Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Copa Libertadores: Gonna Be An All-Buenos Aires Final

At Sao Paulo, Brazil:

Ramon Avila (18') and Dario Benedetto (70') each scored once on Wednesday as Boca Juniors gained a 2-2 game-two road draw with Palmeiras and won their Copa Libertadores semifinal series 4-2 on aggregate.

Boca will take on archrivals River Plate in the Copa Libertadores two-match final, which opens on November 10 at Boca's home stadium, Alberto J. Armando Stadium, then wrap up on November 24 at River Plate's stadium, Antonio Vespucio Liberti Monumental Stadium.

The winner will play in the semifinal round of the December's FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates against defending champs Real Madrid.

MLS Cup Playoffs: Cityzens, Timbers Advance To Conference Semifnals

Major League Soccer's MLS Cup Playoffs opened with two knockout-round contests on Wednesday.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

At New York:

Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (10'), David Villa (26'), and Maximiliano Morales (78') each scored once as New York City downed the visiting Philadelphia Union 3-1 to advance to face Atlanta United in an Eastern Conference semifinal series.

In three playoff appearances in nine MLS seasons, the Union have never won a playoff game (0-4).



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

At Frisco, Texas:

Diego Valeri scored twice (23', 71') as the Portland Timbers, despite playing most of the second half with only ten men, held off FC Dallas 2-1 on the road to become the first Western Conference club to win a knockout-round game away from home.

Rossoneri Top Genoa At Home

At Milan, Italy:

Alessio Romagnoli made up for the own goal he scored in the 56th minute by notching the game winner for his club in the opening minute of second-half stoppage time on Wednesday as AC Milan defeated visiting Genoa 2-1 in Italian Serie A action.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Copa Libertadores: River Plate Battle Back To Advance To Final

At Porto Alegre, Brazil:

Rafael Borre (82') and Gonzalo Martinez (PK-90'+5) each scored once in the waning minutes on Tuesday as River Plate knocked off Gremio 2-1 on the road in game two of their Copa Libertadores semifinal series and with the aggregate score at 2-2, eliminated the Brazilian club on away goals as the guests advanced to the tournament's two-game final.

Monday, October 29, 2018

MLS Decision Day: Red Bulls Snag Supporters Shield; Crew, RSL Clinch Playoff Berths; Galaxy Blow Two-Goal Lead And Playoff Berth In Home Loss To Dynamo

Major League Soccer closed out its' 23rd regular season on Sunday with 11 games.

At Bridgeview, Illinois:

The Chicago Fire and visiting DC United battled to a 0-0 stalemate, still good enough for the playoff-bound guests to assure themselves of hosting an opening-round playoff game.

At Commerce City, Colorado:

Cole Bassett (80') and Tommy Smith (84') each scored a goal in the waning minutes as the Colorado Rapids came from behind to upend visiting FC Dallas 2-1, costing the Hoops a shot at a first-round playoff bye.

At Columbus, Ohio:

In a match that was interrupted for 67 minute to due stormy weather, Gyasi Zardes produced a hat trick (11', 49', 83') as the Columbus Crew held off visiting Minnesota United 3-2 to secure a playoff spot.

At Kansas City, Kansas:

Daniel Salloi scored the game winner in the 72nd minute as Sporting Kansas City locked up the Western Conference regular-season title by defeating the visiting Los Angeles Football Club 2-1.

At Carson, California:

Romell Quioto (57') and Mauro Manotas (PK-73', 79') came up with critical second-half goals as the Houston Dynamo erased a 2-0 halftime deficit and upended the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 to knock the hosts out of playoff contention.

As a result, Real Salt Lake, who were idol on Sunday, secured the final Western Conference playoff berth.

At Foxborough, Massachusetts:

Diego Fagundez scored the only goal of the match in the 74th minute as the New England Revolution downed the visiting Montreal Impact 1-0, knocking the visitors from playoff contention.

With Toronto FC and Vancouver having already been eliminated, Montreal's defeat means that for the first time since 2011, there will be no Canadian teams in this year's MLS Cup Playoffs.

At New York:

Maxime Chanot (8'), Auston Trusty (OG-10'), and David Villa (34') each scored a first-half goal as New York City defeated the visiting Philadelphia Union 3-1 in a matchup of clubs that had already clinched playoff berths.

At Harrison, New Jersey:

Derrick Etienne, Jr. scored the only goal of the match in the 53rd minute as the New York Red Bulls defeated visiting Orlando City 1-0.

The win, coupled with Atlanta United's defeat in Toronto, enabled the Red Bulls to jump the Five Stripes and win the Supporters' Shield.

