Juan Aurich qualify for group phase in Copa Libertadores
February 4, 2010
Peruvian team Juan Aurich secured a berth in the group phase of the Copa Libertadores thanks to a 4-1 aggregate victory over Estudiantes Tecos in the qualifying round.
Juan Aurich had already won their home match 2-0 and went on to win the second leg as well.
On an extremely wet pitch at Zapopan’s Tres de Marzo stadium, the Peruvian visitors took the lead after 44 minutes through Panamanian striker Luis Tejada.
And the guests removed any doubt in the 74th minute when Colombian Roberto Ciciliano made it 2-0. Both Ciciliano and Tejada joined Juan Aurich from Colombia’s Millonarios during the January transfer window.
Tecos, with a numeric advantage due to Willy Rivas’ red card in the 66th minute, pulled one back through Fredy Bareiro in minute 76 but the goal was to no avail.
Juan Aurich advance to Group 3, where they will meet with Estudiantes of Argentina, Bolivar of Bolivia and Alianza Lima of Peru.
Tags: 44 minutes, aggregate victory, Alianza, alianza lima, Argentina, avail, bolivar, bolivia, colombia, copa libertadores, doubt, group phase, Lima, luis tejada, match 2, millonarios, peru, pitch, Roberto Ciciliano, striker, tecos, tres de marzo, Willy Rivas, zapopanRelated posts
Cruzeiro crush Potosi to advance to Libertadores group phase
February 4, 2010
Brazilian outfit Cruzeiro scored no less than seven goals in their home match with Real Potosi of Bolivia to secure a spot in the group phase of the Copa Libertadores.
Last week’s first leg in Bolivia ended in a 1-1 draw but at home, Cruzeiro were of a different class.
Marquinhos Parana put the Brazilians in the lead after 28 minutes, shortly followed by a goal from Thiago Ribeiro for 2-0. Kleber added a third in the 39th minute for a 3-0 half time score.
The second half began in exactly the same manner as the first half had ended as Cruzeiro continued to dominate and Jonathan made it 4-0 in the very first minute after the break.
The worst was yet to come for the visiting side as Eliandro (88), Bernardo (89) and Joffre Guerron (92) added late goals for a 7-0 final score.
The Bolivians were not helped either by two red cards. Argentinian Gerardo Yecerotte received a direct red card in the 46th minute and Gonzalo Galindo followed with a second yellow in the 74th.
In the group phase, Cruzeiro meet with Velez Sarsfield of Argentina, Nacional of Uruguay and Deportivo Cuenca of Ecuador.
Tags: Argentina, bolivia, bolivians, brazilians, copa libertadores, cuenca, Deportivo, deportivo cuenca, Ecuador, final score, galindo, gerardo, Gerardo Yecerotte, Gonzalo, group phase, half time, home match, jonathan, red cards, sarsfield, second half, Thiago Ribeiro, time score, uruguayRelated posts
Velázquez leads Libertad to Libertadores group phase
February 3, 2010
Two Pablo Velázquez goals put Paraguay’s Libertad in the 2010 Copa Libertadores group stage after a 3-1 second-leg win over Venezuela’s Deportivo Táchira gave them a 3-2 aggregate triumph.
Despite Libertad firmly controlling the proceedings early, Táchira snatched the advantage completely against the run of play on the half-hour mark.
A corner kick to the center of the area was headed on twice, first by Armando Maita and then José Villafraz, to Pedro Boada, whose half-volley eluded Libertad goalkeeper Bernardo Medina.
Libertad kept up the pressure got their deserved goal in the 40th minute when, after Sanhouse vacated his goal to chase down a loose ball, Rodolfo Gamarra did well to control and fire in from a tough angle on an overhead kick.
In the 68th minute, an attempted clearance by Sanhouse led to Libertad taking a 2-1 lead.
After making the stop on a close-range shot by Rodolfo Gamarra, his kick away deflected off defender Harold Viáfara. Velásquez took full advantage and slotted home to level the tie at 2-2, though Libertad still trailed on away goals.
That situation lasted only until the 82nd minute when Velásquez took fired a phenomenal drive from 25 yards out that beat Sanhouse low to the right post.
Roberto Gamarra could have made it four for Libertad, but missed from the spot late on.
