STOPPAGE TIME GOAL CARRIES PACHUCA TO CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CROWN

At Pachuca, Mexico:

Edgar Benitez scored the series winning goal in second-half stoppage time (90') as Pachuca won game two of the CONCACAF Champions League final 1-0, and, with the score 2-2 on aggregate, won the title because of the away goals rule.  The Gophers, with their fourth regional club title now in tow,  will represent CONCACAF in this coming December's FIFA Club World Cup, scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates.

CONCACAF Champions League Final: Cruz Azul Take Series Opener At Home

At Mexico City:

Cruz Azul took the opening match of the two-game CONCACAF Champions League final, 2-1 at home over fellow Mexican club Pachuca.  Emanuel Villa (19') and the visitors' Carlos Rodriguez (OG-23') scored in the first half for Azul, but Damian Alvarez scored what may still be a precious road goal at 69 minutes for Pachuca.

The return match will take place next Wednesday in Pachuca, Mexico.  The winner will represent CONCACAF in this December's FIFA Club World Cup which will take place in the United Arab Emirates.

It's Cruz Azul Vs. Pachuca For CONCACAF Champions League Crown

At Pachuca, Mexico:

Edy Brambila scored the only goal of the match at 5 minutes as Pachuca defeated visiting Toluca 1-0 Wednesday night in game two of their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal series and won the two-match set 2-1 on aggregate.

Pachuca will take on Cruz Azul in the two-game final of the CONCACAF Champions League, which will begin on the week of April 20 at Mexico City, with the return match one week later in Pachuca.  The winner would play in the FIFA Club World Cup this coming December in the United Arab Emirates.

CONCACAF Champions League: Cruz Azul Plaster Pumas To Reach Final

At Mexico City:

Cruz Azul overturned their game-one road defeat with a 5-0 home frontier-styled fist beating of fellow Mexico City club UNAM Pumas in game two to win their two-match semifinal round series in the CONCACAF Champions League 5-1 on aggregate on Tuesday.  Christian Riveros (36'), Horacio Cervantes (74'), Adrian Cortes (76'), Rogelio Chavez Martinez (83'), and Edgar Lugo (90') each scored a goal for the hosts.

Europa League: A Draw Between Valencia and Atletico Plus Game-One Home Wins For Benfica, Hamburg, and Fulham As Quarterfinal Round Begins

Four contests took place on Thursday as the two-match sets in the quarterfinal round of the Europa League commenced.

At Lisbon, Portugal:

Not one, but two, successful penalty kicks from Oscar Rene Cardozo (59', 79') enabled SL Benfica to take game one of their two-game series 2-1 at home against Liverpool.  The Reds, who are still very much alive in this two-match set, got their goal at 9 minutes from Daniel Agger.


At London:

Bobby Zamora (59') and Damien Duff (63') each scored a goal in the second half as Fulham held off visiting VfL Wolfsburg 2-1 in game one.  The visitors did get what might still be a precious road goal from Alexander Madlung at 89 minutes.


At Hamburg, Germany:

Hamburg, with goals from Mladen Petric (PK-43') and Ruud van Nistelrooy (45'), took game one at home 2-1 over Standard Liege.  The Belgian club stayed in the two-match series, thanks to Deiudonne Mbokani at 30 minutes.

At Valencia, Spain:

In a battle of Spanish clubs, Atletico Madrid gained a 2-2 road draw with Valencia.  The visiting Madressmakers got their two goals from Diego Forlan (59') and Antonio Lopez (77') while the homestanding Murcielagos got their tallies courtesy of Manuel Fernandez (67') and David Villa (82').

Pumas Capture Series Opener

At Mexico City:

In the opening contest of a two-match CONCACAF Champions League semifinal series, Pablo Barrera scored the only goal of the match at 23 minutes as UNAM Pumas defeated visiting Cruz Azul 1-0 in a battle of clubs from the Mexican capital.

