Soccer Capsules: Cruz Azul and Monterrey to play for Mexican title
MEXICO CITY — Monterrey and Cruz Azul will meet in next week's Mexican Apertura championship final after coming through the semifinals in contrasting styles.
Monterrey, which had beaten Toluca 2-0 in the first leg, settled for a 1-1 draw in Sunday's away leg to reach the final with a 3-1 aggregate win.
Cruz Azul, which had drawn 0-0 with Morelia in their first meeting, rallied for a 2-1 victory on Saturday to secure its place in the Apertura decider.
Monterrey, which took care of America in the first round, defeated the team with the best record in the regular season.
Abraham Carreno gave Monterrey the lead in the 71st minute on Sunday, before Isaac Brizuela leveled for Toluca in the 80th.
Monterrey will play for its first title since the 2003 Clausura and only the third in the club's history.
"I have always done things the right way and thank God everything is going great for this group...there are so many work hours involved", Monterrey manager Victor Manuel Vucetich said.
Vucetich, a three time Mexican champion with Tecos, Pachuca and Leon, added: "We are going to play for another crown ...we are already there, now let's enjoy it."
Toluca paid the price for a lack of goals in the playoffs. Having scored 32 goals in 17 regular season matches, the team managed to score just two in four playoff games.
In Saturday's game, Miguel Sabah put Morelia ahead in 49th minute, but Javier Orozco equalized in the 58th and Argentine Emanuel Villa scored the winner in the 65th to secure Cruz Azul's third final in the last four seasons.
"It means a lot because I was raised as a player and manager in Cruz Azul and I would love nothing more than to give them a championship," said Enrique Meza, who failed to get the team past the quarterfinals in his three previous stints as Cruz Azul manager. "I arrived here when I was 18 years old, I became a man here."
Cruz Azul, which is the fourth most successful team in Mexico with eight championships, will try to end a 12-year spell without a title.
"We are in the final, and deservedly so," Meza said. "It was a tough season but we finished on a good run and now we need to take care of another great opponent before the celebration."
The two legs of the final are scheduled for Thursday and Sunday, subject to confirmation by the Mexican football federation on Monday.
U.S. College
Tar Heels win 21st championship
COLLEGE STATION — Anson Dorrance has been cochng te am sstm t orh arlia or31yers ad e' certinly not going to change anything now.
The Tar Heels earned their second straight and 21st overall national championship on Sunday, beating Stanford 1-0 in the final of the Women's College Cup. Jessica McDonald scored in the third minute and North Carolina's smothering defense hung on from there.
"We've tried to design a system that's difficult to play against," Dorrance said. "That system is predicated on work ethic and high pressure. It's hard for other teams to replicate that in practice. Often times, even when a quality team plays us for the first time, it's a bit of a shock."
The Tar Heels (23-3-1) have won six NCAA titles since 1999, three times as many as any other team overall. The program has produced some of the game's all-time scorers, led by Mia Hamm.
But the defense has always been a cornerstone, and the Tar Heels finished the latest championship season with their 10th shutout in the last 11 games. Stanford, the nation's second-highest scoring team, mustered only nine shots.
"We don't change our system for anybody," said senior Whitney Engen, voted the tournament's most outstanding defensive player. "We know, in order to make everything function and play the game we want to play, we have to trust in our line and play the system we've played all year."
Stanford (25-1) failed in its bid to join North Carolina as the only teams to finish a perfect season — no losses or ties — with a championship. The Tar Heels have done that four times (1991-93, 2003).
The Cardinal generated only two shos in thefisthaf nd cul hrdy trngmoe ha to asestoeter. North Carolina goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris made only two saves all day and the Tar Heels finished their 19th shutout in 27 games.
"North Carolina does a great job of pressuring and swarming the ball," Stanford coach Paul Ratcliffe said. "It's easy to talk about as a coach, what you need to do. But it's difficult in there. It was hard for us to get into a rhythm and play our type of soccer."
Stanford had trailed in five games this season. But the comeback hopes in this one virtually ended when Kelley O'Hara, the nation's leading goal scorer, was issued her second yellow card — an automatic ejection — with 17:45 left in the game.
That left short-handed Stanford's chances of a rally to second-leading scorer Christen Press, and she nearly tied it with a 20-yard shot that Harris punched away.
Press also broke through the defense in the 88th minute, firing a long shot past Harris for an apparent tying goal, but linesman Martik Mirikian called her offside.
Press didn't complain about the call after the game. Stanford was flagged for six offsides calls, part of the Tar Heels' defensive plan.
