Wee Hoops Make Things Wee Too Hot For Blues

At Belfast, Northern Ireland:

Darren MaNamee (21') and Ryan Henderson (80') each tallied once as cellar-dwelling Donegal Celtic blanked visiting league-leading Linfield 2-0 in Friday IFA Premiership action.

Tough Win Puts Bhoys Back Atop SPL Standings

At Glasgow, Scotland:

Patrick McCourt scored the game's lone goal (27') as Celtic climbed back to the top of the Scottish Premier League standings with a 1-0 home win over Motherwell, despite finishing the contests with ten men.

A Pair Of Doubles Spur Forest

At West Bridgford, England:

Marcus Tudgay (24', 45') and Robert Earnshaw (53', 90') each scored twice against his former club as Nottingham Forest clubbed visiting Derby County 5-2 in Wednesday play in the English League Championship.

Wolves Stun Reds At Anfield

At Liverpool, England:

Stephen Ward scored the only goal of the match at 56 minutes on Wednesday as Wolverhampton Wanderers racked up their first road win in English Premier League action since this past March 1-0 at Liverpool, winning at Anfield for the first time since January, 1984.

A Shutout Win On The Road For Anderlecht

At Kortrijk, Belgium:

Guillaume Gillet's goal at 13 minutes proved to be the game winner as RSC Anderlecht defeated KV Kortrijk 2-0 on the road in Wednesday Belgian Juliper League action.

Chalk Up Another Defeat For Sydney FC

At Adelaide, Australia:

Adelaide United, thanks to goals from Serginho van Dijk (35') and Cassio (58'), blanked visiting Sydney FC 2-0 in Wednseday Hyundai A-League action.

Dons Dominate Sports

At Kingston upon Thames, England:

With Mark Nwokeji (45'), Ricky Wellard (80'), and Rashid Yussuff (89') each scoring once, AFC Wimbledon had no trouble in their Tuesday Blue Square Premier Conference encounter with Eastbourne Borough, blanking the visiting Sports 3-0.

Saints Throttle Terriers

At Southampton, England:

Richard Lambert (28'), Alex Chamberlain (32'), Radhi Jaidi (51'), and Richard Chaplow (72') each collected a goal as Southampton dominated visiting Hudderfield Town 4-1 in Tuesday action in England's League One.

Lierse SK NO Match For Anderlecht

At Brussels, Belgium:

Mbark Boussoufa scored twice (70', 89') as RSC Anderlecht annihilated visiting Lierse SK 6-0 in Sunday Belgian Juliper League action. 

'Gers Turn Steelmen Into Rust

At Motherwell, Scotland:

Kenny Miller scored twice on Sunday (26', 61') as Rangers defeated hosts Motherwell 4-1 in Scottish Premier League play. 

Better Late Than Never For Bhoys

At Glasgow, Scotland:

Goals from Du-Ri Cha and Ki Sung-Yueng during stoppage time in the second half carried Celtic to a 2-0 home win on  Sunday against St. Johnstone in Scottish Premier League action. 

Wolves Condemned To Premiership Basement After Boxing Day Home Setback To Lactics

At Wolverhampton, England:

Hugo Rodallega (9') and Tom Cleverley (20') each provided a goal before the first half was halfway through as Wigan defeated Wolverhampton 2-1 on the road in Sunday English Premier League action.  The loss dropped Wolves into the Premiership basement, while the visiting Lactics climbed out of the relegation zone into 16th place. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

From all of us at Soccer Or Association Football!

Rafa Canned

Maybe the former Liverpool manager should have kept his mouth shut after the Nerazzurri won the FIFA Club World Cup title over the weekend.

It's Going To Be A Christmas Day At The Foot Of The A-League Standings For Sydney FC

At Sydney, Australia:

Adrian Zahara provided the lone goal of the match at 86 minutes on Thursday as the expansion Melbourne Heart knocked off Sydney FC 1-0 on the road, condemning the hosts to the bottom of the A-League standings. 

Big Home Win For Monaco

At Fontvieille, Monaco:

Chu-Young's Park's game-winning goal during second-half stoppage time lifted AS Monaco to a 2-1 home win over FC Sochaux in Wednesday Ligue 1 action.

Late Goal Salvages Home Point For Bhoys

At Glasgow, Scotland:

Thomas Rogne's equalizer at 84 minutes enabled Celtic to salvage a 1-1 home draw in Tuesday's Scottish Premier League encounter with Kilmarnock, with Conor Sammon scoring the guests' goal at 53 minutes. 

