Two From MLS Are Eliminated
Victory was small consolation for two Major League Soccer teams Wednesday night.
The New England Revolution managed to beat Alajuelense, 3-1, in Alajuela, Costa Rica, but still was knocked out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup after having lost the series’ first game, 4-0.
Taylor Twellman, Wolde Harris and Steve Ralston gave the Revolution a 3-0 lead and appeared set to tie the series when substitute Rolando Fonseca scored for the Costa Rican champions. New England was then reduced to nine men when Shalrie Joseph was ejected for a deliberate hand ball and Daniel Hernandez was tossed for arguing the call.
Meanwhile, the San Jose Earthquakes, who had lost, 4-2, on the road against Municipal of Guatemala, defeated the same opponent, 2-1, in San Jose, but it was not enough to save them.
Landon Donovan and Brian Ching brought the Earthquakes even on aggregate, but a goal by Juan Carlos Plata 14 minutes from the final whistle clinched the series for Municipal.
Mexican clubs fared better with both Club America and Morelia going through to the tournament quarterfinals.
Coach Manuel Lapuente’s Club America team, which had been beaten, 3-1, by F.A.S. of El Salvador in San Salvador, scored a 3-0 victory in the return match at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas to advance, 4-3, on aggregate.
Morelia also secured its place by rolling over Comunicaciones of Guatemala, 4-0, to clinch the two-game series, 4-1 on aggregate.
Copa Libertadores
Goals by Limberg Gutierrez in the opening minute and Marco Sandy in the 65th powered Bolivar of Bolivia to a 2-0 victory over UNAM of Mexico in a Copa Libertadores match in La Paz, Bolivia. The loss will make it even more difficult for Coach Hugo Sanchez’s last-place Pumas to advance to the second round.
Cruz Azul, struggling in the Mexican league, surprised previously unbeaten Corinthians of Brazil, 3-0, to remain in contention in its Copa Libertadores group. Tomas Campos, Juan Carlos Cacho and Francisco Palencia provided the goals in Mexico City.
Paraguay Ties Mexico
Jose Cardozo, the Paraguayan striker who set a Mexican league scoring record while leading Toluca to the championship last season, scored the game-tying goal as Paraguay tied Mexico, 1-1, in front of more than 20,000 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
Coach Ricardo Lavolpe’s Mexican team dominated the match and had taken the lead on a 73rd-minute goal by Christian Patino, but Cardozo responded by beating Mexico goalkeeper Adolfo Rios barely a minute later.
European Finals
European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, selected the AufSchalke Area in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, as the site of the 2004 European Champions League final and named Ullevi Stadium in Gothenberg, Sweden, to host the 2004 UEFA Cup final.
Gold Cup Qualifying
Caribbean qualifying for the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup began with Jamaica routing Saint Lucia, 5-0, in Kingston, Jamaica, where, in an earlier match in the National Stadium, Haiti edged Martinique, 2-1.
In Macoya, Trinidad, meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago shut out Antigua and Barbuda, 2-0, and Cuba edged Guadeloupe, 3-2.