"We stuck to our system," senior defender Kristi Eveland said. "We did draw a line high and we've been playing that way all year."
Stanford was the 12th team to enter the College Cup with a perfect record. Last year, Notre Dame came in at 25-0 before losing 2-1 to North Carolina in the final.
Casey Nogueira, who assisted on the goal, was the tournament's most outstanding offensive player. She fed McDonald with a high, bndngpas nt te oa aea ad cDnad usedintochp t past oalkeeper Kira Maker.
Nogueira scored the goal in North Carolina's 1-0 win over Notre Dame in the semifinals.
The Tar Heels held the Cardinal without a shot for the first 17 minutes. O'Hara and Press hardly touched the ball in the first half, and the Tar Heels swarmed them every time they did.
"It was really disruptive," Press said of the Tar Heels' defense. "I felt like we had so many open players and we were just struggling to get them the ball."
Press finally found some room late in the first half and sent a perfect cross to Courtney Verloo for an apparent goal with about 6 minutes left. Mirikian called Stanford offside on the play and the goal was negated.
North Carolina outshot Stanford 10-2 and had a 7-0 edge in corner kicks in the first half.
The Cardinal's offense was crisper after the break, and Stanford generated its first corner kick 6 minutes into the second half. O'Hara and Press got free for long shots over the goal in the next 10 minutes. O'Hara then earned her second yellow card when she knocked down Engen.
The players in the final game dealt with persistent rain and unseasonably cold weather. The temperature at kickoff was 48 degrees, up from the mid-30s for Friday's semifinals.
-- Chris Duncan
League Roundups
Spurs throws away 2-goal lead to draw at Everton
LONDON — Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe missed a stoppage time penalty as his side threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with a struggling Everton side in the Premier League on Sunday.
Defoe had put Spurs ahead two minutes into the second half and Michael Dawson doubled their advantage with more than half an hour remaining at Goodison Park.
But substitute striker Louis Saha began Everton's comeback with a 78th-minute goal and Australian midfielder Tim Cahill grabbed the equalizer on his 30th birthday to end the club's three-match losing streak in the league.
"We've had a bit of bad luck so it was nice to get that draw," Cahill said. "We tried our hardest. We went down, picked ourselves up and Tim Howard produced a great save and I guess there's a bit of justice."
Referee Andre Marriner gave Spurs a chance to reclaim the lead when he penalized Tony Hibbert for fouling Wilson Palacios in the penalty area.
But Defoe saw his tame spot kick saved by goalkeeper Tim Howard, who the striker could face again in England's World Cup opener against the United States next June.
"There looked to be only one winner. It was game over as we looked to be in control and I couldn't see any way we weren't going to go on and win," Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said. "We had chances to go 3-0 up and then they pulled a goal back. It was poor defending, we got sucked in and then suddenly the crowd get a lift."
The draw kept Tottenham in fourth place, one point behind Arsenal, which has a game in hand over its north London rival.
In Sunday's other match, Fulham moved back into the top half of the standings by beating Sunderland 1-0.
Chelsea's lead at the top was trimmed to two points Saturday when Carlo Ancelotti's side lost 2-1 at Manchester City and second-place Manchester United won 4-0 at West Ham.
While Chelsea and United have broken away from the chasing pack, Arsenal and Tottenham have stiff competition for the next two Champions League spots.
Since Spurs thrashed Wigan 9-1, they have now drawn twice and it took them until the start of the second half to finally breach the defense of injury-hit Everton.
Aaron Lennon whipped in a cross from the right and Defoe nipped in front of Hibbert, who was slow to react, at the near post to score his 12th league goal of the season.
And from Niko Kranjcar's 59th-minute corner, Lucas Neill allowed Dawson to escape him in the penalty area and the center back dived low to score in successive league matches.
The goal prompted a double attack-minded change from Everton manager David Moyes, with Saha and Ayegbeni Yakubu replacing Jo and Jack Rodwell.
Gareth Bale came close to curling in Tottenham's third from a free kick, but then was easily beaten back in defense by 21-year-old right back Seamus Coleman. The defender crossed to Saha, who beat goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes at the near post.
Saha went close to leveling with an overhead kick, but Cahill succeeded with a low header from Leighton Baines' cross in the 86th minute to earn Everton's first point since October. The club lies 15th in the standings with 16 points, three points above the relegation zone.
Spurs are awaiting to discover the extent of Palacios' rib injury after the Honduras midfielder was taken to hospital following the clash with Hibbert which led to the penalty.
