Braga, Porto drop points in Portugal

March 7, 2010

Benfica may well extend their lead in the Portuguese league this weekend after nearest rivals Sporting Braga were held to a goalless draw by Vitoria Setubal.

Braga began the day in second place, one point behind leaders Benfica, and needed a win in order to keep pressure on the Lisbon side.

But the season revelations failed to score at Vitoria Setubal, and as such allow Benfica to add another two points to their advantage when hosting Paços de Ferreira on Sunday.

Defending champions FC Porto needed two late goals to draw 2-2 with Olhanense. The visiting side took a comfortable lead with goals from Djalmir in the 12th and 15th minutes.

But Colombian Radamel Falcao pulled one back in the 80th minute and compatriot Fredy Guarin levelled the score ten minutes later.

Porto are now eight points behind Braga and Benfica. With eight rounds to play, retaining the crown seems to be close to impossible.

Tags: benfica, compatriot, fredy, Lisbon, pacos de ferreira, PORTO, portugal, portuguese league, radamel falcao, revelations, rivals, sporting braga

Montero, Thornton win MLS honors

November 11, 2009

American goalkeeper Zach Thornton and Colombian forward Fredy Montero claimed Major League Soccer season awards on Tuesday, just days after their teams were ousted from the title chase.

Seattle Sounders striker Montero took MLS Newcomer of the Year honors while 36-year-old Thornton of Chivas USA captured the league’s Comeback Player of the Year award to join his MLS Goalkeeper of the Year trophy.

Montero, 22, led the first-year club in scoring with 12 goals, four of them game winners. He joined the Sounders after four seasons with Deportivo Cali in his homeland, including a season on loan to Atletico Huila.

Thornton, in his first full season as a starter since 2006, led Chivas to a mark of 13-11 with six drawn, posting a career-best 12 shutouts with a 0.87 goals-against average, the second best in MLS history.

After eight seasons as a starter for Chicago, Thornton was demoted to a reserve role in 2007 at Colorado and a bench-warmer last year at New York before a late-season trade to Chivas after Brad Guzan left for Aston Villa.

This year, Thornton led Chivas into the MLS playoffs for a fourth season in a row but the club was ousted by its city rival, the Los Angeles Galaxy, in the opening round.

The Galaxy will play host to Houston, which ousted Seattle in another first-round meeting, on Friday with the winner to face either Chicago or Real Salt Lake in the MLS Cup final.

Players, coaches, general managers and media all voted upon the awards.

NEW YORK (AFP)