Argentina Torneo Apertura - Possible Title Deciders Tonight

Due to Boca Juniors participation in the World Club Championship, their fixture from the final round of the season has been moved forward to today in order to allow them more preparation time for the tournament.

In the interest of fairness, Lanus will also play their final round game tonight, meaning that next weekend's showdown between Boca and Lanus could very well be a title decider.

However, Boca play second placed Tigre, with Lanus hoping for a Boca victory or draw, as that will guarantee them the title if they can defeat Argentinos Juniors.

There is therefore, a very good chance that the Apertura 2007 championship could be decided this evening.

Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A Round 37 Results

Santos and Flamengo confirmed their Copa Libertadores qualifying positions with victories during this weekend's games.

Santos defeated Parana Curitiba 3-2 away from home, with Flamengo recording a 2-0 victory over Atletico Paranaense at the Maracana.

The battle is now on for the final qualifying place, with Palmeiras lying a point ahead of Cruzeiro and Gremio going into the final round of games. Fluminense currently lie in fourth, but have already qualified for the tournament due to their Brazilian Cup win and are therefore out of the equation.

At the bottom of the table, Juventude join America Natal in Serie B after losing to Fluminense, with the final two relegation places to be decided on the final weekend.

The full results are as follows:

Fluminense 3 -2 Juventude
America Natal 0 -3 Gremio
Internacional 2 - 1 Palmeiras
Sao Paulo 2 -2 Botafogo
Flamengo 2 - 0 Atletico Paranaense
Sport Recife 1 - 0 Cruzeiro
Parana Curitiba 2 - 3 Santos

There are still three fixtures remaining from Round 37, all involving clubs in the bottom half of the table, which will be played on Wednesday:

Corinthians vs Vasco da Gama
Atletico Mineiro vs Goias Esporte Clube
Figueirense vs Nautico Recife

South American 2010 World Cup Qualifiers: Round 4

The fourth round of qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup take place over the next two days in South America.

The fixtures are as follows:



20th:
Venezuela vs Bolivia (live on Sky Sports 1 from 10:30pm)
Colombia vs Argentina (live on Sky Sports 1 from 12:40am, 21st)

21st:
Ecuador vs Peru
Brazil vs Uruguay (live on Sky Sports 1 from 11:45pm)
Chile vs Paraguay

World Cup 2010 Qualifiers Round 3 Fixtures

The third round of qualifying games for the 2010 World Cup take place in South America this weekend.

The fixtures are as follows:



17th:
Argentina vs Bolivia (2nd half live on Sky Sports 1 from 8.00pm)
Colombia vs Venezuela
Paraguay vs Ecuador

18th:
Uruguay vs Chile (live on Sky Sports 1 from 7.00pm)
Peru vs Brazil (live on Sky Sports 1 from 9.00pm)

Copa Sudamericana Semi-Final 2nd Leg Preview: River Plate vs Arsenal de Sarandi

After a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Sarandi, River Plate and Arsenal square off in tonight's second leg with a place in the Copa Sudamericana Final against America up for grabs.

River Plate have home advantage on their side, but if Arsenal can score then River will have to win the game otherwise they will be defeated on the away goals rule. Such a defeat could spell the end of Daniel Passarella's time in charge of River, as this is his last chance to gain the silverware he promised before the end of the year.

Arsenal won 2-1 when the sides met in round eight of the Apertura, but they currently lie four points and nine places below River in the league.

Both sides rested almost their entire first teams for last weekend's games, with River losing 2-1 to Huracan and Arsenal 4-0 to Argentinos Juniors. They should therefore be in good shape ahead of this game.

Judging by some of the stunning second leg ties River have been involved in already in this competition, tonight's game promises to be a cracker.

The expected lineups for the two sides are as follows:

River:
Juan Carrizo, Paulo Ferrari, Cristian Nasuti, Eduardo Tuzzio, Leonardo Ponzio, Fernando Belluschi, Oscar Ahumada, Augusto Fernandez, Diego Buonanotte, Ariel Ortega and Andres Rios.

Arsenal:
Mario Cuenca, Javier Gandolfi, Jossimar Mosquera, Anibal Matellan, Christian Diaz, Sebastian Carrera, Castiglione, Andres San Martin, Javier Yacuzzi, Leonardo Biagini and Jose Calderon.

Brazil, Mexico and Uruguay all Through to Beach Soccer World Cup Semis

It was a successful day all round for the remaining Latin American nations left in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup yesterday, as all three triumphed to book their places in the semi-finals.

Mexico continued to confound critical opinion by defeating Spain 5-4 in the opening quarter final. A Ricardo Villalobos penalty turned out to be the winning goal after the two nations swapped the lead at will for the majority of the game. Villalobos also scored Mexico's first of the game, with further strikes from Oscar Gonzales, Morgan Plata and Moises Salazar levelling the game at 4-4 prior to Villalobos' penalty winner three minutes from time.