At Craven Cottage, former Tottenham striker Bobby Zamora exploited poor defending to meet John Pantsil's cross in the seventh minute and score his sixth goal of the season.
"In the first half he was magnificent, in the second half he didn't get the service. But he was a constant thorn in Sunderland's side," Fulham manager Roy Hodgson said. "I thought his performance was good throughout and he was a major factor in our victory."
The victory lifts Fulham above Sunderland to eighth in the standings, two points below Liverpool.
-- Rob Harris
Villarreal beats Getafe, Valencia beats Bilbao
MADRID — A late goal by Joan Capdevila gave 10-man Villarreal a 3-2 win over Getafe in the Spanish league on Sunday, while Valencia rose to third place by beating Athletic Bilbao 2-1.
Capdevila swept in Diego Godin's pass to score his second goal of the match in the 87th minute, as the home side came from behind for an unlikely victory.
Both teams had plenty of chances in an open and fast-paced game, with Getafe going ahead in the fourth minute when Ricardo Leon pounced on a poor clearance to score.
Getafe's counter attacks contrasted with Villarreal's trademark short-passing play and the hosts responded in the 17th minute when Capdevila fired a long-range shot into top-left corner.
Villarreal was reduced to 10 men at the start of the second half when Ruben "Cani" Garcia was unlucky to be sent off. The midfielder was pushed while tracking back and stumbled, tripping up Francisco Casquero.
Roberto Soldado scored his eighth league goal of the season from the ensuing penalty.
At 2-1 up, Getafe appeared to have the game under control.
But Spain midfielder Santiago Cazorla replaced Roberto Pires in the 67th minute and almost immediately knocked the ball into the air with his left foot on the edge of the area before smashing home with his right to equalize.
Capdevila later added the winner before Villarreal went down to nine men, Angel Lopez receiving his second yellow card in injury time.
The result lifts Villarreal into 11th place on 15 points. Getafe is ninth on 18 points.
At the San Mames stadium, Bilbao was the better side in the first half against Valencia although it struggled to carve out clear chances.
The hosts' attack was blunted when striker Fernando Llorente was replaced by Oscar de Marcos after 30 minutes because of an injury.
However, the introduction of teenage striker Iker Muniain after halftime jump-started the game.
Muniain put Bilbao ahead in the 58th when he controlled a rebound from Cesar Sanchez's save and shot home from close range.
The 16-year-old Muniain became the youngest scorer in league history earlier this year with a goal against Valladolid. Last week, Bilbao signed the player to a long-term deal that keeps him with the Basque club through 2015.
Valencia's David Villa equalized three minutes later from Pablo Hernandez's cross.
Bilbao was reduced to 10 men when Koikili Lertxundi was sent off for a second yellow card with 20 minutes to go.
Valencia made the advantage count when Jeremy Mathieu followed up on a save by Bilbao keeper Gorka Iraizoz and drove home with his left foot.
Bilbao was awarded a dubious penalty five minutes from the end when Javi Martinez fell on contact with David Navarro's arm, although David Lopez hit the post.
"We're very happy because we have had some big wins recently at difficult places like this," said Villa, on Valencia moving above Sevilla in the standings to 28 points. Bilbao remains in eighth place on 20.
Barcelona leads the standings with 36 points, five more than second-place Real Madrid but having played a game more.
Earlier, Aritz Aduriz scored twice to help Mallorca beat Zaragoza 4-1, while Racing Santander defeated Espanyol 4-0 with two goals from Sergio Canales.
Aduriz put Mallorca ahead late in the first half following a defensive mix-up by Zaragoza and the striker then lobbed onrushing goalkeeper Javier Lopez in the second half. Mario Suarez headed in Borja Valero's cross 15 minutes from the end and Alhassane Keita slotted home the fourth.
A lackluster Zaragoza cut the deficit with a late goal from Ander Herrera.
Mallorca stayed in sixth place and Zaragoza is 15th.
At the Cornella-El Prat stadium, Canales was driving force behind Santander's win. The midfielder assisted Henrique early in the second half before scoring twice himself. Mohamed Tchite converted from the penalty spot in the 69th.
The win lifts Santander one place to 18th on 10 points and Espanyol is 12th on 13 points.
In other games, Tenerife beat Sporting Gijon 2-1, and Malaga drew 1-1 with Osasuna.
On Saturday, Lionel Messi scored twice to lead Barcelona to a 3-1 win over Deportivo La Coruna, and Real Madrid rallied to beat Almeria 4-2 after late goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Atletico Madrid beat Xerez 2-0, and Sevilla drew 1-1 with Valladolid.
