Vancouver Whitecaps moved within a point of a play-off position in the MLS Western Conference table thanks to a 2-1 defeat of Sporting Kansas City on Sunday.
Ryan Gauld scored in the 23rd minute and Russell Teibert added a second for the Whitecaps in the 35th with a left-footed strike that eluded goalkeeper Tim Melia.
Johnny Russell netted for the sixth successive game, scoring in the 43rd minute for the visitors, but that was the extent of their comeback.
Second-placed Sporting KC (52 points) would have clinched a play-off spot via a win or a draw but will have to wait as they remain five points adrift of leaders Seattle Sounders.
Vancouver are on 40 points, one behind seventh-placed Minnesota and two back of Real Salt Lake and LA Galaxy.
Salem Al Dawsari struck lucky with a deflected winner as Al Hilal beat Al Nassr 2-1 in a thrilling Riyadh derby to reach the AFC Champions League final.
Anderson Talisca had headed 10-man Al Nassr level following an early opener from Moussa Marega, but Al Dawsari had the decisive say when his 15-yard strike took a wicked deflection for what proved to be the winning goal in the 71st minute.
At the King Saud University Stadium, three-time competition champions Al Hilal snatched a 17th-minute lead when Marega timed his run perfectly to meet a pass from Bafetimbi Gomis. The striker s powerful shot looped in off defender Abdullah Madu, beating Waleed Ali s dive.
Talisca twice went close to levelling just after the half-hour mark, firstly with a low shot from a tight …
Arsenal youngster Jack Wilshere is keen to play for the England under-21 side in their European Championships campaign in Denmark in June.
The 19-year-old made his starting debut for England s senior side in their 2-0 win over Wales on Saturday in Euro 2012 qualifying, but the midfielder has stated his intentions of playing with the youth side in their bid to go one better than their finalist appearance at the Euro Under-21 Championships in 2009 in Sweden. This is international football and I want to play in any international football, Wilshere said. It s up to Stuart Pearce (under-21s manager) and Fabio Capello (senior England boss). They will talk and see what s best for me. I always speak to the manager at Arsenal and I will again. I am sure Stuart Pearce and Fabio Capello w…
Queens Park Rangers will receive their Championship trophy on Saturday at the clash with Leeds United, the FA confirmed.
The Londoners are being investigated for allegedly breaching third-party ownership rules over Argentine Alejandro Faurlin s transfer in 2009.
And should they been found guilty, they could be forced to hand over the title and drop back into the playoffs for promotion.
Rangers, however, will still be afforded the opportunity to lift the trophy they earned on Saturday, in spite of the scandal that has threatened to derail their season.
The Football League can confirm that it intends to present the npower Championship Trophy to Queens Park Rangers at the conclusion of tomorrow s fixture with Leeds United, in line with custom and practice,…
Manucho is confident Rayo Vallecano can take something from their meeting with La Liga leaders Barcelona on Thursday, as the dominant champions looking to set a Spanish record of 35 matches without defeat.
Rayo entertain Barca on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run in the league, but five 2-2 draws in that sequence leaves them 16th and just two points clear of the relegation zone.
All-conquering Barca, meanwhile, have not lost in their last 34 outings in all competitions matching the 1988-89 benchmark set by Real Madrid.
Their stunning form began with a 5-2 home win over Rayo in October, with Club World Cup glory and a place in the Copa del Rey final and the Champions League last 16 secured since.
History is on their side as they head to Vallec…
Ivory Coast star Gervinho believes progressing from Group C at the FIFA World Cup is achievable for his team.
Sabri Lamouchi s men face Colombia, Japan and Greece at Brazil 2014 with every chance of qualifying for the round of 16 for the first time in their history.
Ivory Coast missed out on the knockout stages in 2006 and 2010 after being drawn with the likes of Argentina, the Netherlands, Portugal and Brazil.
Gervinho, 27, said his team needed to be determined, and while he refused at first to make a prediction, felt Ivory Coast could reach the second round.
This, as I know, is that each of us is ready physically and in full awareness of what is expected from us, the Roma attacker told Ivory Coast Football Federation s website.
That is to say, to pass the…