He May Be From Argentina...

But, well, congratulations anyway, Leo.

Klass-Jan's The Man As Milan Finally Sink Elephants

At Catania, Italy:

Substitute Klass-Jan Huntelaar scored twice in second-half stoppage time (90'+3, 90'+4) as AC Milan finally topped hosts Catania 2-0 Sunday in Serie A action.

Sergio Aguero Double Helps Atltico Bury Parakeets

At Madrid:

In Sunday's other Barcelona-vs.-Madrid La Liga contest, Sergio Aguero doubled (62', 85') as Atltico Madrid hammered visiting Espanyol 4-0.

Tafea FC Take Down Lautoka FC On The Road

One game Sunday in group stage action in Oceania's Champions League.

At Lautoka, Fiji:

Jean Nako Naprapol (22') and Francois Sakama (77') provided the scoring that lifted Tafea FC to a 2-1 road win over Lautoka FC.

Bayern Back On Winning Track

At Hanover, Germany:

Thomas Muller (29'), Ivica Olic (47'), and Mario Gomez (90') each scored a goal as Bayern Munich overpowered Hannover 96 3-0 on the road in the German Bundesliga on Sunday.

Wolves Drop Midlands Derby

At Wolverhampton, England:

Lee Bowyer's tally (3') held up to be the only goal of the match as Birmingham stretched Wolverhampton's English Premiership winless streak to eight games Sunday 1-0 on the road in the Midlands derby match.

Satruday Action In O-League As Kiwi Rivals Battle To 1-1 Stalemate

In Friday and Saturday action in the OFC Champions League's group stage.

Group A:

At Papeete, Tahiti:

Billy Mataitai's equalizer at 68 minutes enabled AS Manu-Ura to salvage a 1-1 home draw with AS Magenta on Friday. Philippe Kokono scored at 46 minutes for the visiting club from New Caledonia.

At Waitakere, New Zealand:

Brent Fisher's goal at 42 minutes enabled Waitakere United to salvage a 1-1 home draw Saturday with Auckland City. Chad Coombes scored for the defending champs at 30 minutes.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Auckland City (GP: 3; GD: +6; PTS: 7)
2. Waitakere United (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
3. AS Magenta (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 2)
4. AS Manu-Ura (GP: 3; GD: -7; PTS: 1)

MLS Expansion Draft

The Philadelphia Union, set to begin play next year, selected ten players in Wednesday's Major League Soccer expansion draft.

Jordan Harvey (DF, selected from the Colorado Rapids)
Andrew Jacobsen (MF, DC United)
Brad Knighton (GK, New England Revolution)
Sebastien Le Toux (FW, Seattle Sounders FC)
Stefani Miglioranzi (MF, Los Angeles Galaxy)
Alejandro Moreno (FW, Columbus Crew)
David Myrie (DF, Chicago Fire)
Shea Salinas (MF, San Jose Earthquakes)
Shavar Thomas (DF, Chivas USA)
Nick Zimmerman (FW, New York Red Bulls)

The Union will play their first regular-season match this coming March 25 against the Seattle Sounders on the road at Qwest Field.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!!!

It's Thanksgiving Day here in the United States and here's hoping you have a great Thanksgiving Day!!!

UCL Group D: Blues Claim Group With Win Over Dragons; Atletico And APOEL FC Draw In Cyprus

Group D action from Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League.

At Porto, Portugal:

Nicolas Anelka scored the lone goal of the match at 69 minutes (he's shown celebrating with teammate Didier Drogba) as Chelsea locked up the Group D title with a 1-0 road win over FC Porto in a battle of the group's two knockout-stage-bound clubs.

At Nicosia, Cyprus:

In a battle of two teams battling for a UEFA Europa League knockout stage berth, Simao's equalizer at 62 minutes lifted Atletico Madrid to a 1-1 road draw with APOEL FC , keeping them one point ahead of their hosts in the race for third place in Group D. Nenad Mirosavljevic scored at 5 minutes for the Cypriot club. Pictured here are APOEL's Savvas Poursaitides trying to keep pace with Atletico's Jose Manuel Jurado.




Both Photos © Getty Images




GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Chelsea** (GP: 5; GD: +7; PTS: 13)
2. FC Porto* (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 9)
3. Atletico Madrid# (GP: 5; GD: -6; PTS: 3)
4. APOEL FC# (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 2)

**Won Group D and advanced to the UEFA Champions League knockout stage
*Advanced to the UEFA Champions League group stage
#Eliminated from UEFA Champions League but still alive for a berth in the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League

UCL Group C: Galacticos Knock Zurich Out Of European Competition; Marseille And Rossoneri Draw In Milan

Group C action in the UEFA Champions League resumed on Wednesday.

At Madrid:

Real Madrid moved to the top of Group C with a 1-0 home win over FC Zurich, thanks to Gonzalo Higuain 21st-minute goal (he's seen here celebrating). The loss eliminated the Swiss champions from European competition.