Decisive Road Win For Lions

At Setubal, Portugal:

In Monday Portuguese Liga action,  Yannick Djalo scored twice (20', 57') as Sporting defeated Vitoria Setubal 3-0 on the road.

Super Mario's Hat Trick Part Of Bayern Triumph At Stuttgart

At Stuttgart, Germany:

A hat trick from Mario Gomez (31', 52', 54') as well as goals from Franck Ribery (43') and Thomas Muller (53') carried Bayern Munich to a 5-3 road win over VfB Stuttgart in Sunday German Bundesliga action. 

Road Win For Anderlecht

At Bruges, Belgium:

RSC Anderlecht, with goals scored by Romelu Lukaku (58') and Mbark Boussoufa (88'), shut out Club Brugge 2-0 in Sunday Belgian Juliper League action. 

Monaco Prevent PSG From Moving To Top Of Ligue 1 Standings

At Paris:

Sebastien Puygrenier (32') and Daniel Niculae (88') each tallied once as AS Monaco gained a Saturday 2-2 road draw with Paris Saint-Germian, keeping the hosts from moving atop the Ligue 1 standings.  Anderson Luiz de Carvalho Nene (40', 52') provided both of PSG's goals.

Roma Blank Rossoneri In Milan

At Milan, Italy:

Marco Borriello scored the game's only goal at 68 minutes as AS Roma knocked off AC Milan in Saturday Serie A play 1-0 on the road.

Barca Blitz Espanyol In Local Derby To Hand Parakeets First Home Defeat

At Barcelona:

David Villa scored twice (76', 84') as Barcelona handed Espanyol their first home setback of the season as they throttled the Parakeets 5-1 in Saturday Spanish Premiera Division action.

Easy Win For Forest

At West Bridgford, England:

Luke Chambers (31'), Marcus Tudgay (46'), and Garath McCleary (85') each delivered a goal as Nottingham Forest dominated visiting Crystal Palace 3-0 in Saturday English League Championship action.

Nerazzurri Thump TP Mazembe For FIFA Club World Cup Crown

At Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:



With goals scored by Goran Pandev (12'), Samuel Eto'o (17'), and Jonathan Biabiany (85'), Inter Milan dominated TP Mazembe 3-0 on Saturday to win the championship of the FIFA Club World Cup.  Here's coach Rafe Benitez and the jubilant Nerazzurri players celebrating after the game in this AFP photo.

Alecsandro scored twice (26', 70') as Internacional defeated Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 4-2 earlier Saturday to win the third-place match.

Champions League Draw: Inter and Bayern In Finals Rematch; Gunners Get Barca; Getogether For Spurs and Rossoneri

At Nyon, Switzerland:

The draw for the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League took place on Friday.

The opening matches of the respective two-game sets will be played on February 15/16 and 22/23, with the return contests on March 8/9 and 15/16.

The clubs hosting the opening contests are listed first.

AS Roma vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

AC Milan vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Valencia vs. FC Schalke

Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich

Lyon vs. Real Madrid

Arsenal vs. Barcelona

Marseille vs. Manchester United

FC Copenhagen vs. Chelsea

Friday also marked the draw for the Rounds of 32 and 16 in the Europa League.

Here are the matchups for the first knockout round with the opening contests in their respective two-game series taking place on February 17 with the return contests on February 24.

The host clubs of the opening contests are listed first.

Napoli vs. Villarreal

Rangers vs. Sporting

Sparta Prague vs. Liverpool

RSC Anderlecht vs. Ajax Amsterdam

Lech Poznan vs. SC Braga

Besiktas vs. Dynamo Kiev

FC Basel vs. Spartak Moscow

BSC Young Boys vs. Zenit Saint Petersburg

Aris Thessaloniki vs. Manchester City

PAOK FC vs. CSKA Moscow

Sevilla vs. FC Porto

Rubin Kazan vs. FC Twente

LOSC Lille Metropole vs. PSV Eindhoven

SL Benfica vs. VfB Stuttgart

FC BATE Borisov vs. Paris Saint-Germain

Metalist Kharkiv vs. Bayer Leverkusen

The matchups for the Round of 16 with the opening contests on March 10 and the return matches on March 16.  The host clubs are listed first.

