Copa Libertadores: Road Wins For Toloca, Flu, and Penarol; Home Win For Atletico Mineiro; Late Equalizer Salvages Home Draw For Real Atletico Garcilaso

Action from the group stage of the Copa Libertadores continued on Wednesday with five games.

Group One:

At Buenos Aires:

Edgar Benitez scored the winning goal in the 72nd minute as Toluca came from behind to knock off Boca Juniors 2-1 on the road.

GROUP ONE STANDINGS:

1. Toluca (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Club Nacional (Uruguay) (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Barcelona (Ecuador) (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Boca Juniors (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

Group Three:

At Belo Horizonte, Brazil:

Goals from Jo (13') and Rever (72') proved enough for Atletico Mineiro as the hosts held off fellow Brazilian club Sao Paulo 2-1.

Group Four:

At Iquique, Chile:

Juan Manuel Olivera scored the winning goal in the 71st minute of Penarol's 2-1 road win over Deportes Iquique.

GROUP FOUR STANDINGS:

1. Penarol (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Club Sport Emelec (GP: 1; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Deportes Iquique (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)
4. Velez Sarsfield (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

Group Six:

At Cusco, Peru:

Rolando Bogado's equalizer in the 76th minute enabled Real Atletico Garcilaso to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Independiente Santa Fc.  Cristian Martinez Borja scored in the 15th minute for the Colombian club.

Group Eight:

At Caracas, Venezuela:

Fred scored the only goal of the match in the 31st minute as Fluminense defeated Caracas FC 1-0 on the road.

UEFA Champions League: Two-Draw Wednesday

Two more two-game series in the UEFA Champions League's Round-of-16 commenced on Wednesday.

At Donetsk, Ukraine:



Goals from Robert Lewandowski (41', that's him celebrating) and Mats Hummels (87') lifted Borussia Dortmund to a 2-2 road draw in game one of their series with Shakhtar Donetsk.  Darijo Srna (31') and Douglas Costa (68') provided the scoring for the Miners.

At Madrid:



Manchester United gained a 1-1 road draw in their series opener with Real Madrid.  Danny Welbeck scored in the 20th minute for the Red Devils, only to see Cristiano Ronaldo (that's him, shown here)equalize for los Galacticos ten minutes later.

AFP photos

AFC Champions League: Roar Silenced As Burinam United Win Spot In Group Stage

At Burinam, Thailand:

After 120 scoreless minutes, Osmar Barba, Charyl Chappuis, and Jirawat Makaron all won their spot kicks as Burinam United blanked the visiting Brisbane Roar 3-0 in the penalty-kick shootout on Wednesday and locked up a berth in the group stage of the AFC Champions League.

Here's the field for the AFC Champions League's group stage, in which action starts on February 26.

Group A:

Al-Shabab (Saudi Arabia)
Al-Jazira (United Arab Emirates)
Tractor Sazi FC (Iran)
El Jaish (Qatar)

Group B:

Lekhwiya (Qatar)
Al-Ettifaq (Saudi Arabia)
Pakhtakor Tashkent (Uzbekistan)
Al-Shabab Al-Arabi (United Arab Emirates)

Group C:

Sepahan Isfahan FC (Iran)
Al-Gharafa (Qatar)
Al-Ahli (Saudi Arabia)
Al-Nasr (United Arab Emirates)

Group D:

El-Ain (United Arab Emirates)
Esteghlal FC (Iran)
Al-Rayyan (Qatar)
Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)

Group E:

FC Seoul (South Korea)
Burinam United (Thailand)
Vegalta Sendai (Japan)
Jiangsu Sainty FC (China)

Group F:

Guangzhou Evergrande (China)
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (South Korea)
Muangthong United (Thailand)
Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan)

Group G:

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Japan)
Beijing Guoan (China)
Pohang Steelers (South Korea)
FC Bunyodkor (Uzbekistan)

Group H:

Central Coast Mariners (Australia)
Kashiwa Reysol (Japan)
Guizhou Renhe (China)
Suwon Samsung Bluewings (South Korea)

Copa Libertadores: Club Emelec, Universidad de Chile Pick-Up Group-Stage Opening Wins; Club Nacional (Uruguay) and Barcelona (Ecuador, NOT Spain) Draw

Group-stage play in the Copa Libertadores commenced on Tuesday with three games.

