Snak

He - den er sgu nok diskussionen om hvorvidt San Lorenzo kunne vundet. i Ecuador ligger tilbage omkring ultimo Marts...

Panama - 18 runde


Arabe Unido vinder grundspillet efter 0-0 mod Chorrillo som slutter to´er. Plaza Amador spiller 0-0 med San Miguelito. Mens Luis Rojas sikrer Rio Abajo en 1-0 sejr over Tauro på saksespark og dermed den sidste slutspilsplads. Pointenhøsten var dog ikke nok for Rio Abajo som rykker ned.

San Francisco besejrede Alianza med 2-0, Jose Garcés og Felipe Olivardía, Mens "Pitt" Gonzalez, Delano Welch og René Mendieta sikrer Chepo en 3-1 sejr over CAI.

Playoff

Arabe Unido - Rio Abajo

Plaza Amador - Chorrillo

Liga MX Review: Liguilla participants set

Oribe Peralta and Santos will become reacquainted in the Liga MX liguilla with Club America, whom they beat earlier this season at the Estadio Azteca.
Some teams went into the 2014 Liga MX Clausura liguilla with a bang, while others went out of it with a whimper.

Queretaro and Pachuca kicked things off this weekend with a thriller of a match that ended 4-3 in favor of the Tuzos. The stakes could not have been higher between the teams -- winner goes to the liguilla, loser goes home, draw dooms both to losing out on the liguilla as well. Thanks in great part to good work from Queretaro´s sprightly Camillo Sanvezzo, who seems to have now fully adjusted to league action in Mexico, the White Roosters jumped out to a three-goal lead.

Pachuca could have packed it up there and given up, but instead they got going behind goals from Enrique Esqueda and Abraham Carreno. It took the pair only about 15 minutes of frenetic goal scoring to win the match for Pachuca. Perhaps Queretaro was too focused on shutting down Golden Boot favorite Enner Valencia, forgetting that other players for Pachuca were also capable of scoring. Now Pachuca is back in the liguilla after missing out on the playoffs for more than a year.

One club who seemed determined not to miss out on liguilla action and fought to emerge from the parity of this season´s Clausura was Leon. Their motivation wasn´t hard to guess, since as defending champions, a humiliating playoff absence would render their title defense finished without ever getting started. Leon´s task was difficult, though. The club needed to win in the Estadio Caliente, Club Tijuana´s personal inferno of turf hell for opponents. Yet Leon was up to the challenge, riding goals by Nelson Maz and Luis Montes to defeat the Xolos 1-2 and eke into the liguilla as the last seed.

Cruz Azul could have phoned in their performance versus Pumas after securing a CONCACAF Champions League title earlier in the week, but the team did their fans proud by producing a tidy 2-1 victory over their fellow liguilla participants. Such determination is part of what has the club as favorites for the Clausura championship, despite their history of star-crossed final performances.

Veracruz and Santos played to a 2-2 draw that didn´t change the status of the Red Sharks as the last team in the league or that of Santos as safely in the liguilla. Veracruz will start next season with the threat of relegation hovering.

For Tigres, a win over Atlas was too little, too late to make up for a slow start to the season. They will miss the liguilla for the first time in a year. Atlas as well failed to get the victory the club needed to make the playoffs.

Chiapas FC walloped relegation-bound Atlante 5-2 to end up in the dreaded almost-but-no ninth place in the table. They lost out to Leon on goal difference; so essentially, Leon´s defense won the team its place in the liguilla.

The good news for Aguilas fans is that Club America is in the playoffs. The bad news is that the club has shown the dominating form of 2013 only sporadically. Against an under-strength Toluca squad that was no doubt still suffering the hangover of losing the CCL final, Las Aguilas only managed a 1-1 draw. It´s going to take a more incisive and effective performance for Club America to get back to the Liga MX final.

