UEFA Cup Group Stage, MatchDay #3: Citizens, Rossoneri, Saint-Etienne, CSKA Clinch Knockout Stage Berths

Matchday #3 in group stage play in the UEFA Cup took place on Thursday with 16 contests.

Group A:

At Gelsenkirchen, Germany:

Benjani Mwaruwari (32') and Stephen Ireland (66') provided the scoring punch that lifted Manchester City to a 2-0 road win over Schalke to lock up a berth in the knockout stage (which begins in February with the round of 32).

At Paris:

Gonzalo Colsa provided the equalizer at 55 minutes to lift Racing Santander back from a two-goal deficit to gain a 2-2 road draw with PSG.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Manchester City* (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Schalke (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. FC Twente (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Racing Santander (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 2)
5. Paris Saint-Germain (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

*Advanced to the UEFA Cup knockout stage

Group B:

At Istanbul, Turkey:

Edmar scored the only goal of the match at 81 minutes as visiting FC Metalist Kharkiv defeated Galatasaray 1-0.

At Athens, Greece:

Diogo Luis Santo's double (24', 53') was just part of an offensive barrage that lifted Olympiacos to a 5-1 home win over SL Benfica.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Galatasaray (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
2. FC Metalist Kharkiv (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Olympiacos (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 3)
4. Hertha Berlin (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
5. SL Benfica (GP: 3; GD: -6; PTS: 1)

Group C:

At Genoa, Italy:

Visiting VfB Stuttgart and Sampdoria battled to a 1-1 deadlock. Ciprian Marica scored at 8 minutes for VfB, but the Genoan club's Paolo Sammarco knocked in the equalizer at 39 minutes.

At Belgrade, Serbia:

Igor De Camargo provided the only goal of the match (36') as Standard de Liege eliminated Partizan Belgrade from European competition with a 1-0 road triumph.

GROUP C STADINGS:

1. Standard de Liege (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
2. Sampdoria (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. VfB Stuttgart (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Sevilla (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
5. Partizan Belgrade# (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 0)

#Eliminated from European Competition

Group D:

At Nijmegen, Netherlands:

Jamie O'Hara's goal at 14 minutes held as Tottenham Hotspur moved closer to a UEFA Cup knockout stage berth with a 1-0 road win over NEC Nijmegen.

At Zagreb, Croatia:

Ivan Saenko provided the game's lone score (75') as Spartak Moscow defeated Dinamo Zagreb on the road 1-0.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Tottenham Hotspur (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Udinese (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
3. Spartak Moscow (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Dinamo Zagreb (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 3)
5. NEC Nijmegen (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Group E:

At Portsmouth, England:

Goals late in the second half from Ronaldinho (84') and Filippo Inzaghi (90'+2) lifted AC Milan from a two-goal deficit and gain a 2-2 road draw with Portsmouth, enabling the Rossoneri to claim a spot in the Round of 32. Younes Kaboul (62') and Mwankwo Kanu (73') each scored a second half tally for Pompey.

At Braga, Portugal:

Zvjezdan Misimovic's late second-half double (PK-83', 90'+4) pulled visiting VfL Wolfsburg to a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Sporting Braga.

GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. AC Milan* (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. VfL Wolfsburg (GP: 2; GD: +5; PTS: 6)
3. Sporting Braga (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
4. Portsmouth (GP: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 1)
5. SC Heerenveen (GP: 2; GD: -6; PTS: 0)

Group F:

At Zilina, Slovakia:

Visiting Slavia Prague and MSK Zilina battled to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Hamburg, Germany:

Leonardo scored the only goal of the match (77') as Ajax Amsterdam shut out hosts Hamburg 1-0.

GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Aston Villa (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
2. Ajax Amsterdam (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. Hamburg (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Slavia Prague (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
5. MSK Zilina (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

Group G:

At Bruges, Belgium:

Saint-Etienne locked up a berth in the knockout stage with a 1-1 road draw with Club Brugge. David Gigliotti put the French club ahead at 44 minutes before the hosts' Ronald Vargas equalized in the 50th minute.

At Trondheim, Norway:

Four different goal scorers---Juan Mata (21'), Pablo Hernandez (76'), Ruben Baraja (88'), and Joaquin (90')---each tallied once as Valencia belted Rosenborg on the road 4-0. The Spanish club got their revenge on their Norwegian hosts, who beat them twice in group stage play in last year's Champions League.

