2014 FIFA World Cup: France, Germany (In OT) Oust Tourney's Remaining African Teams

Two more games were played in Brazil on Monday as FIFA World Cup Round-of-16 action continued.

At Brasilia:
 
Paul Pogba (79', that's him scoring here) and Joseph Yobo (OG-90'+2) provided the scoring as France blanked Nigeria 2-0.

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At Porto Alegre:

After 90 minutes of scoreless regulation, Andre Schurrle (92', that's him celebrating right after he scored) and Mesut Ozil (120') each delivered a goal in overtime as Germany held off Algeria 2-1 as the Desert Foxes' elimination left the tournament with no African countries in it.

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France will take on Germany this coming Friday in a quarterfinal-round contest at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium.

MLS: Goose Eggs For Crew And Hoops In Columbus; Impact Too Strong For Dynamo

Two games were played in Major League Soccer on Sunday.

At Columbus, Ohio:

In a contest that was postponed from Saturday, the Columbus Crew battled visiting FC Dallas to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Montreal:

Jack McInerney scored twice (41', 75') as the Montreal Impact dominated the visiting Houston Dynamo 3-0.



MLS STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Kansas City (GP: 16; GD: +8; PTS: 25)
2. DC United (GP: 16; GD: +5; PTS: 25)
3. New England (GP: 15; GD: +1; PTS: 23)
4. Toronto (GP: 12; GD: +2; PTS: 20)
5. New York (GP: 16; GD: 0; PTS: 19)
6. Columbus (GP: 16; GD: 0; PTS: 19)
7. Philadelphia (GP: 17; GD: -3; PTS: 18)
8. Houston (GP: 17; GD: -16; PTS: 17)
9. Montreal (GP: 15; GD: -10; PTS: 14)
10. Chicago (GP: 14; GD: -3; PTS: 14)

NOTE:  New York and Columbus are level on points (19), wins (4), and goal differential (0), with the Red Bulls outscoring the Crew 24-18.  Montreal and Chicago are level on points (14) with the Impact having more wins (3-2).

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Seattle (GP: 16; GD: +10; PTS: 35)
2. Colorado (GP: 16; GD: +5; PTS: 25)
3. Real Salt Lake (GP: 16; GD: +3; PTS: 25)
4. FC Dallas (GP: 18; GD: 0; PTS: 23)
5. Vancouver (GP: 15; GD: +3; PTS: 22)
6. Los Angeles (GP: 13; GD: +6; PTS: 20)
7. Portland (GP: 17; GD: 0; PTS: 20)
8. San Jose (GP: 14; GD: 0; PTS: 16)
9. Chivas USA (GP: 15; GD: -11; PTS: 14)

2014 FIFA World Cup: Clockwork Battle Back To Oust El Tri; Ticos Win PK Shootout With Greece

The FIFA World Cup's Round of 16 reached the midway point on Sunday with two games played in Brazil.

At Fortaleza:

Wesley Sneijder (88') and Klass-Jan Huntelaar (PK-90'+4, Arjen Robben, who set up the penalty kick, is pictured here) provided the scoring in the waning minutes as the Netherlands came from behind to upend Mexico 2-1. El Tri have now been knocked out in the Round of 16 in the last six World Cups.

At Recife:

After a 1-1 deadlock through 120 minutes, Celso Borges, Bryan Ruiz (who had scored in the 52nd minute in regulation), Giancarlo Gonzalez, Joel Campbell, and Michael Umana all converted their spot kicks as Costa Rica reached the quarterfinal round for the first time following their 5-3 penalty-kick shootout victory over Greece, despite finishing with ten men after losing the services of Oscar Duarte in the 66th minute after he received his second yellow card.  Ticos goalkeeper Keylor Neves (pictured here) did his part by saving Theofanis Gekas' spot kick during the shootout.

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Costa Rica and the Netherlands will face each other in a quarterfinal match this coming Saturday at Salvador.  It will be the two nations' first-ever encounter.

