CONCACAF Champions League: Sounders, Striped Gang Advance To Semis

Two games were played on Tuesday as the second and final week of the CONCACAF Champions League's quarterfinal round commenced.

At Seattle:

Goals from DeAndre Yedlin (53'), Djimi Traore (60'), and Eddie Johnson (75') enabled the Seattle Sounders to bounce back from 1-0 halftime and 2-0 aggregate deficits and upend visiting ten-man Tigres 3-1 in game two and win their two-game series 3-2 on aggregate.  The Sounders became the first Major League Soccer club to eliminate a Mexican club in this tournament since the current format was inaugurated five years ago.

At Monterrey, Mexico:

Walter Ayovi scored in the 63rd minute as Monterrey gained a 1-1 game-two home draw with Zelaju and won their two-match series with the Guatemalan club 4-2 on aggregate.

Copa Libertadores

Group-stage action in the Copa Libertadores continued on Tuesday with four games.

Group Two:

At Lima, Peru:

Irven Avila's equalizer in the 74th minute enabled Sporting Cristal to gain a 1-1 home draw with Club Libertad.  Pablo Velazquez scored for the Paraguayan club in the 53rd minute.

Group Four:

At Buenos Aires:

Federico Insua's successful penalty kick in the 75th minute proved to be the winning goal in Velez Sarsfield's 3-1 home triumph over Penarol.

GROUP FOUR STANDINGS:

1. Velez Sarsfield (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 9)
2. Penarol (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
3. Club Sport Emelec (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
4. Deportes Iquique (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 3)

Group Seven:

At Santiago, Chile:

Maxi Rodriguez (19') and Martin Tonso (84') provided the scoring as Newell's Old Boys blanked Universidad de Chile 2-0 on the road.

Group Eight:

At Caracas, Venezuela:

Edder Farias scored the winning goal in the 67th minute as Caracas FC defeated visiting Gremio 2-1.

GROUP EIGHT STANDINGS:

1. Fluminense (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
2. Gremio (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
3. Caracas FC (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
4. CD Huachipato (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)

UEFA Champions League: Leo The Lion Spurs Barca Past Rossoneri; Galatasaray Oust Schalke On Road

The final week of the UEFA Champions League's Round of 16 commenced on Tuesday with two games.

At Barcelona, Spain:

Lionel Messi scored twice (5', 39', that's him celebrating after scoring his second goal) as Barcelona erased their two-goal aggregate deficit from the series' opening match in Italy and ran roughshod over visiting AC Milan 4-0 in game two and took their series 4-2 on aggregate.

Reuters photo

At Gelsenkirchen, Germany:

Hamit Altintop (37', that's him celebrating), Burak Yilmaz (42'), and Umut Bulut (90'+5) each delivered a goal as Galatasaray knocked off FC Schalke 3-2 on the road in game two and won their two-match series 4-3 on aggregate.

Photo from Yahoo-Eurosport website

AFC Champions League

Group-stage play in the AFC Champions League resumed on Tuesday with eight games.

Group A:

At Al Rayyan, Qatar:

Flavio Paixao (24'), Mehdi Salehi (51'), and Geilson de Carvalho Soares (90') each scored a goal as Tractor Sazi gained a 3-3 road draw with El Jaish.  Wagner Ribeiro scored twice (35', 87') and Adriano Ferreira Martins (67') once for the hosts.

At Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:

Khamis Ismail's equalizer in the 55th minute salvaged a 1-1 home draw for Al-Jazira against Al-Shabab, whose goal came in the 44th minute from Hassan Muath.

GROUP A STANDINGS:

1. Tractor Sazi (GP: 2; GD +2; PTS: 4)
2. Al-Shabab (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
3. El Jaish (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)
4. Al-Jazira (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 1)

Group B:

At Dubai, United Arab Emirates:

Djamshid Iskandarov scored the only goal of the match in the 85th minute as Pakhtakor Tashkent defeated Al-Shabab Al-Arabi 1-0 on the road.

At Damman, Saudi Arabia:

Visiting Lekhwiya and Al-Ittifaq battled to a 0-0 draw.

