Soccer Capsules: Cruz Azul has 3-2 comeback win at Chiapas
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Christian Gimenez scored a hat-trick as Cruz Azul came from behind to win 3-2 at Chiapas on Saturday, pulling level with Santos at the top of the Mexican Apertura table.
Gimenez scored the game's opener from a free kick in the 16th minute, hit a long-range drive in the 63rd and notched the winning goal in the 79th. Jorge Rodriguez equalized in the 30th and Edgar Andrade scored in the 50th to give Chiapas a temporary lead.
Cruz Azul is level on points atop the standings after four wins in five, alongside Santos, which lost 1-0 at UANL Tigres.
Also on Saturday, Monterrey remained unbeaten despite conceding a late equalizer in a 2-2 draw at Pachuca.
Later in the day, Atlas hosted Toluca and Guadalajara visited Atlante.
Gimenez scored his first goals of the tournament against Chiapas — bagging a treble for the first time since the Clausura 2009 tournament when playing for Pachuca against Necaxa.
The Argentine forward opened the scoring with a free kick from outside the area that left Chiapas goalkeeper Jorge Villalpando rooted to the spot.
Cruz Azul missed opportunities to extend the lead, with Alejandro Vela wasting the best chance with a close range effort in the 27th minute.
Rodriguez leveled with a free kick that flew into the top right corner of the goal after half an hour and Chiapas took the lead when Danilinho played a ball through for Andrade to beat Corona early in the second half.
As Jaguares enjoyed its best period of the match, Gimenez received a pass from compatriot Emanuel Villa and equalized for Cruz Azul with a fierce drive.
Gimenez sealed the comeback and snatched his third goal with a low shot after the Chiapas defence failed to clear Vela's corner.
Meanwhile, an unmarked Dario Cvitanich headed the opening goal for Pachuca from a free kick in the eighth minute against Monterrey Rayados.
Pablo Marini was making his debut as Pachuca coach following two straight defeats that led to the resignation of Guillermo Rivarola.
Humberto Suazo scored an equalizer with a diagonal drive from an angle that flew in off the post in the 69th minute and Aldo De Nigris put Rayados in front with a back-post header from Osvaldo Martinez' cross in the 78th.
In stoppage time, Daniel Arreola scored with a header from a corner that was adjudged to have crossed the line before goalkeeper Jonathan Orozco cleared.
Just before the end of the match, Pachuca's Paraguayan midfielder Edgar Benitez collapsed on the pitch. Medics treated the player and he was taken to hospital for studies. No medical data on his condition has yet been released.
In Monterrey, UANL Tigres upset Santos' perfect record with a low free kick from Brazilian midfielder Juninho to earn a 1-0 win.
Later in the day, two goals and a red card marked a frantic start to the match between Atlante and Guadalajara.
Omar Bravo opened the scoring in the first minute for Guadalajara — coming off a loss in the Copa Libertadores final — but Edgar Mejia was sent off in the second and Atlante turn the score round.
Matias Cardaccio scored the equalizer two minutes after the red card and a Johan Fano header in the 36th to earn a first win of the season for Atlante.
Meanwhile, Antonio Naelson scored from outside the box in stoppage time as defending champion Toluca had a 1-0 win at Atlas.
Santos remains top of the general standings on goal difference ahead of Cruz Azul. Rayados is a point back in third.
On Friday, UAG Estudiantes won 3-2 at home against San Luis. On Sunday, it's Morelia vs. Necaxa, UNAM Pumas vs. Puebla and Queretaro vs. America.
Texas Soccer
Shea scores in 71st to lift FC Dallas 1-0
FRISCO (AP) — Brek Shea scored in the 71st minute to give FC Dallas a 1-0 victory over Chivas USA on a sweltering Saturday night.
The win extended Dallas' unbeaten streak to 11 games during which it has outscored opponents 18-7 and won seven times. The temperature was 102 degrees.
"It was a very difficult game for both teams," Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman said. "It was like putting your head in an oven, it was difficult. The heat affected all of us, even the guys on the bench. It's miserable out there. There's no place to go to get away from the heat. I'm really proud of these guys and how hard they work in practice and it wasn't one of our better games, but it's still three points."
Chivas USA remained last in the eight-team Western Conference.