MLS: Saturday Wins For Sounders, Philly, Rapids, Goats, Galaxy

Five games were played in Major League Soccer on Saturday.

At Washington:

Chad Barrett scored the only goal of the match in the 39th minute as the Seattle Sounders defeated DC United 1-0 on the road.

At Foxborough, Massachusetts:

Sebastien Le Toux scored twice (42', 78') as the Philadelphia Union, in Jim Curtin's first match as their new coach, defeated the New England Revolution 3-1 on the road.

At Commerce City, Colorado:

Dillon Powers (20') and Vicente Sanchez (PK-36') delivered the goals as the Colorado Rapids blanked the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0.

At Carson, California:

Erick Torres scored the only goal of the match in the 35th minute as Chivas USA defeated 10-man Real Salt Lake 1-0 at home.

At Palo Alto, California:

Gyasi Zardes scored the only goal of the match in the 62nd minute as the Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 in front of 50,006 fans at Stanford Stadium in the latest edition of the California Classico.

2014 FIFA World Cup: Brazil Survives Scare From Chile; Columbia Knocks Out Luis Suarez-Less Uruguay

Two games were played on Saturday in Brazil as the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup got under way with two contests in the Round of 16.

At Belo Horizonte:

After a 1-1 deadlock through 120 minutes, Neymar converted the winning spot kick as Brazil took the penalty-kick shootout 3-2 over Brazil.  Goalkeeper Julio Cesar made two saves in the shootout for the hosts (one of his victims, Alexis Sanchez, who had scored in the 32nd minute, shows his frustration here).  Gonzalo Jara had a chance to force the shootout into sudden death but the Chilean's kick hit the upright.

At Rio de Janeiro:

James Rodriguez scored both goals (28', 50', that's him celebrating) as Colombia reached the quarterfinal round for the first time after blanking Uruguay, playing without the suspended Luis Suarez, 2-0.

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Brazil will take on Colombia in a quarterfinal match this coming Friday at Fortaleza.  This will be the two countries' first World Cup meeting.

MLS: Reds and Red Bulls Battle to 2-2 Draw; SKC Avenge Open Cup Defeat With Road Win Over Timbers

Two games were played in Major League Soccer on Friday.

At Harrison, New Jersey:

Bradley Wright-Phillips delivered a stoppage-time equalizer (90'+3) to lift the New York Red Bulls to a 2-2 home draw with Toronto FC.  Peguy Luyindula opened the scoring for the Red Bulls in the 36th minute, while Jermaine Defoe (55') and Gilberto (72') each delivered a tally for the visiting Reds.

At Portland, Oregon:

Lawrence Olum scored the only goal of the match in the 24th minute as Sporting Kansas City avenged their 3-1 US Open Cup home defeat from Tuesday with a 1-0 road triumph over the Portland Timbers.

2014 FIFA World Cup: Germans Blank Team USA 1-0 As Both Teams Advance To Knockout Stage; Portugal, Ghana Eliminated; Draw With Russia Gains Knockout-Stage Berth For Desert Foxes; Belgium Finish Atop Group H

Four games were played in Brazil on Thursday as group-stage action in the FIFA World Cup concluded.

Group G:

At Recife:

Thomas Muller scored the only goal of the match in the 55th minute as Germany defeated the United States 1-0 to win Group G.  The Americans still advanced to the knockout stage (for the first time in back-to-back World Cups) thanks to superior goal differential vis-a-viv Portugal, who defeated Ghana 2-1.  Team USA's Clint Dempsey and Jermaine Jones salute the fans after the match.

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At Brasilia:

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winning goal in the 80th minute as Portugal defeated Ghana 2-1, thus ruining the West African country's hope of advancing to the knockout stage.  This game turned out to be the tournament swan song for both teams.  John Boye didn't help the Black Stars' cause with his own goal in the 31st minute, shown here.

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FINAL GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Germany (GP: 3; GD: +5; PTS: 7)
2. United States (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. Portugal (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 4)
4. Ghana (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

Germany and the United States advanced to the knockout stage.