At Milan, Italy:

Lucho Gonzalez' equalizer at 16 minutes canceled out Marco Borriello's goal at 10 minutes (he's seen here celebrating), enabling Marseille to stay in contention for a Champions League knockout stage berth with a 1-1 road draw with AC Milan.




Both Photos © Getty Images




GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Real Madrid (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 10)
2. AC Milan (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 8)
3. Marseille (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
4. FC Zurich## (GP: 5; GD: -9; PTS: 3)

##Eliminated from European competition

UCL Group B: Besiktas Knock Off Red Devils At Old Trafford; Horses Stay In Running For Sweet 16 Berth After Beating Wolfsburg

Here's a summary from Wednesday play in Group B of the UEFA Champions League.

At Manchester, England:

Rodrigo Tello scored the game's lone goal (20', he's mobbed by teammates) as Besiktas handed Manchester United their first home UEFA Champions League defeat since 2005 2-0.

At Moscow:

CSKA Moscow stayed alive in the competition with a 2-1 come-from-behind win over visiting VfL Wolfsburg. Tomas Necid (58') and Milos Krasic (66', he's shown celebrating) provided the goalpower for the
Horses.




Both Photos © Getty Images




GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Manchester United* (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
2. VfL Wolfsburg (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
3. CSKA Moscow (GP: 5; GD; -1; PTS: 7)
4. Besiktas # (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 4)

*Clinched berth in the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League
#Eliminated from UEFA Champions League but still alive for a berth in the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League

UCL Group A: Bordeaux Win Group; Bayern Still In Hunt For Knockout Stage Berth

MatchDay # 5 in UEFA Champions League group stage concluded Wednesday with eight games, including two in Group A.

At Bordeaux, France:

Fernando (54', here he is, mobbed by happy teammates) and Marouane Chamakh (90'+4) each used his noggin in tallying second-half goals as Bordeaux clinched the Group A title with their 2-0 home win over Juventus.

At Munich, Germany:

Ivica Olic scored the only goal of the match at 62 minutes as Bayern Munich blanked visitng Maccabi Haifa 1-0 to stay alive in the race for a berth in the Champions League's knockout stage. That's Ivica celebrating with teammate Mario Gomez.




Both Photos © Getty Images




GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Bordeaux** (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 13)
2. Juventus (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 8)
3. Bayern Munich (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
4. Maccabi Haifa## (GP: 5; GD: -7; PTS 0)

**Won Group A and advanced to the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League
##Eliminated from European competition

UCL Group H: Gunners Advance To Sweet 16; Goose Eggs For Olympiacos And AZ

Group H action in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

At London:

Arsenal assured themselves of finishing atop the Group H standings with their 2-0 home win over Standard Liege. Samir Nasri (35') and Denilson (45'+2, that's him celebrating) provided the scoring for the Gunners.

At Alkmaar, Netherlands:

AZ Alkmaar were eliminated from Champions League contention after being held to a 0-0 home draw with Olympiacos, who are now one point away from clinching a berth in the knockout stage. AZ's Jeremain Lens (in the red jersey) is seen challenging for the ball.




Both Photos © Getty Images



GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Arsenal** (GP: 5; GD: +8; PTS: 13)
2. Olympiacos (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 7)
3. Standard Liege (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
4. AZ Alkmaar# (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 3)

**Won Group H and advanced to the UEFA Champions League knockout stage
#Eliminated from Champions League contention but still alive for a berth in the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League

UCL Group G: Unirea Urziceni Stays Ahead of Stuttgart For Knockout Stage Berth As Both Teams Win

Group G action from Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League.

At Bucharest, Romania:

Ivica Dragutinovic's own goal (45') proved to be the difference as FC Unirea Urziceni stayed in second place in Group G with their 1-0 win over visiting (and knockout-stage-bound) Sevilla 1-0. We see happy Unirea players celebrating their big win.

At Glasgow, Scotland:

Sebastian Rudy (16', that's him celebrating) and Zdravko Kuzmanovic (59') each tallied once as VfB Stuttgart stayed alive in the race for a berth in the round of 16 after their 2-0 road win over Rangers, knocking the Scottish champs out of European competition.




Both Photos © Getty Images




GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Sevilla* (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 10)
2. FC Unirea Urziceni (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 8)
3. VfB Stuttgart (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
4. Rangers## (GP: 5; GD: -8; PTS: 2)

*Clinched berth in UEFA Champions League knockout stage
##Eliminated from European competition

UCL Group F: Catalans Move To Top Of Standings After Win Over Inter; Rubin Kazan Held To Home Draw

Group F play in the UEFA Champions League from Tuesday.

At Barcelona:

Gerard Pique (10', he's seen here mobbed by teammates) and Pedro Rodriguez (26') provided the goalpower that carried Barcelona to a 2-0 home win over Inter Milan.