GROUP G STADINGS:

1. Saint-Etienne* (GP: 3; GD: +5; PTS: 7)
2. Valencia (GP: 2; GD: +4; PTS: 4)
3. Club Brugge (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
4. FC Copenhagen (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)
5 Rosenborg (GP: 3; GD: -7; PTS: 1)

* Advanced to the UEFA Cup group stage

Group H:

At Moscow:

Goals courtesy of Alan Dzagoev (31') and Yuri Zhirkov (45'+1) enabled CSKA Moscow to hold off Poland's KKS Lech Poznan 2-1 and claim a berth in the UEFA Cup knockout stage.

At La Coruna, Spain:

Alberto Lopo (30') and Andres Guardado (51') each scored a goal to help lift Deportivo La Coruna to a 3-0 home win over Feyenoord Rotterdam, knocking the Dutch club out of European competition.

GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. CSKA Moscow* (GP: 3; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
2. AS Nancy (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 4)
3. Deportivo La Coruna (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. KKS Lech Poznan (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
5. Feyenoord Rotterdam# (GP: 3; GD: -8; PTS: 0)

*Advanced to the UEFA Cup knockout stage
#Eliminated from European competition

Oceania Has A Champions League, Too

Group stage play in the Oceania Champions League, commonly referred to as the "O-League" resumed this past Saturday:

Pool A:

At Waitakere City, New Zealand:

Waitakere United smothered visiting Port Vila Sharks (Vanuatu) 3-0. Roy Krishna scored twice for the hosts.

POOL A STANDINGS:

1. Waitakere United (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 4)
2. Auckland City FC (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Port Vila Sharks (GP: 1; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

Pool B:

At Honiara, Solomon Islands:

Koloale FC defeated the visiting Hekari Souths (Papua New Guinea) 3-1. Richard Anisua scored once (PK-36') as did Nicholas Muri (38') for the hosts.

POOL B STANDINGS:

1. Koloale FC (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
2. Ba FC (Fiji) (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Hekari Souths (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage: Brian Ching Goal Sends Dynamo To Quarterfinals

Group stage action in the CONCACAF Champions League concluded on Wednesday night.

Group B:

At Houston:

Brian Ching provided the game's only goal (13') as the Houston Dynamo defeated visiting Luis Angel Firpo (El Salvador) 1-0 to lock up a berth in the quarterfinal round.

FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. UNAM Pumas (GP: 6; GD: +11; PTS: 12)
2. Houston Dynamo (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 9)
3. L. A. Firpo (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 8)
4. San Francisco FC (GP: 6; GD: -9; PTS: 2)

The Houston Dynamo and Mexico's UNAM Pumas advanced to the quarterfinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League

UEFA CL Group D: Atletico and Liverpool Clinch Sweet 16 Berths

Wednesday play in Group D:

At Madrid:

Goals from Simao (14') and Maxi Rodriguez (28', he's seen here celebrating with teammates) enabled Atletico Madrid to hold off visiting PSV Eindhoven 2-1 to lay claim to a berth in the Round of 16.

At Liverpool, England:

Steven Gerard's goal at 23 minutes was the only tally of the game which saw Liverpool lock up a knockout stage berth with their 1-0 home win over Marseille. Here's ol' Steven, celebrating with teammates.



GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Atletico Madrid** (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 11)
2. Liverpool** (GP: 5; GD: +4; PTS: 11)
3. Marseille (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. PSV Eindhoven (GP: 5; GD: -7; PTS: 3)

**Advanced to the UEFA Champions League knockout stage

Both Photos © Getty Images

UEFA CL Group C: Barca Smother Sporting; Shakhtar Lock Up UEFA Cup Knockout Berth

Wednesday action in Group C:

At Donetsk, Ukraine:

Jadson's hat trick (32', 65', 72', he's pictured celebrating after that third goal) helped lead Shakhtar Donetsk to a 5-0 home brassknuckling of FC Basel, clinching a UEFA Cup knockout stage berth for the hosts.

At Lisbon, Portugal:

In a battle of clubs already bound for the round of 16, Barcelona overpowered homestanding Sporting CP 5-2. Five different goal scorers--Thierry Henry (14'), Gerard Pique (17'), Lionel Messi (49'), Sporting's Marco Caneira (OG-67'), and Bojan Krkic (PK-73', he's pictured here celebrating)---each scored once for Barca, who clinched first place in Group C.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Barcelona*** (GP: 5; GD: +11; PTS: 13)
2. Sporting CP** (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 9)
3. Shakhtar Donetsk* (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
4. FC Basel 1893# (GP: 5; GD: -13; PTS: 1)

***Won Group C and advanced to the UEFA Champions League knockout stage
**Advanced to the UEFA Champions League knockout stage
*Clinched berth in the UEFA Cup knockout stage
#Eliminated from European competition


Both Photos © Getty Images

UEFA CL Group B: Inter Advance To Sweet 16 Dispite Home Loss; Anorthosis Blow 2-Goal Home Lead And Fall To Third

Wednesday action in Group B:

At Rome:

Jose Sarriegi scored the only goal of the match (69', pictured here) as Panathinaikos moved into second place in Group B with their 1-0 road win over Inter Milan. Despite the defeat the Nerozzurri advanced to the knockout stage.

