29 games were played on Thursday as the third round of Europa League qualifying commenced.
At Karaganda, Kazakhstan:
Aldin Didic scored the game-winning goal in the 71st minute as FC Shakhter Karagandy doubled up visiting Hajduk Split 4-2 in the opening match of their two-game series.
At Astana, Kazakhstan:
Tanat Nusserbayev's equalizer in the 42nd minute enabled FC Astana to salvage a series-opening 1-1 home draw with AIK Solna. Nabil Bahoui scored for the visiting Swedish club in the ninth minute.
At Baku, Azerbaijan:
Neftchi Baku PFK and visiting FC Chikhura Sachkhere battled to a series-opening 0-0 stalemate.
At Nicosia, Cyprus:
Cristovao Da Silva Ramos scored twice (9', 57') as AC Omonia dominated visiting FK Metalurg Skopje 3-0 in the opening match of their two-game series.
At Giurgiu, Romania:
Kehinde Fatai's hat trick (4', 74', 81') provided all the scoring in FC Astra Giurgiu's series-opening 3-0 home domination of FC Slovan Liberec.
At Chorzow, Poland:
Ruch Chorzow battled visiting Esbjerg fB to a series-opening 0-0 deadlock.
At Khimki, Russia:
Kevin Kuranyi's goal in the 71st minute enabled FC Dynamo Moscow to salvage a game-one 1-1 home draw with Irnoi Kiryat Shmona FC, who received what could prove to be a precious road goal courtesy of Rodgers Kola in the 63rd minute.
At Boras, Sweden:
Sebastian Holmen (PK-55'), Per Frick (70'), Marcus Rohden (81'), and Simon Hedlund (PK-89') each scored a second-half goal as IF Elfsborg dominated visiting FH Hafnarfjordur 4-1 in their series opener.
At Karabuk, Turkey:
Rosenborg BK held home-standing Karabukspor to a series-opening 0-0 draw.
At Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic:
Mohamed Yattara scored twice (9', 47') as Lyon all but clinched a berth in the playoff round with their series-opening 4-1 road domination of FK Mlada Boleslav.
At Zilina, Slovakia:
FK AS Trencin and visiting Hull City AFC battled to a series-opening 0-0 stalemate.
At Stockholm, Sweden:
Marcelo Larrondo scored twice (PK-45', 53') as Torino dominated IF Brommapojkarna 3-0 in the opening contest of their two-game series.
At Eindhoven, Netherlands:
Luuk de Jong scored the only goal of the match in the 56th minute as PSV Eindhoven defeated visiting SKN St. Polten 1-0 in the opening game of their two-match series.
At Barysaw, Belarus:
Nenad Adamovic scored the only goal of the match in the 54th minute as FC Dinamo Minsk took the opening match of their series with CFR Cluj 1-0 at home.
At Gothenburg, Sweden:
Rio Ave FC , thanks to Ahmed Hassan Koka's goal in the 22nd minute, knocked off IFK Gothenburg 1-0 on the road in the opening contest of their two-game series.
At Kiev, Ukraine:
Sander Svendsen's equalizer in the 89th minute carried Molde FK to a series-opening 1-1 road draw with FC Zorya Luhansk in a contest that was moved to the Ukrainian capital due to ongoing unrest in eastern Ukraine between the government and pro-Russian separatists. Nikita Kamenyuka scored for Zorya in the 62nd minute.
At Bern, Switzerland:
Rapha Nuzzolo scored the only goal of the match in the 58th minute as BSC Young Boys took their series opener with Ermis Aradippou 1-0 at home.
At Split, Croatia:
Marko Rog (25') and Henri Belle (48') delivered the goals as RNK Split blanked visiting Chornomorets Odessa 2-0 in match one of their two-game series.
At Waregem, Belgium:
Artem Stargorodskiy scored what proved to be the game winner in first-half stoppage time (45'+4) as FC Shakhtyor Salihorsk took a decided advantage back to Belarus after their 5-2 series-opening road domination of SV Zulte Waregem.
At Ploiesti, Romania:
Daniel Kolar's second-half stoppage-time equalizer (90'+1) lifted FC Viktoria Plzen to a series-opening 1-1 road draw with FC Petrolul Ploiesti. Adrian Mutu scored for the hosts in the 76th minute.