-- Guy Hedgecoe
Roma beats Lazio 1-0 in derby after suspension
ROME — Marco Cassetti scored in the 79th minute to give AS Roma a 1-0 victory over Lazio in a Rome derby on Sunday that was marred by a brief first-half suspension due to exploding firecrackers in the stands.
Referee Nicola Rizzoli stopped play in the 13th minute, and explosions continued during and after the nearly 10-minute suspension despite an announcement asking fans to behave.
It was Cassetti's first goal since the 2006-07 season.
"This is the ultimate for a Roma player," said Cassetti, who celebrated by knocking over advertising boards lining the field.
In an earlier match, French striker Jonathan Biabiany scored his first two goals in Serie A to earn Parma a 2-2 draw at Genoa and move his side up to fourth place in the standings.
Parma, which was in Serie B last season, has 25 points — one more than Fiorentina, Roma, Genoa and Sampdoria. Fourth place will be rewarded with the final Champions League spot in Italy at the end of the season.
Inter Milan leads with 35 points, AC Milan is next with 31 and Juventus has 30.
Juventus beat Inter 2-1 Saturday and Milan routed Sampdoria 3-0.
The interruption at the Stadio Olimpico ruined the flow of play just as both sides were beginning to settle down and neither squad threatened in the first half.
The game began to heat up after the break and Lazio forward Mauro Zarate hit the post in the 60th minute and Roma goalkeeper Julio Sergio made a good save on the ensuing rebound from Stefano Mauri.
Roma midfielder Simone Perrotta had a chance in the 67th but Lazio goalkeeper Fernando Muslera tipped his shot over the bar.
A cross from Mirko Vucinic set up substitute Cassetti's match-winner from the middle of the area. Cassetti came on at the end of the first half to replace defender Philippe Mexes, who left with an apparent injury.
Norway left back John Arne Riise nearly made it 2-0 for Roma five minutes from the end but Muslera again managed to save.
Roma was reduced to 10 men in the 88th minute when David Pizarro picked up his second yellow card.
Parma's 21-year-old goalscorer Biabiany was also in the second division last season, having scored eight goals for Modena.
Rodrigo Palacio opened the scoring for Genoa in the 14th minute, but Biabiany slid the ball past the goalkeeper from the middle of the area to equalize in the 36th and put Parma ahead with another effort from inside the area in the 59th before Raffaele Palladino leveled for Genoa with a low shot from distance eight minutes later.
Fiorentina labored to a 2-0 win over Atalanta, with Italy center forward Alberto Gilardino sealing the victory with an 89th-minute strike after Atalanta was reduced to 10 men. Juan Vargas put the Tuscan club ahead in the 26th minute.
Napoli is eighth with 23 points after Fabio Quagliarella scored twice and set up the other goal as his side came from behind for a 3-2 victory over Bari, which ended with nine men.
Goals from Adailton and Marco Di Vaio gave Bologna a 2-1 victory over Udinese, which replied with Antonio Di Natale's 11th goal of the season to lead the Serie A scoring chart.
Palermo rallied from a goal down to beat in-form Cagliari 2-1 with goals from Igor Budan and Danish defender Simon Kjaer.
Chievo Verona finished a 2-0 winner over Livorno after the Tuscan club's captain Cristiano Lucarelli was sent off for protesting early on, while Siena beat Catania 3-2 in a match between the two teams at the bottom of the standings.
-- Andrew Dampf
Lille stuns Lyon 4-3 in French league
PARIS — Ivory Coast forward Gervinho scored a stoppage-time winner as Lille stormed back from 3-1 down to beat Lyon 4-3 in the French league on Sunday.
Lille's Eden Hazard stole the ball from Francois Clerc before providing the cross for Gervinho to score his second goal of the game, beating keeper Hugo Lloris with a low shot in the second minute of added time.
"It's my best match of the season," Gervinho told Canal Plus television. "I'm proud of my performance."
Lille climbed to 10th place with 22 points from 15 matches while Lyon slipped to fourth place with 26 points, trailing Bordeaux by five points. The defending champion consolidated its lead Saturday with a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Nancy secured a 3-1 upset win over Auxerre to end a three-game losing streak, Grenoble beat Toulouse 1-0 to earn its first win of the season and 10-man Boulogne came from behind to edge Lens 2-1.
A hat trick from Argentine forward Lisandro Lopez in the opening 35 minutes was still not enough to power Lyon to victory as Lille exposed the weaknesses of the visiting side's defense.