At Nicosia, Cyprus:

Thanks to late second-half goals from Diego (PK-72') and Hugo Almeida (87'), Werder Bremen came back from a two-goal deficit to gain a 2-2 draw with Anorthosis Famagusta FC. Despite the win, the best the German club can do is finish third. Pictured here are Werder's Clemens Fritz taking the ball away from the Cypriot club's Hawar Taher.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Inter Milan** (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 8)
2. Panathinaikos (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
3. Anorthosis Famagusta FC (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
4. Werder Bremen (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 4)

Both Photos © Getty Images

UEFA CL Group A: Roma Overpower Cluj; Bordeaux Gain Home Draw With Chelsea

Action from Matchday #5 in the UEFA Champions League continued on Wednesday:

At Bordeaux, France:

Alou Diarra provided the equalizer at 83 minutes (he's seen here celebrating), enabling Bordeaux to remain alive for a knockout stage berth with their 1-1 home draw with Chelsea. Nicola Anelka provided the Blues with a short-lived go-ahead tally at 60 minutes.

At Cluj-Napoca, Romania:

Matteo Brighi scored twice (11', 64', he's seen here celebrating after his second tally) and Francesco Totti added one (23') as visiting AS Roma closed in on a knockout-stage berth with a 3-1 win over CFR Cluj, eliminating the Transylvanian club from European competition.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. AS Roma (GP: 5; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
2. Chelsea (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
3. Bordeaux (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 7)
4. CFR Cluj# (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 4)

#Eliminated from European competition

Both Photos © Getty Images

Some Faces Seattle Bound

Major League Soccer held its expansion draft on Wednesday, with ten players selected by Seattle Sounders FC, who will begin play next season. Eugene, Oregon native Nate Jaqua was selected from the Houston Dynamo.

Nate will still be playing for the Dynamo tonight when they host the CONCACAF Champions League group stage finale against El Salvador's Luis Angel Firpo with a quarterfinal berth on the line.

UEFA CL Group H:Juve Knock Zenit Into UEFA Cup Play: Galacticos Clinch Berth In Final 16

Tuesday play in Group H:

At Saint Petersburg, Russia:

Knockout stage-bound Juventus held Zenit Saint Petersburg to a 0-0 draw on the road, knocking the Russian champs out of Champions League contention. Zenit will, nevertheless, play in the knockout stage of the UEFA Cup, where they are the current cupholders. Pictured here are Zenit's Andrei Arshavin and The Old Lady's Giorgio Chiellini battling for the ball.

At Minsk, Belarus:

Raul Gonzalez (seen here mobbed by teammates) scored the game's only goal at 7 minutes as Real Madrid clinched a berth in the knockout stage with their 1-0 road win over BATE Borisov, in the process, knocking the Belorussian club out of contention for further European competition.

GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Juventus** (GP: 5; GD: +4; PTS: 11)
2. Real Madrid** (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 9)
3. Zenit Saint Petersburg* (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
4. BATE Borisov# (GP: 5; GD: -5; PTS: 2)

**Advanced to the UEFA Champions League knockout stage
*Clinched a berth in the UEFA Cup knockout stage
#Eliminated from European Competition

Both Photos © Getty Images

UEFA CL Group G: Gunners and Dragons Reach Knockout Stage

Tuesday action in Group G:

At Istanbul, Turkey:

Lisandro's first-half double (19', 28', he's seen here, third from left, celebrating) held up as FC Porto held off Fenerbahce for a knockout-stage-berth-clinching 2-1 road win.

At London:

Nicklas Bendtner scored the only goal of the match at 87 minutes as Arsenal defeated visiting Dynamo Kiev 1-0 to clinch a place in the Sweet Sixteen. Here's Nick, saluting the Arsenal fans following the Gunners' victory.

GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Arsenal** (GP: 5; GD: +8; PTS: 11)
2. FC Porto** (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 9)
3. Dynamo Kiev (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 5)
4. Fenerbahce (GP: 5; GD: -6; PTS: 2)

**Advanced to the UEFA Champions League knockout stage

Both Photos © Getty Images

UEFA CL Group F: Lyon and Bayern Munich Seal Knockout Stage Berths

Tuesday action in Group F:

At Munich, Germany:

Miroslav Klose scored twice in the second half (57', 71', he's seen here celebrating one of his goals) as Bayern Munich busted open a deadlocked contest and overpowered visiting Steaua Bucharest 3-0. The win locked up a knockout stage berth for the defending Bundesliga champs.

