(Goal.com) - Luiz Felipe Scolari has sensationally pulled out of the running to be the next England manager just 24 hours after he was considered a dead cert to be Sven-Goran Eriksson's replacement.

The Brazilian, who will manage Portugal at this summer's World Cup finals, revealed in a press conference that he didn't want to be considered for the post anymore.

The 57-year-old, who guided Brazil to the 2002 World Cup, cited pressure from the media as the reason for his shock u-turn.

"There are 20 reporters outside my house now," he said.

"If that is part of another culture, it is not part of my culture. I am not the coach, and will not be (England's) coach."

Posted by soccer365 at 04:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Soccer365.com) - The most famous Mexican player in the world talks about his example to fellow players, his growth as a player, his contract, and a nagging knee injury.

Rafael Marquez is the first Mexican to make it to the Champions League final. Though glad for the achievement, he’s saddened by the lack of compatriots in Europe.

Knowing his influence could open doors for other Mexican players—as it has for Jared Borgetti and Guillermo Franco—he feels it has not been enough to persuade many others from leaving their home roots.

“There aren’t too many Mexicans coming to play over here, and that’s the problem,” Marquez told ESPN Deportes’ RECORD solemnly, “I’ve been out of Mexico for seven years and not many have followed me.”

“I keep trying to bridge the gap, to open doors for players to follow, while furthering my career and reaching my goals.”

Said ambition has turned Marquez into the best Mexican soccer export in recent times, though he’s taking it all in stride.

Maturity

Marquez has clearly evolved, matured as a player. Proof of this is the fact he did not commit a single foul against AC Milan in Barcelona’s semifinal series; not bad for the man who was dismissed from the USA match in ’02 (a 2-0 loss) and red-carded in the ’05 Confederations Cup game versus Argentina.

“You learn from your mistakes, you become mature and try not to repeat them. I’ve matured quite a bit to not repeat those mistakes. In Milan and Barcelona I did well and hope to stay on the same track.”

Rafa admits his expectations have far been exceeded since his arrival in Europe, as this year Barça is on the verge of a championship double—their 18th La Liga title and 2nd Champions League title.

“I dreamed of playing in Europe. I never imagined all that’s occurred, but now that it’s here I want to work hard to continue to reach new heights and keep it up for many years.”

Evidently, greatness is contagious, as being accustomed to playing with the world soccer elite has elevated his game to the highest level, making the Mexican national’s marriage to the Catalan side a success story for all.
“The team has matured greatly, and we’ve worked hard to make this happen. We’ve learned from past mistakes, from lost games.”

Contract Talks

Marquez mentioned there have not been talks to renew his contract, which expires in ’07.
“We haven’t reached an agreement yet,” Marquez said. “Of course both sides are eager to renew, but we have yet to sit down and resolve the issue.”

Toughing it out

Keeping a high level in two tournaments has not been easy for Marquez, as he’s been bothered by ligament strains on his left knee. Surgery’s not an option at the moment; the damage will have to be repaired following the World Cup, and in the meantime, he’ll tough it out.

“I’ve felt much better, but the problems won’t go away,” said Marquez. “Little by little, however, the injury’s getting better, and I’ve had less troubles. I hope to keep going like this as long as possible. If I require surgery I’ll do it at the appropriate time, but right now it’s evolving well. After the World Cup, some time will have to be made for surgery, but not now.”

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Posted by soccer365 at 02:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (65)

(Soccer365.com) - Young Argentinean phenom, Leo Messi is making progress and hopes to play in UEFA Champions League final versus England's Arsenal.

Barcelona and Argentina star Lionel Messi visited a Buenos Aires hospital on Thursday where he had a scan on the muscle injury in his right leg that has kept him out of action for over a month.

Donato Villani, doctor with the Argentina national team, said he was pleased with the progress of the 18-year-old.

"The injury is progressing well but we can not set a date for his return because that would put extra pressure on him," said Villani.

Barcelona's doctors have been in charge of the treatment, according to Villani, who said: "This guy is in Barcelona's hands. The only thing we did is to help Barcelona's medical staff during their stay in Buenos Aires.

"We're in permanent contact with them so it won't be necessary for us to go to Spain to see Lionel."

Barca hope he will be fit for the Champions League final with Arsenal in Paris on May 17.

For more soccer news from around the globe visit Soccer365

Posted by soccer365 at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Goal.com) - Middlesbrough completed one of the most improbable comebacks in UEFA Cup history... again. Heading into the match 'Boro were a goal down to Steaua Bucharest and then 3-0 down 25 minutes into the second leg. But with the Riverside behind them, the English club responded with four goals to advance to the UEFA Cup finals 4-3 on aggregate, repeating a feat they accomplished in the quarterfinals! It will be Middlesbrough's first ever European final.

Middlesbrough 4, Steaua Bucharest 2

Middlesbrough advance to the UEFA Cup finals 4-3 on aggregate

In the quarterfinals Middlesbrough pulled off a similar Houdini trick, when they also overturned a 3-0 deficit to see off Basel.

On this night, Nicolae Dica (16') and Dorin Goian (24') stunned the home crowd as the Romanian outfit sprang to a 3-0 aggregate lead and the advantage of two away goals. Massimo Maccarone pulled one back before halftime for Middlesbrough, though, setting up a wild second half.

With the stadium pulsating, Mark Viduka headed home Middlesbrough's second goal to make the match score 2-2 and the aggregate 3-2 in favor of the Romanians. However, 'Boro needed to win by two goals to advance.

When Chris Riggott pounced on a rebound to bring the match score to 3-2 and the aggregate at 3-3, the anticipation reached a fever pitch.

In an eerie repeat of when he scored the winning goal against Bases (in the 90th minute), Maccarone answered the prayers of the home fans with a fourth and decisive Middlesbrough goal in the 89th minute to complete an improbable turn of events where 'Boro overturned a 3-0 deficit with four goals in less than an hour.

Posted by soccer365 at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

(Goal.com) - Sevilla will meet Middlesbrough in this year’s Uefa Cup final after an extra time goal from Antonio Puerta gave the Spaniards a 1-0 aggregate win over Schalke in the semi-finals.

Sevilla 1, Schalke 0
Sevilla advance 1-0 on aggregate

The local-born midfielder fired a superb half-volley past keeper Frank Rost ten minutes into extra time to send the Sanchez Pizjuan wild.

Chances were at a premium throughout. Kevin Kuranyi headed wide early on before Luis Fabiano and Javier Saviola both went close for Sevilla.

