Soccer Capsules: Seattle ready for challenge of proven Dynamo
SEATTLE — If not for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament, Sigi Schmid might hold some serious concerns about how the expansion Seattle Sounders FC will handle the raised intensity of the Major League Soccer playoffs.
But with one tournament title already in the trophy case of the first-year franchise and names like Ljungberg and Keller on the field, Schmid feels pretty confident about the Sounders’ first MLS playoff trip.
"Even though that is not the MLS playoffs it is still a knockout competition," Schmid said about Seattle’s run to the U.S. Open Cup championship in September. "So having had that success to build upon in pressure situations we realized we have been in do-or-die and knockout games and we have been able to come out on top."
The Sounders will become the first expansion team to make a playoff appearance in 11 years when they host Houston in the first leg of the home-and-home first-round series tonight. The team with the most goals combined in the two games advances to the one-match conference championship.
Seattle is hoping for a repeat of 1998 when the expansion Chicago Fire ran their way to the MLS Cup championship. If the Sounders are able to match the Fire’s run, they would be playing for the league title on their home field Nov. 22.
For now, the Sounders are simply concerned with the Dynamo, whom they went 2-0-1 against in three matches this season. But it’s Houston that holds a decided advantage in playoff experience.
"They have been the dominant team in the Western Conference for a number of years now. They’re a veteran team. They know how to get to championship games and they have done it before," Schmid said. "So we are the new kids on the block. We are the upstarts."
Still, it’s a fatigued Dynamo team that will be coming to Seattle for the first-leg, playing their fourth game in 12 days. Houston lost 3-2 at Isidro Metapan in the CONCACAF Champions League on Oct. 21, then traveled to Southern California and beat Chivas USA 3-2 in the regular season finale last Sunday.
Instead of traveling back to Houston, the Dynamo remained in Southern California before traveling to Seattle for the playoff opener.
Meanwhile, Seattle will not have left home since playing at Kansas City on Oct. 17. The second leg of the first-round series will be Nov. 8 in Houston.
"It’s definitely not disadvantageous for us," Schmid said. "It’s that time of the year when it’s the playoffs and it’s sort of like players suck it up and move on. If you have to fly back and train on the same day then it’s like let’s get this done because we are in the playoffs. If we have to get up early to fly then just take care of it because it’s the playoffs. So I think players sort of have that attitude this time of year."
Until the season finale against Dallas, the Dynamo were the last team Seattle had any success against at home. The Sounders went through a run of four straight home games without a goal, until they netted a pair in the second half of their 2-1 win over Dallas to wrap up the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
Before those two goals, the last time Seattle scored at home in an MLS match was July 11 in a 2-1 win over the Dynamo, when defender Patrick Ianni scored on an unlikely bicycle kick in the first minute of the second half. From there, Seattle went 375 minutes at home without a goal until Nate Jaqua’s in the 62nd against Dallas.
"We don’t fear anybody. We are very confident against whoever we play," Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller said. "It’s just so nice to get that monkey off of our back, the home goal drought and results."
Seattle also beat Houston 2-1 in overtime in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup, and pulled out a 1-1 draw with the Dynamo in August when Jaqua scored the equalizer against his former team in the 70th minute.
FC Dallas fires GM Hitchcock after 4 seasons
FRISCO — FC Dallas has fired general manager Michael Hitchcock, who ran the front office for the last four years.
Hitchcock’s dismissal was announced Tuesday by team owner Clark Hunt.
FC Dallas reached the playoffs twice under Hitchcock, but fell short this season. The team was 48-47-27 in his tenure.
The team will not hire a new GM. Instead, a technical director will be hired to assist coach Schellas Hyndman.
Commentary: Liverpool's Torres the Golden Ball of 2009?
PARIS — Common wisdom has Lionel Messi of Barcelona as a shoo-in for world footballer of the year. But Fernando Torres of Liverpool wouldn't be a bad choice, either.
If the Spaniard isn't yet the world's best striker, then he's getting close. His gift for scoring decisive goals at decisive times, often from the slenderest of openings, makes Spain a favorite heading for the World Cup in South Africa next June.
Torres' latest mesmerizing goal, for his club against Manchester United, had the hypnotic effect of making us forget about the star whose orbit shifted from England's Premier League to Real Madrid this summer. Cristiano who?
For all the criticism of Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez's recruitment policies — he has brought in 70 or so players, some of them duds, in his five seasons in charge — the club record fee paid for Torres in 2007 was the best 20.3 million pounds Benitez ever spent.
Without Torres, Liverpool can look ordinary. With him, they can be sensational — even when he's half-lame, as he was last weekend against United.