Benfica/Stuttgart winners vs. BATE Borisov/PSG winners

Besiktas/Dynamo Kiev winners vs. Aris Thessaloniki/Manchester City winners

Rubin Kazan/FC Twente winners vs. Young Boys/Zenit winners

PAOK FC/CSKA Moscow winners vs. Sevilla/FC Porto winners

Lille/PSV winners vs. Rangers/Sporting winners

Metalist Kharkiv/Bayer Leverkusen winners vs. Napoli/Villarreal winners

Anderlecht/Ajax winners vs. FC Basel/Spartak Moscow winners

Sparta Prague/Liverpool winners vs. Lech Poznan/SC Braga winners

Europa League: Group Stage Play Concludes; Citizens Win Group A; Atletico Eliminated

Twelve games were played on Thursday as group stage play in the Europa League came to a close.

Group A:

At Walz-Siezenheim, Austria:

Semir Stilic scored the only goal of the match at 30 minutes as Lech Poznan defeated Red Bull Salzburg 1-0 on the road. 

At Turin, Italy:

Jo's equalizer at 76 minutes enabled Manchester City to gain a 1-1 road draw with Juventus, good enough to secure first place in Group A for the visiting Citizens.

FINAL GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Manchester City (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 11)
2. Lech Poznan (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 11)
3. Juventus (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
4. Red Bull Salzburg (GP: 6; GD: -8; PTS: 2)

Manchester United and Lech Poznan advanced to the knockout stage.

Group B:

At Thessaloniki, Greece:

With Danijel Cesarec (45') and Ricardo Faty (45') providing the goals, Aris Salonika advanced to the knockout stage with a 2-0 home win over Rosenborg. 

At Leverkusen, Germany:

With Patrick Helmes scoring at 69 minutes, Bayer Leverkusen gained a 1-1 draw with guests Atletico Madrid.  The draw, coupled with Aris Salonika's home win over Rosenborg, eliminating the visiting defending cupholders from the tournament.

FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Bayer Leverkusen (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 12)
2. Aris Salonika (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
3. Atletico Madrid (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 8)
4. Rosenborg BK (GP: 6; GD: -10; PTS: 3)

Bayer Leverkusen ad Aris Salonika advanced to the knockout stage.

Group C:

At Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France:

Lille, thanks to goals from Ludovic Obraniak (30'), Pierre-Alain Frau (56'), and Moussa Sow (88'), blasted visiting KAA Gent 3-0 to overtake the Belgian club and into a second-place finish in Group C---and a berth in the knockout stage. 

At Sofia, Bulgaria:

Daniel Mladenov scored the game's lone goal at 45 minutes as Levski Sofia, already eliminated from the tournament, knocked off Group C winners Sporting 1-0 at home. 

FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Sporting (GP: 6; GD: +8; PTS: 12)
2. LOSC Lille Metropole (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 8)
3. KAA Gent (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 7)
4. Levski Sofia (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 7)

Group G:

At Brussels, Belgium:

With Tom De Sutter (11') and Matias Suarez (40') getting on the scoreboard, RSC Anderlecht assured themselves of safe passage to the knockout stage with a 2-0 home win over Hajduk Split. 

At Athens, Greece: 

Alexander Bukharov (44'), Alessandro Rosina (67'), and Igor Denisov (88') each tallied a goal as Zenit Saint Petersburg crushed AEK Athens 3-0 on the road.  Combined with RSC Anderlecht's home win over Hajduk Split, the loss eliminated the Greek club from the tournament.

FINAL GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Zenit Saint Petersburg (GP: 6; GD: +12; PTS: 18)
2. RSC Anderlecht (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
3. AEK Athens (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 7)
4. Hajduk Split (GP: 6; GD: -8; PTS: 3)

Zenit Saint Petersburg and RSC Anderlecht (the latter because of superior head-to-head competition with AEK Athens) advanced to the knockout stage.

Group H:

At Stuttgart, Germany:

The new Bruno Labbadia regime at VfB Stuttgart got off to a flying start on Thursday as the hosts belted visiting Odense BK 5-1.  Timo Gebhart (20'), Christian Gentner (65'), Pavel Pogrebniak (71'), and Ciprian Marica (90') each scored once for the hosts. 

At Getafe, Spain:

Adrian Corpa scored at 15 minutes as Getafe defeated visiting----and knockout round-bound---BSC Young Boys 1-0.

FINAL GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. VfB Stuttgart (GP: 6; GD: +10; PTS: 15)
2. BSC Young Boys (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 9)
3. Getafe (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS; 7)
4. Odense BK (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 4)

VfB Stuttgart and BSC Young Boys advanced to the knockout stage. 

Group I:

At Budapest, Hungary:

In a battle of eliminated clubs, Debreceni VSC picked up their first win in group stage play with a 2-0 home win over Sampdoria.  Peter Kabat provided both goals, at 48 and 86 minutes.   