Adriano Correia also fired wide but the two sides went in 0-0 at half-time.

Rost made a fine one-handed save to deny Enzo Maresca a quarter of an hour from the end and the game went into extra time.

After Puerta had won the tie for Sevilla, thousands of fans invaded the pitch to celebrate the team’s qualification for the final.

Posted by soccer365 at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Soccer365.com) - Chivas understands the hardest part of reaching the quarterfinals will be in the away game, but their coach is confident in his squad.

Despite the impressive 3-0 shellacking of Independiente Santa Fe at Jalisco Wednesday, the Chivas are not celebrating just yet.

“I think we took a good advantage, but we still have to play the away match,” said Guadalajara manager, Jose Manuel de la Torre.

“Over there it will be different,” added ‘Chepo’, “I think they’ll play us more aggressive, the fans will do their part.” But the rookie coach was quick to give his team a boost: “But we’re prepared for whatever happens.”

“I feel like my team is capable of securing the away victory if we play with the same intensity and disposition.”
Making his Copa Libertadores debut, Omar Esparza, who played with Mexico’s U-20 championship side, was happy with his contribution.

“It was a great night for me. To make my Copa Libertadores debut with a goal is a dream come true.”
Even outspoken Chivas owner, Jorge Vergara chimed in with his thoughts, as he assured that “three zip is enough and it’s clear we’re going to Bogota to win.”

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Posted by soccer365 at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

(Goal.com) - The Uefa Cup may be a bit of an Ugly Duckling of a competition, a strange hybrid forever in the shadow of the Champions League; but the trophy itself is mammoth, a handsome chunk of silverware to grace any club's sideboard. And now that we're down to the last four, the clubs still involved are desperate to get their hands on it.

One of the quartet has already held it: Schalke 04 were winners in 1996/97, the last year in which the final was played over two legs. Schalke beat Internazionale 1-0 in Gelsenkirchen while Inter won the return 1-0 at the San Siro. And after extra-time failed to separate them, the Bundesliga side won a penalty shoot-out 4-1. Arsenal's man-of-the-moment Jens Lehmann was in goal for Schalke nine years ago and excelled in the shoot-out.

But Schalke's chances of emulating that success are generally perceived to have diminished following last week's goalless draw at home to Sevilla, whose stadium they visit tonight in search of victory.

It may be some comfort to the Germans to know that Huub Stevens, their coach when they won in 1997, believes they can succeed again. Currently coaching Dutch side Roda, Stevens told Uefa's official website: "Of course they still have a chance. Last weekend at Werder Bremen they proved that they can perform away from home [they drew 0-0]. There is enough quality in the team to score in Sevilla and then I can't see any reason why they should not advance."

Tonight's game coincides with the Feria de Sevilla, a week-long annual celebration of Andalusian customs such as flamenco dancing. So there is sure to be festive atmosphere inside Sevilla's Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium, with the home fans hoping their side can reach a European final in their centenary season.

Coach Juande Ramos sounded a word of caution, however. "We cannot afford to get carried away by the euphoria. It is a difficult situation because we need to score, but we can't concede either. I don't like the result as it stands and we have a lot of work still to do," Ramos told uefa.com.

He is looking for the likes of Argentine star Javier Saviola to inspire the side to victory, though his selection options have been constrained by suspensions for Javi Navarro and Kepa Blanco, while Ivica Dragutinovic and Fredi Kanoute may miss out through injury. However, striker Ariza Makukula is available after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Saviola - who scored twice in Sevilla's 4-1 home win over Zenit St. Petersburg in the quarter-final – says: "We want to enjoy and make the most of this match because we don't know when we will play another semi-final like this. We have to play our football, which has got us this far, and be very fast and dangerous."

Sevilla's scheduled game against Barcelona last weekend had to be postponed when a heavy deluge made the pitch unplayable, so thay have inadvertently enjoyed a bit of a break.

But Schalke will not make it easy for the Spaniards. Manager Mirko Slomka is without influential defender Mladen Krstajic following his red card in the first-leg, but Uruguayan Darío Rodríguez should be fit to strengthen the defence.

Schalke midfielder Christian Poulsen said: "It was important not to concede at home, and a 1-1 draw in Seville will be good enough for us. We are certainly strong enough to stand our ground in Spain and reach the final."

They can point to having scored three away goals in Bulgaria in the quarter-final when beating Levski Sofia 3-1, and striker Gerald Asamoah reckons, "We are always likely to score, although the chances are still 50/50." Asamoah's fellow striker Ebbe Sand said: "This is my first European semi-final and my last chance to win a big title. I hope everyone in our team is as motivated as I am."

The other semi-final sees English Premiership side Middlesbrough entertain a top Romanian side in Steaua Bucharest. Boro are trailing 0-1 from the first-leg - when they could well have gone down by a heavier score - and manager Steve McClaren is exhorting his troops to seize the moment and make club history. He sees this game as among the biggest the club has ever faced, and the perfect antidote to the disappointment of last Sunday, when Boro lost an FA Cup semi-final to West Ham United.

Much may depend on the return from injury of powerfully-built but technically gifted Australian striker Mark Viduka. He had to miss the last two matches with a thigh injury and his presence has in turn been missed by the team. His strength makes him an ideal target man, capable of holding up play until support arrives - or of going it alone.

Viduka told uefa.com. "I've never been in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, I got to the UEFA Champions League semis with Leeds, but it's a new experience for myself and for all of us, and it's a great thing to be part of. Playing against great teams in European competition is good for us and it's good for the club. I'm playing as well now as at any time in my career and I'm enjoying myself. There's been a big turnaround at this club, but that's what football's like; a couple of months ago we were all coming in for some pretty strong criticism and it's all turned round. I think it's down to mental strength, a bit of luck, a bit of determination and a bit of never-say-die attitude."

Viduka has scored seven goals in his last eleven games, including two against Basle in the quarter-final second leg in which Boro came back from 0-3 down on aggregate to win 4-3.

As for opponents Steaua, they lead through Nicolae Dica's first-half goal in Bucharest. But they are without midfielders Banel Nicolita and Sorin Paraschiv, both suspended. However, striker Victoras Iacob could return after a month out with a shoulder injury. Coach Cosmin Olaroiu could also go with Daniel Balan and Florin Lovin.

If Boro are looking to make history, so are Steaua. They want to become the first Romanian side to reach the Uefa Cup final. However, 20 years ago they upset the odds by beating Barcelona on penaltries after a 0-0 draw in the final of the European Cup (now the Champions League). Three years later Steaua reached the European Cup final again, but this time lost 0-4 to AC Milan.

