Historic Win For Team USA---------Against Italy

At Genoa, Italy:

Clint Dempsey scored the only goal of the match in the 55th minute on Wednesday as the United States, minus the ailing Landon Donavan, picked up their first-ever win over Italy, 1-0 on the road in an international exhibition contest.

Blades Overcome Halftime Deficit To Top Visiting Iron

At Sheffield, England:

Lee Williamson (54') and Stephen Quinn (82') provided the second-half scoring as Sheffield United, currently sitting second in the English League One standings, came from behind to defeat relegation-threatned visiting Scunthorpe United 2-1 on Wednesday.

Uh-Oh!

Looks like Gold Coast United had their license revoked.

A Monday Devoid Of Goals In Prague

At Prague, Czech Republic:

The lone Monday Czech Liga contest, between Slavia Prague and visiting Teplice, ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Scoreless In Montevideo

At Montevideo, Uruguay:


In a Sunday Uruguayan Primera Division match that saw both clubs reduced to ten men, Racing Club de Montevideo and visiting Cerrito battled to a 0-0 stalemate.

Home Win For Boca

At Buenos Aires:


In Sunday action from Argentina's Primera Division, Dario Cvitanich (44') and Juan Roman Riquelme (80') provided the scoring as Boca Juniors blanked Newell's Old Boys 2-0 at home.

Big Road Win For Ajax Over Basement-Occupying Excelsior

At Rotterdam, Netherlands:


Siem De Jong scored twice (45', 87') as Ajax Amsterdam stayed in the race for a Champions League berth following their 4-1 Sunday road win over Dutch Eredivise basement-residing Excelsior.

Let's Be Franck About It: Double Lifts Bayern To Second Place In Bundesliga

At Munich, Germany:


Franck Ribery provided both goals (36', 55') as Bayern Munich climbed up to second place in the German Bundesliga following their 2-0 home blanking of FC Schalke.

Good News For Once For Rangers

At Inverness, Scotland:


A quartet of goal scorers-----Steven Davis (6'), Sone Aluko (16'), Andrew Little (36'), and Lee McCulloch (72')------each tallied once as Rangers picked up their first win since entering administration, 4-1 on the road over Inverness Caledonian Thistle, and tightened their hold on second place in the Scottish Premier League, and that country's second Champions League qualifying berth to six points over Motherwell on Sunday.

Lions Blank Rio Ave 1-0 To Stay In Hunt For Champions League Berth

At Lisbon, Portugal:


Marat Inzmailov scored the only goal of the match in the 35th minute as Sporting CP, in fourth place in the league standings, five points in back of Sporting Braga for Portugal's third and final Champions League berth, defeated visiting Rio Ave 1-0 in Portuguese Primeira Liga action on Sunday.

Goose Eggs For Lierse and Anderlecht

At Lier, Belgium:


A 0-0 deadlock was the final result of the Sunday Belgian Pro League contest between Lierse and visiting (and league-leading) RSC Anderlecht.

Owls Blank Visiting Blades In Sheffield Derby With Major League One Promotion Implications

At Sheffield, England:



Chris O'Grady scored the only goal of the match in the 73rd minute as Sheffield Wednesday defeated visiting Sheffield United 1-0 in the lone Sunday English League One contest.  With the win, the Owls climbed up to third place in the league standings, two points in back of their local rivals.

CARLING CUP: REDS WIN PK SHOOTOUT WITH CARDIFF CITY FOR FIRST MAJOR SILVERWARE SINCE 2006; STEVIE G.'S COUSIN MISSES CRITICAL PK TO SEAL LIVERPOOL VICTORY

At London:





After a 2-2 deadlock through 120 minutes, Liverpool defeated Cardiff City 3-2 in the penalty kick shootout to win the Carling (English Football League) Cup on Sunday, the Reds' first major piece of silverware since 2006.  In regulation time, Joe Mason scored in the 19th minute for the Bluebirds from the League Championship, only to see Martin Strkel equalize at 60 minutes for the Reds.  In overtime, Dirk Kuyt put Liverpool ahead in the 108th minute, only to see Ben Turner square things for Cardiff City in the 118th minute.  In the shootout, Stewart Dowing, Dirk Kuyt, and Glen Johnson made their spot kicks for the Reds, but the Bluebirds' Anthony Gerrard (whose cousin Steven had his spot kick blocked by Cardiff goalkeeper Tom Heaton) saw his penalty kick sail wide left.  Picture here is the Reds' Steven Gerrard with the Carling Cup in his right hand.