1-1 Draw In Toluca

At Toluca, Mexico:

Edgar Duenas scored the equalizer at 77 minutes, enable Toluca to gain a game-one 1-1 home draw with fellow Mexican club Pachuca in the opening match of a semifinal round two-game series in the CONCACAF Champions League.

The other series, also featuring two Mexican clubs, opens Wednesday night in Mexico City as UNAM Pumas will host the opening game of their two-match series with Cruz Azul.

Just Call It The Mexican Champions League

At Mexico City:

UNAM Pumas overturned their match one 2-0 road defeat with a 6-1 home undressing of CD Marathon to win their two-match CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series 6-3 on aggregate.  Ismael Iniguez (21', 35') and Francisco Palencia (62', 90') each doubled for Pumas, who will be joining fellow Mexican clubs Toluca, Pachuca, and Cruz Azul in the semifinal round.

Semifinal round matchups:

UNAM vs. Cruz Azul

 Toluca vs. Pachuca


The host clubs of the opening matches of the two-game sets are listed first.  Game ones will take place sometime between March 30 and April 1, with the return contests played between April 6 and April 8.

Crew Eliminated; Two More Mexican Clubs Advance To Semis

Two more two-match series from the CONCACAF Champions League's quarterfinal round concluded on Wednesday.

At Toluca, Mexico:

Zinha scored twice (56', 71') as Toluca defeated the visiting Columbus Crew 3-2 in game two and took their two-match set with the last remaining Major League Soccer left in the tournament 5-4 on aggregate.

At Mexico City:

Javier Antonio Orozco Penuelas doubled (49', 75') as Cruz Azul smothered visiting Arabe Unido 3-0 in game two to finish off the Panamanian club 4-0 on aggregate.

Late Goals Carry Pachuca Into Semifinals

At Pachuca, Mexico:

Goals from Paul Aguilar (72') and Luis Montes (87') carried Pachuca to a 2-1 home win on Tuesday over Comunicacciones, enabling the Mexican club to win their CONCACAF Champions League two-game quarterfinal-round series 3-2 on aggregate.

Cruz Azul Take Series Opener In Panama

At Colon, Panama:

In Thursday's lone CONCACAF Champions League contest, Christian Riveros scored the only goal of the match (69') as Cruz Azul took game one of their quarterfinal round two-game set 1-0 on the road over Arabe Unido.

Marathon Blank Pumas; Pachuca and Comunicaciones Draw

Two more two-match series in the CONCACAF's Champions League opened on Wednesday.

At San Pedro Sula, Honduras:

Goals from Walter Martinez (PK-16') and Carlos Mejia (PK-52') lifted CD Marathon to a 2-0 home win in their series opener with UNAM Pumas.

At Guatemala City:

Rolando Fonseca Jimenez scored the equalizer at 72 minutes, enabling Comunicaciones to gain a 1-1 home draw in match one with Pachuca.  Paul Aguilar scored for the Mexican club at 0 minutes.

Steven Lenhart Double Allows Crew To Salvage Home Draw In Series Opener

The knockout stage of the CONCACAF Champions League commenced with one game on Tuesday.

At Columbus, Ohio:

Steven Lenhart's second-half double (65', 83') enabled the Columbus Crew to salvage a game-one 2-2 home draw with Toluca.  The Mexican club got two big away goals in the series opener, courtesy of Zinha (19') and Antonio Rios Martinez (44').

Marathon and Communicaciones Take Group Stage Finales; DC United and W Connection Eliminated

Group stage play in the CONCACAF Champions League concluded with two games on Thursday.

Group B:

At Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago:

Jerry Palacios' second-half hat trick (47', 69', 81') broke open a game that was deadlocked at halftime and paced CD Marathon to a 4-2 road win over San Juan Jabloteh which locked up a berth in the quarterfinal round for the hosts and eliminated DC United from the tournament.

FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Toluca (GP: 6; GD: +11; PTS: 13)
2. CD Marathon (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 12)
3. DC United (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
4. San Juan Jabloteh (GP: 6; GD: -13; PTS: 0)

Toluca and CD Marathon advanced to the quarterfinal round.

