Five-year-old Brujas joins Champions League field

December 30, 2009

Brujas FC has won its first Costa Rican league title in its five-year existence and will join the CONCACAF Champions League field next season.

It prevailed over Puntarenas on penalties 5-4 after a 1-1 draw in Monday’s second leg of the Costa Rican Invierno finals, becoming the 11th team in the 24-club field and guaranteeing itself a place in the Preliminary Round.

Brujas, which replaced the folded Guanacasteca in the Costa Rican first division 2004, has qualified for the domestic league playoffs in eight of the 11 seasons since its founding, and every season since the playoffs were expanded to eight teams.

After a 0-0 draw in the first leg on Wednesday, Puntarenas went ahead Tuesday with a 14th-minute goal by Luis Lara. Daniel Jimenez equalized in the opening minute of the second half, a goal which eventually forced extra time and penalties.

The qualification of Brujas fills nearly half of the field for the 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champions League, joining Real Salt Lake, the Columbus Crew, Los Angeles Galaxy and Seattle Sounders from the United States’ Major League Soccer, Monterey and Cruz Azul from Mexico, FAS of El Salvador, Municipal of Guatemala, Marathon from Honduras and Arabe Unido of Panama.

Walter Ferreti put itself in position to claim Nicaragua’s lone berth by beating Real Esteli 4-1 on Sunday and claiming the Central American league’s Apertura title 4-2 on aggregate. The team with the best overall record between the Apertura and Clausura champion will earn Nicaragua’s place in the Preliminary Round.

The 2009-2010 CONCACAF Champions League resumes with the first leg of the quarterfinals on March 9 when the Crew hosts Toluca.

NEW YORK

Concacaf

Tags: aggregate, apertura, Arabe, arabe unido, berth, Central American, columbus crew, concacaf champions league, cruz azul, Daniel Jimenez, extra time, Galaxy, Guatemala, Honduras, league playoffs, Los Angeles, los angeles galaxy, Luis Lara, Major League Soccer, Mexico, minute goal, monterey, New York, Nicaragua, Panama, puntarenas, quarterfinals, real esteli, real salt lake, Seattle, seattle sounders, Toluca, United States, Walter Ferreti

Panama claims last quarterfinal berth

July 13, 2009

GLENDALE, Arizona – Panama secured a slot in the Gold Cup quarter finals with a 4-0 win against short-handed Nicaragua in a Group C match at the University of Phoenix Stadium on Sunday.

Blas Perez (35th minute), Gabriel Gomez (56th) and substitute Luis Tejada scored twice (76th and 88th) for Panama, which guaranteed at least a third-place finish in the group.

La Marea Roja or “The Red Wave” awaited the result of the Mexico-Guadeloupe match to know who will be its next opponent and next venue.

Nicaragua, which participated in the Gold Cup for the first time, was eliminated. Nicaragua played the second half with 10 men after Franklin Lopez was ejected for kicking Gabriel Gomez in the second minute of injury time.

Lopez also received a yellow card in the 27th minute.

Things wouldn’t get better for Nicaragua.

Perez’s goal came off Victor Herrera’s centered pass. Herrera tried sending a ball from left to right into the penalty box, but it ricocheted off a Nicaragua defender, redirecting the ball enough to float near the mouth of the goal.

Perez was charging into that area before diving to complete the header for the score by sending the ball past Nicaragua goalkeeper Denis Espinoza, who couldn’t react in time.

The ball shot past the hands of Espinoza, who didn’t have time to stretch for the ball.

Perez’s goal was his second of the tournament. He also scored in Panama’s 1-1 draw with Mexico Thursday.

Tejada, who came in for Blas in the 66th minute, sent in two easy goals.

His first came off a mistake by Espinoza, who knocked high a Jorge Garces shot over his head, setting up Tejada to push the ball in with his chest.

Tejada also beat Espinoza for his second goal, this time rounding the goalkeeper to his right and sending a rolling shot into an open net.

Panama came into the match missing four starters due to disciplinary card suspensions.

Felipe Baloy, Nelson Barahone, Armando Gun and Ricardo Phillips served one-game suspensions.

Victor Herrera, Jose Solanilla, Carlos Rivera and Manuel Torres started in their place.

Nicaragua finished the match down a man men after Lopez was sent off for kicking Gomez while the Panamanian midfielder was on the ground.

Panama created a handful of scoring opportunities in the first half.

It’s clearest before Perez’s goal came in the 29th minute. It also involved Perez.

He had a shot via a header off Garces’ floating pass but Espinosa got a fist on the ball, redirecting it onto the crossbar denying the score.

Nicaragua had the first three plays at goal but couldn’t complete them.

Coach Otoniel Olivas’ squad resembled a last place team in its first international tournament.