Group H:

At Sao Paulo:

Jan Vertonghen scored the only goal of the match in the 78th minute as Belgium locked up top spot in Group H with a 1-0 victory over South Korea as the Taegeuk Warriors wrapped up an awful group-stage period for Asia as all four entries (Iran, Japan, and Australia as well) were eliminated in the group stage.  That's Jan, here, celebrating with fans after his score.
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At Curitiba:

Islam Slimani's equalizer in the 60th minute (that's him celebrating after scoring) lifted Algeria to a 1-1 draw with Russia as the Desert Foxes advanced to the knockout stage. Aleksandr Kokorin scored  in the sixth minute for the Russians, who were eliminated from the tournament.
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FINAL GROUP H STANDINGS:
1. Belgium (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2. Algeria (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Russia (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 2)
4. South Korea (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)

In the Round of 16, this coming Monday will see Germany take on Algeria at Porto Alegre with the United States will tangle with Belgium in Salvador on Tuesday.

MLS: Goose Eggs For Caps And Impact In Vancouver As League Returns To Action

At Vancouver, British Columbia:

The Montreal Impact held the hosts Vancouver Whitecaps to a 0-0 stalemate on Wednesday as Major League Soccer returned to action following the two-week World Cup break.

US Open Cup: Revs, Fire Advance To Quarterfinals

The US Open Cup's fifth round concluded with two games played on Wednesday.

At Providence, Rhode Island:

Saer Sene (11') and Kelyn Rowe (33') each delivered a goal as the New England Revolution defeated the tournament's last remaining USL Pro League club, the visiting Rochester Rhinos 2-1.

At Bridgeview, Illinois:

Juan Luis Anangono scored twice (83', 108') as the Chicago Fire scored twice in overtime and defeated the visiting Columbus Crew 4-2

Match-ups for the quarterfinal round:

Next Tuesday:

At Chester, Pennsylvania:

Philadelphia Union vs. New England Revolution 

To Be Announced:

At Atlanta:

Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) vs. Chicago Fire

Next Wednesday:

At Cary, North Carolina:

Carolina Railhawks (NASL) vs. FC Dallas

At Tukwila, Washington:

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Portland Timbers

2014 FIFA World Cup: Leo The Lion Helps Carry Argentina To Clinching Top Spot In Group F By Beating Nigeria; Super Eagles Still Advance Despite Defeat; France, Switzerland Advance To Knockout Stage

Action in Groups E and F concluded on Wednesday as four more games in the FIFA World Cup were contested in Brazil.

Group E:

At Manaus:

Xherdan Shaqiri (that's him, wearing #23, celebrating with teammates) delivered the 50th World Cup hat trick (6', 31', 71') as Switzerland dominated (and eliminated) Honduras 3-0.  The Swiss, thanks to Ecuador being held to a scoreless draw by France, advanced to the knockout stage.

Photo from ESPN FC website

At Rio de Janeiro:

A 0-0 draw with Ecuador was good enough for France to win Group E as the South American country was eliminated from the tournament.  Here's Michael Arroyo showing his frustration as his team became the only South American entry not to reach the knockout stage.

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FINAL GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. France (GP: 3;GD: +6; PTS: 7)
2. Switzerland (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. Ecuador (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Honduras (GP: 3; GD: -7; PTS: 0)

France and Switzerland advanced to the knockout stage.


Group F:

At Porto Alegre:

Lionel Messi scored twice (3', 45'+1) while Marcos Rojo scored the winning goal in the 50th minute as Argentina eeked out a 3-2 victory over Nigeria to win Group F.  Despite the defeat, the Super Eagles advanced to the knockout stage.

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At Salvador:

Edin Dzeko (23'), Miralem Pjanic (39'), and Avdija Vrsajevic (83') each delivered a goal as Bosnia and Herzegovina, already eliminated from the tournament, came to life and ended what hope Iran had of advancing with a 3-1 victory.  Following the tournament finale for both teams, Bosnia's Emir Spahic and Iran's Reza Ghoochannejhad exchange pleasantries.