Group One:

Sebastian Abreu (69') and Ivan Alonso (90'+2) each scored a goal as Club Nacional came from behind to gain a 2-2 home draw with Barcelona of Ecuador.  Damian Diaz (18') and Ariel Nahuelpan (26') each tallied once for the visitors.

Group Four:

Facundo Ferreyra's own goal in the 49th minute proved costly as Club Sport Emelec defeated visiting Velez Sarsfield 1-0.

Group Seven:

Sebastian Ubilla provided both goals (34', 75') in Universidad de Chile's 2-0 home win over Deportivo Lara.

UEFA Champions League: Bhoys Blown Out By Juve At Home In Series Opener; PSG Top Valencia In Opener Despite Losing Zlatan To Red Card

The knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League opened on Tuesday with two games.

At Glasgow, Scotland:



Alessandro Matri (3'), Claudio Marchisio (77', that's him photographed celebrating after scoring), and Mirko Vucinic (83') each scored a goal as Juventus smothered Celtic 3-0 on the road in the opening game of their two-match Round-of-16 series.

Reuters photo

At Valencia, Spain:



Ezequiel Lavezzi (10', that's him celebrating) and Javier Pastore (43') each delivered a goal as Paris Saint Germain, despite losing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to a red card ejection in second-half stoppage time (90'+3), topped Valencia 2-1 on the road in game one of their two-match series.

Photo from Yahoo-Eurosport website

SUNDAY MBA'S GOAL CARRIES SUPER EAGLES TO FIRST AFRICAN NATIONS CUP TITLE SINCE 2000

At Johannesburg, South Africa:

Sunday Mba scored the only goal of the match in the 40th minute on Sunday as Nigeria defeated Burkina Faso 1-0 in the championship match of the African Nations Cup.

It was the Super Eagles' third ANC title and they will take part in this year's FIFA Confederations Cup, to be played in Brazil.

AFC Champions League: Emirates Clubs Advance To Group Stage

Qualifying for group-stage berths in the AFC Champions League commenced on Saturday with two games.

At Qom, Iran:

Esam Dhahi's equalizer in the 89th minute enabled Al-Shabab Al-Arabi to level their match with hosts Saba Qom at 1-1, then, after 30 scoreless minutes of overtime, the visiting club from the United Arab Emirates won the penalty-kick shootout 5-3 to advance to the group stage, in which they would be placed in Group B alongside Lekhwiya (Qatar), Al-Ettifaq (Saudi Arabia), and Pakhtakor Tashkent (Uzbekistan).

At Dubai, United Arab Emirates:

Leo Lima's game-winning penalty kick in the 89th minute carried Al-Nasr to a 3-2 home victory over Uzbekistan's Lokomotiv Tashkent and a place in Group C alongside Iran Sepahan Isfahan FC, Qatar's Al-Gharafa, and Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli.

African Nations Cup: Mali Top Ghana To Finish Third

At Port Elizabeth, South Africa:

Mamadou Samassa (21'), Seydou Keita (48'), and Sigamary Diarra (90'+4) each scored a goal on Saturday as Mali defeated Ghana 3-1 to claim third place in the African Nations Cup.

Burkina Faso will take on Nigeria in the final on Sunday in Johannesburg.

2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying (CONCACAF): Team USA Hexed By Defensive Blunder; Panama and Ticos, El Tri and Reggae Boyz Gain Opening Draws

The fourth and final round of CONCACAF regional qualifying for next year's FIFA World Cup got underway with three games contested on Wednesday.

At San Pedro Sula, Honduras:

Goals from Juan Carlos Garcia (40') and Jerry Bengston (79') enabled Honduras to come from behind at home and upend the United States 2-1.