Libertad now advance to play in Group 4 with their first match on 16 February at home against Blooming of Bolivia.
Tags: 16 february, Armando Maita, boada, bolivia, close range, Copa, corner kick, gamarra, Goalkeeper, group phase, group stage, half hour, half volley, Harold ViÃ, libertad, loose ball, maita, Medina, overhead kick, Pablo VelÃ, paraguay, Pedro Boada, proceedings, Roberto Gamarra, Rodolfo Gamarra, triumph, venezuelaRelated posts
Cruzeiro held at Real Potosi in Copa Libertadores
January 28, 2010
Cruzeiro are not quite as close to the group phase of the Copa Libertadores as they hoped for, after a 1-1 draw at Real Potosi on Wednesday.
The Brazilians were favorites to win in Bolivia and started well with a seventh-minute goal from Wellington Paulista.
Things became more difficult though when Gilberto was sent off in the 21st minute, which allowed Real Potosi to gain a little more control over the match.
And with just two minutes to go in extra time, it was Argentinian substitute Roberto Carlos Correa to net the equaliser and keep Potosi alive in this tie.
The return match between these to teams will be played in February 3. The winning team will be joining Velez Sarsfield, Colo-Colo and Deportivo Italia in Group 7.
Tags: bolivia, brazilians, colo colo, copa libertadores, cruzeiro, Deportivo, equaliser, extra time, Gilberto, group phase, Libertadores, minute goal, paulista, return match, roberto carlos, Roberto Carlos Correa, substitute, Wednesday, Wellington, winning teamRelated posts
Star skipper Eto’o backs his Cameroon fighters
January 21, 2010
African superstar Samuel Eto’o is banking on fighting spirit driving Cameroon into the Cup of Nations quarter-finals on Thursday.
The ‘Indomitable Lions’ tackle fellow former champions Tunisia at the new 20,000-seat Tundavala Stadium in this southern Angola town and the stakes are sky high.
Victory for four-time title holders Cameroon over the ‘Carthage Eagles’ and they are definitely through to the last-eight phase of the biennial African football showcase.
A draw might suffice, depending on what happens between leaders Gabon and lowly Zambia at Ombaka Stadium in Benguela; a loss will condemn one of the pre-tournament title favourites to a humiliating early exit.
But three-time African Footballer of the Year and Inter Milan striker Eto’o says the thrilling come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Zambia last Sunday rekindled his pride in the national team.
“I was so proud to be Cameroonian that night, to be part of a team that displayed so much character and could rise to the occasion in the most difficult of situations,” said the ‘Lions’ captain.
“It was a very difficult match for us with Zambia playing so well and defeat stared us in the face midway through the second half, but we fought on knowing the implications of not securing maximum points.”
The striker who succeeded long-serving defender Rigobert Song as skipper when French coach Paul Le Guen took control last August, played a central role in the recovery by scoring the second goal with a trademark clinical finish.
And Eto’o, who helped Cameroon conquer Africa in 2000 and 2002, and is the leading all-time Cup of Nations scorer with 17 goals, has reason to be hopeful against a Tunisian side that must triumph to survive the group-phase cull.
The countries have clashed three times in the 53-year Africa Cup of Nations with a 1-1 stalemate in 1982 followed by Cameroon victories in a 2000 semi-final and a 2008 quarter-final.
It was 3-0 in Nigeria 10 years ago and 3-2 after extra time in Ghana two years ago after one of greatest games of a great tournament was settled by a Stephane Mbia strike on 92 minutes.
This Nations Cup may have kicked off with Ivory Coast the almost unanimous media favourites, but few rejected the possibility that Cameroon could go all the way and come within one title of six-time champions Egypt.
Captain and defender Karim Haggui accepts Tunisia came into the Cup wearing a work-in-progress tag as caretaker coach Faouzi Benzarti put his faith in youth after a shock failure to reach the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
“We have a young team in Angola that is improving with every game. Chances were missed in our draws against Zambia and Gabon due to inexperience,” confessed the sole survivor of the 2004 Cup-winning squad.
“However, the outcome of this group is far from settled. We still have to face Cameroon and a win takes us through to the knockout stage,” added the 25-year-old ‘veteran’ of the ‘Eagles’ squad.