At Eindhoven, Netherlands:

Despite being held to a 0-0 home stalemate with fellow knockout-stage entrants FC Metalist Kharkiv, PSV Eindhoven won Group I.

FINAL GROUP I STAGE:

1. PSV Eindhoven (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 14)
2. FC Metalist Kharkiv (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 11)
3. Sampdoria (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 5)
4. Debreceni VSC (GP: 6; GD: -9; PTS: 3)

PSV Eindhoven and FC Metalist Kharkiv advanced to the knockout stage. 

  

Sydney FC Drop One In Queensland

At Townsville, Queensland, Australia:

Ufuk Talay (71'---no jokes, please) scored the only goal of the match on Wednesday as the North Queensland Fury defeated visiting Sydney FC 1-0 in Hyundai A-League action.

Europa League: PAOK Defeat Dinamo Zagreb To Join Yellow Submarine In Knockout Stage; Sevilla Eliminate Dortmund; Napoli Top Steaua Bucharest To Claim Spot In Round of 32

The sixth and final Match Day of Europa League group stage action commenced with twelve games on Wednesday.

Group D:

At Bruges, Belgium:

Giuseppe Rossi scored twice (29', 34') as Villarreal defeated Club Brugge 2-1 on the road to finish atop Group D.

At Zagreb, Croatia:

Dimitrios Salpingidis scored the lone goal of the match at 59 minutes as PAOK Salonika defeated Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 on the road to advance to the Round of 32.

FINAL GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Villarreal (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 12)
2. PAOK FC (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 11)
3. Dinamo Zagreb (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
4. Club Bruge (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 3)

Villarreal and PAOK FC advanced to the knockout stage.

Group E:

At Alkmaar, Netherlands:

Kolbeinn Sigthorsson doubled (6', 84') as AZ Alkmaar defeated visiting FC BATE Borisov 3-0.

At Kiev, Ukraine:

Despite being held to a 0-0 home stalemate by FC Sheriff, Dynamo Kiev still won Group E.

FINAL GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Dynamo Kiev (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 11)
2. FC BATE Borisov (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 10)
3. AZ Alkmaar (GP: 6; PTS: -2; PTS: 7)
4. FC Sheriff (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 5)

Dynamo Kiev and FC BATE Borisov advanced to the knockout stage.

Group F:

At Prague, Czech Republic:

In a battle of the group's two knockout-stage-bound teams, Vaclav Kadlec scored at 44 minutes to salvage a 1-1 home draw for Sparta Prague in their match with CSKA Moscow.  The Horses, who saw their perfect record in group-stage play go by the wayside, got their goal from Alan Dzagoev at 15 minutes.

At Lausanne, Switzerland:

Ezequiel Munoz delivered the game's lone tally (85') as Palermo defeated FC Lausanne-Sport 1-0 on the road as both teams ended their European campaigns.

FINAL GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. CSKA Moscow (GP: 6; GD: +15; PTS: 16)
2. Sparta Prague (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 9)
3. Palermo (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 7)
4. FC Lausanne-Sport (GP: 6; GD: -11; PTS: 1)

CSKA Moscow and Sparta Prague advanced to the knockout stage.

Group J:

At Lviv, Ukraine:

Artem Fedetskiy's equalizer at 45 minutes secured FC Karpaty Lviv their first---and only---point in this year's group-stage action as the hosts gained a 1-1 home stalemate with Paris Saint-Germain.  Peguy Luyindula scored at 39 minutes for PSG, who locked up the top spot in Group J.

At Seville, Spain:

Goals courtesy of Ndri Romaric (31') and Frederic Kanoute (35') secured a 2-2 home draw for Sevilla against Borussia Dortmund, enough for the Spanish club to advance to the knockout stage and end the German club's European campaign.

FINAL GROUP J STANDINGS:

1. Paris Saint-Germain (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 12)
2. Sevilla (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 10)
3. Borussia Dortmund (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
4. FC Karpaty Lviv (GP: 6; GD: -11; PTS: 1)

Paris Saint-Germain and Sevilla advanced to the knockout stage.

Group K:

At Naples, Italy:

Edinson Cavani's goal at 90 minutes carried Napoli to a 1-0 home win over Steaua Bucharest, lifting the Italian club past the visiting club from the Romanian capital and into the knockout stage.

At Liverpool, England:

Liverpool, loaded with reserves, were held to a 0-0 deadlock by visiting FC Utrecht.