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FINAL GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Argentina (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2. Nigeria (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. Bosnia and Herzegovina (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Iran (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)

In the Round of 16, France will take on Nigeria at Brasilia on Monday, while Switzerland will get their crack at Lionel Messi and Argentina at Sao Paulo on Tuesday next.

US Open Cup: Philly, Timbers, Hoops, Sounders Advance To Quarterfinals; NASL's Railhawks And Silverbacks Too

The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup's Round of 16 commenced on Tuesday with six games.

At Chester, Pennsylvania:

Sebastien Le Toux scored twice (57', PK-117') as the Philadelphia Union came from behind to overtake the visiting New York Cosmos (NASL) 2-1 in overtime.

At Cary, North Carolina:

Daniel Jackson scored the only goal of the match in the 105th minute as the NASL's Carolina Railhawks knocked off the visiting Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 in overtime.

At Kansas City, Kansas:

Gaston Fernandez scored twice (30', 68') as the Portland Timbers knocked off Sporting Kansas City 3-1 on the road.

At Houston:

Tesho Akindele scored the winning goal in the 99th minute as FC Dallas defeated the Houston Dynamo 3-2 in overtime on the road.

At Commerce City, Colorado:

Jaime Chavez scored twice (21', 57') as the Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL) knocked off the Colorado Rapids 2-1 on the road.

At Tukwila, Washington:

After a 1-1 deadlock through 120 minutes, Gonzalo Pineda, Marco Pappa, Brad Evans, and Lamar Neagle all converted their spot kicks as the Seattle Sounders defeated the visiting San Jose Earthquakes 4-1 in the penalty kick to advance to the quarterfinal round.

2014 FIFA World Cup: Uruguay Knock Out Azzurri; Stoppage-Time PK Puts Greece Past Elephants Into Knockout Stage; Ticos, Colombia Win Groups

Two more groups concluded play as four games were contested in the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Group C:

At Cuiaba:
 
Jackson Martinez scored twice (55', 82', that's him celebrating) as Colombia concluded a perfect opening round with a 4-1 domination of Japan as the Blue Samurai were eliminated.

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At Fortaleza:
 
Andreas Samaris scored twice (42', PK-90'+3, that's him and his teammates celebrating after scoring his last-minute game winner) Greece advanced to the knockout stage for the first time in three World Cup appearances following their 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast as the Elephants were denied a berth in the Round of 16.

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FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Colombia (GP: 3; GD: +7; PTS: 9)
2. Greece (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
3. Ivory Coast (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Japan (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 1)

Colombia and Greece advanced to the knockout stage.



Group D:

At Natal:
 
Diego Godin scored the only goal of the match in the 81st minute (shown here) as Uruguay defeated Italy 1-0 to advance to the knockout stage and eliminate the Azzurri from the tournament.

Reuters photo by Yves Herman

At Belo Horizonte:
 
Costa Rica clinched top spot in Group D following their 0-0 stalemate with already-eliminated England.  Keylor Navas, pictured here, played a superb game in net for the Ticos.

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 FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Costa Rica (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Uruguay (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Italy (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. England (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

Costa Rica and Uruguay advanced to the knockout stage.



This coming Saturday, Colombia will battle Uruguay in Round-of-16 action at Rio de Janeiro while Costa Rica will face Greece at Recife on Sunday.
 

Are You Kiddin'?! Already?!?!?

The draw for the first two qualifying rounds for next season's UEFA Champions League took place at Nyon, Switzerland on Monday.

FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND:

The opening contests are set to be played on July 1 or 2 with the return matches taking place on July 8 or 9.  The game-one hosts are listed first.

FC Santa Coloma (Andorra) vs. FC Banats (Armenia)

Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) vs. HB (Faroe Islands)

SP La Fiorita (San Marino) vs. Levadia Tallinn (Estonia)



SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND:

The opening contests are slated for July 15 or 16 with the return matches set for July 22 or 23.  The game-one hosts are listed first.

