Soccer Capsules: Palacios brothers help Pumas to 2-0 win over Cruz
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Brothers Marco and Alejandro Palacios both contributed as the UNAM Pumas to a 2-0 win over Cruz Azul on Sunday in the third round of the Mexican Apertura championship.
Marco Palacios scored off a rebound for the first goal in the 35th minute and his younger brother Alejandro stopped a penalty kick in the 71st as the Pumas broke a streak of seven straight losses against the Blue Machine.
Javier Cortes added a strike in the 85th as Pumas clinched their first victory over Cruz Azul in the Olympic stadium since June 6, 2004.
"Thank God we broke the spell against Cruz Azul," Cortes said. "We have a great rivalry against Cruz Azul."
The Pumas' win was a surprise considering last week's 4-0 loss to Santos.
In Sunday's other matches, Miguel Sabah scored three goals in Morelia's 6-0 win over Queretaro and Puebla beat Estudiantes 3-1.
Santos defeated Pachuca 3-0 in one of six matches Saturday as Ecuadorean striker Christian Benitez scored twice.
Chivas beat San Luis 1-0, with Marco de la Mora scoring in the 20th minute for a Guadalajara team that rested six of its regular starters for the first leg of the Copa Libertadores final.
Chivas will play Internazionale next Wednesday in the Omnilife stadium.
U.S. Soccer
Keller earns shutout as Sounders blank Dynamo, 2-0
SEATTLE (AP) — Fredy Montero scored off a long kick downfield from goalkeeper Kasey Keller early in the 64th minute on Sunday night and Uruguyan World Cup player Alvaro Fernandez added his first MLS goal to help the Seattle Sounders extend their unbeaten streak to five games with a 2-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo.
"In Colombia, I was the top scorer twice, and I'd like to be on that path again playing here," said Montero, whose goal was his team-leading eighth of the season and extended his scoring streak with either a goal or an assist to nine straight games, the longest current active streak in the league.
"I think Fredy can still get better. But right now, we're seeing a very, very good Fredy Montero," said Sounders coach Sigi Schmid. "If he's not the best forward in the league right now, he's as good as any forward in the league. Edson Buddle has been banging away goals for the (Los Angeles) Galaxy, but right now, Fredy has found a really fine form."
The Sounders (8-8-4, 28 points) have gone 4-0-1 since a 3-1 loss at Los Angeles on July 4th and have climbed into fourth place in the Western Conference.
The Dynamo (5-9-5, 20 points) saw its winless streak extended to nine games (0-4-5), the longest such dry spell since the club relocated from San Jose after the 2005 season. Houston has not won since a 2-0 decision at home against D.C. United on May 22.
In addition to his first-ever point in MLS play, Keller picked up his seventh shutout of the season.
"It's so nice going into that last minute with a two-goal lead," said Keller, having picked up his first point since a U.S. friendly match against Germany several years ago. "What can you say? We're on that run we were hoping to get started, and long may it last."
After scooping up a loose ball in his six-yard box, Keller punted it way downfield. Montero caught up with it at the top of the Houston penalty area. With Dynamo defender Eddie Robinson grasping him from behind, Montero broke free, turned, took the ball into the box and fired a shot from 16 yards away into the back left corner just beyond the reach of goalkeeper Tally Hall.
"The (credit) goes to Kasey Keller for the pass," Montero said. "When the defender doesn't really have control of the ball in the area, it's really hard. I got to it and was able to find it well."
Added Houston goalkeeper Hall, "He's a crafty player, a good player, and he got a turn in side. The show was low and in the corner, a difficult place to make the save. It's difficult for us, because we were looking for a win coming out of this game."
Early in the 88th minute, Fernandez, whose second-half goal last Tuesday helped the Sounders clinch their two-game CONCACAF Champions League series against Metapan of El Salvador, took a long through ball from Montero and from the top of the box beat Hall to the back right corner. Houston coach Dominic Kinnear said there's no particular secret to what the Dynamo need to get back on track.