Coach Olaroiu believes his side will need to get a goal at The Riverside. "We will have to score at least once; playing for a draw would be fatal against a very good team with high-quality players. But it's their last chance to win something this season, so the pressure is bigger for them. We have faced more difficult situations and overcome all of them."

Posted by soccer365 at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

(Goal.com) - A round-up of women’s soccer news from around the world.

U.S. skipper Greg Ryan has revealed the 18 players that he will take to Japan for the scheduled friendlies on May 7th and 9th. The U.S. will look to improve on its 14-0-3 all-time record against Japan in the first meetings between the two countries since the 2004 Olympic quarterfinal, which the U.S. won 2-1. Veteran goalkeeper Briana Scurry makes her first appearance on a game roster since the end of 2004 and is the only player named to not have participated in the recently concluded Algarve Cup.

The full roster includes goalkeepers Briana Scurry and Hope Solo; defenders Tina Frimpong, Amy LePeilbet, Stephanie Lopez, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone, and Cat Whitehill; midfielders Shannon Boxx, Carli Lloyd, Leslie Osborne, Lindsay Tarpley and Aly Wagner; forwards Natasha Kai, Kristine Lilly, Heather O’Reilly, Abby Wambach and Christie Welsh.

U.S. U-21 Plan Short Trip To Europe

The U.S. U-21 Women’s Team is also planning its own trip abroad, as the squad prepares for the upcoming annual Nordic Cup, to be held in Norway this summer. The team will face Seastum, a Dutch women’s club, on April 29th in Tiel, Holland before taking on Holland’s U-21 squad at the same venue on May 2nd. The three-match tour will then end on May 4th in Duisburg, Germany against that city’s women’s Bundesliga team. Head coach Jill Ellis will be evaluating some new talent as many of her regular selections are with the senior squad or the U-20 team.

Packing their bags for the trip are: goalkeepers Cori Alexander and Kati Jo Spisak; defenders Rachel Buehler, Kendall Fletcher, Holly Gault, Hayley Hunt and Lauren Switzer; midfielders Bristyn Davis, Tobin Heath, Sarah Huffman, Noelle Keselica, Manya Makoski, Rebecca Moros and Jennifer Redmond; forwards Danesha Adams, Liz Bogus, Katie Griffin, Kelly Hammond, Ashlee Pistorius, and Tiffany Weimer.

U.S. U-20s Win in Brasil

The U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team managed to win Brasil’s Ricardo Teixeira Cup, on the strength of a 4-0 trouncing of Canada, despite losing to the hosts, 1-2, two days later. The win over Canada avenged a tie between the two earlier in the cup, as second-half substitute Kelley O’Hara exploded for two goals, adding to first-half tallies from Lauren Cheney and Jessica Rostedt. The trip finished on a sour note, however, as the U.S. lost to Brasil on April 24th despite a Jordan Angeli strike 14 minutes into the match. The Brasilians got even in the 38th minute as Renata Costa made good on her free kick from 25 yards out. Play was rough—there were 38 total fouls committed between the two sides—and culminated in a red for U.S. keeper Val Henderson in the 65th minute after she fouled a Brasilian attacker. Two minutes later Maurine got the home side the winning goal after she scooped up a poor clearance and sent the ball into the back of the net.

Next up for the U.S. U-20 squad is a brief training camp from April 30th through May 7th at the HomeDeportCenter in Carson, California before traveling to Germany for a round of matches in early May. Only 11 of the 17 players called into the camp were with the team in Brasil, as seven regulars (Carrie Dew, Ariel Harris, Stephanie Logterman, Stephanie Lopez, Brittany Bock, Danesha Adams and Amy Rodriguez) will not be able to join the team until its trip overseas.

Included on the training camp roster are: goalkeepers Kelsey Davis, Joanna Haig and Val Henderson; defenders Jordan Angeli, Jill Gilbeau, Erin Hardy, Nikki Kryzsik, Sara Wagenfuhr; midfielders Natalie Capuano, Tina DiMartino, Katie Larkin, Allie Long, Amanda Poach and Lorraine Quinn; forwards Lauren Cheney, Kelley O’Hara and Jessica Rostedt.

U-20 World Championship Draw

FIFA recently revealed the final draw for the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Championship, and the U.S. were placed into Group D, with Argentina, France and the second qualifier from the African confederation. Group A is surely this tourney’s Group of Death, with both hosts Russia and Brasil, in addition to New Zealand and Australia. Group B features China PR, Finland, Canada and the first qualifier from Africa and Group C contains defending champs Germany as well as Mexico, Korea and Switzerland.

The championship’s official opener on August 17th will see Group A’s Brasil take on Russia in what promises to be a thriller. The Americans will kick off their tourney a day later against the African team and will then face Argentina on the 21st and France on the 24th. Later rounds will begin on August 26th and the event will culminate with the championship match on September 3rd.

UEFA Qualifying Results

Last weekend’s UEFA qualifying featured no upsets and many lopsided scoresheets. In Group 1, Italy thrashed their hosts Greece 5-0 as Patrizia Panico found net four times. Italy now are tied with Norway for the top spot in the table, although the Azzurre have played one more game. Group 2’s Sweden barely managed to slip past the CzechRepublic 3-2, but thanks to Lota Schelin’s two late goals the Swedes are now in sole possession of first place. Laura Kalmari registered a hat-trick to help Finlandbeat Poland5-1 in Group 3 but Spaintook control of the table with a 4-2 victory over Belgium. Up next for the Spaniards is a trip to Denmark on Thursday, April 27th in a match between the group’s top two teams.

Group 4 saw the Republic of Ireland get revenge for last month’s 2-0 loss to Switzerland and beat the Swiss by the same score line. With the victory, the Irish move into third place in the pool and their opponents drop to fourth.

Finally, France kept hosts Hungary without any points or goals with a 5-0 drubbing. Les Bleues remain in second in Group 5, three points behind table-leader England.

The next full schedule of UEFA qualifiers is set for the first weekend in May.

Goal.com Women’s Editor Sayre Priddy

Posted by soccer365 at 08:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Goal.com) - The BBC is reportung that Luiz Felipe Scolari has been offered the job of England manager and is discussing terms with the Football Assocation.

According the BBC report, FA chief executive Brian Barwick is in Lisbon to work out a deal with Portugal's Brazilian manager, who masterminded England's defeat in both the 2002 World Cup - which he won with Brazil - and 2004 European Championships (in which Portugal were the beaten finalists).

