Chelsea

The Blues will take on PSG at the home of the New York Yankees baseball team – which will hold 54,000 spectators once configured for football – on Sunday, July 22.

Chelsea have not played in New York since 1954 and they and PSG will contest the first football match at Yankee Stadium since it opened in 2009.

The game reunites the Blues with former manager Carlo Ancelotti – who they controversially sacked at the end of last season – his assistant Claude Makelele, coach Paul Clement and defender Alex.

It will be the second game of Chelsea’s US tour, with the club also announcing today their final fixture would be against AC Milan at Sun Life Stadium in Miami on Saturday, July 28.

They had already confirmed matches against Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field on July 18 and and MLS All Stars at PPL Park, Philadelphia, on July 25.

“Chelsea Football Club is delighted to be heading to New York after such a long time away, and it will be a real pleasure to visit Yankee Stadium for what is sure to be a competitive game,” said chief exec Ron Gourlay on the club’s official website.

“Paris St Germain represents a true test for us in our preparations for the new season.

“We know Carlo well and respect the superb job he did for us, and continues to do in France. It should be a fantastic game.”

Real Madrid

The match will be played at the Home Depot Center, the home of the MLS side, on August 2, as the exhibition tournament returns for the second year running.

Galaxy chief operating officer Chris McGowan told the club’s official website: “We are excited to give our fans a chance to see the Galaxy take on one of the best clubs in the world in Real Madrid.

“This will be a tremendous event for Southern California soccer fans, especially with the opportunity to see this game in such an intimate setting as The Home Depot Center.

“It will truly be one of the must-see sporting events of the year.”

The match will mark the fourth time that the Galaxy have locked horns with Madrid, with their first friendly encounter coming in 2005.

Other clubs participating in the WFC this summer include Liverpool, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Seattle Sounders and New York Red Bulls.

The seeding system used to determine each qualifiers opponents in the knock-out stages means that the team who finishes the group round with the best record will play the side with the worst record. As a result Fluminense, who won five of their six Group 4 fixtures to finish with 15 points, were drawn against their compatriots from Porto Alegre. Inter managed just two wins from six outings, and only The Strongest’s defeat to Santos kept the 2010 winners in the competition after falling to defeat against Juan Aurich.

Elsewhere in the draw, current champions Santos will meet Bolivar while fireworks are expected when Velez Sarsfield take on dangerous Colombian side Atletico Nacional. The Fortin, who went out to Penarol in the 2011 semi-finals, meet Santiago Escobar’s free-scoring Medellin outfit and will have to be wary against an attack that netted 16 times during the group phase.

The last-16 will be made up of teams from a total of eight nations, with Brazil providing five of the remaining sides. Boca, Lanus and Velez make up the Argentine contingent, while Ecuador can boast two sides thanks to Deportivo Quito and Emelec’s surprise qualification.

Defensor Sporting’s elimination on Tuesday means that Uruguay do not have a single participant left in the competition. Bolivar, on the other hand, become the first Bolivian team to make the knock-out stages for 12 years. The La Paz were also the last team to qualify, having reached the quarter-finals of the 2000 edition before going out to America.

Saudi Arabia

The striker was one of his country’s most prolific scorers in 100 appearances for the Green Falcons. After earning a share of the Golden Boot in the 2007 Asian Cup, Al-Qahtani went on to be named that year’s Asian Player of the Year.

“With deep regret and sadness, I announce my desire to retire internationally,” the 29-year-old posted to his personal Twitter account.

“I want to give younger players an opportunity to compete, because I believe the team needs to continue to rebuild over the next ten years.”

The announcement comes two months after the Kingdom’s shock 4-2 loss at Australia on February 29, in which they surrendered three goals in a four minute span despite leading 2-1 at the half.

Al-Qahtani has four goals in 12 appearances for UAE Pro League-leading Al Ain so far this season.

Deportivo Tachira

Tachira showed great determination to keep their hopes of progression alive and took charge of the game after 20 minutes. After a defensive mix-up, Cristian Casseres slipped Mauricio Parra in to put the Venezuelans ahead.