New York also set new MLS single-season record for points with 71.

At Seattle:

Raul Ruidiaz scored twice (79', 90'+3) as the Seattle Sounders upended the visiting San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 and assured themselves of a first-round playoff bye.

At Toronto:

Lucas Janson scored twice (9', 83') as Toronto FC dominated visiting Atlanta United 4-1, preventing the Five Stripes from winning the Supporters' Shield.

At Vancouver, British Columbia:

In his final game before moving on to Germany's Bayern Munich in the offseason, Alphonso Davies scored twice (28', 31') as the Vancouver Whitecaps upended the visiting Portland Timbers 2-1 in a Cascadia Cup clash.



FINAL MLS STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1.     New York Red Bulls (GP: 34; GD: +29; PTS: 71)
2.     Atlanta United FC (GP: 34; GD: +26; PTS: 69)
3.     New York City (GP: 34; GD: +14; PTS: 56)
4.     DC United (GP: 34; GD: +10; PTS: 51)
5.     Columbus (GP: 34; GD: -2; PTS: 51)
6.     Philadelphia (GP: 34; GD: -1; PTS: 50)
7.     Montreal (GP: 23; GD: -6; PTS: 46)
8.     New England (GP: 23; GD: -6; PTS: 41)
9.     Toronto FC (GP: 34; GD: -5; PTS: 36)
10.   Chicago (GP: 34; GD: -13; PTS: 32)
11.   Orlando City SC (GP: 34; GD: -31; PTS: 28)

NOTE: With DC United and Columbus level on points (51) and wins (14), DC had the superior goal differential (+10, compared to the Crew's -2).



WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1.     Kansas City (GP: 34; GD: +25; PTS: 62)
2.     Seattle (GP: 34; GD: +15; PTS: 59)
3.     Los Angeles Football Club (GP: 34; GD: +16; PTS: 57)
4.     FC Dallas (GP: 34; GD: +8; PTS: 57)
5.     Portland (GP: 34; GD: +6; PTS: 54)
6.     Real Salt Lake (GP: 34; GD: -3; PTS: 49)
7.     Los Angeles Galaxy (GP: 34; GD: +2; PTS: 48)
8.     Vancouver (GP: 34; GD: -13; PTS: 47)
9.     Houston (GP: 34; GD: 0; PTS: 38)
10.   Minnesota United FC (GP: 34; GD: -22; PTS: 36)
11.   Colorado (GP: 34; GD: -27; PTS: 31)
12.   San Jose (GP: 34; GD: -22; PTS: 21)

NOTE:  With the Los Angeles Football Club and FC Dallas level on points (57) and wins (16), LAFC had the superior goal differential (+16, compared to the Hoops' +8).



2018 MLS CUP PLAYOFFS:

KNOCKOUT ROUND:

Eastern Conference:

Wednesday:

At New York:

New York City vs. Philadelphia Union @ 4:00 PM Pacific Time (Fox Sports One)

Thursday:

At Washington:

DC United vs. Columbus Crew SC, @ 5:00 PM Pacific Time (Fox Sports One)



Western Conference:

Wednesday:

At Frisco, Texas:

FC Dallas vs. Portland Timbers @ 6:30 PM Pacific Time (UniMas)

Thursday

At Los Angeles:

Los Angeles Football Club vs. Real Salt Lake @ 7:30 PM Pacific Time (ESPN 2)



CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS:

Eastern Conference:

New York City FC and Atlanta United have qualified for the Eastern Conference semifinals, with both opening their two-match series on the road on Sunday, November 11.

Western Conference:

Sporting Kansas City and the Seattle Sounders will play in the Western Conference semifinals.  The Sounders will open their two-match series on Thursday, November 8, while Sporting KC will open theirs away from home on November 11.


Lions Devour Visiting Boavista

At Lisbon, Portugal:

Nani scored twice (31', 66') on Sunday as Sporting CP dominated visiting Boavista 3-0 in Portuguese Liga action.

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Road Win For Bayern

At Mainz, Germany:

Thiago Alcantara scored the winning goal in the 62nd minute on Saturday as Bayern Munich defeated Mainz 2-1 on the road in Germany Bundesliga action.

Wolves Fall To Seagulls On Road

At Falmer, England:

Glenn Murray's goal in the 48th minute provided all the scoring as Brighton and Hove Albion defeated visiting Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 in Saturday English Premier League action.

Monaco To Host Dijon On Saturday

At Fontvieille, Monaco:

In Saturday French Ligue 1 play, Benjamin Henrichs (29') and Kamil Glik (78') each scored once, enabling struggling AS Monaco to salvage a 2-2 home draw with Dijon FCO.  