Getty Images photo

Road Win For The Red Bulls

At Ried Im Innkreis, Austria:


Dusan Svento scored the only goal of the match in the 41st minute as FC Red Bull Salzburg found themselves in second place in the league standings (one point back of Rapid Vienna) following their 1-0 road win over SV Josko Ried in the lone Sunday Austrian Bundesliga contest.

Lions Top Black Eagles In Istanbul Derby

At Istanbul, Turkey:


Johan Elmander scored twice (15', 90') as Galatasaray came back from two Besiktas comebacks and nosed out the visiting Black Eagles 3-2 in Sunday Turkish Super Lig action.

Early Goal Sinks Club Africain On The Road

At Monastir, Tunisia:


Onuoha Ogbonna scored the only goal of the match in the 11th minute on Sunday as Monastir defeated visiting Club Africain 1-0 in Tunisian Ligue 1 action.

Goose Eggs For Grasshoppers and Lausanne Sports

At Zurich, Switzerland:


The Sunday Swiss Super League contest between Grasshoppers and visiting FC Lausanne Sport ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Lopsided Road Win Puts Legia Just Two Points Of Ekstraklasa Lead

At Wroclaw, Poland:


Janusz Gol scored twice in the first quarter-hour (1', 13') as Legia Warsaw demolished league-leading Slask Wroclaw 4-0 on the road on Sunday to move the guests to second place in the Polish Ekstraklasa, just two points off the league lead.

Auckland City Still Hot

At Auckland, New Zealand:


Auckland City picked up their fourth straight New Zealand Premiership win (their fifth consecutive in all competitions) on Sunday with a 3-2 home win over Hawkes Bay United Napier.  Auckland City now lead Canterbury United by seven points atop the league standings.

Defensive Boo-Boo Proves Costly To Torino

At Brescia, Italy:


Matteo Darmian scored an own goal in the 66th minute as Brescia knocked off Italian Serie B-leading Torino 1-0 at home on Sunday.

Smashing Home Win For Dinamo Tbilisi

At Tbilisi, Georgia:


Dinamo Tbilisi, now in second place in the Umaglesi Liga, the top flight of soccer in Georgia, had their way with Baia on Sunday, spanking their guests 5-1.

Derby Road Win For Anorthosis

At Larnaca, Cyprus:


Giannis Okkas scored the only goal of the match in the 45th minute on Sunday as Anorthosis defeated Ermis 1-0 on the road in Cypriot 1.Division action.

Colo Colo Knocked Off At Home

At Santiago, Chile:


Pedro Munoz scored twice (23', 53') as Universidad de Concepcion defeated Colo Colo 2-1 on the road in Saturday Chilean Primera Division action.

Goal At The Death Gains Road Draw For Tigres

At Pachuca de Soto, Mexico:


Elias Hernandez delivered the equalizer at the death (90'+2) that lifted Tigres to a 1-1 Saturday Mexican Primera Division road draw with Pachuca.  Leobardo Lopez successfully converted a penalty kick in the 22nd minute for the hosts.

Scoreless In Manizales

At Manizales, Colombia:


The Saturday Colombian Primera A contest between Once Caldas and visiting Millonarios ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Late Goal Salvages Road Draw For PSG

At Lyon, France:


Guillaume Hoarau scored twice (21', 90') as Paris Saint-Germain erased a two-goal deficit and gained a 4-4 Saturday French Ligue 1 road draw with Lyon. Bafetimbi Gomis (34'), Lisandro Lopez (36'), Michel Bastos (40'), and Jimmy Briand (57') each scored a goal for the hosts.

Late Goal Gains Road Draw For Juve

At Milan, Italy:


Alessandro Matri's equalizer in the 83rd minute carried Juventus to a 1-1 Saturday road draw with AC Milan in a battle of the top two teams in the Italian Serie A standings.  Antonio Nocerino scored in the 14th minute for the table-topping Rossoneri.

Late Goal Sinks Parakeets

At Barcelona:


Ruben Suarez scored the winning goal in the 89th minute on Saturday as Levante knocked off Espanyol 2-1 on the road in Spanish Primera Division action.

Blues Top Cliftonville On Road In Belfast Derby

At Belfast, Northern Ireland:

Daryl Fordyce scored twice (30', 45') as league-leading Linfield defeated third-place Cliftonville 3-1 on the road in Saturday IFA Premiership action.

Easy Road Win For Dinamo Zagreb

At Karlovac, Croatia:

Tonel (47'), Fatos Beciraj (73'), and Ivan Krstanovic (83') each delivered a goal on Saturday as league-leading Dinamo Zagreb broke open what had been a scored stalemate at halftime and ran over relegation-threatned hosts NK Karlovac 3-0 in 1.HNL action.