GROUP B STANDINGS:

1. Pakhtakor Tashkent (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
2. Lekhwiya (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Al-Ittifaq (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
4. Al-Shabab (GP: 2; GD: -2; PTS: 0)

Group E:

At Burinam, Thailand:

FC Seoul held hosts Burinam United to a 0-0 stalemate.

At Nanjing, China:

Jiangsu Sainty and visiting Vegalta Sendai battled to a 0-0 deadlock.

GROUP E STANDINGS:

1. FC Seoul (GP: 2; GD: +4; PTS: 4)
2. Vegalta Sendai (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
3. Burinam United (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
4. Jiangsu Sainty (GP: 2; GD: -4; PTS: 1)

Group F:

At Jeonju, South Korea:

Muriqui's equalizer in the 63rd minute lifted Guangzhou Evergrande to a 1-1 road draw with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.  Kim Jung-Woo scored for the hosts in the 27th minute.

At Saitama, Japan:

Genki Haraguchi scored twice (69', 78') as Urawa Red Diamonds dominated visiting Muangthong United 4-1.

GROUP F STANDINGS:

1. Guangzhou Evergrande (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 4)
2. Urawa Red Diamonds (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
4. Muangthong United (GP: 2; GD: -3; PTS: 1)

MLS: Philly, Goats, Quakes Come Out On Top

Three Sunday games were contested in Major League Soccer.

At Commerce City, Colorado:

In a contest that was postponed from Saturday due to snow, Jack McInerney scored the winning goal in the 79th minute as the Philadelphia Union defeated the Colorado Rapids 2-1 on the road.

At Carson, California:

Juan Agudelo (68'), Tilson Minda (76'), and Giovanny Casillas (90'+3) each delivered a goal for Chivas USA as the Goats downed visiting FC Dallas 3-1.

At Santa Clara, California:

Goals from Adam Jahn (83') and Chris Wondolowski (PK-90'+2) carried the San Jose Earthquakes to a 2-1 come-from-behind win over the visiting New York Red Bulls.

MLS STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

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

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

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

MLS: Big Day For Canadian Clubs; Reds, Caps, Impact Post 2-1 Wins; DCU, Revs Win 1-0

Five games were played in Major League Soccer on Saturday.

At Toronto:

Robert Earnshaw (3', PK-21') scored twice in the first half as Toronto FC knocked off visiting Sporting Kansas City 2-1, ending a 15-match winless streak.

At Washington:

Lionard Pajoy scored the only goal in the 60th minute as DC United blanked visiting Real Salt Lake 1-0.

At Vancouver, British Columbia:

Kenny Miller scored the winning goal in the 57th minute as the Vancouver Whitecaps doubled-up on the visiting Columbus Crew 2-1.

At Bridgeview, Illinois:

Jerry Bengston scored the only goal of the match in the 62nd minute as the New England Revolution defeated the Chicago Fire 1-0 on the road.  The victory ended the Revs' seven-match winless streak (six losses, one draw) at Toyota Park since the stadium opened in 2006.

At Portland, Oregon:

Hassoun Camara (30') and Filipe Martins (60') each scored a goal as the Montreal Impact won another game on Cascadia soil, this time 2-1 over the Portland Timbers.

CONCACAF Champions League: Galaxy and Herediano Battle To Series-Opening 0-0 Draw In Costa Rica

At Heredia, Costa Rica:

Thursday's CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal-round series-opening match between CD Herediano and the visiting Los Angeles Galaxy ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Copa Libertadores: Boca Knocked Off At Home

Thursday saw four games being played in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores.

Group One:

At Buenos Aires:

Andre Scotti scored the only goal of the match in the 20th minute as Club Nacional from Uruguay knocked off Boca Juniors 1-0 on the road.

GROUP ONE STANDINGS:

1. Club Nacional (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
2. Toluca (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. Boca Juniors (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Barcelona (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 2)

Group Three:

At Sao Paulo, Brazil:

Dario Benedetto's penalty kick in the 49th minute gained a 1-1 road draw for Arsenal de Sarandi against Sao Paulo FC.  Jadson scored for the hosts near the end of the first half (45'+3).