Credit Dirk Kuyt with presence of mind for not passing straight to Torres, who was offside, when he collected the ball on the halfway line after 64 intense but goal-less minutes. Instead, the Dutch international passed sideways to Yossi Benayoun, who looked up, took a couple of strides, checked and with millimetered precision threaded the ball past United defenders Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic to Torres, by then back onside.
Torres beat Rio Ferdinand in a sprint onto the pass. He resisted the United defender's attempt to shove him off the ball, nudged it forward with the lightest of touches with his right instep, took two more strides and, instinctively, without looking up, snapped off his shot from the tight angle that flat-footed 'keeper Edwin van der Sar, scorched past the near post and rattled into the top of the net.
Ferdinand walked away disconsolate. But against such pace and icy-cool finishing there wasn't much more he could have done. Torres' strike, the foundation for a 2-0 win over United, wasn't unlike his winner against Germany in the final of the European Championships in 2008. There, he beat defender Philipp Lahm to Xavi Hernandez's pass and chipped over 'keeper Jens Lehmann to give Spain its first title in 44 years. Again, it was a demonstration of Torres' remarkable composure in front of goal.
Liverpool's No. 9 is now the Premier League's top scorer this season with nine goals in nine games. Reminders there of the "White Album" track "Revolution 9" by Liverpool's most famous sons, the Beatles, whose songs Torres played to help improve his English after his arrival in England's northwest. Even more impressive are Torres' 34 goals in 35 home games at Anfield, where, clearly, the 25-year-old feels as welcome as hot tea on a cold day.
Such stats are why the Golden Ball winner of 1991, Jean-Pierre Papin, lists Torres, along with Messi and his Barcelona teammate Andres Iniesta, as favorites for the trophy that will be awarded Dec. 1 to the world's top footballer.
"One mustn't forget Torres," says the former Marseille and AC Milan striker, who scored 30 goals in 54 games for France. "He is capable of scoring extraordinary and often decisive goals. Liverpool is not the same without him."
That last part is code for Torres' delicate health. His hamstrings proved as fragile as tissue paper last season, when he played in just 24 of Liverpool's 38 league fixtures. Only for 14 of those were he and captain Steven Gerrard fit enough to start together. Yet those matches produced 18 of their joint total of 30 goals — showing how vital their pairing is to Liverpool's hopes of ending its 20-year wait for a 19th league crown.
Torres' latest breakdown has been a groin strain. Only on the coach to Anfield last Sunday did Benitez decide that his player was patched up sufficiently to start against United. "Sometimes 80 percent of Fernando can make a difference," said Benitez.
Having inspired Barcelona to a triple crown of Champions League, Spanish league and Copa del Rey last season, Messi would make a deserved Golden Ball winner. So says, among others, 2008 winner Cristiano Ronaldo — who can't be counted out this year, too, given his star performances for league champion United last season and impressive start this season for Real Madrid.
But if Torres stays fit, helps Liverpool secure the league title it craves and/or shines for Spain at the World Cup, then next year's award ceremony could be an entirely different story.
John Leicester is an international sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jleicester@ap.org
Elsewhere
English FA investigates Man United fan violence
LONDON — England's Football Association launched an investigation Wednesday after Manchester United supporters were accused of causing substantial damage to Barnsley's stadium by ransacking catering areas during a League Cup match.
Police arrested four United fans as the violence marred the visitors' 2-0 victory Tuesday in the fourth round. The trouble flared at halftime in Oakwell's North Stand, where about 4,000 United supporters were sitting.
Eight members of the catering staff were trapped inside a food kiosk and had to barricade themselves in a store room for about 25 minutes as fans broke in and stole cash and food, police said.
Police wearing protective riot clothing were pelted with bottles as they attempted to restore order on the concourse of the stand and police dogs were deployed to drive fans back from the field.
South Yorkshire Police said one of its officers had a minor facial injury.
"Officers are down here now going through the North Stand and we're proceeding with our own investigation as well," said Barnsley, which plays in the second-tier League Championship. "It's a hell of a mess down there. Doors have been kicked in, tills have been damaged and there's food and drink everywhere. It looks like a swamp in one of the bars."
Police said two men, aged 22 and 24, were arrested for public order offenses, a 26-year-old man was arrested for theft and a 32-year-old man was arrested for throwing a missile onto the field. All four men are from Manchester.
In a separate incident, three Barnsley fans were arrested for running onto the field during play.
English football's governing body is awaiting reports from referee Chris Foy and an FA crowd control adviser, who was at the match, while it plans to gather evidence from both clubs and the police.
