Sinha sends Toluca to Champions League semis

March 18, 2010

Sinha sends Toluca to Champions League semis
Antonio “Sinha” Naelson converted two second-half free kicks and twice rallied Toluca to a 3-2 victory over a 10-man Columbus Crew, sending it to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League.

Toluca, which won the two-leg series 5-4, will face fellow Mexican side Pachuca, which beat Comunicaciones 2-1 on Tuesday to earn its place in the final four.

(Watch the highlights.)

The result added to Major League Soccer’s futility streak in Mexico, failing to win for the 20th consecutive time in a competitive match.

Hector Mancilla converted a penalty kick a minute and a half after the second-half kickoff and Sinha – who also scored in last week’s 2-2 draw in the first leg — added 25-meter free kicks in the 57th and 72nd minutes.

The Crew led in first-half injury time when Guillermo Barros Schelotto converted a penalty kick, and after Mancilla and Sinha scored his first, equalized in the 70th on the Argentine’s second.

Toluca had the better possession and chances in the first half, twice hitting the crossbar. Isaac Brizuela drove a right-footed blast off the bar in the fourth minute and Mancilla put another off the underside the bar that crashed down on the line before bounding out.

Columbus, which played without Schelotto and captain Frankie Hejduk in the first leg do to accumulated yellow suspensions, went ahead a minute and a half into injury time.

Schelotto tried to return a pass to Eddie Gaven, but Canadian referee called Edgar Duenas for a right hand that knocked the ball down in the area.

With Toluca goalkeeper Miguel Centeno daring Schelotto to shoot to his left by giving him two-thirds of the goal, the Argentina drove it down the middle and then taunted the keeper to spark a shoving match.

Toluca equalized quickly upon the start of the second half when Sinha drew a foul from Gaven as he closed on goal, and Mancilla converted the penalty.

Sinha gave Toluca its first lead nine minutes later, curling a free kick just inside the left post past diving Crew keeper William Hesmer.

Schelotto revived Columbus’ hopes in the 70th, capitalizing on a rebound after Steven Lenhart, who rallied Columbus last week with a pair of second-half goals, volleyed Danny O’Rourke’s cross onto the right post. The ball fell to Schelotto, who easily scored from inside the goal box.

Columbus’ chances took a blow in the 80th when Lenhart, who was cautioned in the first half, was sent off for an off-the-ball incident.

Nestor Calderon tried to secure the victory in the 86th, curling a ball off the right post.

TOLUCA, Mexico

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CCL quarterfinal berth would complete triple for Crew

October 20, 2009


The Columbus Crew already has clinched a berth in the Major League Soccer playoffs and could lock up a second consecutive Supporters Shield.

A berth in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals would make a nice triple.

That’s why the squad wasn’t that upset following a 1-0 loss to D.C. United at RFK Stadium Saturday night.

“We can clinch the second round of the Champions League and that is a very important game for the guys and also for the club,” coach Robert Warzycha said. “We can bounce back from this game. We have a game against New England at home. The game against Puerto Rico is very important.”

Columbus has seven points from five matches and is two points in front of Deportivo Saprissa for second place in Group C. A win or a draw at Puerto Rico sends the Crew through to the Champions League knockout stage.

Saprissa must travel to Mexico City to play already qualified Cruz Azul, needing a least a victory to have any chance of advancing.

With Tuesday’s game against Puerto Rico on his mind, Warzycha sat Brian Carroll and Gino Padula, while Argentine veteran Guillermo Barros Schelotto played less than an hour on Saturday.

“We have another very important game against Puerto Rico, so I was trying to rest some guys basically for that game against Puerto Rico and obviously give some minutes to the other guys,” Warzycha said.

Puerto Rico, a semifinalist last season, already has been eliminated from contention. And with the United Soccer Leagues season over, the Islanders are looking to play the part of spoiler in Bayamon.

“If you look at the bigger picture, we need to get some type of result in Puerto Rico, which isn’t going to be easy,” Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers said. “It may be raining down there and the field is going to be bad as well.”

Cruz Azul already has clinched its berth in the Champions League quarterfinals, but La Maquina will look to bounce back from what coach Enrique Meza viewed a disappointing 3-1 win against Estudiantes Saturday at Estadio Azul.

Los Azulinos needed goals by Javier Oroczco and Emanuel Villa in the final 10 minutes to defeat 10-man Estudiantes. Rogelio Martinez also scored in the 46th minute for La Maquina, which has 21 points in Group 3 of the Mexican Apertura.

“We did not do anything right, but a victory under those circumstances I find extremely valuable,” Meza said. “We had no conjunction, we lacked mobility and we took risks, but they did not capitalize.”

Columbus won in Costa Rica and drew with Saprissa in its home leg to assure itself of winning any tiebreaker against the Central American club. Now it still needs a draw to assure MLS of at least one team in the knockout stage.

By Dylan Butler

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Late goal keeps Saprissa alive, denies Columbus

September 30, 2009


Alexander Robinson headed in a dramatic equalizer in second-half stoppage time and Deportivo Saprissa drew 1-1 with Columbus Tuesday night, keeping alive the Costa Rican club’s hopes of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals.

