MLS: First Win For Impact; Timbers Blow Another Lead And Lose Again At Home; Goose Eggs For Sounders and DCU; Red Bulls, SKC, Quakes, RSL Win

Seven games were played in Major League Soccer on Saturday.


At Montreal:


Sinisa Ubiparipovic (18') and Andrew (Don't Call Me Arsene) Wenger (80') each scored a goal as the Montreal Impact collected their first-ever MLS victory, 2-1 at home over Toronto FC.


At Columbus, Ohio:


Kenny Cooper (3', 12') and Thierry Henry (39', 90') each scored twice as the New York Red Bulls ran over the home-standing Columbus Crew 4-1.


At Kansas City, Kansas:


Kei Kamara scored the only goal of the match in the 39th minute as Sporting Kansas City maintained their 100% start to the MLS season with a 1-0 home win over the surprisingly struggling Los Angeles Galaxy.


At Santa Clara, California:


Chris Wondolowski scored twice in the second half (68', 77') as the San Jose Earthquakes overtook the visiting and previously unbeaten Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1.


At Washington:


The contest between DC United and the visiting Seattle Sounders ended in a 0-0 stalemate.


At Sandy, Utah:


Alvaro Saborio (20') and Fabian Espindola (56') each delivered a goal as Real Salt Lake blanked the visiting Colorado Rapids 2-0.


At Portland, Oregon:


Alejandro Moreno (48') and Nick Labrocca (82') provided the scoring as Chivas USA came from behind to upend the Portland Timbers 2-1 on the road.


MLS STANDINGS:


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


1. Kansas City (GP: 5; GD: +7; PTS: 15)
2. New York (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
3. Houston (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
4. Columbus (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
5. New England (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
6. DC United (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
7. Chicago (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
8. Montreal (GP: 6; GD: -7; PTS: 4)
9. Philadelphia (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 1)
10. Toronto FC (GP: 4; GD: -7; PTS: 0)


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


1. Real Salt Lake (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 15)
2. San Jose (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 12)
3. Colorado (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 9)
4. Vancouver (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 8)
5. Seattle (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
6. FC Dallas (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 7)
7. Chivas USA (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
8. Portland (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
9. Los Angeles (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 3)

Home Win For The Dark Blues

At Dundee, Scotland:


Stephen O'Donnell (11') and Steven Milne (57') provided the tallies as Dundee defeated visiting Falkirk 2-1 in Saturday Scottish First Division action.

1-1 Home Draw For TNS

At Oswestry, England:


Rhys Griffiths' penalty kick in the 21st minute lifted Llanelli to a 1-1 Saturday Welsh Premier League Championship Group road draw with The New Saints.  Nicky Ward scored at 14 minutes for the hosts.

Ajax Cape Town Blow Two-Goal Lead At Home And Settle For Draw

At Cape Town, South Africa:


David Mathebula (56') and Siyabonga Nomvethe (62') provided the goal power that enabled Moroka Swallows to erase a two-goal deficit on the road and gain a 2-2 Saturday South African Premier Soccer League draw with Ajax Cape Town.  The hosts' scores came courtesy of Brent Carelse (25') and Lebogang Manyama (52')

Home Win For League-Leading Boca

At Buenos Aires:


Juan Insaurralde (44') and Dario Cvitanich (65') propelled Argentinian Primera Division-leading Boca Juniors to a 2-1 come-from-behind Saturday home win over Argentinos Juniors.

CAF Champions League: AFAD, Al-Merreikh Advance

Action from the first round of the CAF Champions League continued on Saturday with two games.


At Abidjan, Ivory Coast:


Kouakou Amoro scored twice (PK-15', 60') as AFAD Djekanou defeated visiting JSM Bejara 3-0 in game two and won their two-match series 5-1 on aggregate.


At Omdurman, Sudan:


Kelechi Osunwa scored twice (11', 43') as Al-Merreikh scored all their goals in the first half in their 3-0 game-two home win over FC Platinum en route to their elimination of the Zimbabwean club 5-2 on aggregate.

1-1 Road Draw For Sarajevo

At Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina:


FK Sarajevo battled home-standing Celik to a 1-1 Saturday Bosnian Premier Liga draw.

Tigres Drop Local Derby To Striped Gang

At Monterrey, Mexico:


Jesus Aldo De Negris scored both goals (43', 54') in Monterrey's 2-0 Saturday Mexican Primera Division victory over visiting Tigres. 

With Contract Extension In Hand, Super Mario Boosts Bayern By Augsburg

At Munich, Germany:


Mario Gomez, fresh off signing a contract extension (until 2016), scored twice (1', 60') as Bayern Munich held off visiting FC Augsburg 2-1 in Saturday German Bundesliga action.  The hosts are currently three points in back of front-running Borussia Dortmund, who they face this coming Wednesday.