At Kazan, Russia:

Dynamo Kiev held hosts FC Rubin Kazan to a 0-0 stalemate. Here, we see Dynamo's Roman Eremenko challenging Rubin striker Aleksandr Bukharov.



Both Photos © Getty Images




GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Barcelona (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
2. Inter Milan (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
3. FC Rubin Kazan (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
4. Dynamo Kiev (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 5)

UCL Group E: Liverpool Eliminated Despite Win; Fiorentina Advance

UEFA Champions League group stage play resumed on Tuesday with eight games, including two in Group E.

At Budapest, Hungary:

David Ngog (seen here agonizing at game's end) scored the only goal of the match (4') as Liverpool defeated Debreceni VSC 1-0. However, because of Fiorentina's win over already knockout-stage-bound Lyon, the Reds have been eliminated from the tournament and will have to settle for Europa League knockout stage play.

At Florence, Italy:

Juan Vargas' successful penalty kick at 28 minutes (he's shown here mobbed by teammates) proved to be all the scoring as Fiorentina locked up a berth in the round of 16 with a 1-0 home win over Lyon.




Both Photos © Getty Images




GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Fiorentina* (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 12)
2. Lyon* (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 10)
3. Liverpool# (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
4. Debreceni VSC## (GP: 5; GD: -10; PTS: 0)

*Clinched berth in knockout stage of UEFA Champions League
#Eliminated from Champions League; qualified for knockout stage of UEFA Europa League
##Eliminated from European competition

TIME TO GET REAL: RSL CROWNED MLS CHAMPIONS

At Seattle:

After 90 minutes of regulation time, in which Mike Magee scored for the Los Angeles Galaxy at 40 minutes and Robbie Findley equalized in the 64th minute for Real Salt Lake, and after 30 scoreless overtime minutes, it is Real Salt Lake, thanks to successful penalty kicks from Clint Mathis, Robbie Findley, Ned Grabavoy, Chris Wingert, and Robbie Russel, who won the penalty kick shootout 5-4 (in seven rounds) to become the first team with a losing regular-season record to win the Major League Soccer championship on Sunday. RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando, who was on the DC United championship squad five years ago, was named the Most Valuable Player of the match. More than 46,000 fans showed up for the contest at Qwest Field.

Another Home Draw For Bayern

At Munich, Germany:

Bundesliga-leading Bayer Leverkusen, thanks to Stefan Kiessling's equalizer at 14 minutes, canceled out Mario Gomez's 8th-minute tally and gained a 1-1 road draw with Bayern Munich. That marked the fourth home draw of the season for Bayern.

Rossoneri Hold Off Cagliari In Wild One

At Milan, Italy:

Clarence Seedorf (5'), Marco Borriello (39'), Alexandre Pato (40'), and Ronaldinho (PK-62') each scored once as AC Milan held off visiting Cagliari 4-3 Sunday in a wild goalfest in Serie A action.

Late Goals Sink Parakeets

At Barcelona:

In Sunday La Liga play, goals from Francisco Casquero (79') and Pedro Rios (90') lifted Getafe to a 2-0 road win over Espanyol.

AJ Auxerre Blank Visiting Monaco

At Auxerre, France:

Goals from Adama Coulibaly (45') and Delvin Ndinga (88') propelled AJ Auxerre to a 2-0 home win over AS Monaco Saturday in Ligue 1 play.

Another Dismal Wolves Performance As Chelsea Romps

At London:

Michael Essien scored twice in the first half (12', 22') as Chelsea manhandled visiting Wolverhampton 4-0 Saturday in English Premier League action.

WC Qualifying: Home Draw Sends Uruguay To First WC Finals Since 2002

At Montevideo, Uruguay:

Sebastian Abreu's goal at 69 minutes proved to be enough as Uruguay settled for a 1-1 home draw in match two with Costa Rica, when combined with their 1-0 Saturday road win on the Ticos' home soil, won the series 2-1 on aggregate, and lifted the two-time World Cup champions (1930, 1950) into their first finals since 2002.

WC Qualifying, Africa: Algerians Win Playoff, In WC Finals For First Time Since '86

At Omdurman, Sudan:

Antar Yahia scored the only goal of the match at 40 minutes as Algeria defeated Egypt 1-0 in a one-match playoff for a World Cup finals berth, the first for the Algerians since 1986.

WC Qualifying, Europe: France, Portugal, Greece, Slovenia Qualify For Finals

The four two-game playoff series from the European Zone for berths in next year's FIFA World Cup finals concluded Wednesday.

At Saint-Denis, France:

After Robbie Keane's goal at 33 minutes enabled Ireland to outscore France 1-0 in regulation time of match two, William Gallas scored the series-winning tally in overtime (104') to enable the French to take the two-match series 2-1 on aggregate to advance to next year's World Cup finals.

