2. WORLD: ¡Chivas campeón!
- by Soccer America , Dec 11, 2006
Second-half goals from defender Francisco Rodriguez and striker Adolfo Bautista gave Chivas a record 11th title and its first since flamboyant businessman Jorge Vergara bought the club in 2002.
Toluca, which held Chivas to a 1-1 tie in the first leg on Thursday, looked set to win the Torneo Apertura when Argentine Bruno Marioni opened the scoring with his 14th goal of the competition in the 18th minute.
Guadalajara, the only Mexican club to not field foreign players, evened the score seven minutes after halftime when Ramon Morales floated over a free kick from the right, and Rodriguez scored with a flying header at the near post. Bautista scored the winner with a shot from outside the penalty area in the 69th minute.
ARGENTINA. The Bombonera fell silent Sunday as home team Boca Juniors, needing only a tie to clinch the Torneo Apertura, lost to Lanus, 2-1, and must meet Estudiantes in a playoff to decide the first half of the First Division season. Boca appeared to be on its way to its third straight title when Martin Palermo scored from the penalty spot in the 31st minute, but Lanus rallied on goals by Claudio Graf and Rodrigo Archubi. Boca still looked safe until Estudiantes, coached by former Argentine star Diego Simoene, struck twice in the last five minutes on goals by Agustin Alayes (off a cross from Juan Sebastian Veron) and Mariano Pavone to beat Arsenal, 2-0.
ENGLAND. Manchester United extended its lead in the Premiership to eight points when it beat Manchester City, 3-1, and second-place Chelsea struggled to earn a 1-1 tie at home against London rival Arsenal. Goals by strike trio of Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha and Cristiano Ronaldo won the Old Trafford derby. Ghanaian Michael Essien's late goal earned the Blues a point after Mathieu Flamini's 78th-minute goal appeared to end Chelsea's league unbeaten streak at Stamford Bridge dating back to February 2004.
GERMANY. Werder Bremen and Schalke 04 remained 1-2 with big wins over the weekend in Bundesliga action. Brazilian center back Naldo had a hat trick for Werder its its 6-2 victory at Eintracht Frankfurt. Schalke came out ahead in its Ruhr derby against Borussia Dortmund, winning, 3-1, on goals by Christian Pander, Kevin Kuranyi and Peter Lovenkrands.
ITALY. Inter Milan tied a club record when it beat Empoli, 3-0, on Sunday to win its eighth Serie A game in a row and open a seven-point lead. Second-half goals from Hernan Crespo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Walter Samuel helped Inter equal its club record winning streak set in the 1939-40 season. Second-place Roma lost to Lazio, 3-0, on goals by Cristian Ledesma, Massimo Oddo and Massimo Mutarelli in the Rome derby.
SPAIN. Barcelona increased its lead at the top of La Liga to two points after earning a 1-0 win at home against Real Sociedad on Ronaldinho's 11th league goal of the season, while Sevilla beat second-place Real Madrid, 2-1, in a highly charged encounter at the Sanchez Pizjuan. Sevilla kept its perfect record at home thanks to a goal from Franco-Malian Frederic Kanoute and a spectacular overhead kick from Uruguayan Ernesto Chevanton after a David Beckham free kick put Real Madrid ahead.