Mexico will take on Uruguay in the semi-finals, after last year's losing finalists made easy work of Nigeria. Goals from Matias, Ricar and Parrillo gave Uruguay a comfortable lead and although Nigeria rallied late on they could only score one, leaving the final score at 3-1 to Uruguay.

In by far the most open game of the quarter finals, Brazil defeated Portugal 10-7 to secure their semi-final berth. A hat-trick for Buru, combined with double strikes from Sidney, Andre and Daniel, and a single goal from Bruno were sufficient for Brazil to overcome their colonial ancestors on the Copacabana beach.

The semi-finals take place tomorrow at the following local times:

09:30am Mexico vs Uruguay
11:00am Brazil vs France

South American U-15 Championship Final Stage Round 1 Results

The final stage of the South American U-15 Championship got underway yesterday with the first of three rounds of games that will decide the winner of the competition.

Brazil got off to a good start, defeating Argentina 3-1 thanks to goals from Felipe, Gerson and Fernando. Argentina's solitary goal came late on through Eduardo Rotondi.

In the other game, Uruguay pulled off a surprise, defeating Chile 3-0. The Chileans were impressive during the first group stage, but were no match for a rampant Uruguay side for whom a double strike from Nicolas Mezquida and a single goal from Sebastian Gallegos were sufficient to take the victory.

Tomorrow's fixtures see Brazil face Uruguay, with Chile squaring up against Argentina.

Uruguay Through, Argentina out, in Beach Soccer World Cup

Uruguay booked their place in the quarter finals of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup by defeating Japan, whereas Argentina went out after losing on penalties to France.

Despite taking the lead after seven seconds of their tie against Japan, thanks to Parrillo, Uruguay went 2-1 down in the second period and left it to the dying minutes to come through for victory. Goals from Ricar and Pampero, two and four minutes from time respectively gave them a 3-2 victory and a place in the last eight.

Argentina put up a gallant effort to join their fellow Latin American's in the quarter finals, coming back from a two goal deficit to draw 2-2 with France, with goals from Ezequiel Hilaire and Facundo Minici. Unfortunately, they were unable to hold their nerve in the penalty shootout, losing 2-1 and therefore dropping out out of the competition at the first stage.

The full quarter final fixtures are as follows; local kickoff times given; all games to be played tomorrow:

09:30 Spain vs Mexico
11:00 Brazil vs Portugal
12:30 Senegal vs France
14:00 Nigeria vs Uruguay

South American U-15 Championship Update

Since the 27th October, the southern Brazilian cities of Porto Alegre and Bento Goncalves have played host to the new generation of talent on show in the South American U-15 Championship.

All ten CONMEBOL member nations entered the tournament's first stage, which saw the teams split into two groups of five, with the top two teams in each, qualifying for the four team round-robin stage that completes the tournament.

The nations who qualified for the final stage were Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and the current holders, Brazil. They will now all face off against one another in a round-robin format to decide the winner of the title.

This stage kicks off tonight, with Chile facing Uruguay and Argentina against Brazil.

Brazil and Chile have looked the most impressive of the sides who have made it to the final four, with Guilherme (Gremio) and Felipinho (Vasco da Gama) for Brazil, and Frank Fernandez (Universidad Catolica) for Chile, standing out so far.

Even at such a young age, scouts from Europe will still be keeping an eye on the players involved in this tournament. Argentine striker Federico Laurel moved to Spain immediately after the 2005 edition, and Brazilian youngster Fabio has since been signed by Manchester United. There will no doubt be similar stories from this year's competition.

Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A Round 35 Results

Gremio 1 -2 Figueirense
Fluminense 3 -1 Nautico Recife
Parana Curitiba 1 - 0 Goias Esporte Clube
Santos 2 - 2 Atletico Mineiro
Cruzeiro 3 - 1 Flamengo
Corinthians 2 - 2 Atletico Paranaense
Sport Recife 3 - 1 Palmeiras
America Natal 1 -1 Botafogo
Vasco da Gama 1 - 2 Internacional
Juventude vs Sao Paulo (to be played 08/11/2007)

Uruguay win, Argentina lose in Beach Soccer World Cup

There were contrasting fortunes for the two Latin American sides who played in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup yesterday.

Uruguay came from two goals down to defeat Italy 3-2 after extra time. Two goals from Ricar brought the game level at 2-2, before a strike from Matias in the extra period guaranteed victory for last year's runners up.

Argentina didn't fare so well, going down 5-3 to Nigeria in their opening game. Gustavo Casado equalised an early opener from the Africans, who then raced into a 5-1 lead with four goals in thirteen minutes. Santiago Hilaire and Federico Andrade pulled back further goals for the Argentines, but it wasn't enough, as Nigeria held on for the win.