"A win — simple as that," Kinnear said. "It's a hard thing to do, but an easy thing to talk about. We need a win."
Cunningham's two late goals lift FC Dallas
FRISCO (AP) — Jeff Cunningham scored in the 75th and 81st minute to lift FC Dallas to a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Union on Sunday.
FC Dallas (7-2-9) extended its unbeaten streak to nine games, while the Union fell to 4-10-3.
Cunningham scored on a header from the top of the goalie's box in the 75th minute for a 2-1 lead. His second goal came on a right-footed shot from 10 yards away. Cunningham entered the game at halftime as a substitute for Eric Avila.
FC Dallas' David Ferreira tied the game at 1 on a penalty kick by firing the ball past backup goalie Chris Seitz in the 24th minute. Starting Union goalkeeper Brad Knighton received a red card to setup the penalty kick after he tackled Shea inside the penalty box on a breakaway.
Philadelphia's Alejandro Moreno scored in the 9th minute with a header from the top of the goalie box.
Altidore scores for Villarreal in exhibition
VILLARREAL, Spain (AP) — Jozy Altidore scored a tying goal in the 79th minute, giving Villarreal a 2-2 exhibition draw against Turkey's Besiktas on Sunday.
The 20-year-old American forward, who spent last season on loan from Villarreal to England's Hull, scored with a right-footed volley from 6 yards off a cross.
Altidore, a starter for the U.S. World Cup team, is on the American roster for Tuesday's exhibition against Brazil at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Defender Carlos Marchena, a member of Spain's World Cup champions, played his first match for Villarreal after transferring from Valencia.
League Roundups
Man United beats Chelsea in Community Shield
WEMBLEY, England (AP) — Javier Hernandez scored in his English debut Sunday on a play that was anything but graceful to help Manchester United beat Chelsea 3-1 in the Community Shield — the English soccer season's traditional opener.
The Mexico striker stumbled as he met Antonio Valencia's cross, kicking the ball into his own face before it drifted into the net in the 76th minute.
"It's unbelievable to score and win this match," said Hernandez, a second-half substitute. "It's an unusual goal I scored."
Valencia had put United ahead after 41 minutes, racing to Wayne Rooney's low cross. Dimitar Berbatov scored in stoppage time to finish the victory. Chelsea's Salomon Kalou scored in the 83rd minute, getting the rebound after Edwin van der Sar stopped Daniel Sturridge's shot.
This is the third time in four years Manchester United has won the Community Shield. Chelsea won last year and went on to end United's three-year grip on the Premier League trophy.
United was limited to winning the League Cup last season, but resisted an overhaul. The only players to join the team were Hernandez and 20-year-old defender Chris Smalling from Fulham.
United opens league play Aug. 16 against Newcastle. Chelsea hosts West Bromwich Albion in the season opener Saturday.
"It's not been a good preseason, we have lost four games," Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said. "We played too slow in the first half — it was not our best day. But this is normal, it can happen at the start of the season."
In the opening round of the Dutch league, FC Groningen held Ajax to a 2-2 draw and Feyenoord scored three goals in the second half to defeat FC Utrecht 3-1. In the Swedish league, Stefan Selakovic scored a hat trick to help IFK Goteborg rout Hacken 5-1.
-- Rob Harris
Montpellier beats Bordeaux 1-0 in French league
PARIS (AP) — Defender Garry Bocaly scored with a header early in the second half as Montpellier won 1-0 against an under-strength Bordeaux team in the French league on Sunday.
Chile midfielder Marco Estrada clipped a free kick from 35 yards and Bocaly ran between Alou Diarra and Jaroslav Plasil to nod past goalkeeper Kevin Olimpa in the 47th minute.
"It's pleasing to get the three points, as we really wanted to play as quickly as possible after losing earlier this week," Bocaly said, referring to Montpellier's surprise elimination in the Europa League playoffs against Hungarian side Gyor.