At Donetsk, Ukraine:

Dimitris Salpigidis scored the only goal of the game----and the series---at 31 minutes as Greece qualified for only their second World Cup finals as they defeated Ukraine in game two 1-0 on the road and 1-0 for the set on aggregate.

At Zenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina:

Raul Meireles scored the only goal of the match (55') as visiting Portugal registered a second 1-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina and took the two-match set 2-0 on aggregate. The Portuguese have qualified for their third consecutive World Cup finals.

At Maribor, Slovenia:

Zlatko Dedic scored the lone goal of the match (44') as Slovenia topped visiting Russia 1-0 at home in game two and with the series leveled on goals at 2-2, won the two-match set on the away goals rule and qualified for their first World Cup finals as a separate, independent country.

Way To Go, Pottymouth

Say, Diego, next time you're on one of your famous tantrums, try doing it in private, huh!

France, Portugal, Russia Take Series Openers; Goose Eggs For Greece And Ukraine

Four two-match total-goals playoff series from the European zone for four places in next year's FIFA World Cup finals commenced Saturday.

At Moscow:

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov scored twice (40', 51') as Russia took game one of their two-game series with Slovenia 2-1 at home. The visitors did get an away goal from Nejc Pecnik at 88 minutes.

The two teams will play the second match this coming Wednesday at Maribor, Slovenia.

At Athens, Greece:

Ukraine and Greece battled their way to a 0-0 stalemate in the series opener. The return match will be held on Wednesday at Donetsk, Ukraine.

At Dublin, Ireland:

Nicolas Anelka scored the only goal of the match at 72 minutes as France topped Ireland 1-0 in game one of their two-game series. The series will conclude Wednesday at Saint-Denis, France, near Paris.

At Lisbon, Portugal:

Bruno Alves provided all the scoring (31') in Portugal's series-opening 1-0 home win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Bosnian town of Zenica will host the Wednesday return match.

Uruguayans Take Series Opener On Road

At San Jose, Costa Rica:

Diego Lugano scored the only goal of the match at 21 minutes as Uruguay took the opening match of their two-game playoff for a berth in next year's World Cup 1-0 on the road Saturday over Costa Rica. The two teams will play the concluding match Wednesday as Montevideo, Uruguay.

RSL Takes Penalty-Kick Shootout To Set Up Meeting With Galaxy For MLS Crown

At Bridgeview, Illinois:

After 120 scoreless minutes, the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference Final went into the penalty kick shootout. Successful penalty kicks from Clint Mathis, Robbie Findley, Kyle Beckerman, Will Johnson, and Ned Grabavoy carried Real Salt Lake to a 5-4 shootout win in seven rounds over the Chicago Fire to advance to next Sunday's MLS Cup final in Seattle against the Los Angeles Galaxy. It will be RSL's first MLS Cup final appearance in their five-year history.

World Cup Finals Berths For Super Eagles, Indomitable Lions; Egypt Forces Playoff With Algeria

At Nairobi, Kenya:

Obafemi Martins doubled (62', 83') and Ayegbeni Yakubu added another goal (65') as Nigeria defeated Kenya 3-2 on the road. That win, coupled with Tunisia's 1-0 defeat at Mozambique, locked up a 2010 FIFA World Cup finals berth (their fourth) for the Super Eagles.

At Fes, Morocco:

Pierre Webo (19') and Samuel Eto'o (56') provided the scoring that carried Cameroon to a 2-0 road win over Tunisia that locked up the Indomitable Lions' sixth appearance (most of any African country) in the FIFA World Cup finals.

At Cairo, Egypt:

Thanks to goals courtesy of Amr Zaki (2') and Emad Moteab (90'+5), Egypt defeated visiting Algeria 2-0 to force a one-game playoff, to be played on Wednesday at Omdurman, Sudan, for the World Cup berth from Group C.

Kiwis Clinch World Cup Berth

At Wellington, New Zealand:

Rory Fallon's header (45') proved to be the only goal of the two-match series as New Zealand defeated visiting Bahrain 1-0 in game two on Saturday to win their two-game series by the same score on aggregate and qualified for their first FIFA World Cup finals since 1982.

Overtime Goals Send Galaxy To MLS Cup Final

At Carson, California:

After a scoreless regulation time, which had been interrupted twice by power outages (one in each half, each lasting over eighteen minutes), the Los Angeles Galaxy, thanks to overtime goals from Gregg Bernhalter (109') and Landon Donovan (PK-109') defeated the Houston Dynamo 2-0 to win the Western Conference championship and reach the MLS Cup final (their first since 2005 and their sixth overall [they've won it twice]) which will be played on November 22 at Seattle.

The Galaxy will face the winner of Saturday's Eastern Conference final between Real Salt Lake and the Chicago Fire at Bridgeview, Illinois.

Big Changes To English Premiership?

You have to realize that many Premiership clubs are now owned by foreign multimillionaires or billionaires.

Dynamo And Galaxy Advance To Western Final

The two Major League Soccer Western Conference semifinal series concluded Sunday.