FINAL GROUP K STANDINGS:

1. Liverpool (GP: 6; GD: +5; PTS: 10)
2. Napoli (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
3. Steaua Bucharest (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
4. FC Utrecht (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 5)

Liverpool and Napoli advanced to the knockout stage.

Group L:

At Istanbul, Turkey:

Besiktas defeated visiting Rapid Vienna 2-0.  Ricardo Quaresma (32') and Fabian Ernst (45') provided the goals for the knockout stage-bound hosts.

At Porto, Portugal:

Nicolas Otamendi (22'), Ressureiacao Ruben Micael (55'), and James Rodriguez (90') each scored a goal as FC Porto dominated visitng CSKA Sofia 3-1.

FINAL GROUP L STANDINGS:

1. FC Porto (GP: 6; GD: +10; PTS: 16)
2. Besiktas (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 13)
3. Rapid Vienna (GP: 6; GD: -7; PTS: 3)
4. CSKA Sofia (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 3)

FC Porto and Besiktas advanced to the knockout stage.

2010 FIFA Club World Cup: Nerazzurri Punch Ticket For Final

At Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:



Dejan Stankovic (2'), Javier Zanetti (31'), and Diego Milito (73', that's him celebrating) each provided a goal that carried Inter Milan to an easy 3-0 thumping of Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma on Wednesday to reach Saturday's final of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Getty Images photo

Also on Wednesday, Pachuca came back from a two-goal deficit (thanks to goals from Dario Cvitanich at 81 and 88 minutes) to square things in regulation time against hosts Al-Wahda at 2-2, then won the penalty-kick shootout 4-2 to win the fifth-place game.

2010 FIFA Club World Cup: Historic Victory For TP Mazembe

At Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:



Moluta Kabangu (52', shown here) and Dioko Kaluyituka (85') provided the scoring as TP Mazembe shocked Internacional 2-0 in Tuesday semifinal action in the FIFA Club World Cup.  The Congolese club became not only the first African club, but the first from outside Europe and South America to reach the final of this tournament.  On Saturday, TP Mazembe will play in the championship match against the winners of Wednesday's Seognam Ilhwa Chunma-Inter Milan semifinal.

Getty Images photo 

Boca Held To 1-1 Home Draw

At Buenos Aires, Argentina:

Gimnasia La Plata held hosts Boca Juniors to a 1-1 draw in Monday action in the Premiera Division in Argentina.  Martin Palermo put Boca ahead with his goal at 5 minutes.  However, the guests got their equalizer at 71 minutes from Juan Neira.

Yeah, Sepp

Let's see how the folks in Qatar would like it if Israel were to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.

A Scoreless Sunday In Brussels

At Brussels, Belgium:

Sunday's Belgian Juliper League match between RSC Anderlecht and visitng KSC Lokeren ended in a 0-0 stalemate. 

Lions Stun Visiting Parakeets With Late Comeback

At Bilbao, Spain:

Fernando Llorente (73') and David Lopez (78') provided the late goal power as Athletic Bilbao came from behind to knock off visiting Espanyol 2-1 in Sunday Spainsh Premiera Division action. 

More Struggles For Monaco

At Fontvieille, Monaco:

Laurent Batlles (19') and Bakary Sako (79') each tallied once as St Etienne ended their seven-game Ligue 1 winless streak with a 2-0 road win at the expense of struggling AS Monaco on Sunday. 

Road Win For Ajax

At Arnhem, Netherlands:

Christian Eriksen's goal at 11 minutes stood up on Sunday as Ajax Amsterdam defeated Vitesse Arnmeh 1-0 in Dutch Eredivisie play. 

Rossoneri Turn Bologna Into Baloney

At Bologna, Italy:

AC Milan, with goals coming from Kevin-Prince Boateng (9'), Robinho (35'), and Zlatan Irbrahimovic (60'), manhandled Bologna 3-0 on the road in Sunday Serie A action. 

Stephen Hunt Goal Carries Wolves To Midlands Derby Win Over Brumbies

At Wolverhampton, England:

Stephen Hunt scored the only goal of the match at 45 minutes as Wolverhampton defeated visiting Birmingham City 1-0 in Sunday English Premier League action.  Goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey picked up Wolves' first shutout win since April. 

Sydney FC Fall At Home To Brisbane For First Time

At Sydney, Australia:

Costa Barbarouses scored the only goal of the match at 41 minutes as the Brisbane Roar stretched their unbeaten streak to 16 games on Sunday with a 1-0 road win over Sydney FC, their first ever A-League win on the road against the struggling defending champions. 

