Fifteen games were played Thursday as the Round of 32 in the 2006-07 UEFA Cup tournament concluded:
At Blackburn, England:
Bayer Leverkusen advanced to the round of 16 following their 0-0 draw on the road against Blackburn, allowing the Bundesliga side to win their two-game set 3-2 on aggregate.
At Glasgow, Scotland:
After dropping the opener on the road, Rangers came storming back for a 4-0 home win in the return match with Hapoel Tel Aviv and won their two game set 5-2 on aggregate. Barry Ferguson scored twice (24', 73') in this game for the 'Jers.
At Barcelona:
Goals from Jesus Maria Lacruz (16') and Ferran Coro (49') paced RCD Espanyol to a 2-0 home shutout over Livorno and a series win at 4-1 on aggregate.
At Alkmaar, Netherlands:
Second-half tallies from Maarten Martens (63') and Barry Opdam (86') enabled AZ Alkmaar to gain a 2-2 home deadlock with Fenerbahce, thus allowing the Dutch club to advance to the Sweet 16 , 5-5, thanks to the fact that they scored more away goals (3-2) than the Yellow Canaries.
At Amsterdam:
Hugo Almeida's goal at 14 minutes was Werder Bremen's lone goal in their 3-1 road defeat versus Ajax Amsterdam. But it was good enough for the German club to advance 4-3 on aggregate to the Sweet 16.
At Tel-Aviv, Israel:
Roberto Colautti's tally at 14 minutes was not only the only goal of the match, but the only goal of the two-game set as Maccabi Haifa won their match and two-game set, both 1-0 over visiting CSKA Moscow.
At Paris:
Pierre-Alain Frau (42') and Bernard Mendy (PK-90'+3) scored to lead PSG to a second 2-0 win, this time at home over AEK Athens, to win their two-match set, 4-0 on aggregate.
At Bucharest:
Goals courtesy of Anderson (50') and Konstantinos Katsouranis (64') paced SL Benfica to a 2-1 road win over Radip Bucharest, allowing the Eagles to take the set 3-1 on aggregate.
At Nancy, France:
Fernandinho scored the game and series winning goal (70') to lead Shakhtar Donetsk to a 1-0 road win over AS Nancy to take the two game set on aggregate, 2-1.
At Pamplona, Spain:
After two scoreless matches, the series between Bordeaux and hosts Osasuna went into overtime, when Javad Nekunam scored the game winner at 120 minutes of the match, enabling the Spanish club to win the game and two-game set 1-0.
At Seville, Spain:
Sevilla FC continued their defense of their UEFA Cup crown as they finished off Steaua Bucharest 3-0 on aggregate after their 1-0 home win in game two. Aleksandr Kerzhakov scored the game's lone goal (45'+3) in the first half.
At Vigo, Spain:
Goals from Nene (19') and Aspas Jonathan (78') propelled Celta Vigo to a 2-1 win at home against Spartak Moscow, allowing the hosts to take the two game set on aggregate 3-2.
At Newcastle, England:
Obafemi Martins notched the lone goal (68') in Newcastle United's 1-0 home win over Zulte Waregem, allowing the Magpies to easily take the two game set, 4-1 on aggregate.
At Parma, Italy:
Diego's 89th-minute tally enabled Sporting Club Braga to bag a second 1-0 win over Parma, this time on the road. The Arsenalists won the two-game set, 2-0 on aggregate.
At Athens:
Lens finished off hosts Panathinaikos 3-1 on aggregate after the two clubs battled to a 0-0 stalemate in game two.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Spurs Top Toffees; Latics and Hornets Draw
Two Wednesday contests in the English Premier League:
At Liverpool:
Jermaine Jenas scored the late game winner (89') as Tottenham Hotspur picked up a 2-1 road win at Everton.
At Watford:
Caleb Folan's equalizer (40') enabled Wigan Athletic to gain a 1-1 road deadlock with bottom-dwelling Watford and allowed the Latics to move to six points clear of the relegation zone.
At Liverpool:
Jermaine Jenas scored the late game winner (89') as Tottenham Hotspur picked up a 2-1 road win at Everton.
At Watford:
Caleb Folan's equalizer (40') enabled Wigan Athletic to gain a 1-1 road deadlock with bottom-dwelling Watford and allowed the Latics to move to six points clear of the relegation zone.
Reds Stun Barca; All Other Wednesday CL Matchups Stalemated
Opening leg action in Round of 16 UEFA Champions League play concluded Wednesday:
At Barcelona:
Goals from Craig Bellamy (43') and John Arne Riise, pictued here (© AFP) (74'), paced Liverpool to a come-from-behind 2-1 road victory over defending cupholders FC Barcelona in the opening game of the clubs' two-game home-and-away total-goals set.
At Rome:
The series opener between Lyon and hosts AS Roma wound up deadlocked at 0-0. Pictured here are Roma's Simone Perrotta tracking Lyon's Juninho Pernambucano (© AFP)
At Porto:
In the series opener for both clubs, guests Chelsea and FC Porto battled to a 1-1 draw. Raul Meireles scored in the 12th minute to give
the hosts the lead, only to see Andriy Shevchnko deliver the equalizer (and a valuable road goal) for the Blues in the 16th minute. Pictured here, in a spirited battle for the ball, are the Blues' Michael Ballack and Porto's Paulo Assuncao (© Getty Images)At Rome:
Two priceless away goals netted visiting Valencia a 2-2 series opening road draw against Inter Milan. David Silva (pictured here, © AFP) delivered the late equalizer (86') for the visitors.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Saints And Steelmen Draw
At St. Mirren:
In the lone Tuesday Scottish Premier League match, visiting Motherwell and St. Mirren wound up deadlocked at 0-0. The draw allowed the homestanding Saints to strecth their lead over Dunferline in the race to avoid relegation to nine points.
In the lone Tuesday Scottish Premier League match, visiting Motherwell and St. Mirren wound up deadlocked at 0-0. The draw allowed the homestanding Saints to strecth their lead over Dunferline in the race to avoid relegation to nine points.
PSV, Red Devils, Galaticos Win; Bhoys and Rosseneri Draw
Four games were played Tuesday as the 2006-07 UEFA Champions League entered the knockout stage, beginning with the Round of 16.
At Eindhoven, Netherlands:
Edison Mendez (pictured here, celebrating with Carlos Calcido ©
AFP) knocked in the game's lone goal (61') as PSV Eindhoven took the opening game of their two-game, home-and-away, total-goals series with Arsenal at home 1-0.
At Lens, France:
Ryan Giggs (pictured here; © Getty Images) scored with a quick free kick at 83 minutes to lead Manchester United to a key 1-0 road win over Lille in the two clubs' series opener.
At Madrid:
Two first-half goals from Raul (10', 28', pictured here celebrating his first goal; ©
Getty Images) and one from Ruud van Nistelrooy (34') enabled Real Madrid to hold off visiting Bayern Munich 3-2 in the series opener for both clubs. The visitors' Mark van Bommel's tally at 88 minutes provided the Bundesliga champs with an important road goal to keep them alive in the series.
At Glasgow:
Homestanding Celtic and AC Milan battled to a 0-0 series-opening stalemate. Pictured here are the Bhoys' captain Neil Lennon, battling with Yoann Gourcuff of The Rosseneri (© Getty Images)
At Eindhoven, Netherlands:
Edison Mendez (pictured here, celebrating with Carlos Calcido ©
AFP) knocked in the game's lone goal (61') as PSV Eindhoven took the opening game of their two-game, home-and-away, total-goals series with Arsenal at home 1-0.
At Lens, France:
Ryan Giggs (pictured here; © Getty Images) scored with a quick free kick at 83 minutes to lead Manchester United to a key 1-0 road win over Lille in the two clubs' series opener.
At Madrid:
Two first-half goals from Raul (10', 28', pictured here celebrating his first goal; ©
Getty Images) and one from Ruud van Nistelrooy (34') enabled Real Madrid to hold off visiting Bayern Munich 3-2 in the series opener for both clubs. The visitors' Mark van Bommel's tally at 88 minutes provided the Bundesliga champs with an important road goal to keep them alive in the series.At Glasgow:
Homestanding Celtic and AC Milan battled to a 0-0 series-opening stalemate. Pictured here are the Bhoys' captain Neil Lennon, battling with Yoann Gourcuff of The Rosseneri (© Getty Images)
Monday, February 19, 2007
Road Win For Academica
At Lisbon:
In Monday's lone Portuguese Super Liga match, Lino's game winner at 86 minutes lifted Academica de Coimbra to a 2-1 road win over Belenenses.
In Monday's lone Portuguese Super Liga match, Lino's game winner at 86 minutes lifted Academica de Coimbra to a 2-1 road win over Belenenses.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Benfica Up To Second Place
Four games were played Sunday in Portugal's Super Liga:
At Madeira:
Fabrizio Miccoli's second-half double (61', 70') powered SL Benfica to a 2-0 road win over CD Nacional. The win boosted the Eagles into second place in the BWIN Liga standings, overtaking Sporting Club Portugal.
At Leiria:
Bartosz Slusarski scored the dramatic only goal (90') to lift Uniao Leiria to a 1-0 home win over Sporting Braga.
At Vila das Aves:
Cellar-dwelling Deportivo Aves and European hopeful guests Maritimo settled for a 1-1 stalemate.
At Amadora:
Late first-half goals from Antonin Alcaraz (40') and Edgar da Silva (45') propelled relegation-threatened Beira Mar to a 2-2 road draw with Estrela Amadora after falling behind 2-0.
At Madeira:
Fabrizio Miccoli's second-half double (61', 70') powered SL Benfica to a 2-0 road win over CD Nacional. The win boosted the Eagles into second place in the BWIN Liga standings, overtaking Sporting Club Portugal.
At Leiria:
Bartosz Slusarski scored the dramatic only goal (90') to lift Uniao Leiria to a 1-0 home win over Sporting Braga.
At Vila das Aves:
Cellar-dwelling Deportivo Aves and European hopeful guests Maritimo settled for a 1-1 stalemate.
At Amadora:
Late first-half goals from Antonin Alcaraz (40') and Edgar da Silva (45') propelled relegation-threatened Beira Mar to a 2-2 road draw with Estrela Amadora after falling behind 2-0.
Ajax and Excelsior Draw; Same With AZ and FC Groningen; Twente and Feyenoord Win
The Dutch Eredivisie saw four Sunday contests:
At Amsterdam:
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's equalizer (38') enabled Ajax Amsterdam to salvage a 2-2 home draw with Excelsior. The tie ended the visitors' club-record 10-league-game losing streak.
At Groningen:
Eric Nevland's equalizer (56') enabled FC Groningen to gain a 1-1 home deadlock with AZ Alkmaar.
At Rotterdam:
Feyenoord Rotterdam snapped their two-game losing streak with a 2-0 shutout home triumph over FC Utrecht. Jonathan De Guzman (7') and Angelos Charisteas (19') provided the offensive spark for the hosts.
At Heerenveen:
First-half tallies courtesy of Blaise N'Kufo (14') and Kennedy Bakircioglu (33') enabled Champions League hopefuls Twente Enschede to hold off SC Heerenveen for a 2-1 road win.
At Amsterdam:
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's equalizer (38') enabled Ajax Amsterdam to salvage a 2-2 home draw with Excelsior. The tie ended the visitors' club-record 10-league-game losing streak.
At Groningen:
Eric Nevland's equalizer (56') enabled FC Groningen to gain a 1-1 home deadlock with AZ Alkmaar.
At Rotterdam:
Feyenoord Rotterdam snapped their two-game losing streak with a 2-0 shutout home triumph over FC Utrecht. Jonathan De Guzman (7') and Angelos Charisteas (19') provided the offensive spark for the hosts.
At Heerenveen:
First-half tallies courtesy of Blaise N'Kufo (14') and Kennedy Bakircioglu (33') enabled Champions League hopefuls Twente Enschede to hold off SC Heerenveen for a 2-1 road win.
Rangers Tighten Hold On Second Place; Goose Eggs For Hibs and Tangerines
Two games were contested in the Scottish Premier League on Sunday:
At Glasgow:
Kris Boyd (34') and Barry Ferguson (73') provided the scoring as Rangers tightened their hold on second place with their 2-1 home triumph over Falkirk.