At Florence, Italy:

Karim Benzema scored the game winner at 77 minutes (he's seen here celebrating) as Lyon locked up a place in the round of 16 with a 2-1 road win over Fiorentina.

GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Lyon** (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 11)
2. Bayern Munich** (GP: 5; GD: +7; PTS: 11)
3. Fiorentina (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 3)
4. Steaua Bucharest (GP: 5; GD: -8; PTS: 1)

**Clinched UEFA Champions League knockout stage berth

Both Photos © Getty Images

UEFA CL Group Stage , Matchday #5 (Group E): Red Devils and Yellow Submarine Draw To Advance To Knockout Stage; Aalborg Clinch UEFA Cup Berth

Group stage play in the UEFA Champions League resumed on Tuesday.

Group E:

At Villarreal, Spain:

Manchester United and Villarreal played to a 0-0 stalemate which enabled both clubs to advance to the round of 16. Here, we see the Red Devils' Cristiano Ronaldo sizing up a free kick.

At Aalborg, Denmark:

Thanks to Caca's 73rd-minute equalizer (he's seen here celebrating) and Celtic's Gary Caldwell's own goal (87'), Aalborg BK came from behind to register a 2-1 home win over Celtic to lay claim to a berth in the final 32 of the UEFA Cup.

GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Manchester United** (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
2. Villarreal** (GP: 5; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
3. Aalborg BK* (GP: 5; GD: -5; PTS: 5)
4. Celtic# (GP: 5; GD: -5; PTS: 2)

**Advanced to UEFA Champions League knockout stage
*Qualified for UEFA Cup knockout stage
#Eliminated from European competition

Both Photos © Getty Images

Montreal Group Pulls Plug On MLS Expansion Bid

Now, there are six cities bidding for two 2011 Major League Soccer expansion clubs.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber anounced this past Friday that the Montreal group, fronted by George Gillett, who is part owner of Liverpool FC as well as owner of the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens, have pulled the plug on their attempt to bring an MLS expansion club into Montreal due to economic problems.

Atlanta, Miami, Ottawa, Portland, St. Louis, and Vancouver are still in the running.

Three GBS Assists Power Crew To Their First MLS Crown

At Carson, California:

Thanks to goals from Alejandro Moreno (31'), Chad Marshall (53'), and Frankie Hejduk (82'), the Columbus Crew won the Major League Soccer championship for the first time in their 13-year history, defeating the New York Red Bulls 3-1, with John Wolyniec scoring the lone New York goal at 51 minutes. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who was recently named the Most Valuable Player in MLS for the 2008 season, assisted on all three Crew goals. Here are the jubilant Columbus Crew players with the Philip Anschutz Trophy.

Associated Press Photo

World Cup Qualifying (CONCACAF): Freddy Adu's Goal Helps Team USA Eliminate Guatemala; T&T, Mexico, Honduras Advance

The third round of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup from the CONCACAF region concluded Wednesday:

Group One:

At Commerce City, Colorado:

Goals from Kenny Cooper, Jr. (54') and Freddy Adu (69', his first for the US National Team) paced the United States to a 2-0 home win over Guatemala, eliminating the visitors from contention for a spot in next year's final qualifying round.

At Port Of Spain, Trinidad:

Kenwyne Jones (67'), Dwight Yorke (69'), and Keon Daniel (89') provided second-half goals as Trinidad and Tobago locked up a berth in the final qualifying round as they busted open a stalemated contest and overpowered visiting Cuba 3-0.

FINAL GROUP ONE STANDINGS:

1. United States (GP: 6; GD: +11; PTS: 15)
2. Trinidad and Tobago (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 11)
3. Guatemala (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
4. Cuba (GP: 6; GD: -13; PTS: 3)

The United States and Trinidad and Tobago advanced to the final round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Group Two:

At San Pedro Sula, Honduras:

Thanks to Ricardo Osorio's own goal (52'), Honduras locked up a berth in the final qualifying round with a 1-0 home win over Mexico. Despite the loss, the Mexicans still advanced as well because of their superior goal differential vis-a-viv Jamaica (+3 to 0)

At Kingston, Jamaica:

Goals from Luton Shelton (27'), Marlon King (PK-57'), and Omar Cummings (86'), Jamica manhandled visiting (and already-eliminated) Canada 3-0. The Reggae Boyz were still eliminated, however, because of their inferior overall goal differential in comparison to that of Mexico.