TNS Blank Steelmen At Port Talbot

At Port Talbot, Wales:

The New Saints blanked Port Talbot Town 2-0 on the road in Saturday Welsh Premier League action.  Chris Sharp (25') and Richie Partridge (66') each delivered a goal for the guests.

Easy Triumph At Home For Bayern

At Munich, Germany:

Hamit Altintop (16'), Philipp Lamm (PK-72), and Franck Ribery (79') each tallied once as Bayern Munich hammered visiting St. Pauli 3-0 in Saturday German Bundesliga action.

Save On Late Kenny Miller Penalty Kick Preserves Home Draw For Caley Thistle Against 'Gers

At Inverness, Scotland:

Goalkeeper Ryan Esson made a save at 82 minutes on an attempted penalty kick by Kenny Miller (who had earlier scored at 57 minutes) as Inverness Caledonian Thistle were able to secure a 1-1 home draw with Rangers in Saturday Scottish Premier League play.  Jonathan Hayes scored at 31 minutes for the hosts.

Bees Sting Stanley At Home

At Barnet, England:

Izale McLeod scored both goals in the first half (12', 45') as Barnet blanked visiting Accrington Stanley in Saturday English League Two action 2-0.

Bees Sting Saints On Road

At Southampton, England:

Gary Alexander (13') and Charlie MacDonald (28') rang up tallied in the first half as Brentford knocked off Southampton 2-0 on the road in Saturday English League One action.

2010 FIFA Club World Cup: South Korean Champs Win Crack At Inter

At Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:


With goals courtesy of Mauricio Molina (3', that's him pictured here celebrating), Sasa Ognenovski (29'), Sung Kuk Choi (70'), and Cho Dong Keon (80'), Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, the South Korean club that recently won the championship of Asia's Champions League, throttles hosts Al Wahda 4-1 on Saturday to set up a FIFA Club World Cup semifinal encounter with Inter Milan to be played next week.

Associated Press photo

Reds Too Much For Blues

At Cliftonville, Belfast, Northern Ireland:

Kieran O'Connor (22'), Ciaran Caldwell(PK-70'), and John Connolly (83') provided the goal power that lifted Cliftonville to a 3-1 home win over Linfield in Friday IFA Premiership action.

2010 FIFA Club World Cup: TP Mazembe Oust Pachuca To Reach Semis

At Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:



Mbenza Bedi (that's him celebrating) scored the only goal of the match at 20 minutes as TP Mazembe (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Champions of Africa) defeated Mexican club and CONCACAF Champions League winner Pachuca 1-0 on Friday to reach the semifinal round of the FIFA Club World Cup.  The Congolese club will, next week, face Copa Libertadores winners Internacional (Brazil).

Getty Images photo

Goose Eggs For Banfield and Visiting Boca

At Banfield, Argentina:

Thursday's Argentinian Premiera Division clash between Banfield and visiting Boca Juniors ended in a 0-0 stalemate. 

2010 FIFA Club World Cup: Emirates Club Take Opener

At Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:


Goals courtesy of Hugo (40'), Fernando Baiano (43', that's him celebrating), and Abdulraheem Jumaa (71') carried hosts Al-Wahda to a convincing 3-0 thumping of PRK Hekari United (Papua New Guinea, OFC Champs) in Wednesday's opening contest of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Getty Images photo

UCL Group H: Gunners Top Partizan To Advance; Shakhtar Take Group H; SC Braga To Europa League

Two games were played on Wednesday in Group H as group stage play in the UEFA Champions League came to a close.

At London:



With goals from Robin Van Persie (PK-30'), Theo Walcott (73'), and Samir Nasri (77', that's him pictured), Arsenal locked up a berth in the Champions League's knockout rounds with a 3-1 home win over Partizan Belgrade.

At Donetsk, Ukraine:


Razvan Dinca Rat (78') and Luiz Adriano (83', that's him jumping with Braga's Alberto Rodrigues for the ball) came up with the late goals to carry Shaktar Donetsk to a 2-0 home win over SC Braga to lock up top spot in Group H and a berth in the Champions League's group stage while the Portuguese club would have to contend with Round of 32 play in the Europa League.

Both photos from Associated Press 

FINAL GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. Shakhtar Donetsk (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 15)
2. Arsenal (GP: 6; GD: +11; PTS: 12)
3. Sporting Braga (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 9)
4. Partizan Belgrade (GP: 6; GD: -11; PTS: 0)

Shakhtar Donetsk and Arsenal advanced to the Champions League's group stage while SC Braga qualified for the group stage of the Europa League. Partizan Belgrade have been eliminated from European competition. 