At Dundee:
Dundee United and visiting Hibernian wound up stalemated at 0-0.
At Glasgow:
Kris Boyd (34') and Barry Ferguson (73') provided the scoring as Rangers tightened their hold on second place with their 2-1 home triumph over Falkirk.
At Dundee:
Dundee United and visiting Hibernian wound up stalemated at 0-0.
French Goose Eggs
Two games, both scoreless draws, were played Sunday in France's Ligue 1:
At Monte Carlo:
Second-place Lens and hosts AS Monaco battled to a 0-0 deadlock.
At Marseille:
Homestanding Marseille blew a shot at moving into a Champions League qualification berth by settling for a 0-0 stalemate with relegation-theatened Nantes.
At Monte Carlo:
Second-place Lens and hosts AS Monaco battled to a 0-0 deadlock.
At Marseille:
Homestanding Marseille blew a shot at moving into a Champions League qualification berth by settling for a 0-0 stalemate with relegation-theatened Nantes.
Sunday Wins For Nurnberg and Bochum
Two games were played Sunday in the German Bundesliga:
At Nuremberg:
FC Nurnberg continued their steady climb up the Bundesliga standings following their 1-0 home win over Energie Cottbus (who, by losing, had now fallen into the relegation zone). Michael Beauchamp scored the games lone goal at 73 minutes.
At Bielefeld:
Theofanis Gekas tallied twice (2', 10') to lead VfL Bochum to defeat Arminia Bielefeld 2-1, allowing the guests to climb out of the dreaded drop zone.
At Nuremberg:
FC Nurnberg continued their steady climb up the Bundesliga standings following their 1-0 home win over Energie Cottbus (who, by losing, had now fallen into the relegation zone). Michael Beauchamp scored the games lone goal at 73 minutes.
At Bielefeld:
Theofanis Gekas tallied twice (2', 10') to lead VfL Bochum to defeat Arminia Bielefeld 2-1, allowing the guests to climb out of the dreaded drop zone.
Busy Sunday In Serie A
Seven games were played Sunday in Italy's Serie A:
At Rimini:
In a game that was moved to a neutral site from Catania (as will the rest of The Elephants' remaining scheduled home contests this season as Angelo Massimino Stadium is undergoing safety and security upgrades) and played behind closed doors, Luca Toni's late tally (87') lifted Fiorentina to a 1-0 road win over Catania Calcio.
At Ascoli:
Andrea Soncin's second-half double (58', 69') enabled basement residents Ascoli to bounce back from a two-goal halftime deficit to gain a 2-2 home draw with Udinese.
At Palermo:
Victor Obinna's goal at 45 minutes enabled Chievo Verona to gain a key 1-1 road stalemate with third-place Palermo which allowed them to stay above the relegation zone.
At Parma:
Fabio Quagliarella's goal (58') was the differnce as Sampdoria won at home, 1-0 over relegation-threatened Parma.
At Rome:
Goran Pandev scored both goals (11', 60') in Lazio's 2-0 home win over Torino.
At Reggio Calabria:
An own goal from Maurizio Lanzaro (74') enabled visiting Atalanta to gain a 1-1 road draw with Reggina.
At Livorno:
Goals from Stefano Fiore (26') and Cristiano Lucarelli (69') enabled hosts Livorno to hold off relegation-threatened Messina 2-1.
At Rimini:
In a game that was moved to a neutral site from Catania (as will the rest of The Elephants' remaining scheduled home contests this season as Angelo Massimino Stadium is undergoing safety and security upgrades) and played behind closed doors, Luca Toni's late tally (87') lifted Fiorentina to a 1-0 road win over Catania Calcio.
At Ascoli:
Andrea Soncin's second-half double (58', 69') enabled basement residents Ascoli to bounce back from a two-goal halftime deficit to gain a 2-2 home draw with Udinese.
At Palermo:
Victor Obinna's goal at 45 minutes enabled Chievo Verona to gain a key 1-1 road stalemate with third-place Palermo which allowed them to stay above the relegation zone.
At Parma:
Fabio Quagliarella's goal (58') was the differnce as Sampdoria won at home, 1-0 over relegation-threatened Parma.
At Rome:
Goran Pandev scored both goals (11', 60') in Lazio's 2-0 home win over Torino.
At Reggio Calabria:
An own goal from Maurizio Lanzaro (74') enabled visiting Atalanta to gain a 1-1 road draw with Reggina.
At Livorno:
Goals from Stefano Fiore (26') and Cristiano Lucarelli (69') enabled hosts Livorno to hold off relegation-threatened Messina 2-1.
Barca Knocked Off On The Road
Eight games were contested Sunday in Spain's Premier Division:
At Valencia:
Miguel Angulo (52') and David Silva (55') contributed second-half goals to help Valencia hold-off league-leading FC Barcelona 2-1 at home.
At Seville:
Frederic Kanoute's double (15', 73') helped lead FC Sevilla to a 3-1 home win over Atletico Madrid.
At Bilbao:
Aritz Aduriz scored both goal's (30', 50') in Athletic Bilbao's 2-0 home win over Getafe as the Red-Whites continue their fight for top-flight survival.
At Santander:
Four different goal scorers propelled Racing Santander to a decisive 4-1 home win over basement-dwelling and hapless Gimnastic de Tarragona.
At La Coruna:
Visiting Lavante, which is fighting to stay above the drop zone, battled midtable Deportivo La Coruna to a 0-0 stalemate.
At Huelva:
European hopefuls Recreativo Huelva, thanks to Beto's 49th-minute tally, defeated relegation-threatened Real Sociedad 1-0 at home.
At Barcelona:
Luis Garcia tallied twice (29', 79') to help lead Espanyol to a 3-1 home triumph over Mallorca.
At Pamplona:
Fernando Baiano scored the lone goal (2') in Celta Vigo's 1-0 road win at Osasuna's expense.
At Valencia:
Miguel Angulo (52') and David Silva (55') contributed second-half goals to help Valencia hold-off league-leading FC Barcelona 2-1 at home.
At Seville:
Frederic Kanoute's double (15', 73') helped lead FC Sevilla to a 3-1 home win over Atletico Madrid.
At Bilbao:
Aritz Aduriz scored both goal's (30', 50') in Athletic Bilbao's 2-0 home win over Getafe as the Red-Whites continue their fight for top-flight survival.
At Santander:
Four different goal scorers propelled Racing Santander to a decisive 4-1 home win over basement-dwelling and hapless Gimnastic de Tarragona.
At La Coruna:
Visiting Lavante, which is fighting to stay above the drop zone, battled midtable Deportivo La Coruna to a 0-0 stalemate.
At Huelva:
European hopefuls Recreativo Huelva, thanks to Beto's 49th-minute tally, defeated relegation-threatened Real Sociedad 1-0 at home.
At Barcelona:
Luis Garcia tallied twice (29', 79') to help lead Espanyol to a 3-1 home triumph over Mallorca.
At Pamplona:
Fernando Baiano scored the lone goal (2') in Celta Vigo's 1-0 road win at Osasuna's expense.
Everything's Archie In Smashing Victory For Melbourne
At Melbourne, Australia:
Striker Archie Thompson (picture here; photo by Sebastian Costanzo, The Age)put on an incredible clinic on Sunday, scoring five goals (21', 29', 39', 56', 73') to lead the Melbourne Victory to a 6-0 anihilation of Adelaide United to win the Hyundai A-League Grand Final, the match that determined the professional soccer championship of Australia.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
A Pair Of 1-1 Draws In Portugal
Two games were contested Saturday in Portugal's Super Liga:
At Porto:
Kwame Ayew's equalizer at 83 minutes enabled Vitoria Setubal to gain a 1-1 road draw with Boavista.
At Pacos de Ferreira:
Cristiano Moraes enabled Pacos Ferriera to gain a 1-1 home deadlock with second-place Sporting Club Portugal with his 70th-minute equalizer.
At Porto:
Kwame Ayew's equalizer at 83 minutes enabled Vitoria Setubal to gain a 1-1 road draw with Boavista.
At Pacos de Ferreira:
Cristiano Moraes enabled Pacos Ferriera to gain a 1-1 home deadlock with second-place Sporting Club Portugal with his 70th-minute equalizer.
Crucial Win For PSV
Three Saturday matches took place in the Dutch Eredivisie:
At Almelo:
Jefferson Farfan (74') and Diego Tardelli (90') provided the scoring for PSV Eindhoven as the league-leading visitors stretched their lead atop the standings to six points following their 2-0 win over struggling SC Heracles Almelo.
At Nijmegen:
NEC Nijmegan, on Edgar Barreto's tally (60'), blanked visiting---and relegation threatened---RKC Waalwijk 1-0.
At Arnhem:
Roda JC Kerkrade and homestanding Vitesse Arnhem battled to a 0-0 draw.
At Almelo:
Jefferson Farfan (74') and Diego Tardelli (90') provided the scoring for PSV Eindhoven as the league-leading visitors stretched their lead atop the standings to six points following their 2-0 win over struggling SC Heracles Almelo.
At Nijmegen:
NEC Nijmegan, on Edgar Barreto's tally (60'), blanked visiting---and relegation threatened---RKC Waalwijk 1-0.
At Arnhem:
Roda JC Kerkrade and homestanding Vitesse Arnhem battled to a 0-0 draw.
Chalk Up Another WIn For The Bhoys
Four games took place Saturday in the Scottish Premier League:
At Aberdeen:
Celtic, thanks to first-half goals courtesy of Craig Beattie (9') and Shunsuke Nakamura (20'), blanked Aberdeen on the road, 2-0.
At Dunfermline:
Stevie Crawford's successful penalty-kick equalizer (45') enabled Dunfermline to wind up with a 1-1 home deadlock versus Kilmarnock. Steven Naismith tallied (10') for the guests.
At Edinburgh:
Laryea Kingston's equalizer at 71 minutes enabled Hearts to gain a 1-1 home stalemate with St. Mirren, spoiling the Buddies' hopes of being 10 points clear of the drop zone.
At Motherwell:
A Scott McDonald header at 45 minutes enabled Motherwell to rack up a 1-0 home win at the expense of Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
At Aberdeen:
Celtic, thanks to first-half goals courtesy of Craig Beattie (9') and Shunsuke Nakamura (20'), blanked Aberdeen on the road, 2-0.
At Dunfermline:
Stevie Crawford's successful penalty-kick equalizer (45') enabled Dunfermline to wind up with a 1-1 home deadlock versus Kilmarnock. Steven Naismith tallied (10') for the guests.
At Edinburgh:
Laryea Kingston's equalizer at 71 minutes enabled Hearts to gain a 1-1 home stalemate with St. Mirren, spoiling the Buddies' hopes of being 10 points clear of the drop zone.
At Motherwell:
A Scott McDonald header at 45 minutes enabled Motherwell to rack up a 1-0 home win at the expense of Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Busy Saturday In Ligue 1
Seven games were played Saturday in France's Ligue 1:
At Sochaux:
Alvaro Santos scored the game winner on a successful 14th-minute penalty kick as FC Sochaux climbed up to fourth place in the Ligue 1 with their 1-0 home win over Le Mans.
At Lorient:
Paulo Cesar's successful 55th-minute penalty kick was the only goal of the match as Toulouse went on to win , 1-0, at Lorient.
At St. Etienne:
John Utaka's double (15', 59') helped spark Rennes to a 3-1 road win over St. Etienne.
At Nancy:
Goals from Pauleta (71'), Pierre-Alain Frau (86'), and Marcelo Gallardo (89') enabled Paris Saint-Germain to break open a tight game and whitewash hosts AS Nancy Lorraine 3-0.
At Troyes:
Troyes, thanks to David Gigliotti's tally (67'), stayed above the relegation zone with their 1-0 home win over Bordeaux.
At Valenciennes:
Bakari Kone's tally (PK-31') provided visiting Nice with the margin of victory as the guests bested fellow strugglers Valenciennes 1-0.
At Sedan:
Daniel Niculae scored twice (15', 90') as AJ Auxerre battled back to draw hosts Sedan 2-2.
At Sochaux:
Alvaro Santos scored the game winner on a successful 14th-minute penalty kick as FC Sochaux climbed up to fourth place in the Ligue 1 with their 1-0 home win over Le Mans.