Rossoneri Fall At Home----Then Fall Out Of First Place

At Milan, Italy:


Stevan Jovetic (47') and Carvalho Amauri (89') provided the scoring that boosted Fiorentina to a 2-1 come-from-behind road win over AC Milan in Saturday Italian Serie A action.  The defeat, combined with a later 2-0 road win at Palermo for Juventus knocked the Rossoneri off the top of the league standings, now occupied by The Old Lady.

Parakeets Erase Two-Goal Deficit To Salvage Home Draw

At Barcelona:


Goals from Vadim Demidov (OG-45') and Vladimir Weiss (47') enabled Espanyol to come back from a two-goal deficit and gain a 2-2 home draw with Real Sociedad in Saturday Spanish Primera Division action.  Carlos Vela scored both of the Basque region-based visiting club's goals during a three-minute first-half span (12', 15').

'Gers Down Buddies To Tighten Grip On Second Place

At Glasgow, Scotland:

Lee McCulloch (1'), Andrew Little (40'), and Kyle Lafferty (PK-60') each scored once as Rangers tightened their hold on Scotland's second UEFA Champions League berth with a 3-1 Saturday Scottish Premier League home win over St. Mirren.

BHOYS LOCK UP SPL CROWN

At Kilmarnock, Scotland:

Charlie Mulgrew (8', 35') and Gary Hooper (44', 90') each scored twice as Celtic destroyed Kilmarnock 6-0 on the road on Saturday to lock up the Scottish Premier League championship (and a berth in the Champions Path of the third qualifying round for next season's UEFA Champions League).

Scorless In Woking

At Woking, England:

The Saturday English Conference National contest between relegation-threatened Hayes & Yeading and visiting Cambridge United concluded in a 0-0 stalemate.

Blades Whack Cherries For Fourth Straight Win

At Sheffield, England:

Ched Evans (34') and Richard Cresswell (50') provided the scoring as Sheffield United found themselves in second place in the English League One standings following their 2-0 Saturday home blanking of AFC Bournemount.

Home Setback For Forest

At Nottingham, England:

Chris Wood converted a penalty kick in the 54th minute as Bristol City defeated Nottingham Forest 1-0 oin the road on Saturday in a battle of clubs fighting to avoid relegation from the English League Championship.

Pistol Pete Helps Potters Sink Wolves

At Stoke-on-Trent, England:

Peter Crouch scored the winning goal in the 61st minute as Stoke City came from behind to defeat relegation-threatened Wolverhampton 2-1 in Saturday English Premier League action.  The defeat marked the sixth in a row for Wolves, who have had one point from seven games since Terry Connor took over from the fired Mick McCarthy.  The visitors have gone winless in their last eight league contests.

Road Win For The Roses

At Murska Sobota, Slovenia:

Franklin scored the only goal of the match in the 20th minute as ND Gorica defeated Mura 05 1-0 on the road in Saturday 1.SNL action.

Late Goal Makes It A "W" For OFK Belgrade

At Smederevo, Serbia:

Augusto Batioja scored the only goal of the match in the 81st minute on Saturday as OFK Belgrade defeated Smederevo 1-0 on the road in Serbian Super Liga action.

Another Bad Loss For Red Dogs

At Bucharest, Romania:

Hamza Younes (59'), Daniel Oprita (69'), and Damien Boudjemaa (90'+1) delivered the goals as relegation-thretened Petrolul Ploiesti knocked off Dinamo Bucharest 3-1 on the road in Saturday Romanian Liga I standings.  The Red Dogs continue to trail league-leading CFR Cluj by three points.

Mike And Dan Push Legia To Home Triumph

At Warsaw, Poland:

Michal Kucharczyk (57') and Danijel Ljubola (84') provided the goal power that lifted Polish Ekstraklasa-leading Legia Warsaw to a 2-0 home win over Ruch Chorzow.  A road win would have put Ruch in the league lead.

Blues Escape With Win In Championship Round Opener

At Belfast, Northern Ireland:

Jamie Mulgrew scored the winning goal in the 88th minute on Saturday as Linfield defeated visiting Portadown 2-1 in the opening contest of the IFA Premiership's Championship Round for both clubs.

Road Win Over Basment Occupiers Keeps Buducnost On Top In Montenegro

At Kotor, Montenegro:

FK Buducnost Podgorica remained atop the Montenegrin First League standings following their 3-1 Saturday road win over basement-residing and relegation-threatened Bokelj.

Cactus Back To Winning Ways By Sticking It To Tallinna Kalev

At Tallinn, Estonia:

Valeri Minkenen scored twice (PK-15', 51') as FC Flora returned to their Meistriliiga winning ways on Saturday, 3-0 on the road over Tallinna Kalev.

