced this past Wednesday.

GROUP ONE, with all games played at Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, Trinidad and Tobago:

Wednesday's games:

In the opening contest, Romeo Kastiel scored twice (31', 90'+2) as Inter Moengotapoe of Surinam defeated Guadeloupe's CS Molien 3-2.

In the nightcap, Jomal Williams (32', 68') and Jamal Charles (77', 90') each scored twice as W Connection, from the host country, doubled up Atlantico from the Dominican Republic 4-2.



Friday's Games:

Gregory Pokie scored the only goal of the match in the 31st minute as Inter Moengotapoe eliminated Atlantico from the tournament 1-0 in the opener.

In the nightcap, Jomal Williams scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 53rd minute as W Connection demolished CS Molien 5-1 and knockout out the club from Guadeloupe.



Sunday's games:

In the opener, Leinner Perez got the scoring going in the 18th minute as Atlantico demolished CS Molien 4-0.

In the nightcap, which decided the Group One title, Malix St. Prix scored the winning goal in the 81st minute as W Connection defeated Inter Moengotapoe 3-1 to lock up first place and a berth in the semifinal round.

Final Group One Standings:

1. W Connection (GP: 3; GD: +8; PTS: 9)
2. Inter Moengotapoe (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Atlantico (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
4. CS Molien (GP: 3; GD: -9; PTS: 0)



GROUP TWO

All games were contested at Sylvio Cator Stadium in Port-au-Prince, Haiti:

Wednesday's game:

In the opener, five different scorers, starting with Kenley Dede in the 44th minute, each tallied once as Don Bosco from the host nation destroyed Bermuda's Somerset Trojans 5-0.



Friday's game:

Dominique Mocka scored the winning goal in the 38th minute on a successful penalty kick as La Gauloise  eliminated Somerset Trojans 4-1.



Sunday's game:

In the match that decided the Group Two title, Junior Delva scored the winning goal in the 55th minute as Don Bosco defeated La Gauloise 3-1 and locked up a berth in the semifinals.

Final Group Two Standings:

1. Don Bosco (GP: 2; GD: +7; PTS: 6)
2. La Gauloise (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Somerset Trojans (GP: 2; GD: -8; PTS: 0)



GROUP THREE:

Action will start on Wednesday, March 9, with all games played at Montego Bay Sports Complex, Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Montego Bay United (Jamaica)

Central FC (Trinidad and Tobago)

Scholars International (Cayman Islands)

Each team will each other team twice.



GROUP FOUR:

Action will start this coming Wednesday with all games to be contested at Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Atletico Pantoja (Dominican Republic)

Arnett Gardens FC (Jamaica)

America des Cayes (Haiti)

SV Notch (Surinam)



SEMIFINAL ROUND:

Action begins on April 29 with the semifinal winners advancing to the May 1 final.  Both finalists and the winner of the third-place game (set for May 1 as well) will qualify for the 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League.







Sunday, February 28, 2016

CITIZENS BEAT REDS IN PK SHOOTOUT FOR LEAGUE CUP CROWN

At London:

After a 1-1 draw at the end of regulation, followed by 30 scoreless overtime minutes on Sunday, Jesus Navas, Sergio Aguero, and Yaya Toure converted their spot kicks as Manchester City won their fourth English Football League Cup title by winning the penalty-kick shootout 4-1 over Liverpool.

Citizens goalkeeper Willy Caballero made three saves during the shootout.

CAF Champions League: Preliminary Round Ends (Save For One Postponed Contest In Niger)

The CAF Champions League's preliminary round all but concluded on Sunday with eleven games.

At Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo:

A 1-0 home win in game two was more than good enough for AS Vita Club as the Congolese club finished off Mafunzo FC from Zanzibar 4-1 on aggregate.  Mthunzi Mkhontfo scored for the hosts in the 63rd minute.

At Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo:

Etoile du Congo blanked visiting AS Magnasport 3-0 in game two and by that same score on aggregate, knocked out the Gabonese club.

At Port Harcourt, Nigeria:

Mfon Udoh scored twice (PK-30', 61') as Enyimba International FC overcame their series-opening defeat in Uganda with a 2-0 game-two home victory over Vipers SC and took the series 2-1 on aggregate.