Wayward passes, lost balls, off target shots, defensive miscues and a little misfortune described Nicaragua’s night.

Nicaragua’s clearest shot at goal came early in the match.

Striker Samuel Wilson sent a header straight to the hands of Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo in the ninth minute.

Wilson also couldn’t complete a play that included a filtered pass from Rudel Calero.

David Solorzano sent a left-footed blast from about 30-yards out but a well-positioned Penedo caught the shot in the 17th minute.

That was Nicaragua’s last real threat with a man down and its hopes to continue in the Gold Cup diminishing.

By: Ivan Orozco

Tags: Arizona, armando, Armando Gun, blas perez, carlos rivera, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, David Solorzano, Denis Espinoza, espinoza, Felipe Baloy, Franklin Lopez, Gabriel Gomez, garces, Glendale, glendale arizona, Goalkeeper, gold cup, gomez, group la, guadeloupe, injury time, Ivan Orozco, Jorge Garces, Jose, la marea roja, luis tejada, Manuel Torres, Marea Roja, Mexico, Nelson Barahone, Nicaragua, Otoniel Olivas, Panama, penalty box, quarter finals, Ricardo Phillips, samuel wilson, suspensions, university of phoenix, university of phoenix stadium, Victor Herrera, yellow card

Panama through, Nicaragua and Jamaica knocked out

July 13, 2009

Panama are through to the quarter finals in the CONCACAF Gold Cup following a very convincing 4-0 win over fellow central Americans Nicaragua. As a result, Jamaica are eliminated as well.

Blas Perez put Panama ahead after 35 minutes, and things became even harder for Nicaragua when Lopez got red-carded just before half time.

Gomez made it 2-0 in the 56th minute and two late goals from substitute striker Luis Tejada set the final score to 4-0.

Panama are certain of third place in this group. As both they and Group B’s Haiti have more points than Jamaica, the Caribbeans are no longer part of the tournament.

If Mexico lose to Guadeloupe in Sunday’s other group game, Panama would even finish in second position, thereby avoiding a meeting with hosts USA in the next round.

By: Jonathan Roorda

Tags: caribbeans, Central Americans, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, concacaf gold cup, fellow, final score, gomez, group game, guadeloupe, Haiti, hosts, Jamaica, jonathan, luis tejada, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, quarter finals, roorda, USA

Perez gives Panama 1-1 draw with Mexico

July 10, 2009

HOUSTON – Mexico and Panama drew 1-1 Thurday night, a match which included a 12-minute delay late in the second half for pushing and shoving match with players leaving the bench and debris from the stands.

The result clinched quarterfinal berths for Canada, the United States and Guadeloupe, which beat Nicaragua 2-0 earlier in the evening.

The match finished with three players ejected as well as a coach — Mexican manager Javier Aguirre.

What was already a tense match turned ugly when Panama’s Ricardo Phillips pushed Aguirre near the Mexican bench. Phillips reacted after Aguirre appeared to kick him as Phillips dribbled the ball down the sideline. Aguirre extended his leg to stop the ball and made contact with Phillips.

Phillips pushed the coach and Mexico’s bench immediately reacted.

Soon drink cups and other items rained onto the field from the stands, mostly toward Panama players and its bench.

Panama players on the bench walked to the middle of the field in protest while Mexican players tried to calm the partisan crowd.

Peace was restored but not after both teams lost momentum.

The match was testy early but reached a peak when Mexico midfielder Luis Noriega and Panama’s Armando Gun were shown straight red cards for a mini-altercation during first-half injury time.

Gun took umbrage at a foul by Giovani dos Santos near Panama’s bench. He reacted and Noriega responded to Gun’s aggression, prompting a brief skirmish between both teams.

That’s when referee Joel Aguilar took out his red card and showed it to Noriega and Gun.

Players from both sides also exchanged pushes earlier in the match that totaled 25 fouls (Mexico 16, Panama nine) in the first 45 minutes.

Things perhaps heated after Panama’s Blas Perez led an elbow to the back of Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa in the 14th minute while Ochoa went up for a long centered pass that sailed over the crossbar.

Ochoa laid inside his goal for a couple of minutes, reaching for his lower back. He remained in the match.

The fighting overshadowed the match that featured goals by Mexico’s Miguel Sabah and Panama’s Perez.

Sabah scored 10 minutes into the match. Perez scored 19 minutes later.

Sabah sent Giovanni dos Santos’ rolling cross to the opposite post to beat Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo, sending his shot into the lower right corner of the net.

Dos Santos broke away with only the goalkeeper to beat when Israel Martinez filtered a pass through Panama defenders near the left sideline.

Dos Santos then sprinted about 40 yards before sending the ball for Sabah, who finished for his first goal in four caps with El Tri.