"We did not have the control of the match," Lloris told Canal Plus television. "It's too bad. We got off to a great start. We had a two-goal lead. But in the end we lost the match."
Sweden midfielder Kim Kallstrom held off a challenge from Aurelien Chedjou to feed Lopez inside the box and the Argentine forward chipped goalkeeper Mickael Landreau to open the scoring after just two minutes.
Lille nearly leveled in the ninth when Lyon defender Cris deflected a cross from Gervinho but Lloris palmed the goalbound ball away to safety.
Lyon defender Lamine Gassama then came to the France goalkeeper's rescue, clearing a header from Pierre-Alain Frau off the line.
Lopez made it 2-0 in the 22nd minute from the penalty spot after Ludovic Obraniak had raised his arms to protect his face and handled a free kick from Bosnia playmaker Miralem Pjanic.
Lille pulled a goal back in the 24th when Frau headed home a rebound after Lloris had blocked a header from Yohan Cabaye.
But Kallstrom released Lopez down the left flank soon afterwards and the Argentine striker cut inside, dribbling past Adil Rami to fire a low drive inside the near post.
In the second half, Lille put the Lyon defense under sustained pressure.
An early reward came when Gervinho outpaced defender Jean-Alain Boumsong to collect a long pass from Rio Mavuba and beat Lloris with a chip from a tight angle in the 54th minute.
Another followed in the 69th when Gassama tripped Mathieu Debuchy inside the area and Cabaye sent Lloris the wrong way with the resulting penalty to make it 3-3.
Lloris kept Lyon in the game with his heroics. He prevented an own-goal from Boumsong with a reflex save in the 57th, stopped a header from Tulio de Melo in the 66th and denied Hazard and Gervinho respectively in the 74th and 79th. But his defenders were of no help to Lloris in stoppage time as Gervinho fired home the winner.
"Lille never gave in and took advantage of our mistakes," Lloris said. "We have to rediscover our defensive solidity and string some good results together by not conceding goals."
In Auxerre, Andre Luiz nodded in a corner kick in the 26th minute to put Nancy ahead.
Slovenia midfielder Valter Birsa leveled for Auxerre in the 34th with a curling free kick from near the touchline that looped over goalkeeper Gennaro Bracigliano.
But Morocco defender Abdelslam Ouaddou outjumped the Auxerre defense to head in a corner kick in the 51st before Youssouf Hadji notched his seventh goal this season in the 86th to seal the win.
Nancy midfielder Bocundji Ca was sent off in stoppage time for swinging an arm while fighting for the ball in the air.
Auxerre, which was without Ireneusz Jelen through injury and Benoit Pedretti through suspension, slipped to fifth place with 26 points while Nancy moved into 13th place with 20 points.
In Grenoble, the home side's winner arrived when Toulouse goalkeeper Olivier Blondel palmed a free kick from Danijel Ljuboja into the path of Nicolas Dieuze, who flicked the ball into an empty net in the 80th minute.
Grenoble remained in last place with six points despite the win, while Toulouse was in the middle of the table with 21 points.
In Boulogne, the host side was down to 10 men by the 18th minute after defender Mame N'Diaye picked up a second yellow card.
Four minutes later, there was more trouble for Boulogne as defender Bira Dembele headed a free kick into his own net to give Lens the lead.
But Zimbabwean forward Ovidy Karuru equalized with a low shot in the 40th after some fine work from Olubayo Adefemi before Lens defender Romain Sartre, under the pressure of Damien Perrinelle, turned a free kick into his own net on the stroke of halftime.
Boulogne climbed to 18th place with 12 points.
On Saturday, it was: Montpellier 2, Le Mans 1; Rennes 1, Lorient 0; Valenciennes 3, Monaco 1; Nice 1, Marseille 3 and Saint-Etienne 0, Sochaux 0.
-- Trung Latieule
Werder held to 0-0 draw in Cologne
FRANKFURT — Werder Bremen failed to make up ground on Bundesliga leader Bayer Leverkusen when it managed only a 0-0 draw Sunday at lowly Cologne.
Werder extended its unbeaten run to 23 games in all competitions but remained three points behind Leverkusen, which also drew 0-0 Saturday in Hannover.
In the late game, Schalke beat bottom-place Hertha Berlin 2-0 to move past Bayern into third place.
Kevin Kuranyi scored his 100th Bundesliga goal in the 59th to put Schalke ahead, heading in unmarked at the far post after Marcelo Bordon had headed back a cross to the striker.
