New US Network For UEFA Champions League

It looks like the news came out on Monday, though it won't be officially announced until later this week that Fox Soccer Channel has wrested the US television rights to the UEFA Champions League away from ESPN.

Goats Blank Hoops On Road

At Frisco, Texas:

Eduardo Lillingston (56') and Peri Stepanovic (75') provided the scoring that lifted Chivas USA to a 2-0 road win over FC Dallas in the only Sunday Major League Soccer match.


MLS STANDINGS:

Eastern Conference:

1. Chicago Fire (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
2. Toronto FC (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. New England Revolution (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
4. DC United (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
5. Columbus Crew (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
6. New York Red Bulls (GP: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 1)
7. Kansas City Wizards (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 0)


Western Conference:

1. Seattle Sounders FC (GP: 2; GD: +5; PTS: 6)
2. Chivas USA (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
3. San Jose Earthquakes (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Colorado Rapids (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
5. Los Angeles Galaxy (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
6. Houston Dynamo (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
7. Real Salt Lake (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)
8. FC Dallas (GP: 2; GD: -4; PTS: 0)

Seattle Sounders: Two Games, Two Wins, Two Shutouts; Quakes Top Dyanmo; Rapids Beat Wizards; Trio Of 1-1 Draws

Six games made up the Saturday Major League Soccer schedule.

At East Rutherford, New Jersey:

Kenny Mansally's goal at 90 minutes lifted the New England Revolution to a 1-1 road draw with the New York Red Bulls.

At Columbus, Ohio:

Thanks to Gino Padula's own goal (85') Toronto FC were able to gain a 1-1 road deadlock with the Columbus Crew. Guillermo Barros Schelotto's penalty kick at 30 minutes provided the lone goal for the defending champs.

At Washington, DC:

The Chicago Fire gained a 1-1 road stalemate with DC United thanks to Patrick Nyarko's equalizer at 53 minutes. Luciano Emilio put United on the scoreboard at 7 minuts.

At Commerce City, Colorado:

Omar Cummings scored the game-winning goal (74') as the Colorado Rapids topped the Kansas City Wizards 2-1 at home.

At Santa Clara, California:

The San Jose Earthquakes, with goals from Ryan Johnson (30'), Arturo Alvarez (33'), and Cam Weaver (44'), outlasted the visiting Houston Dyanamo 3-2.

At Seattle:

Goals from Nick Jaqua (17') and Fredy Montero (77') paced the Seattle Sounders to a 2-0 home shutout of Real Salt Lake.

Team USA Battle Back From Two-Goal Deficit To Gain Road Draw; Mexico Hand Costa Rico First Defeat; T&T, Honduras Draw

CONCACAF region qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup resumed Saturday.

At San Salvador, El Salvador:

Goals from Jozy Altidore (77') and Frankie Hejduk (88') enabled the United States to come back from a two-goal deficit to gain a 2-2 road stalemate with El Salvador. Eliseo Quintanilla (15') and Cristian Castillo (72') had scored for the hosts.

At Mexico City:

Goals from Omar Bravo (19') and Pavel Pardo (PK-52') lifted Mexico to a badly needed 2-0 home win over Costa Rico. It is the Costa Ricans' first defeat in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

At Port Of Spain, Trinidad:

Khaleem Hyland's equalizer at 89 minutes enabled Trinidad and Tobago to gain a 1-1 home draw with Honduras, whose Carlos Pavon had scored at 50 minutes.

STANDINGS:

1. United States (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
2. Mexico (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. Costa Rica (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. El Salvador (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
5. Trinidad and Tobago (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
6. Honduras (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

Koloale FC Clinch Berth In Final

One game was played Saturday in the OFC Champions League.

Group B:

At Honiara, Solomon Islands:

Nicholas Muri's goal at 34 minutes was the lone goal of the match as Koloale FC Honiara blanked visiting Ba FC 1-0 to win Group B and clinch a berth in the two-match final against the winner of next Saturday's Auckland FC-Waitakere United match.

FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Koloale FC Honiara* (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
2. Hekari Souths (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Ba FC (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)

*Won Group B and qualified for the OFC Champions League final.

Gremio Rack Up 2-1 Road Win In Bolivia

There was one game Wednesday in group stage play in the Copa Libertadores.

Group Seven:

At Cochabamba, Bolivia:

Goals from Jonas (42') and Tcheco (87') enabled visiting Gremio to knock off Aurora 2-1, putting the Brazilian club atop Group Seven while placing the Bolivian club on the brink of elimination.

GROUP SEVEN STANDINGS:

1. Gremio (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
2. Boyaca Chico FC (GP: 3; GD: +5; PTS: 6)
3. Universidad de Chile (GP: 3; PTS: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Aurora (GP: 3; GD: -7; PTS: 0)

Galaxy Come Back From Two Goals Down To Gain Home Draw

At Carson, California:

Two late second-half goals from Landon Donovan (PK-80', 85') enabled the Los Angeles Galaxy to come back from a two-goal deficit to salvage a 2-2 home draw with DC United in the lone Sunday Major League Soccer match. The visitors got goals from Christian Gomez (PK-44') and Chris Pontius (62').


MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER STANDINGS:

Eastern Conference:

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


Western Conference:
1. Seattle (GP: 1; GD: +3; PTS: 3)
2. Chivas USA (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Los Angeles (JGP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Houston (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
5. Real Salt Lake (GP: 0; GD: 0; PTS: 0)
6. Colorado (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
7. San Jose (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
8. Dallas (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Crew and Dynamo Draw In Houston; Fire, TFC, Revs, Goats Win Openers

Five games were contested Saturday in Major League Soccer:

At Houston:

Guillermo Barros Schelotto's equalizer (81') enabled the Columbus Crew to begin defense of their league crown with a 1-1 road draw with the Houston Dynamo, whose Brian Ching had scored at 53 minutes.

