Soccer Capsules: Chivas beats Tigres 3-1 to top Mexican league
MEXICO CITY — Javier Hernandez scored twice for the second week in a row as Chivas defeated Tigres 3-1 to win its first two games of the season in the Mexican Clausura for the first time since 2004.
Hernandez opened the scoring in the second minute and then scored a beautiful second goal by lobbing Tigres goalkeeper Cirilo Saucedo in the 26th, while Hector Reynoso sealed the win on the stroke of halftime for Guadalajara, which has a maximum six points from its opening two games and now leads the Mexican league.
"I’m happy for the win in a tough place like this," Hernandez said. "We have to take it easy, this is only the second week of the season and we need to keep playing good (soccer)."
Four teams are tied for second on four points.
Jesus Molina pulled a goal back for Tigres in the 31st.
In Morelia, national team striker Miguel Sabah scored twice, including a penalty kick in the last minute, as Monarcas got their first win of the season with a 2-0 victory over America.
Sabah got on the end of a great pass from Chilean midfielder Hugo Droguett in the 36th and then fooled America’s goalie Guillermo Ochoa with the penalty kick in the 90th to condemn the Eagles to their first loss.
In Mexico City, Cruz Azul and Pumas, two of the biggest clubs in Mexico, disappointed in their derby match, playing out a 0-0 draw.
In front of a sold out Estadio Azul, both teams only created a couple of scoring chances in a lackluster game.
"We both played to win, I understand the criticism over the result because the expectations were high and we ended up with a 0-0 draw," Pumas manager Ricardo Ferreti said. "But that’s the way (soccer) is, we are not satisfied with a tie, but it’s not a bad outcome."
In other scores it was: Queretaro 1, Pachuca 0; San Luis 3, Atlante 2; Atlas 3, Monterrey 0; Toluca 1, Jaguares 1; Ciudad Juarez 0, Santos 0.
League Roundups
Stoke ousts Arsenal from FA Cup; City advances
LONDON — Arsenal was ousted from the FA Cup by Stoke on Sunday with a 3-1 loss to give Sol Campbell an unhappy return to the team after almost four years.
Just 70 seconds into Campbell's second Arsenal debut, Rory Delap's first trademark long throw-in flew over the 35-year-old defender and Ricardo Fuller headed powerfully past Lukasz Fabianski.
The visitors leveled just before the break through Denilson's deflected strike, but Fuller headed in from Delap again in the 78th and Dean Whitehead sealed Stoke's fourth-round win.
Manchester City were drawn to play Stoke after Roberto Mancini's side beat Scunthorpe in Sunday's other match, with Robinho rounding off a 4-2 victory before departing on a likely loan move to Brazilian side Santos.
With Liverpool and Manchester United already eliminated in the third round, Chelsea is the only member of the Premier League traditional "Big Four" remaining in the world's oldest knockout competition.
Campbell was one of nine changes Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger made from the side that beat Bolton in midweek to remain firmly in the league title race. Arsenal has crucial league matches against Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool in a 14-day spell coming up.
"Our selection was simple, take a look at our schedule and you must see we cannot play the same 11 every time," Wenger said.
Campbell hadn't appeared for Arsenal since the 2006 Champions League final when he scored in the 2-1 loss to Barcelona before leaving for Portsmouth.
After leaving Pompey in July when his deal expired, Campbell joined fourth-tier Notts County in September, but played his one and only match of the season before walking out on a five-year contract.
At Stoke, the former England international had an encouraging second Arsenal debut, but the team struggled against a tenacious Stoke.
Arsenal did level in the 42nd minute when Cesc Fabregas' short free kick was squared to Denilson, whose low striker clipped two defenders before flashing past Thomas Sorensen into the bottom corner.
Wenger brought on regular starters Andrei Arshavin, Eduardo da Silva and Aaron Ramsey to replace Emmanuel-Thomas, Theo Walcott and Coquelin with 20 minutes to play.
Their introduction brought an immediate improvement with their quick passing moves, but Stoke regained the lead in the 78th when Mamady Sidibe surged down the right and fired over a cross that Fuller headed home.
Stoke grabbed a third when Whitehead turned home Matthew Etherington's cross.
