CONCACAF Champions league Matchday 1 (R)

[Kurosawa1555362267]

16.9.2008 D.C. United - Deportivo Saprissa 20:00 Washington, D.C. USA

16.9.2008 San Francisco FC - Pumas UNAM 21:00 Ciudad de Panama, PAN

16.9.2008 Puerto Rico Islanders - Tauro FC 20:00 Bayamon, PUR

17.9.2008 Club Santos Laguna - CSD Municipal 19:00 Torreón, Coahuila MEX

17.9.2008 Impact de Montreal </u> - Joe Public FC 20:00 Montreal, Quebec CAN

17.9.2008 CD Marathon - CD SC Cruz Azul 20:00 San Pedro Sula, HON

18.9.2008 Atlante FC - CD Olimpia 21:00 Cancun, Quintana Roo MEX

Note that the game scheduled in Houston beetwen the Dynamo and CD Luis Angel Firpo has been postponed.

Damn I'm excited, this is huge for the Montreal Impact and huge for canadian soccer in general.

[Grizzly]

Another MLS Loss

Saprissa tops United 2-0 in CONCACAF Champions League matchup

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON - Walter Centeno and Jairo Arrieta scored to lead Deportivo Saprissa to a 2-0 victory over D.C. United on Tuesday night in the opening game for both teams in the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League.

Centeno scored in the 32nd minute and Arrieta in the 52nd for Saprissa. Keilor Navas made four saves to get the shutout for the Costa Rican club.

United played most of the game with 10 men after midfielder Devon McTavish was ejected for violent conduct in the 35th minute.

[Grizzly]

And another USL Victory

Islanders continue surprising run with first-half goals, 2:1 victory overTauro FC in Champions League™

9/16/2008 - SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – First-half goals by Petter Villegas and Kendall Jagdeosingh gave the 10-man Puerto Rico Islanders a 2:1 victory over Tauro FC on Tuesday night in the opening Group Stage game for both teams in the CONCACAF Champions League™.

Villegas scored in the 11th and Jagdeosingh added his in the 26th, continuing the surprising run of the Islanders, who play in what is essentially the second division of North American soccer. Edwin Aguilar, who scored both goals in Tauro’s 2:0 Preliminary Round first-leg victory over Chivas USA, pulled the Panamanian side within a goal in the 58th.

Puerto Rico played the final 21 minutes a man down after midfielder James Marcelin drew a second yellow card for a foul on Jhoan Melo, but still moved atop Group D with Club Santos Laguna set to host CSD Munipal on Wednesday.

It was the second goal in as many games for Jagdeosingh, who also scored in the Islanders’ 2:1 second-leg victory over Costa Rica’s LD Alajuelense in the Preliminary Round, a result which eliminated the two-time CONCACAF Champions’ Cup winner.

Puerto Rico had the better of play early. Villegas was left unmarked on the left side of the penalty area, settled a looping ball from Jonathan Steele with his right and struck a ball with his right just under the bar from about 15 yards.

Jagdeosingh doubled the advantage with a largely individual effort, twisting to create space for himself 30 yards from goal and getting the ball on his left foot before driving a shot into the upper left corner that goalkeeper Willington Dominguez was able to deflect with his fingers but not enough to stop.

Puerto Rico also had another goal by John Krause disallowed for offside in the 16th.

Tauro largely was limited to shots from distance in the first half with its best chance coming when Islanders goalkeeper Bill Gaudette misplayed a ball and let it bounce over his head in the 43rd, but Luis Esscobar fell in the penalty area and wasn’t able to capitalize.

Puerto Rico had the majority of possession in the second half as well, but Tauro scored against the run of play when Aguilar split two defenders and looped a header over Gaudette as he ran through the top of the penalty area.

[Grizzly]

And a third surprising result with Panamanian team San Francisco tieing Mexico's Pumas 1-1.

San Francisco capitalizes on manpower advantage, holds Pumas to 1:1 draw

9/16/2008 - PANAMA CITY – Alberto Zapata scored three minutes before halftime and Panama’s San Francisco FC held five-time Mexican league champion Pumas UNAM to a 1:1 draw Tuesday night in the opening match for both teams in the Group Stage of the CONCACAF Champions League ™.

Pumas, which won the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup three times, finished the match with nine men after forward Martin Bravo was sent off a minute before halftime and goalkeeper Odin Patino followed nine minutes into the second half. San Francisco had to play the final 12 minutes with 10 men after defender Carlos Rivera was expelled.

Fernando Espinoza gave Pumas the lead in the eighth minute when his shot deflected off defender Deivis Granados, over the head of goalkeeper Carlos Valdes, bounced off the lower side of the crossbar and over the line.

Despite falling behind, San Francisco rallied behind an enthusastic crowd at Estadio Rod Carew to threaten several times, most notably with midfielder Eduardo Jimenez creating most of the danger. Jimenez had three clear chances, his best when he nutmegged one defender and leapt over another before Patino came out to smother his chance in the 40th.

Zapata finally converted when he stuck a header near the six-yard box off a free kick from Manuel Torres. It was Zapata’s third goal in two games, having scored twice in San Francisco’s 5:0 second-leg victory over Deportivo Jalapa in the Preliminary Round.

Pumas’ fortunes diminished when Bravo was ejected, sent off for swining his right arm backward and striking Temistocles Perez as the two battled down the right touchline.

Patino joined him, expelled for coming off his line and knocking down Perez with a high leg as the striker approached the Pumas goal unmarked.

San Francisco continued to create chances and missed a winner when Zapata put a header from inside the penalty area just wide of the left post in the 90th.

[Grizzly]

Munoz goal leads Atlante over Olimipa 1:0 in Champions League™ opener

9/18/2008 - CANCUN, Mexico – Arturo Munoz scored in the 27th minute to give Atlante FC a 1:0 victory over CD Olimpia in its CONCACAF Champions League opener Thursday night.

Athough Atlante leads Group 1 in the Mexican Apertura, the win was only its second since 9 August. It has scored only nine goals in its eight league matches so far this season, and while it had most of the possession, struggled to create quality chances against the Honduran side.

The result left it behind the Montreal Impact on goal difference in Group C after the first round of group matches.

Olimpia, which has scored only eight goals in 10 rounds and is fifth in the Honduran Apertura, had even more trouble creating scoring chances, repeatedly giving the ball away in the first half and rarely maintaining any possession in the offensive third.

Atlante earned three corner kicks in the first 10 minutes and while rarely looking dangerous, finally went ahead when Munoz was given time and space to turn, take one touch and strike a left-footed shot from just outside the arc that skidded just inside the right post.

Olimpia had more possession and threatened more frequently in the second half, but was largely limited to shots from distance. Its best chance came in the 72nd when Walter Castro put a right-footed shot off the right post.

Two minutes later, Atlante had an opportunity to get an insurance goal when Fernando Navarro headed Ignacio Hierro’s cross from the six-yard box, but goalkeeper Noel Vallardes made a reaction save with his right hand and Navarro put the rebound off the left post.

Both Atlante and Olimpia play their next games Wednesday on the road with the Mexican side travelling to Montreal to play the Impact and Olimpia going to Trinidad & Tobago to face Joe Public FC.