At Belo Horizonte, Brazil:

Jo (57') and Ronaldinho Gaucho (73') each scored a goal as Atletico Mineiro held off The Strongest 2-1 at home.

GROUP THREE STANDINGS:

1. Atletico Mineiro (GP: 3; GD: +5; PTS: 9)
2. Sao Paulo FC (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
3. The Strongest (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Arsenal de Sarandi (GP: 3; GD: -4; PTS: 1)

Group Six:

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Omar Perez successfully converted two second-half penalty kicks (59', 77') as Santa Fe came from behind to knock off Cerro Porteno 2-1 on the road.

GROUP SIX STANDINGS:

1. Real Garcilaso (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
2. Santa Fe (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Deportes Tolima (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Cerro Porteno (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 0)

Europa League

Round-of-16 action in the Europa League commenced on Thursday with eight games.

At Moscow:

The opening match between FC Anzhi Makhachkala and visiting Newcaste United resulted in a 0-0 stalemate.

At Plzen, Czech Republic:

Pierre Webo scored the only goal of the match in the 81st minute as Fenerbahce will head back to Turkey following their 1-0 game-one road triumph over FC Viktoria Plzen.

At Stuttgart, Germany:

Honorato Ederson (21') and Ogenyi Onazi (56') each tallied once as Lazio found themselves 90 minutes from the quarterfinal round following their 2-0 road win over VfB Stuttgart in game one of their two-match series.

At Bucharest, Romania:

Raul Rusescu's successful penalty kick in the 34th minute provided all the scoring in Steaua Bucharest's 1-0 game-one home victory over Chelsea.

At Lisbon, Portugal:

Cedric Carrasso's own goal in the 21st minute proved costly for Bordeaux as SL Benfica defeated the visiting French club 1-0 in their series opener.

At London:

Gareth Bale (6'), Gylfi Sigurdsson (18'), and Jan Vertonghen (53') each delivered a tally as Tottenham Hotspur dominated visiting Inter Milan 3-0 in match one of the clubs' two-game series.

At Valencia, Spain:

The opening match between Levante and visiting Rubin Kazan, which saw each club reduced to ten men due to a red-card ejection, concluded in a 0-0 deadlock.

At Basel, Switzerland:

Marcelo Diaz (82') and Alexander Frei (90'+4) each scored once in the waning minutes of game one as FC Basel blanked visiting Zenit Saint Petersburg 2-0.

CONCACAF Champions League: Monterrey Rivals Score Series-Opening Wins

Two games were played on Wednesday as the quarterfinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League continued.

At Quetzaltenango, Guatemala:

Hiram Meir (9'), Aldo de Nigris (43'), and Jesus Corona (76') each tallied once as Monterry bested Xelaju 3-1 on the road in the opening match of their two-game series.

At San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico:

Alan Pulido came off the bench and scored the only goal of the match in the 74th minute as Tigres held off the visiting Seattle Sounders 1-0 in their series opener.

Copa Libertadores

Five more games in Copa Libertadores in group-stage play were contested on Wednesday.

Group One:

At Toluca, Mexico:

Luis Tejada scored the equalizer in the 83rd minute as Toluca gained a 1-1 home draw with Barcelona (of Ecuador).  Damian Diaz scored in the 36th minute for the guests.

Group Two:

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Pedro Benitez (68') and Jose Nunez (88') each scored a second-half goal as Club Libertad came back from a two-goal deficit and salvaged a 2-2 home draw with Sporting Cristal.  Irven Avila scored both of the Peruvian club's goals (25', 65')

At Victoria, Argentina:

Gabriel Penalba scored the only goal of the match (90'+5) as Tigre picked up their first win of the tournament with a 1-0 home win over Palmeiras.

GROUP TWO STANDINGS:

1. Club Libertad (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
2. Sporting Cristal (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Palmeiras (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. Tigre (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)

Group Five:

At Tijuana, Mexico:

Javier Gandolfi scored the only goal of the match in the 67th minute as Club Tijuana defeated visiting Corinthians 1-0.