At Houston:

After a scoreless regulation in match two (as well as the scoreless series opener ten nights earlier in Seattle), Brian Ching scored in overtime (95') for the only goal of the match and series as the Houston Dynamo took game two of their series with the Seattle Sounders at home, and the series on aggregate, both 1-0.

At Carson, California:

Landon Donovan's successful penalty kick at 73 minutes piloted the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 1-0 game two win and 3-2 aggregate win over Chivas USA.

Los Angeles will host Houston in Friday night's Western Conference final.

Auckland FC Get One At Home

Matchday #2 in group stage play in the OFC Champions League ended Sunday.

Group A:

At Auckland, New Zealand:

Matt Williams (47') and Daniel Koprivcic (52') provided the scoring as Auckland City FC came from behind to defeat visiting AS Magenta (New Caledonia) 2-1.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Auckland City (GP: 2; GD: +6; PTS: 6)
2. Waitakere United (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
3. AS Magenta (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
4. AS Manu-Ura (GP: 2; GD: -7; PTS: 0)

Sporting Gijon Blank Parakeets

At Gijon, Spain:

Mate Bilic's goal at 3 minutes held up as Sporting Gijon blanked visiting Espanyol 1-0 Sunday in Spanish Premiera Division play.

Rossoneri Climb To Third In Serie A

At Rome:

AC Milan climbed up to third place in the Serie A standings on Sunday following their 2-1 road win over Lazio. Thiaquinto (21) and Alexandre Pato (35) each tallied once for the Rossoneri.

Fire Top Revs To Reach Eastern Final

At Bridgeview, Illinois:

John Thorrington (35') and Cuauhtemoc Blanco (83') each scored a goal as the Chicago Fire defeated the visiting New England Revolution 2-0 Saturday in the second game of their two-match Eastern Conference semifinal series in the Major League Soccer playoffs and won their the series 4-2 on aggregate.

Chicago will host Real Salt Lake in next Saturday's Eastern Conference final.

Scoreless In Monaco

At Fontvielle, Monaco:

In Saturday Ligue 1 action, hapless Grenoble, who had lost all of their previous eleven contests, racked up their first point of the campaign by holding hosts AS Monaco to a 0-0 stalemate.

Not Wolves Day

At Wolverhampton, England:

Arsenal, helped by own goals from Wolves' Ronald Zubar (28') and Jody Craddock (35') and well as goals from their own players, namely Cesc Fabregas (45') and Andrei Arshavin (66'), delivered a 4-1 road beatdown on Wolverhampton Saturday in English Premier League action, dropping Wolves into the relegation zone.

TP MAZEMBE WIN AFRICAN CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

At Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo:

Emmanuel Omodiagbe's own goal at 73 minutes allowed TP Mazembe to claim a 1-0 home win over Heartland FC in game two of the CAF Champions League final, enabling the Congolese club, thanks to the away goals rule, to win Africa's continental club championsip for the third time and earn a place in the next month's FIFA Club World Cup, to be played in the United Arab Emirates.

Saturday Play In Oceania

Group stage play in the OFC Champions League resumed Saturday.

Group A:

At Waitakere, New Zealand:

Benjamin Totori (55') and Brent Fisher (PK-86') provided the second half goals as Waitakere United blanked visiting AS Manu-Ura 2-0.

Group B:

At Honiara, Solomon Island:

Francois Sakama (48') and Etienne Mermer (51') provided the quick, early second-half tallies as Tafea FC of Vanuatu won on the road, 2-0 over Marist FC.

At Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea:

After trailing 1-0 at halftime, Lautoka FC (Fiji) scored twice--thanks to Valerio Nawatu and Apisai Smith at 69 and 76 minutes, respectively--to defeat PRK Hekari United 2-1 on the road.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Lautoka FC (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Tafea FC (GP: 2, GD: +2; PTS: 4)
3. PRK Hekari United (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
4. Marist FC (GP: 2; GD: -4; PTS: 0)

Bayern Held To Home Stalemate

At Munich, Germany:

In Saturday German Bundesliga play, Joel Matip's goal at 43 minutes canceled out Daniel van Buyten's 31st-minute tally as FC Schalke 04 came from behind to gain a 1-1 road deadlock with Bayern Munich.

POHANG STEELERS WIN ASIAN CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

At Tokyo:

Thanks to goals courtesy of Noh Byung-Joon (57') and Kim Hyung-Il (66'), Pohang Steelers held off Al-Ittihad 2-1 Saturday to win the championship match of the AFC Champions League. This marks Pohang's third AFC club title. Here, we see the happy Steelers with the Asian club championship club trophy.

The South Korean club will play in next month's FIFA Club World Cup, to be staged in the United Arab Emirates.


Photo © Getty Images

WOW!

This past Thursday night, there was a mixed martial arts contest, and a women's collegiate soccer game broke out.



