ATLETICO MINEIRO WIN PK SHOOTOUT, CAPTURE COPA LIBERTADORES CROWN

At Belo Horizonte, Brazil:

After Jo (47') and Leonardo Silva (87') each scored a goal, Atletico Minerio bested visiting Club Olimpia 2-0 in regulation of Wednesday second match of the the Copa Libertadores final.  With each team having garnered three points and neither club scoring a goal on the road in the series, 30 minutes of what proved to be scoreless overtime were played.  Then, Alecsandro, Guilherme Mihomem Gusmao, Jo, and Leandro Silva all converted their spot kicks as the Brazilian club won the penalty-kick shootout 4-3 and  their first-ever South American club championship.  The Rooster will play in December's FIFA Club World Cup, which is slated to take place in Morocco.

Copa Libertadores: Atletico Mineiro Catch Newell's Old Boys, Win PK Playoff; Will Face Olimpia In Final

At Belo Horizonte, Brazil:

After Bernard (3') and Guilherme (90'+6) provided the goals that allowed Atletico Mineiro to take game two of the Copa Libertadores semifinal series 2-0 and  square the series at three points apiece, the series, with the clubs deadlocked on goal differential and away goals (both zero), and with no overtime periods, Alecsandro, Guilhereme, and Ronaldinho (remember him, folks?) all converted their spot kicks and the Brazilian club won the penalty-kick shootout 3-2 to advance to the two-match final against Club Olimpia.  The final will start next Wednesday in Asuncion, Paraguay, with the return match in Belo Horizonte on July 24.

The winner will play in December's FIFA Club World Cup, to take place in Morocco.

Copa Libertadores: Goal Difference Tips Scale In Olimpia's Favor As Paraguayan Club Advances To Final

At Bogota, Colombia:

Despite dropping a 1-0 decision on the road in game two of their Copa Libertadores semifinal series against Independiente Santa Fe, with the series deadlocked at three points apiece, Club Olimpia, thanks to superior goal differential (+1 to -1), won their two-match series and have advanced to the two-game final.

Copa Libertadores: Newell's Old Boys Blank Atletico Mineiro In Semifinal Series Opener

At Rosario, Argentina:

Maxi Rodriguez (62') and Ignacio Scocco (81') each scored a goal on Wednesday as Newell's Old Boys took the opening game of their Copa Libertadores semifinal-round series with Atletico Mineiro by blanking the visiting Brazilian club 2-0.

Copa Libertadores: Club Olimpia Take Semifinal Series Opener At Home

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Hermino Miranda (PK-66') and Juan Ferreyra (81') each scored a second-half goal on Tuesday as Club Olimpia
blanked visiting Independiente Santa Fe 2-0 in the opening match of their two-game Copa Libertadores semifinal-round series.

Copa Libertadores: Atletico Mineiro Advance To Semis At Aztec Dogs Expense

At Belo Horizonte, Brazil:

Rever delivered the series-winning goal in the 41st minute as Atletico Mineiro gained a 1-1 game-two home draw with Club Tijuana on Thursday and with each club garnering two points, won their Copa Libertadores quarterfinal series on away goals (2-1; those late goals surrendered in the final half-hour of the first match in Tijuana last week ended up, in the long run, coming back to bite the Aztec Dogs in their rear ends).

Atletico will take on Newell's Old Boys in one two-game series in the semifinal round while Club Olimpia will battle Independiente Santa Fe in the other.

Copa Libertadores: Club Olimpia, Newell's Old Boys (After Lengthy PK Shootout) Advance

The quarterfinal round of the Copa Libertadores continued on Wednesday with two games.

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Juan Salgueiro scored twice (35', PK-41') as Club Olimpia took game two of their series with Fluminense 2-1 at home and won their series four points to one.

At Rosario:

After another 0-0 stalemate in game two, with the series deadlocked at two points apiece, and with no overtime, Ignacio Scocco (twice), Santiago Vergini (twice), Maxi Rodriguez (twice), Milton Casco, Martin Tonso, Lucas Bernardi, and Nahuel Guzman converted spot kicks as Newell's Old Boys defeated visiting Boca Juniors in the penalty-kick shootout 10-9 to advance to the semifinal round.

Copa Libertadores: Santa Fe Advance To Semifinal Round

At Bogota, Colombia:

In the lone Tuesday contest in the quarterfinal round of the Copa Libertadores, Jefferson Cuero (7') and Jhon Valencia (66') each scored a goal as Independiente Santa Fe defeated visiting Real Garcilaso 2-0 in game two and won their two-match series with the Peruvian club six points to none.