Group D:

At Guatemala City:

Fredy Thompson (5') and Transito Montepeque (22') provided the goalpower as Communicaciones clinched a berth in the quarterfinal round with a 2-1 home win over already-knockout-stage-bound UNAM Pumas. As a result, W Connection were eliminated from the tournament.

FINAL GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. UNAM Pumas (GP: 6; GD: +10; PTS: 13)
2. Communicaciones (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
3. W Connection (GP: 6; GD: -3; PTS: 6)
4. Real Espana (GP: 6; GD: -8; PTS: 6)

UNAM Pumas and Communicaciones advanced to the quarterfinal round.

The knockout stage will begin play during March of 2010.

Dynamo Eliminated

Three games were played in group stage play in the CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday.

Group A:

At Pachuca, Mexico:

Ulises Mendivil scored both goals (44', 55') as Pachuca blanked visiting Arabe Unido 2-0. Both clubs clinched berths in the knockout stage.

At Metapan, El Salvador:

Goals from Elias Montez (7'), Anel Canales (8'), and Emerson David Corleto Umana (57') lifted last-place Isidro Metapan to a 3-2 home win over the Houston Dynamo, eliminating the MLS club from the tournament.

FINAL GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Pachuca (GP: 6; GD: +11; PTS: 15)
2. Arabe Unido (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
3. Houston Dynamo (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
4. Isidro Metapan (GP: 6; GD: -16; PTS: 3)

Pachuca and Arabe Unido advanced to the quarterfinal round.

Group D:


At Marabella, Trinidad and Tobago:

Goals courtesy of Jose Dias (6', 8') and Jose Luis Seabra-Filho (65') guided W Connection to a 3-2 home win over Real Espana, keeping the Trinidadian club's chances of reaching the quarterfinal round alive while eliminating the Honduran club from the tournament in the process.

Group stage play concludes on Thursday night.

Crew and Toluca Gain Final Eight Berths

The final week of group stage play in the CONCACAF Champions League got under way on Tuesday.

Group B:


At Toluca, Mexico:

A successful penalty kick from Israel Gomez (62') enabled Toluca to gain a 1-1 home draw with DC United and clinch a berth in the quarterfinal round. Chris Pontius scored at 6 minutes for the visiting MLS club.

Group C:

At Bayamon, Puerto Rico:

Emilio Renteria scored the equalizer at 74 minutes that sealed a quarterfinal round berth for the Columbus Crew as the MLS club gained a 1-1 road deadlock with the Puerto Rico Islanders.

At San Jose, Costa Rica:

Cruz Azul defeated Deportivo Saprissa 2-1 on the road. The Mexican club will play in the quarterfinals. Ramon Nunez (55') and Pablo Zeballos (82') each scored a goal for Azul.

FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Cruz Azul (GP: 6; GD: +12; PTS: 16)
2. Columbus Crew (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 8)
3. Deportivo Saprissa (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 5)
4. Puerto Rico Islanders (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 3)

Cruz Azul and the Columbus Crew will take part in the quarterfinal round.

Marathon Blank Toluca To Stay Alive

One game was played in the CONCACAF Champions League on Thursday.

Group B:

At San Pedro Sula, Honduras:

Goals from Walter Martinez (PK-9') and Carlos Mejia (34') guided CD Marathon to a 2-0 home win over Toluca, preventing the Mexican club---and DC United---from locking up berths in the quarterfinal round.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Toluca (GP: 5; GD: +11; PTS: 12)
2. DC United (GP: 5; GD; +4; PTS: 9)
3. CD Marathon (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 9)
4. San Juan Jabloteh# (GP: 5; GD: -11; PTS: 0)

#Eliminated

CONCACAF Champions League: DC United Crush (and Eliminate) SJ Jabloteh; Pachuca Blank Dynamo In Houston; Pumas Win

Matchday #5 in group stage play in the CONCACAF Champions League continued with four games on Wednesday.