Plucky Puebla stared down relegation this season and fought back from that brink. They proved to their home fans that they weren´t done fighting, beating Morelia 3-1. The Monarchs had all to play for, since a win would have put the squad into the liguilla, but the squad couldn´t make it happen.

For Chivas fans, the splashy signing of coach Ricardo La Volpe has proved to be all sound and fury, signifying nothing but more failure. Guadalajara was at home versus Monterrey on Sunday. In front of their loyal fans, Chivas failed to secure the victory that would have gained a liguilla ticket for the squad. Monterrey´s win was so meaningless for the squad that the team has already dismissed the coach who gained that win, Carlos Barra.

Now the liguilla is set, with Cruz Azul taking on Leon, Toluca facing Tijuana, Pumas confronting Pachuca, and Santos Laguna matching up against Club America. The Liga MX crown awaits.

Racing confident of Milito signing

Racing Club president Victor Blanco is confident of sealing the signing of Inter striker Diego Milito.

The Argentine started his career with the Avellaneda-based outfit, who compete in the Primera Division in his homeland, and despite signalling his intent to extend his contract at San Siro earlier in the season, could now be on the verge of a return to his former club.

Blanco revealed talks had already taken place over a potential transfer.

"Yesterday (Sunday) we had a meeting here in Milan," Blanco is quoted as saying by Gianlucadimarzio.com. "We spoke and we are confident that Diego will return.

"The fans at Racing are waiting for him.

"We will reconvene soon, once the league season has finished."

Milito won Serie A with Inter in 2009-10 and has scored two goals in 14 league appearances this seaso

Lanús: lista de concentrados vs. Tigre

BUENOS AIRES -- Clasificado a los cuartos de final de la Copa Libertadores y con chances intactas de pelear por el título del Torneo Final, el plantel de Lanús se entrenó este lunes por la mañana en su estadio. Sin tiempo para descansar tras vencer el domingo a All Boys, el técnico Guillermo Barros Schelotto dio la lista de concentrados para el encuentro del miércoles ante Tigre, cotejo postergado por la 15° fecha del campeonato.

No estarán Lautaro Acosta, quien quedó al margen tras sufrir una avulsión (o arrancamiento) en la inserción del tendón del aductor de la pierna derecha ante Santos Laguna y tendrá para diez días de recuperación, ni Carlos Izquierdoz, aunque este último sólo por rotación. Los que regresan son el capitán Paolo Goltz, tras descansar ante el conjunto de Floresta, y Diego González, quien cumplió la fecha de suspensión.

Los 20 concentrados serán: los arqueros Agustín Marchesín y Esteban Andrada; los defensores Carlos Araujo, Paolo Goltz, Matías Martínez, Facundo Monteseirín, Maxi Velázquez y Alejandro Silva; los volantes Víctor Ayala, Diego González, Leandro Somoza, Fernando Barrientos, Maxi Cáceres, Nicolás Pasquini y Jorge Valdez Chamorro; y los delanteros Oscar Benítez, Marcos Astina, Ismael Blanco, Santiago Silva e Ignacio Bailone.

Por su parte, quedó confirmado que Lanús visitará el próximo domingo a las 17.10 a Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, por la 17° fecha del campeonato, con el arbitraje de Darío Herrera. En tanto que el encuentro ante Bolívar de La Paz, por la ida de los cuartos de final de la Copa, será el jueves 8 de mayo, a las 19.45, en la Fortaleza.

El partido del miércoles ante Tigre comenzará a las 20.10, en el estadio de Lanús. Con 25 puntos, el Granate puede quedar a dos unidades de Gimnasia en caso de ganar.

Pelusso deja de ser entrenador de Nacional tras la derrota ante Peñarol

MONTEVIDEO -- El entrenador del Nacional uruguayo, Gerardo Pelusso, dejó de ser técnico del equipo por la mala racha de resultados del conjunto tricolor, que tuvo su punto culminante el domingo con la derrota por 5-0 en el clásico ante Peñarol, informaron a Efe fuentes del club.