Brazil face Mexico today in an 11:00am (13:00 in the UK) kickoff.

Mexico and Brazil Both Win on First Day of Beach Soccer World Cup

Mexico and Brazil both got off to winning starts in the 2007 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup earlier today.

Mexico beat Russia on penalties after a 2-2 draw at the end of extra time. Ricardo Villalobos and Oscar Gonzales had given the Mexicans a 2-0 lead before their opponents came back into the game with two goals in three minutes. After a goalless extra time period, Mexico held their nerve for the penalty shootout, winning 2-1.

Brazil had a much more comfortable result in their first game of the tournament, defeating the Solomon Islands 11-2. They ran the play from the opening kickoff and never looked back after Buru gave them the lead one and a half minutes in. Double strikes from Junior Negao, Daniel, Bruno and Sidney, along with a second from Buru and a single goal for Duda gave the home crowd much to cheer as Brazil romped home to victory.

The two Latin American sides now meet each other in the second game of the group on Sunday, with a win for either side likely to book a place in the Quarter Finals.

Argentina and Uruguay both get their campaigns off and running tomorrow. Argentina play Nigeria in a 9:30am kickoff, with Uruguay facing Italy at 11:00am.

Beach Soccer World Cup Kicks off Today

The third FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup kicks off today on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, with the host nation Brazil looking to defend the crown they won in last year's tournament.

There are a total of four Latin American teams involved in the competition, with Mexico, Uruguay and Argentina joining Brazil among the sixteen teams who qualified.

Brazil and Mexico are both in action on the first day of competition. Mexico kick off the tournament against Russia at 9:30am local time, with Brazil against the Solomon Islands following at 11:00am.

As ever, FIFA.com TV will be showing all of the matches live on the Internet for European countries. Brazil is two hours behind the current London time.

Eurosport will also be showing various games throughout the tournament, details of which can be found on their TV guide here.

Copa Sudamericana Quarter Final 2nd Leg: River Plate vs Defensor Sporting

The second leg of the final remaining Copa Sudamericana quarter final will be played in Buenos Aires tonight, with Argentine side River Plate taking on the Uruguayan side Defensor Sporting.

The teams drew 2-2 in the first leg, which gives River Plate the luxury of just requiring a 0-0 or 1-1 draw to go through on the away goals rule. However, judging by River's recent defensive form, this is unlikely to occur.

Millionairos of Colombia await the winning team in the semi-finals.

The lineups are expected to be as follows:

River Plate: Juan Carrizo, Paulo Ferrari, Nicolas Sanchez, Eduardo Tuzzio, Leonardo Ponzio, Fernando Belluschi, Oscar Ahumada, Matias Abelairas, Ariel Ortega, Mauro Rosales, Radamel Falcao

Defensor Sporting: Martin Silva, Christian Gonzalez, Williams Martinez, Andres Lamas, Sebestian Ariosa, Julio Marchant, Pablo Gaglianone, Miguel Amado, Diego de Souza, Mauro Vila, Carlos Morales

Referee: Ricardo Grande

Arsenal, America and Millionairos Through to Copa Sudamericana Semi-Finals

Arsenal de Sarandi, America of Mexico and Millionairos Bogota all booked their places in the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals after last night's second leg games, as Defensor Sporting and River Plate drew their first leg match in Uruguay.

After a 0-0 draw in the first leg, Arsenal de Sarandi beat Chivas Guadalajara 3-1 away from home, thanks to a double strike from Javier Yacuzzi and a third from Santiago Raymonda. Sergio Santana scored Chivas' only goal of the night as the Mexican team limped to defeat.

Their compatriots America went through after holding out for a 1-0 defeat against Vasco da Gama, triumphing 2-1 on aggregate. Temporary Vasco coach Romario sent out an attacking team and was rewarded ten minutes in when Amaral fired in a Rubens Junior knock-back to give the Brazilian side the lead. They continued to attack throughout the rest of the ninety minutes but were denied by the inspired form of America goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who pulled off a string of excellent saves to keep the score down to one and ensure America's place in the semi-finals.

Millionairos Bogota provided the shock of the round, adding to their 1-0 victory in the first leg with a 2-0 victory at home to Sao Paulo in the second. A double from Ricardo Ciciliano confirmed their place in the semi-finals.

Defensor Sporting and River Plate drew 2-2 in their first leg encounter. River twice held the lead, first through Ariel Ortega after five minutes and then Radamal Falcao after thirty minutes, only to see Pablo Gaglianone and then Sergio Valenti pull the game back level. With two away goals under their belt, River will be confident of prevailing after the second leg next week.