Bordeaux coach Jean Tigana, who replaced Laurent Blanc after he took over the national team, was missing six players either through suspension or injury.
Tigana also lost Yoann Gourcuff midway through the second half after the France playmaker took a knock on his right ankle following a heavy challenge from Montpellier midfielder Romain Pitau.
Montpellier is in sixth place after the first round of matches. Five other teams won their opening games, with Paris Saint-Germain in first place on goal difference.
For his first official match in charge of Bordeaux, Tigana was without goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso, and defenders Mathieu Chalme, Mickael Ciani and Henrique — all through suspension.
Defender Marc Planus and No. 2 Ulrich Rame were injured, meanwhile, and Tigana gave Olimpa his first league start.
Vujadin Savic also made his debut in the center of Bordeaux's makeshift defense, but he looked out of sorts and Tigana's weakened team generally looked nervous early on.
Montpellier almost took the lead in the fifth minute when Olivier Giroud outjumped Savic and headed just over.
But Bordeaux regained its composure and nearly scored 10 minutes later when Pitau cleared the ball poorly in the penalty area, and Bordeaux defender Benoit Tremoulinas struck a powerful shot which took a deflection and hit the post.
With neither side able to control the game, chances were scarce, although Olimpa did well to turn away a free kick from Estrada midway through the first half.
Soon after Bocaly's goal, Gourcuff forced goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren into a low save, but moments later he was sat on the team bench with an ice pack strapped to his right ankle.
In Saturday's games, it was: Auxerre 2, Lorient 2; Lens 1, Nancy 2; Lyon 0, Monaco 0; Marseille 1, Caen 2; Nice 0, Valenciennes 0; Paris Saint-Germain 3, Saint-Etienne 1; Rennes 1, Lille 1; Sochaux 2, Arles-Avignon 1; and Toulouse 2, Brest 0.
-- Jerome Pugmire
Fluminense beats Gremio to stay ahead in Brazil
SAO PAULO (AP) — Fluminense scored twice in the first 20 minutes to beat Gremio 2-1 on Sunday, extending its unbeaten streak to 10 matches and staying atop the Brazilian league.
Midfielder Mariano opened the scoring at Olimpico Stadium with a free kick in the 17th minute and striker Emerson doubled the lead in the 19th after getting past two defenders inside the penalty area. Gremio's lone goal came via striker Andre Lima in the 89th.
Led by three-time Brazilian champion Muricy Ramalho, Fluminense hasn't lost since a 1-0 setback against Corinthians on May 23. The 1984 national champion has won four of its last five matches.
Two-time champion Gremio is winless in eight rounds, and Sunday's home loss cost coach Silas his job. The team remains only 18th in the 20-club standings, inside relegation zone.
Fluminense got its league-leading ninth win despite playing a man down from the 62nd after midfielder Fernando picked up his second yellow card. The Rio de Janeiro club also was without former Chelsea midfielder Deco, who was signed on Saturday but is not yet fit to play.
Fluminense has 29 points, one more than second-place Corinthians, which stayed close by beating defending champion Flamengo 1-0 at Pacaembu stadium in Sao Paulo. Midfielder Elias scored the winner with a right-footer from the top of the area in the 39th for Corinthians, dropping Flamengo — winless in four matches — to 10th on the table.
It was Corinthians' first win under Adilson Batista, who has replaced new Brazil coach Mano Menezes.
Corinthians rival Palmeiras allowed a 90th-minute equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Goias in Goiania, remaining winless since World Cup-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari took over five rounds ago. Palmeiras beat Santos 2-1 when Scolari had already signed with the four-time champion, but the coach hadn't taken over for that match.
Seeking its first Brazilian league title since 1994, Palmeiras dropped to 13th in the standings after Sunday's result and is 13 points off the lead.