At Toftir, Faroe Islands:
Zoran Kvrzic scored twice (45'+1, 76') as HNK Rijeka demolished Vikingur 4-1 in the opening match of their two-game series.
At Mainz, Germany:
Shinji Ohazaki scored the only goal of the match in the 45th minute as Mainz 05 took their series opener from Asteras Tripoli FC 1-0 at home
At Debrecen, Hungary:
With five different goal scorers each tallying once, with Odil Akhmedov scoring what proved to be the game winner in the 40th minute as FC Krasnodar will head back to Russia with a big advantage in their series with Diosgyor after they plugged the Hungarian club 5-1 on the road in their series opener.
At Gardabaer, Iceland:
Rolf Toft scored the game's lone goal in the 48th minute as Stjarnan defeated visiting Lech Poznan 1-0 in the opening match of their two-match series.
At Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Evangelos Nastos scored the winning goal in the 75th minute as Atromitos took their series opener with FK Sarajevo 2-1 on the road.
At San Sebastian, Spain:
David Zurutuza Veillet (53') and Sergio Canales Madrazo (68') produced the goals as Real Sociedad blanked visiting Aberdeen 2-0 in their series opener.
At Bruges, Belgium:
Oscar Duarte (14'), Nicolas Castillo (30'), and Victor Vazquez (63') each provided a goal as Club Brugge dominated visiting Brondby IF 3-0 in game one of their two-match series.
At Perth, Scotland:
FC Spartak Trnava, with Ivan Schranz scoring twice (34', 63'), defeated St. Johnstone 2-1 in the curtain raiser of their two-game series.
At Wals-Siezenheim, Austria:
Goals from Serghei Alexeev (35') and Simon Handle (OG-59') carried FC Zimbru Chisinau to a series-opening 2-1 road win over SV Grodig.
Four games were played in Major League Soccer on Wednesday.
At Washington:
Eddie Johnson (8'), Chris Rolfe (59'), and Nick Hagglund (OG-67') provided the scoring as DC United dominated visiting Toronto FC 3-0.
At Foxborough, Massachusetts:
Drew Moor (OG-10'), Lee Nguyen (75'), and Kelyn Rowe (78') delivered the goals as the New England Revolution dominated the visiting Colorado Rapids 3-0 to end an eight-match losing streak.
At Bridgeview, Illinois:
The Vancouver Whitecaps held the home-standing Chicago Fire to a 0-0 stalemate.
At Sandy, Utah:
Thierry Henry's equalizer in the 57th minute lifted the New York Red Bulls to a 1-1 road draw with Real Salt Lake. Joao Plata scored for the hosts in the 18th minute.
MLS STANDINGS:
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
1. Kansas City (GP: 21; GD: +12; PTS: 38)
2. DC United (GP: 20; GD: +12; PTS: 37)
3. New England (GP: 21; GD: -5; PTS: 26)
4. Toronto FC (GP: 19; GD: -1; PTS: 26)
5. Columbus (GP: 21; GD: -2; PTS: 26)
6. New York (GP: 21; GD: +1; PTS: 25)
7. Philadelphia (GP: 21; GD: -2; PTS: 23)
8. Chicago (GP: 20; GD: -6; PTS: 21)
9. Houston (GP: 20; GD: -18; PTS: 19)
10. Montreal (GP: 20; GD: -16; PTS: 14)
NOTE: With New England, Toronto FC, and Columbus all level on points with 26, the Revs have the most wins, eight, to the Reds' seven and Crew's 6.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
1. Seattle (GP: 19; GD: +8; PTS: 38)
2. Real Salt Lake (GP: 21; GD: +5; PTS: 33)
3. Los Angeles (GP: 18; GD: +13; PTS: 30)
4. Colorado (GP: 21; GD: +4; PTS: 30)
5. FC Dallas (GP:21; GD: +3; PTS: 30)
6. Vancouver (GP: 21; GD: +2; PTS: 29)
7. Portland (GP: 21; GD: 0; PTS: 27)
8. Chivas USA (GP: 20; GD: -12; PTS: 23)
9. San Jose (GP: 18; GD: +2; PTS: 20)
With Los Angeles, Colorado, and FC Dallas all level on points (30) and wins (eight apiece), the Galaxy have the second tie-breaker, goal differential (+13, compared to +4 for the Rapids and +3 for the Hoops).