DINAMO ZAGREB GRAB CROATIAN TOP-FLIGHT TITLE AGAIN

At Sibenik, Croatia:

Sammir scored twice (14', 90'+1) as Dinamo Zagreb clinched their fourteenth 1.HNL title on Saturday with their 3-0 road win over relegation-threatened Sibenik.

The Blues will take part in the second round of qualifying for next season's UEFA Champions League (they reached the group stage of this season's competition).

4-2 Road Defeat For Colo Colo

At Santiago, Chile:

Mauro Diaz (43'), Emanuel Herrera (78'),Diego Scotti (86'), and Fernando Cordero (88') each delivered a tally on Saturday as Union Espanola doubled up visiting Colo Colo 4-2 in Chilean Primera Division action.

Jakob's Double Carries Bulls

At Wals-Siezenheim, Austria:


Jakob Jantscher provided both goals (50', 64') in league-leading FC Red Bull Salzburg's 2-0 Saturday Austrian Bundesliga home win over Wacker Innsbruck.

Hyundai A-League Playoffs: OT Goal Sends Perth Glory One Step Closer To Grand Final

At Perth, Australia:


Todd Howarth scored the game-winning goal in the 112th minute on Saturday as the Perth Glory defeated the visiting Wellington Phoenix 3-2 in overtime in their Hyundai A-League minor semifinal contest to advance to next Saturday's preliminary final against the loser of the Central Coast-Brisbane two-match series.

Scoreless Minsk Derby

At Minsk, Belarus:


The Friday Premier League of Belarus match between FC Minsk and visiting Dinamo Minsk ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Another Setback For Winless Leesiders

At Dublin, Ireland:


Daniel Corcoran scored the only goal of the match in the 45th minute as Bohemians defeated still-winless Cork City 1-0 at home in Friday League of Ireland Premier Division action.

Speak For Yourself, Paul.............

Your brief run as manager at Blackburn wasn't so hot.

Home Win Over Nantes Help Keep Monaco Out Of Drop Zone

At Fontvieille, Monaco:

Ibrahima Toure (PK-28') and Valere Germain (66') each delivered a goal as in-form AS Monaco stayed above the French Ligue 2 drop zone after their 2-1 home win over Nantes.

Scoreless In Liege

At Liege, Belgium:

Friday's contest from the Group I playoffs in the Belgian Pro League between Standard Liege and visiting RSC Anderlecht ended in a 0-0 deadlock.

Black Eagles Settle For 1-1 Road Draw In Regular-Season Finale

At Karabuk, Turkey:

Mehmet Yildiz delivered an equalizer in the 24th minute, lifting Karabukspor to a Friday Turkish Super Lig regular-season concluding 1-1 home draw with Besiktas.  Filip Holosko scored in the 17th minute for the Black Eagles, who already qualified for the Championship Group alongside Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, and Trabzonspor.

Dinamo Tbilisi Drop To Fourth Following Friday Home Draw

At Tbilisi, Georgia:

Dinamo Tbilisi dropped down to fourth place in the Georgian Umaglesi Liga standings following their 1-1 Friday home draw with Metalurgi Rustavi.

CAF Champions League: Tunisian Clubs Advance; Al-Hilal Omdurman Too

Three games were played on Friday as first-round action in the CAF Champions League resumed.


At Sousse, Tunisia:

Lasaad Jaziri scored the game---and series----winner in second-half stoppage time (90'+8) as Etoile Sahel won game two at home and the series on aggregate by the same score, 3-2, over APR FC.

At Rades, Tunisia:

Esperace ST dominated game two at home 3-1 and eliminated Brikama United 4-2 on aggregate in their two-game series. Wajdi Bouazzi (40'), Youssef Msakni (45'), and Karim Aouadhi (72') each tallied once for the defending champions.


At Omdurman, Sudan:

Mudather El Tahir (18', 40') and Edward Sadomba (48', PK-65') each scored twice as Al-Hilal Omdurman proved to be too much for DFC8 as they dominated the visiting club from the Central African Republic 5-1 in game two and won the two-game series 8-1 on aggregate.

Gulls Top Stanley In Bid For Automatic Promotion

At Torquay, England:

Rene Howe scored the only goal of the match in the 73rd minute as Torquay United remained on track for automatic promotion from England's League Two following their 1-0 Friday home win over Accrington Stanley.

MLS: Late Goal Lifts Hoops To Home Win

At Frisco, Texas:


Ugo Ihemelu's goal at the death (90'+5) carried FC Dallas to a 1-0 home win over the New England Revolution in the lone Thursday Major League Soccer contest.

Copa Libertadores: The Strongest Prevented From Moving To Knockout-Stage Berth; Club Libertad Clinch Berth In Round of 16

Two games were played in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores on Thursday.