"Poor first half," Chivas coach Martin Vasquez said. "We created chances in the second half, but I thought their goalkeeper came up big and we couldn't put one away. Lack of concentration on the goal we gave up. Overall, good second half, but where we are, we can't afford to not be good in the first half."
Shea broke the scoreless tie with his fifth goal of the season. The 20-year-old midfielder received a lofting cross from the left flank by Jair Benitez, and used all of his 6-foot-3 frame to leap up and head the ball over veteran Chivas goalkeeper Zach Thornton.
"Jair, I think every game this year, he's been serving great balls. Tonight, I just happened to be on the end of one," Shea said. "I just try to be dangerous. Most of my goals this year have been from good passes by my teammates like tonight by Jair. They get me the ball and I finish it."
Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman came up with two outstanding saves just minutes later to preserve the lead.
In the 77th, Hartman made a leaping save to deflect Michael Umana's header over the crossbar, coming off a corner kick.
Moments later, Hartman managed to knock Dario Delgado's point-blank header out of harm's way with a leaping swipe.
"On the corner kick, maybe we lost him because they made some substitutions and we didn't necessarily get our assignments right as quickly as we could," Hartman explained. "And then, a little bit of chaos, and fortunately, I was able to get across and make the save on the second one."
Chivas didn't threaten again, and Hartman recorded his sixth shutout of the year, making three saves.
While Chivas enjoyed the territorial advantage through a scoreless first half, Dallas began to gradually take over in the second.
Dallas forward Milton Rodriguez had a prime opportunity to score in the 53rd minute, off a free kick from just outside the penalty area. Rodriguez blasted a shot around the defensive wall in front toward the far goalpost, but Thornton made a spectacular diving save to punch the ball away.
Ching hat trick wins it for Houston 4-3 over Fire
HOUSTON (AP) — Brian Ching scored the last of his three goals in the 85th minute to help the Houston Dynamo win for the first time in 11 games with a 4-3 win over the Chicago Fire on Saturday night.
After Wilman Conde’s equalizer for Chicago in the 81st minute, the Hawaiian-born forward secured the win for Houston when he headed a corner kick by Richard Mulrooney just inside the right post four minutes later.
Lovel Palmer scored his second goal of the season and Mulrooney was involved in all four goals for the Dynamo, whose last win was 2-0 over D.C. United on May 22.
Ching recorded his first hat trick since the franchise’s first game in April 2006 and now has six MLS goals in 2010.
Ching used a left-footed shot to give the Dynamo a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute after Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson dropped a corner kick by Mulrooney. That gave the Dynamo its first lead since July 1 at Toronto.
Palmer extended Houston’s lead to 2-0 in the 50th minute, when the Dynamo scored on yet another set piece. But the Fire made it 2-1 when Calen Carr powered a shot by Pat Onstad in the 55th minute.
Ching scored a pretty bicycle-kick goal four minutes later to give Houston a 3-1 lead. Bobby Boswell hit the crossbar, but the rebound ended up just outside the goalkeeper box. With his back toward the net, Ching jumped and scored his second goal of the night in the 59th minute.
The Fire got within a goal in the 59th minute when Boswell rolled an own goal by Onstad to make it 3-2.
World Cup
FIFA inspectors to see 4 of England's host cities
LONDON (AP) — FIFA inspectors will visit London, Manchester, Sunderland and Newcastle next week as they scrutinize England's bid for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
The delegation led by Chilean Football Federation president Harold Mayne-Nicholls begins its four-day visit to England on Monday.
While the inspectors are visiting only four of the 12 candidate cities in England, they will see presentations from the other venues.
FIFA's 24-man executive committee will vote on the 2018 and '22 hosts in December.
For the 2018 or 2022 tournament there also is a bid from United States, as well as joint bids from Belgium and the Netherlands, and Spain and Portugal. Australia, Japan, South Korea and Qatar are applying for 2022 only.
League News
Chelsea, Arsenal hit opponents for six in league
LONDON (AP) — Chelsea and Arsenal crushed their Premier League opponents 6-0 on Saturday in ruthless displays of their title credentials.
Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou scored two goals each for Chelsea at Wigan, a week after the defending champions condemned West Bromwich Albion to the same 6-0 defeat in the season-opener.
Chelsea had only led through Florent Malouda's goal at half time, but Anelka quickly netted twice after the break and after Yossi Benayoun completed the rout in stoppage time following Kalou's double.