Group A:

At Houston:

Edgar Benitez Santander scored the only goal of the match at 22 minutes as Pachua knocked off the Houston Dynamo 1-0 on the road to lock up a berth in the quarterfinal round.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Pachuca* (GP: 5; GD: +9; PTS: 12)
2. Arabe Unido (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 10)
3. Houston Dynamo (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
4. Isidro Metapan# (GP: 5; GD: -17; PTS: 0)

*Advanced to the quarterfinal round
#Eliminated

Group B:

Christian Gomez (13', 68') and Thabiso Khumalo (43', 90') each doubled as DC United demolished San Juan Jabloteh 5-1 and eliminating the visiting Trinidadian club from the competition.

Group D:

At Mexico City:

Thanks to goals from Francisco Palencia (68') and Oscar Garcia (85'), UNAM Pumas locked up top spot in Group D (and a berth in the quarterfinal round) with a 2-1 home win over W Connection.

At San Pedro Sula, Honduras:

Carlos Pavon scored an early insurance goal at 15 minutes as Real Espana kept their hopes of advancing out of the group stage alive with a 2-0 home win over Communicaciones.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. UNAM Pumas** (GP: 5; GD: +10; PTS: 13)
2. Communicaciones (GP: 5; GD: -3; PTS: 6)
3. Real Espana (GP: 5; GD: -7; PTS: 6)
4. W Connection (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 4)

**Won Group D and advanced to the quarterfinal round

Saprissa Gain Late Road Draw At Columbus To Stay Alive; Islanders Eliminated; Metapan Clobbered

MatchDay # 5 in CONCACAF Champions League group stage play was launched with three games on Tuesday.

Group A:

At Panama City, Panama:

Orlando Rodriguez notched a hat trick (52', 73', 87') and Camilo Aguirre doubled (29', 71') as Arabe Unido destroyed visiting (and already-eliminated) Isidro Metapan 6-0.

Group C:

At Columbus, Ohio:

Alexander Robinson's equalizer (90') canceled out Robbie Rogers' penalty kick (26') as Deportivo Saprissa gained a 1-1 road draw with the Columbus Crew, keeping their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage alive while preventing the defending MLS champs from clinching a berth in the quarterfinal round.

At Mexico City:

Mario Ortiz (5') and Emanuel Villa (51') provided the goalpower that clinched first place in Group C for Cruz Azul as they defeated the Puerto Rico Islanders 2-0 at home and eliminated the USL-1 club from the tournament.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Cruz Azul** (GP: 5; GD: +11; PTS: 13)
2. Columbus Crew (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 7)
3. Deportivo Saprissa (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
4. Puerto Rico Islanders# (GP: 5; GD: -6; PTS: 2)

**Won Group C and advanced to quarterfinal round
#Eliminated

Home Shutout Wins For DC United And Pumas; UNAM Also Advance To Quarterfinals

Matchday #4 in CONCACAF Champions League group stage play concluded with two games on Thursday.

Group B:

At Washington:

Luciano Emilio scored twice (46', 71') and Jaime Moreno once (54'), all in the second half as DC United broke open a contest that was scoreless at halftime and overpowered visiting CD Marathon 3-0.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Toluca (GP: 4; GD: +13; PTS: 12)
2. DC United (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. CD Marathon (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
4. San Juan Jabloteh (GP: 4; GD: -7; PTS: 0)

Group D:

At Mexico City:

With goals courtesy of Ismael Iniguez (21'), Victor Rosales (40'), and Javier Cortez Granados (80'), UNAM Pumas clinched a berth in the quarterfinals with a 4-0 home fistbeating of Real Espana.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. UNAM Pumas* (GP: 4; GD: +9; PTS: 10)
2. Communicaciones (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
3. W Connection (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
4. Real Espana (GP: 4; GD: -9; PTS: 3)

*Advanced to quarterfinal round