By Chris Wright

Seen here is an Emelec (of Ecuador) fan wearing a huge and really rather unsettling 'Chucky' head assuming it's not some terrible affliction in the crowd as his side takes on Paraguay's Olimpia in Guayaquil in the Copa Libertadores, putting the guy in front's feeble Janet Street-Porter mask, quite literally, in the shade.

By Chris Wright

Seen here is an Emelec (of Ecuador) fan wearing a huge and really rather unsettling 'Chucky' head assuming it's not some terrible affliction in the crowd as his side takes on Paraguay's Olimpia in Guayaquil in the Copa Libertadores, putting the guy in front's feeble Janet Street-Porter mask, quite literally, in the shade.

GolTV has Siena and Napoli in the Coppa Italia at 2:45pm. This is the opening leg of the semifinal stage. Milan and Juventus are in the other half of the bracket. Copa Libertadores on Fox Deportes: Internacional - Juan Aurich at 5pm, Catolica - Bolivar at 7pm, and Emelec - Olimpia at 9:30pm. All Times Eastern

PRIMERA FASEArsenal (Argentina) - Real Potosí (Bolivia) - Caracas (Venezuela) - El Nacional (Ecuador) - Internacional (Brasil) - Unión Española (Chile) - Sport Huancayo (Perú) - Flamengo (Brasil) - Peñarol (Uruguay) - Libertad (Paraguay) - Once Caldas (Colombia) - Tigres UANL (México)

Llave G124/1: Arsenal - Sport Huancayo31/1: Sport Huancayo - Arsenal
Llave G225/1: Real Potosí - Flamengo1/2: Flamengo - Real Potosí
Llave G326/1: Peñarol - Caracas2/2: Caracas - Peñarol
Llave G424/1: El Nacional - Libertad31/1: Libertad - El Nacional
Llave G525/1: Internacional - Once Caldas1/2: Once Caldas - Internacional
Llave G625/1: Unión Española - Tigres UANL2/2: Tigres UANL - Unión Española
SEGUNDA FASEGrupo 1Santos (Brasil) - Juan Aurich (Perú) - The Strongest (Bolivia) - Ganador G5
9/2: ganador G5 - Juan Aurich15/2: The Strongest - Santos23/2: The Strongest - Juan Aurich8/3: Santos - ganador G513/3: Juan Aurich - Santos15/3: ganador G5 - The Strongest21/3: The Strongest - ganador G522/3: Santos - Juan Aurich4/4: ganador G5 - Santos5/4: Juan Aurich - The Strongest19/4: Santos - The Strongest19/4: Juan Aurich - ganador G5
Grupo 2Olimpia (Paraguay) - Emelec (Ecuador) - Lanús (Argentina) - Ganador G2
9/2: Emelec - Olimpia15/2: Lanús - ganador G223/2: Olimpia - Lanús8/3: ganador G2 - Emelec13/3: Lanús - Emelec15/3: ganador G2 - Olimpia20/3: Emelec - Lanús28/3: Olimpia - ganador G23/4: Lanús - Olimpia4/4: Emelec - ganador G212/4: ganador G2 - Lanús12/4: Olimpia - Emelec
Grupo 3Bolívar (Bolivia) - Junior (Colombia) - Universidad Católica (Chile) - Ganador G6
8/2: Ganador G6 - Junior9/2: Universidad Católica - Bolívar21/2: Bolívar - Ganador G623/2: Universidad Católica - Junior6/3: Ganador G6 - Universidad Católica8/3: Junior - Bolívar20/3: Bolívar - Junior28/3: Universidad Católica - Ganador G65/4: Junior - Universidad Católica10/4: Ganador G6 - Bolívar17/4: Bolívar - Universidad Católica17/4: Junior - Ganador G6
Grupo 4Boca Juniors (Argentina) - Zamora (Venezuela) - Fluminense (Brasil) - Ganador G1
7/2: Fluminense - Ganador G114/2: Zamora - Boca Juniors21/2: Ganador G1 - Zamora7/3: Boca Juniors - Fluminense14/3: Ganador G1 - Boca Juniors14/3: Fluminense - Zamora29/3: Boca Juniors - Ganador G129/3: Zamora - Fluminense10/4: Zamora - Ganador G111/4: Fluminense - Boca Juniors18/4: Boca Juniors - Zamora18/4: Ganador G1 - Fluminense
Grupo 5Nacional (Uruguay) - Alianza Lima (Perú) - Vasco da Gama (Brasil) - Ganador G4
8/2: Vasco da Gama - Nacional (U)9/2: Ganador G4 - Alianza Lima16/2: Nacional (U) - Ganador G46/3: Vasco da Gama - Alianza Lima14/3: Ganador G4 - Vasco da Gama20/3: Alianza Lima - Nacional (U)21/3: Vasco da Gama - Ganador G427/3: Nacional (U) - Alianza Lima3/4: Alianza Lima - Vasco da Gama5/4: Ganador G4 - Nacional (U)12/4: Alianza Lima - Ganador G412/4: Nacional (U) - Vasco da Gama
Grupo 6Corinthians (Brasil) - Dep.