"We scored six but we suffered a lot in the first half," Chelsea striker Didier Drogba said. "The fact that we scored quickly at the start of the second half settled us down a lot."
Arsenal responded to its draw at Liverpool by routing newcomer Blackpool, with Theo Walcott scoring his first hat trick for the club as it chases its first title since 2004.
"What was pleasing today with Theo was that he made the right decisions in the final third and was calm in front of goal," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "He could finish but also give final balls. That shows he has improved."
Tottenham, which finally broke into the Premier League's top four last season, relied on Gareth Bale's double to edge Stoke 2-1.
Craig Gardner also scored twice as Birmingham beat Blackburn 2-1, Johan Elmander's pair helped Bolton win 3-1 at West Ham, Peter Odemwingie scored on his West Bromwich Albion debut to clinch a 1-0 victory over Sunderland, and Wolverhampton held Everton 1-1.
At the DW Stadium, Chelsea took its goal tally in its last five league matches to 29 goals — stretching back into last season when the west London club put eight past Wigan to win the title.
Wigan has already conceded 10 this season, after being stunned 4-0 by Blackpool last Saturday.
Malouda tapped in Chelsea's opener in the 34th minute after goalkeeper Chris Kirkland parried Frank Lampard's effort.
After the break, Anelka's clinical finish and a close-range header by the 52nd put the game beyond reach for Wigan.
Didier Drogba set up Kalou to slot home in the 78th and turned provided again in stoppage time, with the Ivory Coast forward heading in a second goal after Kirkland flapped at the incoming cross.
There was still time for Yossi Benayoun to get on the scoresheet after sending Paulo Ferreira's pull-back into the far corner.
Around 3,000 Blackpool fans traveled to London buoyed by a dazzling Premier League debut last weekend, but there would be no repeat of the 4-0 victory over Wigan as the northwest side faced a ruthless attacking display.
A neat passing move ripped Blackpool apart down the left flank for Arsenal's 12th-minute opener. Andrei Arshavin fed Marouane Chamakh and the offseason recruit from Bordeaux laid the ball off to Tomas Rosicky, who returned the ball to Arshavin.
The Russia forward teed up an unmarked Walcott on the right of the penalty to fire into the bottom left corner of the net.
Walcott continued to torment the visitors, but Arsenal's second goal didn't come for another 20 minutes.
Chamakh latched onto Rosicky's throughball and earned a penalty when Ian Evatt was adjudged to have brought him down in the box and subsequently dismissed.
Arshavin drove the spot kick into the bottom right corner in the 32nd.
"We were doing OK before the referee deemed Ian Evatt's challenge a sending off," Blackpool manager Ian Holloway said. "It absolutely ruined game as spectacle."
But not for Arsenal fans, with goal No. 3 following in the 39th when Walcott dispatched the ball into the far corner after turning Dekel Keinan on the penalty spot.
Four minutes into the second half, Abou Diaby volleyed in the fourth after latching onto Bacary Sagna's cross.
Diaby then slotted the ball through to Walcott in the 58th and the England winger, who was left out of the World Cup squad, fought off three players before curling the ball into the net to complete his hat trick.
Blackpool's misery was completed in the 83rd when Chamakh headed in substitute Robin van Persie's cross.
It was a less convincing win from Tottenham, which escaped with a victory from Stoke despite a late controversy when Jon Walters thought his header had crossed the line to earn a 2-2 draw but referee Chris Foy disagreed.
Bale had put Spurs ahead in the 19th after Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen parried his initial shot. Peter Crouch headed the rebound, but it wasn't fully cleared by Ryan Shawcross and the ball hit Bale before finding the net.
Poor Spurs defending allowed Stoke to level in the 25th, with Ricardo Fuller clipping a shot beyond Heurelho Gomes after center back Younes Kaboul had directed Matthew Etherington's corner into the penalty area.
Bale restored the visitors' lead five minutes later after meeting Aaron Lennon's cross with an angled volley.
-- Rob Harris
Barcelona beats Sevilla to lift Spanish Supercup
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lionel Messi scored a hat trick as Barcelona won a record ninth Supercup by beating Sevilla 4-0 in the second leg for a 5-3 aggregate on Saturday.
After losing the first leg 3-1 in Seville, league champion Barcelona dominated from the start in its Camp Nou Stadium.