UCL Group G: Ajax Blank Rossoneri On Road To Gain Europa League berth

Two games were played in Group G on Wednesday as UEFA Champions League group stage play concluded.

At Madrid:


Karim Benzema's hat trick (11', 71', 88', that's him celebrating his opening goal) helped carry Real Madrid to a 4-0 frontier-styled fistbeating of visiting AJ Auxerre, ending the French club's European advanture.

At Milan, Italy:



Demy De Zeeuw (57', that's him, pictured here) and Toby Alderweireld (66') each delivered a goal as Ajax Amsterdam, playing their first contest since the resignation of manager Martin Jol (Frank de Boer served as interim boss), defeated AC Milan 2-0 on the road to lock up a berth in the knockout stage of the Europa League.  The Rossoneri had already secured a Championd League Sweet Sixteen berth.

Both photos from Associated Press

FINAL GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Real Madrid (GP: 6; GD: +13; PTS: 16)
2. AC Milan (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 8)
3. Ajax Amsterdam (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 7)
4. AJ Auxerre (GP: 6; GD: -9; PTS: 3)

Real Madrid and AC Milan advanced to the knockout stage of the Champions League. Ajax Amsterdam will play in the knockout stage of the Europa League.  AJ Auxerre have been eliminated from European competition.

UCL Group F: Blues Win Group Despite Setback

Wednesday saw the end of action in Group F in the UEFA Champions League with a pair of contests.

At Marseille, France:


Brandao scored the only goal of the match as Marseille knocked off visiting Chelsea 1-0.  Pictured here, we see the Blues' Florent Malouda being brought down by Marseille's Souleymane Diawara.

PA Photo

At Zilina, Slovakia:


Alex Raphael Meschini (54') and Ibson (61') each delivered a goal as Europa League-bound Spartak Moscow came from behind to defeat MSK Zilina 2-1 on the road.  The game was somewhat overtaken by what would be described as boorish behavior by visiting Spartak "fans."  Pictured here are Spartak players trying to calm down their fans.

Associated Press photo

FINAL GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Chelsea (GP: 6; GD: +10; PTS: 15)
2. Marseille (GP: 6; GD: +9; PTS: 12)
3. Spartak Moscow (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 9)
4. MSK Zilina (GP: 6; GD: -16; PTS: 0)

Chelsea and Marseille advanced to the knockout stage of the Champions League.  Spartak Moscow qualified for the Europa League's group stage.  MSK Zilina have been eliminated from European competition. 

UCL Group E: Bayern Blast Basel Out Of Tourney

Wednesday marked the conclusion of group stage play in the UEFA Champions League as eight games were played, including two in Group E.

At Munich, Germany:



Franck Ribery doubled (35', 49') as Bayern Munich overpowered visiting FC Basel 3-0, knocking the Swiss club out of the tournament (and into the Europa League).  Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, who scored the other Bayern goal at 37 minutes, is pictured here celebrating.


At Cluj-Napoca, Romania:


Marco Borrielo scored at 21 minutes (that's him celebrating with teammates), helping to lead Inter Milan to a 1-1 road draw with CFR Cluj, more than enough to secure a spot in the Champions League's Round of 16.

Both photos from Associated Press

FINAL GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Bayern Munich (GP: 6; GD: +10; pts: 15)
2. Inter Milan GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 10)
3. FC Basel (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 6)
4. CFR Cluj (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 4)

Bayern Munich and Inter Milan have clinched berths in the Champions League's knockout stage.  FC Basel qualified for a berth in the Europa League's knockout stage. CFR Cluj have been eliminated from European competition. 

UCL Group D: FC Copenhagen Grabs Berth In Knockout Stage; Rubin Kazan To Europa League

Tuesday saw the conclusion of Group D action in the UEFA Champions League.

At Barcelona:


Andreu Fontas (51', that's him [left] celebrating) and Victor Vazquez (82') provided the second-half goalpower that carried Barcelona to a 2-0 home win over FK Rubin Kazan, shoving the Russian club into the Europa League knockout stage.

Associated Press photo

At Copenhagen, Denmark:


Thanks to goals from Martin Vingaard (26', that's him celebrating with teammates), Jesper Gronkjaer (PK-50'), and Djibril Cisse (OG-73'), FC Copenhagen manhandled visiting Panathinaikos 3-0.  Regardless of the result, Barcelona's win over FK Rubin Kazan clinch a Champions League knockout-stage berth for the host Lions.