Scolari, 57, is out of contract with the Portuguese FA after this summer's World Cup.

If he accepts the post, he will succeeed Sven-Goran Eriksson when he Swede steps down after the tournament in Germany.

Scolari is thought to have a gentleman's agreement with the Portuguese FA not to commit himself to another job until his current deal runs out in July, and the BBC understands that part of the FA's talks in Lisbon are aimed at waiving this arrangement.

The FA board will meet again next Thursday and hope to be in a position to finalise their selection by then.

Scolari has emerged as a dark horse backed by Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein, one of the members of the FA's selection panel. The other contenders are thought to be former Celtic boss Martin O'Neill plus Premiership team managers Steve MacClaren, Sam Allardyce and Alan Curbishley.

Posted by soccer365 at 08:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

(Goal.com) - Arsenal's vice-chairman David Dein has urged Thierry Henry to stay with the Champions League finalists, although is clearly clueless as to the Frenchman's intentions.

Henry, who has been strongly linked with Barcelona for over a year, will have just one year left on his contract come the end of the season, but has refused to commit himself to the Gunners until the end of the current campaign.

However, Dein doesn't believe he will base his decision on the clubs Champions League final next month.

He told BBC London: "I would hope his decision will not be based on one game, he's far too intelligent for that."

"He is one of the finest players to have played football generally, and you are now seeing someone at the peak of his profession.

"We want him to stay, the fans want him to stay and we hope he will stay. If he's ambitious he should stay at Arsenal because we have got a new stadium and a young team coming through.

"We would like him to stay and be captain and take us on to even greater successes."

Posted by soccer365 at 04:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)

(Soccer365.com) - Snubbed by the national team, Cuauhtémoc Blanco wants to do everything he can to get the slumping Eagles into the postseason.

Club America star Cuauhtémoc Blanco is hoping and praying, in spite of injuries, to continue playing in order to help his team make the Clausura ‘06 playoffs.

Last Saturday, Blanco, whose exclusion from the national team has caused a public outcry, left the game (a 1-0 loss at Atlante) holding on to his left leg, yet team doctor Alfonso Diaz stated Blanco has a right hip flexor.

Diaz assured it’s not an injury but only muscular fatigue due to the intense physical toll of the season for the Eagles forward, and that he has already improved 40 percent.

“I hope God gives me the opportunity to get to Sunday and play,” said Blanco. “Even if I had been playing injured all season I would want to play.”

Dijo que esta desición es "por ayudar al equipo que no está bien. Creo que sí necesito un descanso, pero primero tengo que pensar en el partido del domingo, ganarlo y ver qué pasa con los demás equipos". He added that all he wants to do is “help the team, which isn’t doing well.”

“I do feel I need a rest, but first I have to think about Sunday’s game, win it and see what happens with the other teams.”

The Eagles will play their final regular season game at home at Azteca Stadium versus a Monterrey side with a losing record. They need to win and hope for other contenders to lose in order to reach the quarterfinals.

“I had never been hurt so much before,” said the 32-year-old Mexican striker. “But I’m not going to get desperate, on the contrary, I’m going to stay calm and do whatever I can to help the team.”

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(Goal.com) - One of the true masters of the game, Zinedine Zidane, confirmed today that he will retire after the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

"Today I am making the decision to leave it all behind," Zidane said at a press conference today.

The Real Madrid star, who turns 34 during the World Cup, said he wanted to make his intentions known now so that that Real Madrid could begin to plan for next season. "I wanted to give ample notice so that Real Madrid has time to look for my replacement, other players, if that's what they want," he said. "That is why I'm announcing it now and not after the World Cup. It's the least I can give Real Madrid. This Club has given me a lot and deserves this courtesy."

The man, whose magnificent volley against Bayer Leverkusen in the finals of the 2002 Champions League allowed Real Madrid to win their ninth such title, admitted has has felt the effects of age.

"In these last two years I haven't felt at ease, I haven't played the way I wanted," he said. "I'm not 25 anymore. Each day it's more difficult, I have more pains. I don't want to be here just for the sake of being here. I've always done everything to win and I'm not doing that lately."

Zidane scored two goals in leading France to the World Cup title in 1998. An injury limited Zidane's appearances at the 2002 World Cup, when France failed to get out of the group stage.

"To finish my career after the World Cup is something very special," said the three-time FIFA World Player of the Year. "I'm going to be highly motivated, I just hope I don't have any physical problems."

Real Madrid's final home match this season comes against Villarreal on May 7.

Zinedine Zidane Factfile:
Born: June 23, 1972 in Marseille, France
Nickname: Zizou
Clubs: AS Cannes (1988-92), Girondins Bordeaux (1992-96), Juventus (1996-2001), Real Madrid (2001-2006)

Posted by soccer365 at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Villarreal, Spain (Sports Network) - Jens Lehmann proved why he was selected as Germany's goalkeeper for the World Cup by blocking a late Villarreal penalty shot to ensure a scoreless draw and Arsenal a spot in the Champions League final match.

Lehmann blocked Juan Roman Riquelme's penalty kick in the 90th minute to preserve Arsenal's narrow one -goal aggregate Tuesday at El Madrigal. Riquelme's shot towards the net's left post wasn't enough to get past a diving Lehmann.

The blocked penalty shot put an end to a day filled with near goals for Villarreal, which had an offense that dominated throughout the 90 minutes.

Tuesday's results mark the first time Arsenal had made it to the tournament's final match. The scoreless draw added to an Arsenal clean sheet spanning 919 minutes.

Arsene Wenger's club is the second consecutive Premiership team to make it into the Champions League final match. Arsenal will have to wait until the results of Wednesday's Barcelona-AC Milan match to find out its opponent in the finals.

Wenger's lineup looked slightly different at the start of Tuesday's game. Jose Antonio Reyes returned after serving a one-match suspension, and Sol Campbell made the start after suffering a broken nose in his last game against Portsmouth in league play.

For Villarreal, coach Manuel Pellegrini kept Mariano Barbosa and added Juan Manuel Pena and Josico to the second-leg starting lineup.

With the familiar bright yellow jerseys set to a wall of fans draped in the same color, Villarreal appeared to take quick control of the match.

The "yellow submarine" offense managed its first attempt on the Arsenal defense with a Guillermo Franco shot that was sent high and wide of the net.

The team continued to pressure the Arsenal defense throughout the first few minutes of the half.

In the ninth minute, Arsenal was forced to make a quick substitution, as Mathieu Flamini was forced out of the match with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. Gael Clichy came on for the injured forward after having not played since November due to a broken foot.