In the 14th minute, Pedro Rodriguez delivered a low cross that rebounded in off defender Abdoulay Konko.
In the 25th, Messi ran on to Xavi Hernandez's long through pass and put a first-time shot past goalkeeper Andres Palop. The Argentina striker scored his second and put his side ahead on aggregate in the 44th, shooting high into the net after being put through by Daniel Alves.
Messi ran on to Andres Iniesta's pass to complete his hat trick in the 90th.
"We've got another important trophy after overturning a very difficult (first-leg) result," Messi told state broadcaster TVE. "We know who we are and we are calm enough to keep growing as the season goes on."
Barcelona fielded an under-strength side in the first leg, with none of its eight players who helped Spain to World Cup victory available. However, on Saturday coach Pep Guardiola fielded a more familiar-looking side.
With doubts over the future of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and new signing David Villa starting on the bench, Bojan Krkic accompanied Messi and Pedro in attack.
Victor Valdes returned in goal and playmaker Hernandez was in central midfield, alongside Sergio Busquets and Seydou Keita.
Copa del Rey winner Sevilla, which went into the game following a 1-0 defeat to Braga in the Champions League, struggled in midfield and barely threatened in the first half as Spanish league champion Barcelona controlled possession.
In the sixth minute, Messi burst out of midfield with a trademark run and struck a fierce shot high.
In the 11th, Alves was ruled offside as he controlled the ball from a dangerous position on the right of the area.
Barcelona kept up the pressure as Maxwell's long-range shot nearly fooled Palop with a rebound off a defender.
Messi fed the charging Krkic in the 23rd, although the striker put his shot wide of the left post.
In the 57th, Villa came on for his first game for Barcelona since arriving from Valencia in the summer, replacing Pedro. Villa looked determined to score his first goal for the club and Palop had to parry a volleyed strike from the forward in the 77th.
World Cup hero Iniesta was also brought on and shot wide just seconds after replacing Krkic.
Sevilla responded by sending in Diego Perotti, Luis Fabiano and Luca Cigarini as coach Antonio Alvarez attempted to find some attacking spark. However, the Barcelona defense looked untroubled as the visitors rarely looked like scoring.
Barcelona's ninth Supercup trophy means it has one more than archrival Real Madrid. The win is also a boost for the Catalan side ahead of the league season, which begins next weekend.
Inter beats Roma 3-1 in Italian Super Cup
MILAN (AP) — Inter Milan picked up right where it left off from last season, winning another trophy with a 3-1 victory over AS Roma in the Italian Super Cup on Saturday.
Samuel Eto'o scored twice in the second half at the San Siro to break a 1-1 deadlock in Inter's first official match since Jose Mourinho departed for Real Madrid.
Left back John Arne Riise put Roma ahead in the 21st minute, collecting a pass from Francesco Totti and beating Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar from the edge of the area.
Goran Pandev equalized for Inter in the 41st, profiting from an ill-advised pass by Roma forward Mirko Vucinic into his own goal box. Roma defender Juan couldn't clear and Pandev slid the ball in through goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont's legs.
Eto'o gave Inter the lead in the 70th following a cross from Diego Milito, then sealed the victory 10 minutes later after Rodrigo Taddei gave away the ball.
"The thing that pleased me most was that the squad fought until the end even though it's not in top form yet," new Inter manager Rafa Benitez said after his debut.
Last season, Inter became the first Italian side to win a treble with the Serie A, Italian Cup and Champions League titles. It could have been four titles if Inter hadn't lost last year's Super Cup to Lazio.
Inter next faces Atletico Madrid in the European Super Cup on Friday, then is scheduled to open the Serie A three days later against Bologna.
While Eto'o appeared on form, Milito visibly struggled — a sharp contrast from last season when he scored virtually all of Inter's most important goals.
Benitez started with the same lineup Mourinho used in the win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in May, with Pandev, Wesley Sneijder and Eto'o lining up behind Milito in attack. Roma countered with Jeremy Menez directing Vucinic and Totti.
"I don't think the score shows a true picture of this match," Roma coach Claudio Ranieri said.
After Sneijder shot high for Inter nine minutes in, Roma took control for most of the first half.
Totti set up Vucinic all alone in front of the goal in the 10th but the forward wasted the opportunity by shooting directly at Julio Cesar. Five minutes later, Menez dribbled by Walter Samuel down the right flank and missed a sharply angled shot.