Copa Libertadores: Two-Draw Thursday

The opening week of the quarterfinal round of the Copa Libertadores continued with two games played on Thursday.

At Tijuana, Mexico:

Diego Tardelli (66') and Luan Madson Gedeao de Paiva (90'+2) provided the second-half scoring that enabled Atletico Mineiro came back from two goals down to gain a 2-2 series-opening road draw with Club Tijuana.  Duvier Riascos (32') and Fidel Martinez (53') each delivered a goal for the Aztec Dogs.

At Buenos Aires:

In the opening game of their two-match series, visiting Newell's Old Boys held Boca Juniors to a 0-0 stalemate.

Copa Libertadores: Santa Fe Took Series Opener In Peru; Goose Eggs For Flu And Olimpia

The opening week of the quarterfinal round of the Copa Libertadores concluded on Wednesday with two games.

At Cusco, Peru:

Francisco Mesa (20'), Wilder Medina (23'), and Jefferson Cuero (54') each delivered a goal as Independiente Santa Fe took the opening match of their two-game series, 3-1 on the road over Real Garcilaso.

At Rio de Janeiro:

The opening match of the two-game series between Fluminense and visiting Club Olimpia ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Copa Libertadores: Santa Fe and Club Olimpia Advance To Quarterfinal Round

The Round of 16 in the Copa Libertadores concluded on Thursday with two games.

At Bogota, Colombia:

Wilder Medina scored the only goal of the match in the 80th minute as Independiente Santa Fe defeated visiting Gremio 1-0 in game two, and with each team having picked up three points through the two-game series, advanced to the quarterfinal round on away goals (1-0).

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Goals from Fredy Bareiro (52') and Norberto Paparatto (OG-65') lifted Club Olimpia to a 2-0 game-two home win over Tigre and, with each team garnering three points in the series, a quarterfinal berth due to a better goal differential vis a viv the Argentinian club (+1 to -1).

Here are the matchups for the quarterfinal round with the game-one hosts listed first:

Atletico Mineiro (Brazil) vs. Club Tijuana (Mexico)

Independiente Santa Fe (Colombia) vs. Real Garcilaso (Peru)

Club Olimpia (Paraguay) vs. Fluminense (Brazil)

Newell's Old Boys (Argentina) vs. Boca Juniors (Argentina)

Copa Libertadores: Corinthians Ousted; Boca and Newell's Old Boys Advance

Two games were played in the Round of 16 in the Copa Libertadores on Wednesday.

At Sao Paulo, Brazil:

Juan Roman Riquelme scored the series-winning goal in the 25th minute as Boca Juniors gained a 1-1 game-two road draw with Corinthians and dethroned the defending South American and world champions four points to one.

At Buenos Aires:

In an all-Argentinian battle, Milton Casco (4') and Ignacio Scocco (41') provided the scoring as Newell's Old Boys defeated Velez Sarsfield 2-1 on the road in game two, and with each team garnering three points, advanced to the quarterfinal round on away goals.

Newell's Old Boys and Boca Juniors will face off in an all-Argentinian quarterfinal round two-game series.

Copa Libertadores: Club Tijuana Defeat Palmeiras In Sao Paulo To Advance

At Sao Paulo, Brazil:

In the lone Tuesday Copa Libertadores contest, Duvier Riascos (27') and Fernando Arce (52') each delivered a goal as Club Tijuana knocked off Palmeiras 2-1 in the second game of a two-match Round-of-16 series, which the Mexican club won, four points to one.  The Aztec Dogs will face Atletico Mineiro of Brazil in the quarterfinal round in a two-match series.

Copa Libertadores: Real Garcilaso Advance To Quarterfinal Round

At Montevideo, Uruguay:

In the lone Thursday Copa Libertdores Round-of-16 match, despite dropping a 1-0 game-two road decision to Club Nacional, which deadlocked their series at three points apiece, Fabio Ramos, Victor Ferreira, Christian Vildoso, and Oscar Gamarra all converted their spot kicks as Real Garcilaso took the penalty-kick shootout 4-1 and advanced to the quarterfinal round.

Copa Libertadores: Atletico Mineiro, Fluminense Advance To Quarterfinals

The Copa Libertadores' Round of 16 continued on Wednesday with two games.