"The spirit was fantastic from our lads," Stoke boss Tony Pulis said. "We knew that whatever side Arsene Wenger selected, it would always be a quality team. For Arsene to say we were dangerous is a compliment."
City's match at Scunthorpe could be Brazil forward Robinho's last match in England for now. Robinho told Brazilian radio ahead of the match he wanted to return to his former club Santos — probably on loan — because of his lack of action at City.
He started Sunday and finished a flurry of step-overs by setting up Martin Petrov on the left, and the Bulgarian sent a powerful left-foot shot into the top corner to give City the lead after just three minutes.
Paul Hayes volleyed a 29th-minute equalizer for second-tier Scunthorpe, but Nedum Onuoha restored City's lead at the end of the first half with a neat finish from Stephen Ireland's deft through ball.
Sylvinho extended City's lead in the 57th, unleashing a left-foot strike from 25 meters (yards) into the top of the net.
But Scunthorpe had renewed hope of causing an upset when Grant McCann floated in a corner from the right and captain Cliff Byrne's shot went in off City defender Dedryk Boyata in the 69th.
But Robinho sealed the win by firing the ball into the roof of the net from inside the area after being put through by Petrov six minutes from time.
Ronaldo scores twice then sent off against Malaga
MADRID — Cristiano Ronaldo scored both Real Madrid's goals in a 2-0 win over Malaga on Sunday before being red-carded for deliberately elbowing defender Patrick Jan Mtiliga in the face.
Ronaldo ended a three-game scoring drought in the 35th minute when Karim Benzema played the ball to Kaka, who crossed to the Portuguese winger to slot the ball home from close range.
Ronaldo then scored his ninth goal of the season four minutes later, firing the ball into the roof of the net after being put through by Jose Maria "Guti" Gutierrez.
But the Portugal forward's temper got the better of him 20 minutes from time as he lashed out with his elbow, striking Mtiliga in the face.
Mtiliga was substituted with blood pouring from his nose and will be out three weeks with a broken nose, coach Juan Ramon Lopez said.
Madrid's 10th straight home win allows it to stay within five points of Barcelona, who won 3-0 at Valladolid on Saturday.
Ronaldo's sending off means the world's most expensive footballer will miss at least one game through suspension just when Madrid's main rival is in sublime form after finishing the first half of the season unbeaten.
"His absence is major," coach Manuel Pellegrini said.
Barcelona has 49 points and Madrid 44, while Valencia is third with 39 points after a 0-0 draw against Tenerife. Mallorca went fourth — tied with Deportivo La Coruna at 34 points — after rallying for a 1-1 draw at Espanyol with a late penalty.
Pablo Osvaldo put Espanyol ahead at the Cornella-El Prat Stadium in the 49th after slotting home a loose ball. But Victor Ruiz brought Ruben Gonzalez down inside the area to set up Borja Valero's 80th-minute penalty for Mallorca.
In Sunday's other games, which capped the first half of the season, it was: Getafe 1, Atletico Madrid 0; Sporting Gijon 0, Racing Santander 1; Villarreal 4, Zaragoza 2; and Xerez 1, Osasuna 2.
Manu del Moral's 39th-minute score snapped Getafe's two-game losing run as Atletico — which had a four game winning run ended — played the final 23 minutes with 10 men after Paulo Assuncao was red-carded.
Joan Capdevila scored after three minutes and strikers Nilmar and Giuseppe Rossi also added goals inside 26 minutes for Villarreal.
Zaragoza, which stayed second bottom, started its rally in the 75th when Eliseu latched on to Humberto Suaro's cross to score and Angel Lafita added a second seven minutes later.
But Villarreal ensured its first win in over a month through Ariel Ibagaza's 88th-minute goal.
Javier Camunas' 83rd-minute strike brought Osasuna victory and new Xerez coach Nestor Gorosito defeat in his first game in charge of the last-place club.
Ignacio Monreal latched onto a rebound to score in the ninth minute for Osasuna. Xerez, which hasn't won since October, equalized through Mario Bermejo's 23rd-minute header before Camunas grabbed the winner.