FINAL GROUP TWO STANDINGS:

1. Honduras (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 12)
2. Mexico (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 10)
3. Jamaica (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 10)
4. Canada (GP: 6; GD: -7; PTS: 2)

Honduras and Mexico (in their case, due to superior overall goal differential in comparison to that of Jamaica) advanced to the final qualifying round.

Group Three:

At Paramarimbo, Suriname:

In a battle of eliminated teams, Wensley Christoph's equalizer (41') enabled Suriname to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Haiti. Leonel Saint-Preux provided the Haitians' goal at 30 minuts.

At San Salvador, El Salvador:

In a battle of teams already bound for the final qualifying round, Roy Myrie scored twice (23', 90'+4) to help lead Costa Rica to a 3-1 road win over El Salvador.

FINAL GROUP THREE STANDINGS:

1. Costa Rica (GP: 6; GD: +17; PTS: 18)
2. El Salvador (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 10)
3. Haiti (GP: 6; GD: -9; PTS: 3)
4. Suriname (GP: 6; GD: -15; PTS: 2)

Costa Rica and El Salvador advanced to the final qualifying round.

Road Draw Clinches African Club Title For Al Ahly

At Garoua, Cameroon:

Goals from Ahmed Hassan (38') and Shady Mohamed (89') enabled Al Ahly to gain a 2-2 road draw with Cotonsport Garoua in game two of the final of the 2008 CAF Champions League, thus enabling the Egyptian club to win the championship 4-2 on aggregate.

Here are some happy members of the newly-crowned club champions of the African continent celebrating with the CAF Champions League trophy.

Photo © AFP

Al Ahly claimed their sixth African club championship with their latest CAF Champions League triumph and will play in next month's FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.

Dave van der Bergh Sends Red Bulls To Their First MLS Cup Final

At Sandy, Utah:

Dave van der Bergh scored the only goal of the Western Conference final (28') on Saturday night as the New York Red Bulls defeated homestanding Real Salt Lake 1-0 to reach the first MLS Cup final in the franchise's 13-year history.

Next up for the artists formerly known as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (they were renamed in 2006) is the MLS Cup final against the Columbus Crew (another original MLS club making their finals debut) next Sunday at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

With the Red Bulls and Crew in the final, FC Dallas (renamed in 2005 from the Dallas Burn) becomes the only surviving original MLS club to have yet to reach the championship game.

Eddie Gaven Goal Sends Crew To Their First MLS Cup Final

At Columbus, Ohio:

Second-half goals from Chad Marshall (49') and Eddie Gaven (55') enabled the Columbus Crew to come back from a 1-0 halftime deficit at home Thursday night to defeat the Chicago Fire 2-1 to win the Eastern Conference championship game and reach the Major League Soccer MLS Cup final for the first time in their 13-year history. Brian McBride scored the lone Chicago goal in the 29th minute.

The Crew will face the winner of Saturday's Western Conference final between the New York Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake at Sandy, Utah.

Regardless of what happens Saturday, the November 23 final at Carson, California's Home Depot Center will be a matchup of two teams making their MLS Cup final debuts. It will be first time that has happened since DC United defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy in the inaugural edition, played at Foxboro, Massachusetts in 1996.

Lucas Is The Man As Gamba Osaka Claim Asian Club Title

At Adelaide, Australia:

Lucas Severino's early first-half goals (4',15') provided all the scoring on Wednesday as Gamba Osaka blanked hosts Adelaide United 2-0 in game two to win the AFC Champions League final two-match series 5-0 on aggregate. Here's Cool Hand Luke, seen here, scoring one of his two goals in this Rob Griffith photo from Associated Press.

Gamba Osaka will now move on to next month's FIFA Club World Cup tournament, which will be played in Japan.

MLS Playoffs: Dynamo Dethroned

The opening round of the Major League Soccer playoffs concluded Sunday.

At Houston:

The New York Red Bulls, with goals from Dane Richards (25'), Juan Pablo Angel (36'), and John Wolyniec (81'), smothered the two-time defending MLS champions Houston Dynamo 3-0 on the road in the second game of their two-match Western Conference semifinal series, enabling them to take the series 4-1 on aggregate.

Next up for the Red Bulls, the Western Conference final next Saturday against Real Salt Lake at Sandy, Utah.

Oceania Has A Champions League, Too

Back on November 1, group stage play began in the 2008-09 Oceania Champions League.

Pool A:

At Auckland, New Zealand:

In a battle of teams from New Zealand, visiting Waitakere United held Auckland FC to a 2-2 draw.