At Lorient:
Paulo Cesar's successful 55th-minute penalty kick was the only goal of the match as Toulouse went on to win , 1-0, at Lorient.
At St. Etienne:
John Utaka's double (15', 59') helped spark Rennes to a 3-1 road win over St. Etienne.
At Nancy:
Goals from Pauleta (71'), Pierre-Alain Frau (86'), and Marcelo Gallardo (89') enabled Paris Saint-Germain to break open a tight game and whitewash hosts AS Nancy Lorraine 3-0.
At Troyes:
Troyes, thanks to David Gigliotti's tally (67'), stayed above the relegation zone with their 1-0 home win over Bordeaux.
At Valenciennes:
Bakari Kone's tally (PK-31') provided visiting Nice with the margin of victory as the guests bested fellow strugglers Valenciennes 1-0.
At Sedan:
Daniel Niculae scored twice (15', 90') as AJ Auxerre battled back to draw hosts Sedan 2-2.
Bremen and Bayern Beaten Again
Six games were played Saturday in the Bundesliga in Germany:
At Aachen:
Alexander Klitzpera's 10th-minute goal provided all the scoring as Alemania Aachen knocked off slumping Bayern Munich 1-0 before the home fans.
At Bremen:
Hamburg SV picked up their second straight league win, 2-0 on the road over recently-sagging (and now third-place) Werder Bremen. Rafael van der Vaart provided both goals (PK-42', 87')
At Wolfsburg:
League leading FC Schalke 04's Kevin Kuranyi scored twice (10', 29') in the first half, then homestanding VfL Wolfsburg's Diego Klimowicz (56', 89') did the same in the second half as the two clubs finished deadlocked 2-2.
At Leverkusen:
Thanks to Jan Rosenthal's goal (7'), visiting Hannover 96 climbed up to seventh place in the Bundesliga standings following their 1-0 road win over Bayer Leverkusen.
At Berlin:
Mohamed Zidan (PK-54') and Leon Andreasen (64') sparked a comeback that enabled resurgent Mainz to knock off homestanding Hertha Berlin 2-1.
At Dortmund:
Alexander Frei scored the only goal (19') of Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 victory over relegation-threatened Borussia Mochengladbach.
At Aachen:
Alexander Klitzpera's 10th-minute goal provided all the scoring as Alemania Aachen knocked off slumping Bayern Munich 1-0 before the home fans.
At Bremen:
Hamburg SV picked up their second straight league win, 2-0 on the road over recently-sagging (and now third-place) Werder Bremen. Rafael van der Vaart provided both goals (PK-42', 87')
At Wolfsburg:
League leading FC Schalke 04's Kevin Kuranyi scored twice (10', 29') in the first half, then homestanding VfL Wolfsburg's Diego Klimowicz (56', 89') did the same in the second half as the two clubs finished deadlocked 2-2.
At Leverkusen:
Thanks to Jan Rosenthal's goal (7'), visiting Hannover 96 climbed up to seventh place in the Bundesliga standings following their 1-0 road win over Bayer Leverkusen.
At Berlin:
Mohamed Zidan (PK-54') and Leon Andreasen (64') sparked a comeback that enabled resurgent Mainz to knock off homestanding Hertha Berlin 2-1.
At Dortmund:
Alexander Frei scored the only goal (19') of Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 victory over relegation-threatened Borussia Mochengladbach.
David Beckham Red Carded In Scoreless Match
Two games were played Saturday in Spain's Premiera Liga:
At Madrid:
In Real Madrid's 0-0 home deadlock with Real Betis, the Galaticos' David Beckham was given a red-card ejection in the 90th minute.
At Zaragoza:
Diego Milito scored the only goal (32') in Real Zaragoza's 1-0 home triumph at the expense of Villarreal.
At Madrid:
In Real Madrid's 0-0 home deadlock with Real Betis, the Galaticos' David Beckham was given a red-card ejection in the 90th minute.
At Zaragoza:
Diego Milito scored the only goal (32') in Real Zaragoza's 1-0 home triumph at the expense of Villarreal.
16 In A Row For Inter; AC Milan (With Ronaldo Scoring Twice In His First Start ) and Empoli Also Win
Three games were contested Saturday in Italy's Serie A:
At Milan:
Nicolas Burdisso's goal (11') was the only goal of Inter Milan's 16th consecutive league win, a 1-0 home decision over Cagliari.
At Siena:
Ronaldo, in his first start since coming over from Real Madrid, scored twice (16', 81') as AC Milan won a wild contest, 4-3, against hosts AC Siena.
At Empoli:
Nicola Pozzi's goal (5') held up as 10-man Empoli knocked off visiting AS Roma 1-0.
At Milan:
Nicolas Burdisso's goal (11') was the only goal of Inter Milan's 16th consecutive league win, a 1-0 home decision over Cagliari.
At Siena:
Ronaldo, in his first start since coming over from Real Madrid, scored twice (16', 81') as AC Milan won a wild contest, 4-3, against hosts AC Siena.
At Empoli:
Nicola Pozzi's goal (5') held up as 10-man Empoli knocked off visiting AS Roma 1-0.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Easy Home Triumph For FC Porto
At Porto:
Lisandro Lopez tallied twice (20', 47') to help lift league-topping FC Porto to a 4-0 home fistbeating of Naval 1 de Maio in Friday's only Portuguese BWINLiga contest.
Lisandro Lopez tallied twice (20', 47') to help lift league-topping FC Porto to a 4-0 home fistbeating of Naval 1 de Maio in Friday's only Portuguese BWINLiga contest.
Home Wins For NAC Breda And The King's Army
Two games were played Friday in the Dutch Eredivisie:
At Breda:
Goals from Glen Salmon (31'), Edwin de Graaf (55') , and Maceo Rigters (78') powered NAC Breda to a 3-1 home win over Sparta Rotterdam.
At Tilburg:
Cristiano's double (32', 62') lifted Willem II Tilburg to an important 2-1 come-from-behind home win over basement-occupying ADO Den Haag in a match that saw the hosts climb five points out of the relegation playoff zone.
At Breda:
Goals from Glen Salmon (31'), Edwin de Graaf (55') , and Maceo Rigters (78') powered NAC Breda to a 3-1 home win over Sparta Rotterdam.
At Tilburg:
Cristiano's double (32', 62') lifted Willem II Tilburg to an important 2-1 come-from-behind home win over basement-occupying ADO Den Haag in a match that saw the hosts climb five points out of the relegation playoff zone.
Comeback Win For Lyon Over Mastiffs
At Lille:
Late goals from Fred (83') and Sebastien Squillaci (89') powered a come-from-behind road win for league-leading Lyon, 2-1, over Lille in Friday's lone Ligue 1 match.
Late goals from Fred (83') and Sebastien Squillaci (89') powered a come-from-behind road win for league-leading Lyon, 2-1, over Lille in Friday's lone Ligue 1 match.
Stuttgart Smash Eintracht Frankfurt
At Frankfurt:
In Friday's only German Bundesliga contest, Roberto Hilbert(2'), Mario Gomez (16'), Ricardo Osorio (44'), and Thomas Hitzlsperger (78') all scored to pace VfB Stuttgart to a 4-0 road demolition of struggling Eintracht Frankfurt. The win placed Stuttgart in sole position, for the time being, of second place in the Bundesliga standings.
In Friday's only German Bundesliga contest, Roberto Hilbert(2'), Mario Gomez (16'), Ricardo Osorio (44'), and Thomas Hitzlsperger (78') all scored to pace VfB Stuttgart to a 4-0 road demolition of struggling Eintracht Frankfurt. The win placed Stuttgart in sole position, for the time being, of second place in the Bundesliga standings.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
More Round Of 32 Action From UEFA Cup
Five games were played Thursday as UEFA Cup round of 32 play continued:
At Bucharest:
Goals from Christian Poulsen (41') and Frederic Kanoute (PK-77') powered reigning UEFA Cup-holders Sevilla to an impressive series-opening 2-0 road win over Steaua Bucharest.
At Moscow:
Maxym Kalynychenko's equalizer (64') enabled Spartak Moscow to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Celta Vigo. Antonio Nunez scored first with a precious road goal (41') for the visitors in game one between the two clubs.
At Gent, Belgium:
Important away goals from Obafemi Martins (PK-59') and Antoine Sibierski (76') helped lift Newcastle United to an impressive series-opening 3-1 victory on the road againt Zulte Waregem (whose home stadium did not meet UEFA requirements, thus the match being played at Gent).
At Braga, Portugal:
Ze Carlos scored the only goal (81') of Sporting Braga's series-opening 1-0 home win over Parma.
At Lens, France:
Issam Jemma's double (49', 70') helped spark Lens to a 3-1 series-opening home victory over Panathinaikos.
At Bucharest:
Goals from Christian Poulsen (41') and Frederic Kanoute (PK-77') powered reigning UEFA Cup-holders Sevilla to an impressive series-opening 2-0 road win over Steaua Bucharest.
At Moscow:
Maxym Kalynychenko's equalizer (64') enabled Spartak Moscow to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Celta Vigo. Antonio Nunez scored first with a precious road goal (41') for the visitors in game one between the two clubs.
At Gent, Belgium:
Important away goals from Obafemi Martins (PK-59') and Antoine Sibierski (76') helped lift Newcastle United to an impressive series-opening 3-1 victory on the road againt Zulte Waregem (whose home stadium did not meet UEFA requirements, thus the match being played at Gent).
At Braga, Portugal:
Ze Carlos scored the only goal (81') of Sporting Braga's series-opening 1-0 home win over Parma.
At Lens, France:
Issam Jemma's double (49', 70') helped spark Lens to a 3-1 series-opening home victory over Panathinaikos.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Opening Day Of Knockout Stage Matches In UEFA Cup
Wednesday marked the opening day of the round of 32 (or is it 31) of the 2006-07 UEFA Cup. Until the final this coming May in Glasgow, all rounds from here on our would feature two-game, total goal, home-and -away sets, with away goals counting double. Ten games were played Wednesday. Keep this in mind: Tottenham Hotspur, originally scheduled to play a two-game set against Feyenoord Rotterdam, has been advanced into the round of 16 because of the Dutch club's banishment from the tournament because of crowd trouble in a November contest versus AS Nancy Lorraine.
At Leverkusen, Germany:
Brend Scheider scored the game winner at 56 minutes as Bayer Leverkusen held off visiting Blackburn 3-2. The Rovers' chances of winning this series, though, got a lift when the visitors' Shabani Nonda scored at 86 minutes.
At Tel-Aviv, Israel:
Barukh Dego scored the game winner (76') to lift Hapoel Tel-Aviv to a 2-1 opening-match home win over Rangers, handing the Glasgow club their first defeat in European play this season.
At Leghorn (or is it Livorno), Italy:
Goals from Walter Pandiani (PK-28') and Mohamed El Yaagoubi (59') lifted Espanyol to an important 2-1 road win in their opener against Livorno.
At Istanbul, Turkey:
Goals from Tumer Metin (28', 75') and Tuncay Sanli (67') enabled Fenerbahce to come back from a 3-1 deficit to tie visiting AZ Alkmaar 3-3 in game one of the two clubs' two-game set.
At Donetsk, Ukraine:
Visiting AS Nancy Lorraine and FC Shakhtar Donetsk battled to a 1-1 draw in their series opener. Marc-Antoine Fortune scored (81') to give ASNL a late lead only to see the hosts Darijo Srna equalize(84') .
At Bordeaux, France:
Visiting Osasuna and Bordeaux battled to a 0-0 stalemate in game one of their two-game set.
At Bremen, Germany:
Thanks to goals from Per Mertesacker (48'), Nando (54'), and Torsten Frings (71'), Werder Bremen manhandled visiting Ajax Amsterdam in the two clubs' series opener 3-0.
At Vladikavkas, Russia:
In a match played some 1200 miles south of Moscow, CSKA Moscow had to settle for a 0-0 draw with guests Maccabi Haifa in game one of the clubs' two-game set.
At Lisbon:
Fabrizio Miccoli's game winner (90') lifted SL Benfica to a 1-0 series-opening home victory over Dinamo Bucharst.
At Athens:
Sammy Traore (45'+1)and Bernard Mendy (88') put Paris Saint-Germain in the driver's seat in their two-game set with AEK Athens after the French club's 2-0 road triumph in the opener.