Según las fuentes, la salida de Pelusso fue acordada en "una reunión de la directiva, que iba a ser el miércoles pero la adelantaron para hoy por el momento" delicado del equipo.

"Pelusso puso su cargo a disposición y la directiva aceptó su dimisión", detallaron.

Las fuentes añadieron que este martes asumirá como entrenador interino del equipo Álvaro Gutiérrez, que actualmente entrenaba al filial en la tercera división y que es un exinternacional que jugó en españa y fue campeón de la Copa América en 1995.

El portal de internet del noticiero de televisión Subrayado detalló que la decisión de cesar a Pelusso fue tomada con 9 votos a favor y 2 en contra por los directivos de la entidad, que tienen a Martín Lasarte entre los candidatos a sustituirle.

Pelusso, que entre 2007 y 2009 dirigió al equipo tricolor con bastante éxito, fue seleccionado en diciembre pasado para reemplazar a Rodolfo Arruabarrena al frente del conjunto montevideano.

Antes de asumir, el entrenador estaba sin trabajo después de haber dirigido a la selección paraguaya, con la que tuvo una mala campaña en las eliminatorias del Mundial de Brasil 2014, en las que los guaraníes se quedaron sin opciones de clasificarse de forma prematura.

En esta segunda etapa con Nacional, Pelusso tuvo resultados decepcionantes como su participación en la fase de grupos de la Copa Libertadores, donde obtuvo la peor actuación del club en su historia en esa competición al perder cinco encuentros y solo empatar uno, hacer cuatro goles y recibir 13.

En 12 jornadas del actual Torneo Clausura del fútbol uruguayo ha sumado apenas 18 puntos, con seis victorias, igual número de derrotas y ningún empate.

En el saldo de goles también hay igualdad entre los 16 anotados y los 16 encajados

La derrota de este domingo ante Peñarol, actual campeón de la Liga, es la más abultada ante su eterno rival desde 1953.

El resultado puede costar a Nacional romper una racha de 18 clasificaciones consecutivas a la Copa Libertadores, pues actualmente ocupa plaza de Copa Sudamericana en el torneo anual uruguayo.

Es previsible que al final del actual Torneo Clausura haya una renovación del equipo, aprovechando que en junio vencen los contratos de un buen número de jugadores, entre ellos Alexander Medina, Andrés Scotti, Jonathan Píriz, Sebastián Coates, Richard Porta, Santiago ´Morro´ García y Álvaro Recoba.

Gimnasia: Pouso vuelve ante Lanús

BUENOS AIRES -- Tras la victoria del sábado ante Argentinos y el empate de River en Bahía Blanca que lo dejó como único puntero del campeonato, el plantel de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata volvió este lunes por la mañana a los entrenamientos en Estancia Chica. El primer compromiso de los tres partidos que restan será el Lanús de los mellizos Barros Schelotto, el próximo domingo, a las 17.10, en condición de local.

Para ese encuentro, es un hecho que el uruguayo Omar Pouso regresará a la titularidad, luego de purgar una fecha de suspensión. De esta forma, Dardo Miloc volverá al banco de suplentes.

La práctica matutina consistió en ejercicios regenerativos y trabajos de musculación con pesas en el gimnasio, bajo la coordinación del preparador físico Pablo Martín. Algunos jugadores, como fueron los casos de Lucas Licht, Franco Mussis y Facundo Oreja, realizaron tareas aparte debido a molestias físicas, aunque llegarían en condiciones ante el conjunto Granate.

Previo al trabajo, el técnico Pedro Troglio mantuvo una charla de aproximadamente 15 minutos con todo el plantel para repasar algunos conceptos y errores cometidos ante Argentinos. Se estima que el martes dispondrá de trabajos tácticos con pelota y que recién el jueves habrá una práctica de fútbol formal.

Gimnasia lleva 6 victorias consecutivas en este Torneo Final 2014. El último equipo en hilvanar una racha similar fue Lanús en el Torneo Inicial 2012, cuando ganó 7 encuentros en fila y peleó el certamen con Vélez, equipo campeón en aquel entonces.