At Panama City, Panama:

Alvaro Saborio (40') and Bryan Ruiz (84') each delivered a goal as Costa Rica erased a two-goal deficit and gained a 2-2 road draw with Panama.  Luis Henriquez (16') and Roman Torres (27') each scored once for the hosts.

At Mexico City:

Jamaica held hosts Mexico to a 0-0 stalemate.

STANDINGS:

1. Honduras (GP: 1; GD: 1; PTS: 3)
2. Costa Rica (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
3. Panama (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
4. Jamaica (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
5. Mexico (GP: 1; GD: 0; PTS: 1)
6. United States (GP: 1; GD: -1; PTS: 0)

African Nations Cup: It's The Super Eagles (Nigeria) vs. The Stallions (Burkina Faso) For All The Marbles

The semifinal round of the African Nations Cup took place on Wednesday, with both games played in South Africa.

At Durban:

Uwa Elderson Echiejile (25'), Brown Ideye (30'), Emmanuel Eminike (44'), and Ahmed Musa (60') each scored a goal during the first hour of the match as Nigeria dominated Mali 4-1.

At Nelspruit:

After Aristide Bance's equalizer in the 60th minute tied up their match with Ghana at 1-1 (which was the score following regulation and 30 scoreless overtime minutes), Burkina Faso, thanks to successful spot kicks from Bakary Kone, Henri Traore, and the aforementioned Aristide Bance, won the penalty-kick shootout with Ghana 3-2, to advance to Sunday's final in Johannesburg against Nigeria.  It will be the Stallions' first-ever appearance in the African Nations Cup final.

Wednesday's losers, Mali and Ghana, will face each other in Saturday's third-place playoff at Port Elizabeth.

The winner of Sunday's Nigeria-Burkina Faso final will represent Africa in this year's FIFA Confederations Cup tournament to be played in Brazil.

African Nations Cup: Nigeria, Burkina Faso Advance To Semifinals

The quarterfinal round of the African Nations Cup concluded on Sunday with two games played in South Africa.

At Rustenburg:

Sunday Mba scored the winning goal in the 78th minute as Nigeria defeated Ivory Coast 2-1.

At Nelspruit:

Jonathan Pitroipa scored the only goal of the match in overtime (105') as Burkina Faso defeated Togo 1-0.

Here are the match-ups for the semifinal round, with both games to be played on Wednesday.

At Durban:

Mali vs. Nigeria

At Nelspruit:

Burkina Faso vs. Ghana

The losers will play in Saturday's third-place contest, to take place at Port Elizabeth and the winners will play in next Sunday's final at Johannesburg, with the winner of that game to take part in this year's edition of the FIFA Confederations Cup, which will take place in Brazil.

African Nations Cup: Ghana, Mali Advance To Semis

The quarterfinal round of the African Nations Cup commenced with two games played in South Africa on Saturday.

At Port Elizabeth:

Mubarak Wakaso scored both goals (PK-54', 90'+5) in Ghana's 2-0 win over the Cape Verde Islands.

At Durban:

After Seydou Keita's equalizer in the 58th minute enabled Mali to deadlock their match with South Africa at 1-1 through regulation time, then scoreless overtime, Cheick Diabate, Adama Tamboura, and Mahamane Traore all converted their spot kicks as the Eagles won the penalty-kick shootout 3-1 to advance to the semifinal round.

Copa Libertadores Qualifying: Deportes Tolima, Club Olimpia Advance To Group Stage

The qualifying round for berth in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores concluded on Thursday with two games.

At Trujillo, Peru:

Charles Monsalvo scored the series-winning goal in the 86th minute as Deportes Tolima gained a 1-1 second-game road draw with Universidad Cesar Vallejo, good enough for the Colombian club to win their two-match series four points to one.  Deportes Tolima will be placed in Group Six alongside fellow Colombian club CD Santa Fe, Paraguay's Cerro Porteno, and Peru's Real Garcilaso.