POOL A STANDINGS:

At Ba, Fiji:

Visiting Koloale FC (Solomon Islands) and Ba FC battled to a 0-0 stalemate:

POOL B STANDINGS:

1. Ba FC (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
2. Koloale FC (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Hekari Souths (Papua New Guinea) (GP: 0; GD: 0; PTS: 0)

Both games were played on November 1. Action resumes on November 22. Port Vila Sharks will travel to Waitakere United while Hekari South will pay a visit on Koloale FC.

1. Auckland FC (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
2. Waitakere United (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Port Vila Sharks (Vanuatu) (GP: 0; GD: 0; PTS: 0)

Pool B:

MLS Playoffs: Crew and RSL Advance

The opening round of the Major League Soccer playoffs continued on Saturday.

Eastern Conference:

At Columbus, Ohio:

Goals from Brad Evans (7') and Robbie Rogers (57') lifted the Columbus Crew to a 2-0 home win in game two of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Kansas City Wizards, enabling the Crew to win their two-match set 3-1 on aggregate. Next up for Columbus, the Eastern Conference final, to be played this coming Thursday at home against the Chicago Fire.

Western Conference:

At Carson, California:

A 2-2 road draw was good enough for Real Salt Lake as they took their two-match set with Chivas USA 3-2 on aggregate. Dema Kovalenko (39') and Javier Morales (77') provided the scoring for RSL. Sacha Kljestan (30') and Justin Braun (83') each scored once for the Goats. RSL will face the winner of the New York-Houston series (to be decided Sunday in Houston) in the Western Conference final.

MLS Playoffs: Fire Trample Revs In Game 2 To Reach East Final

The Major League Soccer playoffs continued Thursday.

At Bridgeview, Illinois:

Goals from Chris Rolfe (45'+2), Wilman Conde (49'), and Gonzalo Segares (74') lifted the Chicago Fire to a 3-0 home win in game two of their two-match set against the New England Revolution, enabling the hosts to dethrone the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions 3-0 on aggregate in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Fire will next play in the one-match conference final against Kansas City or Columbus.

UEFA Cup Group Stage, Matchday # 2

Thursday marked Matchday #2 in the UEFA Cup:

Group A:

At Santander, Spain:

Orlando Englaar's equalizer enable Schalke to gain a 1-1 road stalemate with Racing Santander.

At Manchester England:

Goals from Shawn Wright-Phillips (2'), Robinho (57'), and Benjani Mwaruwari (62') enabled Manchester City to hold off visiting FC Twente 3-2.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. FC Schalke 04 (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
2. Manchester City (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. FC Twente (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Racing Santander (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
5. Paris Saint-Germain (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)



Group B:

At Kharov, Ukraine:

Hertha Berlin held homestanding FC Metalist Kharkiv to a 0-0 deadlock.

At Lisbon:

Goals from Emre Asik (51') and Umit Karan (69') enabled visiting Galatasaray to blank SL Benfica 2-0.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Galatasaray (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Hertha Berlin (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
3. Metalist (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. SL Benfica (GP; 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
5. Olympiacos (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)



Group C:

At Stuttgart, Germany:

Super Mario Gomez was just that as his double (77', 80') lifted VfB Stuttgart to a 2-0 home win over Partizan Belgrade.

At Liege, Belgium:

Royal Standard de Liege racked up a 1-0 home win over Sevilla. Dieudonne Mbokani scored the game's lone goal at 38 minutes.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Sampdoria (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Sevilla (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Standard de Liege (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
4. VfB Stuttgart (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
5. Partizan Belgrade (GP: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 0)



Group D:

At Moscow:

Fabio Quagliarella's double (12', PK-60') lifted Udinese to a 2-1 road win over Spartak Moscow.

At London:

Darren Bent's hat trick (30', 33', 70') helped guide Tottenham Hotspur to a 4-0 home fistbeating of Dinamo Zagreb.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Udinese (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Tottenham Hotspur (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
3. Dinamo Zagreb (GP: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
4. NEC Nijmegen (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
5. Spartak Moscow (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)



Group E:

At Wolfsburg, Germany:

Edin Dzenko's double (34', 61') was just part of an offensive barrage that carried VfL Wolfsburg to a 5-1 home horsewhipping of SC Heerenveen.

At Milan, Italy:

Ronaldinho scored the game's only goal in second half stoppage time (90'+3) as AC Milan defeated visiting Sporting Braga 1-0.

GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. AC Milan (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. VfL Wolfsburg (GP: 1; GD: +4; PTS: 3)
3. Sporting Braga (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
4. Portsmouth (GP: 1; GD: -3; PTS: 0)
5. SC Heerenveen (GP: 2; GD: -6; PTS: 0)



Group F:

At Amsterdam, Netherlands:

Luis Suarez provided the match's only tally (41') as Ajax Amsterdam defeated visiting MSK Zilina 1-0.