The late goal denied the Crew of a place in the quarterfinals, sending Group C to the final match day on October 20.

Robbie Rogers converted a first-half penalty kick to give the defending MLS Cup champions the lead and until Robinson’s goal, a berth in the knockout round. Two points ahead of Saprissa, Columbus still has the advantage.

Having won 1-0 at Saprissa two weeks ago, Columbus will need only a draw in its final game at the Puerto Rico Islanders to advance, while Saprissa will need to win at home against Cruz Azul and hope Puerto Rico can beat Columbus.

The Crew attacked from the outset and led after Walter Centeno slid over the ball and caught Guillermo Barros Schelotto with a tackle in the box in the 24th minute.

Centeno was cautioned for the rash challenge and Schelotto was sent to the sideline because of a bloody shin. The Argentine legend attempted to return to take the penalty, but was forced to remain off the field. Instead it was Rogers, the young American international, who stepped to the spot, slotting his low attempt to Keilor Navas’ right in the 27th minute.

Moments later, Emmanuel Ekpo made a spectacular darting run, but both Rogers and Alejandro Moreno had their attempts blocked.
Saprissa nearly equalized in the 34th minute as Kendall Watson got in behind the Crew defense and latched onto Centeno’s free kick just inside the six-yard box. But Watson could only get a touch on the ball and it rolled wide of the net.

Just before the half, Rogers played a deep cross to the back post, but Schelotto and Moreno both went for the ball and Schelotto’s header sailed wide of the net.

Ekpo made another dangerous run and forced Navas to make a kick save. The Nigerian forward collected the rebound, but headed wide of the net in the 57th minute.

Both teams appealed for penalties in the final 21 minutes as Moreno went down in the box in the 69th minute and Saprissa sought a handball call on Columbus defender Gino Padula, who cleared Watson’s header off the line in the 76th minute.

Just moments from being eliminated, Saprissa found the elusive equalizer in the second minute of second-half stoppage time. Robinson got onto the end of Centeno’s free kick and his downward header from the edge of the six-yard box went through Columbus goalkeeper Will Hesmer’s legs to give El Monstruo Morado a share of the points.

COLUMBUS

Source

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Puerto Rico, Cruz Azul set for 2009 semifinal rematch

September 15, 2009


In a rematch of last year’s CONCACAF Champions League semifinals, the Puerto Rico Islanders will host Cruz Azul on Tuesday night in Bayamon.

While the Islanders, which were eliminated last year on penalty kicks, would love their revenge, Puerto Rico is playing for Champions League survival after failing to secure a point in its first two matches.

After three consecutive victories following a 3-1 loss to Deportivo Saprissa in their Champions League match, the Islanders have dropped back-to-back United Soccer Leagues First Division matches. A 5-2 drubbing by Minnesota was followed by a 2-1 road defeat to the Carolina RailHawks on Saturday.

In third place in the USL-1, Puerto Rico has just one game remaining in their regular season, heading to South Florida to take on Miami FC Blues Saturday night.

Goalkeeper Bill Gaudette, who was suspended for the Islanders last group match because of yellow card accumulation, has missed the last two league matches because of a knee injury. The American, though, is expected to play against Cruz Azul.

The Islanders have also lost Domenic Mediate and Sandy Gbandi to injury.

“We cannot make excuses. We must move forward,” Puerto Rico coach Colin Clarke said. “Now comes the important part of the season as the playoffs begin. We also have a great game on Tuesday, which I think we need to win to get through the group stage.”

Cruz Azul will come in confident, especially after a 1-0 victory on Saturday against Atlas at Estadio Jalisco. Mario Ortiz scored the dramatic 90th-minute winner for La Maqunia, which is one point in front of Santos in the Mexican Apertura’s Group 3. Cruz Azul has won three straight league games.

Saprissa and the Columbus Crew are tied with three points apiece in Group B and they’ll clash at the Monster’s Cave in San Jose, Costa Rica on Wednesday night.

On Sunday, Saprissa rallied from an early deficit to draw 1-1 with Herediano at Estadio Rosabel Cordero. Armando Alonso Rodriguez struck for the equalizer in the 42nd minute for Saprissa, which remains unbeaten in Costa Rica’s Invierno 2009.

On an Eddie Gaven stoppage time penalty kick, the Columbus Crew defeated the Houston Dynamo 2-1 Sunday at Crew Stadium. Columbus maintains a three point advantage over the Chicago Fire in the MLS Eastern Conference and now move two points in front of Houston in the race for the Supporters Shield, awarded to the regular-season champion.

It was a contentious match, which saw both teams have a man sent off after an altercation between Columbus’ Adam Moffat and United States international Ricardo Clark of Houston in the 82nd minute. Gaven’s PK was also hotly disputed and reportedly words were exchanged between Crew star Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Houston coach Dominic Kinnear in the tunnel after the match.

“We won. That is more important, not what is said by the Houston coach” Schelotto said. “It’s his problem, not my problem. We played very good, better than them and we won.”

By Dylan Butler

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