FC BATE Borisov (Belarus) vs. Skenderbeu Korce (Albania)

Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) vs. Santa Coloma-Banats winner

Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia) vs. Aktobe (Kazakhstan)

HSK Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) vs. NK Maribor (Slovenia)

FC Sheriff (Moldova) vs. FK Sutjeska Niksic (Montenegro)

Sparta Prague (Czech Republic) vs. La Fiorita-Levadia winner

Malmo FF (Sweden) vs. Ventspils (Latvia)

Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) vs. The New Saints (Wales)

Celtic FC (Scotland) vs. KR Reykjavik (Iceland)

Clintonville FC (Northern Ireland) vs. Debreceni VSC (Hungary)

Partizan Belgrade (Serbia) vs. Lincoln Red Imps-HB winner

Legia Warsaw (Poland) vs. St. Patrick's Athletic (Republic of Ireland)

FK Rabotnicki (Macedonia) vs. HJK Helsinki (Finland)

Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) vs. Zalgiris Vilnius (Lithuania)

Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria) vs. F91 Dudelange (Luxembourg)

Valletta FC (Malta) vs. Qarabag FK (Azerbaijan) 

Stromgodset (Norway) vs. Steaua Bucharest (Romania)



For good measure, Monday also saw the draw for the first two qualifying rounds for next season's Europa League, also at Nyon, Switzerland.

FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND:

The opening contests are scheduled for July 3 with the return matches set for July 10.  The game-one hosts are listed first.

Sioni Bolnisi (Georgia) vs. Flamurtari Vlore (Albania)

FC Tiraspol (Moldova) vs. Inter Baku (Azerbaijan)

Hibernians FC (Malta) vs. Spartak Trnava (Slovakia)

Sant Julia (Andorra) vs. Cukaricki (Serbia)

FC Koper (Slovenia) vs. Celik Niksic (Montenegro)

FK Turnovo (Macedonia) vs. Chikhura Sachkhere (Georgia)

FC Shirak (Armenia) vs. Shakhter Karagandy (Kazakhstan)

Gabala FK (Azerbaijan) vs. NK Siroki Brijeg (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Diosgyori VTK (Hungary) vs. Birkirkira FC (Malta)

FC Vadus (Liechtenstein) vs. College Europa FC (Gibraltar)

Veris Chisinau (Moldova) vs. PFC Litex Lovech (Bulgaria)

UE Santa Coloma (Andorra) vs. FK Metalurg Skopje (Macedonia)

FC Kairat (Kazakhstan) vs. FK Kukesi (Albania)

Folgore (San Marino) vs. FK Buducnost Podgorica (Montenegro)

RNK Split (Croatia) vs. FC Mika (Armenia)

Botev Plovdiv (Bulgaria) vs. AC Libertas (San Marino)

Lovcern Cetinje (Montenegro) vs. FK Zeljeznicar Sarajaevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

FK Shkenjija (Macedonia) vs. Zimbru Chisinau (Moldova)

Sliema Wanderers (Malta) vs. Ferencvaros (Hungary)

FC Pyunik (Armenia) vs. FC Astana (Kazakhstan)

Rudar Velenje (Slovenia) vs. KF Laci (Albania)

Differdange 03 (Luxembourg) vs. FK Atlantas (Lithuania)

VPS (Finland) vs. IF Brommapojkarna (Sweden)

B36 Torshavn (Faroe Islands) vs. Linfield FC (Northern Ireland)

Fram Reykjavik (Iceland) vs. Nomme Kalju (Estonia)

Rosenborg BK (Norway) vs. Jelgava (Latvia)

Derry City (Republic of Ireland, though the club is based in Northern Ireland) vs. Aberystwyth Town FC (Wales)

Aberdeen FC (Scotland) vs. Daugava Riga (Latvia)

Santos Tartu (Estonia) vs. Tromso IL (Norway)

Crusaders FC (Northern Ireland) vs. Ekranas (Lithuania)