At Prague, Czech Republic:

John Carew registered the game's lone goal (26') as visiting Aston Villa shut out Slavia Prague 1-0.

GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Aston Villa (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
2. Hamburg (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Ajax (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Slavia Prague (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
5. MSK Zilina (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 0)



Group G:

At Saint-Etienne, France:

With goals courtesy of Ilan (59'), Paulo Machado (63'), and Kevin Mirallas (76'), Saint-Etienne broke open a match that was scoreless at halftime and ended up overpowering visiting Rosenborg 3-0.

At Seville:

Cesar Santin's late equalizer (85') lifted FC Copenhagen to a 1-1 road draw with Sevilla, whose Fernando Morientes had scored in the 61st minute.

GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Saint-Etienne (GP: 2; GD: +5; PTS: 6)
2. Valencia (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. Club Brugg (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS 1)
4. FC Copenhagen (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)
5. Rosenborg (GP: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 1)



Group H:

At Poznan, Poland:

Monzef Zenka's 81st-minute equalizer enabled AS Nancy to gain a 2-2 road draw with Lech Poznan. Chris Malonga scored the French club's other goal at 10 minutes. Slawomir Peszko (5') and Semir Stilic (22') provided the hosts' goals.

At Rotterdam, Netherlands:

Vagner Love scored twice (40', 81') as CSKA Moscow picked up a 3-1 road win at Feyenoord's expense.

GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. CSKA Moscow (GP: 2; GD: +5; PTS: 6)
2. AS Nancy (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 4)
3. Lech Poznan (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Deportivo La Coruna (GP: 1; GD: -3; PTS: 0)
5. Feyenoord Rotterdam (GP: 2; GD: -5; PTS: 0)

CONCACAF Champions League: Marathon Knock Saprissa Out Of Knockout Stage

Group stage play in the CONCACAF Champions League continued Wednesday night.

Group A:

At San Pedro Sula, Honduras:

In a match postponed from last month due to flooding, Marathon, which already clinched a berth in the quarterfinals, blanked Deportivo Saprissa 2-0 at home, thanks to goals from Marvin Chavez (11') and Milton Nunez (75'). The loss eliminated the Costa Rican club from knockout stage contention and put Mexico's Cruz Azul in the final eight.

FINAL GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Marathon (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 13)
2. Cruz Azul (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
3. Deportivo Saprissa (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 10)
4. DC United (GP: 6; GD: -9; PTS: 1)

Marathon and Cruz Azul clinched quarterfinal round berths.

UEFA CL Group H: 2-0 Home Wins For Juve and Zenit

Wednesday Group H action in the UEFA Champions League:

At Minsk, Belarus:

Pavel Pogrebnyak (34', he's pictured here) and Danny (90'+4) each provided a goal as Zenit Saint Petersburg played themselves back into the race for a spot in the knockout round with their first win, 2-0 on the road against BATE Borisov.

At Madrid:

Alessandro Del Piero scored both goals (17', 67', he's pictured here celebrating after his first tally) as Juventus defeated Real Madrid on the road 2-0 to clinch a knockout stage berth.


GROUP H:

1. Juventus* (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
2. Real Madrid (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Zenit Saint Petersburg (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. BATE Borisov (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 2)

*Clinched knockout stage berth

Both Photos © Getty Images

UEFA CL Group G: Gunners and Yello Canaries Draw; Dragons Overtake Dynamo Kiev Into Second Place

Wednesday action from Group G:

At London:

Visiting Fenerbahce held group leading Arsenal to a 0-0 stalemate. Here, we see the Gunners' Kolo Taure battling the Yellow Canaries' Ugur Boral.

At Kiev, Ukraine:

Second-half scores courtesy of Rolando (69') and Lucho (90'+2, he's pictured here being congratulated by grateful teammates) allowed FC Porto to come from behind and sting Dynamo Kiev 2-1 on the road. The win enabled the Dragons to overtake the Ukrainian club to take over second place in Group G.


GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Arsenal (GP: 4; GD: +7; PTS: 8)
2. FC Porto (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
3. Dynamo Kiev (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
4. Fenerbahce (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 2)

Both Photos © Getty Images

UEFA CL Group F: Lyon Blank Steaua; Bayern Gain Road Draw With Violets

Group F Wednesday action:

At Florence, Italy:

Tim Borowski's 78th-minute goal (he's pictured here celebrating) enabled Bayern Munich to gain a 1-1 road draw with Fiorentina. Adrian Mutu had put the Italian club in front with his tally at 11 minutes.