Though Arsenal would also create some pressure in the first half, Villarreal maintained control. Overall, the home side had 12 total shots compared to Arsenal's two. Five of the 12 shots were on goal, with the Arsenal offense only able to create one attempt on goal.

In the second half, with the opportunity to advance quickly slipping away, Villarreal nearly took the lead with a goal that was flagged for offside. Franco drilled a shot to the top right corner that was out of reach of a diving Lehmann. But before anyone could celebrate, the lineman signaled for offside.

The club had its best attempt on the penalty kick, which was the result of a Clichy foul on Villarreal's Jose Maria in the 90th minute. Following the blocked shot, Riquelme took one last attempt deep into extra time that was blocked to nearly end the club's hopes to advance.

Arsenal will travel to Paris, France for the Champions League final May 17.

Posted by SoccerAdmin at 06:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

(Soccer365.com) - General Manager Chris Canetti leaves Red Bull New York.

Red Bull New York announced Monday that Chris Canetti has resigned from his position as Assistant General Manager of Red Bull New York effective immediately.

Canetti joined the club (then known as the MetroStars) in May of 2000. He served several different capacities during his six-year tenure with the club, and most recently held the position of Assistant General Manager, which he assumed in April of 2005. In that role, Canetti was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Red Bulls’ business.

The Red Bulls are currently 0-1-3 in the 2006 campaign and sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They are in action this Saturday, April 29 when they travel to Los Angeles to battle CD Chivas USA at 10:00 p.m. ET at the Home Depot Center.

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Posted by soccer365 at 09:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Goal.com) - Both tickets to the final of the 2006 UEFA Champions’ League will be punched this week as Europe’s best this season. Arsenal, Villarreal, AC Milan, and Barcelona take the last step toward making it to the showpiece event of the European season.

Arsenal and Barcelona appear to be in the driver’s seat at the moment as they take narrow leads into this week’s return legs. Still, narrow is the operative word here, and, after last season’s amazing comeback by Liverpool in the final, it’s quite possible that anything can and will happen in this tournament.

On Tuesday evening, Arsenal and Villarreal meet in the second leg of their semifinal fixture at the Estadio El Madrigal in Spain. A Kolo Toure goal gave Arsenal a slim 1-0 victory in the final European match played at Highbury last week, and Arsene Wenger’s side will look to finish the job as the Gunners aim for their first trip to a Champions’ League final.

The plucky Spaniards, however, will be up for it having shown in their first ever Champions’ League campaign that they don’t go down easy. In fact, after losing to Inter Milan in the first leg of their quarterfinal match-up at the San Siro, Villarreal duly defeated the favoured Italians at the Madrigal, something that will surely give fans of the Spanish club hope as Manuel Pellegrini’s side seeks a place in the club's first European final. The difference now, though, is that Villarreal don’t have an away goal like they did in the quarterfinals.

Nevertheless, it has all the makings of a tasty affair on Tuesday night with both sides recognizing how big of an opportunity this really is. Villarreal have not lost at home this season in the competition, while Arsenal have been even more impressive having not lost at all in 11 Champions’ League matches since last September. Something has got to give. If Villarreal can overturn the current deficit and knock out another big European side they will be worthy of their place in the final, but so will Arsenal should they stand tall in the Madrigal and continue their remarkable run in the tournament.

If Tuesday’s match-up is all about two teams who have never contested a European Cup/Champions’ League final, then the other semifinal clash is the exact opposite, with both teams having a long history of participation in important European matches over the years, including several appearances in the final between the two.

On Wednesday, Barcelona and AC Milan meet at the Nou Camp to settle their mammoth semifinal tie. Barca take a 1-0 advantage back home after recording an important away win at the San Siro last week thanks to Ludovic Giuly’s second-half strike. Milan missed numerous chances to get on the scoreboard themselves though Rossoneri boss Carlos Ancelotti believes that those chances signify that his men have the ability to score goals against Barcelona, which they will, he says, at the Nou Camp.

Milan are looking to make it to their third final in four years, while Barcelona are aiming for a return to the final for the first time since 1994, when they incidentally lost to Milan 4-0 in Athens.

For Milan, overturning their current predicament would go some way in erasing the terrible memories of last season’s final in Istanbul where the club raced out to a 3-0 lead over Liverpool, before Rafa Benitez’s side staged one of the all-time greatest European comebacks. And while many believe that Milan have the ability to get the result they need at the Nou Camp, that many more observers are convinced that Milan already missed their chance at home last week. Barcelona meanwhile must still prove that they are the total package and put to rest the notion that they are an exceptionally talented attacking side, which has some glaring defensive frailties.

So, prepare for a potentially memorable set of semifinals this week with a fascinating final grouping to come from these matches. Will it be Arsenal-Barcelona in the final as many claim? Or will Villarreal and Milan meet by overcoming their first leg deficits? How about Arsenal versus AC Milan or an all-Spanish tilt between Villarreal and Barcelona? The possibilities are intriguing and the beauty of football is that we simply don’t know yet and probably won’t know until the 90 minutes are up in each match, or perhaps until after 120 minutes or penalties. What we do know is that the winners of each semifinal will meet in Paris at the Stade de France on 17 May and a new European champion will be crowned.

George Tsitsonis

Posted by soccer365 at 09:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(Soccer365.com) - Being left out of the Holland World Cup roster no surprise for Makaay.

Bayern Munich strike ace Roy Makaay says he was emotionally prepared to see his name left off of Marco van Basten’s provisional Holland World Cup roster.

The forward, who signed a one-year extension with FC Hollywood on the weekend, rebounded from the bad news by hitting a draw-saving double against Mainz 05.

“I had already come to terms with it beforehand and tried to concentrate on my job here at Bayern Munich,” admitted Makaay. “We want to defend our double.”

“You always want to keep some hope in the back of your mind (for a World Cup call),” he added. “You never know what could happen.”

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(Soccer365.com) - Reading star Marcus Hahnemann has been honored by the Professional Footballers’ Association as the Coca-Cola Championship Keeper of the Year.

The former Colorado and Fulham man becomes the third American Abroad to win such a divisional honor, following Blackburn’s Brad Fridel and Manchester United’s Tim Howard.

Hahnemann backstopped Reading to the title and Premiership promotion, compiling 21 clean sheets along the way.

Oddly, Royal teammate Bobby Convey did not make the league’s first team, despite being one fo five finalists for the Player of the Year award.

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(Soccer365.com) - The Clausura 2006 playoff race heats up as two more teams broke out of the pack.