At El Molinon, Alex Geijo received Mohamed Tchite's pass with his chest and controlled the ball before firing past goalkeeper Juan Pablo Colinas from inside the area in the 44th minute for Racing, which had defender Oriol Lazano sent off in the 89th.
On Saturday, Sevilla beat Almeria 1-0 and Deportivo won 3-1 over Athletic Bilbao.
-- Paul Logothetis
Leverkusen reclaims top spot by beating Hoffenheim
FRANKFURT — Bayer Leverkusen reclaimed the lead in the German Bundesliga on Sunday with a 3-0 victory at Hoffenheim thanks to a goal and two assists by Toni Kroos.
The 20-year-old Kroos set up Sami Hyypia for the opening goal in the 11th minute and Tranquillo Barnetta in the 71st. In between, Kroos scored his ninth of the season six minutes after the break with a shot from inside the box.
Leverkusen remained the only undefeated team in the league, returning to the top of the standings with 41 points from 19 rounds for a two-point lead over Bayern Munich.
Jupp Heynckes's Leverkusen finally notched a victory on the road after five consecutive draws as the visitors dominated the match throughout, especially in the second half.
"We made some mistakes and let them back into the game though Hoffenheim did not score. But I urged my team during the break to change that. And I think we were very successful in the second half," said Heynckesm who singled out Kroos for praise.
"I told Toni that he had to take over some more responsibility in the game and he did that in the second half as well," Heynckes said.
The Leverkusen boss said he does not expect the rest of the season to be easy.
"Not only is Bayern right there, but if you look at Schalke (38 points) and Hamburg (34) and Borussia Dortmund (36), I think we will have four or five teams there all season."
Boris Vukcevic did have two chances for Hoffenheim but the 19-year-old shot wide on both occasions.
Hoffenheim has not won in six games and remained on 25 points in ninth place.
In the earlier Sunday match, Wolfsburg's defensive problems continued on Sunday as the defending champion lost 3-2 at home to Cologne, extending its winless streak to seven games.
Cologne came into the game with the worst performing attack in the league but twice took the lead against the second-worst defense, with Kevin Pezzoni scoring after seven minutes and Sebastian Freis in the 57th minute.
Wolfsburg, however, equalized twice as Christian Gentner made it 1-1 in the 21st minute and Ricardo Costa scored just two minutes after Freis's goal.
But the visitors went ahead for a third and final time with 16 minutes to play as Freis passed to Adil Chihi after Wolfsburg's offside trap failed.
Wolfsburg have 24 points after 19 games and lie 10th, 10 points off the last qualification spot for European football, and the team's poor form has heaped pressure on coach Armin Veh
The win moved Cologne four points clear of the relegation zone into 13th place on 21 points.
Zvonimir Soldo's team has now scored eight goals in its last three games after previously scoring just once in seven.
Panathinaikos draws 0-0 at Aris in Greek league
ATHENS, Greece — Panathinaikos extended its lead in the Greek league to eight points on Sunday after earning a 0-0 draw at Aris Thessaloniki as second-place Olympiakos lost 1-0 at home to PAOK.
Panathinaikos now has 48 points from 19 games, with Olympiakos and third-place PAOK on 40 points each.
The Greek leader squandered an early chance when Djibril Cisse met a cross by Dimitris Salpingidis in the ninth minute but could only send his header Michalis Sifakis's crossbar.
Ten minutes later, a free kick by Giorgos Karagounis found Gilberto Silva in the Aris area, but his header hit the crossbar.
Unlike Aris, which failed to seriously threaten in the first half, the visitors had another chance in the 41st minute, when a powerful shot by Lazaros Christodoulopoulos forced Sifakis to make a diving save.
Alexandros Tzorvas palmed away a powerful shot by Aris striker Eddie Johnson before a 20-meter (yards) shot by Panathinaikos midfielder Costas Katsouranis in the 88th was saved by Sifakis to secure his side a point.
Striker Edinho scored PAOK's winner in a counterattack in the 20th minute following a through ball by Vladan Ivic.
Olympiakos controlled the game in the second half but it was PAOK which came close to a second goal with Vieirinha and Pablo Garcia both hitting Antonis Nikopolidis's crossbar.