LUBANGO, Angola (AFP)
Tags: africa cup of nations, african football, african footballer of the year, angola town, cameroon, Carthage, coach paul, early exit, fighting spirit, french coach, Gabon, ghana, greatest games, group phase, indomitable lions, inter milan, Ivory Coast, Karim Haggui, maximum points, Milan, nigeria, Ombaka Stadium, Paul Le, paul le guen, quarter finals, samuel eto, South Africa, southern angola, time in ghana, time title, Tundavala Stadium, Tunisia, ZambiaRelated posts
Minute of silence prior to African Cup matches
January 11, 2010
All of the first eight group matches at the African Cup of Nations, which started on Sunday, will be preceeded by a minute of silence for victims of the attack on Togo’s team bus on Friday.
The Confederation of African Football said in a statement, released on Sunday, that it “will observe a minute of silence prior to each match of the first round of fixtures in each of the four groups in memory of the two unfortunate members of the Togolese delegation, Amelete Abalo, assistant coach and Stan O’Cloo, media officer”.
The Togo team bus had only just crossed the border with Angola when they were attacked by a group of terrorists.
Although Togo players decided to stay in Angola, they were eventually called back by their government. Togo were scheduled to face Ghana, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire in the group phase.
Tags: abalo, african cup of nations, Angola, burkina faso, cloo, confederation of african football, cote d ivoire, delegation, group phase, match, memory, minute of silence, Stan O'Cloo, team bus, terrorists, TogoRelated posts
Fulham, Valencia face do-or-die Europa League ties
December 16, 2009
Fulham, Valencia, Genoa and Lille are among the sides bidding to reach the knockout stage of the Europa League as the competition’s group phase reaches its conclusion this week.
Premier League representatives Fulham are looking to join Roma in qualifying from Group E but face a winner-takes-all match at Swiss outfit Basel on Wednesday.
“We entered (the tournament) for experience and for the joy it gives our supporters and we’ve given them fantastic value at home in all the games we’ve played,” said Fulham coach Roy Hodgson.
“We’ve certainly not let ourselves down away from home. We won’t let ourselves down in Basel. We want to win, we’d like to win and we’ll try to win, don’t worry about that.”
Group B announced itself as the tournament’s most difficult pool at the group stage draw and Valencia, Lille and Genoa can all qualify going into their final matches in the group, with leaders Valencia hosting Genoa and Lille taking on Czech side Slavia Prague in northern France.
FC Copenhagen travel to Sparta Prague with both sides level on seven points in Group K, while Lille’s compatriots Toulouse have a must-win game at Club Brugge, who are a point above Alain Casanova’s team in Group J.
“It’s the final of the group. It will be decided between them and us,” said Toulouse captain Etienne Didot.
“We knew that after drawing against Bruges at home (2-2) we would definitely have to win there to qualify. We’re going there convinced that we can qualify and I think we’re going to do it.”
Fifteen clubs have already made sure of a place in the knockout phase, including Everton, Villarreal, Roma, Werder Bremen, Benfica and defending champions Shakhtar Donetsk, last season’s UEFA Cup winners.
The list of top-rank contenders for the inaugural trophy now also features the eight third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage, with Liverpool, Juventus and German champions Wolfsburg likely to pose the biggest threat to the sides already in the competition.
The draw for the round of 32 takes place at UEFA’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday.
PARIS (AFP)
Tags: Alain Casanova, benfica, Bremen, brugge, champions league group, club brugge, compatriots, copenhagen, czech side, fc copenhagen, fulham, genoa, german champions, group phase, group stage, knockout stage, Lille, Liverpool, northern france, PARIS, PRAGUE, premier league, roy hodgson, seven points, sparta prague, Switzerland, top rank, Toulouse, uefa cup winners, Valencia, Villarreal, werder bremenRelated posts
Maradona should be calm, says Bilardo
December 5, 2009
Carlos Bilardo, General Manager of the Argentinian national team, says that coach Diego Maradona has a reason to be calm ahead of next June’s World Cup group phase.
Argentina has little reason to complain, having drawn into Group B with Nigeria, Korea Republic and Greece.