At Leverkusen, Germany:
Brend Scheider scored the game winner at 56 minutes as Bayer Leverkusen held off visiting Blackburn 3-2. The Rovers' chances of winning this series, though, got a lift when the visitors' Shabani Nonda scored at 86 minutes.
At Tel-Aviv, Israel:
Barukh Dego scored the game winner (76') to lift Hapoel Tel-Aviv to a 2-1 opening-match home win over Rangers, handing the Glasgow club their first defeat in European play this season.
At Leghorn (or is it Livorno), Italy:
Goals from Walter Pandiani (PK-28') and Mohamed El Yaagoubi (59') lifted Espanyol to an important 2-1 road win in their opener against Livorno.
At Istanbul, Turkey:
Goals from Tumer Metin (28', 75') and Tuncay Sanli (67') enabled Fenerbahce to come back from a 3-1 deficit to tie visiting AZ Alkmaar 3-3 in game one of the two clubs' two-game set.
At Donetsk, Ukraine:
Visiting AS Nancy Lorraine and FC Shakhtar Donetsk battled to a 1-1 draw in their series opener. Marc-Antoine Fortune scored (81') to give ASNL a late lead only to see the hosts Darijo Srna equalize(84') .
At Bordeaux, France:
Visiting Osasuna and Bordeaux battled to a 0-0 stalemate in game one of their two-game set.
At Bremen, Germany:
Thanks to goals from Per Mertesacker (48'), Nando (54'), and Torsten Frings (71'), Werder Bremen manhandled visiting Ajax Amsterdam in the two clubs' series opener 3-0.
At Vladikavkas, Russia:
In a match played some 1200 miles south of Moscow, CSKA Moscow had to settle for a 0-0 draw with guests Maccabi Haifa in game one of the clubs' two-game set.
At Lisbon:
Fabrizio Miccoli's game winner (90') lifted SL Benfica to a 1-0 series-opening home victory over Dinamo Bucharst.
At Athens:
Sammy Traore (45'+1)and Bernard Mendy (88') put Paris Saint-Germain in the driver's seat in their two-game set with AEK Athens after the French club's 2-0 road triumph in the opener.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Ajax Closer To Top Spot; PSV and Sparta Rotterdam Draw
Four games were played Sunday in the Dutch Eredivisie:
At The Hague:
Second-half goals from Johnny Heitinga (58') and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (70') lifted Ajax Amsterdam to a come-from-behind 2-1 road win over basement occupants ADO Den Haag. The win moves Ajax into second place and to within three points of league-leading PSV Eindhoven.
At Rotterdam:
Haris Medunjanin's equalizer (76') lifted Sparta Rotterdam to a 1-1 home draw with league-leading PSV Eindhoven, whose lead over Ajax Amsterdam was sliced to three points.
At Enschede:
Kennedy Bakircioglu's double (57', 88') helped power Twente Enschede to their fourth consecutive league triumph, a 3-0 home whitewashing of Feyenoord Rotterdam.
At Utrecht:
Peter Kopteff's tally (76') lifted FC Utrecht to a 1-0 home victory over NAC Breda.
At The Hague:
Second-half goals from Johnny Heitinga (58') and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (70') lifted Ajax Amsterdam to a come-from-behind 2-1 road win over basement occupants ADO Den Haag. The win moves Ajax into second place and to within three points of league-leading PSV Eindhoven.
At Rotterdam:
Haris Medunjanin's equalizer (76') lifted Sparta Rotterdam to a 1-1 home draw with league-leading PSV Eindhoven, whose lead over Ajax Amsterdam was sliced to three points.
At Enschede:
Kennedy Bakircioglu's double (57', 88') helped power Twente Enschede to their fourth consecutive league triumph, a 3-0 home whitewashing of Feyenoord Rotterdam.
At Utrecht:
Peter Kopteff's tally (76') lifted FC Utrecht to a 1-0 home victory over NAC Breda.
Ken Boyd Hat Trick Powers Rangers
At Kilmarnock:
Kris Boyd, by haunting his former team with his hat trick (PK-9', 30', PK-60'), powered Rangers to a 3-1 road win over Kilmarnock.
Kris Boyd, by haunting his former team with his hat trick (PK-9', 30', PK-60'), powered Rangers to a 3-1 road win over Kilmarnock.
Lens and Bordeaux Win At Home
Two games were played Sunday in France's Ligue 1:
At Lens:
Vitorino Hilton (28'), Seydou Keita (30'), and Aruna Dindane (58') scored to lead Lens to a 3-1 home win over Sochaux.
At Bordeaux:
Julian Faubert's 75th-minute tally was the only score of the match that saw Bordeaux win one at home 1-0 over Marseille.
At Lens:
Vitorino Hilton (28'), Seydou Keita (30'), and Aruna Dindane (58') scored to lead Lens to a 3-1 home win over Sochaux.
At Bordeaux:
Julian Faubert's 75th-minute tally was the only score of the match that saw Bordeaux win one at home 1-0 over Marseille.
Beyern Back On Winning Track
Two games were played Sunday in the German Bundesliga:
At Munich:
Roy Makaay scored the only goal of the match (8') as Bayern Munich gave Ottmar Hitzfeld his first win since returning as Bayern's head coach, a 1-0 home win over Arminia Bielefeld, whose coach, Thomas von Heesen will step down on Monday.
At Bochum:
Ivan Saenko's really late double (88', 90') propelled FC Nurnberg into fifth place with a 2-0 road win over struggling VfL Bochum.
At Munich:
Roy Makaay scored the only goal of the match (8') as Bayern Munich gave Ottmar Hitzfeld his first win since returning as Bayern's head coach, a 1-0 home win over Arminia Bielefeld, whose coach, Thomas von Heesen will step down on Monday.
At Bochum:
Ivan Saenko's really late double (88', 90') propelled FC Nurnberg into fifth place with a 2-0 road win over struggling VfL Bochum.
Ronaldinho Leads Barca Over Racing Santander
Eight Sunday matches were contested in the Spanish Premiera Liga:
At Barcelona:
Ronaldinho's double (51', 67') powered league-leading Barcelona to a 2-0 home win over Racing Santander.
At Vigo:
Goals from Luis Garcia (23') and Walter Pandiani (57') lifted Espanyol to a 2-0 home victory over struggling Celta Vigo.
At Palma de Mallorca:
Jose Carlos Nunes (57') and Bosko Jankovic (83') scored the goals that lifted Mallorca to a 2-1 come-from-behind home win over Real Zaragoza.
At Madrid:
Second-half goals from Mario Cotelo (46'), Daniel Guiza (58'), and Nacho Perez (79') enable Getafe to break open a closely fought game (scoreless at halftime) and pummel visiting visiting Valencia 3-0.
At Villarreal:
Joan Verdu's goal (79') sealed Deportivo La Coruna's first road win of the league season, 2-0 at Villarreal.
At Tarragona:
Roberto Soldado's double (71', 75') sparked Osasuna's come-from-behind 3-2 road win over basement occupants Gimanstic de Tarragona.
At Valencia:
Salvador Ballesta Vialcho's double (17', 42') lifted Levante to a 2-1 home win over Recreativo Huelva.
At Madrid:
Atletico Madrid continued their search for a Champions League berth, thanks to their 1-0 home win over struggling Athletic Bilbao. Sergio Aguero notched the game's only tally (64').
At Barcelona:
Ronaldinho's double (51', 67') powered league-leading Barcelona to a 2-0 home win over Racing Santander.
At Vigo:
Goals from Luis Garcia (23') and Walter Pandiani (57') lifted Espanyol to a 2-0 home victory over struggling Celta Vigo.
At Palma de Mallorca:
Jose Carlos Nunes (57') and Bosko Jankovic (83') scored the goals that lifted Mallorca to a 2-1 come-from-behind home win over Real Zaragoza.
At Madrid:
Second-half goals from Mario Cotelo (46'), Daniel Guiza (58'), and Nacho Perez (79') enable Getafe to break open a closely fought game (scoreless at halftime) and pummel visiting visiting Valencia 3-0.
At Villarreal:
Joan Verdu's goal (79') sealed Deportivo La Coruna's first road win of the league season, 2-0 at Villarreal.
At Tarragona:
Roberto Soldado's double (71', 75') sparked Osasuna's come-from-behind 3-2 road win over basement occupants Gimanstic de Tarragona.
At Valencia:
Salvador Ballesta Vialcho's double (17', 42') lifted Levante to a 2-1 home win over Recreativo Huelva.
At Madrid:
Atletico Madrid continued their search for a Champions League berth, thanks to their 1-0 home win over struggling Athletic Bilbao. Sergio Aguero notched the game's only tally (64').
Comeback Win For Gunners; Bolton Winners Too
Two games were played Sunday in the English Premier League:
At London:
Tomas Rosicky's game winner (85') enabled Arsenal to come from a one-goal halftime deficit to defeat visiting Wigan Athletic 2-1.
At Bolton:
Goals from Gary Speed (PK-23') and Kevin Nolan (51') lifted Bolton to a 2-1 home win over Fulham.
At London:
Tomas Rosicky's game winner (85') enabled Arsenal to come from a one-goal halftime deficit to defeat visiting Wigan Athletic 2-1.
At Bolton:
Goals from Gary Speed (PK-23') and Kevin Nolan (51') lifted Bolton to a 2-1 home win over Fulham.
Action Resumes In Italy
Action resumed in Italy on Sunday after last weekend's postponements in the wake of the deadly rioting that took place in Catania. Many stadiums were deemed by the Italian government as not up to new security standards, forcing several scheduled matches to be played behind closed doors.
Ten games were played Sunday afternoon in Serie A (no night games will be allowed for the time being, this being another safety and securtiy measure):
At Verona:
Goals from Adriano (1') and Hernan Crespo (51') lifted league-leading Inter Milan to a 2-0 road win over Chievo Verona for their 15th consecutive league victory.
At Milan:
AC Milan, thanks to goals from Gennaro Gattuso (29') and Marek Jankulovski (68'), defeated visiting Livorno 2-1 to move within two points of a Champions League berth.
At Florence:
Reginaldo (16') and Giampaolo Pazzini (44') provided the scoring to lead Fiorentina to a 2-0 home shutout against Udinese.
At Genoa:
Goals from Christian Maggio (48') and Daniele Franceschini (75') paced Sampdoria to a 2-0 home win over basement-hogging Ascoli.
At Bergamo:
At a contest played behind closed doors, Lazio and hosts Atalanta played to a 0-0 draw.
At Messina:
Giuseppe Mascara's equalizer (60') enabled Catania Calcio to gain a 1-1 road deadlock with Messina in a match played behind closed doors.
At Turin:
Rolando Bianchi's second-half double (48', 58') lifted Reggina to a 2-1 road win over Torino.
At Cagliari:
Paul Codrea's equalizer (83') lifted AC Siena to a 2-2 road stalemate with Cagliari Calcio.
At Palermo:
Sergio Almiron scored the lone goal (47') of a match won by guests Empoli 1-0 at the expense of Palermo.
At Rome:
Three different goal scorers, Francesco Totti (50'), Simone Perrotta (66'), and Rodrigo Taddei (90') powered AS Roma to a 3-0 win over vistiting Parma.
Ten games were played Sunday afternoon in Serie A (no night games will be allowed for the time being, this being another safety and securtiy measure):
At Verona:
Goals from Adriano (1') and Hernan Crespo (51') lifted league-leading Inter Milan to a 2-0 road win over Chievo Verona for their 15th consecutive league victory.
At Milan:
AC Milan, thanks to goals from Gennaro Gattuso (29') and Marek Jankulovski (68'), defeated visiting Livorno 2-1 to move within two points of a Champions League berth.
At Florence:
Reginaldo (16') and Giampaolo Pazzini (44') provided the scoring to lead Fiorentina to a 2-0 home shutout against Udinese.
At Genoa:
Goals from Christian Maggio (48') and Daniele Franceschini (75') paced Sampdoria to a 2-0 home win over basement-hogging Ascoli.
At Bergamo:
At a contest played behind closed doors, Lazio and hosts Atalanta played to a 0-0 draw.
At Messina:
Giuseppe Mascara's equalizer (60') enabled Catania Calcio to gain a 1-1 road deadlock with Messina in a match played behind closed doors.