Stjarnan (Iceland) vs. Bangor City FC (Wales)

Jeunesse Esch (Luxembourg) vs. Dundalk FC (Republic of Ireland)

MYPA (Finland) vs. IF (Faroe Islands)

FH Hafnarfjordur (Iceland) vs. Glenavon (Northern Ireland)

Sillamae Kalev (Estonia) vs. Honka (Finland)

Banga Gargzdai (Lithuania) vs. Sligo Rovers (Republic of Ireland)

Vikingur (Faroe Islands) vs. Daugava Daugavpils (Latvia)

IFK Gothenburg (Sweden) vs. Fola Esch (Luxembourg)

Haugesund (Norway) vs. Airbus UK Broughton FC (Wales)



SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND:

The opening games are set for July 17 with the return contests to take place on July 24.  The game-one hosts are listed first.

Gyor (Hungary) vs. IFK Gothenburg-Fola Esch winner

Molde FK (Norway) vs. ND Gorica (Slovenia)

Lovcen Cetinje-Zeljeznicar winner vs. UE Santa Coloma-Metalurg Skopje winner

Fram Reykjavik-Nomme Kalju winner vs. Lech Poznan (Poland)

FC Dinamo Minsk (Belarus) vs. MYPA-IF winner

FC Neman Grodno (Belarus) vs. FH-Glenavon winner

Hapoel Be'er Sheva FC (Israel) vs. RNK Split-Mika winner

Slovan Liberec (Czech Republic) vs. MFK Kosice (Slovakia)

Vikingur-Daugava Daugavpils winner vs. Santos Tartu-Tromso winner

Petrolul Ploiesti (Romania) vs. Sioni Bolnisi-Flamurtari Vlore winner

Sant Julia-Cukaricki winner vs. SV Grodig (Austria)

CFR Cluj (Romania) vs. Jagodina (Serbia)

Motherwell FC (Scotland) vs. Stjarnan-Bangor City winner

Hibernians-Spartak Trnava winner vs. Zestafoni (Georgia)

Crusaders-Ekranas winner vs. VPS-Brommapojkarna winner

Aberdeen-Daugava Riga winner vs. FC Groningen (Netherlands)

Bursaspor (Turkey) vs. Turnovo-Chikhura Sachkhere winner

Neftchi Baku (Azerbaijan) vs. Koper-Celik Niksic winner

B36-Linfield winner vs. AIK (Sweden)

HNK Rijeka (Croatia) vs. Sliema Wanderers-Ferencvaros winner

Folgore-Buducnost Podgorica winner vs. Omonia (Cyprus)

Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic) vs. Gabala-Siroki Brijeg winner

FC Lucerne (Switzerland) vs. St. Johnstone (Scotland)

Rudar Velenje-Laci winner vs. Zorya Luhansk (Ukraine)

Rosenborg-Jelgava winner vs. Banga Gargzdai-Sligo Rovers winner

Differdange 03-Atlantas winner vs. Shirak-Shakhter Karagandy winner

FK Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) vs. Haugesund-Airbus UK Broughton winner

Zulte Waregem (Belgium) vs. Zawisza Bydgoszcz (Poland)

Sillamae Kalev-Honka winner vs. FC Krasnodar (Russia)

CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria) vs. Shkendija-Zimbru Chisinau winner

Derry City-Aberystwth Town winner vs. Shakhtyor Salihorsk (Belarus)

Ruch Chorzow (Poland) vs. Vaduz-College Europa winner

Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel) vs. Pyunik-Astana winner

FK AS Trencin (Slovenia) vs. FK Vojvodina (Serbia)

Veris Chisinau-Litex Lovech winner vs. Diosgyor-Birkirkira winner

Botev Plovdiv-Libertas winner vs. St. Polten (Austria)

Asteras Tripoli (Greece) vs. RoPS (Finland)

Hajduk Split (Croatia) vs. Jeunesse Esch-Dundalk winner

Kairat-Kukesi winner vs. Esbjerg fB (Denmark)

Elfsborg (Sweden) vs. Tiraspol-Inter Baku winner

2014 World Cup: El Tri, Brazil Advance To Knockout Stage; Dutch Win Group B, Get Mexico Next

The final cycle of group-stage contests commenced with four games in the 2014 FIFA World Cup played on Monday in Brazil.