"There is no place for anti-social or violent behavior in our game," the FA said in a statement. "Any culprit found to be involved in these disturbances and identified as such by either the police or clubs should be subject to a lengthy ban from attending football matches."
Two more people were arrested after the match when fans jumped onto railway tracks in a bid to stop a train from Barnsley to Sheffield before it had started moving.
Violence also overshadowed a League Cup match in August, leading both West Ham and Millwall to be charged by the Football Association. Fans from the London rivals clashed with each other and police before, during and after the game at Upton Park. One man was stabbed, there were several pitch invasions and black players on each side said they were subjected to racial abuse.
-- Rob Harris
Transfer ban imposed on Portsmouth due to debts
LONDON — Portsmouth has been hit with a transfer ban by the Premier League until it repays debts owed to other English clubs in the latest twist to a turbulent season on and off the pitch.
The indefinite sanction, which stops Pompey buying players in January's transfer window and beyond, was imposed to prevent the last-place club's liabilities and wage bill increasing.
The league applied stringent new financial controls two weeks ago, but Portsmouth said the ban would be imminently lifted.
"This concerns unpaid money to other clubs and it is in the process of being sorted," spokesman Gary Double said Wednesday. "We are confident the situation will be sorted by the end of the week."
Chelsea is still owed money from Glen Johnson's transfer in August 2007 and Arsenal from Lassana Diarra's move in January 2008. Johnson has since moved to Liverpool and Diarra to Real Madrid.
Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie said earlier this month that the club had debts of 10 million pounds ($16.4 million) despite offloading its highest-value players in recent months.
After a squad of cheaper players was assembled, Paul Hart's side made the worst start in Premier League history and is currently bottom having collected just four points from 10 games.
Even before the new financial rules were introduced in August, Pompey agreed to be subjected to an initial ban from buying players in the offseason when they were on the brink of administration.
That was lifted as Sulaiman Al-Fahim bought Portsmouth, but his tenure as owner lasted less than six weeks as he failed to refinance the club and pay the players' wages on time.
The subsequent takeover by Saudi Arabian property magnate Ali Al-Faraj was thought to have rescued Portsmouth, but the Premier League suggested otherwise Wednesday.
"We have placed a player registration embargo on Portsmouth," the league said. "The embargo was imposed on 15 October 2009 and it means the club will be unable to bring any new players to Fratton Park until further notice.
"Premier League rules allow the board to act if a club has outstanding transfer fees due to other clubs."
If Portsmouth fails to meet its liabilities to other clubs, money from central payments — including TV rights — could be diverted by the league to Pompey's creditors.
The league won't take control of the club, but it can guide its executives through the financial crisis and agree a budget.
"Effectively, you won't able to add to the existing cost basis by putting up player wages or anything else," Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said of the new rules in August. "That is very significant and obviously it's a fairly intrusive situation. The rational for that is simple: it's absolutely essential that these clubs are run as viable going concerns and they are sustainable."
The ban will prevent manager Paul Hart from strengthening his struggling Portsmouth side in the January transfer window unless it is lifted.
-- Rob Harris
Sao Paulo beats Internacional in Brazilian league
SAO PAULO — Striker Washington scored in first-half injury time to give defending champion Sao Paulo a 1-0 win over Internacional and the Brazilian league lead on Wednesday.
Sao Paulo, seeking its fourth consecutive title, has a one-point advantage over Palmeiras, which will host Goias on Thursday. Second-place Atletico Mineiro also plays Thursday, against last-place Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro.
Internacional dropped to fourth with the loss at Morumbi stadium in Sao Paulo.
Washington scored the winner from a corner three-minutes into first-half injury time, giving Sao Paulo its second consecutive win with six matches to go.
Flamengo's 10-match unbeaten streak ended with a 2-0 away loss to Barueri, a result that dropped the five-time national champion to sixth on the table, four points off the lead.
Also Wednesday, Argentine midfielder Matias Defederico scored his first goal since joining Corinthians in a 1-0 win over Vitoria at Salvador. The result snapped Corinthians' two-match losing streak, but the team remains only ninth in the 20-team standings.
Cruzeiro kept its title hopes alive with a 3-2 win over Santo Andre thanks to two late goals at Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte. Ecuadorean striker Joffre Guerron scored Cruzeiro's first goal, helping the team move to fifth in the standings, four points behind Sao Paulo.
The top four clubs will qualify for next year's Copa Libertadores, Latin America's most prestigious club competition.
In Porto Alegre, Argentine striker Maxi Lopez scored to help seventh-place Gremio defeat Avai 3-1 at Olimpico stadium. Gremio played a man down from the 33rd after former Barcelona midfielder Fabio Rochemback was sent off for a sliding tackle.