At Rwagasore, Burundi:

Despite a 1-0 home defeat in game two, Vital'O, with the aggregate score at 2-2, eliminated Lioli FC from Lesotho on away goals.

At Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso:

Doumande Siekoua scored the only goal of the match in the seventh minute as a 1-0 game-two road win for Stade Malien proved more than good enough for the club from Mali to win their series with RC Bobo Dioulasso 4-1 on aggregate.

At Conakry, Guinea:

Horoya AC demolished visiting AS Douanes Dakar 4-0 in game two, and with that same score on aggregate, polished off the Senegalese club.

At Bata, Equatorial Guinea:

A second straight four-goal victory for Recreativo do Libolo, this time by a 4-0 count on the road, completed the Angolan club's 9-1 aggregate series fist-beating of AD Racing de Micomeseng.

At Durban, South Africa:

After having been postponed from Saturday, the second contest between Kaiser Chiefs and visiting Volcan Club de Moroni was canceled due to the non-arrival of the club from Comoros and the South African club advanced to the first round by default.

At Abidjan, Ivory Coast:

A 0-0 home draw with AS CotonTchad was good enough for ASEC Mimosas as the club from Ivory Coast took out the club from Chad 1-0 on aggregate.

At Douala, Cameroon:

A 0-0 home stalemate with Nimba United from Liberia was more than good enough for Union Douala as the Cameroonian club won their series 3-1 on aggregate.

At Bejaia, Algeria:

MO Bejaia overcame their series-opening defeat with a 3-1 game-two home win over Ghana's Ashanti Gold and won their series 3-2 on aggregate.

The scheduled second match between AS Douanes Niamey and visiting Wydad Casablanca from Morocco has been postponed due to an ongoing strike at the airport in Niamey, Niger.



Here are the match-ups for the first round with the opening games to take place March 11-13 and the return contests on March 18-20.  The game-one hosts are listed first.

AS Vita Club (DRC) vs. Ferroviaro Maputo (Mozambique)

Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) vs. AC Leopards (ROC)

Warri Warriors (Nigeria) vs. Al-Merrikh (Sudan)

Etoile du Congo (ROC) vs. ES Setif (Algeria)

Wydad Casablanca (Morocco)/AS Douanes Niamey (Niger) series winner vs. CNaPS (Madagascar)

Saint George (Ethiopia) vs. TP Mazembe (DRC)

Enyimba International FC (Nigeria) vs. Vital'O (Burundi)

Qlympique Khouribga (Morocco) vs. Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia)

Stade Malien (Mali) vs. Coton Sport (Cameroon)

ZESCO United (Zambia) vs. Horoya AC (Guinea)

Armee Patriotique Rwandaise FC (Rwanda) vs. Young African (Tanzania)

Recreativo do Libolo (Angola) vs. Al-Ahly (Egypt) 

Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa) vs. ASEC Mimosas (Ivory Coast)

Al-Ahli Tripoli (Libya) vs. Al-Hilal Omdurman (Sudan)

Union Douala (Cameroon) vs. Zamalek SC (Egypt)

Club Africain (Tunisia) vs. MO Bejaia (Algeria)




Saturday, February 27, 2016

CAF Champions League

Action in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League continued on Saturday with six games.

At Pretoria, South Africa:

Mamelodi Sundowns overcame their series-opening defeat in Zimbabwe with a 2-0 home victory in game two over Chicken Inn FC and won their two-match series 2-1 on aggregate.

At Mahajanga, Madagascar:

At 1-0 game-two home win for CNaPS Sport lifted them to a 3-1 series-aggregate victory over Gor Mahia from Kenya.

At Victoria, Seychelles:

A 1-1 road draw in game two over St Michel United lifted Saint George SC (a.k.a. Kedus Giorgis) of Ethiopia to a 4-1 series victory on aggregate.

At Brikama, The Gambia:

A second 2-1 triumph for Morocco's Olympique Khouribga, this time on the road, lifted them to a 4-2 series victory on aggregate over Gamtel FC.

At Kigali, Rwanda:

Armee Patriotique Rwandaise FC, thanks to a dominating 4-1 road win in game two over Mbabane Swallows FC, won their two-match series 4-2 on aggregate.