Any bets she will be suspended for a long stretch for her actions?

Apparently, she has been.

BYU won the game 1-0 and advanced to the Mountain West Conference's women's soccer championship match.

MLS Playoffs: Champs Dethroned

The Major League Soccer Cup playoffs continued Thursday night.


At Columbus, Ohio:

Goals from Javier Morales (37'), Robbie Findley (PK-45'+2), and Andy Williams (74') enabled Real Salt Lake (a team that won only two games on the road during the regular season) to overtake the defending champions Columbus Crew and win game two of their two-match Eastern Conference semifinal series 3-2 on the road and win the series 4-2 on aggregate.

Next up for RSL is the Eastern Conference final, to be played at the home stadium of the winner of the ongoing New England Revolution-Chicago Fire series.

Europa League Play Resumes: Shakhtar, Werder, And Galatasaray Advance To Knockout Stage; Cottagers and Toffees Lose

The second half of group stage play in the Europa League commenced on Thursday.

Group A:

At Brussels, Belgium:

Matias Suarez (PK-29'), Mbark Boussoufa (69'), and Jonathan Legear (90'+5) all provided a goal apiece as RSC Anderlecht defeated visiting FC Timisoara 3-1.

At Zagreb, Croatia:

Marco Pantelic (13') and Demy de Zeeuw (45'+1) provided the first-half goalpower that carried Ajax Amsterdam to a 2-0 road win over Dinamo Zagreb.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Ajax (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
2. RSC Anderlecht (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 8)
3. FC Timisoara (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 2)
4. Dinamo Zagreb (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 0*)

*Three points deducted because of fan disturbance in away match against FC Timosoara (subject to appeal). The points deduction, for the time being, eliminated Dinamo Zagreb from European competition. Pending Dinamo Zagreb's appeal, RSC Anderlecht has clinched a berth in the knockout stage of the Europa League.

Group B:

At Prague, Czech Republic:

Petr Janda (79') and Peter Grajciar (82') provided the late scoring that wiped out a two-goal deficit as Slavia Prague salvaged a 2-2 home draw with Valencia (whose goals came from Joaquin Sanchez [PK-22] and Hedwiges Maduro [47']).

At Genoa, Italy:

Genoa, with goals from Rodrigo Palacio (14'), Hernan Crespo (58'), and Giuseppe Sculli (90'+3), defeated visiting Lille 3-2.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Lille (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 7)
2. Valencia (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. Genoa (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
4. Slavia Prague (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 2)

Group C:

At Hamburg, Germany:

Visiting Celtic and Hamburg battled to a 0-0 stalemate.


At Vienna, Austria:

Avihay Yadin (13'), Gil Vermouth (65'), and Bebars Natcho (70') each tallied once as visiting Hapoel Tel-Aviv overpowered Rapid Vienna 3-0.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Hapoel Tel-Aviv (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
2. Hamburg (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
3. Rapid Vienna (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
4. Celtic (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 2)


Group D:

At Lisbon, Portugal:

Sporting salvaged a 1-1 home draw with FK Ventspils, thanks to Carlos Saleiro's equalizer at 22 minutes. Alessandro Zamperini had put the Latvian club ahead briefly at 15 minutes.

At Heerenveen, Netherlands:

Valeri Domovchiyski scored twice (21', 52') and Artur Wichniarek added the game winner (90'+1) as Hertha Berlin came from behind to top SC Heerenveen 3-2 on the road.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Sporting (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 10)

2.Hertha Berlin (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)

3. SC Heerenveen (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)

4. FK Ventspils (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 3)

Group E:

At Rome:

John Arne Riise (69') and Stefano Okaka Chuka (76') each scored a goal as AS Roma came from behind to defeat visiting Fulham 2-1.

At Basel, Switzerland:

FC Basel defeated visitng CSKA Sofia 2-1, thanks to goals courtesy of Marcos Gelabert (35') and Alexander Frei (PK-41', 67')

GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. FC Basel (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 9)
2. AS Roma (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
3. Fulham (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS:5)
4. CSKA Sofia (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 1)

Group F:

At Bucharest, Romania:

Harry Kewell (22'), Shabani Nonda (24'), and Mehmet Topal (56') provided the scoring that carried Galatasaray to a 3-0 road beatdown of Dinamo Bucharest as the Turkish club clinched a berth in the knockout stage of the Europa League.

At Graz, Austria:

Kostas Katsouranis scored the only goal of the match (70') as Panathinaikos eliminated SK Sturm Graz from European competition with a 1-0 road win.

GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Galatasaray* (GP: 4; GD: +8; PTS: 10)

2. Panathinaikos (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 9)

3. Dinamo Bucharest (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 3)

4. SK Sturm Graz# (GP: 4 GD: -3; PTS: 1)

*Advanced to knockout stage of UEFA Europa League
#Eliminated from European competition

Group G:

At Sofia, Bulgaria:

Franz Schiemer goal during second-half injury time (90'+3) was the only tally of the match as Red Bull Salzburg defated Levski Sofia 1-0 on the road.