Rafinha converted a late penalty to complete the victory. By then, Hertha was down to 10 men after Christoph Janker was sent off in the 86th minute for his second booking.
Cologne striker Milivoje Novakovic wasted the two best chances of the match and Werder missed its flu-stricken playmaker Mesut Oezil and striker Claudio Pizarro, who is on the long-term injury list.
Leverkusen broke the club record for the best start to a season despite the scoreless draw in Hannover.
By remaining undefeated in 15 games, Leverkusen improved on its 14-game undefeated start from the 2001-02 season. Jupp Heynckes' team now has 31 points. Bremen has 28 and a better goal difference than Schalke, which also has 28. Bayern is now fourth with 27.
Also Saturday, defending champion Wolfsburg rallied to salvage a 2-2 draw at home against promoted Freiburg, which profited from a dubious penalty.
Hamburger SV drew 0-0 at home with Hoffenheim, Bochum battled back with 10 men to earn a 1-1 draw in Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund routed Nuremberg 4-0.
Stuttgart on Sunday fired coach Markus Babbel and replaced him with Christian Gross, a Swiss who previously led FC Basel into the Champions League.
Eintracht Frankfurt won its second straight by beating Mainz 2-0. Mainz finished the match with 10 men after the 68th-minute expulsion of Chadli Amri.
Leader Twente wins 4-3 at NEC in Dutch league
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Costa Rica forward Bryan Ruiz scored a late winner to give Twente a 4-3 victory at NEC Nijmegen on Sunday that kept his team top of the Dutch league.
Ruiz, who has now scored a goal in each of his last nine games, headed home Ronnie Stam's cross in the 88th minute for his 12th of the season, helping Twente to its 11th straight victory.
John Goossens scored the opener for NEC in the 15th minute but goals by Kenneth Perez, Blaise Nkufo and Miroslav Stoch turned the match around for Steve McClaren's side.
Bjorn Vleminckx then scored twice for NEC before he was dismissed in the 55th minute for a late challenge on Douglas.
Earlier Sunday, Ajax lost ground in the chase for its first Dutch league title in five years with a 2-0 loss at FC Utrecht.
Twente, which remains unbeaten after 16 rounds, leads the standings with 44 points, nine more than third-place Ajax.
PSV Eindhoven, also unbeaten this season, stayed second with 42 after beating RKC Waalwijk 2-0 with goals by Jonathan Reis and Danko Lazovic.
Feyenoord is fourth with 31 points after a 3-1 comeback win over FC Groningen.
Stefan Babovic, Roy Makaay and Jon Dahl Tomasson replied for Feyenoord after Koen van de Laak had given Groningen the lead after four minutes.
Jacob Mulenga and Jan Wuytens scored the goals for Utrecht. Mulenga, who will represent his native Zambia at the African Cup of Nations next month, put Utrecht ahead three minutes after the break with a low, left-footed shot from close range. Wuytens then headed in Gianluca Nijholt's 66th-minute corner for the second.
Ajax's Vurnon Anita was sent off in the 73rd after picking his second yellow card.
AZ Alkmaar's three-game winning run ended Friday with a 2-1 loss to Vitesse Arnhem. The defeat also cost coach Ronald Koemen his job.
Also, it was: VVV Venlo 2, Willem II 1; Roda JC 1, ADO The Hague 1; NAC Breda 2, Sparta Rotterdam 2, Heracles Almelo 3, SC Heerenveen 1.
Flamengo wins 1st league title in 17 years
RIO DE JANEIRO — Flamengo secured its first Brazilian league title in 17 years Sunday after Ronaldo Angelim headed in the winner in the 69th minute for a 2-1 victory over Gremio.
It was the team's sixth league title, but first since 1992 for Brazil's most popular club.
"It's unbelievable. For me this is the greatest dream," said Flamengo striker Adriano, draped in a team flag and crying after the match. "We came through so much difficulties to get this championship."
Gremio had taken the lead when midfielder Roberson tapped in a corner kick from Douglas Costa in the 21st. But Flamengo replied in the 30th, when defender David netted a hard right-footed shot in front of goal after a header bounced off Adriano's chest.
Angelim's header from a corner kick from Serbian midfielder Dejan Petkovic then gave the Rio club the win, and the three points it needed to secure its sixth title in the 38th and final round.
Flamengo finished with 67 points, with Internacional second on 65. Sao Paulo was third, also with 65 points and Cruzeiro was fourth to grab the last spot in next year's Copa Libertadores, Latin America's most important competition.