At Dar es Salaam, Tanzania:

A 2-0 game-two home victory for Young Africans SC lifted the Tanzanian club to a 3-0 series victory on aggregate at the expense of Cercle de Joachim from Mauritius.




Friday, February 26, 2016

CAF Champions League: ZESCO United, Al-Ahli Tripoli, Club Africain Advance to First Round

The second half of the CAF Champions League's preliminary round opened on Friday with three games.

At Juba, South Sudan:

John Ching'andu scored the only goal of the match in the 90th minute as ZESCO United defeated Al-Ghazel FC 1-0 on the road in game two took out the South Sudanese club 3-0 on aggregate.

At Sousse, Tunisia:

In a contest played in Tunisia due to security concerns in Libya, a 0-0 game-two "home" stalemate with Mali's Onze Createurs was good enough for Al-Ahli Tripoli as the Libyan club won their two-match series 2-1 on aggregate.  Al-Ahli will face Sudan's Al-Hilal Omdurman in the first round in a two-game series to start weekend after next.

At Abidjan, Ivory Coast:

A 0-0 game-two road draw with AS Tanda enabled Tunisia's Club Africain to win their two-match series 2-0 on aggregate.

New Boss At FIFA

Will we see real reforms--------------or more of the same?

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Copa Libertadores

Action from the group stage of the Copa Libertadores continued on Thursday with four games.

GROUP ONE:

At Valera, Venezuela:

Ivan Alonso scored twice (78', 90') as Argentina's River Plate opened their continental club title defense with a 4-0 road demolition of Trujillanos.

Group One Standings:

1. River Plate (GP: 1; GD: +4; PTS: 3)
2. The Strongest (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Sao Paulo (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. Trujillanos FC (GP: 1; GD: -4; PTS: 4)



GROUP TWO:

At Rosario, Argentina:

Marcelo Larrondo's penalty kick in the 90th minute enabled Rosario Central to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Club Nacional.  Nicolas Lopez scored for the Uruguayan club in the 55th minute.

Group Two Standings:

1. Palmeiras (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
2. River Plate (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Club Nacional (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Rosario Central (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)

NOTES: Palmeiras gained a 2-2 road draw with River Plate of Uruguay on February 16; Club Nacional of Uruguay gained a 1-1 road draw with Rosario Central on Thursday.



GROUP SEVEN:

At Guayaquil, Ecuador:

Emanuel Herrera (PK-80') and Denis Stracqualursi (83') each scored a goal three minutes apart in the waning minutes as Club Sport Emelec blanked visiting Deportivo Tachira 2-0.



GROUP EIGHT:

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Luis Leal scored the winning goal in the 51st minute as Cerro Porteno held off visiting Cobresal 2-1.

Europa League: Reds, Yellow Canaries, Valencia, Young Eagles, Athletic, Dortmund, Spurs, Man U, Yellow Sub Advance To Round of 16

Fifteen games on Thursday marked the Europa League's Round of 32.

At Moscow:

Mehmet Topal's equalizer in the 83rd minute lifted Fenerbahce to a 1-1 game-two road draw with Lokomotiv Moscow, good enough for the Yellow Canaries to take out the Russian club 3-1 on aggregate.

At Vienna, Austria:

Rodrigo got the scoring started in the 59th minute as Valencia demolished Rapid Vienna 4-0 on the road in game two and completed their two-match annihilation of the Austrian club 10-0 on aggregate.

At Liverpool, England:

James Milner successfully converted his fifth-minute penalty kick to carry Liverpool to a 1-0 victory over visiting Augsburg, both in game two and the series on aggregate.

At Krasnodar, Russia:

Lukas Marecek (51'), Martin Frydek (57'), and Kehinde Fatai (70') each scored a second-half goal as Sparta Prague overcame their series-opening home defeat with a 3-0 game-two road domination of FC Krasnodar and ousted the Russian club 3-1 on aggregate.

At Rome:

Marco Parolo (59'), Felipe Anderson (61'), and Miroslav Klose (72') provided the second-half scoring as Lazio defeated visiting Galatasaray 3-1 in game two and won their series 4-2 on aggregate.

At Gelsenkirchen, Germany:

Marlos (27'), Facundo Ferreyra (63'), and Viktor Kovalenko (77') each tallied once as Shakhtar Donetsk dominated Schalke 3-0 on the road in game two and took care of the Royal Blues by that same score on aggregate.