At Turin:
Rolando Bianchi's second-half double (48', 58') lifted Reggina to a 2-1 road win over Torino.
At Cagliari:
Paul Codrea's equalizer (83') lifted AC Siena to a 2-2 road stalemate with Cagliari Calcio.
At Palermo:
Sergio Almiron scored the lone goal (47') of a match won by guests Empoli 1-0 at the expense of Palermo.
At Rome:
Three different goal scorers, Francesco Totti (50'), Simone Perrotta (66'), and Rodrigo Taddei (90') powered AS Roma to a 3-0 win over vistiting Parma.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
AZ Only Three Points Back Of PSV; RKC Out Of Basement
Four games populated the Saturday Dutch Eredivisie Schedule:
At Alkmaar:
Goals from Danny Koevermans (15') and Maarten Martens (71') powered AZ Alkmaar into second place in the Eredivisie standings, just three points behind frontrunning PSV Eindhoven, as the hosts blanked Willem II Tilburg 2-0.
At Waalwijk:
Thanks to goals from Jan Vertonghen (35') and Ricky van der Bergh (85'), RKC Waalwijk climbed out of the Eredivisie basement as they defeated visiting SC Heracles Almelo 2-0.
At Kerkrade:
Bas Sibum scored the only goal (32') of Roda JC Kerkrade's 1-0 home win over NEC Nijmegen, giving Raymond Atteveld his first win as head coach of The Pride of the South Koempels.
At Heerenveen:
Visiting Vitesse Arnhem and SC Heerenveen battled to a 0-0 stalemate.
At Alkmaar:
Goals from Danny Koevermans (15') and Maarten Martens (71') powered AZ Alkmaar into second place in the Eredivisie standings, just three points behind frontrunning PSV Eindhoven, as the hosts blanked Willem II Tilburg 2-0.
At Waalwijk:
Thanks to goals from Jan Vertonghen (35') and Ricky van der Bergh (85'), RKC Waalwijk climbed out of the Eredivisie basement as they defeated visiting SC Heracles Almelo 2-0.
At Kerkrade:
Bas Sibum scored the only goal (32') of Roda JC Kerkrade's 1-0 home win over NEC Nijmegen, giving Raymond Atteveld his first win as head coach of The Pride of the South Koempels.
At Heerenveen:
Visiting Vitesse Arnhem and SC Heerenveen battled to a 0-0 stalemate.
Another Win For Celtic
Five games were contested Saturday in the Scottish Premier League:
At Glasgow:
Celtic stretched their lead atop the SPL to 22 points with their 1-0 home win over Hibernian. Craig Beattie's goal at 54 minutes was the game's only score.
At Aberdeen:
Three different goal scorers enabled Aberdeen to clean visiting---and cellar-dwelling---Dunfermline's clock 3-0. Darren Mackie (33'), Barry Nicholson (PK-58'), and Steve Lovell (83') provided the tallies for the hosts, who now move to within one point of second place.
At Edinburgh:
Sub Michal Pospisil scored the lone goal (82') in Heart of Midlothian's 1-0 home triumph over Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
At St. Mirren:
Barry Robson provided the lone tally (78') as Dundee United defeated hosts St. Mirren 1-0.
At Falkirk:
Second-half goals from Scott McDonald (66') and Darren Lee Smith (67') lifted visiting Motherwell to a 2-1 come-from-behind triumph over Falkirk.
At Glasgow:
Celtic stretched their lead atop the SPL to 22 points with their 1-0 home win over Hibernian. Craig Beattie's goal at 54 minutes was the game's only score.
At Aberdeen:
Three different goal scorers enabled Aberdeen to clean visiting---and cellar-dwelling---Dunfermline's clock 3-0. Darren Mackie (33'), Barry Nicholson (PK-58'), and Steve Lovell (83') provided the tallies for the hosts, who now move to within one point of second place.
At Edinburgh:
Sub Michal Pospisil scored the lone goal (82') in Heart of Midlothian's 1-0 home triumph over Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
At St. Mirren:
Barry Robson provided the lone tally (78') as Dundee United defeated hosts St. Mirren 1-0.
At Falkirk:
Second-half goals from Scott McDonald (66') and Darren Lee Smith (67') lifted visiting Motherwell to a 2-1 come-from-behind triumph over Falkirk.
Lyon Back On Winning Track
Eight games were played Saturday in France's Ligue 1:
At Lyon:
Fred scored the lone goal of the match (8') as Lyon snapped out of their 2007 funk with a 1-0 win over visiting Lorient.
At Paris:
Two goals during each half lifted Paris Saint Germain to a 4-2 home win over AS Monaco in their fight to avoid relegation.
At Nantes:
Steve Savidan's Hat Trick (18', 72', 88') helped power Valenciennes to a convincing 5-2 road triumph over Nantes.
At Auxerre:
Matt Moussilou's equalizer (75') lifted St. Etienne to a 1-1 road deadlock with AJ Auxerre.
At Nice:
In a battle between two clubs fighting to avoid relegation, Nice picked up a nice 3-0 home win over Troyes. Lilian Laslandes scored twice 45', 58') for the hosts.
At Le Mans:
Goals from Mamadou Samassa (14') , Romaric Koffi (67') , and Grafite (73') enabled homestanding Le Mans to hold off basement-occupying Sedan 3-2.
At Rennes:
John Utaka's 87th-minute equalizer enabled Rennes to gain a 1-1 home stalemate with AS Nancy Lorraine.
At Toulouse:
Thanks to an own goal in second-half stoppage time from Lille's Gregory Tafforeau, Toulouse picked up a 1-0 home win at the Mastiffs' expense.
At Lyon:
Fred scored the lone goal of the match (8') as Lyon snapped out of their 2007 funk with a 1-0 win over visiting Lorient.
At Paris:
Two goals during each half lifted Paris Saint Germain to a 4-2 home win over AS Monaco in their fight to avoid relegation.
At Nantes:
Steve Savidan's Hat Trick (18', 72', 88') helped power Valenciennes to a convincing 5-2 road triumph over Nantes.
At Auxerre:
Matt Moussilou's equalizer (75') lifted St. Etienne to a 1-1 road deadlock with AJ Auxerre.
At Nice:
In a battle between two clubs fighting to avoid relegation, Nice picked up a nice 3-0 home win over Troyes. Lilian Laslandes scored twice 45', 58') for the hosts.
At Le Mans:
Goals from Mamadou Samassa (14') , Romaric Koffi (67') , and Grafite (73') enabled homestanding Le Mans to hold off basement-occupying Sedan 3-2.
At Rennes:
John Utaka's 87th-minute equalizer enabled Rennes to gain a 1-1 home stalemate with AS Nancy Lorraine.
At Toulouse:
Thanks to an own goal in second-half stoppage time from Lille's Gregory Tafforeau, Toulouse picked up a 1-0 home win at the Mastiffs' expense.
Schalke 04 Tighten Grip On Top Of Standings
Six games were played Saturday in the German Bundesliga:
At Gelsenkirchen:
Second-half goals from Kevin Kuranyi (64') and Peter Lovenkrands (75') lifted FC Schalke 04 to a 2-0 home victory over Hertha Berlin, thus allowing the Royal Blues to stretch their Bundesliga lead over Werder Bremen (who lost to VfB Stuttgart) to six points.
At Stuttgart:
Four different goal scorers lifted third-place VfB Stuttgart to within one point of second place as the hosts smothered Werder Bremen 4-1.
At Leverkusen:
Bayer Leverkusen was able to salvage a 2-2 home draw with Eintracht Frankfurt, thanks to Stefan Kiessling's equalizer during second-half stoppage time.
At Mochengladbach:
In a battle that saw both teams now sitting in the drop zone, Alemania Aaachen and homestanding Borussia Mochengladbach battled to a 0-0 stalemate.
At Hamburg:
Basement-dwelling Hamburg SV picked up their first home league win of the season (and first league overall since late last October), whitewashing Borussia Dortmund 3-0. Rafael van der Vaart (PK-11'), Collin Benjamin (39'), and Mehdi Mahdavikia (90') provided the scoring for HSV.
At Mainz:
Mohamed Zidan's hat trick (22', PK-39', 60') helped lift Mainz to a decisive 4-1 win over visiting Energie Cottbus which lifted the hosts out of the relegation zone.
At Gelsenkirchen:
Second-half goals from Kevin Kuranyi (64') and Peter Lovenkrands (75') lifted FC Schalke 04 to a 2-0 home victory over Hertha Berlin, thus allowing the Royal Blues to stretch their Bundesliga lead over Werder Bremen (who lost to VfB Stuttgart) to six points.
At Stuttgart:
Four different goal scorers lifted third-place VfB Stuttgart to within one point of second place as the hosts smothered Werder Bremen 4-1.
At Leverkusen:
Bayer Leverkusen was able to salvage a 2-2 home draw with Eintracht Frankfurt, thanks to Stefan Kiessling's equalizer during second-half stoppage time.
At Mochengladbach:
In a battle that saw both teams now sitting in the drop zone, Alemania Aaachen and homestanding Borussia Mochengladbach battled to a 0-0 stalemate.
At Hamburg:
Basement-dwelling Hamburg SV picked up their first home league win of the season (and first league overall since late last October), whitewashing Borussia Dortmund 3-0. Rafael van der Vaart (PK-11'), Collin Benjamin (39'), and Mehdi Mahdavikia (90') provided the scoring for HSV.
At Mainz:
Mohamed Zidan's hat trick (22', PK-39', 60') helped lift Mainz to a decisive 4-1 win over visiting Energie Cottbus which lifted the hosts out of the relegation zone.
"Becks" and Ruud Spark Galaticos Comeback
Two games were played Saturday in Spain's Premiera Division:
At San Sebastian:
Goals from David Beckham (37') and Ruud van Nistelrooy (48') lifted Real Madrid to a come-from-behind 2-1 win on the road over relegation-threatened Real Sociedad.
At Seville:
The local derby between FC Sevilla and hosts Real Betis wound up as a 0-0 stalemate.
At San Sebastian:
Goals from David Beckham (37') and Ruud van Nistelrooy (48') lifted Real Madrid to a come-from-behind 2-1 win on the road over relegation-threatened Real Sociedad.
At Seville:
The local derby between FC Sevilla and hosts Real Betis wound up as a 0-0 stalemate.
Wins For Red Devils and Blues
Eight matches were contested Saturday in the English Premier League:
At Manchester:
Thanks to goals from Ji-Sung Park (24') and Darren Fletcher (82'), Manchester United maintained their six-point lead over Chelsea in the EPL standings with a 2-0 home win over relegation zone residents Charlton Athletic.
At Chelsea:
Didier Drogra's double (45', 83) helped ignite Chelsea's 3-0 home whitewashing of Middlesbrough to stay six points back of Manchester United.
At Newcastle:
Obafemi Martins (26') and Nolberto Solano (PK-70') provided the goals that lifted Newcastle United to a 2-1 come-from-behind home win over Liverpool.
At Reading:
Steve Sidwell's double (16', 90') provided all the scoring for Reading as the Royals racked up their fourth straight league victory, 2-0 at home over Aston Villa.
At Sheffield:
Phil Jagielka's successful penalty kick (62') lifted Sheffield United to a 2-1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur.
At Liverpool:
Andrew Johnson's tally (10') was the only score of Everton's 1-0 home triumph at Blackburn's expense.
At London:
Darius Henderson's successful penalty kick (12') lifted bottom-occupying Watford to a 1-0 road win over underachieving---and fellow relegation zone residents---West Ham United.
At Portsmouth:
Nwankwo Kanu's game winner (81') lifted Portsmouth to a 2-1 home win over Manchester City.
At Manchester:
Thanks to goals from Ji-Sung Park (24') and Darren Fletcher (82'), Manchester United maintained their six-point lead over Chelsea in the EPL standings with a 2-0 home win over relegation zone residents Charlton Athletic.
At Chelsea:
Didier Drogra's double (45', 83) helped ignite Chelsea's 3-0 home whitewashing of Middlesbrough to stay six points back of Manchester United.
At Newcastle:
Obafemi Martins (26') and Nolberto Solano (PK-70') provided the goals that lifted Newcastle United to a 2-1 come-from-behind home win over Liverpool.