At Frisco, Texas:

Goals from Justin Mapp (38'), Brian McBride (PK-51'), and Cuauhtemoc Blanco (90') powered the Chicago Fire to a 3-1 road win over FC Dallas.

At Kansas City, Kansas:

Amado Guevara's second-half double (53', 62') enabled visiting Toronto FC to hold off the Kansas City Wizards 3-2.

At Santa Clara, California:

Kheli Dube scored the only goal of the match (55') as the New England Revolution netted a 1-0 road win over the San Jose Earthquakes.

At Carson, California:

Paulo Nagamura's second-half double (55', 59') lifted Chivas USA to a 2-1 come-from-behind home win over the Colorado Rapids.

IT'S OFFICIAL: PORTLAND'S IN!!!

It became official in Portland, Oregon on Friday as Major League Soccer awarded a 2011 expansion franchise to the Rose City. The new club will retain the Timbers' nickname and will begin play in MLS the same year as Vancouver. The USL-1 version of the Timbers will play in 2009 and 2010.

Quarterfinal and Semifinal Round Draw For UEFA Cup

Also at Nyon Switzerland, the draw for the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the UEFA Cup took place.

The two-match quarterfinal round series will be played on April 9 and 16.  Here are the matchups with the club hosting the opening matches listed first.

Hamburg vs. Manchester City

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Dynamo Kiev

Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Marseille

Werder Bremen vs. Udinese

Here are the matchups for the semifinal round, with the matches to take place on April 30 and May 7.

Werder Bremen-Udinese winner vs. Hamburg-Manchester City winner

PSG-Dynamo Kiev winner vs. Shkatar Donetsk-Marseille winner

Reds Get Blues; Red Devils vs. Dragons; Gunners Get Shot At Yellow Submarine; Barca Gets Bayern

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

The matchups:

The opening matches will be played on April 7 and 8, with the return contests played on April 14 and 15.  The clubs hosting the openers are listed first.

Villarreal vs. Arsenal

Manchester United vs. FC Porto

Liverpool vs. Chelsea

Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich

There was also a draw Friday for the semifinal round.  The opening matches will be played on April 28 and 29, with the return contests taking place on May 5 and 6.

Manchester United-FC Porto winner vs. the Villarreal-Arsenal winner

Barcelona-Bayern Munich winner vs. the winner of Liverpool-Chelsea

Mauro Baselli Hat Trick Lead Estudiantes Beatdown Of Deportivo Quito

One game Thursday in Copa Libertadores group stage play.

Group Five:


At La Plata, Argentina:


Mauro Baselli's hat tric (4', 24', 68') powered Estudiantes to a 4-0 home fistbeating of Deportivo Quito.

GROUP FIVE STANDINGS:

1. Cruzeiro (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 10)
2. Estudiantes (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. Deportivo Quito (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 5)
4. Universitario de Sucre (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 1)

Sounders Thump Red Bulls In Opener As Fredy Montero Doubles; Portland Expected To Get Expansion Club Friday

The 2009 Major League Soccer regular season commenced on Thursday:

At Seattle:

In front of 32,523 fans at Qwest Field, Fredy Montero scored twice (12', 75') and Brad Evans added a goal of his own (25', he's seen here celebrating with teammates) as the Seattle Sounders FC smothered the visiting New York Red Bulls 3-0 in their inaugural regular season contest. 39 year-old Kasey Keller, a veteran of the US national team and many years in Europe posted a shutout in his MLS debut.

MLS commissioner Don Garber, who was at the game, when interviewed at halftime during the ESPN2 telecast, said that there will be a press conference in Portland, Oregon on Friday. That is when the announcement of the other 2011 expansion club (besides Vancouver, which was awarded a franchise on Wednesday) will be made.

Hmmmm. I wonder what that could be about.

Associated Press Photo

UEFA Cup:

The UEFA Cup's Round of 16 concluded Thursday.

At Kharkov, Ukraine:

Andriy Berezovchuk's own goal (79'), combined with Goran Sabljic's tally (68') enabled Dynamo Kiev to advance to the quarterfinal because of the away goals rule, despite dropping game two on the road 3-2 to fellow Ukranian club FC Metalist Kharkiv, as each team scored three goals on aggregate in the two-match series.

At Donetsk, Ukraine:

Thanks to goals from Fernandinho (PK-54') and Luis Adriano (70'), Shakhtar Donetsk overturned the 1-0 road deficit in Moscow to win game two at home 2-0 and win their two-match set with CSKA Moscow 2-1 on aggregate.

At Saint Petersburg, Russia:

Despite dropping game two 2-1 on the road to Zenit Saint Petersburg (whose Anatoliy Tymoshchuk scored at 34 minutes), Udinese still won their two-match set 2-1 on aggregate.

At Istanbul, Turkey:

Hamburg, thanks to tallies from Jose Paolo Guerrero (57', 60') and Ivica Olic (90'), defeated Galatasaray 3-2 in game two on the road and won their two-match set 4-3 on aggregate.