29.12.2011 - No imaginamos a Messi escribiendo estas líneas en el Facebook de su Fundación ni en ningún otro sitio. No obstante el texto se publicó en la cuenta (con la firma de la Institución) para que, a pocos días del primer premio recibido en Argentina (Olimpia), el nombre de Lionel Messi quede implícito en apoyo al crítico momento de salud (carcinoma papilar en la glándula tiroidea) de la Presidenta de la Nación, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

Primera Fase
24.01.2012 20.15 23.15 G1 Arsenal FC (ARG) - Sport Huancayo (PER)
24.01.2012 20.30 01.30+ G4 El Nacional (ECU) - Libertad (PAR)
25.01.2012 18.50 21.50 G6 Chile 3 - Tigres UANL (MEX)
25.01.2012 20.00 00.00+ G2 Real Potosí (BOL) - Flamengo (BRA)
25.01.2012 22.

Ah, what a missed opportunity. Here's the latest home shirt of Olimpia of Paraguay. How good would that have been? Modern Kappa with a nod to recent glories....

Wherever he goes, Maradona makes sure to put his very special touches.
The video is self explanatory,
In another funny incident in South America, in a game between Nacional and Universidad de Chile was abandoned after Milciades Saldivar was struck by what Uruguayan media have suggested was a cash register roll.

Last night the Copa Sudamericana match between Nacional of Uruguay and Universidad de Chile had to be called off early in the second half after a linesman was hit in the head by a streamer, yes a streamer. As you can see in the video below, the linesman ended up collapsing to the ground after the streamer roll hit him on top of the head.

Last night the Copa Sudamericana match between Nacional of Uruguay and Universidad de Chile had to be called off early in the second half after a linesman was hit in the head by a streamer, yes a streamer. As you can see in the video below, the linesman ended up collapsing to the ground after the streamer roll hit him on top of the head.

Paraguay's Superclásico took place this weekend with Olimpia and Cerro Porteño having to be content with sharing the spoils following a 1-1 draw in the capital city of Asuncion on Sunday.

Record champions Olimpia may have amassed 38 league titles to date in their glory-laden history but the last of those championships came eleven years ago which is far too long for a club of its stature.

Paraguay's Superclásico took place this weekend with Olimpia and Cerro Porteño having to be content with sharing the spoils following a 1-1 draw in the capital city of Asuncion on Sunday.

Record champions Olimpia may have amassed 38 league titles to date in their glory-laden history but the last of those championships came eleven years ago which is far too long for a club of its stature.

Mais um jogo da Copa Sul-Americana, foi realizado no dia 11/08/2011, na cidade de La Paz-BOL, onde jogaram os clubes, The Strongest-BOL e Olimpia-PAR.
O árbitro desse jogo, foi: Victor Rivera-PER

Real Betis have confirmed the signing of Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz on a one-year loan from Manchester City.

Thirty-year-old Santa Cruz joined City from Blackburn in 2009 but has struggled to tie down a first-team berth with the big-spending Premier League club and returned to Rovers on loan for the second half of last season.

CONCACAF Champions League groups were finally set after the second legs were completed this week. There weren't too many surprises as all MLS and Mexico teams went through - although Olimpia of Honduras made things interesting with Santos Laguna.
Each group looks difficult and each group has its challenges but perhaps the most challenging group is.

• Olimpia's board have apparently rejected the Dynamo's loan offer for Boniek Garcia [La Prensa] In Spanish
• Houston's Carr on long road to recovery from concussion [MLS Soccer]
• Moffat looking forward to "a different challenge" in Houston [MLS Soccer]
• Ashe finds the right fit: Switch to 'D' pays dividends for Dynamo vet [Houston Chronicle]
• Mixed emotions for All-Star Cameron [MLS Soccer]
• Generation adidas Cup: Day 1 recap [MLS Soccer] Day 2 recap [MLS Soccer]
• First crane rises above stadium site [Houston Dynamo]
• Danger Zone!

By NESTOR F. SEBASTIAN

Out of the four semifinalists in this year's Copa Libertadores, only Paraguay's Cerro Porteno will be vying for its first title with Brazil's Santos, Argentina's Velez Sarsfield and Uruguay's Penarol all having lifted the trophy on at least one occasion.

Tomorrow is the draw for next season's CONCACAF Champions League. There are some changes in the composition of teams in the upcoming tournament. The first, not unexpected news, is that Belize has once again been excluded from the Champions League due to a lack of Champions League caliber stadia. As Honduras has been the highest ranked Central American league in CONCACAF competition last season, Olimpia has been awarded a place in the Champions League.

The 2011 MLS season opens with Seattle - LA at 9:30pm on ESPN2. Champions League on Fox Soccer Channel: Manchester United - Marseille at 3:30pm and Bayern Munich - Inter Milan at 6pm. CONCACAF Champions League on FSC: Salt Lake - Olimpia at 10pm. All Times Eastern

With the Philadelphia Union. Interesting choice of forward by Coach Peter Nowak, not exactly renowned as the tolerant type especially given that Ruiz has played for three different clubs in three years.

How he will work with the party-loving Carlos Ruiz, seen at right playing for Greek side Aris Salonika last September against Athletico Madrid, who used to drive former Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid nuts when he played here, remains to be seen.

To complete the preview of the first leg of the Quarterfinal round, here are the referees for all four matches: Columbus - Real Salt Lake: Jair Marrufo (USA) Cruz Azul - Santos Laguna: Paul Delgadillo (Mexico) Toluca - Monterrey: Francisco Chacón (Mexico) Saprissa - Olimpia: Walter López (Guatemala)

Saprissa of Costa Rica and Olimpia of Honduras meet in what should be a closely contested Central American derby for a place in the Champions League semifinals. But both sides will approach the first leg with inconsistent records. Saprissa have yet to win consecutive matches in the Torneo Verano, and have not scored in their last two home matches (0-2 and 0-3 losses to Herediano and Limón, respectively).