At Bilbao, Spain:

Sabin Merino scored the series-winning goal in the 81st minute as Athletic Bilbao gained a game-two 1-1 home draw with Marseille and took the series 2-1 on aggregate.

At Leverkusen, Germany:

Karim Bellarabi scored twice (30', 65') as Bayer Leverkusen downed visiting Sporting CP 3-1 in game two and ousted the Lions 4-1 on aggregate.

At London:

Ryan Mason (25'), Erim Lamela (63'), and Gonzalo Javier Rodriguez (OG-81') provided the scoring as Tottenham Hotspur dominated visiting Fiorentina 3-0 in game two and finished off the Italian club 4-1 on aggregate.

At Porto, Portugal:

Iker Casillas' own goal in the 23rd minute carried Borussia Dortmund to a 1-0 game two road win over FC Porto and a 3-0 aggregate victory over the Dragons.

At Piraeus, Greece:

In lone series that would be decided in overtime, Konstantinos Fortounis' penalty kick in the 29th minute enabled Olympiacos to register a 1-0 game-two advantage at the end of regulation against visiting RSC Anderlecht, squaring the series at 1-1 on aggregate.  However, Frank Acheampong scored twice in overtime (103', 111') to help carry the Belgian club to a 3-1 series aggregate victory and a berth in the Round of 16.

At Manchester, England:

Marcus Rashford scored twice in the second half (64', 75') as Manchester United overcame their series-opening setback in Denmark with a 5-1 game-two home demolition of FC Midtjylland and a 6-3 series aggregate triumph.

At Molde, Norway:

Despite a 1-0 game-two road defeat against Molde FK, Sevilla still ousted the Norwegian club 3-1 on aggregate.

At Naples, Italy:

Tomas Pina's goal in the 59th minute enabled Villarreal to gain a game-two 1-1 road draw with Napoli and a 2-1 series aggregate win over the Italian club.

At Basel, Switzerland:

Luca Zuffi scored twice (15', 90'+2) as FC Basel won game two 2-1 at home over Saint-Etienne and, with the aggregate score at 4-4, advanced to the Round of 16 on away goals.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

CONCACAF Champions League: Tigres Blank Visiting RSL In Series Opener; Galaxy Held To Opening Scoreless Home Draw By Santos

The midway point of the CONCACAF Champions League's quarterfinal round was reached on Wednesday with two games.

At San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico:

Jose Rivas (67') and Jurgen Damm (86') each scored once in the final half-hour as Tigres blanked visiting Real Salt Lake 2-0 in the opening contest of their two-game series.

At Carson, California:

The series opener between the Los Angeles Galaxy and visiting Santos Laguna ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Copa Libertadores

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

GROUP THREE:

At Avellaneda, Argentina:

Roger Martinez scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 27th minute as Racing Club de Avellaneda dominated visiting Club Bolivar 4-1.

At Palmira, Colombia:

Deportivo Cali and visiting Boca Juniors battled to a 0-0 stalemate.

Group Three Standings:

1. Racing Club de Avellaneda (GP: 1; GD: +3; PTS: 3)
2. Boca Juniors (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Deportivo Cali (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Club Bolivar (GP: 1; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  Deportivo Cali and guests Boca Juniors played to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday.



GROUP FIVE:

At Santiago, Chile:

Esteban Paredes scored the lone goal of the match in the 64th minute as Colo-Colo defeated visiting FBC Melgar 1-0.

At Belo Horizonte, Brazil:

Lucas Pratto's goal in the third minute held up as Atletico Mineiro defeated visiting Independiente del Valle 1-0.

Group Five Standings:

1. Atletico Mineiro (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
2. Colo-Colo (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Independiente del Valle (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
4. FBC Melgar (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

UEFA Champions League: Goose Eggs In Eindhoven; Citizens Take Series Opener In Kiev

The UEFA Champions League's Round of 16 reached the midway point on Wednesday with two games.

At Eindhoven, Netherlands:
Ten-man PSV hold off Atlético
The opening match between Atletico Madrid and ten-man hosts PSV Eindhoven ended in a 0-0 stalemate.  Here, we see the Mattress Makers' Gabi (left) contesting with PSV's Marco van Ginkel for the ball.