GROUP FIVE STANDINGS:

1. Club Tijuana (GP: 3; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
2. Corinthians (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Millonarios (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. Club Deportivo San Jose (GP: 3; GD: -5; PTS: 1)

Group Eight:

At Rio de Janeiro:

Nicolas Nunez provided the equalizer in the 71st minute as Huachipato gained a 1-1 road draw with Fluminense.  The hosts lone tally came due to Fred's successful penalty kick in the 31st minute.

UEFA Champions League: PSG, Juve Advance To Quarterfinals

Two more clubs advanced to the quarterfinal round of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

At Turin, Italy:



Alessandro Matri (24') and Fabio Quagliarella (65') provided the scoring as Juventus blanked visiting Celtic 2-0 in game two and handily eliminated the Bhoys 5-0 on aggregate.  Here are happy Old Lady players celebrating.

AFP Photo


At Paris:



Ezequiel Lavezzi (that's him, shirtless, celebrating with teammates) scored in the 65th minute as Paris Saint-Germain gained a 1-1 game-two home draw with Valencia and won their series with the Spanish club 3-2 on aggregate.

Photo from Yahoo-Eurosport website

UEFA Champions League

Round-of-16 action from the UEFA Champions League continued on Wednesday with two games.

At Turin, Italy:

At Paris:

CONCACAF Champions Leauge: Brad Davis' Late Tally Carries Dynamo To Series-Opening Home Win

At Houston:

Brad Davis scored the lone goal of the match in the 89th minute as the Houston Dynamo defeated visiting Santos Laguna 1-0 on Tuesday in the opening match of a two-game quarterfinal series as the knockout stage of the CONCACAF Champions League commenced.

Copa Libertadores

Five games were played on Tuesday as group-stage play in the Copa Libertadores continued.

Group Four:

At Guayaquil, Ecuador:

Marlon deJesus (57') and Vinicio Angulo (75') each scored a goal as Club Sport Emelec held off visiting Deportes Iquique 2-1.

Group Five:

At Bogota, Colombia:

Wason Renteria scored the winning goal in the 81st minute as Millonarios battled back from behind to upend visiting Club Deportivo San Jose of Bolivia 2-1.

Group Seven:

At Asuncion, Paraguay:

Marlon Fernandez (71') and Jose Torrealba (80') each delivered a goal as Deportivo Lara erased a two-goal deficit to gain a 2-2 road draw with Club Olimpia.  Fredy Bareiro scored both of the hosts' goals (32', 48').

At Rosario, Argentina:

Guillermo Marino (4') and Charles Aranguiz (PK-17') each scored a goal as Universidad de Chile held off home-standing Newell's Old Boys 2-1.

GROUP SEVEN STANDINGS:

1. Universidad de Chile (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
2. Club Olimpia (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Deportivo Lara (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
4. Newell's Old Boys (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 3)

Group Eight:

At Porto Alegre, Brazil:

Ze Roberto scored twice (52', 73') as Gremio dominated visiting Caracas FC 4-1.

GROUP EIGHT STANDINGS:

1. Gremio (GP: 3; GD: +5; PTS: 6)
2. Fluminense (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 6)
3. Caracas FC (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. Huachipato (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)

UEFA Champions League: Galacticos Come Back To Oust Red Devils; Dortmund Dominate Shakhtar

The second half of the UEFA Champions League's Round of 16 commenced on Tuesday with two games.

At Dortmund, Germany:



Felipe Santana (31'), Mario Gotze (37', that's him here, celebrating with teammates), and Jakub Blaszczykowski (59') each scored a goal as Borussia Dortmund dominated visiting Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 in the second game of their two match series as the German club eliminated the Ukrainian club 5-2 on aggregate to advance to the quarterfinal round.



At Manchester, England:



Luka Modric (66') and Cristiano Ronaldo (69') each scored a goal three minutes apart in the second half as Real Madrid came from behind to defeat Manchester United 2-1 on the road in game two and won their two-match series with the Red Devils 3-2 on aggregate.  Here, we see referee Cuneyt Cakir ejecting the Red Devils' Nani via the red card in the 56th minute, reducing the hosts to ten men.