Mickael Alphonse (33') and Mehdi Abeid (57') each scored once for the guests.

Friday, October 26, 2018

Late Goal Enables Real Valladolid To Gain Home Draw With Parakeets

At Valladolid, Spain:

Daniele Verde's equalizer in the opening minute of second-half stoppage time enabled Real Valladolid to gain a 1-1 Friday Spanish La Liga home draw with Espanyol.

Borja Inglesias scored for the Parakeets in the 20th minute as the guests now find themselves level on points with Barcelona for top spot in the Spanish Primera Division standings.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

CONCACAF League: Herediano Blank Motagua In Series Opener

At Heredia, Costa Rica:

In Thursday's opening contest of the CONCACAF League, Jimmy Marin (23') and Allan Cruz (62') each scored once as CS Herediano blanked visiting Motagua 2-0.

The series will conclude next Thursday at Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

The winner would qualify for next year's CONCACAF Champions League.

Europa League: Group-Stage Play Reaches Midway Point

24 games were contested on Thursday as Europa League group-stage play reached its' midway point.

GROUP A:

At Zurich, Switzerland:

Stephen Oday scored the winning goal in the 78th minute as FC Zurich knocked off visiting Bayer Leverkusen 3-2.

At Nicosia, Cyprus:

Jorge Larena's successful penalty kick in the 25th minute lifted AEK Larnaca to a 1-1 draw with visiting Ludogorets Razgrad.

Jody Lukoki scored in the 7th minute for the Bulgarian club.

Group A Standings:

1. FC Zurich (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2. Bayer Leverkusen (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
3. Ludogorets Razgrad (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)
4. AEK Larnaca (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)

NOTE:  Ludogorets Razgrad had a road goal in their 1-1 Thursday draw with AEK Larnaca.



GROUP B:

At Wals-Siezenheim (Salzburg), Austria:

Moanes Dabour scored twice (34', PK-59') as FC Red Bull Salzburg dominated visiting Rosenborg 3-0.

At Leipzig, Germany:

Matheus Cunha (31') and Armindo Bruma (35') each scored a goal as RB Leipzig blanked visiting Celtic 2-0.

Group B Standings:

1. FC Red Bull Salzburg (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. RB Leipzig (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Celtic (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Rosenborg BK (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 0)



GROUP C:

At Saint Petersburg, Russia:

Daler Kuzyayev scored the winning goal in the 85th minute as Zenit Saint Petersburg defeated visiting Bordeaux 2-1.

At Copenhagen, Denmark:

Jan Matousek scored the only goal of Slavia Prague's 1-0 road win over FC Copenhagen in the 46th minute.

Group C Standings:

1. Zenit Saint Petersburg (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
2. Slavia Prague (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. FC Copenhagen (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Bordeuax (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 0)



GROUP D:

At Brussels, Belgium:

Michael Frey (53') and Hasan Ali Kaldirim (57') each scored a second-half goal four minutes apart as Fenerbahce came back from two goals down to gain a 2-2 road draw with RSC Anderlecht.

Zakaria Bakkali scored both of the hosts goals in the 35th and 50th minutes.

At Trnava, Slovakia:

Mislav Orsic scored the game-winning goal in the 77th minute as Dinamo Zagreb defeated Spartak Trnava 2-1 on the road.

Group D Standings:

1. Dinamo Zagreb (GP: 3; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
2. Fenerbahce (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
3. Spartak Trnava (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. RSC Anderlecht (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)



GROUP E:

At Baku, Azerbaijan:

Vladyslav Kulach's goal in the 48th minute carried Vorskla Poltava to a 1-0 road win over Qarabag.

At Lisbon:

Danny Welbeck scored the only goal of the match in the 78th minute as Arsenal defeated Sporting CP 1-0 on the road.

Group E Standings:

1. Arsenal (GP: 3; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
2. Sporting CP (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
3. Vorskla Poltava (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. Qarabag (GP: 3; GD: -6; PTS: 0)



GROUP F:

At Milan, Italy:

Giovani Lo Celso scored the game winner in the 55th minute as Real Betis knocked off AC Milan 2-1 on the road.

At Luxembourg City:

Vasilis Torosidis (66') and Kostas Fortounis (81') each scored once as Olympiacos blanked F91 Dudelange 2-0 on the road.

Group F Standings:

1. Real Betis (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
2. AC Milan (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
3. Olympiacos (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. F91 Dudelange (GP: 3; GD: -6; PTS: 0)



GROUP G:

At Glasgow, Scotland:

Spartak Moscow held hosts Rangers to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Villarreal, Spain:

Karl Toko Ekambi scored twice (30', 45') as Villarreal destroyed visiting Rapid Vienna 5-0.