At Aalborg, Denmark:

Despite dropping a 2-0 road decision in game two to Aalborg BK (Luton Shelton [85'] and Michael Jakobsen [90'+1] being the goal scorers), Manchester United, with the series deadlocked 2-2 on aggregate, still advanced after winning the penalty-kick shootout 4-3. Goalkeeper Shey Given saved penalty kick attempts from Luton Shelton and Thomas Augustinussen to punch the Citizens' ticket for Friday's draw.

At Braga, Portugal:

Guillaume Hoarau scored the only goal of the match (81') to power Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-0 road win in game two-----and a two-match series win over Sporting Braga 1-0 on aggregate.

Santos Laguna Top Iron Colts In Semifinal Opener; Cancun Club Still Scored Away Goal

The other semifinal two-game set in the CONCACAF Champions League opened Wednesday night.

At Torreon, Mexico:

In the opening match of a two-game series between two Mexican clubs struggling in domestic competition, Carlos Quintero doubled (6', 75') to lead Santos Laguna to a 2-1 home win over Atlante. Gabriel Pereyra scored (35') what might be a precious away goal for the Iron Colts.

Road Win For Boca; Club Libertad Moves On To Knockout Stage

Group stage play in the Copa Libertadores continued on Wednesday.

Group Two:

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Goals from Juan Roman Riquelme (PK-65'), Martin Palermo (76'), and Rodrigo Palacio (85') enabled Boca Juniors to overcome a 1-0 halftime deficit on the road and defeat Guarani 3-1.

Group Four:

At Montevideo, Uruguay:

Borges scored the only goal of the match at 39 minutes as Sao Paulo defeated hosts Defensor Sporting 1-0.

Group Five:

At Belo Horizonte, Brazil:

Cruzeiro blanked visiting Universitario de Sucre 2-0. Wellington Paulista scored both goals (PK-57', 90') for The Fox.

Group Seven:

At Tunja, Colombia:

Edwin Movil (3'), Wiston Giron (18'), and Juan Nunez (70') each tallied once as Boyaca Chico FC overpowered visiting Universidad de Chile 3-0.

Group Eight:

At Buenos Aires:

Club Libertad benefited from Gaston Aguirre's own goal (51') to win on the road 1-0 over San Lorenzo and clinch a berth in the knockout stage of the Copa Libertadores.

At San Luis Potosi, Mexico:

Gianfranco Labarthe's equalizer (90'), along with Piero Alva's earlier header (39'), enabled Universitario de Deportes to gain a 2-2 road stalemate with San Luis. Jose Rodolfo Reyes (25') and Michael Orozco (77') scored one goal each for the hosts.

GROUP EIGHT STANDINGS:

1. Club Libertad* (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 12)
2. Universitario de Deportes (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
3. San Lorenzo (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. San Luis (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 2)

*Advanced to the Copa Libertadores Knockout Stage

Marseille and Werder Bremen Reach UEFA Cup Quarterfinals

Two Round of 16 two-match series concluded Wednesday:

At Saint-Etienne, France:

Goals from Sebastian Prodl (6') and Claudio Pizarro (27') helped Werder Bremen to withstand a furious comeback attempt by Saint-Etienne to gain a 2-2 road draw in game two and win their two-game set 4-3 on aggregate.

At Amsterdam, Netherlands:

After Miralem Sulejmani's goal at 74 minutes lifted Ajax Amsterdam to a 2-1 home win in game two to deadlock the series 3-3 on aggregate, Tyrone Mears' overtime header (110') enabled visiting Marseille to win the series 4-3 after two overtime periods.

Vancouver Gets MLS Franchise

It became official on Wednesday that the Vancouver Whitecaps will be joining Major League Soccer in 2011 as an expansion franchise.

Portland, St. Louis, and Ottawa are vying for the other expansion club.

Whether the Rose City's hopes of getting an MLS club was hurt by Vancouver being awarded an expansion club today remains to be seen. Then again, maybe not. St. Louis is getting help from the Budweiser folks. Ottawa, to me, is a nonstarter.

Wednesday AFC CL Action

Matchday #2 in group stage play in the AFC Champions League concluded Wednesday.

Group C:

At Tehran, Iran:

Hassein Kazemi's goal (45'+4) enabled Esteghial FC to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Al-Jazira (UAE). The club from the Emirates got an early goal from Fernando Baiano (10').

At Doha, Qatar:

Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad overcame a 1-0 first-half deficit to defeat Umm-Salal Sports Club 3-1 on the road. Hamad Al Montashari (42'), Morais Renato Caja (56'), and Hicham Aboucherouane (61') provided the goals for the guests

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Al-Ittihad (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Umm Salal (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
3. Esteghlal FC (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
4. Al-Jazira (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)

Group D:

At Dubai, UAE:

Goals from Issa Obaid (3') and Musawengosi Mguni (40') powered Al-Shabab to a 2-0 home win over Uzbekistan's FC Bunyodkor.

At Damman, Saudi Arabia:

Al-Ittifaq overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit, with goals from Abdulrahman Al Qahtani (64') and Hamed Al-Hamed (85'), to defeat visiting Sepahan FC of Iran 2-1.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Sepahan FC (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Al-Ittifaq (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. Al-Shabab (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. FC Bunyodkor (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 3)

Group G:

At Kashima, Japan:

Goals courtesy of Takuya Nozawa (43') and Yuya Osako (79') paced Kashima Antlers to a 2-0 home win over Shanghai Shenhua.

At Singapore:

A double from Edu (a.k.a.Eduardo Goncalves de Oliveira) (PK-65', 71') lifted Suwon Bluewings to a 2-0 road win over Singapore Armed Forces FC.

GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Suwon Bluewings (GP: 2; GD: +5; PTS: 6)
2. Shanghai Shenua (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Kashima Antlers (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Singapore Armed Forces (GP: 2; GD: -5; PTS: 0)

Group H:

At Pohang, South Korea:

Shuhei Terada's equalizer at 22 minutes enabled Kawasaki Frontale to gain a 1-1 road deadlock with Pohang Steelers, whose Kim Jae-Sung scored at 10 minutes.

At Tianjin, China:

Australia's Central Coast Mariners battled Tianjin Teda to a 2-2 stalemate. Adrian Caceres (49') and Matt Simon (62') scored for the visitors, while Eber Luis Cucchi (37') and Wu Wei'an (66') tallied for the hosts.

GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Kawasaki Frontale (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
2. Central Coast Mariners (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
3. Pohang Steelers (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS 2)
4. Tianjin Teda (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)

Copa Action On St. Patrick's Day

Three games made up the Tuesday play in the Copa Libertadores as group stage action resumed.

Group Two:

At Cuenca, Ecuador:

Goals from Jose Granda Vicuna (19'), Rodrigo Texeira (39'), and Holguer Matamoros (67') enabled Deportivo Cuenca to down visiting Deportivo Tachira 3-1.

Group Four:

At Medillin, Colombia:

In this Colombian derby, Independiente Medillin and visiting America de Cali battled to a 0-0 stalemate.

Group Six:

At Lanus, Argentina:

Goals from Roberto Gutierrez (52') and Jose Luis Munoz (90') enabled Everton de Vina del Mar to come from behind to shock hosts Lanus 2-1.

GROUP SIX STANDINGS:

1. Chivas de Guadalajara (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Everton de Vina del Mar (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS 7)
3. Caracas FC (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
4. Lanus (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 2)

Islanders Capture Semifinal Opener

The semifinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League got underway Tuesday night.

At Bayamon, Puerto Rico:

Josh Hansen (5') and Nicholas Addlery (37') provided the scoring punch as the Puerto Rico Islanders took the opening match of their two-game semifinal series with Mexico's Cruz Azul 2-0 at home.

The two teams will face each other again on April 7 in Mexico City.

AFC Champions League Play Resumes

Group stage play in the AFC Champions League resumed Tuesday:

Group A:

At Qom, Iran:

Al-Ahli (United Arab Emirates) held hosts Saba Battery FC to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:

Zaynitdin Tadjyev's goal at 57 minutes enabled Pakhtakor Tashkent to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal, whose Mirel Radoi had put them ahead briefly on a successful 55th-minute penalty kick.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Pakhtakor Tashkent (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
2. Al-Hilal (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
3. Saba Battery FC (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
4. Al-Ahli (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)

Group B:

At Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:

Visiting Persepolis FC (Iran) held Al-Shabab to a 0-0 deadlock.

At Sharjah, United Arab Emirates:

Qatar's Al-Gharafa defeated Sharjah FC 2-0 on the road, thanks to tallies from Nasser Kamil (16') and Clemerson de Araujo Soares (53')

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Persepolis FC (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
Al-Shabab (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
3. Al-Gharafa (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Sharjah FC (GP: 2; GD: -4; PTS: 0)

Group E:

At Nagoya, Japan:

Beijing Guoan held homestanding Nagoya Grampus to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia:

Sasho Petrovski's double (15', 42') provided all the scoring as Newcastle United Jets blanked visiting Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i 2-0.

GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Nagoya Grampus (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
2. Beijing Gouan (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
3. Newcastle United Jets (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (GP: 2; GD: -4; PTS: 0)

Group F:

At Seoul, South Korea:

Leandro Montera da Silva's hat trick (61', 74', 83') enabled visiting Gamba Osaka to double-up FC Seoul 4-2.

At Jinan, China:

Doubles from Li Jinyu (16', 26') and Miljan Mrdakovic (80', 84') enabled Shandong Luneng to beat the snot out of visiting Sriwijaya 5-0.

GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Gamba Osaka (GP: 2; GD: +5; PTS: 6)
2. Shandong Luneng (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
3. FC Seoul (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Sriwijaya (GP: 2; GD: -7; PTS: 0)

Sunday Action In Africa's Champions League

Nine games were played Sunday as the opening matches of the respective two-game sets in the first round of the CAF Champions League drew to a close.

At Owerri, Nigeria:

Joshua Obaje's double (18', 53') powered Heartland FC to a 3-1 home win in game one over Morocco's FAR Rabat.

At Lumbumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo:

An impressive opening match for TP Mazembe as they overpowered visiting Atletico Petroleos Luanda (Angola) 3-0. Tresor Mputu scored twice for TPM, at 43 and 75 minutes.

At Tizi Ouzou, Algeria:

Libya's Al Ahly Tripoli racked up a game-one 2-1 road win over JS Kabylie. Ahmed Saad (55') and Osama Fazzani (74') scored a goal each for the visitors.

At Kumasi, Ghana:

Assante Kotoko topped visiting Ittihad Khemisset (Morocco) 3-1 in game one. Goals from Jordan Opoku (9') , Stephen Oduro (50'), and Alexander Asamoah (85') paced the hosts.

At Cairo, Egypt:

Mohamed Barakat's double (1', 54') helped pace defending champions Al-Ahly to a 3-0 home win in game one over Tanzania's Young Africans.

At Omdurman, Sudan:

Al-Halil Omdurman, helped along by Muhannad Eltahir's double (2', PK-84'), downed visiting US Stade Tamponnaise (Reunion) 3-1 in the opening match of their two-game series.