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Juan Carlos Ferreya (35') and Eduardo Aranda (60') each produced a goal in Club Olimpia's 2-0 home win over Defensor Sporting in game two of the series that the Paraguayan club won, four points to one.  Club Olimpia will play in Group Seven, along with Venezuela's Deportivo Lara, the University of Chile, and Argentina's Newell's Old Boys.

The lineup for the two groups that did not include winners from the qualifying round:

Group One:

Barcelona (Ecuador)
Club Nacional (Uruguay)
Boca Juniors (Argentina)
Toluca (Mexico)

Group Five:

Corinthians (Brazil; defending champions)
Club Deportivo San Jose (Bolivia)
Millonarios (Colombia)
Club Tijuana (Mexico)

Group-stage play starts on February 12.

Copa Libertadores: Gremio, Sao Paulo Advance To Group Stage

The qualifying round for Copa Libertadores group-stage berths continued with two games on Wednesday.

At Porto Alegre, Brazil:

Elano Blumer scored the only goal of the match in the 62nd minute as Gremio racked up a 1-0 home win over LDU Quito in game two of their two-match series.  With each team garnering three points and with the clubs deadlocked on goal differential (0) and away goals (none), the series was decided on the penalty kick shootout.  Andre Lima, William Jose da Silva, Para, Eduardo Vargas, and Alex Telles all converted their spot kicks as the Brazilian club won the penalty-kick shootout 5-4 and clinched a spot in Group Eight alongside follow Brazilian club Fluminense, Chile's Hauchipato, and Caracas FC from Venezuela.

At La Paz, Bolivia:

Luis Fabiano (2'), Jadson Rodrigues da Silva (16'), and Osvaldo Ferho (35') each scored a first-half goal as Sao Paulo, despite dropping a 4-3 road decision in game two to Club Bolivar, still won their series on goal differential (+4 to -4) as each club had garnered three points.  The Brazilian club will play in Group Three alongside Argentina's Arsenal de Sarandi, The Strongest (Bolivia), and Atletico Mineiro, also from Brazil.

African Nations Cup: Draw Sends Sparrow Hawks To Quarterfinals

Group-stage play in the African Nations Cup concluded with two Group D contests played in South Africa on Wednesday.

At Rustenberg:

Goals from Didier Drogba (77') and Wilfried Bony (81') enabled Ivory Coast, who already locked up a berth in the quarterfinal round, to come back from a two-goal deficit to gain a 2-2 draw with Algeria.  Sofiane Feghouli (PK-64') and El Arbi Hillel Soudani (70') each delivered a goal for the already-eliminated Foxes.

At Nelspruit:

Serge Gakpe scored in the 13th minute as Togo gained a 1-1 draw with Tunisia and locked up the last remaining available berth in the knockout stage.  Khaled Mouelhi converted a penalty kick in the 30th minute for the Eagles of Carthage, who needed a win to advance but instead saw their tournament come to an end.

FINAL GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Ivory Coast (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
2. Togo (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Tunisia (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
4. Algeria (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)

Ivory Coast and Togo advanced to the quarterfinal round.

Here are the match-ups for this weekend's quarterfinal-round contests:

SATURDAY:

At Durban:

South Africa vs. Mali

At Port Elizabeth:

Ghana vs. Cape Verde Islands

SUNDAY:

At Rustenburg:

Ivory Coast vs. Nigeria

At Nelspruit:

Burkina Faso vs. Togo

Copa Libertadores Qualifying: Tigre, Deportes Iquique Advance To Group Stage

The final week of the preliminary round of the Copa Libertadores got under way with two games played on Tuesday.

At Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela:

Ruben Botta (8'), Federico Santander (73'), and Ezequiel Maggiolo (88') each scored a goal as Tigre dominated Deportivo Anzoategui 3-0 on the road in game two of their two-match series and won the set by six points to nil (three points for a win, one for a draw).  The Argentinian club will be placed in Group Two alongside Peru's Sporting Cristal, Paraguay's Club Libertad, and Brazil's Palmeiras.