Botafogo left the relegation zone with a 1-0 victory over Nautico, thanks to a 72nd-minute winner by defender Juninho from a penalty kick at Engenhao stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Atletico Paranaense drew Santos 1-1 at Arena da Baixada stadium in Curitiba.
-- Tales Azzoni
Lothar Matthaeus won't become Racing Club coach
FRANKFURT — Germany great Lothar Matthaeus says he broke off talks about becoming coach of Racing Club because there were no bank guarantees for his contract.
Writing on his Web page on Wednesday, the former Germany captain said he had not traveled to Argentina and that talks with Racing Club have been called off "due to various reasons."
Later, Matthaeus issued a statement saying that "what prompted my decision was the lack until the last moment of bank guarantees to financially secure my contract."
Racing president Rodolfo Molina said it was the club that aborted the deal.
"Matthaeus will not be the coach of Racing, because of the decision of Racing, "Molina said in an interview with the Argentine state news agency Telam. "They wanted last-minute changes, which the club did not agree with."
Racing had announced Matthaeus' hiring at the weekend in a bid to stop the team being relegated to the second division.
Racing, which won the first world club championship in 1967, is the only Argentine team to fail to win a single match this season. Racing has lost six games and drawn five, causing coach Ricardo Caruso to quit and leave his assistant Juan Barbas in charge.
Bild newspaper said Matthaeus had sent a text message overnight declining the offer. The newspaper quoted Juan Cobian, whom it describes as an "adviser" involved in negotiations between Matthaeus and the Argentine club.
"It was ridiculous," Bild quoted Cobian as saying. "We were all disappointed."
In several interviews with German media over the weekend, Matthaeus said he would be traveling to Argentina this week to assess the conditions. Whether he accepted the job also depended on his wife Liliana being able to pursue her own professional interests, he said.
Bild said Racing had already organized interviews with modeling agencies for Liliana and had spoken of a possible television show for his 22-year-old wife.
But in his statement late Wednesday, Matthaeus denied that a modeling job for his wife had been a condition for his signing of the contract.
The 48-year-old Matthaeus played in five World Cups, led Germany to the title in 1990 and was FIFA's player of the year in 1991. He holds the German record of 150 national team appearances.
As coach, Matthaeus worked at Rapid Vienna, Partizan Belgrade, Hungary, Atletico Paranaense, Red Bull Salzburg and Maccabi Netanya.
Pellegrini under pressure at Real Madrid
MADRID — Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini's future is uncertain following the club's humiliating 4-0 loss to third-division club Alcorcon in the Copa del Rey.
Defender Raul Albiol called Tuesday's result a "disaster," while sports daily Marca splashed "Pellegrini go already!" across its front page Wednesday.
"This is starting to look a lot like the last time," the AS newspaper said, referring to the previous galactico era at Madrid.
Madrid has lost three of five games without injured star Cristiano Ronaldo, part of Madrid's €250 million ($365 million) offseason overhaul. Madrid's player budget is more than 400 times higher than Alcorcon's.
Pellegrini vowed to stay on after the match even if director general Jorge Valdano didn't guarantee the Chilean's place beyond Saturday's league match against Getafe.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez poured big money into summer transfers to restore the galactico era he created. But that first experiment ended badly with Madrid failing to win trophies despite fielding players like Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and David Beckham.
Barcelona daily El Mundo Deportivo said Madrid was "Humiliated!" as it lost to a third-division club to open the domestic cup competition for the second straight year.
"It's preoccupying," Albiol said. "But clearly there's a solution. We have to win the next games."
Albiol said tension filled the locker room during halftime after Pellegrini and Jose Maria "Guti" Gutierrez exchanged heated words after the midfielder was removed.
"There was a lot of tension after that first half," said Albiol, who joined from Valencia for €15 million. "None of us were happy with our performances."
Alcorcon forward Francisco Borja was still grappling with the result.
"The truth is that it feels like a dream," Borja said. "We played it as if it was only another (third-division) game. We had 11 players who fought and ran like crazy."
Borja, who is a card-carrying Madrid member, wouldn't comment on whether Pellegrini should continue.
"Really I would like Real Madrid to win everything but here at Alcorcon I do my best," he said.
-- Paul Logothetis
CAS sets date for FC Sion transfer ban appeal
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The Court of Arbitration for Sport has set a date for FC Sion's appeal against a one-year transfer ban imposed by FIFA.
CAS said Wednesday it will hear the Swiss club's case on Dec. 9. A verdict is expected several weeks later.