Six-time champion Sao Paulo, coming off a disappointing elimination to Internacional in the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores on Thursday, was held to a 1-1 draw with Atletico Paranaense 1-1 in Curitiba despite playing a one-man advantage from the 73rd.
Also Sunday, third-place Ceara was held to a scoreless draw by last-place Atletico Goianiense in Fortaleza, while fifth-place Cruzeiro also failed to get past a 0-0 result with Prudente in Ipatinga. Vasco won for the third time in five matches with a 1-0 victory over Vitoria in Rio.
On Saturday, Botafogo routed Atletico Mineiro 3-0 at Engenhao Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, extending its unbeaten streak to five matches and moving to eighth in the standings. Atletico Mineiro, led by former Real Madrid coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo, hasn't won in five rounds and remains second-to-last on the table, in relegation zone.
In Campinas, Guarani halted a five-match winless streak with a 4-1 victory over sixth-place Avai, which hadn't lost in five matches.
The match between seventh-place Santos and fourth-place Internacional was postponed because Internacional had to travel to Mexico to face Guadalajara in the final of the Copa Libertadores on Wednesday.
-- Tales Azzoni
River Plate gets good start
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Funes Mori scored one minute into second-half injury time Sunday to give River Plate a 1-0 win over Tigre.
River's first match of the Apertura season yielded a positive result. River is threatened this season with relegation and needs all the points it can get. Relegation in Argentina is determined on points earned over several seasons, and the last few have been poor for River.
In other results Sunday to wrap up the first round, Banfield defeated Olimpo 2-1, Gimnasia La Plata and San Lorenzo played to a 0-0 draw, Velez Sarsfield defeated Independiente 1-0, and Boca Juniors drew 1-1 with Godoy Cruz.
Seven teams won on the first weekend: Huracan, Lanus, Banfield, Estudiantes, Racing, River and Velez.
River's rival Boca Juniors had to share the points with Godoy Cruz in the first match for new Boca coach Claudio Borghi. Like River, Boca is coming off several poor seasons and needs to impress early.
Roberto Russo gave Godoy Cruz a 1-0 lead in the 14th before Lucas Viatri equalized in the 21st.
Newly promoted Olimpo scored after only 22 seconds from a header by Alejandro Delorte. Walter Erviti equalized in the 26th and Cristian Garcia got the winner for Banfield with a header in the 35th.
Velez won on Silva's goal, which came on a perfect pass from Maxi Moralez.
On Friday in the first match of the Apertura season, Guido Pizarro scored in the 73rd minute to give Lanus a 2-1 victory over Arsenal.
Defending champion Argentinos Juniors lost their opening match of the Apertura season 2-1 to Huracan in one of the four matches played Saturday. In the others, Quilmes and Colon drew 1-1, Estudiantes defeated Newell's 1-0 and Racing Club won 1-0 against All Boys.
-- Debora Rey
Teams draw in A-League grand final replay
SYDNEY (AP) — An 86th-minute free kick by substitute Shannon Cole gave Sydney FC a 3-3 draw with Melbourne Victory in their season-opening A-League grand final rematch.
The Victory appeared headed for a win after coming from 2-0 down to take the lead with three goals in seven minutes midway through the second half at Sydney Football Stadium.
But Cole curled his shot past Victory goalkeeper Michael Petkovic to give the defending champions the draw.
Victory coach Ernie Merrick said some of his players were surprised by referee Matthew Breeze's awarding of the free kick that led to Cole's equalizer.
"No one on our team knows why there was a free kick ... but the referee calls it," said Merrick. "To know we came back and scored three goals, there's so many positives, I didn't really worry about it."
Chris Grossman headed home the equalizer two minutes into stoppage time to give the North Queensland Fury a 3-3 draw with the Perth Glory.
Serbian striker Branko Jelic scored for Perth in the fifth minute, but the Fury took a 2-1 lead on goals by Chris Payne and David Williams. A 25-meter strike by Glory defender Scott Neville and a header by Mile Sterjovski in the 79th minute gave the Glory the lead before Grossman's late equalizer.