Argentine clubs staging Copa Libertadores comeback

Is this going to be the year that Argentina strikes back in the Copa Libertadores? South America´s equivalent of the Champions League is crucial to the culture of Argentine football. There are special songs and special atmospheres for Libertadores nights in an Argentine stadium.

When the competition got underway in 1960, Penarol of Uruguay won the first two, and Santos of Brazil, inspired by Pele, won the next two. Soon afterwards, though, Santos pulled out. In the days before cable TV there was little money in the Libertadores. With an expensive squad to pay, Santos found it more lucrative to trot around the world playing friendlies. They abandoned the Libertadores, and in some years there was no Brazilian participation. Argentina took advantage, stamping its authority on the competition. Between 1963 and 78, the formative years of the Libertadores, there was always a club from Argentina in the final.

Argentina still has more wins than any other country. But the lead is being cut. Its clubs have 22 wins. Brazil now have 17, and is catching up fast.

The year 2000 is a good cut-off point, because it is when the competition was expanded. Since then, only two clubs from Argentina have won the trophy; Boca Juniors, on four occasions, and Estudiantes, the last Argentine winners, in 2009. No other club from the country has even reached the final. Over the same period five different Brazilian clubs have been crowned champions, and a further three have reached the final. The tendency has been especially marked in the last few years; with Brazil now paying far higher wages than anywhere else, it is only natural that their clubs have been dominating. In the last four years, four different Brazilian clubs have won the trophy.

This year, however, there is something different in the air. Argentina already has one team in the quarter finals -- Lanus, who beat Santos Laguna of Mexico 4-1 on aggregate, and who now face Bolivar of Bolivia, this season´s shock side. And there is a chance over the next few days that three more Argentine clubs will join them in the last eight.

Velez Sarsfield need to overturn last week´s 1-0 defeat to Nacional of Paraguay, which should be within their capabilities. Little Arsenal need a win or a score draw away to Union Espanola of Chile. And reigning domestic champions San Lorenzo defend a 1-0 lead this Wednesday away to Gremio of Brazil, in what surely must be the most eagerly awaited tie of the round.

The strong Argentine showing this year has not come entirely as a surprise. In December Lanus won the Copa Sudamericana, a Europa League equivalent. Velez are a well-run club and an interesting side with plenty of firepower. And San Lorenzo are producing some fine young players.

Moreover, going into the competition, the Brazilian clubs looked weaker than in recent seasons. For all the new money coming into the coffers of Brazil´s clubs, more was going out. Bills have piled up, they now have to be paid, and some of the participants went into the competition with a cut price air about them. Flamengo, Botafogo and Atletico Paranaense had a vulnerable air about them -- all three were eliminated in the group phase. Reigning champions Atletico Mineiro lost 1-0 last week away to Atletico Nacional of Colombia, and face a difficult second leg -- as do domestic champions Cruzeiro, who, at home in the first leg, needed a stoppage time goal to hold Paraguay´s Cerro Porteno to a 1-1 draw.

And then there is Gremio, the one Brazilian club to have exceeded expectations in this year´s competition. But they are without the current revelation, support striker Luan, enjoying a splendid debut season but currently sidelined by injury. San Lorenzo, meanwhile, have their young gun firing on all cylinders. Some at the club rate stocky little Angel Correa in the same class as Sergio Aguero or Carlos Tevez. His goal made the difference in last week’s first leg.

The return game is the key match as Argentina seek to interrupt the recent Brazilian dominance of the Libertadores. You have to go all the way back to 2001 to find the last time that Argentina supplied three of the competition´s quarterfinalists. In the next few days, if everything goes according to plan, they might even have four of this year´s last eight -- and that will give Argentine fans plenty to sing about.

A mediocre league with a mediocre Liguilla?

Despair. Or the instinct for self-preservation. Or survival spasms. Call it what you like, but it seems that death rattles and the state of anxiety between life and death go very well with Mexican soccer.