Getty Images photo

FINAL GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Barcelona (GP: 6; GD: +11; PTS: 14)
2. FC Copenhagen (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 10)
3. FK Rubin Kazan (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
4. Panathinaikos (GP: 6; GD: -11; PTS: 2)

FC Barcelona and FC Copenhagen advanced to the Champions League's group stage.  FK Rubin Kazan qualified for the group stage of the Europa League.  Panathinaikos were eliminated from European competition.

UCL Group C: Red Devils Finish On Top; Draw For 'Gers and Bursaspor

Group C action from Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League.

At Valencia, Spain:


Anderson's second-half equalizer (62', shown here) lifted Manchester United to a 1-1 road draw with Valencia as the Red Devils finished atop Group C.  The visitors, who will also be playing in the Champions League's Round of 16, got their goal from Pablo at 32 minutes.

Associated Press photo

At Bursa, Turkey:


Secran Yildirim's equalizer at 79 minutes enabled already-eliminated-from-European-competition Bursaspor to salvage a 1-1 home stalemate with Europa-League-bound Rangers.  Kenny Miller (seen here celebrating) scored at 19 minutes for 'Gers.

Getty Images photo


FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Manchester United (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 14)
2. Valencia (GP: 6; GD: +11; PTS: 11)
3. Rangers (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 6)
4. Bursaspor (GP: 6; GD: -14; PTS: 1)

Manchester United and Valencia advanced to the Champions League's group stage.  Rangers qualified for the group stage of the Europa League. Bursaspor have been eliminated from European competition.

UCL Group B: Schalke and Lyon Advance; Benfica To Europa League

Tuesday action in Group B of UEFA Champions League group stage play.

At Lyon, France:


With goals courtesy of Lisandro Lopez (62', that's him celebrating) and Alexandre Lacazette (88'), Lyon gained a 2-2 home draw with Hapoel Tel Aviv, depriving the Israeli club a shot at Europa League play.

Getty Images photo

At Lisbon, Portugal:


Schalke 04 secured top spot in Group B with a 2-1 road win over SL Benfica (the Portuguese club will play in the Europa League's Round of 32).  Jose Jurado (19', that's him [right] celebrating with teammate Ivan Rakitic) and Benedikt Howedes (81') each providing a goal for the Royal Blues.

Associated Press photo

FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Schalke 04 (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 13)
2. Lyon (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 10)
3. SL Benfica (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 6)
4. Hapoel Tel Aviv (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 5)

Schalke and Lyon advanced to the knockout stage of the Champions League.  SL Benfica qualified for Europa League knockout stage play.  Hapoel Tel Aviv have been eliminated from European competition.

UCL Group A: Spurs Finish Group Stage On Top; Bremen Blank Inter

The sixth and final Match Day of UEFA Champions League group stage play commenced with eight games on Tuesday, two of them in Group A.

At Enschede, Netherlands:


Jermain Defoe scored twice (47', 59', that's him pictured here celebrating) as Tottenham Hotspur locked up first place in Group A with a 3-3 road deadlock with FC Twente.

At Bremen, Germany:



Sebastian Prodl (38', that's him celebrating), Marko Arnautovic (49'), and Claudio Pizarro (88') each delivered a goal as Werder Bremen dominated visiting----and undermanned----Inter Milan 3-0.

Both photos from Getty Images

FINAL GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Tottenham Hotspur (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 11)
2. Inter Milan (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 10)
3. FC Twente (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
4. Werder Bremen (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 5)

Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan advanced to the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League while FC Twente qualified for the knockout stage of the Europa League.  Werder Bremen have been eliminated from European competition.

Home Win For Boca

At Buenos Aires, Argentina:

Cristian Erbes scored the only goal of the match at 72 minutes as Boca Juniors defeated visiting Quilmes 1-0 in Sunday Argentinian Premiera Division action. 

Road Win For Lions

At Portimao, Portugal:

Powered by goals courtesy of Helder Postiga (23'), Maniche (42'), and Andre Santos (45'), all in the first half, Sporting racked up a 3-1 road win on Sunday over Portimonense SC in Portuguese Liga action. 

A 2-1 Road Win For Anderlecht In West Flanders

At Waregem, Belgium:

Marcin Wasilewski (42') and Romelu Lukaku (88') each delivered a score in RSC Anderlecht's 2-1 Sunday Belgian Juliper League win at SV Zulte Waregem. 

Parakeets Stay Perfect At Home

At Barcelona:

Luis Garcia's goal at 70 minutes provided all the scoring as Espanyol maintained their perfect start to their home Spanish Premiera Division season on Sunday with a 1-0 win over Sporting Gijon.