"It's really disappointing for us, it feels like a loss," Glory coach Dave Mitchell said.
New Glory recruit and former Liverpool and England star Robbie Fowler, who was substituted after 82 minutes, was quiet against his former club.
Mitchell said his team failed to make full use of its high-profile recruit.
"Robbie hasn't played a full game in preseason and he did tremendously well to keep pace with the game. We just couldn't find him," Mitchell said. "Certainly Robbie wasn't in the game as much as we would have liked."
Dutchman Rini Coolen's tenure as Adelaide United coach started with a 0-0 draw with Newcastle.
Alex Wilkinson's header in the 16th minute gave Central Coast Mariners a 1-0 win over new club Melbourne Heart. The league has expanded to 11 clubs in 2010-11.
On Sunday, Gold Coast United and the Brisbane Roar played to a 0-0 draw in a Queensland state derby.
The Wellington Phoenix, which had the first-round bye, opens at home against Gold Coast on Aug. 13.
Groningen draws with Ajax 2-2 in Dutch opener
AMSTERDAM (AP) — FC Groningen held Ajax to a 2-2 draw on Sunday in the opening round of the Dutch league.
Mounir El Hamdaoui's two goals gave Ajax the edge until Nicklas Pedersen smashed an equalizer in the 86th minute to earn Groningen a point. Tim Matavz also scored for Groningen in the 72nd.
Feyenoord scored three goals in the second half to earn a 3-1 comeback win over FC Utrecht, which took the lead in the 12th off Ricky van Wolfswinkel's goal. Alje Schut, Luigi Bruins and Leroy Fer were on target for Feyenoord.
Defending champion FC Twente drew with Roda JC 0-0 on Friday.
Rydell Poepon, Muslu Nalbantoglu and Steve de Ridder each scored to help De Graafschap beat fellow league newcomer Excelsior Rotterdam 3-0 on Saturday.
Ola Toivonen scored twice and Orlando Engelaar added another as PSV Eindhoven beat SC Heerenveen 3-1. Milan Kopic got Heerenveen's lone goal. Also Saturday, Ramon Zomer scored in NEC Nijmegen's 1-0 victory over VVV-Venlo.
In other games, it was: NAC Breda 1, AZ Alkmaar 1; Vitesse Arnhem 3, ADO The Hague 1; and Heracles Almelo 3, Willem II 0.
Selakovic's hat trick helps Goteborg rout Hacken
STOCKHOLM (AP) — Stefan Selakovic scored a hat trick to help IFK Goteborg rout Hacken 5-1 in the Swedish League on Sunday.
Hannes Stiller and Elmar Bjarnason also scored for Goteborg, which trailed after Jonas Henriksson's fourth-minute goal.
Helsingborg leads the league despite being held 3-3 at home against Djurgarden on Thursday. Alexander Gerndt scored a last-minute equalizer for Helsingborg, who had Marcus Lantz sent off in the 44th minute.
Helsingborg has 42 points after 18 games, ahead of Malmo on 39.
Malmo beat Orebro 3-0 away with goals from Jiloan Hamad, Agon Mehmeti and Daniel Larsson.
Defending champion AIK beat Brommapojkarna 2-1, Gais defeated Mjallby 3-2, Elfsborg won 3-1 at Halmstad, Gefle overcame Atvidabergs 4-2 and Kalmar beat Trelleborg 2-1.
Elsewhere
Brown, Robinson quit England duty despite recalls
LONDON (AP) — Defender Wes Brown and goalkeeper Paul Robinson retired from England duty on Sunday just a day after being recalled to the squad, disrupting Fabio Capello's plans for Wednesday's friendly against Hungary.
The under-fire coach plans to use the match to usher in a new era following England's woeful World Cup campaign, pointedly dropping 13 of the 23 players that went to South Africa and lost in the second round to Germany.