At Lyon, France:

Lyon, with goals from Juninho Pernambucano (44', here he is, celebrating) and Anthony Reveillere (89'), blanked visiting Steaua Bucharest. The loss eliminated the Romanian club from contention for a spot in the Champions League's knockout stage.


GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Lyon (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 8)
2. Bayern Munich (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 8)
3. Fiorentina (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
4. Steaua Bucharest (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 1)


Both Photos © Getty Images

UEFA Champions League Group Stage, Matchday # 4, Continued: Two Draws In Group E

Here's action from the Wednesday portion of Matchday #4 in UEFA Champions League group stage action, starting with Group E.

At Aalborg, Denmark:

Goals from Jeppe Curth (54', he's pictured here being mobbed by teammates) and Anders Due (81') enabled Aalborg BK to gain a 2-2 home draw with Villarreal. Giuseppe Rossi (41') and Guille Franco (75') provided the Yellow Submarine with goals of their own.

At Glasgow, Scotland:

Ryan Giggs (seen here celebrating with teammates) equalized in the 84th minute as Manchester United gained a 1-1 road draw with Celtic. Scott McDonald scored one for the Bhoys at 13 minutes.


GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Manchester United (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 8)
2. Villarreal (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 8)
3. Celtic (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 2)
4. Aalborg BK (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 2)
Both Photos © Getty Images

AFC Champions League Final: Gamba Put Hurt On Adelaide United In Opener

At Osaka, Japan:

Gamba Osaka, with goals from Lucas Severino (37'), Yasuhito Endo (43'), and Michihiro Yasuda (68'), overpowered visiting Adelaide United 3-0 in the opening match of the AFC Champions League on Wednesday. The second and final match is scheduled to be played in Adelaide, Australia next Wednesday.

UEFA CL Group D: Steven Gerard PK Salvage Home Draw For Reds; Marseille Thump PSV

UEFA Champions League Group D action from the Tuesday portion of Matchday #4.

At Liverpool:

Steven Gerrard's successful penalty kick in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage (pictured here) enabled Liverpool to salvage a 1-1 home stalemate with Atletico Madrid (whose Maxi Rodriguez scored at 37 minutes).

At Marseille, France:

Mamadou Niang's double (63', 71', he's seen here celebrating), along with Bakari Kone's solo tally (30') powered Marseille to a 3-0 home beatdown of PSV Eindhoven.



GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Atletico Madrid (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 8)
2. Liverpool (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
3. Marseille (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. PSV Eindhoven (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 3)

Both photos © Getty Images

UEFA CL Group C: Barca And Lions Claim Knockout Stage Berths; Basel Eliminated Despite Draw At Barcelona

Tuesday play in Group C of the UEFA Champions League.

At Lisbon, Portugal:

Derlei provided the only goal of the match (73', he's seen here celebrating with Fabio Rochemback) as Sporting blanked visiting Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 lock up a berth in the knockout stage.

At Barcelona:

Eren Derdiyok's equalizer (82') canceled out Lionel Messi's 62nd-minute tally (he's seen here celebrating) enabled FC Basel to gain a 1-1 road draw with Barcelona. Nevertheless, Barca advanced to the round of 16 and Basel were eliminated from contention for a knockout stage berth.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. FC Barcelona* (GP: 4; GD: +8; PTS: 10)
2. Sporting CP* (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 9)
3. Shakhtar Donetsk (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. FC Basel 1893 (GP: 4; GD: -8; PTS: 1)

*Clinched berth in round of 16

Both Photos © Getty Images

UEFA CL Group B: Julio Cruz Equalizer Salvages Road Draw For Inter; Panathinaikos Belt Werder

Here's Tuesday action in Group B in the UEFA Champions League:

At Nicosia, Cyprus:

Julio Cruz (pictured here celebrating) provided the 80th-minute equalizer that lifted Inter Milan to a 1-1 road draw with Anorthosis Famagusta FC. Mario Balotelli (13') and Marco Materazzi (44') each scored once for Inter. Cedric Bardon (31'), Georgios Panagi (45'+1), and Nikolas Frouso (50') each tallied once for the Cypriot club.

At Bremen, Germany:

Goals from Vangelis Mantzios (58', he's seen here celebrating), Gioros Karagounis (70'), and Alexandros Tziolis (83'), all in the second half, enabled Panathinaikos to break open a stalemated contest and overpower hosts Werder Bremen 3-0.








GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Inter Milan (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
2. Anorthosis Famagusta (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Panathinaikos (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
4. Werder Bremen (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 3)

Both Photos © Getty Images