Monterrey 0 – 1 Cruz Azul

The Cement Machine handled the ‘Pandilla’ as they defeated Monterrey away 1-0 to qualify to the postseason liguilla knockout tournament.

Alejandro Corona sent a superb pass to “Chelito” Delgado, who launched an unstoppable shot in the 52nd minute for the only score.

The Machine, with 27 points in 16 games and one to play, joined Chiapas and Pachuca, who have already qualified. Meanwhile, having a woeful season, Cruz Azul also crushed Monterrey’s playoff aspirations with the victory.

Atlante 1 – 0 America

The Eagles continued to struggle in the Mexican league Clausura tournament and are on the brink of elimination as they fell 1-0 at Atlante, who qualified to the playoffs.

Horacio Cervantes’s 64th minute strike was so potent it turned the goalkeeper’s arm as it hit the net for the Iron Colts’ most valuable goal in two years. They had not made the playoffs since Apertura ’04.

Dealing with an injury to star player Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Manuel Lapuente mysteriously left Aaron Padilla on the bench.

Atlante is tops in Group 1 with 24 points, while The Eagles are fourth in with 20 points, one behind Morelia and two away of San Luis.

Tecos 2 – 2 Chivas

Charismatic striker Adolfo Bautista saved Guadalajara as they overcame a 2-goal deficit to end level with local nemesis, UAG Tecos 2-2.

Chilean Pinto Martinez (28) and Argentine Daniel Ludueña (51) had put the Tecos in control.

‘Bofo’ burned Mario Rodriguez with a scorching cross in the 69th and followed that up with a crafty penalty kick in the 84th for the tie.

Chivas is third in Group 3 but with 23 points, they control their own destiny as far as the playoffs; a win would see them through, while a loss or a tie would see them in trouble. With 19 points in Group 1, Tecos are still mathematically alive, but need help.

Morelia 1 – 0 San Luis

The Monarchs notched an important victory 1-0 at home in to keep their marginal playoff hopes alive and hended San Luis a crucial relegation blow.

In the 58th minute Wilson Thiago Matias rose to the occasion when he headed home Fernando Arce’s corner amid four defenders.

Morelia is third in Group 1 with 21 points, chasing San Luis by a point for the second spot in the group.

Jaguares 2 – 4 Sinaloa

Sinaloa refuses to be relegated quietly, handing one of the hottest teams in Mexico a swift 4-2 beating at home Saturday.

The goal onslaught was courtesy of Carlos Ochoa (54) and Salvador Cabañas (78) for the Jaguares, and Andrés Orozco (6, 70), Josep Guardiola (22), and Christián Patiño (90).

Jaguares did not suffer in the standings as they have already secured one of the top spots in the playoffs; Dorados are third in Group 2 with 21 points.

Pachuca 0 – 0 Veracruz

The Tuzos held on to their tenuous lead in the Mexican league standings with a dreary 0-0 tie at home over relegation-bound Veracruz.

Pachuca has 31 points, one more than Chiapas, and are on pace to finish as the #1 seed in the playoffs.

Veracruz Sharks are on fifth place in Group 2, have slim hopes of making the playoffs, but better chances of remaining in the First Division for another season.

Atlas 2 – 3 Necaxa

Two Fabricio Fuentes mistakes cost the Zorros the game as visiting Necaxa out-duels them 3-2.

Already down 0-1, in the 17th, Fuentes lost the ball to Antonio Perez, who drilled the second goal. Fuentes mishandled a ball that Ariel Lopez kicked in for the 3-1 mark in the 31st.

All was not lost, however, since San Luis lost, Atlas saved is safe from relegation for the season.

The Zorros are fifth in Group 3 with 20 points, while Necaxa is in the Group 1 cellar with 18.

Toluca 1 – 2 Santos

The Red Devils blew a golden opportunity in their title defense by losing at home to 2-1 to Santos, the worst team in the league.

Carlos Esquivel nailed a shot early as Toluca probably overlooked modest Santos and were overconfident in getting the qualification.

Beginning to celebrate late in the game, they were stunned when ‘Pony’ Ruiz took a Mattias Vuoso pass and hit with a right boot for the tie.

And then, when Hugo Castillo outfought Lozano off a corner in the 90th minute for the go-ahead goal, the home team and their fans were left humbled.

Toluca is second in Group 2 with 21 points but have a goal-difference edge over Sinaloa and UNAM. Santos is sixth in the same group with just 15 points.

Pumas 1 – 1 Tigres

Argentines saved the day in the second Mexican catfight, as Marioni and Gaitan scored to give UNAM and UANL a grueling 1 – 1 draw.

Bruno Marioni scored his second goal of the season as he outran the defense in the 32nd and hit a low kick for the lead. Tigres coach Ricardo Ferreti argued the call and was sent off.

Walter Gaitan, known as ‘Divino’ made a divine play as he took a pass from Jose Luis Mendoza, and all alone, drilled the equalizer in the 74th.

Pumas are in a three-way tie for second in Group 2 with 21 points, and, also with 21 points, Tigres are fourth in Group 3.

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(Goal.com) - Fifa president Sepp Blatter has warned that World Cup teams may be subjected to FIFA's new anti-racism rules and will have points deducted for racist behaviour by fans.

The new rules took effect in April and will be brought into domestic competitions starting next season but however, they will be enforced at the World Cup in Germany this summer.

"The regulations will be applied for this World Cup - at the first sign of racism there will be a deduction of three points," Blatter told Sky TV.

In a move to fight against racism in football, Blatter is hoping that this system will be helpful in discouraging racist behaviour by fans in football’s most prestigious tournament in Germany and said FIFA Congress will discuss the the matter when it meets before the World Cup starts on June 9.

The Fifa president said that deducting points, which may hinder a team's progress in the tournament, may be a deterrent.

He added: "Once we deduct points, then we are finished with the problems of discrimination."

The measures for domestic competitions provide for a three-point deduction for a first offence, six for a second and relegation for a third offence.

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(Soccer365.com) - Valencia and Real Madrid get key wins as Barcelona has to wait.

Valencia won their fourth straight match, getting three goals from David Villa to sink relegation bait Athletic Bilbao 3-0.

Elsewhere, Sergio Ramos tapped home near the death to lift Real Madrid over Málaga 2-1.

Repeat artists Barcelona saw their match at Sevilla postponed due to a soggy pitch.

King’s Cup champs Espanyol scored three important survival points with a 2-0 decision over Real Betis.

Ludovic Delporte netted deep into stoppage time, nudging Osasuna past Mallorca 1-0.