At Tunis, Tunisia:

Mali's Djoliba AC , thanks to goals from Amadou Diollo (14') and Souleymane Dembele (90'), took game one of their two-match set on the road, defeating Club Africain 2-1.

At Garoua, Cameroon:

Last year's runners-up, Cotonsport Garoua, took match one of their two-game series at home over Gabon's AS Mangasport 2-1, thanks to goals scored by Maikano Youssoufa (76') and Marcellin Gaha Djadeu (90') as they erased a one-goal deficit. Still, Mabide Kiney did score an away goal at 65 minutes for the visitors.

At Abidjan, Ivory Coast:

Africa Sports were held to a 0-0 deadlock at home by Zambia's ZESCO United FC.

More Champions League Action From Africa

The opening weekend of first round play in the CAF Champions League continued on Saturday.

At Luanda, Angola:

Joseph Ndo's goal at 62 minutes was the only score of game one of a two-game home-and-away series as Canon Yaounde (Cameroon) defeated Clube Desportivo Primeiro de Agosto 1-0 on the road.

At Dakar, Senegal:

Nigeria's Kano Pillars and hosts AS Douanes battled to a 1-1 draw in match one of the two clubs' two-match series as Mor Diouf's successful penalty kick at 45 minutes salvaged the draw for the hosts after his own goal at 5 minutes gave the Nigerian club a precious away goal.

At Abidjan, Ivory Coast:

ASEC Mimosas got the measure of visiting Etolle Filante Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) in game one 2-0. Kouadio Pacome (7') and N'Doua Irenee Kouakou (46') each contributed a goal for the hosts.

At Sousse, Tunisia:

Mehdi Ben Dhifallah (49') and Everson Da Silva (54') provided the second half scoring to enable Etolle Sportive du Sahel to overcome a 1-0 halftime deficit to take game one 2-1 at home over ASO Chief. The Algerian club, though, did get an important road goal from Paul Emile Biyaga at 14 minutes.

At Cape Town, South Africa:

Ajax Cape Town escaped with a wild 3-2 home win over Zimbabwe's Monomotapa United FC. Mabhuti Khanyeza scored twice (5', 8') and Brett Evans (59') once for the Urban Warriors. Still, the visitors picked two potentially precious road tallies from Edmore Chitato Charles Chiutsa (23') and Daniel Kamunhenga (90') to stay in the two-match series.

MLS

I have decided that beginning next week, I will attempt to keep tabs of action in Major League Soccer

CAF First Round Commences

Two matches were contested Friday to start the first round of the CAF Champions League.

At Kampala, Uganda:

Homestanding Kampala City Council took the opening match of their two-match, home-and-away series with South Africa's Supersport United FC 2-1. Robert Ssentongo (51') and Brian Umony (58') provided the scoring for the hosts.

At Tripoli, Libya:

Sudan's Al-Merreikh , with Haytham Tambal equalizing at 74 minutes, held homestanding Al Ittihad of Tripoli to a 1-1 game one draw. Mohamed Zubya (47') scored one for the hosts.

Colo Colo And Universidad San Martin Rack Up Home Wins

Thursday group stage play in the Copa Libertadores:

Group One:

At Santiago, Chile:

With second-half goals from Cesar Carranza (56'), Robert Cereceda (61'), and Lucas Barrios (65'), Colo Colo broke open a match that was scoreless at halftime and overpowered visiting LDU Quito 3-0.

Group Three:

At Lima, Peru:

Pedro Garcia's double (52', 59') enabled Universidad San Martin de Porres to hold off visiting Nacional (Paraguay) 2-1.

UEFA Cup: Round of 16 Commences

The Round of 16 in the UEFA Cup began Thursday with the opening contests of the eight two-game total-goals sets.

At Moscow:

Vagner Love's successful penalty kick at 50 minutes lifted CSKA Moscow to a 1-0 game one home victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.

At Kiev, Ukraine:

In the opening match between two Ukrainian clubs, Ognjen Vukojevic's header (54') lifted Dynamo Kiev to a game one home win over FC Metalist Kharkiv.

At Hamburg, Germany:

Marcell Jansen equalizer at 50 minutes enabled Hamburg to salvage a 1-1 home draw in game one versus Galatasaray. Ayhan Akman provided the Turkish club with a precious away goal at 33 minutes.

At Paris:

Portugal's Sporting Braga held Paris Saint-Germain to a 0-0 game one deadlock in the French capital.

At Bremen, Germany:

Nando provided the only goal of game one (20') as Werder Bremen bested visiting Saint-Etienne 1-0.

At Udine, Italy:

Goals from Fabio Quagliarella (85') and Antonio Di Natale (PK-88') enabled Udinese----the lone Italian club still in European competition----to handle visiting Zenit Saint Petersburg 2-0 in game one.

At Manchester, England:

Manchester City, with goals from Felipe Caicedo (8') and Shawn Wright-Phillips (30'), took game one 2-0 at home against Aalborg BK, as the Citizens look to polish off another Danish club.

At Marseille, France:

Benoit Cheyrou (19') and Mamadou Niang (33') provided the scoring power that led Marseille to a 2-1 home win in game one over Ajax Amsterdam. The Dutch powers, however, stayed in the two-match series with an away goal from Luis Suarez (PK-36')

Wednesday Copa Action

Group stage action continued Wednesday in the Copa Libertadores.

Group Two:

At San Cristobal, Venezuela:

In a match that saw more red cards (2) than goals (1), Jose Villafraz scored the game's lone goal (66') as Deportivo Tachira defeated visiting Club Deportivo Cuenca (Ecuador) 1-0.