The case will be studied closely by English club Chelsea, which is also challenging a FIFA transfer ban for luring teenager Gael Kakuta from French club Lens.
FIFA ruled in June that Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary broke his contract with Al-Ahly in January 2008 before joining Sion, and banned Sion from trading players until after the 2009-10 season.
It also suspended El Hadary for four months, and ordered the player and Sion to pay Al-Ahly €900,000 ($1.3 million) in compensation.
At the request of Sion and El Hadary, CAS froze the punishments until the arbitration panel delivers its verdict.
The court's interim ruling allowed Sion to operate in the offseason transfer market, and for the 36-year-old El Hadary to play in World Cup qualifying matches. He has since joined Egyptian club Ismaily.
Chelsea and Kakuta also have asked CAS to freeze their bans until the appeal process is completed.
The court is set to give its interim decision next month. No date has been set for the main appeal hearing.
FIFA ruled in September that Kakuta, a France youth international then aged 16, broke his contract with Lens to join Chelsea in 2007.
It banned Chelsea from signing players until January 2011 and Kakuta from playing for four months.
FIFA ordered Chelsea and Kakuta to pay Lens €780,000 ($1.15 million) in compensation, and the London club to pay Lens a €130,000 ($192,000) training fee.
Veteran Vieri close to signing with Brazil club
SAO PAULO — Small Brazilian club Botafogo of Ribeirao Preto is close to signing former Italy striker Christian Vieri for the 2010 season.
Club president Luiz Pereira said Wednesday that the club is also negotiating to acquire left back Francesco Coco, Vieri's former teammate on the Italian national team. Both played at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
Pereira said the players have agreed to play for Botafogo and minor details are pending.
Vieri, a former Juventus and AC Milan striker, confirmed to Brazilian media through his agent that he is near a deal with Botafogo. The 36-year-old player last week announced his retirement from professional football.
The 32-year-old Coco played for Torino last season. He previously played for Barcelona and AC Milan.
Financial details are not being disclosed.
Botafogo has never won any major titles since being founded in 1918. It was runner-up in the 2001 Sao Paulo state championship and runner-up in the Brazilian league's second division in 1998.
Stabbed Davenport charged for assaulting sister
LONDON — West Ham defender Calum Davenport was charged Wednesday with assaulting his sister during an incident in which he was stabbed in both legs.
The 26-year-old Davenport denied causing actual bodily harm to Cara Davenport and said he would plead not guilty when he appears in court on Nov. 10.
"I am deeply shocked and disappointed at the decision that has been made to charge me with assault," Calum Davenport said in a statement Wednesday. "I deny any wrongdoing and will plead not guilty. For legal reasons, I am unable to discuss the matter further at this time."
Cara Davenport's boyfriend, Worrell Whitehurst, has already appeared in court after being charged with attacking Calum Davenport and his mother, Kim Stupple, in August.
Calum Davenport, a former England Under-21 international, underwent emergency surgery for stab wounds on both legs after the incident in Bedford. The center back has been able to return to light training.
AFA: Media to blame for Maradona tirade
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentina's Football Association is blaming the media for Diego Maradona's angry tirade on live television.
The AFA sent a formal report to FIFA dismissing Maradona's profanity-laced news conference in Uruguay as the natural result of tough questions from reporters. FIFA is investigating.
Maradona faces a possible five-game suspension and a fine of almost $20,000 if FIFA determines that he lowered himself "through acts or words ... in a way that undermines human dignity."
AFA attorney Hugo Pasos said Tuesday that the report says, "Maradona acted in a state of violent emotions because of confrontations with reporters in the days before the game."
He declined to provide more details, but Maradona has called it a "momentary outburst" caused by reporters who unfairly accused him of not working hard enough.
Ronaldo to miss AC Milan match with ankle injury
MADRID — Cristiano Ronaldo will not recover from an ankle injury in time for Real Madrid’s Champions League match at AC Milan next week.
The Spanish club says a medical exam Wednesday showed the Portugal winger’s right ankle had improved but not enough to return for Saturday’s Spanish league match against Getafe.
Madrid says on its Web site that Ronaldo would undergo another medical test next week. Madrid plays at the San Siro on Tuesday.
Madrid has lost three games without Ronaldo, including Tuesday’s Copa del Rey match against third-division club Alcorcon. Ronaldo sprained his ankle in a win over Marseille last month, and aggravated the injury during World Cup qualifying.
Both Madrid and Milan each have six points in Group C with three games to play.
Police search for Champions League final biter
MANCHESTER, England — Police are searching for a Manchester United fan who bit off part of a man's ear at the Champions League final in Rome.