Also Sunday, it was: Atromitos 2, Kavala 0; Panthrakikos 1, Xanthi 1 and AEK 3, Giannena 1.
Twente draws to leave PSV on top in Dutch league
AMSTERDAM — FC Twente drew 0-0 with Groningen on Sunday to stay unbeaten but leave PSV Eindhoven on top of the Dutch league.
Injury-hit Twente was fortunate not to lose as Groningen peppered goalkeeper Sander Boschker with numerous first-half shots.
In the second half, Groningen's Tim Mativaz hit a post and teammate Thomas van Enevoldsen's attempt was cleared off the goal line by defender Dwight Tiendalli.
On Friday, PSV beat NEC Nijmegen 3-0 after two goals by Ola Toivonen and another from Nordin Amrabat.
PSV leads with 51 points, two more than Twente.
Third-place Ajax beat defending champion AZ Alkmaar 1-0 at home from Gregory van der Wiel's 63rd-minute goal.
Van der Wiel scored after trading passes with Luis Suarez, the Uruguayan who is the league's top scorer with 18 so far this season and who signed a contract extension earlier this week through 2013.
Also Sunday, it was: Sparta Rotterdam 0, ADO The Hague 0 and VVV Venlo 1, Feyenoord 1.
On Saturday, it was: Heracles Almelo 1, Vitesse Arnhem 2; Roda JC 2, Utrecht 0; SC Heerenveen 4, Willem II 2; and RKC Waalwijk 0, NAC Breda 1.
Celtic rallies to beat St. Johnstone 4-1
GLASGOW, Scotland — Marc-Antoine Fortune scored twice as Celtic came from behind to beat 10-man St. Johnstone 4-1 on Sunday and close the gap on leader Rangers to seven points.
Celtic took advantage of Scottish Premier League champion Rangers drawing 1-1 with Hearts on Saturday.
Liam Craig had given St. Johnstone the lead from the penalty spot in the 12th minute after Glenn Loovens tugged Steven Milne inside the box.
But the game turned in Celtic's favor after Graham Gartland was sent off seconds into the second half after fouling Fortune.
The former Nancy striker equalized with an angled drive in the 64th and grabbed a second from close range, either side of Georgios Samaras' volleyed goal.
Celtic substitute Paddy McCourt sealed the win with a late solo goal in the 86th.
In Sunday's other match, Dundee United went third with a 4-1 win at Falkirk.
African Cup
Algeria, Ghana earn wins in African Cup
CABINDA, Angola — Substitute Hameur Bouazza scored in extra time to give Algeria a 3-2 win over fellow World Cup qualifier Ivory Coast on Sunday and a spot in the semifinals of the African Cup of Nations.
Algeria, which plays the United States in the first round of the World Cup, will next face either defending champion Egypt or Cameroon.
Bouazza took advantage of poor defending by Ivory Coast to score the winner in the second minute of extra time, heading home Karim Ziani’s cross from the left just a minute after coming on.
Ivory Coast midfielder Salomon Kalou opened the scoring in the fourth minute from close range before Karim Matmour’s goal tied it five minutes before the break.
Ivory Coast thought it had won the game after substitute Kader Keita scored two minutes from the end of normal time with a 30-meter strike into the top left corner. But Madjid Bougherra tied it for Algeria in injury time with a header after being left unmarked on the edge of the 6-yard box.
Ghana 1, Angola 0: At Luana, Angola, Asamoah Gyan scored to give Ghana a 1-0 win over host Angola and a place in the semifinals of the African Cup of Nations.
Gyan received a pass from Kojo Asamoah before firing a diagonal shot into the bottom corner.
Ghana, a four-time African Cup champion who has also qualified for the World Cup, will either play Zambia or Nigeria. The two teams meet Monday.
Elsewhere
Robinho says he is about to leave Man City
SAO PAULO — Manchester City striker Robinho told Brazilian radio on Sunday that he is about to leave the Premier League club, and the president of his former team in Brazil said transfer talks have already began.
Robinho told Radio Bandeirantes that he had been advised by Man City directors that Sunday's match against Scunthorpe in the FA Cup would probably be the Brazilian forward's last for the club.