Group Six:

At Vina del Mar, Chile:

A successful penalty kick from Ezequiel Miralles (54') enabled Everton de Vina del Mar to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Lanuz of Argentina. Diego Gonzalez put the visitors on the scoreboard at 45 minutes.

At Guadalajara, Mexico:

Chivas of Guadalajara defeated visiting Caracas FC 1-0. Aaron Galindo put the ten-man Goats on the scoreboard at 79 minutes with the game's lone goal.


Group Seven:

At Tunja, Colombia:

Sousa's goal at 31 minutes lifted Gremio to a 1-0 road win over Boyaca Chico FC.

GROUP SEVEN STANDINGS:

1. Universidad de Chile (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 4)
2. Gremio (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Boyaca Chico FC (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
4. Aurora (GP: 2; GD: -6; PTS: 0)

UCL Quarterfinal Berths For Man U, Barca, Porto, And (Barely) Arsenal

The UEFA Champions League's Round of 16 concluded Wednesday:

At Barcelona:

Goals from Thierry Henry (25', 27'), Lionel Messi (40'), Samuel Eto'o (43'), Seydou Keita (90'+5) powered Barcelona to a 5-2 home win over Lyon, to carry Barca into the quarterfinal round, winning their two-match series 6-3 on aggregate. The Barca crowd got a salute from Thierry and Slingin' Sam.

At Rome:

Juan's goal (9') enable AS Roma to gain a 1-0 regulation win in game two at home against Arsenal to deadlock the two match series 1-1 on aggregate. After 30 scoreless overtime minutes, the series was decided in the penalty-kick shootout, which the Gunners won 7-6 to advance to the Elite Eight. It is after the Wolves' Max Tonetto missed what would have been the shootout-tying kick, a bunch of happy Gunners celebrated.

At Manchester, England:

Goals from Namanja Vidic (4') and Cristiano Ronaldo (49', seen here congratulated by Wayne Rooney) lifted Manchester United to a 2-0 home win in game two of their two-game set with Inter Milan. The Red Devils take the series 2-0 on aggregate.

At Porto, Portugal:

Those two goals scored week before last at Madrid proved to be mighty important as FC Porto battled Atletico Madrid to a 0-0 home draw in game two to take the two match set on away goals, though both clubs scored twice in the series. After the match, happy Dragons Raul Meireles and Lucho celebrate.

The draw for the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds will take place on Friday, March 20 at Nyon, Switzerland.
All Photos © Getty Images

More Action From Asia's Champions League

Group stage play in the AFC Champions League continued on Wednesday.

Group A:

At Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:

In a match postponed from Tuesday due to a sandstorm, Osama Hawsami's equalizer (33') enabled Al-Hilal to salvage a 1-1 home deadlock with Iran's Saba Battery FC. Hamid Reza Farzaneh scored (14') for the visitors.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Pahktakor Tashkent (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Al-Hilal (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
Saba Battery FC (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Al-Ahli (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

Group C:

At Dubai, United Arab Emirates:

Thanks to the 90th-minute goal from A'ala Hubail lifted Umm-Salal Sports Club from Qatar to a 1-0 road win over Al-Jazira.

At Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:

Goals courtesy of Emad Moteab (86') and Hicham Aboucherouane (90'+2) enabled Al-Ittihad to come from behind and post a late 2-1 home win over Iran's Esteghlal FC.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Al-Ittihad (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
Umm-Salal (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Al-Jazira (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
Esteghlal FC (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

Group D:

At Esfahan, Iran:

With goals at opposite ends of the contest from Mehdi Jafarpour (2') andn Armando Sa (90'+3), Sepahan FC blanked visiting Al-Shabab Al-Arabi from the United Arab Emirates 2-0.

At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:

Anvarjon Soliev's double (28', 50') helped FC Bunyodkor hold off visiting Saudi club Al Ettifaq 2-1.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

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

Group G:

At Suwon, South Korea:

Goals from Li Weifeng (44'), Edu (45'+1), Hong-Soon Hak (82'), and Park Hyun-Beom (90'+1) enabled Suwon Bluewings to overpower Japan's Kashima Antlers 4-1 at home.

At Shanghai, China:

Hernan Barcos' double (PK-24', 90'+3) helped Shanghai Shenhua to dominate visiting Singapore Armed Forces FC 4-1.

GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Suwon Bluewings (GP: 1; GD: +3; PTS: 3)
Shanghai Shenhua (GP: 1 GD: +3; PTS: 3)
3. Kashima Antlers (GP: 1; GD: -3; PTS: 0)
Singapore Armed Forces FC (GP: 1; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

Group H:

At Gosford, New South Wales, Australia:

The Central Coast Mariners were held to a 0-0 home stalemate by South Korea's Pohang Steelers.

At Kawasaki, Japan:

Renatinho scored the game's lone goal (16') as Kawasaki Frontale blanked visiting Tianjin Teda FC from Mainland China 1-0.

GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Kawasaki Frontale (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Central Coast Mariners (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
Pohang Steelers (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Tianjin Teda FC (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

Each team plays two games (one at home, one on the road) against each of the other three teams in its group. The top two clubs in each group would advance to the knockout stage, starting with the round of 16.

Tuesday Copa Action

Group stage action in the Copa Libertadores resumed on Tuesday.

Group Four:

At Cali, Colombia:

In a battle of Colombian rivals, John Valencia's equalizer at 81 minutes enabled America de Cali to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Independiente Medillin. Samuel Antonio Vanegas had put the visitors ahead with his 53rd-minute tally.