The full results were as follows (aggregate scores in brackets)

Guadalajara (Mex) 1 (1) - 3 (3) Arsenal de Sarandi (Arg)
Vasco da Gama (Bra) 1 (1) - 0 (2) America (Mex)
Millionairos (Col) 2 (3) - 0 (0) Sao Paulo (Bra)

Defensor Sporting (Uru) 2 - 2 River Plate (Arg)

The semi-final lineup will be as follows, with the first leg games expected to be played on the 8th November:

America (Mex) vs Arsenal de Sarandi (Arg)
Millionairos (Col) vs River Plate (Arg) or Defensor Sporting (Uru)

Second round of 2010 qualifiers in South America, Argentina and Brazil live on Sky Sports

The next set of games in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers will be played over the next two days, with a couple of games being shown live by Sky Sports in the United Kingdom.

The fixtures are as follows:


16/10
Venezuela vs Argentina (live on Sky Sports 1 from 1:30am tonight/Wednesday morning)

17/10
Bolivia vs Colombia
Paraguay vs Uruguay
Chile vs Peru
Brazil vs Ecuador (live on Sky Sports 1 from 12:50am Wednesday night/Thursday morning)

FIFA.com will also provide live updates on the scores for the Brazil and Argentina games for those who are unable to get television coverage for their games.

South Africa 2010 Qualifiers kick off in South America

The qualifying tournament for the 2010 World Cup starts today for the ten South American teams hoping to make their way to South Africa.

Each of the ten teams plays each other twice during the competition, with the top four teams automatically qualifying. The fifth placed team will face a two leg playoff against the fourth placed team in the North American region for a place in the finals.

The tie between Argentina and Chile is the highlight of the opening set of games, with former Argentine national manager Marcelo Bielsa taking his new charges into a competitive game for the first time since taking over this summer.

All of the teams will be looking to get their campaign's off to a good start, but with eighteen games to be played until the end of qualifying, their is still plenty of time to get back on track if the first game doesn't go as planned.

The full first round fixtures are as follows:

Uruguay vs Bolivia
Argentina vs Chile
Ecuador vs Venezuela
Peru vs Paraguay
Colombia vs Brazil (Sunday)

Copa Sudamericana Quarter Finals

Three of the four first leg ties in the Copa Sudamericana were completed this week, with the results as follows:




Arsenal de Sarandi (Arg) 0 - 0 Guadalajara (Mex)
America (Mex) 2 - 0 Vasco da Gama (Bra)
Sao Paulo (Bra) 0 - 1 Millionairos (Col)

The second legs of these ties will be played across 25-26th October.

The remaining first leg tie is Defensor Sporting (Uru) versus River Plate (Arg) with the first leg to take place on the 26th October, with the second leg the following week, on the 31st.

Copa Sudamericana 2007 - Round of 16 Complete

The remaining four fixtures of the Round of 16 phase were played this week, with the results as follows (aggregate score in brackets):

Colo Colo (Chi) 1 (2) - 1 (2) Millionairos (Col) - Millionairos win on penalties
Guadalajara (Mex) 1 (2) - 0 (2) DC United (Usa) - Guadalajara win on away goals
America (Mex) 0 (4) - 2 (3) CF Pachuca (Mex)
El Nacional (Ecu) 2 (2) - 0 (3) Defensor Sporting (Uru)

The two legs of the quarter final games must be played between the 9th October and the 1st November 2007. The lineup is as follows:

Vasco da Gama (Bra) vs America (Mex)
Guadalajara (Mex) vs Arsenal de Sarandi (Arg)
Sao Paulo (Bra) vs Millionairos (Col)
Defensor Sporting (Uru) vs River Plate (Arg)

Copa Sudamericana: Brazil 2 - 1 Argentina

Three second leg ties were played last night in the Round of 16, with Brazilian sides Vasco da Gama and Sao Paulo reversing first leg deficits to make their way into the Quarter Finals, at the expense of Argentine sides, Lanus and Boca Juniors respectively.

Argentina did have one success on the night, as Arsenal de Sarandi drew with Goias Esporte Clube to send them through 4 -3 on aggregate . The results were as follows; aggregate scores in brackets:

Vasco da Gama (Bra) 3 (3) - 0 (2) Lanus (Arg)
Sao Paulo (Bra) 1 (2) - 0 (2) Boca Juniors (Arg) - Sao Paulo win on away goals
Arsenal de Sarandi (Arg) 1 (4) - 1 (3) Goias Esporte Clube

River Plate face Botofogo tonight, trailing 1-0 from the first leg.

Three first leg fixtures have also now been completed, with the results as follows:

Millionairos (Col) 1 - 1 Colo Colo (Chi)
CF Pachuca (Mex) 1 - 4 America (Mex)
DC United (Usa) 2 - 1 Guadalajara (Mex)

All the remaining fixtures are scheduled to be wrapped up by the October 5th deadline for the first round of competition.