Internacional beat Santo Andre 4-1 Sunday, while defending champions Sao Paulo defeated Sport 4-0 and Cruzeiro overcame Santos 2-1.
Rio clubs Botafogo and Fluminense both staved off relegation. Botafogo beat Palmeiras 2-1 and Fluminense drew 1-1 with Coritiba, which was demoted to the second division instead.
Also Sunday, Barueri drew 0-0 with Atletico Paranaense and Vitoria drew 2-2 with Goias.
On Saturday, Avai beat Nautico 1-0 and Corinthians eased by Atletico Mineiro 3-0.
Adriano scored 19 goals this season for his hometown team, which he joined after abandoning Inter Milan in April, saying he was no longer happy playing in Italy.
As usual, Flamengo kept seeking out Adriano at the top of the area on Sunday, but he missed his best early chance with a header that went high in the fifth minute.
"It's normal we started out a bit slow, it's the anxiety," Adriano said.
Flamengo kept pushing for a third goal until the 85,000 fans started celebrating with three minutes left to play, as smoke from fireworks started floating over the field.
Flamengo struggled in the beginning of the season and was near the bottom of the standings, until former star midfielder Andrade took over the team to replace coach Cuca in August.
The team lost five of its first six matches under Andrade, but then lost just one of its last 16.
The team took over the lead for the first time in the next-to-last round after a 2-0 win over Corinthians last week.
The team's other titles were in 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987 and 1992.
-- Bradley Brooks
Tear gas hits game as Panathinaikos wins
ATHENS, Greece — Costas Katsouranis scored twice to steer Panathinaikos to a 3-1 win over Atromitos on Sunday in a match that was suspended for nearly 30 minutes as tear gas drifted in from clashes between police and anarchists outside the ground.
Referee Anastasios Kakos called a halt in the 53rd minute as the players were clearly affected by the tear gas being used by police outside Athens Olympic stadium. Many spectators left at this point, while the game eventually restarted with Panathinaikos leading 2-1.
Panathinaikos had attacked from the kickoff, taking a sixth minute lead through Katsouranis following a cross by Giorgos Karagounis. Atromitos nearly leveled soon afterwards when a shot by Luis Brito forced keeper Alexandros Tzorvas to tip the ball over the crossbar.
Tzorvas then punched away a shot by Juan Blengio before Katsouranis scored his second in the 33rd minute, firing home after a melee in the visitor's area.
Atromitos pulled a goal back in first half injury time, with Paschalis Melissas heading home a cross from Bangio.
Hopes of an Atromitos comeback were hit by a 61st minute red card for Marcelo Sarmiento, but his side went on to squander two scoring chances in the last 10 minutes before French striker Djibril Cisse added Panathinaikos's third goal and his ninth of the season in the last minute.
Second-place Panathinaikos now has 32 points from 13 games, one point behind league leader Olympiakos, which beat Xanthi 1-0 on Saturday.
Also Sunday it was: Panthrakikos 0, Asteras 0; Giannena 2, Iraklis 3; Ergotelis 1, Kavala 0; and Panionios 3, AEK 1.
Four Hearts players sent off at Hamilton amid scuffle
HAMILTON, Scotland — Hearts had two players sent off during a 2-1 loss at Hamilton and another two were red carded during a post-match scuffle.
Hearts captain Michael Stewart was dismissed for lashing out at Alex Neil and defender Ismael Bouzid was shown a second yellow card for tripping James McArthur.
Following reports of punches being thrown in the tunnel after the match, Hearts had midfielder Ian Black sent off for using foul and abusive language and winger Suso Santana for violent conduct. Masseur Alan Robson was also dismissed.
"I came between them and I tried to push some Hamilton players and my players away," Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo. "In defense of my players, the adrenaline was somewhere over their heads. A word or provocation maybe can spark an explosion."
Unused Hamilton substitute Leon Knight was also sent off for violent conduct in the tunnel.
"I heard a scuffle, or whatever it may be, in the tunnel," Hamilton manager Billy Reid said. "I came in and guys were holding each other. Thing like that shouldn't happen, I fully understand that, but it happens in the game of football."
James McArthur and Simon Mensing had put Hamilton ahead 2-0 by the 24th minute, but Eggert Jonsson pulled one back for Hearts just before the break.
FC Copenhagen beats Odense 2-0 in Danish league
COPENHAGEN — Two goals by Dame N'Doye led FC Copenhagen to a 2-0 win over league-leader Odense Sunday in the last round of the Danish league before the winter break.