Sky Blues Fall At Home

At Sydney, Australia:

Paul Ifill scored the only goal of the match in the 13th minute on Saturday as the Wellington Phoenix ended Sydney FC's two-game Hyndai A-League winning streak with a critical 1-0 road win, knocking the Sky Blues out of a playoff spot.

Cape Town Derby Ends In 1-1 Draw

At Cape Town, South Africa:

Eleazer Rodgers' equalizer in the 61st minute enabled  Santos to gain a 1-1 Saturday South African Premier Soccer League road draw with Ajax Cape Town, whose goal came in the 21th minutes via a successful penalty kick from Brent Carelse.

Dee Held To 1-1 Home Draw By League Leaders

At Dundee, Scotland:

Ryan Conroy's successful 33rd-minute penalty kick enabled Dundee to salvage a 1-1 Saturday Scottish First Division home draw with league-leading Ross County.  Stuart Kettlewell scored in the 11th minute for the visiting Staggies.

Gary Hooper Guides Bhoys To Another Win---And 23-Point Lead Atop SPL Standings

At Glasgow, Scotland:

Gary Hooper scored the only goal of the match in the 59th minute as Celtic racked up their 14th straight win on Saturday, a 1-0 home win over third-place Motherwell.  The Bhoys now lead second-place Rangers by 23 points atop the Scottish Premier League standings.

Rockin' Robins Blank Visiting Stanley

At Swindon, England:

Paul Benson scored twice during the first half-hour (8', 29') as Swindon Town racked up their club-record ninth straight league victory on Saturday, 2-0 in English League Two action over visiting Accrington Stanley.

Dexter's Laboratory Located In Birmingham As Forest Cool Off Hot Brumbies

At Birmingham, England:

Dexter Blackstock scored twice (29', 63') as Nottingham Forest ended Birmingham City's fifteen-match unbeaten streak with a 2-1 Saturday English League Championship road win.  The Reds now find themselves three points and places above the relegation zone.

Wolves Erase Two-Goal Deficit To Gain Road Draw With Magpies And Escape Drop Zone

At Newcastle Upon Tyne, England:


Goals from Matt Jarvis (50') and Kevin Doyle (66') enabled Wolverhampton Wanders, In Terry Connor's first match as caretaker (interim) manager, come back from two goals down to gain a 2-2 Saturday road draw with Newcastle United, enabling them to climb of the of the English Premier League's relegation zone.  Papiss Cisse (6') and Jonas Gutierrez (18') provided the scoring for the Magpies.

Comeback Win For Monaco

At Fontvieille, Monaco:

Nabil Dirar (32') and Valere Germain (82') provided the scoring as AS Monaco came from behind to upend visiting Laval 2-1 in Friday French Ligue 2 action.

Another League Win For 1860 Munich

At Berlin:

Stefan Aigner scored the only goal of the match in the 82nd minute as TSV 1860 Munich---now looking more and more like a legitimate promotion candidate---notched another German 2.Bundesliga win on Friday, this time 1-0 on the road over Union Berlin.

From the WTF Department

This had turned into the club nobody wanted to manage---not on a short-term basis---anyway.















Either this would turn out to be the underrated move of brilliance this season, or they may have resigned themselves to returning to the League Championship

Copa Libertadores: The Strongest Prove Stronger Than Juan Aurich; Olimpia Top Lanus; Junior Come Back From Two Goals Down To Gain Road Draw

Three games in the Copa Libertadores group stage were played on Thursday.


Group One:


At La Paz, Bolivia:


Sebastian Gonzalez (26') and Pablo Escobar (not THAT one, 76') provided the scoring as The Strongest came from behind to defeat visiting Juan Aurich 2-1.


Group Two:


At Asuncion, Paraguay:


Maxi Biancucchi scored the winning goal in the 79th minute as Club Olimpia downed visiting Lanus 2-1.


Group Three:


Vladimir Hernandez (52') and Hector Quinones (60') provided the scoring as Junior de Barranquilla came back from a two-goal deficit to earn a 2-2 road draw with Universidad Catolica.  Felipe Gutierrez scored both of the Crusaders' goals in the 19th and 26th minutes.


GROUP THREE STANDINGS:


1. Union Espanola (GP: 2; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
2. Universidad Catolica (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
3. Club Bolivar (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)
4. Junior de Barranquilla (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

Broken Record

Nobody wants to manage Wolves, eh?