After missing out on the tournament, Robinson and Brown — both 30 — had been brought back into the fold less than a month before qualifying begins for the 2012 European Championship.
A chaotic day for Capello began when Robinson, who was England's No. 1 at the 2006 World Cup, announced that he did not want to be behind Joe Hart and Ben Foster in the pecking order.
"Only now have I been able to make this decision as previously I haven't been in contention for selection," Robinson said. "As a professional who wants to play every time I have the chance I don't see myself as a No. 3 or 4 keeper and find that role very frustrating. ... I feel it in the best interest of myself and my club Blackburn Rovers that I concentrate solely on my club football."
Robinson's mistakes during the failed qualifying campaign for Euro 2008 cost him a place in the team. The last of his 41 England appearances was in a 2-1 defeat to Russia in October 2007.
But he was recalled on Saturday night after Capello decided to drop 40-year-old David James and Robert Green, whose blunder in the World Cup opener gifted the United States an equalizer.
Having heard Robinson's announcement in the morning, Brown — who didn't feature in Manchester United's team in Sunday's Community Shield at Wembley Stadium — in the evening went to tell Capello he also no longer wanted to play for his country.
Brown, whose England debut was against Wednesday's opponents Hungary in 1999, made the last of his 23 appearances against Egypt in March.
"After a lot of thought and with a very heavy heart, I have decided the time is right for me to retire from international football," Brown said. "At the age of 30 I feel it is right for me to stand aside and let younger players come through, which allows me to concentrate on my club career.
"I regard it as an honor and a privilege to have represented my country at every level from under-15s upwards. I have always been very proud to play for England and wish them well in future tournaments."
There was confusion on Sunday over Capello's decision to drop Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick from the squad, which now only has 21 players after Brown and Robinson withdrew.
While United manager Alex Ferguson had ruled Carrick out of the match on Friday, the player trained on Saturday in a public session and featured in the Community Shield victory over Chelsea.
And as Carrick went to collect his medal in the royal box, Capello appeared to gesture that he thought the player was injured and made a phone sign with his right hand.
Just beforehand, defender Ashley Cole was seen ignoring Capello's outstretched arm offering a handshake as he went up with his Chelsea teammates, although he appeared to be looking at the ground.
British media suggested the left back "blanked" and "snubbed" Capello.
-- Rob Harris
Robben wins player of year award in Germany
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Arjen Robben has been chosen as the top player of the past season in Germany after leading Bayern Munich to the domestic double and the final of the Champions League.
The Dutch winger received 445 votes from 925 journalists in the poll conducted by Kicker magazine. Two more Bayern players followed — Bastian Schweinsteiger (180) and Thomas Mueller (118).
Robben is out of action for the next two months with a hamstring injury.
Bayern's Dutch coach Louis van Gaal was chosen coach of the year with 398 votes, ahead of Schalke's Felix Magath (231) and Germany coach Joachim Loew (87).
New Italy coach Prandelli urges team to take risks
ROME (AP) — The coach of Italy's national football team is urging his players to take more risks after the team's failure at the World Cup where it failed to advance from the group stage.
Cesare Prandelli laid out his philosophy Sunday ahead of the team's first training session for a friendly against the Ivory Coast in London on Tuesday. Prandelli says Italy "must want to take risks, to overcome our fears."
He took over from Marcello Lippi after the Azzurri failed to win a match at the World Cup in South Africa.
Degen goes to Stuttgart on loan
STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Switzerland defender Philipp Degen has joined Stuttgart on a one-season loan from Liverpool. Degen joins a club coached by Christian Gross, a Swiss who was Degen's coach at FC Basel.
Stuttgart's sports director Fredi Bobic said Sunday he was also looking for a forward to join the Bundesliga club. Degen played three seasons for Borussia Dortmund before going to Liverpool in 2008.