N'Doye put the defending champions ahead in the 42nd minute after a corner and secured the win with a second goal in the 76th.
The victory moves FC Copenhagen to within one point of Odense at the top of the league, with 37 points from 18 games. Odense leads with 38 points.
Esbjerg — which is third in the standings with 32 points from 17 games — plays Arhus in the last game of the season Monday.
Earlier Sunday, Silkeborg beat Brondby 3-0 to move up to fourth place in the standings, while Randers beat Koge 2-1. Nordsjalland also won against Midtjylland 3-0.
On Saturday, SonderjyskE beat Aalborg 2-0.
The Danish league will resume on March 7.
Benfica beats Academica 4-0 in Portuguese league
LISBON, Portugal — Paraguay forward Oscar Cardozo scored a hat trick as Benfica beat Academica 4-0 on Sunday to go level on points with Portuguese league leader Braga.
Former Barcelona striker Javier Saviola also scored as second-place Benfica moved on to 29 points in the standings, narrowing the gap at the top to head-to-head after Braga was held to a 1-1 draw at Leixoes on Saturday.
Porto, which beat Guimaraes 4-1 on Friday, is third on 26 points.
In Sunday's other game, Papa Babacar "Baba" Diawara scored twice as Maritimo beat Olhanense 5-2. Maritimo is fourth in the standings, on 19 points.
Rio Ave drew 0-0 with Belenenses and Naval beat Pacos Ferreira 1-0 in other Saturday fixtures.
On Monday, it's Leiria vs. Nacional and Setubal vs. Sporting Lisbon. Sporting is hoping to end a six-game winless streak which has left it seventh in the league.
Elsewhere
Stuttgart fires coach Markus Babbel
STUTTGART, Germany — Stuttgart fired coach Markus Babbel on Sunday after eight games without a win in the Bundesliga and named Christian Gross to succeed him.
Gross, a 55-year-old Swiss, previously led FC Basel to the Champions League second round six years ago. His first game in charge will be Wednesday in the Champions League when Stuttgart can advance to the knockout stage if it beats the Romanian club Unirea Urziceni.
Gross, who once played for Bochum in the Bundesliga, also coached Tottenham and Grasshoppers Zurich.
He won two Swiss championships with Grasshoppers Zurich and four more with Basel.
Stuttgart confirmed the dismissal of Babbel and his two assistants late Sunday, before announcing the appointment of Gross.
About 3,000 angry supporters protested in front of the club's headquarters Saturday after 10-man Bochum rallied to earn a 1-1 draw at Stuttgart. Police used clubs and pepper spray to disperse the rowdy crowd and three fans were arrested while two officers were injured.
Stuttgart is in the relegation zone in 16th place after finishing third last season.
Babbel, a former defender for Bayern Munich and Liverpool, took over at the club in November 2008. Stuttgart was struggling at the time but Babbel guided the team to a Champions League berth.
Rome derby suspended for 10 minutes
ROME — The Rome derby between AS Roma and Lazio was suspended for nearly 10 minutes during the first half Sunday due to exploding firecrackers in the stands.
Referee Nicola Rizzoli stopped play in the 13th minute, and explosions continued during the suspension.
After the suspension and when play had resumed, an announcement was made in the stadium asking fans to behave, but the explosions continued throughout the match.
No goals were scored before the suspension. Roma won 1-0 with a 79th-minute score from Marco Cassetti.
About 10 people were stopped by police in incidents outside the stadium before kickoff, the ANSA news agency reported.
In 2004, the Rome derby was stopped three minutes into the second half when a false rumor spread through the stadium that police had killed a boy outside the stadium, sparking riots.
Kaka ruled out of Champions League Marseille game
MADRID — Real Madrid midfielder Kaka has not recovered from a groin injury and has been ruled out of Tuesday's Champions League game against Marseille.
The Brazil playmaker was not included in the 20-man squad announced Sunday that will travel to Marseille for the final group game.
Rafael Van der Vaart, who replaced Kaka in Madrid's league match against Almeria on Saturday, is included in the squad.
Angulo agrees to end contract with Sporting Lisbon
LISBON, Portugal — Sporting Lisbon says it has reached an agreement with Miguel Angel Angulo to release the former Spain midfielder from his contract.
Angulo joined Lisbon this offseason on a one-year contract but the club said Sunday he has decided to retire from professional football.
The 32-year-old former Valencia player has barely featured for Lisbon this season, starting only three games.
In a statement on its Web site, the Portuguese club wished Angulo "personal and professional success."