Europa League: Red Devils Hang On; PSV, Twente, Udinese Advance; Potters Eliminated

15 games were played on Thursday as the Europa League's Round of 32 came to a close.


At Bilbao, Spain:



Muniain scored the only goal of the match in the 61st minute as Athletic Bilbao, despite playing the final half-hour of the contest with only ten men, won game two of their two-game series 1-0 at home against Lokomotiv Moscow and, with the series at 2-2 on aggregate, advanced on the away goals rule.  Here we see that happy red-and-white vertically-striped jerseyed players from the Spanish club celebrating their series victory.

Getty Images photo


At Valencia, Spain:

Jonas scored the only goal of the match in the 24th minute as Valencia handed Stoke City a second 1-0 setback in game two at home and won their series 2-0 on aggregate.


At Enschede, Netherlands:



Nacer Chadli (that's him celebrating)scored the only goal of the match as FC Twente defeated Steaua Bucharest 1-0 in game two and won the series 2-0 on aggregate.

Getty Images photo


At Liege, Belgium:





A 0-0 home draw with ten-man Wisla Krakow proved to be good enough for Standard Liege as the Belgian club, with the aggregate score at 1-1, advanced on the away goals rule.  The Polish club were reduced to ten men after Gervasio Nunez was ejected via the red card in the 63rd minute, as shown here.

Getty Images photo


At Thessaloniki, Greece:

Following last week's scoreless encounter in Italy, Danilo (6'), Antonio Floro Flores (13'), and Maurizio Domizzi (PK-51') provided the series as Udinese won both game two on the road and their series with PAOK FC, 3-0 on both cases.


At Eindhoven, Netherlands:



Tim Matavz scored twice (30', 53') as PSV Eindhoven spanked visiting Trabzonspor 4-1 in game two and took out the Turkish club 6-2 on aggregate.  Here's a shot of PSV's Kevin Strootman scoring in the 38th minute.

Getty Images photo




At Bruges, Belgium:



Mame Biram Diouf (that's him here) scored the lone goal of the match in the 21st minute as Hannover 96 won game two of their two-match series 1-0 on the road and defeated Club Brugge 3-1 on aggregate.

Getty Images photo


At Manchester, England:

Javier Hernandez scored in the 6th minute as Manchester United, despite dropping a 2-1 game-two home decision to Ajax Amsterdam, won their two-game series 3-2 on aggregate.


At Kharkiv, Ukraine:



Goals from Jonathan Cristaldo (62'), Sebastian Blanco (63'), and Bonfim Marlos (86') provided the second-half scoring as FC Metalist Kharkiv (whose players are shown here celebrating) dominated visiting FC Red Bull Salzburg 4-1 in game two and finished their two-match annihilation of the Austrian club 8-1 on aggregation.

Getty Images photo


At Piraeus, Greece:



Rafik Djebbour scored the only goal of the match in the 14th minute as Olymiacos racked up a second straight 1-0 over FK Rubin Kazan, this time at home, and took out the Russian club 2-0 on aggregate.  Here, we see the Legend's Giannis Maniatis battling Rubin Kazan's Obafemi Martins for the ball.

Getty Images photo


At Brussels, Belgium:

Maarten Martens provided the game's lone tally in the 54th minute as AZ Alkmaar took out RSC Anderlecht 2-0 on the road after their second successive 1-0 win over the Belgian club, this time on the road.


At Madrid:



Diego Godin (that's him celebrating) scored the only goal of the match in the 48th minute as Atletico Madrid defeated Lazio 1-0 at home in game two of their two-match series, which they won 4-1 on aggregate.

Associated Press photo



At Gelsenkirchen, Germany:



Klass-Jan Huntelaar delivered three goals, one in regulation time (7', that's him celebrating with teammates) as Schalke 04 gained a 1-1 home draw in game two with FC Viktoria Plzen, then scored twice more in overtime (106', 120') as the German club won their two-match series 4-2 on aggregate.

Getty Images photo


At Istanbul, Turkey:



Despite dropping a 1-0 home decision to Sporting Braga in game two (the Portuguese club's Rodrigo Lima celebrating after scoring in the 25th minute as shown here) , Besiktas still won their two-game series 2-1 on aggregate.

Getty Images photo


At Lisbon, Portugal:



Matias Fernandez scored the only goal of the match in the 84th minute as Sporting CP shut out visiting Legia Warsaw 1-0 in game two and won their series 3-2 on aggregate.   Here, we see Legia's Jakub Rzezniczak battling with the Lions' Emiliano Insua for the ball.

Associated Press photo


Here are the match-ups for the Round of 16 with the opening games to take place on March 8 and the return matches on March 15.  The clubs hosting the respective series openers are listed first.