Group G Standings:

1. Villarreal (GP: 3; GD: +5; PTS: 5)
2. Rangers (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
3. Rapid Vienna (GP: 3; GD: -5; PTS: 3)
4. Spartak Moscow (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 2)



GROUP H:

At Frankfurt, Germany:

Filip Kostic (13') and Sebastien Haller (32') produced the goals as Eintracht Frankfurt blanked visiting Apollon Limassol 2-0.

At Marseille, France:

Felipe Caicedo scored the game winner in the 59th minute as Lazio defeated Marseille 3-1 on the road.

Group H Standings:

1. Eintracht Frankfurt (GP: 3; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
2. Lazio (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Marseille (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)
4. Apollon Limassol (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)

NOTE:  In head-to-head away goals, it's Marseille 2, Apollon Limassol 0)



GROUP I:

At Sarpsborg, Norway:

Ole Jorgen Halvorsen's equalizer in the 87th minute lifted Sarpsborg 08 to a 1-1 home draw with Malmo FF.

Andreas Vindheim scored in the 79th minute for the Swedish club.

At Istanbul, Turkey:

Mbwana Samatta scored twice (23', 70') as KRC Genk doubled up Besiktas 4-2 on the road.

Group I Standings:

1. KRC Genk (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
2. Sarpsborg 08 (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. Malmo FF (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Besiktas (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)



GROUP J:

At Liege, Belgium:

Konstantinos Laifis scored the winning goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time as Standard Liege defeated visiting FC Krasnodar 2-1.

At Seville, Spain:

Roque Mesa opened the scoring in the seventh minute as Sevilla, with six players scored a goal apiece, annihilated visiting Akhisarspor 6-0.

Group J Standings:

1. Sevilla (GP: 3; GD: +9; PTS: 6)
2. FC Krasnodar (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. Standard Liege (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
4. Akhisarspor (GP: 3; GD: -8; PTS: 0)

Head to head points favor Sevilla over Standard Liege (3-0; thanks to their 5-1 home win over the Belgian club on September 20).



GROUP K:

At Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic:

Pedro Henrique's equalizer in the 11th minute carried Astana to a 1-1 road draw with FK Jablonec.

Jakub Povazanec scored in the fourth minute for the hosts.

At Rennes, France:

Vitaliy Buyalskyi scored the winning goal in the 89th minute as Dynamo Kiev knocked off Rennes 2-1 on the road.

Group K Standings:

1. Astana (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 5) 
2. Dynamo Kiev (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Rennes (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. FK Jablonec (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 2)



GROUP L:

At London:

Ruben Loftus-Cheek produced a hat trick (2', 8', 54') as Chelsea defeated visiting FC BATE Borisov 3-1.

At Thessaloniki, Greece:

Szsabolcs Huszti (12') and Stopira (45') each scored once as MOL Vidi blanked PAOK 2-0 on the road.

Group L Standings:

1. Chelsea (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
2. PAOK FC (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. MOL Vidi (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. FC BATE Borisov (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)

NOTE:  PAOK has the head-to-head points advantage over FC BATE Borisov (thanks to their 4-1 road win over the Belorussian club on October 4).


Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Copa Libertadores: Boca Blank Palmeiras In Semifinal Series Opener

At Buenos Aires:

In Wednesday's opening match of a Copa Libertadores semifinal-round series, Dario Benedetto scored twice (83', 88') as Boca Juniors blanked visiting Palmeiras 2-0.

UEFA Champions League Group D: Dragons Knock Off Lokomotiv In Moscow; Goose Eggs For Galatasaray And Schalke In Istanbul

Two games in Group D of the UEFA Champions League were contested on Wednesday.

At Moscow:
Russia_Soccer_Champions_League_87738.jpg
Hector Hererra scored the winning goal in the 35th minute as FC Porto defeated Lokomotiv Moscow 3-1 on the road.

Here's Lokomotiv's Igor Denisov (right) and the Dragons' Yacine Brahimi battling for the ball.

Associated Press photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko



At Istanbul, Turkey:
Turkey_Soccer_Champions_League_74947.jpg
Galatasaray and visiting FC Schalke 04 battled to a 0-0 stalemate.

Here's Galatasaray's Younes Belhanda (in the orange and red uniform) fighting the Royal Blues' Mark Uth for the ball.