Inter right back Maicon slid a dangerous cross into the goal box for Eto'o in the 18th but Marco Cassetti blocked the striker's shot.
After Riise's goal, Roma dominated for long stretches while Inter struggled to get the ball to Milito. Still, Vucinic's error sent the teams into the changing rooms at 1-1.
Seeking a boost in attack, Benitez sent on Dejan Stankovic for Inter captain Javier Zanetti to start the second half but Roma remained in control.
Menez missed a volley in the 51st, Riise sent a long, low free kick on goal in the 63rd, and Milito had a goal waved off for offside a minute later at the other end.
Former Inter forward Adriano came on in the 67th for his Roma debut but rarely threatened as Eto'o changed the course of the match.
"He's working hard but it's not easy to adapt to new tactics and new teammates right away," Ranieri said.
The game was suspended for about five minutes in the 72nd after Roma fans showered the pitch with fireworks — shortly after Eto'o put Inter ahead.
Before the game, a minute of silence was held in memory of former Italy President Francesco Cossiga, who died on Tuesday.
Promoted teams both win Bundesliga openers
BERLIN (AP) — Ruud van Nistelrooy scored twice to give Hamburger SV a winning start to its Bundesliga campaign with a 2-1 victory over 10-man Schalke on Saturday.
Hamburg joined five other teams on three points after the opening round.
In other matches, Hoffenheim rallied to beat Werder Bremen 4-1 and promoted teams St. Pauli and Kaiserslautern also came from behind to win on the road.
St. Pauli scored three times in the last 10 minutes to win 3-1 in Freiburg, and Kaiserslautern won by the same score at 10-man FC Cologne.
Hannover edged Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1. Defending champion Bayern beat Wolfsburg 2-1 on Friday.
Van Nistelrooy scored with a spectacular volley shortly after the break in the 46th minute as Hamburg dominated the game, especially after the ejection of Schalke defender Benedikt Howedes in the 60th for his second booking.
But Jefferson Farfan pulled one back for Schalke, last season's runner-up, in the 80th before Van Nistelrooy secured the victory three minutes later.
At Hoffenheim, Werder went ahead after three minutes when captain Torsten Frings converted a penalty. But Werder collapsed quickly and conceded four goals before halftime, not an encouraging sign before the second leg off its Champions League qualifying match against Sampdoria Genoa next week. Werder won the first leg at home 3-1.
Demba Ba, newcomer Peniel Mlapa, Vedad Ibisevic and Sejad Salihovic used some sloppy defending by Werder to score before the break and Hoffenheim eased up in the second half.
Before the match, Hoffenheim coach Ralf Rangnick confirmed that Carlos Eduardo was leaving the club but did not give the Brazilian playmaker's destination. Eduardo did not play.
Cologne defender Youssef Mohamad earned the dubious distinction of receiving the quickest red hard in Bundesliga history when he was sent off after 87 seconds.
Mohamad was sent off for pulling down Erwin Hoffer to prevent a clear chance for Kaiserslautern. Despite being a man down, Cologne was the first to score when Milivoje Novakovic capitalized on a fumble by Kaiserslautern goalkeeper Tobias Sippel.
Srdjan Lakic began Kaiserslautern's comeback by scoring twice, in the 70th and 84th. Ivo Ilicevic completed the victory in the 88th.
St. Pauli dominated the match in Freiburg despite falling behind to a goal by Papiss Demba Cisse in the 78th.
The cult club from Hamburg's St. Pauli neighborhood struck back through Fabian Boll (83rd), Richard Sukuta-Pasu (89th) and Fin Bartels in injury time.
Hannover rebounded from its ouster in the German Cup by defeating Eintracht Frankfurt despite losing newly signed Portuguese midfielder Carlitos to a knee injury less then three minutes into the game.
Konstantin Rausch put the home side ahead in the 21st, Benjamin Koehler tied the game six minutes later but Dider Ya Konan secured the victory for Hannover in the 75th.
Mohamadou Idrissou salvaged a 1-1 draw for Borussia Moenchengladbach against Nuremberg, which had gone ahead through Jens Hegeler in the 15th. Idrissou scored in the 31st.
-- Nesha Starcevic
Velez goes top of Argentine league
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Velez Sarsfield's 2-0 win over defending champion Argentinos Juniors on Saturday lifted it to the top of the Argentine Apertura standings.