Group Five:

At Quito, Ecuador:

Leider Preciado scored the only goal of the match (84') Deportivo Quito blanked visiting Estudiantes (Argentina) 1-0.

GROUP FIVE STANDINGS:

1. Cruzeiro (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
2. Deportivo Quito (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Estudiantes (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
4. Universitario de Sucre ((GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

Group Eight:

At Lima, Peru:

Universitario de Deportes battled visiting San Luis (Mexico) to a 0-0 stalemate.

GROUP EIGHT STANDINGS:

1. Libertad (Paraguay) (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
2. Universitario (GP:3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. San Lorenzo (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. San Luis (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 1)

Liverpool, Chelsea, Villarreal, Bayern Claim Elite 8 Berths

Quarterfinal-round action in the UEFA Champions League resumed Tuesday:

At Liverpool, England:

Steven Gerrard's double (PK-28', 47', he's seen here celebrating) as well as goals from Fernando Torres (16') and Andrea Dossena (88') guided Liverpool to a 4-0 home fistbeating of Real Madrid in game two of the two clubs' two-match series. The Reds win the series 5-0 on aggregate.

At Turin, Italy:

Chelsea, thanks to goals courtesy of Michael Essien (45'+1) and Didier Drogba (83', he's pictured here celebrating), gained a 2-2 road draw against Juventus, enabling the Blues to take the two-match set 3-2 on aggregate.

At Athens, Greece:

Second half tallies from Ariel Ibagaza (49', shown celebrating with teammates) and Joseba Llorente (70') lifted Villarreal to a 2-1 road win over Panathinaikos, punching the Yellow Submarine's ticket to the quarterfinals as they win the two-match set 3-2 on aggregate.

At Munich, Germany:

Lukas Podolski's double (7', 34') was just part of another Bayern Munich scoring barrage as the German club again delivered a brassknuckling to Sporting, this time 7-1 one in game two at home, to complete the two-match annihilation of the Lions 12-1 on aggregate. Here, we see Cool Hand Luke, celebrating with fellow goal scorer Miroslav Klose.

All Photos © Getty Images

AFC Champions League Group Stage Play Commences

Group stage play in the 2009 edition of the AFC Champions League commenced on Tuesday:

Group A:


At Dubai, United Arab Emirates:

Uzbekistan's Pakhtakor Tashkent knocked off Al-Ahli 2-1 on the road. Odil Ahmedov (23') and Zaynitdin Tadjyev (PK-67') scored for the visitors.

Group B:

At Tehran, Iran:

Ali Karimi (27'), Alireza Nikbakht (30'), and Hadi Norouzi (34') took part in a scoring barage during the first half to lift Persepolis FC to a 3-1 home win over Sharjah FC from the United Arab Emirates.

At Doha, Qatar:

Al-Shabab of Saudi Arabia opened group stage play with a 2-1 road win over the Al-Ghafara Sports Club. Marcelo Camacho (5') and Abdulziz Bin Saran (22', 44') tallied for the visitors.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Persepolis (GP: 1; GD; +2; PTS: 3)
Al Shabab (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
3. Al-Ghafara SC (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0_
Sharjah FC (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Group E:

At Ulsan, South Korea:

Maya Yoshida (53'), Davi Jose Silva do Nascimento (77'), Magnum Rafael Farias Tavares (86') each contributed a second-half goal as Japan's Nagoya Grampus overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit to win 3-1 on the road over Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i.

At Beijing:

Tallies from Ryan Griffiths (7') and Du Wenhui (90') paced Beijing Guoan to a 2-0 home win over Australia's Newcastle United Jets.

GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Nagoya Grampus (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
2. Beijing Guoan (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
3. Ulsan Hyundai Horang-1 (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)
4. Newcastle United Jets (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Group F:

At Osaka, Japan:

Gamba Osaka overpowered visiting Shandong Luneng from mainland China 3-0. Leanardo Montera da Silva (20'), Yasuhito Endo (PK-71'), and Hayato Sasaki (78') each scored once for the defending Asian club champions.

At Palembang, Indonesia:

FC Seoul racked up a 4-2 road win over Sriwijawa FC, thanks to goals from Jo-Gook Jung (32'), Chi-Woo Kim (57', 67'), and Seung-Yong Kim (78').

GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Gamba Osaka (GP: 1; GD: +3; PTS: 3)
2. FC Seoul (GP: 1; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
3. Sriwijawa FC (GP: 1; GD: -2; PTS: 0)
4. Shandong Luneng (GP: 1; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

Two Kiwi Clubs To Play For Group A Title; All Group B Clubs Still Alive

Group stage play in the OFC Champions League resumed Saturday:

Group A:

At Port Vila, Vanuatu:

Thanks to goals from Christopher Bale (10'), Paul Seaman (55'), and Danny Hay (75'), defending champions Waitakere United won on the road, 3-2, over the Port Vila Sharks. The win sets up a showdown with fellow Kiwi club Auckland City to be played on April 5 at Henderson, New Zealand (Waitakere's home pitch), with the winner advancing to the two-match final (to be played on April 18 and May 2).