“I always say it, we have to respect every rival. There are no easy opponents at the World Cup. But what we do know is that we already know the three teams we will play against,” Bilardo said.
Bilardo added that the locations at which the matches are played, favor Argentina’s accomodation plans. The ‘Albiceleste’ are set to stay in South Africa’s capital city Pretoria, not far from Johannesburg where the team play their first two games.
“It will be good to finish the matches and be at home to rest just a few hours later.”
Maradona himself did not assist Friday’s draw as he is banned following his insults in a post-match press conference last month.
Tags: accomodation, albiceleste, Argentina, carlos bilardo, coach, diego maradona, greece, group phase, johannesburg, korea republic, match, nigeria, opponents, pretoria, South Africa, two games, World CupRelated posts
Italy eliminates United States from U-17 World Cup
November 5, 2009
Jack McInerney missed a penalty and the United States finished with 10 men, falling to Italy 2-1 on Wednesday and exiting the Under-17 World Cup in the second round.
It was the fourth straight trip to the knockout rounds of the tournament for the United States, the only nation to have qualified for all 13 U-17 world championships.
Italy used goals by Giacomo Beretta in the 29th and Pietro Iemmello in the 56th to subdue the Americans, one of two teams from CONCACAF to advance past the group stage.
Nick Palodichuk scored the lone goal for the United States in the 51st minute, which equalized until Iemmello replied five minutes later for Italy.
McInerney, who had two goals during the group phase, had a chance to put the Americans ahead in the 17th minute after Italian defender Federico Mannini was called for a handball, but the 16-year-old from the Atlanta region was unable to capitalize on the penalty.
Reserve Italian goalkeeper Francesco Bardi, playing in place of injured regular Mattia Perin, was able to save the spot kick.
McInerney had another chance in the 49th, taking a ball after Luis Gil had worked past two defenders, but put his shot from eight meters off the crossbar.
The Americans were reduced to 10 men in the 93rd minute when Eriq Zaveleta was ejected after apparently elbowing Italy’s Felice Natalino.
Mexico, CONCACAF’s last remaining team will face Korea Republic on Thursday in its attempt to reach the quarterfinals.
KADUNA, Nigeria
Tags: Atlanta, atlanta region, crossbar, Felice Natalino, Francesco Bardi, giacomo beretta, Goalkeeper, group phase, group stage, handball, jack mcinerney, Kaduna, korea republic, lone goal, Luis Gil, mattia, Mexico, natalino, Nick Palodichuk, perin, Pietro Iemmello, quarterfinals, straight trip, world championships, World Cup, zaveletaRelated posts
Women’s World Cup: Russia host Ireland in vital qualifier
October 24, 2009
Group 6 of the European qualifiers for the next Women’s World Cup may be one of the most difficult to predict, but Russia could certainly make a big difference with a good result against Ireland on Saturday.
The Russians bowed out of last month’s European Championships following a disappointing group phase, but will be motivated to make amends in this qualifying campaign.
The start has been positive for Russia, with a 1-2 victory in and against Switzerland, a potential dark horse in this group.
There is some bad news for Russia ahead of this game, as goalkeeper Elvira Todya damaged her knee ligament and is recovering from the subsequent surgery.
Ireland failed to qualify for this year’s European Championships, losing to Iceland in the qualifying play-off. The opening qualifier with Switzerland didn’t look promising either as it ended in a 2-0 defeat in the town of Niedermatten.
But Ireland went on to beat Kazakhstan 2-1 and realize that a win over Russia, though against the odds, could well improve their chances in this group. However, a second defeat may mean an early end to their ambitions. As such, pressure will be mostly on the visiting side in this game.
It is the second consecutive time that these two teams meet in World Cup qualifying. Ahead of the last tournament, Russia won the home match 5-1 and added a 0-2 victory in the away game.
The match is to be played at Krasnoarmeysk’s Rossijanka stadium and starts at 13:30 Central European Time, 15:30 local time.
Jonathan Roorda
Tags: ambitions, central european time, consecutive time, elvira, Elvira Todya, Goalkeeper, group phase, Iceland, Ireland, kazakhstan, knee ligament, local time, match, Niedermatten, odds, russia, Switzerland, todya, victory, World CupRelated posts
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