Leandro Somoza hit the opener from a 71st-minute penalty and Santiago Silva added the second following a corner in the 76th as Velez climbed above Estudiantes and Banfield after three games. Estudiantes and Banfield drew 0-0 on Friday.
"The table says (we're the best team)," Somoza said. "We've got to keep going, we can't be satisfied, we've got to keep advancing."
Quilmes drew 1-1 with Lanus earlier Saturday, while Godoy Cruz had a 1-0 win against Olimpo and Racing missed the chance to join Velez at the top following a 2-1 loss at home to San Lorenzo.
On Friday, Newell's Old Boys had a 2-0 home win against Tigre. Four other matches on Sunday include River Plate vs. Independiente and All Boys vs. Boca Juniors.
Velez struggled to break down a tight Argentinos defense in the first half at Jose Amalfitani Stadium.
In a match of few chances, Velez went closest when Emiliano Papa shot over in the eighth minute. Victor Zapata's shot was saved by Argentinos goalkeeper Nicolas Navarro in the 16th.
Argentinos striker Nicolas Blandi turned into space in the box in the 40th but his shot went wide.
The match turned when Velez was awarded a penalty for Gonzalo Prosperi's raised challenge on Juan Manuel Martinez. Somoza sent Navarro the wrong way from the spot.
Silva connected with a corner at the back post to drive in the second goal.
Argentinos finished with 10 men after Santiago Gentiletti was sent off with just over 10 minutes remaining.
In the early match, Santiago Salcedo equalized for Lanus in the 13th minute after Juan Morales scored a seventh-minute opener for newly promoted Quilmes.
Later in the day, Godoy Cruz got its first win of the tournament after Ariel Rojas followed up a Nicolas Olmedo shot to score the winning goal against Olimpo in the 42nd minute.
Elsewhere, San Lorenzo took the lead against Racing when Guillermo Pereyra curled in a shot from the edge of the area in the 20th minute. Pablo Luguercio pulled Racing level with a low drive from long range that went in off the post in the 56th minute, but Sebastian Balsas scored with a looping header in the 86th to give San Lorenzo the win.
Toulouse edges Arles-Avignon 2-1 in French league
PARIS (AP) — Despite Daniel Braaten's third goal in three matches helping Toulouse edge Arles-Avignon 2-1 on Saturday to keep the lead in the French league, the club will seek more firepower up front.
Defending champion Marseille defeated Lorient 2-0 to earn its first win this season.
Norway international Braaten beat goalkeeper Vincent Plante with a low shot in the 36th minute before setting up midfielder Etienne Didot for his team's second goal in the 61st.
"Braaten proved decisive again: He scored and made an assist," Toulouse coach Alain Casanova told Europe 1 radio. "We did not expect him to reach such a level. I'm very happy for him. But after the departure of Andre-Pierre Gignac (to Marseille) we are going to hire a forward."
Braaten usually plays as a winger, but Gignac's departure forced Casanova to field him as a center forward against Arles-Avignon. Franck Dja Djedje scored a consolation goal in the 64th for last-place Arles-Avignon.
Toulouse has made a perfect start to top the standings with nine points while Marseille has just three points after three rounds. Also on Saturday, it was: Lyon 1, Brest 0; Nice 1, Nancy 1; Rennes 0, Saint-Etienne 0; Lens 2, Monaco 2; Auxerre 1, Valenciennes 1.
In Marseille, defender Gabriel Heinze converted a rebound in the sixth minute after goalkeeper Lionel Cappone saved a header from Andre Ayew. Defender Taye Taiwo sealed the win with a low strike in the 72nd.
"Of course we can do much better," Marseille coach Didier Deschamps said, "but tonight I'll content myself with this victory."
In Lyon, midfielder Jean Makoun scored from close range in the 19th off a pass from Jimmy Briand.
"It was a tough win that we had to go and get through the pain," Briand said. "We knew we had to fight and get those three points with our guts. We gave our everything."
Another Lyon player was injured as fullback Aly Cissokho hurt his thigh and was replaced at halftime.
In Nice, midfielder Emerse Fae found the net for the hosts with a half-volley from the edge of the box in the 26th. But Nancy forward Paul Alo'o Efoulou equalized in the 85th. Nancy midfielder Landry N'Guemo was red-carded in the 90th for a violent tackle on Fae.