At Kiev, Ukraine:
Touré drives home Manchester City's advantage
David Silva scored what proved to be the game winner in the 40th minute (shown here) as Manchester City took their series opener with Dynamo Kiev 3-1 on the road.

AFP/Getty Images photos

Europa League: 2-2 Home Draw With Sion Good Enough For SC Braga As Portuguese Club Makes Round of 16

At Braga, Portugal:

Goals from Josue Pesqueira (PK-27') and Nikola Stojiljkovic (48') carried SC Braga to a 2-2 game-two Wednesday home draw with FC Sion, good enough for the Portuguese club to take out the Swiss club 4-3 and advance to the Round of 16 in the Europa League.

AFC Champions League

Group-stage action in the AFC Champions League continued on Wednesday with eight contests.

GROUP C:

At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:

Yasser Al-Qahtani (60') and Yousef Al-Salem (84') each scored a goal as Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal gained a 2-2 road draw with Pakhtakor.  Igor Sergeev (70') and Davron Khashimov (89') each for once for the hosts.

At Tabriz, Iran:

Bakhtiar Rahmani scored twice (4', 59') as Tractor Sazi demolished visiting Al-Jazira 4-0.

Group C Standings:

1. Tractor Sazi (GP:1; GD: +4; PTS: 3)
2. Al-Hilal (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Pakhtakor Tashkent (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Al-Jazira (GP: 1; GD: -4; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia gained a 2-2 road draw with Pakhtakor Tashkent on Wednesday.



GROUP D:

At Al Ain, United Arab Emirates:

Romarinho scored the winning goal in the 45th minute as El Jaish knocked off hosts Al-Ain 2-1.

At Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:

Omar Al-Somah scored the winning goal in the 47th minute as Al-Ahli defeated visiting Nasaf Qarshi 2-1.

Group D Standings:

1. Al-Ahli (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. El Jaish (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Al-Ain (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. Nasaf Qarshi (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)



GROUP G:

At Melbourne, Australia:

Besart Berisha's successful penalty kick in the 73rd minute carried Melbourne Victory to a 2-1 home victory over Shanghai SIPG.

At Suwon, South Korea:

Suwon Samsung Bluewings and visiting Gamba Osaka battled to a 0-0 stalemate.

Group G Standings:

1. Melbourne Victory (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Suwon Samsung Bluewings (GD: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Gamba Osaka (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Shanghai SIPG (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  Suwon Samsung Bluewings played visiting Gamba Osaka to a 0-0 draw.



GROUP H:

At Saitama, Japan:

Yuki Muto (8') and Shinzo Koroki (PK-65') delivered the goals as Urawa Red Diamonds blanked visiting Sydney FC 2-0.

At Guangzhou, China:

South Korea's Pohang Steelers held hosts (and defending continental champions) Guangzhou Evergrande FC to a 0-0 stalemate.

Group H Standings:

1. Urawa Red Diamonds (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Guangzhou Evergrande FC (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Suwon Samsung Bluewings (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Sydney FC (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  Guangzhou Evergrande FC and guests Pohang Steelers played to a Wednesday 0-0 draw.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

CONCACAF Champions League: Queretaro Blank DC United While Champs Gain Series-Opening Road Draw With Sounders As Knockout Stage Starts

The knockout stage---------namely, the quarterfinal round------of the CONCACAF Champions League commenced with two games on Tuesday.

At Queretano, Mexico:

Yerson Candelo (71') and Edgar Benitez (83') each scored a goal as Queretaro blanked DC United 2-0 at home in the opening match of their two-game series.

At Seattle:

Darwin Quintero (45') and Oribe Peralta (70') each scored once as Club America battled back from two one-goal deficits to gain a 2-2 series-opening road draw with the Seattle Sounders.  Clint Dempsey contributed both of the Sounders' goals in the 44th and 52nd minutes.

Copa Libertadores

Action in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores resumed on Tuesday with two games. 

GROUP FOUR:

At Buenos Aires:

Marlos Moreno (44') and Orlando Berrio (81') each scored once as Atletico Nacional blanked Huracan 2-0 on the road.