It was also the 500th goal in Gold Cup history.

Sabah was the Mexican Clausura scoring champion in his first season with Monarcas Morelia.

It was Panama’s leaders and national icons that helped “La Marea Roja,” the Red Wave. It was those same leaders that are very familiar with Mexican soccer.

That includes Perez.

The Panama forward and Felipe Baloy play in the Mexican Premier division.

Perez tied the game in the 29th minute after he forced his way through two Mexican defenders. He tapped in a bouncing ball near the mouth of the goal past Ochoa.

Perez, who plays for Pachuca, reached a Baloy pass via header while Mexico defenders Jose Castro and Jonny Magallon watched the play develop.

Mexican defenders displayed their displeasure briefly pointing fingers, pointing at the ground near the scene of the defensive mishap while screaming at each other.

Baloy, who has made a career in Mexico playing for Monterrey, out-jumped his man near the penalty mark to send the ball to Blas.

By Ivan Orozco

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Tags: aguilar, altercation, armando, Armando Gun, berths, Canada, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, couple of minutes, crossbar, drink cups, Felipe Baloy, giovanni, guadeloupe, guillermo ochoa, Gun, Houston, injury time, israel, Ivan Orozco, Javier Aguirre, Joel Aguilar, Jose, luis noriega, Marea Roja, Mexico, midfielder, Miguel Sabah, minute delay, Monterrey, Morelia, Nicaragua, Panama, partisan crowd, red cards, Ricardo Phillips, Sabah, Santos, sideline, skirmish, time gun, Tri, United States

Guadeloupe wears down Nicaragua 2-0

July 10, 2009

HOUSTON — Aurelien Capoue set up goals by Stephane Auvray and Ludovic Gotin two minutes apart in the second half, leading Guadeloupe to a 2-0 victory over Nicaragua on Thursday and within sight of the Gold Cup quarterfinals.

Capoue sent in two crosses from the left side, the first that looped over the head of defender Silvia Aviles and to the shin of Auvray — who volleyed it from the edge of the six-yard box, and another that Gotin controled with his left, touched it ahead and finished with his right near the post in the 59th.

The result gave Guadeloupe, which reached the semifinals in 2007, six points and sends it to a rematch in Sunday’s Group C finale against Mexico, which eliminated it two years ago. Nicaragua, making its debut at the Gold Cup, lost for the second straight match and has only a meeting against Panama remaining.

Both teams struggled to impose their will at the outset. However, Guadeloupe gradually started stringing quality passes together and gaining more possession, leaving Nicaragua to counterattack.

Neither team forced the keeper to make a save in the first half, but the game might not have been scoreless at half but for the work of Nicaraguan defender Carlos Alonzo.

Alonzo made three strong last-ditch tackles to break up quality Guadeloupe opportunities. Alonzo cleared out dangerous crosses in the 19th minute and the 29th minute. However, his best effort came in the 36th minute when he made an impressive block on Loic Loval who looked to shoot from 15 yards.

The best chance in the first half came in the 32nd minute, Mickael Tacalfred played a dangerous cross into the box that was laid off by Alphonse to teammate Loic Loval. Loval’s shot from the top of the box deflected off Alphonse and toward goal. The effort had beaten Nicaraguan keeper Carlos Mendieta, but went just wide of goal.

Before the halftime, Guadeloupe appeared to take the lead when defender Cedric Avinel had the ball deflect to him behind the Nicaraguan defense. His effort beat Mendietta, but the referee ruled it offside.

The second half started differently as Nicaragua came out and looked to attack. Rudel Calero found himself at the top of the box with the ball in the 51st minute and created the Abiazueles’ first shot of the match. The effort though was saved well by Guadeloupe keeper Marius Fausta.

With Nicaragua pushing forward, Guadeloupe pounced for its two goals. In the 57th minute, Capoue sent in a cross from the left side of midfield that landed perfectly at the feet of Auvray.

Auvray ran unmarked to just outside the six-yard box and easily beat Mendietta. Capoue helped double the lead, albeit when his cross was a strike behind Gotin at the far post.

Just when it looked like Nicaragua would go quietly, Tacalfred received his second yellow card for a rash challenge in the 67th minute. The Gwada Boys had to play the rest of the way down a man, but never faced a serious challenge from Nicaragua.

By Dwain Capodice

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Tags: alphonse, aurelien capoue, aviles, best effort, Carlos Alonzo, Carlos Mendieta, cedric, Cedric Avinel, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, crosses, Dwain Capodice, gold cup, guadeloupe, Houston, last ditch, ludovic, Ludovic Gotin, Marius Fausta, match, mendieta, Mexico, Nicaragua, outset, Panama, Silvia Aviles, six points, stephane, take the lead, teammate, two minutes

Vela diagnosed with sprain

July 8, 2009

HOUSTON – Carlos Vela’s injury is not as serious as first feared.