At Reading:
Steve Sidwell's double (16', 90') provided all the scoring for Reading as the Royals racked up their fourth straight league victory, 2-0 at home over Aston Villa.
At Sheffield:
Phil Jagielka's successful penalty kick (62') lifted Sheffield United to a 2-1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur.
At Liverpool:
Andrew Johnson's tally (10') was the only score of Everton's 1-0 home triumph at Blackburn's expense.
At London:
Darius Henderson's successful penalty kick (12') lifted bottom-occupying Watford to a 1-0 road win over underachieving---and fellow relegation zone residents---West Ham United.
At Portsmouth:
Nwankwo Kanu's game winner (81') lifted Portsmouth to a 2-1 home win over Manchester City.
Friday, February 09, 2007
More Problems For Excelsior
At Rotterdam:
Goals from Goran Lovre (23') and Luis Suarez (49') lifted FC Groningen to a 2-0 road win over relegation-threatened Excelsior in the lone Friday Dutch Eredivisie match.
Goals from Goran Lovre (23') and Luis Suarez (49') lifted FC Groningen to a 2-0 road win over relegation-threatened Excelsior in the lone Friday Dutch Eredivisie match.
Wolfsburg and Hannover Share Spoils In North German Derby
At Hannover:
In Friday's only German Bundesliga contest, Frank Fahrenhorst scored the equalizer (62') to lift Hannover 96 to a 2-2 home draw with VfL Wolfsburg.
In Friday's only German Bundesliga contest, Frank Fahrenhorst scored the equalizer (62') to lift Hannover 96 to a 2-2 home draw with VfL Wolfsburg.
Feyenoord Banishment From UEFA Cup Upheld
Lausanne, Switzerland:
The Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision, it was announced on Friday, upheld Feyenoord Rotterdam's banishment from the UEFA Cup competition. This banishment was the product of crowd trouble at November match on the road against AS Nancy Lorraine. UEFA had banished Feyenoord from the tournament and fined the Dutch club roughly $80,000 (US Money). Tottenham Hotspur, Feyenoord's scheduled round-of-32 knockout opponent, will receive a bye to the round of 16.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision, it was announced on Friday, upheld Feyenoord Rotterdam's banishment from the UEFA Cup competition. This banishment was the product of crowd trouble at November match on the road against AS Nancy Lorraine. UEFA had banished Feyenoord from the tournament and fined the Dutch club roughly $80,000 (US Money). Tottenham Hotspur, Feyenoord's scheduled round-of-32 knockout opponent, will receive a bye to the round of 16.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Another Team USA Home Win Over Mexico
At Glendale, Arizona:
Goals from Jimmy Conrad (52') and Landon Donovan (90'+1) lifted the United States to a 2-0 home win over archrival Mexico in an exhibition match. The Americans are 7-0-1 at home against the Mexicans since 2000. Bob Bradley became only the second Team USA head coach (out of 32) to begin his coaching stint with two wins in as many matches.
Goals from Jimmy Conrad (52') and Landon Donovan (90'+1) lifted the United States to a 2-0 home win over archrival Mexico in an exhibition match. The Americans are 7-0-1 at home against the Mexicans since 2000. Bob Bradley became only the second Team USA head coach (out of 32) to begin his coaching stint with two wins in as many matches.
Ireland Pulls Out Win At San Marino In EURO 2008 Qualifyer
At Serravalle, San Marino:
Stephen Ireland lived up to his name as he scored the winning goal at 90 minutes to lift the Republic of Ireland to a 2-1 road win in Group D play over a very game San Marino squad.
Stephen Ireland lived up to his name as he scored the winning goal at 90 minutes to lift the Republic of Ireland to a 2-1 road win in Group D play over a very game San Marino squad.
Italian Calcio To Resume This Weekend
From Rome:
Italy's soccer federation announced on Wednesday that soccer matches will resume this coming weekend, after the government approved a tough set of measures to fight hooliganism, despite opposition to such measures by clubs. More details here.
Perhaps the English had the right idea about combating what has for far too long a major blight on "the beautiful game." After that disgracful episode last Friday at Catania, outside Angelo Massimino Stadium during the second half of , and following the Sicilian Derby with Palermo, which resulted in the death of a local policeman, leading to the postponement of the rest of last weekend's league matches....not to mention the cancellation of an originally scheduled exhibition match by the national team against Romania, there's NO question that tough measures had to place place, or there might have been no more league soccer played in Italy this season. There has been word that scheduled home matches in the round of 16 in this year's UEFA Champions League for the three Italian clubs still in the competition (AC Milan, Inter Milan, and AS Roma) may be moved to neutral sites. If these measures mean a great many Italian league matches may be played in empty stadia, so be it.
Italy's soccer federation announced on Wednesday that soccer matches will resume this coming weekend, after the government approved a tough set of measures to fight hooliganism, despite opposition to such measures by clubs. More details here.
Perhaps the English had the right idea about combating what has for far too long a major blight on "the beautiful game." After that disgracful episode last Friday at Catania, outside Angelo Massimino Stadium during the second half of , and following the Sicilian Derby with Palermo, which resulted in the death of a local policeman, leading to the postponement of the rest of last weekend's league matches....not to mention the cancellation of an originally scheduled exhibition match by the national team against Romania, there's NO question that tough measures had to place place, or there might have been no more league soccer played in Italy this season. There has been word that scheduled home matches in the round of 16 in this year's UEFA Champions League for the three Italian clubs still in the competition (AC Milan, Inter Milan, and AS Roma) may be moved to neutral sites. If these measures mean a great many Italian league matches may be played in empty stadia, so be it.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Four 1-0 Games And One 1-1 Draw In Portugal
Five games took place Sunday in Portugal's BWINLiga:
At Aveiro:
Juliano Roma's tally (44') lifted Beira Mar to a 1-0 home win over Uniao Leiria, enabling The Gold-and-Blacks to climb out of the BwinLiga basement.
At Braga:
Ze Carlos da Silva scored late (81') to lift Sporting Braga to a 1-0 home win over relegation-threatened Deportivo Aves.
At Funchal:
Luiz Carlos Stukas' equalizer (90') lifted Pacos Ferreira to a 1-1 road deadlock with Maritimo.
At Figueira da Foz:
Pinto Joeano registered the only tally (82') of the match as Academica de Coimbra knocked off hosts Naval 1 de Maio 1-0.
At Setubal:
Eduardo Dady was the Big Daddy as his 9th-minute goal held up for Belenenses as the guests defeated Vitoria Setubal 1-0.
At Aveiro:
Juliano Roma's tally (44') lifted Beira Mar to a 1-0 home win over Uniao Leiria, enabling The Gold-and-Blacks to climb out of the BwinLiga basement.
At Braga:
Ze Carlos da Silva scored late (81') to lift Sporting Braga to a 1-0 home win over relegation-threatened Deportivo Aves.
At Funchal:
Luiz Carlos Stukas' equalizer (90') lifted Pacos Ferreira to a 1-1 road deadlock with Maritimo.
At Figueira da Foz:
Pinto Joeano registered the only tally (82') of the match as Academica de Coimbra knocked off hosts Naval 1 de Maio 1-0.
At Setubal:
Eduardo Dady was the Big Daddy as his 9th-minute goal held up for Belenenses as the guests defeated Vitoria Setubal 1-0.
Lyon Beaten Again
Two games were played Sunday in France's Ligue 1:
At Troyes:
Benjamin Nivet's game winner during second-half stoppage time lifted Troyes to a surprise 1-0 home triumph over league-topping Lyon.
At Marseille:
Pedro Pauleta's equalizer (75') helped lifted PSG to a 1-1 road deadlock with UEFA Champions League hopefuls Marseille.
At Troyes:
Benjamin Nivet's game winner during second-half stoppage time lifted Troyes to a surprise 1-0 home triumph over league-topping Lyon.
At Marseille:
Pedro Pauleta's equalizer (75') helped lifted PSG to a 1-1 road deadlock with UEFA Champions League hopefuls Marseille.
Barca On Top Of Spanish Standings; Galaticos Stunned At Home By Levante
Seven games took place Sunday in the Spanish Premiera Liga:
At Madrid:
Salva Ballestia's successful penalty kick at 11 minutes guided relegation-threatened Levante to a surprise 1-0 road win over Real Madrid, spoiling the Galaticos' 1000th game at the Bernabeau.
At Pamplona:
Barcelona was held to a 0-0 road draw by Osasuna. But the one point from the match was good enough for the defending league champs to stay atop the premiera division standings.
At Bilbao:
Goals from Robert De Pinho (18') and Fabrice Pancrate (76') enabled resucitating Real Betis to hold off Athletic Bilbao on the road 2-1.
At Huelva:
Juan Juanma (13') and Florent Sinama-Pongolle (46') provided the goals that lifted homestanding Recreativo Huelva to a 2-1 win over Villarreal.
At Vigo:
Basement-occupying Gimnastic de Tarragona, thanks to Javier Portillo's 77th-minute equalizer, gained a 1-1 road draw with struggling Celta Vigo.
At Seville:
Sevilla blew a shot at moving into first place in the La Liga standings by being held to a 0-0 stalemate by relegation-threatened Real Sociedad at home.
At Santander:
Ezequiel Garay's goal (7') held up as Racing Santander defeated visiting Getafe 1-0.
At Madrid:
Salva Ballestia's successful penalty kick at 11 minutes guided relegation-threatened Levante to a surprise 1-0 road win over Real Madrid, spoiling the Galaticos' 1000th game at the Bernabeau.
At Pamplona:
Barcelona was held to a 0-0 road draw by Osasuna. But the one point from the match was good enough for the defending league champs to stay atop the premiera division standings.
At Bilbao:
Goals from Robert De Pinho (18') and Fabrice Pancrate (76') enabled resucitating Real Betis to hold off Athletic Bilbao on the road 2-1.
At Huelva:
Juan Juanma (13') and Florent Sinama-Pongolle (46') provided the goals that lifted homestanding Recreativo Huelva to a 2-1 win over Villarreal.
At Vigo:
Basement-occupying Gimnastic de Tarragona, thanks to Javier Portillo's 77th-minute equalizer, gained a 1-1 road draw with struggling Celta Vigo.
At Seville:
Sevilla blew a shot at moving into first place in the La Liga standings by being held to a 0-0 stalemate by relegation-threatened Real Sociedad at home.
At Santander:
Ezequiel Garay's goal (7') held up as Racing Santander defeated visiting Getafe 1-0.
Easy Win For Ajax Over Feyenoord In Dutch National Derby
Four games were contested Sunday in the Dutch Eredivisie:
At Amsterdam:
Wesley Sneijder's hat trick (20', 32', 87') helped power Ajax Amsterdam to an easy 4-1 whipping of visiting Feyenoord Rotterdam in the Klassieker to move into second place in the Eredivisie standings, five points in back of PSV Eindhoven.
At The Hague:
Rick Hoogendorp's equalizer (35') enabled relegation-threatened ADO Den Haag to gain a 1-1 home draw with FC Utrecht.
At Arnhem:
Vitesse Arnhem needed a game-tying tally from Mads Junker (74') to finish their home encounter with NEC Nijmegen all-squared at 1-1.
At Rotterdam:
Andres Oper's equalizer (78') enabled visiting Roda JC Kerkrade to gain a 2-2 draw with Sparta Rotterdam.
At Amsterdam:
Wesley Sneijder's hat trick (20', 32', 87') helped power Ajax Amsterdam to an easy 4-1 whipping of visiting Feyenoord Rotterdam in the Klassieker to move into second place in the Eredivisie standings, five points in back of PSV Eindhoven.
At The Hague:
Rick Hoogendorp's equalizer (35') enabled relegation-threatened ADO Den Haag to gain a 1-1 home draw with FC Utrecht.
At Arnhem:
Vitesse Arnhem needed a game-tying tally from Mads Junker (74') to finish their home encounter with NEC Nijmegen all-squared at 1-1.
At Rotterdam:
Andres Oper's equalizer (78') enabled visiting Roda JC Kerkrade to gain a 2-2 draw with Sparta Rotterdam.