Robinho would likely return to Brazilian club Santos on a loan, although the striker said details of the possible deal had not been plotted out yet.
Santos president Luiz Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro said the club is already negotiating with Man City directors and will meet with them in London on Tuesday.
However, new City manager Roberto Mancini seemed unsure on Sunday whether Robinho would stay or leave.
"In the next day the situation can change, but at the moment he stays here and I am very happy for him," Mancini said after City's 4-2 FA Cup win over Scunthorpe in which the Brazilian scored the final goal.
"I hope he will stay here but it is important he will stay here happy and enjoy it. He is a very good player. I think he is enjoying Manchester.
"I think one player can stay in a squad only if he is happy — if he wants to play every game and if he wants to work every day. That is most important because the players and manager must be happy," Mancini added.
Oliveira told Radio Bandeirantes that he talked to Robinho a couple of days ago and the club is already looking for a new sponsor to try to pay for Robinho's salary if he returns.
"We are already working on that," Ribeiro said. "I'm sure Robinho's name will attract a lot of attention."
Robinho admitted he was not playing well for City, but complained that he was not being allowed to play regularly under Mancini.
"The coach was very sincere with me and said that I would play every other match," Robinho said. "I told him that would not be interesting to me, it's a World Cup year."
Robinho said he wanted to return to Brazil to boost his chances of securing a place in Brazil's World Cup side.
"I want to be playing as a starter, I want to be playing well," Robinho said. "We are four, five months from the World Cup. We all know that there is a lot of competition to play for Brazil."
Robinho has been a regular in Brazil's squad under coach Dunga, but several players have been competing for a position in the team's attack for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Among those vying for a spot are Adriano and Ronaldo, who recently successfully decided to leave European football to try to attract Dunga's attention in Brazil.
Robinho, who will turn 26 on Monday, said he was disappointed with the style of coaches in European football.
"They choose a formation and want you to play in it, it doesn't matter if you are short or tall," he said.
Robinho would likely get a pay cut if he ends up leaving Man City to play for Santos, but he said that would be OK.
"The financial situation is important, but being happy also counts," he said. "To play with Santos again would be exceptional."
Robinho moved from Real Madrid to Manchester City for a British-record fee of 32.5 million pounds (euro40 million; US$58 million) in 2008. He reached stardom while playing for Brazilian club Santos, Pele's former club, before going to Spain in 2005.
He led Santos to the national league titles in 2002 and 2004, in a team that also had Juventus midfielder Diego.
Robinho said he talked to Diego recently and said his friend told him to go play with him at Juventus, but Robinho said he would rather return to Santos.
-- Tales Azzoni
Vieira confident of getting back into France team
PARIS — Patrick Vieira is confident that he will play for France at the World Cup later this year, providing he gets regular games for Manchester City.
The 33-year-old Vieira has been hampered by thigh and calf injuries for the past two seasons and was given limited playing time by Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho, prompting his move to City earlier this month.
Vieira thinks he will easily get back into France coach Raymond Domenech's squad if he is playing often for City.
"Since I am an optimistic person, I will say that my chances are 100 percent," Vieira said Sunday in an interview with Canal Plus television. "The desire and the determination are there. It is my objective, my challenge."
Vieira joined City on a six-month contract with a further 12-month option, having been signed by Roberto Mancini, the former Inter coach who replaced Mark Hughes last month. Vieira has yet to play.
"I can't see myself missing the World Cup," Vieira said. "I have five months left, I have to play, simple as that."
A stalwart of the French team, Vieira has made 107 appearances for France but a left-thigh strain prevented him from playing at the 2008 European Championship — the only tournament he missed since winning the World Cup in 1998.
Filipe Luis' season and World Cup hopes over
A CORUNA, Spain — Deportivo La Coruna defender Filipe Luis' season — and World Cup hopes — are over after the Brazilian was ruled out for up to six months.
Filipe underwent surgery on his broken right ankle Sunday, one day after falling awkwardly after scoring and with Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz landing on top of him in Deportivo's 3-1 victory in the Spanish league.
Deportivo says Filipe will be immobilized for the next four weeks and will need a minimum of four months to recover.