Associated Press photo

Group D Standings:

1. FC Porto (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. FC Schalke 04 (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Galatasaray (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
4. Lokomotiv Moscow (GP: 3; GD: -6; PTS: 0)

UEFA Champions League Group C: Reds Blast Red Star; PSG And Napoli Draw In Paris

Two games in Group C of the UEFA Champions League were contested on Wednesday.

At Paris:
France_Soccer_Champions_League_30746.jpg
Mario Rui (OG-61') and Angel Di Maria (90'+3) each scored once as Paris Saint-Germain gained a 2-2 home draw with Napoli.

Lorenzo Insigne (29') and Dries Mertens (77') each scored a goal for the Light Blues.

Here's PSG defender Thomas Meunier, jumping for the ball as Napoli defender Mario Rui looks on.

Associated Press photo by Thibault Camus

At Liverpool, England:
Britain_Soccer_Champions_League_63034.jpg
Mohamed Salah scored twice (45', PK-51') as Liverpool demolished visiting Red Star Belgrade 4-0.

Here, we see Reds midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri being brought down by Red Star's Mario Marin.

Associated Press photo by Jon Super

Group C Standings:

1. Liverpool (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
2. Napoli (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Paris Saint-Germain (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 4)
4. Red Star Belgrade (GP: 3; GD: -9; PTS: 1)

UEFA Champions League, Group B: PSV and Spurs Draw In Eindhoven; Barca, Even Without Leo the Lion, Too Much For Nerazzurri

Two Group B games in UEFA Champions League action were played on Wednesday.

At Eindhoven, Netherlands:
Netherlands_Soccer_Champions_League_07838.jpg
Hirving Lozano (30') and Luuk De Jong (87') each scored once as PSV Eindhoven salvaged a 2-2 home draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

Lucas Moura (39') and Harry Kane (55') provided the scoring for Spurs.

Here's Lucas (right) shooting on goal as the hosts' Donyell Malen runs beside him.

Associated Press photo by Peter Dejong

At Barcelona:
Spain_Soccer_Champions_League_72890.jpg
Rafinha (32') and Jordi Alba (83'; that's him, on the left, celebrating after scoring) each scored once as Barcelona, sans the injured Lionel Messi,  blanked visiting Inter Milan 2-0.

Associated Press photo by Manu Fernandez

Group B Standings:

1. Barcelona (GP: 3; GD: +8; PTS: 9)
2. Inter Milan (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Tottenham Hotspur (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)
4. PSV Eindhoven (GP: 3; GD: -5; PTS: 1)

NOTE:  Tottenham Hotspur scored twice on the road in their Wednesday 2-2 draw with PSV Eindhoven.

UEFA Champions League, Group A: AS Monaco and Club Brugge Draw In Belgium; Dortmund Torch Mattress Makers

Group-stage play in the UEFA Champions League reached its' midway point on Wednesday with eight games, two of them in Group A.

At Bruges, Belgium:
APTOPIX_Belgium_Soccer_Champions_League_69351.jpg
Wesley Moraes Ferreira de Silva's equalizer in the 39th minute carried Club Brugge to a 1-1 home deadlock with AS Monaco.

Mousa Sylla (as shown here) scored in minute #31 for the French club, which is having its' struggles in domestic league play.

Associated Press photo by Francisco Seco

At Dortmund, Germany:
Germany_Soccer_Champions_League_96084.jpg
Raphael Guerrero scored twice (73', 89') as Borussa Dortmund demolished visiting Atletico Madrid 4-0.

Here, we see Mattress Makers defender Diego Godin and goalkeeper Jan Oblak reacting after Raphael's second goal for Dortmund.

Associated Press photo by Martin Meissner

Group A Standings:

1. Borussia Dortmund (GP: 3; GD: +8; PTS: 9)
2. Atletico Madrid (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
3. AS Monaco (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 1)
4. Club Brugge (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)

NOTE:  AS Monaco scored a road goal in their October 24 1-1 deadlock with Club Brugge.

AFC Champions League: It's Antlers vs. Persepolis For The Marbles (And A FIFA Club World Cup Berth)


At Suwon, South Korea:

Shuto Yamamoto (25'), Daigo Nishi (64'), and Serginho (82') each scored a goal on Wednesday as Kashima Antlers came back from a two-goal deficit to gain a 3-3 game-two road draw with Suwon Samsung Bluewings and win their AFC Champions League semifinal series with the South Korean club 6-5 on aggregate.



The two-match final----with a berth in December's FIFA Club World Cup at stake-----will open in Kashima, Japan as the Antlers host Iran's Persepolis next Saturday (November 3).

The series will conclude the following Saturday in Tehran, Iran.