Group Four Standings:

1. Atletico Nacional (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Penarol (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Sporting Cristal (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Huracan (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  Penarol gained a 1-1 road draw with Sporting Cristal on February 18.



GROUP SIX:

At Quito, Ecuador:

Diego Morales scored twice (49', 90'+1) as LDU Quito blanked visiting San Lorenzo 2-0.

Group Six Standings:

1. LDU Quito (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Toluca (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
3. Gremio (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)
4. San Lorenzo (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

UEFA Champions League: Leo The Lion Comes Through For Barca In Series Opener Against Gunners; Juve Battle Back From Two-Goal Hole To Gain 2-2 Home Draw With Bayern

Two games were played on Tuesday as the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League resumed.

At London:
Magical Messi casts spell over Arsenal in Barça win
Lionel Messi scored both goals (71', PK-83', that's him celebrating after his opening tally) in Barcelona's series-opening 2-0 road blanking of Arsenal.

Getty Images photo

At Turin, Italy:
Juventus fightback frustrates Bayern
Paulo Dybala (63') and Stefano Sturaro (76', that's him celebrating after scoring) each scored once as Juventus came back from two goals down to salvage a series-opening 2-2 home draw with Bayern Munich.  Thomas Muller (43') and Arjen Robben (55') delivered the scoring for the German powerhouse, who technically hold the series advantage due to away goals.

AFP/Getty Images photo

AFC Champions League

Group-stage play in the AFC Champions League commenced with eight games on Tuesday.

GROUP A:

At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:

Sardor Mirazev's equalizer in the 89th minute enabled Lokomotiv Tashkent to salvage a 1-1 home deadlock with Al-Ittihad.  Gelmin Rivas scored for the visiting Saudi club in the 34th minute.

At Isfahan, Iran:

Luciano Pereira Mendes, otherwise known as Chimba, scored both goals (14', 51') in Sepahan's 2-0 home blanking of Al-Nasr of the United Arab Emirates.

Group A Standings:

1. Sepahan FC (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Al-Ittihad (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Lokomotiv Tashkent (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Al-Nasr (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  Al-Ittihad gained a 1-1 road draw with Lokomotiv Tashkent on Tuesday.



GROUP B:

At Doha, Qatar:

Mehdi Rajabzadeh scored the only goal of the match in the 46th minute as Iran's Zob Ahan knocked off Lekhwiya 1-0 on the road.

At Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:

Dostonbek Khamdamov scored twice (3', 75') and Chaker Zouagi once (33') as FC Bunyodkor gained a 3-3 road draw with Al-Nassr.  Adrian Mierzejewski (PK-45'+1), Yahya Al-Shehri (79'), and Hussein Abdulghani (85') each scored once for the hosts, who battled back from two two-goal deficits to salvage the draw.

Group B Standings:

1. Zob Ahan Esfahan FC (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. FC Bunyodkor(GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Al-Nassr (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Lekhwiya SC (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0

NOTE:  FC Bunyodkor gained a 3-3 road draw with Al-Nassr on Tuesday.



GROUP E:

At Jeonju, South Korea:

Lee Dong-gook scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors defeated visiting FC Tokyo 2-1.

At Thu Dau Mot, Vietnam:

Nguyen Anh Duc's penalty kick in the 28th minute enabled Becamex Binh Duong salvaged a 1-1 home draw with Jiangsu FC.  Ji Xiang scored for the Chinese club in the 13th minute.

Group E Standings:

1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Jiangsu FC (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Becamex Binh Doung (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. FC Tokyo (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  Jiangsu FC gained a 1-1 road draw with Becamex Binh Doung on Tuesday.



GROUP F:

At Hiroshima, Japan:

Diego Tardelli's winning goal in the 78th minute carried Shandong Luneng to a 2-1 road victory over Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

At Buriram, Thailand:

Adriano delivered a quadruple (28', 40', 50', 60'), scoring twice in each half in the process, as FC Seoul destroyed Buriram United 6-0 on the road.

Group F Standings:

1. FC Seoul (GP: 1; GD: +6; PTS: 3)
2. Shandong Luneng FC (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Sanfrecce Hiroshima (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. Buriram United (GP: 1; GD: -6; PTS: 0)


Thursday, February 18, 2016

Copa Libertadores

Action in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores continued on Thursday with three games.