At La Paz, Bolivia:
Despite dropping a 1-0 game-two road decision to Club Bolivar on Wednesday, San Lorenzo won their two-game Copa Libertadores semifinal series with the Bolivian club 5-1 on aggregate and advanced to the two-match final against Club Nacional of Paraguay, which opens next Wednesday at Asuncion. The series will conclude on August 13 at Buenos Aires, with the winner advancing to December's FIFA Club World Cup, which will take place in Morocco.
The
third round of UEFA Champions League qualifying continued on Wednesday
with the opening match of each of the 12 remaining two-game series.
At Aktobe, Kazakhstan:
Valeri Korobkin (58') and Robert Arzumanyan (88') each scored once as FC Aktobe salvaged a series-opening 2-2 home draw with Steaua Bucharest. Claudiu Keseru (44') and Andrei Prepelita (79') delivered the goals for the visiting Romanian club.
At Baku, Azerbaijan:
Danilo Dias (2') and Reynaldo dos Santos Silva (86') each tallied once as FK Qarabag took the opening match of their two-game series with FC Red Bull Salzburg 2-1 on the road, despite finishing the game with only nine men. Jonathan Soriano Casas kept the Austrian club (who finished with ten men) alive in the series with his road goal in the 77th minute.
At Helsinki, Finland:
Tomas De Vincenti (71') and Cillian Sheridan (74') each scored a second-half goal three minutes apart as APOEL FC erased a two-goal deficit to gain a series-opening 2-2 draw with HJK Helsinki. Demba Savage scored both goals (11', PK-45'+1) for the hosts.
At Larnaca, Cyprus:
Lukasz Gikiewicz scored the only goal of the match in the 84th minute as AEL Limassol took the opening match of their series with Zenit Saint Petersburg 1-0 at home.
At Kiev, Ukraine:
FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and visiting FC Copenhagen battled to a series-opening 0-0 stalemate, in a match that was originally set for Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, but was moved to the Ukrainian capital because of ongoing pro-Russian protests in Ukraine.
At Zurich, Switzerland:
Sebtastien Corchia (29') and Ryan Mendes (40') delivered the scoring as LOSC Lille Metropole took control of their series with Grasshoppers following their series-opening 2-0 road victory.
At Razgrad, Bulgaria:
PFC Ludogorets Razgrad were held to a series-opening 0-0 stalemate with visiting Partizan Belgrade.
At Rotterdam, Netherlands:
Mustaka Pektemek (13') and Kerim Koyunlu (71') each scored once as Beskitas held off Feyenoord Rotterdam 2-1 on the road in the opening game of their two-match series.
At Liege, Belgium:
Panathinaikos held hosts Standard Liege to a series-opening 0-0 deadlock.
At Aalborg, Denmark:
Marcelo Brozovic scored the only goal of the match in the 29th minute as Dinamo Zagreb topped AaB Aalborg 1-0 in the opening contest of their two-game series.
At Maribor, Slovenia:
Damjan Bohar scored the only goal of the match deep into second-half stoppage time (90'+5) as NK Maribor took the opening contest of their series with Maccabi Tel Aviv 1-0 at home.
At Warsaw, Poland:
Miroslav Radovic scored twice (10', 36') as Legia Warsaw dominated visiting Celtic 4-1 in the opening match of their two-game series.
At Montevideo, Uruguay:
Despite a 1-0 game two defeat on Tuesday to Defensor Sporting, Paraguay's Club Nacional still won their two-game Copa Libertadores semifinal series 2-1 on aggregate and advanced to the two-match final, the opening game of which the Paraguayan club will host next Wednesday, with the return match to be played on August 13. The winner of the San Lorenzo-Club Bolivar series (which the Argentinian club leads 5-0 on aggregate) will take on Club Nacional.
Three games---all in the Champions Path---were played on Tuesday as the curtain was raised on the third round of UEFA Champions League qualifying.
At Prague, Czech Republic:
David Lafata delivered a hat trick (22', 51', 70') as Sparta Prague doubled up visiting Malmo FF 4-2 in the opening match of their two-game series.