AFP photos

CAF Champions League

The preliminary round of the CAF Champions League concluded with 23 games played over the weekend.

Friday's game:

At Niamey, Niger:
The lone Friday contest, a 0-0 deadlock, was good enough for visiting JSM Bejaia as the Algerian club took out hosts Olympic Niamey 3-0 on aggregate for the two-match series.

Saturday's games:

At N'Djamena, Chad:
A 0-0 draw on the road in game two of their series with Gazelle completed a dominating two-game performance for Zamalek as the Egyptian club handily won their series 7-0 on aggregate.

At Kasarani, Kenya:
Peter Opiyo (65'), Andrew Sekayombya (70'), and Joseph Shikokoti (79') provided the scoring punch as Tusker FC dominated visiting St Michael United 3-0 in match two and completed their two-game domination of the club from Seychelles 7-1 on aggregate.

At Mitsamiouli, Comoros:
Takesure Chinyama scored his fifth goal of the two-game series in the 54th minute as Orlando Pirates blasted Djabal Club 4-0 on the road in game two and completed their two-match annihilation of the club from Comoros 9-0 on aggregate.

At Gaborone, Botswana:
Tshepo Motlhabankwe scored the only goal of the match in the 81st minute as Mochudi Centre Chiefs racked up a second successive 1-0 victory, this time at home, and finished off CD Maxaquene 2-0 on aggregate.

At Bakau, Gambia:
Andre Ndame Ndame scored what proved to be the series-winning goal in the 65th minute as FUS Rabat, despite dropping a 2-1 game-two decision on the road, still won their two match series with Real de Banjul due to the away goals rule (the aggregate score was 2-2).


At Abidjan, Ivory Coast:
After a scoreless series opener in Guinea, Gabriel Pacome (23'), Halidou Idrissa (58'), and Rostan Kakou (78') each scored a goal as Sewe Sports defeated visiting Horoya 3-0 in game two and on aggregate for the series.

At Freetown, Sierra Leone:
A 1-1 game-two deadlock on the road was good enough for AFAD Djekanou as the Ivoronian club took their series with Diamond Stars 6-2 on aggregate.

At Kampala, Uganda:
After a second straight 0-0 stalemate, the two-match series between the Uganda Revenue Authority and visiting Coton Sport went directly to a penalty-kick shootout, won by the club from Cameroon 4-3.

Sunday's games:

At Lome, Togo:
A 2-1 game-two road win for AS Vita Club enabled the Congolese club to finish off Dynamic Togolais 5-1 on aggregate.

At Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:
Saint George hammered visiting Jamhuri 5-0 in game two and handily finished off the club from Zanzibar 8-0 on aggregate.

At Rabat, Morocco:
Marouane Troudi scored the only goal of the match in the 24th minute as CA Bizertin registered a second straight 1-0 win over Al-Ittihad of Libya to win their two-contest series 2-0 on aggregate.  This game was played in Morocco due to security issues in Libya.

At Lobamba, Swaziland:
A 0-0 game-two road stalemate was good enough for Zanaco FC as the Zambian club won their two-match series with Mbabane Swallows 3-2 on aggregate.

At Bujumbura, Burundi:
Despite dropping a 1-0 decision at home in match two, Vital'O won their two-game series with Armee Patriotique Rwandaise FC due to away goals.  The score was 2-2 on aggregate.

At Calulo, Angola:
Dorivaldo Antonio Dias scored twice (9', 87') as Recreativo do Libolo buried visiting Simba 4-0 in game two and won their series with the Tanzanian club 5-0 on aggregate.

At Malabo, Equatorial Guinea:
Yusif Aziz scored the only goal of the match in the 64th minute as Ghana's Asante Kotoko defeated Ela Nguema 1-0 on the road in game two and completed their two-match fist beating of the Equatorial Guinean club 8-0 on aggregate.