FC Metalist Kharkiv vs. Olypiacos


Sporting CP vs Manchester City


FC Twente vs. FC Schalke 04


Standard Liege vs. Hannover 96


Valencia vs. PSV Eindhoven


AZ Alkmaar vs. Udinese


Atletico Madrid vs. Besiktas


Manchester United vs. Athletic Bilbao

Copa Libertadores: Velez Sarsfield, Universidad de Chile Post Impressive Wins

Two more games in the group stage in the Copa Libertadores were contested on Wednesday.


Group Seven:


At Buenos Aires:


Federico Insua scored twice, with the goals coming a minute apart (81', 82') as Velez Sarsfield manhandled visiting Chivas de Guadalajara 3-0.


GROUP SEVEN STANDINGS:


1. Velez Sarsfield (GP: 2; GD: +6; PTS: 6)
2. Defensor Sporting (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
3. Deportivo Quito (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)
4. Chivas de Guadalajara (GP: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 1)


Group Eight:


At Santiago, Chile:


Junior Fernandes notched a hat trick (29', 45', 72') as Universidad de Chile smothered visiting Godoy Cruz 5-1.


GROUP EIGHT STANDINGS:


1. Atletico Nacional (GP: 2; GD: +6; PTS: 6)
2. Universidad de Chile (GP: 2; GD: +2: PTS: 3)
3. Godoy Cruz (GP: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
4. Penarol (GP: 2; GD: -5; PTS: 0)

Not Only Are Wolves Having Trouble Winning Games

They're having trouble finding a new manager.

It appears that Terry Connor, who had been an assistant under the recently-ousted Mick McCarthy, will serve as interim manager for Wolverhampton's league match at Newcastle United this coming Saturday.

At Least,

Kris' new club has not entered administration.

Pars Not Up To Par Against Bhoys

At Glasgow, Scotland:

Charlie Mulgrew (32') and James Forrest (75') each delivered a goal as Celtic opened their lead atop the Scottish Premier League standings to 20 points on Wednesday with their 2-0 home blanking of basement-residing Dunfermline Athletic.

UEFA Champions League: Late Heroics Equal Series-Opening Wins For Basel and Marselle

The last two series in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League commenced on Wednesday.

At Basel, Switzerland:



Valentin Stocker (that's him here) scored in the 86th minute as FC Basel took game one at home from Bayern Munich 1-0.

Associated Press photo

At Marseilles, France:





Andre Ayew scored with the final kick of the match (90'+3) as Marseille defeated Inter Milan 1-0 in the opening contest of their two-match series.  Seen here is Marseille midfielder Benoit Cheyrou shooting at goal.

Getty Images photo

Europa League: Citizens Demolish (and De-Throne) Dragons

At Manchester, England:


Sergio Aguero (1'), Edin  Dzeko (76'), David Silva (84'), David Pizarro (86') each scored once on Wednesday as Manchester City buried visiting FC Porto 4-0 in game two of the Europa League Round of 32 series and took out the defending champions 6-1 on aggregate.

Home Win For Dinamo Tbilisi

At Tbilisi, Georgia:

Dinamo Tbilisi defeated basement-occupying Sioni 1-0 in Wednesday Georgian Umaglesi Liga action.

Copa Libertadores:

Four games were played on Tuesday as group-stage action in the Copa Libertadores continued.


Group Three:


At La Paz, Bolivia:


Mauro Diaz (62'), Emanuel Herrera (66'), and Jean Paul Pineda (84') each scored a goal in the second half as Union Espanola came from behind to top Club Bolivar 3-1 on the road.


Group Four:


At Sarandi, Argentina:


Jorge Ortiz (1'), Carlos Carbonero (15'), and Luciano Leguizamon (42') each scored a goal in the first half as Arsenal de Sarandi dominated visiting Zamora 3-0.


Group Six:


At Mexico City:


Adrian Cortes (PK-18'), Edixon Perea Valencia (54'), Javier Orozco (78'), and Emanuel Villa (81') each tallied once as Cruz Azul demolished visiting Deportivo Tachira 4-0.


Group Eight:


At Montevideo, Uruguay:


Jhersson Cordoba (20', 49') and Dorlan Pabon (64', 77') each scored twice as Atletico Nacional clobbered home-standing Penarol 4-0.

Bairns And Dark Blues Draw In Falkirk

At Falkirk, Scotland:

Carl Finnigan's equalizer in the 87th minute enabled Dundee to gain a 1-1 Tuesday Scottish First Division road draw with Falkirk.  Farid El Alagui scored in the 27th minute for the Bairns.