At Bratislava, Slovakia:
Igor Zofcak (PK-42') and Karol Meszaros (85') each scored once as FC Slovan Bratislava defeated visiting FC Sheriff 2-1 in game one of their two-game series. Ricardo Cavalcante Mendes, also known as Ricardinho, kept the club from Moldova alive with his goal in the 74th minute.
At Debrecen, Hungary:
Debreceni VSC, thanks to Ibrahima Sidibe's successfully-converted penalty kick in the 56th minute, defeated visiting FC BATE Borisov 1-0 in their series opener.
At Seattle:
Landon Donovan played a role in all three goals as he scored once in the 18th minute and assisted on goals from Gyasi Zardes (8') and Stefan Ishizaki (36') as the Los Angeles Galaxy dominated the Seattle Sounders 3-0 on the road in the lone Monday Major League Soccer contest.
MLS STANDINGS:
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
1. Kansas City (GP: 21; GD: +12; PTS: 38)
2. DC United (GP: 19; GD: +9; PTS: 34)
3. Toronto FC (GP: 18; GD: +2; PTS: 26)
4. Columbus (GP: 21; GD: -2; PTS: 26)
5. New York (GP: 20; GD: +1; PTS: 24)
6. New England (GP: 20; GD: -8; PTS: 23)
7. Philadelphia (GP: 21; GD: -2; PTS:23)
8. Chicago (GP: 19; GD: -6; PTS: 20)
9. Houston (GP: 20; GD: -18; PTS: 19)
10. Montreal (GP: 20; GD: -16; PTS: 14)
NOTES: With Toronto FC and Columbus level on points (26), the Reds have won more games (7-6) than the Crew. With New England and Philadelphia level on points (23), the Revolution has more wins (7-5) than the Union.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
1. Seattle (GP: 19; GD: +8; PTS: 38)
2. Real Salt Lake (GP: 20; GD: +5; PTS: 32)
3. Los Angeles (GP: 18; GD: +13; PTS: 30)
4. Colorado (GP: 20; GD: +7; PTS: 30)
5. FC Dallas (GP: 21; GD: +3; PTS: 30)
6. Vancouver (GP: 20; GD: +2; PTS: 28)
7. Portland (GP: 21; GD: 0; PTS: 27)
8. Chivas USA (GP: 20; GD: -12; PTS: 23)
9. San Jose (GP: 18; GD: +2; PTS: 20)
NOTE: With Los Angeles, Colorado, and FC Dallas all level on points (30) and wins (8), the Galaxy has the best goal differential of the three (+13, to +7 for the Rapids and +3 for the Hoops).
ADDITIONAL NOTE: With Sporting Kansas City and Seattle level on points (38) in the race for the Supporters' Shield, the Sounders have more wins (12-11) than SKC.
Two games were played in Major League Soccer on Sunday.
At Vancouver, British Columbia:
Darren Mattocks (11') and Pedro Morales (PK-53') each scored once as the Vancouver Whitecaps salvaged a 2-2 home draw with FC Dallas. Blas Perez (29') and Michel Garbini Pereira (PK-39') delivered the goals for the visiting Hoops.
At Montreal:
Diego Valeri scored the winning goal in the 82nd minute as the Portland Timbers defeated the Montreal Impact 2-1 on the road, handing the hosts their MLS-era record fifth straight defeat.
Two games---both in Group A---were played on Sunday as group-stage action in the CAF Champions League continued.
At Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo:
Guy Basisila (81') and Tady Etekiama (PK-90'+7) delivered the goals as AS Vita Club blanked visiting Al-Hilal Omdurman 2-0.
At Alexandria, Egypt:
Zamalek and visiting TP Mazembe battled to a 0-0 stalemate.
GROUP A STANDINGS:
1. TP Mazembe (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
2. AS Vita Club (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
3. Zamalek (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
4. Al-Hilal Omdurman (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
Two games were played in Major League Soccer on Saturday.
At Toronto:
Graham Zusi (48') and Jacob Peterson (80') each delivered a goal as Sporting Kansas City topped Toronto FC 2-1 on the road, despite finishing the game with ten men.
At Foxborough, Massachusetts:
Ethan Finlay scored the winning goal in the 84th minute as the Columbus Crew knocked off the struggling New England Revolution 2-1 on the road. The Revs' losing streak has now reached eight games.