In Lens, Daniel Niculae picked his spot from 25 meters to fire home a powerful strike and put Monaco ahead in the 19th. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added a second goal with a volley under the crossbar in the 69th.
But Lens got back into the match with an own-goal from Monaco defender Adriano in the 73rd before Sebastien Roudet beat goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier in the 83rd to salvage a draw for the hosts.
In Auxerre, forward Ireneusz Jelen pounced on a loose ball to flick home the equalizer in the 69th after the Valenciennes defense failed to clear a corner. Valenciennes midfielder Gael Danic opened the scoring in the 66th with a long-range strike.
On Sunday, Montpellier takes on Caen, Lille visits Sochaux and Paris Saint-Germain faces Bordeaux.
-- Trung Latieule
Twente beats Vitesse 3-0 in Dutch league
AMSTERDAM (AP) — Defending champion FC Twente won for the first time this season by beating Vitesse Arnhem 3-0 in the third round of the Dutch league on Saturday.
Marc Janko opened the scoring in the 58th minute before Luuk de Jong provided two further goals to give new coach Michel Preud'homme his first goals and victory of the season.
Also, Mounir El Hamdaoui netted twice and Luis Suarez got the other goal to help Ajax beat Roda JC 3-0 and move atop the standings. Ajax has seven points, one ahead of PSV Eindhoven, which was inactive on Saturday. NEC Nijmegen also has six.
Bas Dost scored twice for SC Heerenveen, which beat NAC Breda 3-1 to notch its first win of the season. Kees Luijckx was also on target for Heerenveen.
Andreas Granqvist and Thomas Enevoldsen had the goals as FC Groningen dismissed De Graafschap 2-1. Rydell Poepon scored a consolation for the losing side.
Newcomer Excelsior Rotterdam secured its second win of the season to go joint second in the league standings after beating NEC Nijmegen 4-1.
On Sunday, PSV hosts AZ Alkmaar, while Feyenoord is at Heracles Almelo.
Hearts condemns Hamilton to 2nd straight 4-0 loss
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Hearts inflicted Hamilton's second successive 4-0 loss in the Scottish Premier League on Saturday.
Having been routed by Aberdeen in last weekend's opening round, Hamilton fell behind in the sixth minute to Calum Elliot's curling shot. David Templeton added another goal in the 24th.
Both teams had a player sent off before the third goal.
Hearts lost Ruben Palazuelos in the 62nd after receiving a second booking. Martin Canning was dismissed in the 75th for fouling Elliot as he ran forward, leading to a penalty kick that Kevin Kyle converted.
Elliot rounded off the win in the 81st with his second goal after racing through unchallenged.
In Saturday's other topflight match, Aberdeen made it two wins out of two when substitute Darren Mackie's 86th-minute goal clinched a 1-0 win at St. Johnstone.
Benfica loses 2-1 to Nacional in Portuguese league
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Defending champion Benfica crashed to a second straight defeat when it lost 2-1 to Nacional in the Portuguese league.
Luis Alberto put the hosts ahead on Saturday in the 50th minute, heading in from a free kick, and Orlando Sa added a second in the 66th. Substitute Carlos Martins scored for Benfica.
After two games, Nacional is top on six points and Benfica is second from bottom without a point. Earlier, FC Braga was held to 0-0 at Setubal and on Friday, Academica drew 1-1 with Olhanense.
On Sunday it's: Portimonense vs. Naval; Leiria vs. Pacos Ferreira; Sporting vs. Maritimo; and Porto vs. Beira Mar. On Monday it's Guimaraes vs. Rio Ave.
Elsewhere
Maturing Walcott set for bright future
LONDON — Being dropped by England for the World Cup might be the making of Theo Walcott as the pacy winger attempts to add consistency to his undoubted talent.
The 21-year-old Arsenal forward failed to make the cut when England manager Fabio Capello announced his final 23-man squad for the World Cup in South Africa, having struggled to make an impact in two warmup matches.
But Walcott has bounced back strongly at the start of this season, regaining his place in the England team for the friendly against Hungary earlier this month and then impressing for his club in the opening two games of the Premier League campaign.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who signed Walcott as a 16-year-old in 2006, believes this could be a breakthrough year for the player.
"He is now at an age where usually players start, so you cannot say he is at the peak of his game — there is a lot to come from Theo," Wenger said.