At Villarreal, Spain:

Robert Pires scored twice in the first half (2', PK-15') to help lead Villarreal to a 4-1 home fistbeating of Lazio.

GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Red Bull Salzburg (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 12)

2. Villarreal (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)

3. Lazio (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)

4. Levski Sofia (GP: 4; GD: -7; PTS: 0)

Group H:

At Enschede, Netherlands:

Miroslav Stoch doubled (7', 89') as FC Twente defeated visiting FC Sheriff Tiraspol 2-1.

At Istanbul, Turkey:

Andre Santos (15'), Bilica (51'), and Alexsandro (Alex) de Souza (67') provided the goals that powered Fenerbahce to a 3-1 home triumph over Steaua Bucharest.

GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Fenerbahce (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 9)

2. FC Twente (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 7)

3. FC Sheriff Tiraspol (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)

4. Steaua Bucharest (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 2)

Group I:

At Athens, Greece:

AEK Athens settled for a 2-2 home deadlock with BATE Borisov. Ismael Blanco (1') and Gustavo Manduca (38') scored for the hosts, while the visiting club from Belarus got tallies courtesy of Vitali Rodionov (17') and Alyaksandr Valodzka (25')

At Liverpool, England:

SL Benfica blanked hosts Everton 2-0 as Javier Saviola (63') and Oscar Cardozo (76') provided the second-half scoring for the Eagles.

GROUP I STANDINGS:

1. SL Benfica (GP: 4; GD: +8; PTS: 9)

2. Everton (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)

3. FC BATE Borisov (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)

4. AEK Athens (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 4)

Group J:

At Toulouse, France:

Luiz Adriano (50') and Oleskiy Hai (63') each tallied once in the second half as Shakhtar Donetsk took control of a match that was scoreless at halftime and defeated hosts Toulouse 2-0 to lock up a berth in the round of 32.

At Belgrade, Serbia:

Dorge Kouemaha's double (36', 57') was part of Club Brugge's 4-2 road win over Partizan Belgrade, eliminating the hosts from European competition.

GROUP J STANDINGS:

1. Shakhtar Donetsk* (GP: 4; GD: +12; PTS: 12)

2. Club Brugge (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 7)

3. Toulouse (GP: 4 GD: -5; PTS: 4)

4. Partizan Belgrade# (GP: 4; GD: -8; PTS: 0)

*Advanced to the knockout stage of the Europa League

#Eliminated from European competition

Group K:

At Copenhagen, Denmark:

Balazs Dzsudzsak's 72nd-minute equalizer lifted PSV Eindhoven to a 1-1 road draw with FC Copenhagen, whose goal came from Jesper Gronkjaer on a successful penalty kick at 39 minutes.

At Cluj-Napoca, Romania:

Bony Wilfried scored the game winning goal at 90 minutes +5 as Sparta Prague defeated CFR Cluj 3-2 on the road.

GROUP K STANDINGS:

1. PSV Eindhoven (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 8)

2. Sparta Prague (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)

3. FC Copenhagen (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)

4. CFR Cluj (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 3)

Group L:

At Bremen, Germany:

Tim Borowski (81') and Hugo Almeida (84') came up with critical goals in the final 10 minutes of regulation as Werder Bremen clinched a berth in the knockout stage with their 2-0 home win over Austria Vienna.

At Funchal, Portugal:

Joseba Etxeberria's penalty kick at 85 minutes canceled out Edgar's 64th-minute PK as Athletic Bilbao came from behind to gain a 1-1 road stalemate with CD Nacional.

GROUP L STANDINGS:

1. Werder Bremen* (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 10)

2. Athletic Bilbao (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)

3. CD Nacional (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 2)

4. Austria Vienna (GP: 4; GD: -5; PTS: 2)

*Advanced to the knockout stage of the Europa League

UCL Group H: Gunner On Cusp Of Advancing; Standard Stay Alive By Beating Olympiacos

Wednesday action in Group H in the UEFA Champions League.

At London:

Cesc Fabregas doubled (25', 52', that's him celebrating) as Arsenal pounded visitng AZ Alkmaar 4-1 to close within one point of clinching a berth in the knockout stage.

At Liege, Belgium:

Dieudonne Mbokani (31', he's pictured here celebrating) and Milan Jovanovic (88') provided the goals that lifted Standard Liege to a 2-0 home win over Olympiacos.



Both Photos © Getty Images





GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Arsenal (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 10)
2. Olympiacos (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Standard Liege (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
4. AZ Alkmaar (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 2)

UCL Group G: Sevilla Lock Up Spot In Knockout Stage; Rangers and Unirea Draw In Romania

Wednesday saw two games in Group G play in the UEFA Champions League.