At Sfax, Tunisia:
Mohamed Ali Moncer scored the only goal of the match in the 77th minute as CS Sfaxien defeated visiting Esperance ST 1-0 in a Group B contest which was the lone Saturday CAF Champions League match.
GROUP B STANDINGS:
1. ES Setif (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
2. CS Sfaxien (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
3. Al-Ahly Benghazi (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 4)
4. Esperance ST (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
At Tunis, Tunisia:
El Hedi Belameiri (18') and Sofiane Younes (90'+3) delivered the goals on Friday as ES Setif defeated Al-Ahly Benghazi 2-0 of Libya in Group B play as the second half of CAF Champions League group-stage action commenced. This was designated an Al-Alhy home game though all of their home contests are played outside of Libya due to security concerns in that country.
At Commerce City, Colorado:
In the lone Friday Major League Soccer contest, Nick LaBrocca (16'), Drew Moor (26'), and Gabriel Torres (75') delivered the goals to propel the Colorado Rapids to a 3-0 home domination of Chivas USA.
At Sandy, Utah:
Olmes Garcia scored twice (70', 90'+3) as Real Salt Lake defeated the visiting---and ten-man---Montreal Impact 3-1 in the lone Thursday Major League Soccer contest.
The second round of Europa League qualifying concluded on Thursday with 39 games.
At Karaganda, Kazakhstan:
Mihret Topcagic (47'), Ulan Konysbayev (61'), and Roman Murtazayev (90'+3) each scored a goal as Shakhter Karagandy dominated visiting Atlantas 3-0 in game two, and with the aggregate score at 3-0, won their two-game series with the Lithuanian club.
At Larnaca, Cyprus:
A 0-0 game-two road deadlock with Hapoel Be’er Sheva was good enough for RNK Split as the Croatian club won their series 2-1 on aggregate. This game was played in Cypurs due to the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas.
At Kouvola, Finland:
A game-two 0-0 stalemate on the road was good enough for Dinamo Minsk as the Belorussian club won their two-game series with MYPA 3-0 on aggregate.
At Nicosia, Cyprus:
A 0-0 draw at home in game two was good enough for Omonia Nicosia as the Cypriot club took out Montenegro's FK Buducnost Podgorica 2-0 on aggregate to advance to the third qualifying round.
At Haugesund, Norway:
Sevko Okic scored twice (36', 82') scored twice as FK Sarajevo overturned their series-opening home defeat with a 3-1 road win over FK Haugesund in game two and won their series 3-2 on aggregate.
At Krasnodar, Russia:
Wanderson scored twice (67', PK-74') as FC Krasnodar demolished visiting JK Sillamae Kalev 5-0 in game two as the Russian club completed their two-game 9-0 aggregate annihilation of the Estonian club.
At Baku, Azerbaijan:
Sebastian Holmen's first-half goal (45'+2) enabled IF Elfsborg to top ten-man Inter Baku 1-0 in regulation of game two on the road, then after 30 minutes of scoreless overtime, Viktor Prodell, Marcus Rohden, Mikkel Beckmann, and the aforementioned Sebastian Holmen converted their spot kicks as the Swedish club won the penalty-kick shootout 4-3.
At Gothenburg, Sweden:
Despite a 1-0 game-two home defeat, IFK Gothenburg still won their two-game series with Hungary's Gyori ETO FC 3-1 on aggregate. Gyori ETO finished game two with ten men.
At Poznan, Poland:
Tomasz Kedziora (33'), Kasper Hamalainen (43'), and Dawid Kownacki (90'+3) each scored a goal as Lech Poznan overcame their series-opening road defeat with a 3-1 game-two home win over Nomme Kalju and won their series 3-1 on aggregate.
At Liberec, Czech Republic:
Toma Dubek (54'), Dzon Delarge (81'), and Josef Sural (90') each scored a goal as FC Slovan Liberec dominated visiting MFK Kosice 3-0 in game two and took out the Slovakian club 4-0 on aggregate.
At Tromso, Norway:
Bardur Hansen (60') and Hallur Hansson (7') each scored a second-half goal as Vikingur came from behind to upend ten-man Tromso IL 2-1 on the road in game two and 2-1 on aggregate to win the series with the Norwegian second-division club.
