Defending champions the Pohang Steelers and Adelaide United each ensured a place in the next stage of the Asian Champions League with a scoreless draw on Tuesday, when Japan’s Gamba Osaka also advanced and Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal became the first West zone team into the round of 16.
Pohang’s progress means all four South Korean clubs are into the second round of the tournament. Adelaide, the 2008 finalists, needed the away draw to secure its spot from Group H.
Suwon Bluewings had a clean sheet and an unbeaten record through four matches until a 2-1 loss to Gamba Osaka, allowing both clubs to progress with a game to spare in Group G.
Takashi Usami scored the late winner for 2008 champion Gamba, which leads the group with 11 points from five matches, one clear of Suwon.
In the other Group G match, Singapore Armed Forces beat China’s Henan Jianye 2-1.
Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal became the first team from West Asia to secure a place in the second round this year when Iranian club Mes Kerman lost 2-1 to Al Ahli of the United Arab Emirates. Al Hilal, which was then held to a scoreless draw by Al Sadd of Qatar, has a four-point buffer atop Group D with only one more match remaining.
Eight teams have already qualified for the second round, but none so far in Group C.
Pakhtakor’s 3-2 win over Al Ain, combined with Al Shabab’s 1-0 away loss to Sepahan in Iran, means that three teams remain in contention for a second-round berth in the last group matches later this month.
Odil Ahmedov’s hat-trick helped Uzbek club Pakhtakor hold off Al Ain, with all five goals in the match scored in the opening 30 minutes.
Pakhtakor leads with 10 points, one clear of Sepahan and two ahead of Shabab, leaving only 2003 champion Al Ain with no chance of progressing from Group C.
In yesterday’s matches, unbeaten Kashima Antlers was bidding to continue their winning streak when they traveled to Changhcun Yatai in Group F, with Jeonbuk Motors hosting Indonesia’s Persipura Jayapure at Jeonju.
In Group E, unbeaten Seongnam Ilhwa traveled to Kawasaki and Melbourne Victory hosted Beijing Guoan.
Group B leader Zohahan of Iran was away at Al Wahda and Al Ittihad hosted Uzbek giant Bunyodkor.
In Group A, Esteghlal hosted Al Ahli and Al Gharafa faced Al Jazira.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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