At Libreville, Gabon:

Despite dropping a 1-0 game-two decision on the road to CF Mounana, Leopards won their two-game series 2-1 on aggregate.

At Bangui, Central African Republic:

A 0-0 stalemate on the road in game two proved to be much more than good enough for Kano Pillars as the Nigerian club defeated Olympic Real 5-1 on aggregate for the series.

At Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso:

After a second successive 1-1 draw in game two resulted in a 2-2 two-match series aggregate, the series went directly to a penalty-kick shootout and hosts ASFA Yennenga defeated visiting ASPAC from Benin 5-4 to advance to the first round proper.

At Dakar, Senegal:

Karim Ben Badji's stoppage-time goal (90'+4) enabled Casa Sport to gain a 1-0 game-two home win over Moghreb Tetouan, squaring the two-contest series a 1-1 on aggregate.  The Senegalese club then won the penalty-kick shootout 3-1 to advance to the first-round proper.

At Monrovia, Liberia:

Edoa Nga scored the only goal of the match in the 86th minute as US Douala from Cameroon took game two 1-0 on the road and eliminated the Liberia Ship Corporate Registry Football Club 3-1 on aggregate.

At Antananarivo, Madagascar:

Despite a 1-0 game-two road defeat to AS Adema, Primeiro de Augusto still won their two-match series 4-3 on aggregate.

At Maseru, Lesotho:

Despite dropping a 1-0 game-two road decision to the Lesotho Correctional Services, Zimbabwe's Dynamos still won their two-game series 3-1 on aggregate.

MLS: Galaxy and RSL Gain Shutout Wins; Timbers Erase Two-Goal Deficit To Gain Home Draw With Red Bulls

Three games were played in Major League Soccer on Sunday.

At Carson, California:

The Los Angeles Galaxy launched their search of a third straight MLS Cup title with a 4-0 home dousing of the Chicago Fire as Mike Magee delivered a hat trick (38', 68', 74') in their first match of the post-David Beckham era.

At Portland, Oregon:

Jamison Olave, who had scored in the 28th minute for his club, delivered an own goal in the 83rd minute as the Portland Timbers came back from a two-goal halftime deficit to gain a 3-3 season-opening home draw with the New York Red Bulls. Diego Valeri (14') and Darlington Nagbe (56') each scored once for the Timbers while all three Red Bulls tallies came from ex-Real Salt Lake players, with Fabian Espindola scoring twice (9', 24').  This was the weekend's lone stalemate.

At Santa Clara, California:

Alvaro Soborio scored both goals (71', 85') as Real Salt Lake knocked off the San Jose Earthquakes 2-0 on the road.  The Quakes were undefeated at home during the regular season last season and this defeat ended their 18-match home unbeaten run.

MLS STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

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

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

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

MLS: Impact Knock Off Sounders In Seattle; SKC, Dynamo, Caps, Hoops, Crew Also Grab Season-Opening Wins

Six games were played on Saturday as Major League Soccer launched its' 18th regular season.

At Chester, Pennsylvania:

Graham Zusi (41'), Oriol Rosell (66'), and Claudio Bieler (83') each scored a goal as Sporting Kansas City came from behind on the road to overtake the Philadelphia Union 3-1.

At Vancouver, British Columbia:

Gershon Koffie scored the only goal of the match in the 60th minute as the Vancouver Whitecaps downed visiting Toronto FC (still in search of their first playoff appearance as they opened their seventh season) 1-0.

At Houston:

Goals from James Riley (OG-80') and Ricardo Clark (89') carried the Houston Dynamo to a 2-0 home win over DC United.

At Frisco, Texas:

Jackson scored the only goal of the match in the 11th minute as FC Dallas defeated the visiting Colorado Rapids 1-0.

At Seattle:

Davy Arnaud scored the only goal of the match in the 35th minute as the Montreal Impact knocked off the Seattle Sounders 1-0 on the road.

At Carson, California:

Federico Higuain got the scoring started in the 51st minute while Josh Williams added an insurance tally in the 88th minute as the Columbus Crew broke open a tight game and hammered Chivas USA 3-0 on the road.