Group A:

At Brasilia:

Neymar scored twice in the first half (17', 36') as Brazil clinched top spot in Group A following their 4-1 domination of already-eliminated Cameroon.

At Recife:

Rafael Marquez (72'), Andres Guardado (75') and Javier Hernandez (82', that's him on the right,  celebrating) each scored a goal as Mexico broke open what had been a scoreless stalemate and eliminated Croatia 3-1.  El Tri advanced to the knockout stage for the sixth consecutive World Cup.

USATSI photo

FINAL GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Brazil (GP: 3; GD: + 5; PTS: 7)
2. Mexico (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
3. Croatia (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Croatia (GP: 3; GD: -8; PTS: 0)

Brazil and Mexico advanced to the knockout stage.



Group B:

At Curitiba:

David Villa (36', that's him scoring here), Fernando Torres (69'), and Juan Mata (82') each scored a goal as Spain dominated Australia 3-0 in the tournament finale for both teams.

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At Sao Paulo:

Leroy Fer (77') and Memphis Depay (90'+2) each scored a goal in the final quarter hour as the Netherlands won Group B with their 2-0 blanking of fellow knockout-stage qualifiers Chile 2-0. Here's Arjen Robben in action for the Clockwork Orange.

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FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Netherlands (GP: 5; GD: +7; PTS: 9)
2. Chile (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
3. Spain (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
4. Australia (GP: 3; GD: -6; PTS: 0)

Netherlands and Chile advanced to the knockout stage.

On Saturday, Brazil will take on Chile at Belo Horizonte while at Fortaleza on Sunday, the Netherlands will battle Mexico for the right to advance to the quarterfinal round.

That photo of Neymar on the top of the page is a Getty Images photo.

2014 FIFA World Cup: Last-Minute Goal Saves Portugal From Elimination, Keeps Team USA From Clinching Knockout-Stage Berth; Belgium Top Russia, Advance To Round of 16; Desert Foxes Outfox South Korea

Three games were played on Sunday in Brazil as the second cycle of group-stage matches in the FIFA World Cup concluded in Brazil.

Group G:

At Maunus:

Silvestre Varela's stoppage-time equalizer (90'+5) enabled Portugal to gain a 2-2 draw with the United States, enabling them to avoid elimination while keeping the Americans from clinching a berth in the knockout stage.  Nani scored in the fifth minute for the Seleccao.  Meanwhile, Team USA's goals came courtesy of Jermaine Jones (64') and Clint Dempsey (81').  Here, we see the Americans' Michael Bradley battle Portugal's Joao Moutinho for the ball.

USATSI photo

GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Germany (GP: 2; GD: +4; PTS: 4)
2. United States (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Ghana (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
4. Portugal (GP: 2; GD: -4; PTS: 1)



Group H:

At Rio de Janeiro:

Divock Origi scored the only goal of the match (shown here) in the 88th minute as Belgium locked up a berth in the knockout stage with a 1-0 win over Russia.

Getty Images photo

At Porto Alegre:

With four goal scorers tallying once apiece, Algeria moved into second place in Group H following their 4-2 doubling up of South Korea.  Abdelmoumene Djabou scored what proved to be the winning goal in the 38th minute as the Desert Foxes scored three first-half tallies, racing out to a 3-0 halftime advantage.  The four goals were the most ever scored by an African squad at the World Cup.  Here, we see Yacine Brahimi celebrating after scoring a goal in the 64th minute that finally put the South Koreans away.

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GROUP H STANDINGS:

1. x-Belgium (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
2.    Algeria (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3.    Russia (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
4.    South Korea (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

x-Advanced to the knockout stage