Group One:


At Chiclayo, Peru:


Javier Araujo scored the only goal of the match in the 20th minute as Juan Aurich delivered a crippling blow to the knockout-stage hopes of The Strongest as they knocked off the visiting Bolivian club 1-0.


GROUP ONE STANDINGS:


1. Santos (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 10)
2. Internacional (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 8)
3. The Strongest (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 7)
4. z-Juan Aurich (GP: 5; GD: -6; PTS: 3)


z-Eliminated from tournament


Group Five:


At Asuncion, Paraguay:


Pablo Velazquez (65') and Victor Caceres (90') each scored a goal as Club Libertad locked up a berth in the knockout stage with their 2-1 home win over Club Nacional, eliminating the Uruguayan club from the tournament in the process.


GROUP FIVE STANDINGS:


1. x-Vasco da Gama (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 10)
2. x-Club Libertad (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 10)
3. z-Club Nacional (Uruguay) (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
4. z-Alianza Lima (GP: 5; GD: -5; PTS: 3)


x-Clinched berth in knockout stage
z-Eliminated from tournament

Home Win For Lions

At Copenhagen, Denmark:


Dame N'Doye scored twice in the second half (51', 90') on Thursday as Danish Superliga-leading FC Copenhagen defeated visiting Brondby 3-1.

Europa League: All-Ibernian Semifinals

The quarterfinal round of the Europa League concluded with four games on Thursday.


At Bilbao, Spain:





Ibai Gomez (41') and Markel Susaeta (55') each scored once as a 2-2 game-two home draw was good enough for Athletic Bilbao as they dispatched Schalke 04 6-4 on aggregate in winning their two-game series.


PA photo


At Kharkiv, Ukraine:





Despite dropping a 1-0 game-two decision on the road, Sporting CP still eliminated FC Metalist Kharkiv 3-2 on aggregate.  Ribeiro Cleiton Xavier failed on penalty kick in the 64th minute that would have won the series for the Ukrainian club via the away goals rule.  Here, we see the Lions' Ricky Van Wolfswinkel leaping to use his head.


Getty Images photo


At Hanover, Germany:


Adrian (63') and Falcao (86') each scored a second-half goal as Atletico Madrid topped Hannover 96 2-1 on the road in game two and won their two-match set 4-2 on the road.


At Valencia, Spain:





Adil Rami scored twice in the first half as Valencia (whose players are shown here celebrating) overturned their 2-1 game-one defeat from last week in the Netherlands and buried AZ Alkmaar 4-0 at home in game two and won the series 5-2 on aggregate.


Getty Images photo


At least one club from Spain will play in the Europa League final which will take place on May 9 at National Stadium in Bucharest, Romania.


In the meantime, the semifinal round will open on April 19 as Atletico Madrid will host Valencia and Sporting CP will host Athletic Bilbao with the return matches taking place on April 26 (Atletico Madrid @ Valencia and Sporting CP @ Athletic Bilbao).

1-1 Draw For B36

At Torshavn, Faroe Islands:


The Thursday Faroese Meistaradeildin contest between B36 and visiting IF ended in a 1-1 stalemate.

MLS: Early PK Good Enough For RSL

At Sandy, Utah:


Paulo de Araujo, Jr. converted a penalty kick in the 12th minute for the only goal of the lone Wednesday Major League Soccer contest as Real Salt Lake shut out the still-winless Montreal Impact 1-0 at home.

CONCACAF Champions League: It's An All-Mexican Final

The semifinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League concluded on Wednesday with the second game of each of the two two-match series.


At Torreon, Mexico:


Herculez Gomez (31', 45'+2) and Juan Rodriguez (PK-56', PK-64') each scored twice as Santos Laguna overcame a late 2-1 first-half deficit with four unanswered goals as they defeated visiting Toronto FC 6-2 in game two and took the series 7-3 on aggregate.


At Mexico City:


A 1-1 road draw in game two with UNAM Pumas proved more than sufficient for Monterrey as the defending champions won their two-match series 4-1 on aggregate.  Angel Reyna scored for the Striped Gang in the 35th minute.


The two-game final between Monterrey and Santos Laguna starts in Monterrey in two weeks.

Copa Libertadores: Universidad de Chile Advance To Knockout Stage; Wins For Junior and Emelec; Santos and Internacional Draw At Porto Alegre

Four games were played in the Copa Libertadores' group stage on Wednesday.


Group One:


At Porto Alegre, Brazil:


In an all-Brazilian battle, Alan Kardec's equalizer in the 64th minute lifted Santos to a 1-1 road draw with Internacional.  Nei scored at 8 minutes for the hosts.


Group Two:


At Guayaquil, Colombia:


Luciano Figueroa scored twice (33', 82') as Club Sport Emelec stayed very much alive in their effort to advance to the knockout stage with a 3-2 home win over Flamengo.