Schalke 04 Atop Bundesliga Table; Stuttgart Winners, Too
Two games were played Sunday in Germany's Bundesliga:
At Bremen:
Peter Lovenkrands scored twice (20', 73') as FC Schalke 04 took sole possession of first place in the Bundesliga standings following their 2-0 road win over Werder Bremen.
At Dortmund:
Mario Gomez scored the lone goal (59') as VfB Stuttgart tightened their hold on third place in the league standings by beating hosts Borussia Dortmund 1-0.
At Bremen:
Peter Lovenkrands scored twice (20', 73') as FC Schalke 04 took sole possession of first place in the Bundesliga standings following their 2-0 road win over Werder Bremen.
At Dortmund:
Mario Gomez scored the lone goal (59') as VfB Stuttgart tightened their hold on third place in the league standings by beating hosts Borussia Dortmund 1-0.
Red Devils Blow Out Spurs
At London:
In Sunday's lone Premiership clash, Manchester United restored their six-point lead over Chelsea in the EPL standings following their 4-0 road fistbeating of Tottenham Hotspur. Cristiano Ronaldo's successful 45th-minute penalty kick got the ball rolling for the Red Devils, while Nemanja Vidic (48'), Paul Scholes (54'), and Ryan Giggs (77') contributed second-half tallies.
In Sunday's lone Premiership clash, Manchester United restored their six-point lead over Chelsea in the EPL standings following their 4-0 road fistbeating of Tottenham Hotspur. Cristiano Ronaldo's successful 45th-minute penalty kick got the ball rolling for the Red Devils, while Nemanja Vidic (48'), Paul Scholes (54'), and Ryan Giggs (77') contributed second-half tallies.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
SC Portugal Clobbers CD Nacional
Two games Saturday in the BWINLIGA of Portugal:
At Lisbon:
Carlos Bueno's second-half quadruple (75', 78', 89', 90') helped powered Sporting Club Portugal to a 5-1 fistbeating of visiting CD Nacional, as The Lions overtook Benfica to return to second place in the league standings.
At Porto:
Anselmo Goncalves' tally at 90 minutes with the only score of Estrela Amadora's stunning 1-0 road win over league-topping FC Porto.
At Lisbon:
Carlos Bueno's second-half quadruple (75', 78', 89', 90') helped powered Sporting Club Portugal to a 5-1 fistbeating of visiting CD Nacional, as The Lions overtook Benfica to return to second place in the league standings.
At Porto:
Anselmo Goncalves' tally at 90 minutes with the only score of Estrela Amadora's stunning 1-0 road win over league-topping FC Porto.
PSV Knocked Off By AZ
Four Matches were contested Saturday in the Dutch Eredivisie:
At Eindhoven:
Danny Koevermans provided the winning goal (89') as AZ Alkmaar handed PSV Eindhoven their second stright league defeat (and their first of the season at home) 3-2 to close within six points of the league leaders.
At Rotterdam:
Blaise N'Kufo, who was anything but blase, notched the game winner at 45 minutes to lead Twente Eschede, gunning for a UEFA Champions League berth, to a 2-1 road win over relegation-threatened Excelsior.
At Breda:
Glen Salmon scored twice (27', 73') to lead NAC Breda to a 2-1 win over visiting cellar-dwellers RKC Waalwijk.
At Almelo:
Willem II Tilburg and hosts SC Heracles Almelo played to a thrilling 2-2 stalemate. Kristof Imschoot gave The King's Army a 2-1 lead at 90 minutes, only to see the hosts' Everton Ramo da Sivla tie it up deep into stoppage time.
At Eindhoven:
Danny Koevermans provided the winning goal (89') as AZ Alkmaar handed PSV Eindhoven their second stright league defeat (and their first of the season at home) 3-2 to close within six points of the league leaders.
At Rotterdam:
Blaise N'Kufo, who was anything but blase, notched the game winner at 45 minutes to lead Twente Eschede, gunning for a UEFA Champions League berth, to a 2-1 road win over relegation-threatened Excelsior.
At Breda:
Glen Salmon scored twice (27', 73') to lead NAC Breda to a 2-1 win over visiting cellar-dwellers RKC Waalwijk.
At Almelo:
Willem II Tilburg and hosts SC Heracles Almelo played to a thrilling 2-2 stalemate. Kristof Imschoot gave The King's Army a 2-1 lead at 90 minutes, only to see the hosts' Everton Ramo da Sivla tie it up deep into stoppage time.
Busy Saturday In Ligue 1
Eight games were contested Saturday in France's Ligue 1:
At Valenciennes:
Lens, thanks to goals from Eric Carriere (28'), Seydou Keita (45'), and Issam Jomaa (90'), climbed into second place in the league standings following their 3-1 home victory over struggling Valenciennes.
At Lille:
Nantes and homestanding Lille battled to a 0-0 stalemate which saw the Mastiffs fall from second to third place in the league standings.
At Nice:
Nice picked up a nice 2-0 home win over Bordeaux, as Honorato Campos Ederson tallied twice (12', 26').
At Nancy:
AS Nancy Lorraine went into the win column for the first time Christmas, defeating visiting Toulouse 2-1. Gaston Curbelo (15') and Marc-Antoine Fortune (77') provided the scoring for the hosts.
At Sochaux:
Guests Rennes battled Sochaux to a 0-0 deadlock.
At Lorient:
Steve Marlet's game winner (90') lifted Lorient to a 2-1 home triumph over Le Mans.
At St. Etienne:
Basement-occupying Sedan stunned St. Etienne on the road 2-1. The hosts' Lamine Diatta's own goal (71') provided the guests with the margin of victory as they came back from a 1-0 halftime deficit.
At Monte Carlo:
AS Monaco helped their chances of staying in Ligue 1 for another year as they held off guests AJ Auxerre 2-1. Serge Gakpe (37') and Frederic Piquionne (PK-64') provided the scoring for the Red And White.
At Valenciennes:
Lens, thanks to goals from Eric Carriere (28'), Seydou Keita (45'), and Issam Jomaa (90'), climbed into second place in the league standings following their 3-1 home victory over struggling Valenciennes.
At Lille:
Nantes and homestanding Lille battled to a 0-0 stalemate which saw the Mastiffs fall from second to third place in the league standings.
At Nice:
Nice picked up a nice 2-0 home win over Bordeaux, as Honorato Campos Ederson tallied twice (12', 26').
At Nancy:
AS Nancy Lorraine went into the win column for the first time Christmas, defeating visiting Toulouse 2-1. Gaston Curbelo (15') and Marc-Antoine Fortune (77') provided the scoring for the hosts.
At Sochaux:
Guests Rennes battled Sochaux to a 0-0 deadlock.
At Lorient:
Steve Marlet's game winner (90') lifted Lorient to a 2-1 home triumph over Le Mans.
At St. Etienne:
Basement-occupying Sedan stunned St. Etienne on the road 2-1. The hosts' Lamine Diatta's own goal (71') provided the guests with the margin of victory as they came back from a 1-0 halftime deficit.
At Monte Carlo:
AS Monaco helped their chances of staying in Ligue 1 for another year as they held off guests AJ Auxerre 2-1. Serge Gakpe (37') and Frederic Piquionne (PK-64') provided the scoring for the Red And White.
Comeback Win For Hertha Berlin=Another Heartbreak For Hamburg
Six games populated Saturday's German Bundesliga schedule:
At Berlin:
Mineiro, playing his first game after coming over from Sao Paulo, scored the game winner near the end of second-half stoppage time to lead Hertha Berlin to a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over Hamburg, spoiling Juup Stevens' debut as the guests new head coach.
At Aachen:
Four different goal scorers paced Hannover 96 to a convincing 4-1 road win over strugglling Alemania Aachen.
At Bielefeld:
Goals from Federico Insua (28') and Marcell Jansen (89') paced Borussia Mochengladbach to a 2-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld, ending the guests' 13-game winless streak, and giving Jos Luhukay a victory in his debut as their new head coach.
At Wolfsburg:
Mike Hanke scored twice (16', 37') and Diego Klimowicz added the game winner (72') as VfL Wolfsburg ended their eight-game winless streak with a 3-2 triumph at home over Bayer Leverkusen.
At Frankfurt:
Eintracht Frankfurt and their guests, local rivals Mainz, battled to a 0-0 draw.
At Cottbus:
Two clubs fighting to stay out of the relegation zone, gusts Vfl Bochum and Energie Cottbus, battled to a 0-0 deadlock.
At Berlin:
Mineiro, playing his first game after coming over from Sao Paulo, scored the game winner near the end of second-half stoppage time to lead Hertha Berlin to a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over Hamburg, spoiling Juup Stevens' debut as the guests new head coach.
At Aachen:
Four different goal scorers paced Hannover 96 to a convincing 4-1 road win over strugglling Alemania Aachen.
At Bielefeld:
Goals from Federico Insua (28') and Marcell Jansen (89') paced Borussia Mochengladbach to a 2-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld, ending the guests' 13-game winless streak, and giving Jos Luhukay a victory in his debut as their new head coach.
At Wolfsburg:
Mike Hanke scored twice (16', 37') and Diego Klimowicz added the game winner (72') as VfL Wolfsburg ended their eight-game winless streak with a 3-2 triumph at home over Bayer Leverkusen.
At Frankfurt:
Eintracht Frankfurt and their guests, local rivals Mainz, battled to a 0-0 draw.
At Cottbus:
Two clubs fighting to stay out of the relegation zone, gusts Vfl Bochum and Energie Cottbus, battled to a 0-0 deadlock.
Valencia, Real Zaragoza, Deportivo La Coruna: Saturday Winners
Three Saturday matches in the Spanish Premiera Liga:
At Valencia:
Fernando Morientes twice tallied (54', 69') to lead Valencia to a 3-1 home win over Atletico Madrid.
At Barcelona:
Sergio Garcia's double (55', 87') paced visiting Real Zaragoza to a 2-1 win over Espanyol.
At A Coruna:
Fabian Estoyanoff's successful penalty kick (45') was the only score in Deportivo La Coruna's 1-0 win over visiting Mallorca.
At Valencia:
Fernando Morientes twice tallied (54', 69') to lead Valencia to a 3-1 home win over Atletico Madrid.
At Barcelona:
Sergio Garcia's double (55', 87') paced visiting Real Zaragoza to a 2-1 win over Espanyol.
At A Coruna:
Fabian Estoyanoff's successful penalty kick (45') was the only score in Deportivo La Coruna's 1-0 win over visiting Mallorca.
Gap Between Manchester United And Chelsea Closes
Nine games took place Saturday in the English Premiership:
At London:
At a local derby, Frank Lampard's goal (18') was the only one scored as Chelsea moved within three points of league-leading Manchester United following their 1-0 road win over relegation-theatened Charlton Athletic.
At Liverpool:
The 205th Merseyside Derby between hosts Liverpool and Everton ended stalemated at 0-0.
At Middlesbrough:
Thierry Henry's equalizer (77') enabled 10-man Arsenal to salvage a 1-1 road draw versus Middlesbrough.
At Birmingham:
John Carew's tally (36') lifted Aston Villa to a 1-0 home win over relegation-threatened and struggling West Ham United.
At London:
Second-half goals courtesy of Heidar Helguson (49') and Brian McBride (73') propelled Fulham to a 2-1 win over visiting Newcastle United.
At Manchester:
Reading climbed up to sixth place in the EPL standings following their 2-0 triumph at Manchester City. Leroy Lita scored both goals (79', 89').
At Blackburn:
Morten Gamst Pedersen (22', 90') to lead 10-man Blackburn to a 2-1 win over visiting Sheffield United.
At Watford:
Nicolas Anelka scored the lone goal (63') of Bolton's 1-0 road win at bottom-occupying Watford's expense.
At Wigan:
Wigan Athletic's nine-game league losing streak ended as Lee McCulloch's goal at 68 minutes lifted the Latics to a 1-0 home win over Portsmouth.
At London:
At a local derby, Frank Lampard's goal (18') was the only one scored as Chelsea moved within three points of league-leading Manchester United following their 1-0 road win over relegation-theatened Charlton Athletic.
At Liverpool:
The 205th Merseyside Derby between hosts Liverpool and Everton ended stalemated at 0-0.
At Middlesbrough:
Thierry Henry's equalizer (77') enabled 10-man Arsenal to salvage a 1-1 road draw versus Middlesbrough.