GROUP FOUR:

At Lima, Peru:

An equalizer from Alberto Junior Rodriguez in the 74th minute enabled Sporting Cristal to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Penarol.  Luis Aguiar scored for the Uruguayan club in the 39th minute.



GROUP FIVE:

At Sangolqui, Ecuador:

Jefferson Orejuela's equalizer in the 66th minute lifted Independiente del Valle to a 1-1 home draw with Colo-Colo.  Esteban Paredes scored in the 62nd minute for the Chilean club.

Group Five Standings:

1. Atletico Mineiro (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Colo-Colo (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Independiente del Valle (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. FBC Melgar (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

NOTE:  Colo-Colo gained a 1-1 road draw with Independiente del Valle on Thursday.

GROUP SEVEN:

At Mexico City:

Gerardo Alcoba scored the winning goal in the 69th minute as Pumas doubled up visiting Club Sport Emelec 4-2.

Group Seven Standings:

1. UNAM Pumas (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Deportivo Tachira (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Club Olimpia (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. Club Sport Emelec (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Europa League: Wolves Knock Off Red Devils; Spurs Gain Road Draw With Violets

Round-of-32 play in the Europa League continued on Thursday with 15 games.

At Florence, Italy:

Filippo Bernardeschi's equalizer in the 59th minute enabled Fiorentina to salvage a series-opening 1-1home draw with Tottenham Hotspur.  Nacer Chadli's successful penalty kick in the 37th minute resulted in a precious away goal for Spurs.

At Dortmund, Germany:

Lukasz Piszczek (6') and Marco Reus (71') each delivered a goal as Borussia Dortmund blanked visiting FC Porto 2-0 in their series opener.

At Brussels, Belgium:

Siregne Modou Kara Mbodji scored the only goal of RSC Anderlecht's series-opening 1-0 home win over Olympiacos in the 67th minute.

At Herning, Denmark:

Pione Sisto (44') and Paul Onuachu (77') provided the scoring as FC Midtjylland came from behind to upend visiting Manchester United 2-1 in the opening game of their two-match series.  Memphis Depay scored what could still be a vital away goal for the Red Devils in the 37th minute.

At Seville, Spain:

Fernando Llorente scored twice (35', 49') as Sevilla all but put away Molde FK with their series-opening 3-0 home domination of the Norwegian club.

At Villarreal, Spain:

Denis Suarez scored the lone goal of the match in the 82nd minute as Villarreal took the opening game of their series with Napoli 1-0 at home.

Saint-Etienne, France:

Jean Christophe Bahebeck scored the winning goal in the 77th minute as Saint-Etienne topped visiting FC Basel 3-2 in game one.  Moustapha Bayal Sall (9') and Kevin Monnet-Paquet (39') also scored for the hosts while Walter Samuel (44') and Marc Janko (PK-56') each scored once to keep the Swiss club in the series.

At Valencia, Spain:

Santi Mina scored twice (4', 25') as Valencia scored five goals in the first half, en route to a series-opening 6-0 home annihilation of Rapid Vienna.

At Augsburg, Germany:

The opening match between FC Augsburg and visiting Liverpool ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

At Prague, Czech Republic:

Lukas Julis scored the only goal of the match in the 64th minute as Sparta Prague defeated visiting FC Krasnodar 1-0 in the opening contest of the clubs' two-game series.

At Istanbul, Turkey:

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic netted the equalizer in the 21st minute as Lazio gained a series-opening 1-1 road draw with Galatasaray.  Sabri Sarioglu scored for the hosts in the 12th minute.

At Sion, Switzerland:

Rafa Silva scored the winning goal in the 61st minute as SC Braga knocked off FC Sion 2-1 on the road in game one.

At Lviv, Ukraine (Due to war conditions in Eastern Ukraine):

Schalke gained a series-opening 0-0 road deadlock with Shakhtar Donetsk.

At Marseilles, France:

Aritz Aduriz scored the lone goal of Athletic Bilbao's series-opening 1-0 road win over Marseille in the 54th minute.

At Lisbon:

Karim Bellarabi came through for Bayer Leverkusen as his goal in the 26th minute lifted the German club to a series-opening 1-0 triumph on the road over Sporting CP.