Winners:
The U.S. U-17s boys hung on for a 3-2 victory over North Korea in their opening game of the U-17 World Cup in Peru. Ryan Soroka, Kyle Nakazawa and Preston Zimmerman scored for the USA, which got all three goals off balls into the box that the shaky Korean defense was unable to clear.
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The METROSTARS kept their playoff hopes alive in spectacular fashion, downing East leader New England, 5-4, in a thriller that saw them overcome a 3-1 deficit. Frenchman Youri Djorkaeff, who also provided an assist, and Mike Magee each scored a pair for the Metros. Chicago rookie CHRIS ROLFE scored twice in a 2-1 win over Columbus that keeps the Fire five points ahead of the MetroStars.
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FC DALLAS ended its 10-game MLS winless streak and won its first game at Pizza Hut Park in six attempts thanks to a pair of goals from Ecuador striker Roberto Mina, starting in place of injured Carlos Ruiz. The 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake clinched a playoff spot for Dallas, which had not reached postseason play since 2002. LOS ANGELES also clinched a playoff spot with its 2-2 tie with Kansas City in which Herculez Gomes scored his eighth goal of the season and Landon Donovan notched two assists.
In Belgium, STANDARD LIEGE, with American Oguchi Onyewu marshalling the defense, moved into first place of the Juliper League thanks to a 3-0 win over last-place Cercle Bruges.
CHELSEA stretched its first-place lead six points as its sixth win gave previously perfect Charlton its first loss of the season while contenders Liverpool and Manchester United played to a scoreless tie. American defender Jonathan Spector made his Charlton debut, entering the game at the 70th minute mark with the score already 2-0. Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane suffered a broken foot in the Liverpool stalemate and will be sidelined for two months. Chelsea became the first team to open an English Premier League season without conceding a goal in its first six games.
Losers:
MANCHESTER CITY's undefeated run – 13 games, dating back to last season – came to an end with a 1-0 loss to Bolton, which scored on a stoppage-time penalty kick after defender Richard Dunne swatted down a ball while getting sombreroed by Henrik Pedersen. Despite the loss, U.S. midfielder Claudio Reyna received an 8 rating (out of 10) by the Manchester City Evening News, which wrote that he ''Controlled possession well and took charge of the midfield.'' Man City outshot Bolton, 17-5, and hit the framework four times.
Giants fell in Spain and Italy: REAL MADRID, which spent $110 million on players in the offseason, lost its third straight game, last weekend's 1-0 loss at Espanyol and the previous week's 3-2 defeat to Celta Vigo sandwiching Real's 3-0 loss Lyon in the Champions League on Tuesday. Defending La Liga champ Barcelona fell, 2-1, at Atletico Madrid. In Italy, AC Milan fell 2-1 to Sampdoria and now trails Serie A leaders Juventus by five points.
Defending Dutch champ PSV Eindhoven fell, 1-0, to Groningon and remains in fourth place. American DaMarcus Beasley entered the game as a 17th minute sub.
American keeper Kasey Keller returned to action for BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH after missing last week's win because of illness and conceded two goals in a 2-1 loss to recently promoted Cologne. Keller, however, was Gladbach's highest rated player by Kicker Magazine. The other American in last weekend's Bundesliga action, Steve Cherundolo, went down, 1-0, with HANNOVER to Bayern Munich.