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Auckland City FC (GP: 3; GD: +9; PTS: 7)
2. Waitakere United (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
3. Port Vila Sharks# (GP: 4; GD: -13; PTS: 0)

Group B:

At Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea:

Kema Jack's successful penalty kick at 35 minutes lifted Hekari Souths to a 1-0 home win over Koloale FC to climb to the top of the Group B standings. Koloale FC will host Fiji's Ba FC on March 28 in the Solomon Islands, with the winner of that match advancing to the finals. It that match ends in a draw, then Hekari Souths would win Group B and advance to the O-League finals.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Hekari Souths (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
2. Koloale FC (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Ba FC (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 4)

Thursday Copa Action

Group stage action in the Copa Libertadores continued Thursday.

Group Three:

At Lima, Peru:

Thanks to goals from Jose Diaz (PK-37') and Gonzalo Luduena (55'), Universidad San Martin de Porres held off visiting River Plate (Argentina) 2-1.

GROUP THREE STANDINGS:

1. Nacional (Uruguay) (GP: 2; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
2. Universidad San Martin (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. River Plate (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Nacional (Paraguay) (GP: 2; GD: -4; PTS: 0)

Group Four:

At Cali, Colombia:

Washington's double (2', 27') helped propel Sao Paulo to a 3-1 road win over America de Cali

1. Sao Paulo (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
2. Defensor Sporting (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Independiente Medillin (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
4. America de Cali (GP: 2; GD: -4; PTS: 0)

Group Eight:

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Miguel Ximenez (25') and Sergio Aquino (31') provided the scoring that lifted Club Libertad to a 2-0 home win over San Lorenzo.

Impact Blow It

The quarterfinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League concluded Thursday.

At Torreon, Mexico:

With a second-half stoppage-time double from Carlos Quintero (90'+2, 90'+5), Santos Laguna overcame a deficit of 4-1 on aggregate, scoring four unanswered goals (all in the second half) win game two of their two-match set 5-2 and defeat the Montreal Impact in the series 5-4 on aggregate.

This sets up an all-Mexican semifinal two-match series between Santos Laguna and Atlante, with the opening match taking place at Torreon week after next.

With fellow Mexican club Cruz Azul in the other semifinal (playing against the Puerto Rico Islanders), there will be at least one Mexican club in the final.

Wednesday Copa Action

Group stage play continued in the Copa Libertadores on Wednesday.

Group One:

At Recife, Brazil:

Sport Recife knocked off visiting LDU Quito 2-0. Daniel Pollo Barion (13') and Paulo Baier (PK-72') provided the goals for the Brazilian club.

GROUP ONE STANDINGS:

1. Sport Recife (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Colo-Colo (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. LDU Quito (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Palmeiras (GP: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

Group Two:

At San Cristobal, Venezuela:

Luciano Figueroa's goal at 87 minutes lifted Boca Juniors to a 1-0 road win over Deportivo Tachira.

GROUP TWO STANDINGS:

1. Boca Juniors (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
2. Deportivo Cuenca (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 3)
3. Deprotivo Tachira (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Guarani )GP: 2; GD: -5; PTS: 0)

Group Five:

At Sucre, Bolivia:

Cruzeio of Brazil blanked Univarsitario de Sucre 1-0 on the road. Thaigo scored the game's only goal at 38 minutes.

Group Seven:

At Coquimbo, Chile:

Univeritad de Chile, thanks to goals from Manuel Iturra (23'), Manuel Villalobos (81'), and Pepe Rojas (88'), overpowered visiting Aurora (Bolivia) 3-0.

Islanders Punch Ticket For CCL Semis; Cruz Azul, Too

The quarterfinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League coninued Wednesday:

At San Pedro Lula, Honduras:

Nicholas Addlery scored the only goal of the match at 90 minutes to lift the Puerto Rico Islanders to a 1-0 road win in game two of their two-set match against Club Deportivo Marathon.  The USL-1 club won the series 3-1 on aggregate.

At Mexico City:

Cristian Riveros scored the lone goal of game two at 86 minutes as Cruz Azul followed up their 1-0 home win of last week with a 1-0 road victory over UNAM Pumas, eliminating their local rivals 2-0 on aggregate.  They will take on Puerto Rico in a two-match semifinal series, starting in two weeks at Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

Miami Pulls Plug On Expansion Bid

Miami pulled the plug on its bid on Tuesday for a Major League Soccer expansion franchise. Meanwhile one of the four survivors in the race for two 2011 MLS expansion clubs may have seen its' chances to landing a club improve.

Last MLS Club Falls: Iron Colts Dominate Dynamo

At Cancun, Mexico:

Atlante blanked the visiting Houston Dynamo 3-0 in game two of their two-game series, taking the set 4-1 on aggregate and advanced to the semifinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League. Fernando Navarro (24'), Rafael Marquez (37'), and Giancarlo Maldonado (90') provided the scoring for the Iron Colts.

Things DID Go Better For Colo-Colo This Time; Caracas FC Top Goats

Group stage play resumed Tuesday in the Copa Libertadores:

Group One:

At Sao Paulo, Brazil:

Goals from Lucas Barrios (43'), Macnelly Torres (53'), Sebastian Gonzalez (79') powered Colo-Colo to a 3-1 road win over Palmeiras.

Group Six:

At Caracas, Venezuela:

Caracas FC blanked visiting Chivas de Guadalajara 2-0. Jaime Bustamante (45') and Dario Figueroa (50') provided the scoring for the Venezuelan club.

Red Devils Win Shootout To Capture Carling Cup

At London:

After a scoreless 120 minutes, Ryan Giggs, Carlos Tevez, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Anderson all successfully made their spot kicks as Manchester United took the penalty-kick shootout 4-1 over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium on Sunday to win the Carling Cup championship.  The Carling Cup is a club competition involving the 92 clubs in the four divisions of England's Football League.