The Azul only came to life shortly before the break and could have drawn level but Edixon Perea blasted well over the bar from just outside the six-yard box. They began the second half as the ended the first with Roberts Rivas forced into parrying Christian Gimenez’s powerful free kick to safety.

Cruz Azul were awarded a penalty just before the hour mark after some neat interplay on the left ended with Manuel Vela’s cutback being handled in the area. Gimenez stepped up but Rivas came out on top once again, turning his low strike onto the post. Frustration turned to relief when Gimenez finally got the beating of Rivas in the 84th minute as he turned in from Vela’s superbly executed first-time cross. The Azul almost won it in stoppage time but Perea hit the post and Rivas gathered the follow up.

The Mexicans join Corinthians on top of Group 6 with eight points and will have their place in the next round booked if the Brazilians defeat Nacional next week. The single point is not enough for Tachira who are eliminated from the tournament.

Vasco da Gama

Alianza Lima began brightly but found themselves behind after 18 minutes. Felipe Bastos’ effort from distance took a wicked deflection off of Giancarlo Carmona which sent it looping over Salomon Libman and into the back of the net. Vasco then asserted themselves on the game but spurned numerous chances to add to their lead. Diego Souza’s attempt was cleared off the line shortly before Dede’s header was turned onto the post by Libman.

The advantage was eventually doubled with an unstoppable cross-goal strike from Felipe Bastos that roared into the top corner of the Alianza net. The Blanquiazules pulled one goal back with 13 minutes remaining as a comedy of errors at the back offered Miguel Curiel a free shot at goal. Vasco almost gifted Alianza a second as Fernando Prass spilled a high ball into the box but Fagner was back to cover and clear the ball off the line. Nilton was dismissed in the dying moments for the Brazilians but they held onto the win.

The three points move Vasco to the top of Group 5 and they will be guaranteed a place in the last 16 if Libertad beat Nacional on Thursday. Alianza meanwhile are eliminated and will have nothing to play for when they host Libertad in their final game.

Lanus

Moments after Diego Valeri clipped the outside of the post, Mariano Pavone succeeded where his team-mate failed when he flicked in from Mario Regueiro’s cross after 14 mintes. The hosts continued to impress and doubled their lead 15 minutes later when Mauro Camoranesi’s header was fumbled into the net by Martin Silva.

Olimpia missed half-chances either side of the break through Eduardo Aranda and Osvaldo Hobecker but their lacklustre defending was punished by Pavone. Ten minutes into the second half when he was given enough space to control the ball and fire in at the near post. The Paraguayans were being caught short at the back continually and Regueiro added the fourth when he latched onto a long pass and despite miscontrolling the ball, regained his composure to place his shot in next to the post.

The goal rush continued as Valeri lashed home the pick of the goals with a well-struck volley from 25 yards out in the 77th minute. Then, with five minutes remaining Silvio Romero found the back of the net after a simple ball over the top.

Lanus now occupy top-spot in Group 2 and have all but assured qualification with their superior goal difference. Olimpia meanwhile could drop to third should Flamengo beat Emelec and will need a win against the Ecuadorians in their final group game to secure qualification.

The 49-year-old has heard no news from the Ivorian football federation (FIF) pertaining to a contract extension, fuelling speculation that the body is set to part ways with the former Cote d’Ivoire international.

Usually, the Fif renews contracts of its coaches two months before expiration.

Zahoui is currently in France with his family. He was assured before leaving that he would be contacted for discussions by mid March but nothing has transpired between both parties since then.

The Fif president Sidy Diallo toured Europe early this month in search of a “big name” capable of handling his star-studded outfit, according to Goal  source at the body. He also visited the United States for a similar purpose.

Besides former Senegal coach Bruno Metsu, who has been in contact with Diallo, former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson also sent a representative to Abidjan to negotiate his return after leading the Ivorian team to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Zahoui last said he was waiting patiently for the Ivorian football officials, but he might be running out of patience at this stage.