Two Late Goals Carry Alex Past Stanley

At Crewe, England:

Goals from Max Clayton (81') and Luke Murphy (90') carried Crewe Alexandra past visiting Accrington Stanley 2-0 in Tuesday English League Two action.

UEFA Champions League: Stoppage-Time Equalizer Salvages Home Draw For Horses; Napoli Too Much For Chelsea

Two more two-game series commenced as UEFA Champions League Round of 16 play continued on Tuesday.

At Moscow:



Pontus Wernbloom's stoppage-time equalizer (90'+3, that's him on the right, celebrating) enabled CSKA Moscow to salvage a game-one 1-1 home draw with Real Madrid.  Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Los Galacticos in the 28th minute.

At Naples, Italy:



Ezequiel Lavezzi scored twice (38' as shown here, 65') as Napoli took care of visiting Chelsea 3-1 in their series opener.

Getty Images photos

Home Win For Torino, Now Atop Serie B

At Turin, Italy:


Riccardo Meggiorini scored the winning goal in the 85th minute as Torino found themselves atop the Italian Serie B standings follwing their 2-1 Monday home win over Sampdoria.

So.............

He wanted a long-term deal, eh?

Things Go Better For Colo Colo

At Santiago, Chile:


Rodrigo Millar (27'), Esteban Paredes (59'), and Roberto Gutierrez (90') each tallied once on Sunday as Colo Colo found themselves in second place in the Chilean Primera Division Apertura standings following their 3-1 home win over Union La Calera.

Scoreless Draw In Santa Fe (Argentina, That Is)

At Santa Fe, Argentina:


The Sunday Primera Division (Argentina) contest between Union Santa Fe and visiting Boca Juniors ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Racing Club Clausura Campaign Off To Rough Start

At Montevideo, Uruguay:


Diego Vera scored twice in the first ten minutes (4', 10') as Liverpool (not THAT one) held off visiting Racing Club de Montevideo 2-1 on Sunday in the Uruguayan Primera Division season's Clausura portion opener for both clubs.

Defensive Boo-Boo Delivers Home Win For Lions

At Lisbon, Portugal:


Ricardo Jorge Ferreira Pinto da Silva's own goal in the 30th minute proved to be the only goal of the match as Sporting CP defeated Pacos De Ferreira 1-0 in the lone Sunday Portuguese Primeira Liga contest.

Late Goal Keeps PSG Atop Ligue 1 Standings

At Paris:


Guillaume Hoarau's late equalizer (88') enabled Paris Saint-Germain to gain a 2-2 Sunday French Ligue 1 home draw with Montpellier, preventing the hosts from taking over the top spot in the league standings.  Alex scored in the 41st minute for PSG while the visitors' goals came from Younes Belhanda (45'+1) and John Utaka (81').

CAF Champions League: Qualifying Round Continues

The opening weekend of qualifying for the CAF Champions League concluded on Sunday.


At Antananarivo, Madagascar:


Zambia's Power Dynamos took outright command of their two-game series with Japan Actuel's, easily winning the opening match 5-1 on the road.


At Port Elizabeth, South Africa:


Rasca scored twice (12', 16') as Recreativo Do Libolo (Angola) took the opening match of their two-game series with Orlando Pirates, 3-1 on the road.


At Bangui, Central African Republic:


DFC8 took the opening game of their series with Les Astres of Cameroon, 1-0 at home.


At Monrovia, Liberia:


Berekum Chelsea from Ghana blanked Liberia Ship Corporate Registry FC (!) 2-0 on the road in their series opener.


At Franceville, Gabon:


Missile FC took the opening match with Africa Sports (Ivory Coast) 3-2 at home.


At Lobamba, Swaziland:


FC Platinum from Zimbabwe doubled up home-standing Green Mamba FC 4-2 in match one of the clubs' two-game series.


At Abidjan, Ivory Coast:


AFAD took the opening match of their series with Diables Noirs (Congo) 1-0 at home.


At Malabo, Equatorial Guinea:


Nigeria's Dolphin FC took command of their two-game series with Sony De Ela Nguema, winning the opening contest 3-0 on the road.


At Zanzibar City, Zanzibar, Tanzania:

Late Goal Lifts Black Eagles To Home Win

At Istanbul, Turkey:


Manuel Fernandes scored the winning goal in the 73rd minute as Besiktas pulled through for a 3-2 home win over Genclerbirligi in Sunday Turkish Super Lig action.