At Birmingham:
John Carew's tally (36') lifted Aston Villa to a 1-0 home win over relegation-threatened and struggling West Ham United.
At London:
Second-half goals courtesy of Heidar Helguson (49') and Brian McBride (73') propelled Fulham to a 2-1 win over visiting Newcastle United.
At Manchester:
Reading climbed up to sixth place in the EPL standings following their 2-0 triumph at Manchester City. Leroy Lita scored both goals (79', 89').
At Blackburn:
Morten Gamst Pedersen (22', 90') to lead 10-man Blackburn to a 2-1 win over visiting Sheffield United.
At Watford:
Nicolas Anelka scored the lone goal (63') of Bolton's 1-0 road win at bottom-occupying Watford's expense.
At Wigan:
Wigan Athletic's nine-game league losing streak ended as Lee McCulloch's goal at 68 minutes lifted the Latics to a 1-0 home win over Portsmouth.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Death Of Policeman At Catania Match Leads To Postponement Of Weekend Serie A Matches
One note I wish I would not have to pass along. At the Palermo-Catania game at Catania, a police officer died when fans rioted outside Anglelo Massimino Stadium during the second half of the game. This prompted the Italian federation to postpone all of this weekend's scheduled matches, as well as cancel the national team's scheduled exhibition match against Romania that was set for next week.
Goose Eggs For Boavista and Benfica
At Lisbon:
Second-place Benfica and visiting Boavista finished stalemated at 0-0 in Friday's only match in Portugal's BWINLIGA.
Second-place Benfica and visiting Boavista finished stalemated at 0-0 in Friday's only match in Portugal's BWINLIGA.
Heerenveen and FC Groningen Draw
At Groningen:
In Friday's only Dutch Eredivisie contest, Afonso Alves' equalizer (70') lifted SC Heerenveen to a 1-1 road draw with FC Groningen.
In Friday's only Dutch Eredivisie contest, Afonso Alves' equalizer (70') lifted SC Heerenveen to a 1-1 road draw with FC Groningen.
New Coach---More Woes For Bayern
At Nuremburg:
In the lone Friday Bundesliga match, FC Nurnberg manhandled slumping Bayern Munich 3-0, spoiling Ottmar Hitzfeld's first game back as the visitors' head coach. Ivan Saenko (13'), Markus Schroth (71'), and Robert Vittek (86') delivered the scoring punch for the hosts, who climbed to fifth place in the league standings---one spot below Bayern.
New Coach For Hamburg:
Dutchman Huub Stevens is leaving Eredivisie club Roda JC Kerkrade to replace the fired Thomas Doll as head coach at Hamburg SV.
In the lone Friday Bundesliga match, FC Nurnberg manhandled slumping Bayern Munich 3-0, spoiling Ottmar Hitzfeld's first game back as the visitors' head coach. Ivan Saenko (13'), Markus Schroth (71'), and Robert Vittek (86') delivered the scoring punch for the hosts, who climbed to fifth place in the league standings---one spot below Bayern.
New Coach For Hamburg:
Dutchman Huub Stevens is leaving Eredivisie club Roda JC Kerkrade to replace the fired Thomas Doll as head coach at Hamburg SV.
Palermo Captures Sicilian Derby
At Catania:
In Friday's only Italian Serie A match, David di Michele scored the game winner (83'), lifting Palermo to a 2-1 road win over Catania, handing the hosts their second home setback of the season.
In Friday's only Italian Serie A match, David di Michele scored the game winner (83'), lifting Palermo to a 2-1 road win over Catania, handing the hosts their second home setback of the season.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
More Coaching Casualties In Germany
Two more coaches walked the plank Thursday in news from Germany's Bundesliga:
Struggling Hamburg SV canned head coach Thomas Doll after 2 1/2 years at the helm after the club plopped to the bottom of the league standings following their 1-1 draw against Energie Cottbus. The club has had a miserable league season, and had a rough group stage campaign in the UEFA Champions League, winning one of six games.
Meanwhile, another club that is occupying a place in the relegation zone, Borussia Mochengladbach, lost their head coach as Jupp Heynckes resigned in the wake of the club's scoreless draw against FC Nurnberg.
Struggling Hamburg SV canned head coach Thomas Doll after 2 1/2 years at the helm after the club plopped to the bottom of the league standings following their 1-1 draw against Energie Cottbus. The club has had a miserable league season, and had a rough group stage campaign in the UEFA Champions League, winning one of six games.
Meanwhile, another club that is occupying a place in the relegation zone, Borussia Mochengladbach, lost their head coach as Jupp Heynckes resigned in the wake of the club's scoreless draw against FC Nurnberg.
More Coaching Casualties In Germany
Two more coaches walked the plank Thursday in news from Germany's Bundesliga:
Struggling Hamburg SV canned head coach Thomas Doll after 2 1/2 years at the helm after the club plopped to the bottom of the league standings following their 1-1 draw against Energie Cottbus. The club has had a miserable league season, and had a rough group stage campaign in the UEFA Champions League, winning one of six games.
Meanwhile, another club that is occupying a place in the relegation zone, Borussia Mochengladbach, lost their head coach as Jupp Heynckes resigned in the wake of the club's scoreless draw against FC Nurnberg.
Struggling Hamburg SV canned head coach Thomas Doll after 2 1/2 years at the helm after the club plopped to the bottom of the league standings following their 1-1 draw against Energie Cottbus. The club has had a miserable league season, and had a rough group stage campaign in the UEFA Champions League, winning one of six games.
Meanwhile, another club that is occupying a place in the relegation zone, Borussia Mochengladbach, lost their head coach as Jupp Heynckes resigned in the wake of the club's scoreless draw against FC Nurnberg.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Werder Stays Atop Bundesliga Standings; Coaching Change At Bayern
Five games were played Wednesday in the German Bundesliga:
At Leverkusen:
Miroslav Klose (15') and Hugo Almeida (78') provided the scoring punch as Werder Bremen blanked hosts Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 to stay atop the Bundesliga standings (due to better goal differential than FC Schalke 04).
At Gelsenkirchen:
FC Schalke 04 maintained a share of the lead in the Bundesliga table with their 2-1 home win over Alemania Aachen. Marcio Rafinha (PK-23') provided a goal for the hosts, as did the guests' Moses Sichone with an own goal (74') which turned out for the visitors to be the game loser.
At Hamburg:
Visiting Energie Cottbus and moribund (and now basement squatters) Hamburg played to a 1-1 deadlock.
At Hannover:
Bergantin Vinicius tallied twice (16', 37') to help ignite an offensive barrage as Hannover 96 demolished visiting Hertha Berlin 5-0.
At Mainz:
Leon Andreasen's penalty kick at 61 minutes lifted Mainz to a 1-0 home win over Borussia Dortmund, and lifted the hosts out of the league basement.
And this tidbit from Munich:
Defending Bundesliga titleholders Bayern Munich on Wednesday, the day following their scoreless home stalemate versus relegation candidates VfL Bochum, fired head coach Felix Magath and replaced him with former coach Ottmar Hitzfeld. The champs are currently sitting in fourth place in the league standings, trailing Werder Bremen, Schalke 04, and VfB Stuttgart.
At Leverkusen:
Miroslav Klose (15') and Hugo Almeida (78') provided the scoring punch as Werder Bremen blanked hosts Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 to stay atop the Bundesliga standings (due to better goal differential than FC Schalke 04).
At Gelsenkirchen:
FC Schalke 04 maintained a share of the lead in the Bundesliga table with their 2-1 home win over Alemania Aachen. Marcio Rafinha (PK-23') provided a goal for the hosts, as did the guests' Moses Sichone with an own goal (74') which turned out for the visitors to be the game loser.
At Hamburg:
Visiting Energie Cottbus and moribund (and now basement squatters) Hamburg played to a 1-1 deadlock.
At Hannover:
Bergantin Vinicius tallied twice (16', 37') to help ignite an offensive barrage as Hannover 96 demolished visiting Hertha Berlin 5-0.
At Mainz:
Leon Andreasen's penalty kick at 61 minutes lifted Mainz to a 1-0 home win over Borussia Dortmund, and lifted the hosts out of the league basement.
And this tidbit from Munich:
Defending Bundesliga titleholders Bayern Munich on Wednesday, the day following their scoreless home stalemate versus relegation candidates VfL Bochum, fired head coach Felix Magath and replaced him with former coach Ottmar Hitzfeld. The champs are currently sitting in fourth place in the league standings, trailing Werder Bremen, Schalke 04, and VfB Stuttgart.
Red Devils, Blues, Magpies Win; Addicks and Trotters Draw
Four games were contested Wednesday in the English Premier League:
At Manchester:
Manchester United maintained their six-point lead over Chelsea atop the Premiership standings with a 4-0 home fistbeating of last-place Watford. Cristiano Ronaldo (PK-20, pictured here; Getty Images), Henrik Larsson (70'), and Wayne Rooney (71') helped power the Red Devils.
At London:
Second-place and two-time defending titleholders Chelsea kept pace with Manchester United with their 3-0 home whitewashing of Blackburn. Didier Drogba (6', pictured here; Getty Images), Frank Lampard (67'), and sub Solomon Kalou (90') provided the Blues with all the game's goals.
At Newcastle:
Goals from James Milner (5'), Kieron Dyer (7'), Antoine Sibierski (90') propelled Newcastle United to a 3-1 win at the expense of visiting Aston Villa.
At Bolton:
Charlton Athletic, fighting to climb out of the relegation zone, and hosts Bolton battled to a 1-1 draw. Henrik Pedersen (6') scored for the Trotters, but Talal El Karkouri (12') equalized for the visiting Addicks.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Bayern Falls To 4th Place In Bundesliga
Four games were played Tuesday in Germany's Bundesliga:
At Munich:
Visiting VfL Bochum held Bayern Munich to a 0-0 stalemate.
At Stuttgart:
Mario Gomez scored twice (9', 59') to help pace VfB Stuttgart to a 3-2 home win over Arminia Bielefeld and overtake Bayern Munich to move into third place in the Bundesliga standings.
At Mochengladbach:
Borussia Mochengladbach's winless streak reached 12 games following their 0-0 home draw with FC Nurnberg.
At Wolfsburg:
Mike Hanke's equalizer (73') enabled hosts VfL Wolfsburg to gain a 1-1 home stalemate with Eintracht Frankfurt.
At Munich:
Visiting VfL Bochum held Bayern Munich to a 0-0 stalemate.
At Stuttgart:
Mario Gomez scored twice (9', 59') to help pace VfB Stuttgart to a 3-2 home win over Arminia Bielefeld and overtake Bayern Munich to move into third place in the Bundesliga standings.
At Mochengladbach:
Borussia Mochengladbach's winless streak reached 12 games following their 0-0 home draw with FC Nurnberg.
At Wolfsburg:
Mike Hanke's equalizer (73') enabled hosts VfL Wolfsburg to gain a 1-1 home stalemate with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Reds Top Hammers On Road
Four games were played Tuesday in the English Premiership:
At London:
Dirk Kuyt (46') and Peter Crouch (53') provided the goals for Liverpool as the visiting Reds held off relegation-threatened West Ham United 2-1.
At Sheffield:
Thanks to goals from Jonathan Stead (23') and Michael Tonge (28') , Sheffield United racked up a 2-0 home win over Fulham.
At Portsmouth:
Visiting Middlesbrough and Portsmouth wound up deadlocked at 0-0.
At Reading:
Tallies from Ivar Ingimarsson (31'), Shane Long (51'), and Leroy Lita (88') enabled Reading to come from behind to hold off Wigan 3-2. The loss was the visiting Latics' club-record ninth straight.
At London:
Dirk Kuyt (46') and Peter Crouch (53') provided the goals for Liverpool as the visiting Reds held off relegation-threatened West Ham United 2-1.
At Sheffield:
Thanks to goals from Jonathan Stead (23') and Michael Tonge (28') , Sheffield United racked up a 2-0 home win over Fulham.
At Portsmouth:
Visiting Middlesbrough and Portsmouth wound up deadlocked at 0-0.
At Reading:
Tallies from Ivar Ingimarsson (31'), Shane Long (51'), and Leroy Lita (88') enabled Reading to come from behind to hold off Wigan 3-2. The loss was the visiting Latics' club-record ninth straight.
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