Midfielder Vladimir Marin scored an 89th-minute equalizer for the Paraguayan club, firing a shot from inside the area after a pass by former Flamengo midfielder Maxi Biancucchi.

Ronaldinho also scored a goal and set up another for Flamengo, which was jeered by fans after the match at the Engenhao stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil’s most popular club still leads Group 2 despite the draw. It has five points from three matches, while Olimpia and Lanus of Argentina have four points each.

Also Thursday, defending champion Santos came from behind to defeat Juan Aurich 3-1, joining Internacional and The Strongest atop Group 1.

Argentine playmaker Dario Bottinelli opened the scoring for Flamengo with a 38th-minute goal over Olimpia goalkeeper Martin Silva from inside the area after a pass by striker Vagner Love.

Ronaldinho added to the lead with a penalty kick in the 57th after Silva fouled Vagner Love inside the area.

Ronaldinho, a two-time FIFA player of the year, then made a no-look pass from near midfield to Luiz Antonio, who slipped a shot past Silva in the 64th.

Olimpia began its comeback in the 77th minute with a powerful free kick by substitute striker Pablo Zeballos, and Luis Caballero got the Paraguayans within a goal with a low left-footer from the top of the area in the 85th.

“There’s no explanation, we can’t allow the goal that we allowed after the advantage that we had throughout the match,” Vagner Love said. “We had to win at home. Now we will have to win a match away, it’s not going to be easy.”

Flamengo had a goal disallowed in the 45th after Vagner Love was caught offsides following a pass from Ronaldinho.

The Brazilian club was without goalkeeper Felipe, who has not recovered from a head trauma sustained in a match in the Rio de Janeiro state championship two weeks ago. He was replaced by Paulo Victor, who made a key save on Sergio Orteman’s header off a corner in the first half.

In Peru, Juan Aurich took the early lead against Santos with a goal by Panamanian striker Luis Carlos Tejada in the 15th minute, but Santos rallied with goals by Jorge Fucile in the 36th, Paulo Henrique Ganso in the 40th and Borges in the 69th.

Juan Aurich played a man down from the 58th minute after defender Luis Guadalupe was sent off for a hard foul on Santos midfielder Arouca. Guadalupe had received his first yellow card just three minutes earlier.

Tejada opened the scoring by turning around a defender after a cross inside the area and striking with a right-footer from near the penalty spot.

Santos equalized with a close-range goal by Uruguay defender Fucile, and Ganso scored the go-ahead goal with a free kick, curling a left-footed shot around the wall.

Striker Borges closed the scoring in the second half, firing a low left-footed shot into the far post after receiving a perfect pass from Ganso.

Santos, Internacional and The Strongest all have six points in Group 1 from three matches, but Brazil’s Internacional is ahead on goal difference. Juan Aurich has yet to win a match.

All three teams have six points from three matches, but Brazil’s Internacional is ahead on goal difference, followed by Santos and The Strongest of Bolivia.

The Peruvians went ahead with a goal by Panamanian striker Luis Carlos Tejada in the 15th minute in Chiclayo, but Santos rallied with goals by Jorge Fucile in the 36th, Paulo Henrique Ganso in the 40th and Borges in the 69th.

Juan Aurich played a man down from the 58th minute after defender Luis Guadalupe was sent off for a hard foul on Santos midfielder Arouca. Guadalupe had received his first yellow card just three minutes earlier.

Tejada opened the scoring by turning around a defender after a cross inside the area and striking with a right-footer from near the penalty spot.

Santos equalized with a close-range goal by Uruguay defender Fucile, and Ganso scored the go-ahead goal with a free kick, curling a left-footed shot around the wall.

Striker Borges closed the scoring in the second half, firing a low left-footed shot into the far post after receiving a perfect pass from Ganso.

Neymar nearly added another, but his shot struck the crossbar from inside the area in the 87th.

“What mattered today was to get the three points,” Neymar said.