More Woes For Grasshoppers

At Carouge, Switzerland:


Ishmael Yartley (55'), Goran Karanovic (90'+1), and Eudis (90'+2) provided the second-half scoring as Servette came from behind to defeat visiting Grasshoppers 3-1 in Sunday Swiss Super League action.

Five Wins In A Row For Ajax Cape Town

At Pietermaritzburg, South Africa:


George Akpabio (78') and Khama Billiat (88') provided the late goals as Ajax Cape Town racked up their fifth consecutive South African Premier Soccer League victory on Sunday, 2-0 on the road over Martizburg United.  The visitors now find themselves in fourth place in the league standings, five points in back of table-topping Mamelodi Sundowns.

Legia Warsaw Beaten On The Road

At Zabrze, Poland:


Prejuce Nakoulma (24') and Mariusz Magiera (76') each scored once on Sunday as Gornik Zabrze blanked visiting Legia Warsaw 2-0 in Polish Ekstraklasa action.

Road Win For Dinamo Tbilisi

At Rustavi, Georgia:


Dinamo Tbilisi blanked Metalurgi Rustavi 2-0 on the road in Sunday Georgian Umaglesi Liga action. 

Home Win For Anorthosis Over APOEL

At Larnaca, Cyprus:


Jaouad Zairi (10') and Evandro Roncatto (13') provided the goals three minutes apart as Anorthosis shut out visiting APOEL FC 2-0 in Sunday Cypriot 1.Division action.

10-Point Lead For Anderlecht

At Brussels, Belgium:


Matias Suarez (55'), Roland Juhasz (68'), and Milan Jovanovic (90'+1) each scored a goal in the second half as RSC Anderlecht built up a 10-point lead atop the Belgian Pro League standings following their 3-1 home win over relegation-threatened Westerlo.

Scoreless Sunday In Wals-Siezenheim

At Wals-Siezenheim, Austria:


The lone Sunday Austrian Bundesliga contest, between FC Red Bull Salzburg and visiting SK Sturm Graz, ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Late Goal Lifts Sky Blues To Road Win

At Adelaide, Australia:


Mitchell Mallia scored the winning goal in the 81st minute as Sydney FC came from behind to defeat Adelaide United 2-1 in Sunday Hyundai A-League action.  The victory carried the Sky Blues into the sixth and final playoff berth.

Impressive Home Win For Ajax

At Amsterdam, Netherlands:


Dmitry Bulykin scored twice in the first half (5', 27') as Ajax Amsterdam dominated visiting NEC Nijmegen 4-1 in Sunday Dutch Eredivisie action.  With Sunday losses suffered by PSV Eindhoven and AZ Alkmaar, the hosts climbed to within five points of the league lead.

Big Win At Home For 1860 Munich

At Munich, Germany:


Stefan Aigner (6') and Necat Aygun (80') provided the scoring as TSV 1860 Munich knocked off visiting Fortuna Dusseldorf 2-0 in Sunday action from the German second division.

FA Cup: Reds and Potters Advance; Replay For Spurs and Stevenage

Three more games were play in the Round of 16 in England's FA Cup on Sunday.


At Crawley, England:


Jonathan Walters (PK-47') and Peter Crouch (52') provided the scoring punch as Stoke City took out Crawley Town, blanking the last remaining League Two club in the tournament 2-0 on the road.


At Stevenage, England:


The match between Stevenage (League One) and visiting Tottenham Hotspur ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Spurs will host a replay on March 6, with the winner to face Bolton at home in the quarterfinal round.


At Liverpool, England:


Martin Skrtel (5'), Andy Carroll (57'), and Luis Suarez (85') each scored a goal as Liverpool dominated visiting Bright and Hove Albion 6-1.  The Reds were helped by three own goals scored by the League Championship Seagulls (Liam Bridcutt in the 44th and 71st minutes and Lewis Dunk in the 74th minute).  The Reds will host Stoke City in the quarterfinals.


The other matchups in the quarterfinal round:


The winner of the Chelsea-Birmingham City replay (at Birmingham City) will host Leicester City (League Championship).


Everton will host Sunderland in a battle of Premier League clubs.

Road Win For Rossoneri

At Cesena, Italy:


Sulley Muntari (29'), Urby Emanuelson (31'), and Robinho (55') each scored a goal as AC Milan topped off a solid week with a 3-1 road win over relegation-threatened Cesena in Sunday Italian Serie A action as the Rossoneri found themselves back atop the league standings.

Struggling Hibs No Match For Bhoys

At Edinburgh, Scotland:


Gary Hooper scored twice (20', 52') as Scottish Premier League-leading Celtic stretched their lead to 17 points following their 5-0 Sunday road demolition of Hibernian, who, only because of superior goal difference vis a viv Dunfermline Athletic, are barely above the drop zone.