Lucas Lobos equalized with seven minutes left to earn Cadiz a 1-1 share with Deportivo la Coruña.

Getafe left Racing Santander dangling over the danger zone with a 3-1 defeat.

On Saturday, a sweet Antonio Lopez free kick gave Atlético Madrid a 1-0 win at Alavés.

Fabian Canobbio hit twice as Celta Vigo stayed in for a Champions League spot with a 4-0 rout of Real Zaragoza.

Finally, Mark Gonzalez scored for the third consecutive match as Real Sociedad blanked Villareal 2-0.

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(Soccer365.com) - The US Under 20 Women's National team will face Argentina and France in the group stage of the 2006 World Cup.

The Final Draw for the 2006 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Championship in Russia was held at Moscow City Hall on Saturday evening as the United States Under-20 Women’s National Team was placed in Group D, where it will face the second-place finisher in the yet-to-be-completed African qualifying tournament, as well as Argentina and France, in first round play. The USA, Germany, China and host Russia were awarded tops seeds in the groups prior to the Final Draw.

"We are just digesting the draw and there are some very good teams up there (on the board),” said U.S. head coach Tim Schulz. “It is nice to see that there is some parity in the groups. Now we are going to go back to our rooms to start formulating our plans just like all the coaches.”

The USA opens the tournament, which will be held from Aug. 17-Sept. 3, on Friday, Aug. 18 against Africa’s second place finisher at Torpedo Stadium in Moscow. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) representatives will be determined later in June. The USA will play its second Group D match three days later on Monday, Aug. 21, against FIFA youth world championship debutante Argentina at Torpedo Stadium, and will finish group play on Thursday, Aug. 24, against France in Shchelkovo (Moscow Region) at Podmoskovie Stadium. The first two U.S. opening round matches kick off at 4 p.m. local time (8:00 a.m. ET) while the third group game kicks off at 7:00 p.m. local time (11 am. ET).

“You are looking at some very contrasting styles,” said Schulz of the USA’s three group opponents. “Certainly, I would imagine some of that culture from the men’s games carries over onto the women’s, so you could see some of those same styles of play in our opponents. (Our group) is actually pretty fun to see. There’s an African team in there and France is always a good contender. Then Argentina, if they bring the (same qualities) as the men’s side to the game, they will have a lot of flair and hardness. I’ve actually seen France and Argentina play on tape and they are very good teams.”

Group A is headed by top seed Russia and also boasts Brazil, New Zealand and Australia. Group B, lead by China, also features Finland, Africa 1 and Canada. The defending U-19 world champions Germany, along with surprise qualifier Switzerland, Mexico and North Korea make up Group C.

The USA won the FIFA U-19 World Championship in 2002 in Canada and finished third at the 2004 tournament in Thailand. For the first time, the tournament will be staged with 16 teams, up from 12 in the previous two FIFA world youth championships for women. The top two finishers in each of the four groups will advance to the quarterfinals, when the tournament becomes a knockout competition.

“I know all the girls are excited to finally find out who we will be playing,” said U.S. co-captain Nikki Krzysik. “We’ve been working so hard for the past two and half months and to have a clear picture of who and when we will be playing will make us work even harder. I was on the last U-19 team in Thailand and I know how intense and tough all the games will be. The older players on this team will make sure we educate the new players about the challenges we will face in Russia.”

Teams from the same confederation could not be drawn together in the first round, with the exception of Europe, which will have five representatives competing for the world title. Group C turned out to be the group with two European teams in Germany and Switzerland. Russia had already been placed in the top spot in Group A (A1) and will play its opening game on the tournament's first day in a mouth-watering match against Brazil at the impressive Petrovsky Stadium in St. Petersburg.

The 2006 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Championship will take place at four stadiums in Moscow (Dynamo, Lokomotiv, Shchelkovo and Torpedo) and at one in St. Petersburg (Petrovsky).

Russia will be looking to capitalize on the momentum of both previous FIFA U-19 World Championships, in Canada and Thailand, which were extremely successful in terms of organization, fan support and quality of play.

In an amazingly ironic twist of fate, Australia, which left the Oceania Confederation to move to Asia, and qualified there, will face New Zealand, its former Oceania foe, in the opening Group A game for both teams.

courtesy of ussoccer.com

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(Goal.com) - Liverpool captain and England midfielder Steven Gerrard has won the (English) Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award.

The Young Player of the Year award (which Gerrard won in 2001) went to Manchester United's England striker Wayne Rooney for the second year running.

The awards are voted for by fellow professionals, and Gerrard said: "I am still in shock to be honest.

"To go through to another FA Cup final and win this special award is fantastic for me."

Gerrard won ahead of s trong field on tne short-list that included Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, Chelsea's Joe Cole, Frank Lampard and John Terry (who won last year's award), and Rooney.

Gerrard revealed that hehimself had voted for Henry and, as the young player, his 20-year-old international colleague Rooney, who said he was pleased to win the young player prize again.

"To win it twice on the run is a great honour and I am delighted with the award," Rooney said.

He beat off competition from Charlton striker Darren Bent, team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, Tottenham's Aaron Lennon, Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas and West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand.

Rooney added: "I voted for Fabregas, but it was close between him and Darren Bent."

Champions Chelsea had the most players named in the Premiership Team of the Year. John Terry, William Gallas, Joe Cole and Frank Lampard all made the Best XI.

Newcastle's Shay Given was picked as goalie, with Wigan full-back Pascal Chimbonda also included after an impressive first season i the Premirship.

The 2005-06 winners:

Player of the Year:
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

Young Player of the Year:
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

Premiership Team of the Year:
Shay Given (Newcastle), Pascal Chimbonda (Wigan), John Terry (Chelsea), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), William Gallas (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Thierry Henry (Arsenal), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).

Championship Team of the Year:
Marcus Hahnemann (Reading), Gary Kelly (Leeds), Ibrahima Sonko (Reading), Joleon Lescott (Wolves), Nicky Shorey (Reading), Steve Sidwell (Reading), Ashley Young (Watford), Phil Jagielka (Sheffield United), Jason Koumas (Cardiff), Marlon King (Watford), Kevin Doyle (Reading)

League One Team of the Year:Darryl Flahavan (Southend), Greg Halford (Colchester), Sam Sodje (Brentford), Adam Barrett (Southend), Gareth Roberts (Tranmere), Neil Danns (Colchester), Andy Robinson (Swansea), Kevin Maher (Southend) Michael McIndoe (Doncaster), Lee Trundle (Swansea), Billy Sharp (Scunthorpe).