GROUP TWO STANDINGS:


1. Lanus (GP: 5; GD: +8; PTS: 10)
2. Club Olimpia (GP: 5; GD: -5; PTS: 7)
3. Club Sport Emelec (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
4. Flamengo (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 5)


Group Three:


Ivan Velez (45'), Luis Paez (85'), and Vladimir Hernandez (90') each delivered a goal as Junior de Barranquilla avoided elimination from the tournament with a 3-0 home domination of Universidad Catolica.


Group Eight:


At Mendoza, Argentina:


Angelo Henriquez scored the only goal of the match in first-half stoppage time (45'+2) as Universidad de Chile locked up a berth in the knockout stage with a 1-0 road win over Godoy Cruz.

UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid and Chelsea Advance To Semifinals

The quarterfinal round of the UEFA Champions League concluded on Wednesday with two games.

At London:



Frank Lampard (PK-20', that's him here) and Raul Meireles (90'+2) each scored a goal as Chelsea defeated visiting SL Benfica 2-1 in the second match of the two-game series and took the set 3-1 on aggregate.

PA photo

At Barcelona:




Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice (25', shown here, 74') as Real Madrid had their way with visiting APOEL FC 5-2 in game two of their two-match series, which the Galacticos won 8-2 on aggregate.


Getty Images photo

The semifinal round will begin on April 17 when Bayern Munich will host Real Madrid in the opening game of their two-game series, with Chelsea hosting Barcelona in game one of their series the next day.

The return matches will be played on April 24 (Chelsea @ Barcelona) and 25 (Bayern Munich @ Real Madrid).

The winners will face off in the final on May 19 at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.

Scoreless Draw In Nova Gorica

At Nova Gorica, Slovenia:

The Wednesday Slovenian top-division match between ND Gorica and visiting league-leading Maribor ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Late Goal Sinks OFK Belgrade

At Belgrade, Serbia:

Nikola Yujadinovic scored the winning goal in the 84th minute as Javor Ivanjica helped themselves in their battle against relegation from the Serbian Super Liga with a 3-2 road win over mid-table OFK Belgrade.

AFC Champions League: Pakhator, Al-Ittihad, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Pick Up Wednesday Wins

Wednesday marked the midway point of AFC Champions League group-stage play with eight games contested.


Group B:


At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:


Sherzod Karimov (9'), Dilshod Sharofetdinov (74'), and Temurkhuja Abdukholikov (90') each delivered a goal as Pakhtakor defeated visiting Al-Arabi 3-1


At Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:

Naif Hazazi's penalty kick in the 80th minute provided all the scoring in Al-Ittihad's 1-0 home win over Bani Yas.


GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Al-Ittihad (GP: 3; GD: +7; PTS: 9)
2. Bani Yas (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. FC Pakhtakor Tashkent (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
4. Al-Arabi (GP: 3; GD: -6; PTS: 0)


Group D:


At Dubai, United Arab Emirates:

Yoo Byung-Soo provided the game-tying goal in the 69th minute to carry Al-Hilal to a 1-1 road draw with Al-Shabab.  Jociel Ferreira Ceil da Silva scored for the hosts at 37 minutes.


At Doha, Qatar:

Gholamreza Rezaei (2'), Eamon Zayed (5'), and Javad Kazemian (73') each tallied once as Persepolis dominated Al-Gharafa 3-0 on the road.


GROUP D STANDINGS:

1. Persepolis (GP: 3; GD: +8; PTS: 7)
2. Al-Hilal (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. Al-Gharafa (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 2)
4. Al-Shabab (GP: 3; GD: -5; PTS: 2)


Group F:


At Ulsan, South Korea:


Lee Jae-Seong's 64th-minute equalizer enabled Ulsan Hyundai to salvage a 1-1 home draw with the Brisbane Roar.  Nicholas Fitzgerald scored for the Australian club in the 36th minute.


At Beijing, China:


Aria Hasegawa's equalizer in the 44th minute carried FC Tokyo to a 1-1 road draw with Beijing Guoan.  Wang Xiaolong converted a penalty kick for the hosts in the 10th minute.


GROUP F STANDINGS:


1. FC Tokyo (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
2. Ulsan Hyundai FC (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Beijing Guoan (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 2)
4. Brisbane Roar (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 2)


Group H:


At Kashiwa, Japan:


The contest between Kashiwa Reysol and visiting Guangzhou Evergrande ended in a 0-0 stalemate.


At Buriram, Thailand:


Lee Seung-Hyun (9') and Seo Sang-Min (33') provided the goal power as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors shut out Buriram United 2-0 on the road.