The 24-year-old Filipe has been Deportivo's standout player this season. He had also been likely to make Brazil's squad for the World Cup later this year after making his international debut in 2009 against Venezuela.
Van Nistelrooy: playing time key to Hamburg move
MADRID — Ruud van Nistelrooy says he is only moving to Bundesliga club Hamburg from Real Madrid to play more often.
The 33-year-old Dutch striker told Marca newspaper that leaving had been a "painful" decision. He will run a lap of honor Sunday before Madrid's Spanish league match against Malaga.
Van Nistelrooy says he has "written a nice page in the history of Madrid" and that his biggest disappointment was not winning the Champions League.
He scored 60 goals in 89 appearances since arriving from Manchester United in 2006. With the arrival of attacking stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema, he was relegated to the bench this season and has scored only one goal from four games.
PSV fire Brazilian player Reis after positive test
AMSTERDAM — Dutch club PSV Eindhoven says it has sacked Brazilian forward Jonathan Reis after he used "banned substances."
The club did not identify the substances, saying only in a statement that the 20-year-old striker Reis had been sent home from a training camp in Valenica after he arrived late and appeared "extremely tired."
He was sent to Eindhoven where he tested positive for the substances.
The club said Sunday it had recommended Reis attend a clinic to "quit this problem" but he refused. The club then decided to fire him with immediate effect.
The club quoted Reis's agent Renato Moura as saying he was "disappointed and sad that a player with so much potential...is throwing away his future like this."
Stoke faces Man City in cup after beating Arsenal
LONDON — Stoke faces another tough match in the FA Cup after being drawn to play Manchester City in the fifth round following its 3-1 victory over Arsenal on Sunday.
Stoke beat Arsenal before City overcame second-tier Scunthorpe 4-2 and the Premier League rivals will meet on the weekend of Feb. 13-14.
Another standout fixture drawn Sunday at Wembley Stadium sees 2008 winner Portsmouth make the short trip to south-coast neighbor Southampton.
In the other matches involving top flight teams, holder Chelsea will host Cardiff, League Cup finalist Aston Villa will go to either Wolverhampton or Crystal Palace, Bolton will host either Tottenham or Leeds and Fulham will play either fourth-tier Notts County or Wigan.
Hamburg sends Silva on loan to Sao Paulo
HAMBURG — Hamburg is sending Brazilian defender Alex Silva on loan to Sao Paulo until the end of next season.
The club also said Sunday that it is loaning midfielder Mickael Tavares to struggling Bundesliga rival Nuremberg for the rest of this season.
Hamburg gave no financial details for either deal.
Coach Bruno Labbadia said that "it is important for both players to get regular play."
The loan deals came a day after Hamburg signed Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy from Real Madrid.
Report: Lens striker Maoulida eyes Premier League
PARIS — Lens striker Toifilou Maoulida has reportedly said he is considering a move to the Premier League, with Wigan, Stoke and West Ham all apparently interested in signing him.
The 30-year-old Maoulida has scored 20 league goals in 62 games since joining Lens from Auxerre. He also had spells with Marseille, Rennes and Montpellier.
Maoulida said Sunday on the Web site of sports daily L'Equipe that "if an English club offers me the possibility (to play), why not."
He has started only six league games for Lens this season after the arrival of Brazilian striker Eduardo.
Cosmi resigns as Livorno coach
LIVORNO, Italy — Livorno is looking for its third coach of the season after Serse Cosmi resigned following the 2-0 loss to Napoli on Sunday.
Cosmi told ANSA news agency that he was leaving due to President Aldo Spinelli's meddling in team affairs.
The 51-year-old Cosmi only joined Livorno last October as a replacement for the sacked Gennaro Ruotolo.
Livorno lies 16th in Serie A with 21 points, just two points clear of the relegation zone.
Fan dies during Milan derby
MILAN — A football fan died after suffering a cardiac arrest during the Milan derby on Sunday.
The 51-year-old male from Cesano Maderno near Milan was sitting in a part of the stadium for both sets of supporters when he suffered the attack. Medics attempted to resuscitate him in the stadium, but he was pronounced dead in the ambulance.