At Vlore, Albania:
Felipe Teixeira (39'), Pablo Torres (84'), and Njonge Priso (90') delivered the goals as FC Petrolul Ploiesti defeated Flumurtari Vlore 3-1 on the road in game two and took out the Albanian club 5-1 on aggregate.
At Wals-Siezenheim, Austria:
Despite dropping a 2-1 game-two home verdict against FK Cukarick, SV Grodig still handily won their series with the Serbian club 5-2 on aggregate.
At Tbilisi, Georgia:
After 210 scoreless minutes---90 minutes in game one, another 90 minutes in regulation of game two, then two 15 minute overtime periods---David Odikadze, Giorgi Gabedava, Giorgi Koripadze, and Tornike Mumladze converted their spot kicks as FC Chikhura Sachkhere won the penalty-kick shootout 4-1 over visiting Bursaspor.
At Solna, Sweden:
Kennedy Igboananike (56') and Henok Goitom (72') delivered the goals as AIK Solna overcame their series-opening defeat with a 2-0 game-two home win over Linfield and won their series with the Northern Irish club 2-1 on aggregate.
At Chisinau, Moldova:
A 0-0 home draw in game two enabled FC Zimbru Chisinau, with the aggregate score at 1-1, to eliminate CSKA Sofia on away goals and advance to the third qualifying round.
At Salihorsk, Belarus:
Sairhai Balanovich scored the series-winning goal in the ninth minute as FC Shakhtyor Salihorsk drubbed visiting Derry City FC 5-1 in game two and won their series with the Northern Irish club that plays in the Republic of Ireland's top fight 6-1 on aggregate.
At Vaduz, Liechtenstein:
A game-two 0-0 road deadlock was good enough for Ruch Chorzow as the Polish club eliminated FC Vaduz 3-2 on aggregate.
At Larnaca, Cyprus:
Despite dropping a 1-0 game-two decision on the road against Hapoel Tel Aviv, FC Astana won their two-game series with the Israeli club 3-1 on aggregate. Game two was moved from Israel due to that country's ongoing conflict on the Gaza Strip with Hamas.
At Esbjerg, Denmark:
Jakob Ankersen scored the only goal of the match in the 38th minute as Esbjerg fB defeated visiting FC Kairat 1-0 and won their two-game series 2-1 on aggregate.
At Zlate Moravce, Slovenia:
Marek Janecka scored twice in the first half (4', 43') as FC Spartak Trnava dominated visiting FC Zestafoni 3-0 in game two and won the series by that same score on aggregate.
At Groningen, Netherlands:
Adam Rooney (PK-26') and Niall McGinn (33') each scored a first-half goal as Aberdeen defeated FC Groningen 2-1 on the road in game two and took out the Dutch club by that same score on aggregate.
At Kiev, Ukraine:
FC Zorya Luhansk, with Nikola Ignjatijevic (74') and Pylyp Budkivskiy (87') each scoring a second-half goal, defeated visiting KF Laci 2-1 in game two and won their series 5-1 on aggregate.
At Sligo, Ireland:
Mike Jensen scored twice as Rosenborg recovered from the series-opening home setback with a 3-1 game-two road win over Sligo Rovers and won their series with the club from the Republic of Ireland 4-3 on aggregate.
At Bydgoszcz, Poland:
Glynor Plet (1'), Chuks Aneke (48'), and Olafur Skulason (76') delivered the scoring as SV Zulte Waregem defeated Zawista Bydgoszcz 3-1 on the road in game two and won their two-match series 5-2 on aggregate.
At Novi Sad, Serbia:
Despite dropping a 3-0 game-two decision on the road, FK AS Trencin still won their two-game series with FK Vojvodina 4-3 on aggregate.
At Tripoli, Greece:
Pablo De Blasis scored twice (PK-45'+6, 73') as Asteras Tripoli FC defeated visiting RoPS 4-2 in game two and won their series 5-3 on aggregate.
At Split, Croatia:
Despite dropping a 2-1 game-two decision at home, Hajduk Split still held off Dundalk FC 3-2 on aggregate to advance to the third qualifying round.
At Nova Gorica, Slovenia:
Agnaldo Moraes scored in the 49th minute to lift Molde FK to a game-two 1-1 road draw with ND Gorica, good enough for the visiting Norwegian club to win their series 5-2 on aggregate.