GROUP H STANDINGS:


1. Buriram United (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
2. Kashiwa Reysol (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 4)
3. Guangzhou Evergrande FC (GP: 3: GD: 3; PTS: 4)
4. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (GP: 3; GD: -6; PTS: 3)

Copa Libertadores: Absolute Domination By Lanus; Alianza Lima, Deportivo Tachira Eliminated

Three games were played in the Copa Libertadores as action in the group stage resumed.


Group Two:


Mariano Pavone scored twice (13', 54') as Lanus annihilated visiting Club Olimpia 6-0.


Group Five:


Fellipe Bastos scored twice (17', 70') as Vasco da Gama opened up a three-point lead atop Group Five by beating Alianza Lima 2-1 on the road, eliminating the Paraguayan club from the tournament in the process.


Group Six:


At San Cristobal, Venezuela:


Christian Gimenez leveled the score in the 83rd minute as Cruz Azul moved to the top of the Group Six standings with their 1-1 road draw with Deportivo Tachira, knocking the Venezuelan club out of the tournament.

UEFA Champions League: It's The Semifinals For Barca, Bayern

Two games were played on Tuesday as the second half of the quarterfinal round of the UFEA Champions League commenced.

At Barcelona:



Lionel Messi converted a pair of first-half penalty kicks (11', 41') as Barcelona took out visiting AC Milan 3-1, both in game two of their two-match series, and the series itself on aggregate.  Barca qualified for their fifth consecutive appearance in the Champions League's semifinal round.  Shown here is Andres Iniesta, when he scored Barca's third goal in the 53rd minute.


At Munich, Germany:



Ivica Olic scored both goals (13', 47'; that's him with his first score) as Bayern Munich defeated Mareille 2-0 for a second time in their two-game series and took the series 4-0 on aggregate.


Getty Images photos

Road Win For U's

At Lincoln, England:

Tom Shaw scored the only goal of the match in the 49th minute as Cambridge United defeated Lincoln City 1-0 on the road in Tuesday action from England's Conference National.

AFC Champions League: Al-Jazira, Al-Arayyan Collect Wins; Gamba Osaka, Pohang Steelers, Nagoya Grampus Too

Eight games were played on Tuesday as group-stage action in the AFC Champions League resumed.

Group A:

At Tehran, Iran:

Juma Abdullah (6') and Jader Volnei Spindler (73') each scored once as Al-Jazira defeated Esteghlal 2-1 on the road.

At Al-Rayyan, Qatar:

Rodrigo Tabata (9'), Daniel Goumou (65'), and Ahmed Alaaeldin (88') each delivered a goal as Al-Rayyan defeated visiting Nasaf Qarshi 3-1.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Al-Jazira (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
2. Esteghlal Tehran FC (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. Al-Rayyan (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Nasaf Qarshi (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 1)

Group C:

At Isfahan, Iran:

Burno Correa scored the winning goal in the 88th minute as Sepahan defeated visiting Lekhwiya 2-1.

At Dubai, United Arab Emirates:

Victor Simoes (27') and Taisir Al-Jassim (51') each scored a goal as Al-Ahli held off Al-Nasr 2-1 on the road.

GROUP C STANDINGS:

1. Sepahan Esfahan FC (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
2. Al-Ahli (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. Al-Nasr (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Lekhwiya (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)

Group E:

At Osaka, Japan:

Two successful penalty kicks from Rafinha (58', 82') helped carry Gamba Osaka to a 3-1 home win over FC Bunyodkor.

At Pohang, South Korea:

Kim Dae-Ho scored the only goal of the match in the 68th minute as Pohang Steelers blanked visiting Adelaide United 1-0.

GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. Pohang Steelers (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
2. Adelaide United (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
3. Gamba Osaka (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
4. FC Bunyodkor(GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)

Group G:

At Gosford, New South Wales, Australia:

Everton Santos' equalizer in the 57th minute lifted Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma to a 1-1 road draw with the Central Coast Mariners.  The recently-crown Hyundai A-League regular-season champs got their score in the 50th minute from Adam Kwasnik.

At Tianjin, China:

Jungo Fujimoto (24'), Keiji Tamada (49'), and Kensuke Nagai (73') each tallied once as Nagoya Grampus dominated Tianjin Teda 3-0 on the road.

GROUP G STANDINGS:

1. Nagoya Grampus (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 5)
2. Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. Central Coast Mariners (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Tianjin Teda FC (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 2)

Dinamo Tbilisi Held To 1-1 Home Draw

At Tbilisi, Georgia:


The Monday Georgian Umaglesi Liga Championship Round contest betweenhome-standing Dinamo Tbilisi and Kolkheti Poti ended in a 1-1 draw.

CAF Champions League: Scoreless Series Opener In Benin

At Cotonou, Benin:


The opening game of a first-round series in the CAF Champions League, postponed from last month due to the turmoil in Mali in which junior military officers overthrew the civilian government, between Tonnerre and visiting Malian club Stade Malien de Bamako, ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

MLS: Rapids, SKC Post Sunday Shutout Wins

Two games were played in Major League Soccer on Sunday.