At Seville, Spain:

Jesus Navas scored at 14 minutes as Sevilla clinched a berth in the knockout stage with their 1-1 home draw with VfB Stuttgart. Zdravko Kuzmanovic equalized for the visiting German club at 79 minutes. Pictured here, we see Stuttgart's Aleksandr Hleb battling for possession of the ball with Sevilla forward Luis Fabiano.

At Bucharest, Romania:

Marius Onofras' equalizer at 88 minutes salvaged a 1-1 home draw for FC Unirea Urziceni in their contest with Rangers, whose goal came at 79 minutes from Lee McCulloch. Unirea George Galamaz is shown here battling for the round football with 'Gers' Kenny Miller.





Both Photos © Getty Images





GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Sevilla* (GP: 4; GD: +7; PTS: 10)
2. FC Unirea Urziceni (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. VfB Stuttgart (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. Rangers (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 2)

*Clinched berth in the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League

UCL Group F: Rubin Kazan Hold Barca To Scoreless Draw; Inter Take One On Road

Group F action in the UEFA Champions League resumed on Wednesday.

At Kazan, Russia:

FC Rubin Kazan and visiting Barcelona battled to a 0-0 deadlock as the Russian club took four of a possible six points in their two encounters with the defending European champs. Here, we see Lionel Messi breaking away from Rubin's Cristian Ansaldi.

At Kiev, Ukraine:

Late goals from Diego Milito (86') and Wesley Sneijder (89') enabled Inter Milan to come from behind to defeat Dynamo Kiev 2-1 on the road. Yep, that's Jose Mourinho celebrating after the Nerozzurri's victory.





Both Photos © Getty Images





GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Inter Milan (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
2. FC Rubin Kazan (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
3. Barcelona (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
4. Dynamo Kiev (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)

UCL Group E: Late Equalizer Sends Lyon To Round Of 16; Fiorentina On Verge Of Locking Up Knockout Stage Berth

Matchday #4 in UEFA Champions League group stage play concluded with eight games on Wednesday, including two in Group E.

At Florence, Italy:

Five different goal scorers---Adrian Mutu (14'), Dario Dainelli (52'), Riccardo Montolivo (59'), Marco Marchionni (61'), and Alberto Gilardino (74', that's him in action here with teammate Adrian Mutu in persuit)---each tallied once as Fiorentina dominated visiting Debreceni VSC 5-2 to put themselves on the cusp of advancing to the knockout stage. The Hungarian club has been eliminated from the tournament.

At Lyon, France:

Lisandro's 90th-minute equalizer (which canceled out Ryan Babel's 83rd-minute tally) locked up a knockout stage berth for Lyon as the hosts gained a 1-1 home stalemate with Liverpool, placing the five-time European champions in jeopardy of elimination from the tournament. That's Lisandro celebrating with teammates after his advancement-clinching goal.





Both Photos © Getty Images



GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Lyon* (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 10)
2. Fiorentina (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 9)
3. Liverpool (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
4. Debreceni VSC# (GP: 4; GD: -9; PTS: 0)

*Advanced to the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League
#Eliminated from tournament but still alive for spot in Europa League group stage

UCL Group D: Blues And Dragons Reach Knockout Stage

Two games were played in Group D action in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

At Nicosia, Cyprus:

Falcao (pictured here) scored the game's only goal at 84 minutes as FC Porto clinched a berth in the Round of 16 with a 1-0 road win over APOEL FC.

At Madrid:

Didier Drogba's late double (82', 88', he's seen here celebrating) enabled Chelsea to gain a 2-2 road draw with Atletico Madrid and lay claim to a berth in the Knockout Stage of the Champions League.




Both Photos © Getty Images




GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Chelsea* (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 10)
2. FC Porto* (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
3. Atletico Madrid# (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 2)
4. APOEL FC# (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 1)

*Clinched berths in the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League
#Eliminated from the UEFA Champions League but still alive for a berth in the knockout stage of the UEFA Europa League

UCL Group C: Galacticos and Rossoneri Draw In Milan; Maseille Wallop Zurich

Here's a rundown of the Tuesday Group C contests in the UEFA Champions League.

At Milan, Italy:

AC Milan, thanks to Ronaldinho's successful penalty kick at 35 minutes, salvaged a 1-1 home deadlock with Real Madrid, whose Karim Benzema is pictured here celebrating after he scored at 29 minutes.

At Marseille, France:

Marseille remained very much in contention in Group C after they busted a game that was stalemated 1-1 at halftime with five second-half goals, and delivered a frontier-styled 6-1 fistbeating to visiting FC Zurich. Fabrice Abriel (11'), Mamadou Niang (51', he's seen here celebrating with teammates), Hilton (80'), Benoit Cheyrou (87'), and Brandou (90') eached scored once for the hosts.





Both Photos © Getty Images



GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. AC Milan (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
2. Real Madrid (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 7)
3. Marseille (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
4. FC Zurich (GP: 4; GD: -8; PTS: 3)