The biblical conjecture applies here: "For the Kingdom of Heaven is for the repentant." And so the repented approached the Kingdom of the Liguilla on Friday night.

No one can, wants to or should complain that this Clausura 2014 tournament has been mediocre. Again, I insist that the word mediocre frightens and is confused with an enactment of degradation and depravity. It is, clearly and only, a definition of average.

Although it´s clear that this time you have to see the glass half-empty instead of half-full. This Clausura 2014 has been rusting up for 16 weeks in general, with intolerable games, refereeing errors, irregularities, disciplinary disloyalty, and fearful and lackluster matches.

But Friday night, there were two games packed with goals, emotion, effort, commitment and courage, the reactions of those sentenced to a life without Liguilla. Pachuca had enough to flip the tide to beat Queretaro 4-3, while Leon breathed a sigh of relief as they won 2-1 in Tijuana.

Queretaro was heading for victory and could have possibly booked a place in the Kingdom of the Liguilla. Pachuca, that Pachuca with no word of honor, wanted to save their last vestiges of honor. From 3-0 down to 4-3 in only 16 minutes. Amazing, captivating, exciting.

Leon was ahead 2-0 on the complicated Tijuana field. Out of nowhere, and with the accumulated fatigue of the beast, the Xolos straightened out and perhaps were spared red cards from referee Roberto Garcia Orozco for Javier Gandolfi and Cristian Pellerano. But through perspiration and devotion, Xolos almost tied. Pellerano made it 2-1, but he and his court of desperate marauders found, in the posts and in Leon goalkeeper William Yarbrough, a presence to silence the barking.

But it´s worth asking: Was there sublimity in the two games? Not necessarily. Perhaps flashes of that particular delicacy of Leon, but the rest was testosterone, sweat, hunger and perseverance. That gives luster to any game.

Yes, exactly all those virtues that every team and player should show every minute of every game, of each and every tournament. Better late than never? Amen!

After four tournaments, especially the two previous ones, with a good level of excitement and serious competition, in this mediocre, or average, if the word provokes shudders, season, the only consolation left is if the playoffs maintain the same intensity felt in match-day 17.

And finally, if it is confirmed that the Kingdom of Heaven is for the repentant, in Mexican soccer, the Kingdom of the Liguilla may be for the penitent.

Dani Alves´ Father to Plant Bananas in Sign of Protest

After a racist Spanish fan threw a banana at Barcelona full-back Dani Alves his farm worker father Monday said he would respond by ... planting bananas.

Politicians from Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to players, including Alves´ compatriot and team-mate Neymar, scurried to their computers to condemn the incident on social media and praise Alves for his response -- he simply picked up and ate the discarded fruit. Domingos Alves, 64, meanwhile came up with a cool response of his own.

"I plant mangoes, coconuts, melons, watermelons, passion fruit -- and now I´m going to plant bananas," he told Globo´s G1 news portal from his home in the northern state of Bahia. But he added a note of caution, saying he feared one day a racist fan might go as far as trying to poison a player.

"It´s dangerous as someone might put something inside (a banana) with a different intention...A person like this could go as far as doing something different and even poison someone." And he added he would be telling his son "not to eat any more bananas on the pitch."

Alves´ mother Lucia Ribeiro added she was proud of her son´s reaction, which she said was "a slap in the face for prejudice." Alves himself joked on Twitter that "my father always told me to eat bananas to avoid getting cramp."

The player´s smart response to the latest in a series of racist incidents at Spanish matches rallied fellow athletes, with dozens posting pictures of themselves on social media chomping bananas. Rousseff and FIFA president Sepp Blatter added supportive messages of their own while condemning racism.

Joining the flood of Brazilian luminaries posting to social media websites was Selecao center forward Fred, who posted to his Facebook page a picture of him making an obscene, bent-arm gesture in response to racism -- in Portuguese the gesture translates as "do a banana."