At Commerce City, Colorado:


Omar Cummings (58') and Kamani Hill (90'+2) provided the scoring as the Colorado Rapids blanked the visiting Chicago Fire 2-0.


At Carson, California:


C. J. Sapong scored the only goal of the match in Sporting Kansas City's 1-0 road win over Chivas USA as the visitors maintained their 100% start to the MLS season.


MLS STANDINGS:


EASTERN CONFERENCE:


1. Kansas City (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 12)
2. New York (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
3. Columbus (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
4. Houston (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
5. New England (GP: 4; GD:-1; PTS: 6)
6. DC United (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
7. Chicago (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
8. Philadelphia (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 1)
9. Montreal (GP: 4; GD: -7; PTS: 1)
10. Toronto (GP: 3; GD: -6; PTS: 0)


WESTERN CONFERENCE:


1. Real Salt Lake (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
2. San Jose (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 9)
3. Colorado (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 9)
4. Vancouver (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
5. Seattle (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
6. Portland (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
7. FC Dallas (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 4)
8. Los Angeles (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
9. Chivas USA (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 3)

Dominating Win Puts Boca Back On Top In Argentina

At La Plata, Argentina:


Santiago Silva (9'), Pablo Ledesma (23'), and Pablo Mouche (67') each delivered a goal on Sunday as Boca Juniors climbed back up to the top of the Argentinian Primera Division standings following their 3-0 road win over Estudiantes.

Late Goal Nets Road Point For Millonarios

At Tunja, Colombia:


Humberto Osorio's 89th-minute equalizer lifted Millonarios to a 1-1 Sunday Colombian Primera A road draw with Boyaca Chico.  Jorge Correa tallied for the hosts at 57 minutes.

Goose Eggs For Yellow Submarine And Parakeets

At Villarreal, Spain:


The Sunday Spanish Premiera Division contest between Villarreal and visiting Espanyol ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Giorgio Chinaglia, Former Lazio, Cosmos Striker, R. I. P.

Giorgio Chinaglia, who formerly starred for Lazio in Italy, then starred for the New York Cosmos in the original North American Soccer League, passed away on Sunday at his Florida home after suffering a heart attack at age 65.


Mr. Chinaglia was noted in both Italy and the United States for his goal scoring prowess.


Giorgio scored 98 goals in 209 games for the Rome-based Young Eagles before joining the Cosmos in 1976 (where he ended up being teammate with Pele and Franz Beckenbauer).  He scored 193 goals in 213 games for the Cosmos.


Girogio also played for the Italian national team, having won 14 caps.

Black Eagles Fall At Home

At Istanbul:


Murat Yildirim scored the only goal of the match in the 70th minute as Samsunspor defeated Besiktas 1-0 on the road on Sunday in the Turkish Super Lig as the Red Lightning still have slim hopes of avoiding relegation.  

1-1 Home Draw For Club Africain

At Tunis, Tunisia:


Youssef Mouihbi's 55th-minute penalty kick lifted Club Africain to a 1-1 Sunday Tunisian Ligue 1 home draw with Marsa, whose goal also came through a successful penalty, Bilel Ben Messaoud converting his spot kick at 37 minutes.

Scoreless Bucharest Derby

At Bucharest, Romania:


The Sunday Romanian Liga I contest between Rapid Bucharest and visiting Dinamo Bucharest ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Late, And I Do Mean Late, Goal Comes Through For Lions

At Leiria, Portugal:


Matias Fernandez scored the only goal of the match during a long period of stoppage time in the second half (90'+11) as Sporting CP inched closer to a shot at European football for next season with a 1-0 road win in Sunday Portuguese Primeira Liga action over relegation-threatened Uniao de Leiria.

Dominating Road Win For Colo Colo

At Talcahuano, Chile:


Carlos Munoz scored twice (PK-12', 90'+1) as Colo Colo dominated Huachipato 3-0 on the road in Sunday Chilean Primera Division action.

Goal At The Death Gains Road Draw For Trond Kids

At Kjeller, Norway:


Mikael Dorsin scored the equalizer in second-half stoppage time (90'+4) as Rosenborg gained a 2-2 Sunday Eliteserien road draw with Lillestrom.  Steffen Iversen scored in the 11th minute for the visiting Trond Kids.  The Canaries' goals came courtesy of Johan Andersson (7') and Luke Rodgers (78').

Metalurg Held To 1-1 Home Draw

At Skopje, Macedonia:


The Sunday Macedonian First League contest between FK Metalurg and visiting Napredok ended in a 1-1 deadlock.