At Jagodina, Serbia:
Guima scored the only goal of both the game and series in the 81st minute as CFR Cluj won both game two (on the road) and the two-match series (on aggregate) with FK Jagodina 1-0.
At Koper, Slovenia:
Mirhuseyn Seyidov (21') and Carlos Cardoso (84') as Neftchi Baku overcame their 2-1 series-opening home loss with a 2-0 game-two road win over FC Koper to eliminate the Slovenian club 3-2 on aggregate.
At Budapest, Hungary:
Ivan Krstanovic (PK-20') and Miral Samardzic (37') delivered th scoring as HNK Rijeka held off Ferencvaros 2-1 on the road in game two and won their series 3-1 on aggregate.
At Siroki Brijeg, Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Michal Duris scored twice (55', 85') scored twice as FK Mlada Boleslav demolished NK Siroki Brijeg 4-0 on the road in game two and handily won their series with the Bosnian club 6-1 on aggregate.
At Nyiregyhaza, Hungary:
Diosgyori VTK, despite dropping a 2-1 home decision in game two against PFC Litex Lovech, still ousted the Bulgarian club 3-2 on aggregate.
At Belfast, Northern Ireland:
Dardan Rexhepi scored in the 27th minute as IF Brommapojkarna gained a 1-1 game-two road draw with Crusaders and won their series 5-1 on aggregate.
At Perth, Scotland:
After a second straight 1-1 regulation-time deadlock, which was followed by 30 scoreless overtime minutes, Steven MacLean, Liam Caddis, Dave MacKay, Stevie May, and Thomas Scobbie all converted their spot kicks as St. Johnstone won the penalty-kick shootout, 5-4 over visiting FC Lucerne.
At Sankt Polten, Austria:
Daniel Segovia scored twice (6', 55') as St. Polten overcame their 2-1 series-opening defeat in Bulgaria and defeated visiting Botev Plovdiv 2-0 in game two and won their series 3-2 on aggregate. Not bad for a second-division club.
At Hafnarfjordur, Iceland:
Atli Gudnason (42') and Atli Bjornsson (80') provided the goals as FH Hafnardordur blanked visiting FC Neman Grodno 2-0 in game two and won their series 3-1 on aggregate.
At Gardabaer, Iceland:
Atli Johannsson scored the series-winning goal in the 114th minute as Stjarnan, after game two ended in a second consecutive 2-2 draw in regulation, won their series with visiting Motherwell 5-4 in overtime.
Here are the match-ups for the third qualifying round, with the opening games set to take place next Thursday, and the return contests to be played on August 7. The game-one hosts are listed first.
Kurabukspor (Turkey) vs. Rosenborg BK (Norway)
FC Chornomorets Odessa (Ukraine) vs. RNK Split (Croatia)
St. Johnstone (Scotland) vs. FC Spartak Trnava (Slovakia)
1. FSV Mainz 05 (Germany) vs. Asteras Tripoli FC (Greece)
Diosgyor (Hungary) vs. FC Krasnodar (Russia)
FK Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic) vs. Lyon (France)
FK AS Trencin (Slovakia) vs. Hull City AFC (England)
AC Omonia (Cyprus) vs. FK Metalurg Skopje (Macedonia)
Torino (Italy) vs. IF Brommapojkarna (Sweden)
PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) vs. St. Polten (Austria)
Stjarnan (Iceland) vs. Lech Poznan (Poland)
FC Zorya Luhansk (Ukraine) vs. Molde FK (Norway)
FK Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) vs. Atromitos FC (Greece)
Real Sociedad (Spain) vs. Aberdeen FC (Scotland)
FC Astana (Kazakhstan) vs. AIK Solna (Sweden)
SV Zulte Waregem (Belgium) vs. FC Shakhtyor Salihorsk (Belarus)
SV Grodig (Austria) vs. FC Zimbru Chisinau (Moldova)
FC Astra Giurgiu (Romania) vs. FC Slovan Liberec (Czech Republic)
Ruch Chorzow (Poland) vs. Esbjerg fB (Denmark)
Dynamo Moscow (Russia) vs. Ironi Kiryat Shmona FC (Israel)
BSC Young Boys (Switzerland) vs. Ermis Aradippou (Cyprus)
IF Elfsborg (Sweden) vs. FH Hafnarfjordur (Iceland)
FC Petrolul Ploiesti (Romania) vs. FC Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic)
Vikingur (Faroe Islands) vs. HNK Rijeka (Croatia)
FC Dinamo Minsk (Belarus) vs. CFR Cluj (Romania)
Neftchi Baku (Azerbaijan) vs. FC Chikhura Sachkhere (Georgia)
IFK Gothenburg (Sweden) vs. Rio Ave (Portugal)
Club Brugge (Belgium) vs. Brondby IF (Denmark)
FC Shakhter Karagandy (Kazakhstan) vs. Hajduk Split (Croatia)
At Santa Clara, California:
In the lone Wednesday Major League Soccer contest, Shea Salinas (45'), Atiba Harris (52'), Chris Wondolowski (62'), Yannick Djalo (79'), and Cordell Cato (84') each scored a goal as the San Jose Earthquakes demolished the visiting Chicago Fire 5-1, ruining the return to the Bay Area of former Quakes head coach Frank Yallop, now the Chicago boss man.