"There are two things — he has to keep his attitude right and be injury free because that can decide careers as well."
Walcott shot to prominence when he was a surprise selection in England’s squad for the 2006 World Cup, although he did not play a match in the tournament.
Many expected his career to kick on when he became the youngest player to score a hat trick for England by hitting three in the 4-1 victory over Croatia in a World Cup qualifier in Zagreb in 2008.
But a mixture of injury and poor form saw him struggle to nail down a regular place for club or country and his exclusion from this year’s World Cup was another setback for Walcott.
Wenger, though, believes fans will see the best of Walcott this season because he has finally had a summer’s rest.
"He had a good preparation for the season for the first time in a long, long time, without being interrupted by an injury and without coming back late (from international duty)," Wenger said. "You can see that and we have known for two to three weeks that he has been sharp because he had a very good preparation.
"He is a guy who keeps his feet on the ground. He takes life in a positive way and sees always the glass half full, not half empty. He took (being dropped by England for the World Cup) as another challenge. That’s what amazing about Theo."
Walcott looked back to his best in scoring a hat trick — his first for Arsenal — in Saturday’s 6-0 win over Blackpool at the Emirates Stadium.
It remains to be seen whether he can keep that form up for the rest of the season, for both England and his club.
-- Steve Douglas
Ukraine coach resigns over match-fixing
KIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine national team coach Myron Markevych resigned on Saturday in protest at the Ukrainian Football Federation’s decision to punish the club he coaches for fixing a league match in 2008.
Metalist Kharkiv and Karpaty Lviv were each deducted nine points and fined $25,000, and all Karpaty players had penalties of $5,000 to $10,000 imposed over an April 2008 game that ended 4-0 to Markevych’s Metalist side.
Markevych was not implicated in the case, but said he had "no moral right to work for an organization that is deliberately destroying Kharkiv football."
"The Ukrainian Football Federation has completely discredited itself," he said, adding he would remain with Metalist.
The federation also gave life bans to Metalist director Yevhen Krasnikov and Karpaty defender Sergei Lashchenkov, who was sent off in the 2008 match.
Metalist and Karpaty, who were involved in this week’s Europa League playoffs, are fifth and sixth respectively in the Ukrainian league, which is six rounds old. Both clubs have indicated they will appeal against the verdict, but if the points deduction stands, they will drop to the foot of the standings.
The 59-year-old Markevych took over from Oleksiy Mikhailichenko as coach of the national team in February after Ukraine failed to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa, losing to Greece in the playoffs.
-- James Marson
Juventus signs Serb winger Milos Krasic from CSKA
TURIN, Italy — Juventus has acquired Serbia winger Milos Krasic in a €15 million ($19 million) transfer from CSKA Moscow, boosting its offseason spending beyond €50 million ($60 million).
The Serie A power said Saturday that it had signed Krasic to a four-year contract.
Juventus is hoping Krasic can follow in the footsteps of former midfielder Pavel Nedved, who retired a year ago.
Juventus has spent €52.8 million ($67 million) on seven new players during the current transfer window — more than any other club in Italy and third in Europe behind Manchester City’s €121 million ($154 million) and Real Madrid’s €80 million ($102 million).
Juventus is also reportedly negotiating a loan deal with Liverpool for midfielder Alberto Aquilani.
Aquilani’s loan move to Juve from Liverpool agreed
LIVERPOOL, England — Italy midfielder Alberto Aquilani is joining Juventus on a season-long loan from Liverpool.
Liverpool announced Saturday that a deal had been agreed with the Turin club. The 26-year-old Aquilani will undergo a medical examination in Italy on Monday.
Aquilani joined Liverpool from Roma last summer for 20 million pounds ($31 million) as a replacement for Xabi Alonso, but he has struggled to break into the first team because of problems with his fitness and form.
Honduras leaves out Palacios, Suazo for friendlies
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — New Honduras coach Juan de Dios Castillo left out regular starters Wilson Palacios and David Suazo in the squad for friendlies next month against El Salvador and Canada.
The Mexico-born Castillo, who took over the team from Colombian Reinadlo Rueda, will lead Honduras against El Salvador in Los Angeles on Sept. 4 and face Canada in Toronto on Sept. 7.
Honduras notched a draw and two losses in the team's second World Cup appearance in South Africa.
