Santa Fe held off a late charge by Medellin to claim the Colombian Primera A Clausura championship on Sunday.
Andres Mosquera s header in the 89th minute saw Medellin equalise at 1-1 in the second leg of the final but the visitors were unable to reel in Santa Fe, who triumphed 3-2 on aggregate to notch their first title since the 2012 Apertura.
Luis Carlos Arias 30-yard drive for Santa Fe in the first minute after half-time would prove the difference at the Estadio Nemesio Camacho.
Medellin s best chance to level the final at 3-3 on aggregate came in stoppage time but Santa Fe goalkeeper Camilo Vargas saved Christian Marrugo s header.
Having won the first leg in Medellin 2-1 on Wednesday, Santa Fe started their home leg in prime position to clinch the Cl…
Conditions and context conspired to rob Volgograd of a fitting end to its World Cup hosting duties on Thursday, as the final match to be played in the city saw Japan advance to the round of 16 despite losing to eliminated Poland.
A temperature of 36°C upon kick-off precluded either team from forcing the issue, despite Japan needing to win to guarantee progression to the knockout stages.
The fact that a tie against one of two equally daunting opponents in the shape of England or Belgium appeared to await them, and the small matter that they would not learn which until later in the evening, may also have contributed to a lacklustre showing from the Samurai Blue.
Perhaps seeking to guarantee fresher legs in the next round, head coach Akira Nishino made six chang…
Alexandre Pato has agreed a four-year deal with Villarreal, joining the Spanish side from Corinthians for an undisclosed fee.
Pato returned to Corinthians in July following an unsuccessful loan spell at Chelsea which saw him make just two Premier League appearances for the Blues having joined them in January.
The 26-year-old striker s contract with the Brazilian club was due to expire at the end of 2016, but he will now represent Villarreal until 2020.
In an Instagram post, Pato wrote: I am very happy about this new challenge in my career with Villarreal! I arrive with a lot of desire and excitement!
…
Dallas earned bragging rights in the Texas Derby as they clinched a spot in the MLS play-offs by accounting for Houston Dynamo 3-0.
Fafa Picault scored twice for Dallas, who ended Houston s post-season hopes on Saturday.
Franco Jara opened the scoring in the 19th minute when he slid onto a headed pass across the six-yard box from Michael Barrios.
Dallas were further rewarded for their dominance eight minutes later after Picault headed home to double the lead at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
El Mago Gazelle |
— x FC Dallas (@FCDallas)
Picault completed the scoring in the third minute of stoppage time as Dallas – in the play-offs for the third consecutive year – recorded just their third win in eight games.
The Dynamo h…
Preston North End could be promoted back to the Championship after a four-year absence in what promises to be a big weekend at both ends of the table in League One.
The Lancashire club, relegated from the second tier in 2011, are a point clear of MK Dons in the race for the second automatic promotion place after both claimed victories in midweek.
Simon Grayson s Preston won 3-1 at Notts County and MK Dons overcame Doncaster Rovers 3-0.
Preston head into Saturday s home game against fourth-placed Swindon Town knowing victory will secure promotion with a game to spare if Karl Robinson s side suffer defeat at Rochdale.
Colchester United, Notts County and Leyton Orient could all join Yeovil Town in dropping into League Two this weekend.
Coun…
Eljif Elmas will join Serie A side Napoli from Fenerbahce, it was confirmed on Monday.
Turkish giants Fenerbahce announced North Macedonia international Elmas is set to fly to Italy to complete his reported €15million move to Napoli.
The 19-year-old has been linked with Napoli throughout the transfer window and he will now fill the midfield void left by Amadou Diawara s transfer to Roma and Marko Rog s proposed switch to Cagliari.
Eljif, who wears our uniform at a young age and who is proud of being a supporter of Fenerbahce, carries our coat of arms with his potential and loyalty to our colours. Wish you a future full of success, Fenerbahce said in a statement.
We believe that our footballer will represent Fenerbahce and our country in the best way …
Mauricio Pochettino believes Kylian Mbappe’s uncertain future will be clarified soon following reports linking the superstar striker with a move away from Paris Saint-Germain.
France international Mbappe lit up the Camp Nou with a devastating hat-trick to crush Barcelona in PSG’s 4-1 Champions League last-16 win on Tuesday.
Following his starring performance, the 22-year-old said: It would be stupid to decide my future on a single match, sparking speculation about his long-term plans with his hometown club.
Mbappe’s contract expires in June 2022 and some of Europe’s biggest club are rumoured to be circling if the French champions cannot not lock down the World Cup winner to a new deal.
Last year’s losing Champions League finallists, PSG, are c…
Feyenoord striker Robin van Persie is set to retire at the end of the season.
Former Arsenal and Manchester United forward Van Persie rejoined boyhood club Feyenoord in January and has enjoyed his return, but he is not planning on staying beyond the 2018-19 campaign.
The 35-year-old played his role in his side s KNVB Cup triumph last term and will not prolong his career solely in pursuit of the Eredivisie title, insisting his second stint with Feyenoord is already a success as he has rediscovered his enjoyment of the game.
When should I stop? That is normally at the end of this season. That s the approach, Van Persie said ahead of Sunday s Klassieker against Ajax.
I will be 36 years old and will have been a professional for 18 years. From the age of f…
Poland coach Adam Nawalka stated that he has picked the players he believes in after he announced a 28-man provisional squad for Euro 2016.
The 58-year-old, who made 34 appearances as a player for Poland between 1977 and 1980, guided the national side to their third successive European Championship with a successful qualification campaign from a group that also included Germany and Republic of Ireland.
With a strong core based around the likes of Jakub Blaszczykowski, Grzegorz Krychowiak and Robert Lewandowski, Nawalka is hopeful of bettering their efforts in the last two tournaments, with Poland failing to progress from the group stages on both occasions.
I looked at the players closely, both in terms of their club and national-team performances, and I am s…
James Maddison was delighted to earn his second debut with England after facing difficulties during the World Cup in Qatar.
The Leicester City midfielder s second cap for the Three Lions came three and a half years after his international debut, with opportunities not forthcoming in that spell as he faced immense competition for a berth in the side.
Maddison shone in his display against Ukraine at Wembley, creating five chances – the most of any player in their first game for England since Theo Walcott created six against Andorra in September 2008.
With his England debut feeling like a lifetime ago , Maddison enjoyed his second coming into the national side.
It felt great. I said in there it almost felt like a second debut. Like it doesn t really work.…