Greater Manchester Police made the appeal Wednesday, releasing video footage and still pictures.
Police said the 46-year-old victim had intervened during an altercation between the offender and a woman outside the Stadio Olimpico before United lost to Barcelona in May.
The victim was threatened by the offender, but the attack didn't come until they later came face-to-face again in the stadium.
Police said that "the offender saw the victim again inside the stadium and without provocation, violently attacked him."
The offender was wearing a blue United away shirt.
Arsonists target Olympiakos fan club in Athens
ATHENS, Greece — Greek police say a small bomb has exploded outside an Olympiakos fan club office in central Athens, causing minor damage and no injuries.
A police statement says the bomb, made of camping-gas canisters tied together, damaged the club entrance and two cars parked outside early Wednesday. There was nobody in the club.
There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack in the Greek capital's Pangrati district.
On Tuesday, Olympiakos lost to second-division club Panserraikos 3-1 in the Greek Cup.
Venezuela to save energy with daytime football
CARACAS, Venezuela — Prompted by President Hugo Chavez's call to conserve energy, the Venezuelan Premier Division will switch to daytime games.
The Venezuelan Football Federation said on Wednesday its teams will begin playing matches at 3 p.m. rather than 6 p.m. to avoid having to use stadium lights.
Chavez has been urging Venezuelans to conserve energy as the country struggles with a monthslong drought that has left water levels in dams at record lows and caused frequent power blackouts. Hydroelectric power provides about 75 percent of the electricity Venezuela consumes.
Critics say Chavez is partly to blame because his government failed to upgrade Venezuela's power grid.
Pohang Steelers to play Al Ittihad in ACL final
DOHA, Qatar — South Korean club Pohang Steelers reached the Asian Champions League final on Wednesday after a 2-1 win at Umm-Salal of Qatar.
Stevica Ristik scored in the 55th minute and No Byungjun in the 59th for Pohang, which advanced 4-1 on aggregate and will play Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia in the Nov. 7 final at National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo.
Ebrahima Nadiya scored from a late free kick for Umm-Salal.
Earlier Wednesday, Al Ittihad won 2-1 at Nagoya Grampus of Japan to go through 8-3 after the two-legged series.
League Roundups
Arsenal, Chelsea reach League Cup quarterfinals
LONDON — Arsenal and Chelsea overcame English Premier League opponents to reach the League Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday, with the Gunners beating Liverpool 2-1 and the Blues routing Bolton 4-0.
Fran Merida and Nicklas Bendtner scored for a mostly second-string Arsenal against similarly weakened opponents as rival managers Arsene Wenger and Rafa Benitez continued to rate England's second cup competition low among their priorities.
But Premier League leader Chelsea fielded a strong side to easily beat visiting Bolton, while Manchester City also drew upon its experienced players to outclass Scunthorpe 5-1.
Six of the Premier League's top seven teams have reached the quarterfinals.
Liverpool was coming off a surprise 2-0 win over Manchester United and Arsenal a disappointing 2-2 draw at lowly West Ham, but the starting lineups on Wednesday showed a total of 20 changes from those matches to make predicting a result at Emirates Stadium especially tricky.
Merida, a 19-year-old Spanish midfielder who has never started a Premier League match, capitalized on a mistake by Andriy Voronin to put Arsenal ahead in the 19th with his first club goal.
Voronin gave away possession on Liverpool's left wing about 20 meters (yards) from his own goal line and the ball rolled to Merida, who hit it from the corner of the area past goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri and in off the post.
But Liverpool leveled seven minutes later when Ryan Babel controlled a long pass and laid it for Emiliano Insua, who surprised Lukasz Fabianski by hitting the ball immediately to send it arcing over the stranded 'keeper's head and under the crossbar.
Still, Arsenal continued to create a string of chances and a five-man move five minutes into the second half ended with Bendtner cutting inside defender Martin Skrtel in the area to hit a rising shot past Cavalieri into the top of the net.
"I believe overall it was a game of top quality with two teams who really went for it," Wenger said. "You can say tonight we gave people what they paid for: Top quality. The experienced players played well and the young players played well.
"Liverpool came back but we still won the game. That shows we have the mental quality."
Liverpool forced a few opportunities but none as good as that missed by right-back Philipp Degen early on, when he shot wide following a back-heeled pass by Voronin.
Arsenal went close through Samir Nasri, who was playing his first game of the season after recovering from the broken leg he sustained in the preseason, Bendtner and Eduardo da Silva.
Italy midfielder Alberto Aquilani went on for the last 15 minutes to make his Liverpool debut but was unable to influence the result.