At Buenos Aires:
Emanuel Mas scored twice (28', 87') on Wednesday as San Lorenzo crushed visiting Club Bolivar 5-0 in the opening contest of their two-game Copa Libertadores semifinal series.
Six games were played on Wednesday as the second round of UEFA Champions League qualifying concluded.
At Aktobe, Kazakhstan:
Oleskiy Antonov (75'), Igor Zenkovich (82'), and Abat Aimbetov (90'+5) each scored a second-half goal as FC Aktobe dominated visiting Dinamo Tbilisi 3-0 in game two and won their two-match series 4-0 on aggregate.
At Ventspils, Latvia:
Isaac Kiese Thelin scored the only goal of both the match and series in the 19th minute as Malmo FF took down FK Ventspils 1-0 on the road in game two and won the series 1-0 on aggregate.
At Helsinki, Finland:
Robin Lod (22') and Valtteri Moren (26') each scored a first-half goal as HJK Helsinki held off visiting FK Rabotnicki 2-1 in game two and won their series with the Macedonian club 2-1 on aggregate.
At Bucharest, Romania:
Cornel Rapa (72') and Nicolae Stanciu (84') each scored once as Steaua Bucharest defeated visiting Stromgodset IF 2-0 in game two and took out the Norwegian club 3-0 on aggregate.
At Maribor, Slovenia:
Dare Vrsic (45') and Agim Ibrahimi (PK-57') delivered the goals as NK Maribor blanked visiting Zrinjski 2-0 in the second match of their two-game series, which the hosts won 2-0 on aggregate.
At Dublin, Ireland:
Miroslav Radovic scored twice (25', 82') as Legia Warsaw scored four goals in the second half as the Polish club blindsided St. Patrick's Athletic 5-0 on the road in game two en route to a 6-1 two-game aggregate domination of the series.
Here are the match-ups for the third qualifying round, with the opening contests taking place next Tuesday and Wednesday, with the return games to be played on August 5 and 6. The game-one hosts are listed first.
CHAMPIONS ROUTE:
Qarabag FK (Azerbaijan) vs. FC Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)
Debreceni VSC (Hungary) vs. FC BATE Borisov (Belarus)
FC Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) vs. FC Sheriff (Moldova)
AaB Aalborg (Denmark) vs. Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)
Legia Warsaw (Poland) vs. Celtic FC (Scotland)
FC Aktobe (Kazakhstan) vs. Steaua Bucharest (Romania)
NK Maribor (Slovenia) winner vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
HJK Helsinki (Finland) vs. APOEL FC (Cyprus)
Sparta Prague (Czech Republic) vs. Malmo FF (Sweden)
PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria) vs. Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)
LEAGUE ROUTE:
AEL Limassol (Cyprus) vs. Zenit Saint Petersburg (Russia)
FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine) vs. FC Copenhagen (Denmark)
Feyenoord Rotterdam (Netherlands) vs. Besiktas JK (Turkey)
Grasshoppers (Switzerland) vs. LOSC Lille Metropole (France)
Standard Liege (Belgium) vs. Panathinaikos (Greece)