Bluewings Too Much For FC Seoul

At Suwon, South Korea:


Hyun-Beom Park (26') and Stevica Ristic (36') provided the scoring as Suwon Bluewings blanked visiting FC Seoul 2-0 in Sunday  K-League action.

Home Win for The Shamrock (Olympiacos Still Clinch League Crown)

At Athens:


Gergely Rudolf scored the only goal of the match in the 81st minute as Panathinaikos defeated visiting Aris FC 1-0 in Sunday Greek Super League action.  However, the Shamrock's arch-rivals Olympiacos clinched the regular-season title (and a berth in the group stage of next season's UEFA Champions League) with their 1-0 road win over relegation-threatened Panaitolikos.  The Greens will take part in the four-team playoffs for a spot in Champions League third-qualifying-round action.

Road Win For B36

At Klaksvik, Faroe Islands:


B36 remained unbeaten and untied after their first two Meistaradeildin games of the season following their 2-0 road win over KI.

Road Win Keeps Lions Atop Danish SuperLiga Standings

At Lyngby, Denmark:


Dame N'Doye scored twice (45', 88') on Sunday as FC Copenhagen remained three points ahead of FC Nordsjaelland atop the Danish SuperLiga standings following their 3-1 road win over relegation-threatened Lyngby.

Early Goal Sinks Slavia

At Olomouc, Czech Republic:


Zdenk Klesnil's goal in the 10th minute proved enough for Sigma Olomouc as the hosts found themselves five points and two places above the Czech Liga relegation zone following their 1-0 Sunday home win over Slavia Prague.

Home Triumph For Dinamo Minsk

At Minsk, Belarus:


Stanislav Dragun (26'), Sergey Politevich (45'), Pavel Plaskonny (83') each contributed a goal on Sunday as FC Dinamo Minsk shook off an early deficit to overturn visiting Slavia 3-1 in Premier League action from Belarus.

No Joke: Home Win For Sarajevo

At Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina:


FK Sarajevo defeated visiting basement-occupying local rivals Slavija 2-1 in Sunday Bosnian Premier Liga action.

1-1 Home Draw For Anderlecht In Playoffs I Opener

At Brussels, Belgium:


Dieumerci Mbokani's equalizer in the 62nd minute lifted RSC Anderlecht to a 1-1 home draw with Kortrijk in the Belgian Pro League Playoffs I opener for both clubs on Sunday.  The clubs that finished in the top six in the regular-season standings play 10 games each with the top two teams moving on to UEFA Champions League third-round qualifying.  Steven Joseph-Monrose scored for the guests in the 16th minute.  With the recalculated points total, Anderlecht top the group by one point over Club Brugge.

Hyundai A-League Playoffs: Shane Smeltz Hat Trick Makes It Glorious Sunday For Perth

At Perth, Australia:


Shane Smeltz connected on a natural hat trick (65', 75', 90'+2) as the Perth Glory dominated the visiting Melbourne Heart 3-0 on Sunday as the hosts advanced to next weekend's Hyundai A-League minor semifinal against the Wellington Phoenix.

Stoppage-Time Tally Salvages Home Draw For Dinamo Tirana

At Tirane, Albania:


Antonio Marku scored an equalizer at the death (90'+4) as Dinamo Tirana, who also got a tally from Matko Djarmati (54'), gained a 2-2 Sunday Albanian Superliga home draw with Laci.  Elton Dolu (70') and Elio Shazivari (83') provided the second-half scored for  the visitors.

Red Hot Ajax Destroy Heracles To Move To Top Of Eredivisie Standings

At Amsterdam, Netherlands:


Theo Janssen (25'), Lorenzo Ebicilio (48'), Christian Eriksen (53'), Vurnon Anita (63'), Siem De Jong (72'), Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (88') each delivered a goal on Sunday as Ajax Amsterdam scored five goals in the second half en route to a 6-0 home dismantling of SC Heracles to take over first place in the Dutch Eredivisie standings by one point over AZ Alkmaar (held to a 2-2 road draw at Vitesse Arnhem).

Bhoys On Cusp Of SPL Crown

At Glasgow, Scotland:


Georgios Samaras (66') and Chris Millar (OG-70') each provided a goal as Celtic moved within one point of laying claim to the Scottish Premier League championship with a 2-0 home blanking of St. Johnstone.

Stoppage-Time Goal Keeps RB Salzburg Atop Austrian Bundesliga

At Vienna, Austria:


Leonardo de Vitor Santiago's stoppage-time equalizer (90'+1) enabled FC Red Bull Salzburg to gain a 1-1 Sunday Austrian Bundesliga road draw with Austria Vienna, enabling the Bulls to stay atop the league standings by one point over Rapid Vienna.  Tomas Jun scored in the 33rd minute for the fourth-place Violets, who blew a chance to move to within two points of the league lead.