League Two Team of the Year:
Joe Hart (Shrewsbury), Danny Senda (Wycombe), Roger Johnson (Wycombe), Gareth McAuley (Lincoln), Matthew Lockwood (Leyton Orient), Kevin Betsy (Wycombe), Joshua Low (Northampton), Mark Jones (Wrexham), Ian Taylor (Northampton), Karl Hawley (Carlisle), Michael Reddy (Grimsby).

Posted by soccer365 at 08:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

(Soccer365.com) - Rapids get Brazilian Martins for Peguero and draft picks in trade with Red Bull New York.

The Colorado Rapids announced today the acquisition of Brazilian striker Thiago Martins from Red Bull New York in exchange for forward Jean Philippe Peguero. The trade also sends the Red Bulls' First and Third Round Natural draft picks in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft to Colorado.

Martins, who joined Major League Soccer in 2003, played two seasons with DC United before being acquired by Chivas USA in the 2005 MLS Expansion Draft.

The Sao Paolo, Brazil native played a total of 22 games for the Los Angeles based club, netting three goals and one assist with Chivas USA in 2005.

Peguero, who was discovered by Fernando Clavijo and recommended to the Rapids coaching staff in 2004, played a total of 26 games for Colorado last season, scoring seven goals and recording six assists.

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(Goal.com) - Dutch coach Marco van Basten has named a provisional squad of 33 players for the World Cup, but chosen to leave out Seedorf and Makaay. However, out of favour Edgar Davids sneaks in.

The Milan midfielder and Bayern forward are the two big casualties, despite the increased squad size.

Seedorf has not featured for the national team since Van Basten took charge in July, 2004, while Makaay has been replaced by Eridivisie top-scorer Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

The rest of the surprise comes from the selection of out of favour Edgar Davids, and recently criticized Jan Kromkamp.

PROBABLES

Goalkeeper:
Patrick Lodewijks (Feyenoord),
Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United),
Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax),
Henk Timmer (AZ Alkmaar)

Defenders:
Khalid Boulahrouz (HSV Hamburg),
Wilfred Bouma (Aston Villa),
Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Barcelona),
Tim de Cler (AZ),
Urby Emanuelson (Ajax),
Kew Jaliens (AZ),
Jan Kromkamp (Liverpool),
Joris Mathijsen (AZ),
André Ooijer (PSV),
Barry Opdam (AZ),
Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord).

Midfielders:
George Boateng (Middlesbrough),
Mark van Bommel (Barcelona),
Phillip Cocu (PSV),
Edgar Davids (Tottenham Hotspur),
Nigel de Jong (HSV Hamburg),
Denny Landzaat (AZ),
Hedwiges Maduro (Ajax),
Wesley Sneijder (Ajax),
Rafael van der Vaart (HSV Hamburg).

Forwards:
Ryan Babel (Ajax),
Romeo Castelen (Feyenoord),
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Ajax),
Dirk Kuyt (Feyenoord),
Martijn Meerdink (AZ),
Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United),
Robin van Persie (Arsenal),
Arjen Robben (Chelsea),
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (PSV).

The Netherlands have been grouped with Argentina, Ivory Coast and Serbia and Montenegro, in Group C.

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(Soccer365.com) - Italy boss Marcelo Lippi was delighted to see AS Roma attack ace Francesco Totti return to training this week.

The Azzurri star caused some worries after breaking his ankle two months back, but has all but completed a speedy comeback.

"I have daily contacts with Roma's technical staff," reported Lippi.

"Francesco's recovery is going in the best possible way."

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(Soccer365.com) - Goalkeeper Edgar Hernandez’s will and Carlos Ramirez’s timely goal see Mexico’s Tigres through to Copa Libertadores final sixteen.

The feline goalkeeper was a key player in the feline’s narrow qualification to the knockout stages of the most prestigious Latin American soccer club competition, proving last year’s quarterfinals run was no fluke.

Needing a win to qualify, as the Chileans had a 10-7 points edge, Hernandez did the unthinkable:
Late in the game he left his goal to help the team score the winning goal, which motivated them to do just that against a pesky U Catolica, a few minutes into injury time.

“You don’t think about it, suddenly you’re motivated, and it’s those small things that build the team’s confidence,” said Hernandez. “I think everyone’s efforts were rewarded by our qualifying.”

One of the most consistent of all the Tigres, stated he checked with his manager “Tuca” Ferreti before taking off. “He turned his head, checked the clock, then gave me the sign to go.” He added that scoring a goal would’ve been nice but injecting enthusiasm into his team was equally important.

Carlos Ramirez, who is getting used to coming through in the clutch, and scored the crucial goal, gave credit to his teammate, Julio Cesar Santos, for setting him up.

“Half the goal is his (Santos’s) and half mine,” said Ramirez, adding that the team was not done. “There’s still work to do, all we did was advance to the next round.”

Glad about seeing the fans’ enthusiasm Ramirez modestly quipped, “I’m not the hero, we are all heroes.”

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(Soccer365.com) - All sixteen teams in the third round of the Copa Libertadores set as River Plate is the last to qualify.

River Plate squeezed into the last 16 of the Copa Libertadores after a late Victor Zapata goal earned them a 1-0 win over Libertad on Thursday.
Argentina’s Millionaires became the final team to qualify for the knockout phase, finishing second in Group 8 with nine points in six games.

River, champions in 1986 and 1996, coached by former Argentina captain Daniel Passarella, began the tournament as one of the favorites.

Keeping a close watch on the other Group 8 match, drawn 0-0 by Paulista and El Nacional, River struggled mightily at home to shake-off an opponent playing for nothing. Only an 82nd minute shot by Victor Zapata assured the victory, though they would’ve qualified without it.

On Wednesday, Carlos Tevez’s acrobatic goal helped Corinthians lock down the top spot in group 4, while Mexico’s Tigres had to squeeze into the next phase thanks to the slim 1-0 win over the other Group 4 hopeful Universidad de Chile. Newell’s Old Boys made it through by a hair—Bolivian, The Strongest being overcome by the Argentineans who go through on goal difference.

Sweet 16

Brazil sends a quintet of teams through, as Brazilian quintet Corinthians, Palmeiras, Goias, Internacional and Sao Paulo all advance. Argentina is next with four: Velez Sarsfield, Estudiantes, River Plate and Newell’s Old Boys. Mexico sees two of its initial three teams through, UANL and Guadalajara, Colombian pair Atletico Nacional and debutante, Santa Fe advance, plus L