At least that’s what Mexico team doctor Radames Gaxiola told reporters in an official statement.

“The injury that is present is medial tibial pain, affecting the ligaments on the right leg,” Gaxiola said. “In simplest terms, he has a sprain.”

Vela injured his right foot early in Mexico’s 2-0 win against Nicaragua Sunday in both teams’ Gold Cup opener in Oakland.

He fell awkwardly after a challenge in the first half and it was initially feared the injury was a fracture. The striker limped off the field 11 minutes into the match.

“In the fifth minute of the first half, Carlos Vela was spun around by a rival player who leaned against him which caused Carlos to incur pain on his right leg,” Gaxiola said.

Vela was taken to a bay area hospital in an ambulance after the Nicaragua game. Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said it was a precautionary measure taken by the team doctor.

“Upon initial treatment, he felt pain on his right fibula. For that reason, after the game I went with him to a hospital to take X-rays and fortunately after evaluating the results it was determined that it was not a fracture,” Gaxiola said.

Vela returned to the team hotel in Oakland in crutches.

It is not clear if Vela will be available to play against Panama at Reliant Stadium Thursday.

By Ivan Orozco

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Tags: ambulance, Carlos, Carlos Vela, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, crutches, fibula, fracture, Gaxiola, gold cup, Houston, initial treatment, ivan, Ivan Orozco, Javier Aguirre, ligaments, Mexico, mexico team, Nicaragua, Oakland, Panama, Reliant Stadium, right foot, sprain, striker, team doctor, team hotel, x rays

Mexico subdues Nicaragua 2-0

July 6, 2009

OAKLAND – A penalty by Luis Noriega late in the first half and a second-half strike by Pablo Barrera helped Mexico to a 2-0 win against Nicaragua in both teams’ Gold Cup opening match Sunday.

Noriega and Barrera’s goals saved three points for Mexico against a Nicaraguan team making its Gold Cup debut and its first appearance in a major international competition.

Mexico, which played most of the match without striker Carlos Vela, came in as a heavy favorite.

Coach Javier “El Vasco” Aguirre’s squad is seeking its fifth Gold Cup title and is trying to restore some credibility in the region after several losses to Central American opponents in World Cup qualifying.

El Tri will take the win to move atop the Group C standings with Guadeloupe, which beat Panama 2-1 in the early match of a doubleheader.

Vela left the game in the 10th minute, limping off the field with a lower right leg injury.

He was carried off the field by two trainers at halftime. He wrapped his arms around their shoulders off both trainers trying to keep pressure of his right leg. The injured was in some sort of wrap.

Chivas de Guadalajara striker Alberto Medina replaced Vela and was key in setting up Barrera’s goal.

Sunday’s match was Vela’s return after sitting out Mexico’s last match, a scoreless draw in a friendly against Guatemala in San Diego.

Noriega converted the penalty kick a minute into injury time.

He sent his shot from the penalty spot to the left of Nicaragua goalkeeper Carlos Mendieta.

Noriega’s score was set up when Nicaragua’s Armando Reyes was whistled for a foul by referee Paul Ward in the 44th minute.

Reyes attempted a tackle from behind on Mexico’s Israel Martinez inside the penalty area but didn’t appear to make heavy contact with Martinez.

Noriega’s score helped send an Oakland-Alameda Coliseum crowd of mostly Mexico fans erupt into cheers as they watched their team head into halftime with the lead.

Nicaragua held to its game plan for most of the first half: defend and look to counter. It worked for more than 45 minutes, until Noriega’s penalty.

Barrera, who replaced Martinez to start the second half, added his goal by tapping in a volleyed pass from right to left by Medina in the 86th minute to seal the match.

Mexico controlled possession in the first half and out-shot Nicaragua 9-1. Nicaragua’s only shot came in the second minute and it almost caught Mexico off guard.

Armando Collado blasted a free kick from 40 yards to the right of Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who had to make a saving dive.

El Tri continued to spread the ball in the second half, creating a few more chances at goal. Nicaragua continued to defend.

Giovani dos Santos sent a header just wide right off a Medina floating centered pass from the right flank into the penalty area in the 54th minute.

Medina and dos Santos created another shot on goal in similar fashion in the 66th minute, but this time a Nicaraguan defender deflected dos Santos’ shot.

Barrera sent a shot from the top of the penalty area with a clean look at goal. But Mendieta held his position to make the save.OAKLAND – A penalty by Luis Noriega late in the first half and a second-half strike by Pablo Barrera helped Mexico to a 2-0 win against Nicaragua in both teams’ Gold Cup opening match Sunday.