"The worst thing was the result but there were a lot of positives," Benitez said. "Aquilani was one of these. He showed he can pass the ball in the final third. He is closer every day and he has to train harder. He has to play more games to get his match fitness."
Premier League leader Chelsea was on course for victory over Bolton when it went ahead in the 15th. Salomon Kalou, again standing in for fellow Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba, headed in from Paulo Ferreira's right-wing cross for his third goal in two matches.
It was 2-0 11 minutes later when Malouda side-footed the ball into the net from the edge of the box and Deco made it 3-0 by finishing from near the penalty spot after a pass by Joe Cole.
Cole set up the final goal a minute before the end with a cross for substitute Drogba to head in from close range.
Stephen Ireland put Manchester City ahead in the third minute with a right-footed shot from about 20 meters (yards) but Scunthorpe equalized midway through the first half through Jonathan Forte.
Still, Roque Santa Cruz restored the home side's lead before halftime and Joleon Lescott, Carlos Tevez and Michael Johnson added second-half goals.
Arsenal, Chelsea and City join defending champion Manchester United, 2008 winner Tottenham, Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Blackburn in the lineup for the quarterfinals.
The draw will be made on Saturday with the matches scheduled for the week starting Nov. 30. The final is at Wembley on Feb. 28.
-- Stuart Condie
Rayo upsets Athletic in Copa del Rey
MADRID — Topflight clubs Athletic Bilbao, Almeria and Tenerife all lost to lower-tier opposition to start the fourth round of the Copa del Rey, while defending champion Barcelona began with a 2-0 win over Cultural Leonesa on Wednesday.
Pedro Rodriguez scored twice as Barcelona beat its third-division opponent a day after fellow minnow Alcorcon stunned Real Madrid 2-0.
Rayo Vallecano beat Athletic 2-0, Hercules was a 2-1 winner over Almeria and Celta Vigo held on for a 2-1 victory over Tenerife as the second-division clubs gained inspiration from Alcorcon.
Joaquin Sanchez's ninth-minute goal ensured Valencia didn't start with a loss as the 2008 champion won 1-0 at third-division Alcoyano, while Antonio Lopo's goal in the 77th led Deportivo La Coruna to a 1-0 win at second-division Murcia.
In matchups between topflight clubs, Osasuna won 2-1 at Xerez, Antonio "Apono" Galdeano's 76th-minute penalty rallied Malaga to a 1-1 draw against Zaragoza, while Juan Angel Albin's and Jaime Gavilan's second-half scores paced Getafe over Espanyol 2-0.
The first leg matches wrap up on Thursday when Valladolid plays Mallorca, third-division side Puertollano meets Villarreal and Salamanca faces Racing Santander.
Cultural, which played one season in topflight football over 50 years ago, started well against the Spanish leaders with Chema Sato side-footing wide from the front of Barcelona's goal in the 36th. Five minutes later, Pedro lashed Bojan Krkic's skipped pass into the top of goal.
Resting Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, coach Pep Guardiola used a lineup drawn from the club's youth system with 19-year-old Jonathan Dos Santos — brother of Giovanni — eventually making his debut in the 81st.
Barcelona goalkeeper Manuel Pinto saved from Juan Jose Silvestre in the 58th before Pedro doubled the lead in the 63rd by volleying Jeffren Suarez's crossfield pass back across goal for the score. Krkic's poor touch cost him a goal in injury time as the Barcelona striker was saved.
At Teresa Rivero Stadium, Nestor Susaeta curled in a free kick in the sixth minute to give Rayo the lead.
Goalkeeper Dani Jimenez dove across goal to stop Inigo Perez's point-blank shot in the 18th — two minutes before Sergio Pachon slotted home the second.
Gimenez preserved the Rayo's first leg result with several saves, including point-blank on Joseba Etxeberria in the 56th.
Athletic 'keeper Armando Ribeiro made two big stops in the closing moments, including Susaeta's header deep into injury time.
Madrid was humiliated at Alcorcon — whose payroll is 400 times smaller than the Spanish powerhouse — on Tuesday, when Atletico Madrid beat Marbella 2-0, Sevilla trounced Atletico Ciudad 4-2 and Sporting Gijon rallied for a 1-1 draw against Recreativo Huelva.
Return legs will be played in two weeks.
-- Paul Logothetis
Juventus routs Sampdoria 5-1 in Serie A
ROME — Brazilian striker Amauri scored twice as Juventus routed Sampdoria 5-1 to jump ahead of the Genoa-based squad into second place in the Serie A on Wednesday.