At Iquique, Chile:

Rodrigo Diaz delivered the equalizer with his successful penalty kick in the 58th minute, allowing Deportes Iquique to gain a 1-1 game-two home draw with Leon.  With the series deadlocked at two points apiece after two games, each team scoring two goals, one on the road, and with no overtime periods, Mauricio Zenteno, Manuel Villalobos, Sebastian Ereros, and the aforementioned Rodrigo Diaz each converting a spot kick, the hosts won the penalty kick shootout with the Mexican club 4-2 to advance to the group stage, and a spot in Group Four, alongside Argentina's Velez Sarsfield, Uruguay's Penarol, and Ecuador's Club Sport Emelec.

African Nations Cup: Super Eagles Join Burkina Faso In Quarterfinals; Copper Bullets Dethroned

Tuesday saw the conclusion of action from Group C of the African Nations Cup with two games contested on Tuesday in South Africa.

At Nelspruit:

A 0-0 draw between quarterfinal-round-bound Burkino Faso and defending champions Zambia, combined with Nigeria's 2-0 win over Ethiopia, eliminated the Copper Bullets from the tournament, ending their one-year reign as champions of Africa.

At Rustenburg:

Two successful penalty kicks from Victor Moses (80', 90'), carried Nigeria to a 2-0 win over Ethiopia as the Super Eagles advanced to the quarterfinal round.

FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Burkina Faso (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 5)
2. Nigeria (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
3. Zambia (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Ethiopia (GP: 3; GD: -6; PTS: 1)

Burkina Faso and Nigeria advanced to the quarterfinal round.

African Nations Cup: Ghana, Mali Advance To Quarterfinals

Monday marked the conclusion of Group B play in the African Nations Cup, taking place in South Africa.

At Port Elizabeth:

Asamoah Gyan (6'), Christian Atsu Twasam (23') and John Boye (49') each scored a goal as Ghana dominated Niger 3-0 to win Group B and advance to the quarterfinal round.

At Durban:

Mamadou Samassa's equalizer in the 14th minute lifted Mali to a 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of the Congo----and a berth in the quarterfinal round.

FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Ghana (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
2. Mali (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. Congo (Kinshasa) (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Niger (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 1)

Ghana and Mali advanced to the quarterfinal round.

African Nations Cup: Bafana Bafana, Blue Sharks Advance To Quarterfinals

The final cycle of matches from the group stage of the African Nations Cup commenced on Sunday with two games in Group A played in South Africa.

At Durban:

May Mahlangu (71') and Siyabonga Sangweni (86') provided the scoring that lifted South Africa to a 2-2 draw with Morocco, clinching a berth in the quarterfinal round for the host nation.

At Port Elizabeth:

Fernando Varela (81') and Heldon Ramos (90'+1) provided the scoring as the Cape Verde Islands came from the behind to top Angola 2-1 and lock up a berth in the quarterfinal round.

FINAL GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. South Africa (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
2. Cape Verde Islands (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Morocco (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Angola (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 1)

South Africa and the Cape Verde Islands advanced to the quarterfinal round.

African Nations Cup: Elephants Step On Tunisia, Clinch Berth In Quarterfinals; Sparrow Hawks Eliminate Algeria

The second round of group-stage matches in the African Nations Cup concluded with two games from Group D, played on Saturday at Rustenburg, South Africa.

In the opener, Gervinho (21'), Yaya Toure (87'), and Didier Ya Konan (90') each scored a goal as Ivory Coast dominated Tunisia 3-0 and became the first country to lock up a berth in the quarterfinal round.

In the nightcap, Emmanuel Adebayor (31') and Dove Wome (90'+3) each provided a goal as Togo eliminated Algeria from the tournament with their 2-0 victory.

GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. x-Ivory Coast (GP: 2; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
2. Togo (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Tunisia (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. z-Algeria (GP: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

x-Clinched berth in quarterfinal round
z-Eliminated from tournament