At Belo Horizonte, Brazil:

Jo delivered a hat trick (18', 59', 66') as Atletico Mineiro dominated visiting Sao Paulo 4-1 in game two of their two-match series and took the series six points to none.

At Rio de Janeiro:

Fred (29') and Carlos Andrade Souza (86') each scored a goal as Fluminense defeated visiting Club Sport Emelec 2-0 in game two and, with each team garnering three points, won the series on goal differential (+1 to -1).

Copa Libertadores: Series-Opening Wins For Atletico Mineiro And Club Sport Emelec

The Round of 16 in the Copa Libertadores reached the midway point on Thursday with two games.

At Sao Paulo, Brazil:

Ronaldinho Gaucho (42') and Diego Tardelli (59') each scored once as Atletico Mineiro took the opening game of their two-match series 2-1 on the road over Sao Paulo.

At Guayaquil, Ecuador:

Fernando Gaibor scored the game-winning goal with his penalty kick in the 87th minute as Club Sport Emelec took the measure of visiting Fluminense 2-1 in the opening contest of their two-game series.

Copa Libertadores: Gremio, Boca Juniors Win Series Openers

Two more games were played on Wednesday as the Round of 16 in the Copa Libertadores continued.

At Porto Alegre, Brazil:

Fernando Lucas Martins scored the winning goal in the 81st minute as Gremio took the opening match of their two-game series with Independiente Santa Fe (Colombia), 2-1 at home.

At Buenos Aires:

Nicolas Blandi scored the only goal of the match in the 59th minute as Boca Juniors defeated visiting (and defending continental and world club champs) Corinthians 1-0 in the opening game of their two-match series.

Copa Libertadores: Tigre Capture Series Opener; Goose Eggs In Tijuana

The Round of 16 in the Copa Libertadores continued with two games on Tuesday.

At Victoria, Argentina:

Matias Perez Garcia scored the winning goal in the 64th minute as Tigre held off visiting Club Olimpia 2-1 in the opening match of their two-game series.

At Tijuana, Mexico:

Palmeiras held home-standing Club Tijuana to a 0-0 stalemate in the opening game of their two-match series.

Copa Libertadores: Velez Sarsfield, Real Garcilaso Grab Series-Opening Wins

The knockout stage of the Copa Libertadores actually got started last week with one game played each on Wednesday and Thursday.

At Rosario, Argentina:

Agustin Allione scored the only goal of the match in the 63rd minute as Velez Sarsfield took the opening game of their two-match series with Newell's Old Boys 1-0 on the road.

At Cusco, Peru:

In the lone contest from last Thursday, Rolando Bogado scored the lone goal of the match in the 80th minute as Real Garcilaso blanked Uruguay's Club Nacional 1-0 at home in the opening game of their two-match series.

Copa Libertadores: Tigre, Fluminense, Gremio Advance To Knockout Stage As Group-Stage Play Ends

Group-stage play in the Copa Libertadores concluded with four games played on Thursday.

Group Two:

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Ruben Botta (11', 78') and Matias Perez Garcia (29', 55') each scored twice, each scoring a goal in each half as Tigre knocked off Club Libertad 5-3 to lock up a berth in the knockout stage while eliminating the Paraguayan club out of the tournament in the process.

At Callao, Peru:

Irven Avila scored the only goal of the match as Sporting Cristal defeated visiting (and knockout stage-bound) Palmeiras 1-0.

FINAL GROUP TWO STANDINGS:

1. Palmeiras (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 9)
2. Tigre (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 9)
3. Club Libertad (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 8)
4. Sporting Cristal (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 8)

Palmeiras and Tigre advanced to the knockout stage.



Group Eight:

At Talcahuano, Chile:

Ze Roberto scored in the 33rd minute as Gremio clinched a berth in the knockout stage with a 1-1 road draw with Huachipato.  Miguel Aceval equalized in the 89th minute for the hosts, who, due to inferior goal differential vis a viv the Brazilian club.

At Rio de Janeiro:

Rafael Sobis scored the only goal of the match in the 54th minute as Fluminense locked up the Group Eight title with a 1-0 home win over Caracas FC.

FINAL GROUP EIGHT STANDINGS:

1. Fluminense (GP: 6; GD: 0; PTS: 11)
2. Gremio (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 8)
3. Huachipato (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 8)
4. Caracas FC (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 6)

Fluminense and Gremio advanced to the knockout stage.