Amauri found the target in the 26th and 62nd minutes, raising his tally to four in Juventus' last three games. Giorgio Chiellini, Mauro Camoranesi and David Trezeguet also scored for Juventus and Giampaolo Pazzini had a goal for the visitors.
"Everything worked to perfection," Juventus coach Ciro Ferrara said. "We were coming off a few negative results but we're bouncing back. This is Juventus' real spirit."
Ten-man AC Milan squandered a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at Napoli, for which Luca Cigarini and German Denis scored in injury time after Filippo Inzaghi and Alexandre Pato had put Milan up 2-0 after only five minutes.
Inter Milan, which hosts Palermo in Thursday's lone match, leads with 22 points. Juventus was second with 21, Sampdoria has 20 and Parma was fourth with 17.
Freshly promoted Parma beat Bari 2-0 with goals from Valeri Bojinov and Alberto Paloschi, and Genoa edged Fiorentina 2-1 with a 74th-minute strike from Giandomenico Mesto.
Antonio Floro Flores scored twice as Udinese beat AS Roma 2-1 in a match in which both teams ended with 10 men.
Floro Flores had headers in the 21st and 84th. Daniele De Rossi scored a temporary equalizer then picked up a yellow card that will rule him out of Roma's game with Bologna on Sunday.
Roma is already without captain Francesco Totti for a month following knee surgery.
Roma midfielder Rodrigo Taddei was shown a direct red card in the 48th for protests and Udinese's Dusan Basta picked up a second yellow in the 78th.
In Wednesday's other matches, it was: Bologna 2, Siena 1; Catania 1, Chievo Verona 2; Lazio 0, Cagliari 1; Livorno 1, Atalanta 0;
With Vincenzo Iaquinta and captain Alessandro Del Piero both out, Amauri showed he was capable of carrying Juventus' attack.
The Brazilian who was trying to gain Italian citizenship and join Italy for the World Cup first scored off his own rebound, then made it 4-0 with a header.
Amauri also provided the cross for Chiellini's goal in the 42nd.
Chiellini and defensive partner Fabio Cannavaro did a good job of containing Sampdoria's imaginative forward Antonio Cassano, who rarely threatened except for a well-placed cross to Reto Ziegler early on.
"When a team plays like that it's tough to stop," Sampdoria manager Luigi Del Neri said. "We've got to learn from this, roll up our sleeves and focus on the games we have ahead."
Milan was cruising toward its third straight win when inexperienced midfielder Ignazio Abate picked up a second yellow card in the 86th. Cigarini scored one minute into added time with a shot from beyond the area and Denis notched a header with his back to the goal two minutes later, setting off raucous celebrations at San Paolo Stadium.
Japan striker Takayuki Morimoto received a direct red card in the 82nd minute of Catania's loss to Chievo for a hard foul on Manuel Iori.
-- Andrew Dampf
Bayern, Bremen, Schalke cruise in German Cup
FRANKFURT — Bayern Munich crushed Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 to storm into the quarterfinals of the German Cup on Wednesday.
Miroslav Klose scored twice, and Thomas Mueller scored one and set up two, including Luca Toni's for Bayern. It was Toni's first goal in a season that began late for the Italy striker because of an Achilles' tendon injury.
Cup holder Werder Bremen and Schalke also cruised into the quarterfinals by beating second-division opposition by identical 3-0 scores.
Hoffenheim routed second-division Koblenz 4-0.
Playing at home without top striker Claudio Pizarro and some other regulars, Bremen eased past Kaiserslautern on goals from Petri Pasanen and Tim Borowski in the first half and substitute Torsten Oehrl in the second.
Schalke dominated at 1860 Munich and got goals from two defenders, with Benedikt Hoewedes notching two and Rafinha adding another.
Bayern beat Eintracht 2-1 at home four days ago in the Bundesliga with much more difficulty but romped over the hapless Frankfurt team away. Klose scored in the 14th after a chipped pass from Mark van Bommel and five minutes later picked up a pass from Mueller to double the lead.
The game was decided when Mueller scored in the 29th after a dreadful mistake from Eintracht defender Maik Franz.
Mueller shook off Franz to supply the cross for Toni's diving header in the 52nd.
Hoffenheim struggled until Sejad Salihovic curled in a free kick in the 50th. Vedad Ibisevic, Maicosuel and Marvin Compper added the other three goals.
On Tuesday, second-division Greuther Fuerth upset Stuttgart 1-0 and Borussia Dortmund lost 3-2 at third-division Osnabrueck. Cologne won 3-0 at Eintracht Trier, a fourth-division team, and Augsburg thrashed Duisburg 5-0 in match between two second-division sides.
