Portland Timbers upset Western Conference leaders Seattle Sounders to win Sunday s derby 2-0 after two defensive blunders to round out the rivalry week in the MLS.
Second-half strikes from Sebastian Blanco and Felipe Mora earned the Timbers the points, ending Seattle s three-game winning run and ensuring they missed the chance to extend their lead to five points.
Portland had failed to win in their past three games, with the result lifting them from 10th in the west, up to sixth.
Blanco s goal was particularly special, having torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at the same venue nearly a year ago.
Mora pounced on a poor Yeimar Gomez Andrade back pass, swooping in and setting up Blanco for a 58th-minute tap-in.
Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark …
Premier League leaders Liverpool restored their five-point advantage with a 4-1 win over Chelsea on a memorable night for youngster Conor Bradley and a typically frustrating one for Darwin Nunez.
With Manchester City beating Burnley and Arsenal winning on Tuesday, victory in the first of their major double-header – a trip to the Emirates is up next – was imperative but Jurgen Klopp’s side could not have expected to have had such a comfortable time.
Goals from Diogo Jota, Bradley – his first for the club – and Dominik Szoboszlai put the game beyond a woeful Chelsea inside 65 minutes but it could have been a rout as Nunez hit the woodwork an incredible four times – once from the penalty spot.
Thankfully for Liverpool his input was not needed as there wa…
Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye could be on his way out of the club after admitting he misses playing in the UEFA Champions League.
The Frenchman featured in Europe s elite club competition with Lille, years before moving to the English Premier League in 2011.
Arsenal unsettled the 27-year-old France international in the off-season after making a bid which manager Alan Pardew was unhappy with.
But Cabaye may still be leaving St James Park as he looks for a return to the Champions League.
I miss the Champions League, he told French radio station RTL.
I ll finish this season with Newcastle and concentrate on the coming months and then we ll see.
Cabaye has started eight of Newcastle s 10 Premier League games this season, scoring twice …
El Ghazi on Barcelona radar
Ajax starlet Anwar El Ghazi has become the subject of a serious interest from Barcelona, .
It is no secret that the Catalans aim to make at least one high-profile signing in the summer, with a centre forward or winger set to arrive at Camp Nou.
And while Barcelona officials are seriously thinking about Nolito and Robin van Persie, Ajax hotshot Anwar El Ghazi is also on their radar.
El Mundo Deportivo has learned that the Catalans have been impressed with the performances of the new Netherlands international and they could soon come forward with an official proposal.
The only problem is that new Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is a big fan and hopes to lure the youngster to Anfield at the earliest opportunity.
A…
According to , Spanish giants Real Madrid are interested in signing Dortmund forward Erling Haaland when the summer transfer window opens. The 19-year-old wonderkid reportedly has a £50million release clause in his BVB contract. That means that the German club would have no say in if he stays or goes in the next transfer window.
A sensation so far in Germany
Haaland has gone from a little-known Norwegian youngster plying his trade in his home country to household name in less than 12 months. He first shone in the club game at Austrian club Salzburg before a move to Germany in the January transfer window, which reportedly cost a bargain fee of around £20million due to a release clause in his contract.
Since his move to Dortmund, he has scored 12 goals in 11 appearance…
Three out of the four English teams involved in the Champions League have won their groups. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United found their groups almost too easy at times. Surely the knockout stages will prove slightly more difficult for the three England giants.
Who next
With the groups now wrapped up we know who will be in the knockout stages. The winners of the groups will face the second place teams.
The English teams have had a big say in Europe s top competition in the last few years and everybody expects it to be the same this year.
Difficult opponents
There are some top teams in the second place pot. Two of the prime examples are Inter and Bayern Munich. Neither have had the best of times in Europe this season. Bayern s domestic form …
Struggling Wolves and Everton picked up very good results in London yesterday. Wolves 1-0 victory at Tottenham took almost everybody by surprise.
Everton s 3-3 draw at Chelsea was almost as surprising considering the players that were unavailable to David Moyes.
Spirit and confidence
The two results had something in common. Not just that the games were played in London or that they were good results.
The common factor is that the two teams are suddenly showing confidence and belief that has been missing in the first few months of the season.
Expected to struggle
Wolves were expected to struggle this season after winning promotion last season. Most pundits had them written off before the season had even kicked off. I have to admit I was on…
that Sunderland are the latest club to have joined the race for Juventus striker Fabio Quagliarella.
Juventus look set to cash in on two of their strikers this summer, and the 30-year-old is one of those expected to leave.
The experienced forward has been on the radar of both Norwich and West Ham, but Sunderland seem to have joined the race as well.
After signing Emanuele Giaccherini in July, Paolo Di Canio is also hoping to lure Quaglirella to the Stadium of Light.
The former Italy international is likely to be interested in a switch to English Premier League after spending his entire career so far in Serie A.
Quagliarella started his professional career at Torino, but also played for Ascoli, Sampdoria, Udinese and Napoli before joining Juventu…
Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka conceded Liverpool were impossible to stop as they romped to a 3-0 win at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday.
Adam Lallana scored in each half, either side of setting up Divock Origi s fifth goal in as many games as Liverpool s victory sent them up to second place in the Premier League.
The division s top scorers, Jurgen Klopp s men became the first Liverpool side to win on Teesside since 2002, significantly stepping up their attacking threat after the break.
Having seen his charges concede three goals in a home game for the first time since August 2014, Karanka hailed the Reds as the toughest top-flight opposition he had taken on.
It was difficult because before this game we have competed against every tea…
Deportivo La Coruna sacked head coach Gaizka Garitano in a bid to arrest their worrying LaLiga form following four consecutive defeats.
Garitano s departure was announced on Sunday, with Saturday s embarrassing 4-0 loss to Leganes the final straw.
Deportivo languish in 17th position, just two points above the relegation zone, with reserve team boss Cristobal Parralo to take charge of training as Garitano farewells the struggling club at a news conference on Monday.
The club would like to sincerely thank the Basque coach and his staff, for the dedication, effort and professionalism they have shown throughout the time they have managed the team, a statement read.
Garitano, 41, replaced Victor Sanchez in June last year, having been sacked by Real Valladolid…