Tigres Held To Scoreless Draw At Home

At San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico:


The Saturday Mexican Primera Division match between Tigres and visiting Atlas finished in a 0-0 deadlock.

Millonarios Fall At Home

At Bogota, Colombia:


Oscar Murillo scored twice (1', 23') while Juan Quintero scored the game winner in the 75th minute on Saturday as Atletico Nacional defeated Millonarios 3-2 in Colombian Primera A action.

CAF Champions League: Qualifying Round Commences

The qualifying round for the CAF Champions League commenced on Saturday.

At Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania:

Zamalek (Egypt) battled hosts Young Africans to a 1-1 deadlock in the opening match of a two-game home-and-away series.  Amr Zaky scored in the 75th minute for the visitors, cancelling out Hamis Kiiza's 36th-minute tally for Young Africans.

At Mitsamiouli, Comoros:

Coin Nord got their two-match series off to a winning start with a 1-0 home win over Ethiopia Bunna from (where else?) Ethiopia.

At Kampala, Uganda:

Uganda Revenue Authority took command of their two-match series with the Lesotho Correctional Service after their 3-0 home win .  Manko Kaweesa (12'), Sula Bagala (55'), and Augustine Nsumba (61') each tallied once for the Taxmen.

At N'Djamena, Chad:

The opening contest between Chad's Foullah Edifice and visiting JSM Bejaia (Algeria) ended in a 0-0 stalemate.


At Niamey, Niger:


Visiting Tonnerre from Benin held hosts ASGNN to a 0-0 game-one deadlock.

At Nairobi, Uganda:

Tusker were held to a 0-0 game-one home stalemate by APR FC (Rwanda).

At Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso:

The opening contest between ASFA-Yennenga and visiting ASO Chlef (Algeria) ended in another 0-0 deadlock.

At Freetown, Sierra Leone:

Ports Authority and visiting Horoya AC (Guinea) ended in (you guessed it) a 0-0 draw.

At Brikama, Gambia:

Quakam took the opening game of their two-contest series with Brikama United as the Senegalese club took a 1-0 decision on the road.

AFC Champions League: Esteghlal, Al-Shabab, Pohang Steeler Advance to Group Stage

The qualifying stage for the AFC Champions League concluded on Saturday with three one-match playoffs for berths in the group stage.

West Asia:

At Tehran, Iran:

Goran Jerkovic (37'), Khosro Heydari (62'), and Arash Borhani (65')each scored once as Esteghlal defeated visiting Al-Ettifaq (Saudi Arabia) 3-1.

At Dubai, United Arab Emirates:

Essa Obaid scored twice (6', 60') as Al-Shabab dominated visiting Neftchi Farg'ona (Uzbekistan) 3-0.

East Asia:

At Pohang, South Korea:

Hwang Jin-Sung (28') and Park Sung-Ho (70') each delivered a goal as Pohang Steelers blanked visiting Chonburi FC (Thailand) 2-0.

Here are the eight groups that will be playing beginning on March 6:

Group A:

Al-Rayyan (Qatar)
Al-Jazira (United Arab Emirates)
Nasaf Qarshi (Uzbekistan)
Esteghlal Tehran FC (Iran)

Group B:

Al-Ittihad (Saudi Arabia)
Al-Arabi (Qatar)
Bani Yas (United Arab Emirates)
FC Pakhtakor Tashkent (Uzbekistan)

Group C:

Sepahan Esfahan FC (Iran)
Al-Ahli (Saudi Arabia)
Lekhwiya SC (Qatar)
Al-Nasr (United Arab Emirates)

Group D:

Al-Shabab (United Arab Emirates)
Persepolis FC (Iran)
Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Al-Gharafa (Qatar)

Group E:

Gamba Osaka (Japan)
Adelaide United (Australia)
FC Bunyodkor (Uzbekistan)
Pohang Steelers (South Korea)

Group F:

Ulsan Hyundai FC (South Korea)
FC Tokyo (Japan)
Brisbane Roar (Australia)
Beijing Guoan (China)

Group G:

Tianjin Teda FC (China)
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (South Korea)
Nagoya Grampus (Japan)
Central Coast Mariners (Australia)

Group H:

Buriram United (Thailand)
Guangzhou Evergrande (China)
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (South Korea)
Kashiwa Reysol (Japan)

Each team will play two games against each of the other teams in its' group, with the top two finishing clubs in each group advancing to the knockout stage.